Qin Shuying felt her head was about to explode from thinking, yet she still couldn’t grasp the key points.

Moreover, from Empress Wen’s tone, Old Madam Liang clearly knew Empress Wen—not only knew her, but was very familiar with her.

However, after all these years, Old Madam Liang rarely entered the palace.

Not only did Old Madam Liang rarely enter the palace, she also rarely went out to socialize. Even when people came to the Pingxi Marquis’s Mansion, she rarely received visitors.

This was simply… comparable to Empress Wen.

One mysterious and secretive, the other reclusive and withdrawn.

As Qin Shuying pondered deeply, the sedan chair soon arrived outside the Pingxi Marquis’s Mansion.

Eunuch Hu announced his credentials, and the servant at the main gate hurriedly went inside to request instructions from the steward.

By coincidence, Steward Liang was there. Hearing that the palace had specially sent a sedan chair to escort Qin Shuying back, he dared not be negligent and quickly had the side gate opened, personally going to speak with Eunuch Hu and giving him a red envelope.

Eunuch Hu said: “The Empress has instructed that Lady Liang must be escorted to Songtao Residence before we can leave.”

Steward Liang could only comply.

Within one day, three groups of people had come from the palace, and all the servants of the Pingxi Marquis’s Mansion were in an uproar.

Liang Yunshan was still in the palace at this time. When Old Madam Liang heard that the Empress had personally instructed someone to escort Qin Shuying back to Songtao Residence, she smiled coldly and said nothing.

When Qin Shuying returned to Songtao Residence, Ziteng and the others hurriedly surrounded her, all with joyful expressions: “Madam!”

Qin Shuying smiled and indicated she was fine. Nanny Fu instructed Zhishu: “Madam is starving—quickly serve the meal.”

Zhishu immediately busied herself directing people to serve the food.

Qin Shuying sat down: “Nanny, today I made you all suffer with me.”

Nanny Fu wiped the corner of her eye: “My dear young lady, I was truly terrified at the time, yet didn’t dare say a word for fear of ruining your affairs.”

Qin Shuying sighed softly: “Nanny, today’s events were too sudden. Ziyu didn’t even have time to discuss with me before the Marquis burst in. I had no way to tell you all what to do. Fortunately, everyone is safe.”

Nanny Fu nodded.

She naturally understood the whole sequence of events very clearly.

Qin Shuying and Ziteng had just returned to Songtao Residence after their fright, had just changed clothes and drunk a sip of hot soup, with their hair still not dry, when Liang Zhe returned.

He had obviously run there frantically and appeared completely exhausted.

It turned out he had indeed been on duty in the capital at the time. Although he was a guard now, because Emperor Delong entrusted him with important tasks, he actually spent almost half his time outside the palace handling affairs.

He hadn’t seen the fireworks sent up from the Pingxi Marquis’s Mansion at the time. It was Liang Yanjun who saw them and quickly found him to tell him, by which time some time had already passed since the fireworks were set off.

Liang Zhe abandoned what he was doing and raced toward the Pingxi Marquis’s Mansion.

By the time he arrived exhausted, Qin Shuying had just left for the front hall to receive the imperial edict.

Although Qin Shuying had left, Ziteng remained at Songtao Residence and told Liang Zhe about the events in the pine and cypress grove.

Liang Zhe quickly made arrangements and preparations.

What perfect timing—Emperor Delong had told him yesterday that today he wanted to hear his report, and the Empress also wanted to meet Qin Shuying.

Such a good opportunity—if he didn’t make good use of it, he would be letting down those good brothers Liang Jie and Liang Yuan.

Since they were so clever and increasingly capable, able to investigate Princess Qin’an’s theater attendance and daring to move against Qin Shuying, then let them learn to be even more clever.

After Qin Shuying received the edict and returned to Songtao Residence, the two had only discussed a few sentences and made some arrangements. Before they could discuss more, Liang Yunshan burst in.

The subsequent events developed beyond what they could have imagined beforehand, and naturally escalated to the imperial presence.

When the meal was served, Qin Shuying ate a chopstick of vegetables and drank a little porridge before asking: “Nanny, how is Liang Jie?”

Nanny Fu said: “Imperial Physician Shu came over. There are people coming and going over there, everyone looking grave, but the specific situation is unknown.”

When Ziteng was telling Liang Zhe about the events in the pine grove, Nanny Fu was also listening nearby and had nearly wept. Now she said: “Miss, such a shameless wretch—why didn’t he just die! Miss, tell me, could we perhaps…”

Nanny Fu gritted her teeth and looked at Qin Shuying with veiled eyes, making a throat-slitting gesture.

Qin Shuying shook her head: “Even someone like Nanny can’t bear it anymore—it seems they truly deserve to die. However, if they died, outsiders would easily suspect Ziyu. Ziyu’s hands cannot be dirtied by them. Besides, Nanny, they are also living people—how could they be so easily killed? This time was just an accident.”

It truly was an accident.

If they hadn’t made a move against Qin Shuying, if that place hadn’t been relatively secluded, if Ziteng hadn’t been cautiously carrying a gun with her, given Qin Shuying and Ziteng’s usual circumstances, they couldn’t possibly have escaped from their hands.

Even if Liang Zhe were to act personally, where could he find such an undisturbing location?

There was still Liang Yunshan in the mansion, plus stewards large and small, and Liang Jie and Liang Yuan had many attendants around them. To quietly kill them without arousing others’ suspicion—how could that be so easy?

Moreover, while Liang Zhe could deal with them, he ultimately couldn’t kill them.

After all, these were also his brothers, not enemies on a battlefield.

How could Nanny Fu not understand these principles? It was just that she was too angry, and since the twins had tried to harm Qin Shuying, that Nanny Fu had spoken rashly.

“Miss, I was inconsiderate. But to let them off like this is really…”

Qin Shuying said: “Nanny, when one does too many bad deeds, Heaven will naturally deal with them. Let’s wait and see.”

Just like dealing with Lu Changxuan.

Whatever Lu Changxuan valued, destroy that.

Liang Jie and Liang Yuan’s goal was nothing more than to use this to force Liang Zhe to act, making a bad impression on Liang Yunshan, or even taking desperate risks and ultimately doing something irreversible.

That way, the heir’s position could fall to them.

So, if this heir’s position was visible but untouchable, what would Liang Jie and Liang Yuan do?

Furthermore, Qin Shuying had also witnessed the gun’s power—she couldn’t be sure whether Liang Jie could survive.

Nanny Fu’s anger hadn’t subsided: “Who knows what kind of people they provoked to strike so ruthlessly. In the future, they should be more careful when going out, lest they don’t even know where their heads end up. They deserved this misfortune. If they can’t be cured properly—Second Young Master left with an inconvenient right hand, Third Young Master left with inconvenient legs—that would truly be retribution!”

Mm, that wouldn’t be bad either.

If that were truly the case, the heir’s position would definitely belong to Liang Zhe.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, those with physical disabilities could not serve as court officials, and would naturally lose their advantage in requesting to be named heir.

Qin Shuying curved her lips in a smile: “Nanny speaks truly—who knows what kind of people they provoked to nearly lose their lives. By the way, did Fifth Prince come?”

Regarding the matter of Ziteng being able to shoot, Qin Shuying didn’t plan to let a fourth person besides herself, Liang Zhe, and Ziteng know about it.

Nanny Fu said: “He didn’t come, only sent someone to deliver supplements.”

Qin Shuying put down her chopsticks and asked no more questions.

Fifth Prince—truly iron-hearted, yet very good at winning people’s hearts.