Hong Juan left to carry out her orders, while Qin Shuying maintained a leisurely expression, showing no signs of panic or anxiety whatsoever.

Luo Meixiang was also very composed—she feared nothing.

Granny Peng and Qiao’er had witnessed everything with their own eyes. They were people of the second branch, not bought by her, and they were determined about this matter. They weren’t afraid of Qin Shuying’s silver tongue.

Soon, Lu Ye and the other two arrived. After paying their respects, the three of them stood behind Granny Peng and Qiao’er.

Luo Meixiang asked Granny Peng, “Did you see clearly? It was these three at the time?”

Granny Peng and Qiao’er looked at the three women and immediately nodded vigorously like pecking chickens, their expressions agitated: “It was them! It was them! Absolutely certain!”

Luo Meixiang then asked the three servants Lu Ye and the others: “Granny Peng and Qiao’er witnessed with their own eyes that you pushed Zao’er into the water. Do you admit to this?”

The three servants Lu Ye and the others remained standing. Lu Ye replied: “Master, Madam, we have not done this. We do not admit to it.”

Luo Meixiang showed no anger and looked toward Liang Yunshan: “Yunshan, they each stick to their own version. I cannot make a judgment.”

Throughout this entire affair, Luo Meixiang remained impartial and neutral, her tone containing no hints, appearing very fair.

Liang Yunshan reminded her: “Didn’t Qiong’er just say there was also physical evidence?”

Granny Peng hurriedly nodded and pulled out a handkerchief: “Master, this is the physical evidence. This is what I pulled from her mouth when I was rescuing Zao’er. After Qiao’er and I pulled her up, we wanted to help her expel the water, so we first pulled this handkerchief out.”

A maid took the still-damp handkerchief and presented it to Liang Yunshan. After Liang Yunshan looked at it, he tilted his head, and the maid handed the handkerchief to Luo Meixiang.

Luo Meixiang examined it carefully and said: “Although this handkerchief has a green leaf embroidered on it, it cannot prove that it belongs to Miss Lu Ye.”

Granny Peng was stunned, her expression showing some agitation as she said: “Madam, this handkerchief is all I can produce as evidence. However, Qiao’er and I witnessed with our own eyes that they pushed Zao’er into the water—this cannot be wrong. Surely this should be sufficient?”

At this point, Granny Peng wiped her eyes: “Zao’er was very well-behaved and never caused trouble. Why would they want to harm Zao’er for no reason? Zao’er posed no threat to them whatsoever!”

Qiao’er also became agitated, speaking with a tearful voice: “Master, Madam, Zao’er and I were always close friends. Zao’er was the most well-behaved and pitiful person—to die so miserably! I beg Master and Madam to seek justice for Zao’er! Zao’er was bought and brought here; she doesn’t even know where she’s from, let alone her parents or siblings. She was such a pitiful person—who could have found her so disagreeable as to kill her this way? Master, I beg you…”

After speaking, Qiao’er began kowtowing on the ground. In her urgency, she knocked her head against the floor with loud “bang bang bang” sounds.

The room fell into complete silence—no one spoke.

After Qiao’er had kowtowed for a while, Granny Peng pulled her back: “Don’t worry, Master and Madam will seek justice for Zao’er and catch that damned murderer!”

After saying this, Granny Peng looked at the three servants Lu Ye and the others, wiping away tears: “Zao’er was so pitiful, yet you could still bring yourselves to harm her!”

Qiao’er also glared at the three servants with righteous indignation, her forehead already showing blood from her vigorous kowtowing.

Granny Peng continued: “Master, Madam, I dare to suggest—could it be that Zao’er accidentally witnessed something she shouldn’t have seen, which led to someone silencing her forever? Manager Qin requested a coroner, who said that Zao’er had a handkerchief hastily stuffed into her mouth, then was forcibly held underwater and drowned alive. There were no signs of struggle, only her arm was twisted and injured.”

This meant that Zao’er had been hastily drowned by someone.

Both Qiao’er and Zao’er were only thirteen years old, rough servant girls of the second branch who normally couldn’t appear before their masters. Lady Meng and Third Miss and Fourth Miss probably couldn’t even recall their names. So she was just an insignificant little maid.

What kind of person would have a grudge against such a maid that they would need to kill her? Granny Peng’s speculation that Zao’er had seen something she shouldn’t have actually made quite a bit of sense.

Currently, besides the maids and servants from Luo Meixiang’s courtyard, those from Songtao Residence, and the people brought by Lady Meng and Third Miss and Fourth Miss, curious maids and servants from outside had also gradually gathered.

After Granny Peng spoke this way, many people looked at the three servants Lu Ye and the others with unfriendly eyes, especially the maids and servants of the second branch, who looked at the three with particular anger and indignation.

Some people couldn’t help but discuss among themselves: “That’s right—Zao’er was timid and avoided trouble, even saving the pastries rewarded by masters to eat sparingly. She was so pitiful! Why would anyone want to harm her life this way?”

“How cruel! I went to see Zao’er—she died so horribly!”

“Catch the murderer and make them pay with their life for Zao’er!”

“Catch the murderer! Otherwise, who in the household would dare walk around the courtyards in the future?”

…

Luo Meixiang listened with satisfaction, though her face showed some difficulty as she looked at Liang Yunshan: “Yunshan, this… sigh, when you lead troops to war outside, isn’t it so that common people won’t suffer invasion by foreign enemies, so they can live and work in peace? Now look—foreign enemies don’t come, but our own people are killing our own people… sigh!”

Liang Yunshan’s face showed traces of anger—Luo Meixiang’s words had struck right to his heart.

Liang Yunshan’s gaze shot toward Qin Shuying like an arrow, but Qin Shuying remained unhurried and appeared very calm.

However, since Liang Yunshan was already looking at her this way, Qin Shuying asked Lu Ye: “Lu Ye, they insist that you harmed Zao’er’s life. Do you have anything to say?”

Lu Ye calmly shook her head in denial: “The three of us have never even seen this Zao’er, and we know nothing about this matter. Zao’er died miserably, and we three are willing to submit to investigation—both to clear our names and to let Miss Zao’er rest in peace.”

Although most people from Songtao Residence had their slave status removed, most still referred to themselves as “slaves” before Qin Shuying.

Luo Meixiang nodded: “In that case, we’ll have to detain you three first while we investigate each aspect thoroughly. Yunshan, do you think this approach is acceptable?”

Liang Yunshan hesitated for a moment. Liang Zhen, who had been silent throughout, suddenly spoke: “Father, whether or not Lu Ye and the other two actually did this, I have a very simple method to verify it.”

Liang Yunshan turned to look at Liang Zhen. He saw that she possessed an elegant bearing and graceful demeanor—when silent, she bore a seven-tenths resemblance to Zhao Wanniang. But when she spoke, she was quite different from Zhao Wanniang.

Liang Yunshan was momentarily stunned, and Luo Meixiang was also taken aback. This wretched girl had caused her countless troubles in the past. These past few days, when she hadn’t spoken up, Luo Meixiang had thought she’d been worn down and lost her spirit. She hadn’t expected her to interfere in matters here!