Afterward, everyone turned the conversation to other topics, as if forgetting whether the purple jade ornament in Lu Ruyang’s hand actually had the character “Rong” written on it.

As for what people were thinking in their hearts, only they themselves knew.

However, apart from a few people, almost everyone was eagerly waiting for the Ji family’s people and Ziteng to return quickly.

Fifth Princess Consort sipped her tea with a smile, but her eyes kept glancing toward Lu Ruyang. Lu Ruyang knew what she meant, but in her extreme nervousness, she couldn’t find any words to continue making Qin Shuying reveal her true colors.

In contrast, Madam Ji chatted with Qin Shuying from time to time, making it even harder for Lu Ruyang to interject.

In Lu Ruyang’s anxiety, before even half an hour had passed, Lu Ye, Hong Juan and the others arrived out of breath.

Fifth Princess Consort’s pupils contracted slightly as she smiled even more gently, “Madam Liang, please don’t make fun of me. If people knew that even your household maids have the same things His Highness gave me, how many would laugh at me when word spreads?”

Qin Shuying replied with a smile, “Princess Consort, that was given to you by His Highness. As long as it passed through His Highness’s hands, how could its significance compare to what my few maids have?”

Ziteng, Lu Ye, and Hong Juan carried jewelry boxes forward, first paying respects to Fifth Princess Consort, then looking toward Qin Shuying.

“Open them all.”

As soon as Qin Shuying finished speaking, the three opened their jewelry boxes and placed them on the table that had been used for painting. Immediately, the ladies and misses began buzzing with conversation.

“That’s a complete set of purple jade hair ornaments! Really given to that maid?”

“That’s a complete set of emerald hair ornaments, given to that other maid?”

“That’s a set of agate hair ornaments, actually given to the third maid?”

These jade hair ornament sets were all very valuable, including hairpins, ornamental combs, earrings, necklaces, jade pendants or jade accessories. Lu Ye’s set even included a pair of bracelets.

As for the seven-leaf purple jade ornaments, there was indeed one in each of the jewelry boxes in front of Lu Ye and Hong Juan. Besides those complete jade hair ornament sets, each of the three had some scattered jade ornaments of similar shapes.

Additionally, there were some pearl and gold-silver jewelry, some extremely fine and ingenious, others somewhat rougher.

However, just these items already left people stunned. One should know that even legitimate daughters of ordinary official families might not have so many fine things.

Qin Shuying picked up the two seven-leaf purple jade ornaments, “Princess Consort, these two are identical to the one in Madam Lu’s hand. Please have someone come over to compare them.”

Fifth Princess Consort remained smiling, appearing very unconcerned, “Anyone can see they’re identical at a glance. What’s there to compare? I said long ago this was just a misunderstanding. Why should Madam Liang worry about it? Ruyang, with your straightforward temperament, now you know the consequences, don’t you? Without suffering a loss once, you won’t learn your lesson. Quickly apologize to Madam Liang.”

Lu Ruyang was already dazzled by the jewelry displayed by the three maids, completely unable to believe these were all servants’ belongings. But Fifth Princess Consort was giving her a way out, so she took the opportunity, saying, “Yes, Princess Consort.”

Then she bowed deeply to Qin Shuying, “Madam Liang, it was all my rash carelessness. Please don’t hold it against me.”

Qin Shuying smiled, “Of course I won’t hold it against you.”

The implication of these words…

Upon hearing this, Lu Ruyang could no longer contain her anger. She struggled to calm her breathing and pretended to be very surprised, “Madam Liang’s maids have so much fine jewelry – even the Princess Consort’s concubines aren’t this extravagant. Ladies, do the maids around you have so much fine jewelry?”

This question struck many people’s hearts. Immediately, people began chattering, “No, they don’t.”

“Never mind maids – even our nieces don’t have this much.”

Some people felt that Lu Ruyang, being someone close to a prince, spoke too harshly, and they smiled without comment.

Of all things to compare, she had to compare with the prince’s concubines. From beginning to end, Lu Ruyang displayed a petty, small-minded air.

Lu Ruyang smiled brilliantly, but her eyes flashed with madness, “Madam Liang, you hear that – everyone thinks this is too exaggerated. And indeed, no one’s maids could possibly be like this.”

Qin Shuying’s gaze was as gentle as could be, “Isn’t this all because Madam Lu accused me of stealing, forcing me to have them reveal all their possessions? If Madam Lu hadn’t pressed so aggressively, making something out of nothing, and saying I stole something from the Old Madam, why would I need to prove my innocence like this?”

Lu Ruyang laughed melodiously, “Madam Liang, to prove your innocence, you gave your own jewelry to maids, pretending it belonged to them, then tried to fool us? This way it would seem like Madam Liang doesn’t care about jade ornaments at all, casually rewarding them to maids, so you couldn’t possibly steal anything, right? But this kind of self-proving innocence is too laughable!”

Qin Shuying’s gaze grew colder, though her smile remained brilliant, “Ziteng, have them bring the things in. Madam Lu hasn’t seen the world, so she thinks everyone else is as ignorant of money as she is, willing to commit treason for a few stinking copper coins.”

Lu Ruyang flew into a rage. She was now a prince’s consort with considerable status – also fourth rank, equal to Qin Shuying. Her grandfather’s treason was an untouchable thorn in her heart, and she had swallowed much anger because of it.

However, she had learned to be clever and didn’t take the bait, only sneering coldly, “Madam Liang, don’t try to confuse the issue. I’d like to see what fine things you actually have. However, the Liang family originally had many fine things. If you went and stole one or two items, including that priceless firearm, and used them to make up numbers, who could say you’re poor?”

Qin Shuying didn’t respond.

Soon, Ziteng led two men carrying a large chest over.

Qin Shuying took a cord from around her neck with a key hanging on it, handed it to Ziteng, and said indifferently, “Open it. Let Madam Lu see with her own eyes how many priceless jewels my mother left me.”

Ziteng took the key and opened the chest. Lu Ye took out the small boxes one by one, while Hong Juan was responsible for opening the small boxes and displaying them for everyone to see. Immediately, everyone was stunned.

There were two or three boxes of gemstone jewelry in pigeon blood red, pomegranate red, and rose red. Precious gemstone jewelry in sapphire, emerald, golden cat’s eye and others – each type filled an entire box.

These gemstones were even more precious than those in Ziteng and the others’ hands, each one truly priceless.

What was valuable was that these ornaments carved from gemstones were each exquisitely crafted to the extreme, making it impossible to look away.

Lu Ruyang moved a bit closer, and Lu Ye said without courtesy, “Madam Lu, please stand back a little. If anything goes missing later, you couldn’t produce such precious items to prove your innocence. In this servant’s opinion, even if you wanted to steal, you couldn’t manage it!”

Lu Ruyang’s face immediately flushed red, and she was about to speak.