If Zhao Xun had been any other official, Qin Wan might not have wanted to disturb his current life. But he had been her father’s attending official, the closest to him during his service at the Court of Judicial Review. Why was this volume in his possession? He must know the content about Prince Jin’s case that followed. Therefore, Qin Wan absolutely could not let go of Zhao Xun.

Shortly after returning to the marquis’s mansion, Bai Ying came back. “Miss, Zhao Xun lives in a civilian residence in Ma Family Lane in the south of the city. He lives alone. I saw him leave shortly after returning home, heading to a freight yard in the south. It seems he now works there as a laborer.”

From a proper official of the Court of Judicial Review to working as a common laborer—one could imagine the magnitude of his fall. No wonder he had been so frightened when they came looking for him.

Qin Wan pondered briefly, “I understand. Let’s leave it for now.”

Bai Ying hesitated momentarily, “Miss, this Zhao Xun is connected to Lord Shen. What do you intend to do?”

Qin Wan looked at Bai Ying, unsure how to respond. Bai Ying was loyal to her, and she trusted Bai Ying deeply, but Bai Ying was too clever. With Yan Chi behind her, if Qin Wan revealed even two or three parts of her true intentions, Bai Ying would guess it all—and Yan Chi even more so. Even now, Qin Wan hadn’t decided how to tell Yan Chi about this matter.

“I want to know what happened with Prince Jin’s case.”

After much hesitation, this was all Qin Wan could say. Bai Ying listened with some reservation, “Miss, when this happened, most people in the capital connected to this case were gone, and Prince Jin’s mansion…”

Qin Wan curved her lips, “Don’t worry, I understand. I know what I’m doing.”

Bai Ying hurriedly said, “This servant spoke out of turn.”

“I appreciate your concern, but just do as I instruct in this matter.”

After Qin Wan said this, Bai Ying quickly nodded in agreement. Qin Wan didn’t say more but carefully considered Zhao Xun’s situation. The yamen’s case was at a dead end, and Qin Shuang’s wedding was approaching in the mansion—it wasn’t a good time to seek out Zhao Xun.

Thinking this, she went to Qin Shuang’s courtyard, bringing another gift. With four days until the wedding, Qin Shuang was in her courtyard doing some small embroidery. The bridal veil was finished, and the wedding dress and other items were all prepared, now just waiting for the auspicious date of the third day of the fifth month.

Seeing Qin Wan bring another gift, Qin Shuang’s face lit up with joy. As the sisters chatted for a while, Qin Shuang suddenly said, “Ninth Sister, I’m getting married in the fifth month, Eighth Sister in the sixth month—you should start thinking about your affairs.”

Fu Ling, attending at Qin Wan’s side, nodded at this, “Yes, Miss, you should think about your matters now.”

Qin Wan smiled wryly, “I know, you needn’t worry about me.”

Fu Ling frowned, “Sixth Miss, you see? Miss always says this, but this servant hasn’t seen any sign that she’s truly taking it seriously…”

Qin Shuang frowned at Qin Wan, “Actually, have you considered His Highness the Crown Prince of the Rui Prince…”

Qin Wan, who had been drinking tea, sprayed it out with a “puh!” Qin Shuang quickly handed over a handkerchief, smiling wryly, “What’s wrong?! Isn’t the Crown Prince of the Rui Prince good? Why are you so startled?”

Qin Wan helplessly wiped her lips with the handkerchief, “Of course he’s good, it’s just…”

Fu Ling listened, blinking her eyes, and suddenly realized, “Yes, Miss, His Highness treats you best, and with the connection to the Empress Dowager and Grand Princess, he certainly won’t treat you poorly in the future.”

Bai Ying stood to the side smiling, while Qin Wan’s face reddened and she couldn’t help but cough, “That… *cough*, no need to think about these things now, let’s wait until after your wedding.”

Qin Shuang said helplessly, “After I’m married, I won’t be able to talk to you like this anymore. Consider the Crown Prince of the Rui Prince—his status and position are supreme, and he’s quite handsome too. The only drawback is that he’s been commanding armies and fighting battles before, so he might not be very considerate, but he’s upright, which is very important.”

Qin Shuang spoke with great authority, making Qin Wan quite embarrassed. After listening to a few more comments, she couldn’t take it anymore and quickly found an excuse to leave. Leaving Qin Shuang’s courtyard, Qin Wan let out a breath, while Fu Ling continued muttering beside her. Bai Ying maintained her smile throughout, and Qin Wan glared at her, not daring to go back to Qin Shuang’s place.

Early the next morning, just as Qin Wan was about to go to the prefectural yamen, she found Ning Buyi was also there.

When Zhan Yang brought Qin Wan to the back hall, Ning Buyi was painting. Zhan Yang explained, “Our men still haven’t identified the deceased, so we asked Master Ning to help paint a portrait that we can post.”

Qin Wan was slightly surprised—the person had been dead for two days and their face was badly damaged. Didn’t Ning Buyi have any reservations about painting such a portrait?

Seeing Qin Wan arrive, Ning Buyi hurriedly came forward to bow. Qin Wan glanced at his easel and saw that a human figure was already taking shape. She was inwardly surprised for a moment. She had seen the deceased—half their face had been smashed in, and looking at the corpse, she couldn’t immediately picture what the person had looked like. Yet looking at Ning Buyi’s painting, she instantly recognized it as the deceased. While the corpse had closed eyes and was covered in blood, Ning Buyi’s painting was very clear, showing the deceased with open eyes and a peaceful expression. “Master Ning truly deserves his reputation, capturing the deceased’s living essence.”

Zhan Yang smiled, “There are several other masters in Master Ning’s gallery, but only Master Ning can paint such vivid portraits of people. He’s willing to help, even with painting the deceased, without any reservations. He’s helped the yamen many times.”

Qin Wan had known this for some time. Hearing this, Ning Buyi smiled slightly and continued painting. The portrait was almost complete, and he was carefully adding the final details. Qin Wan watched for a moment when Zhan Yang suddenly said, “It’s a pity Master Ning never saw the eldest son of Viscount Wei Yuan’s family. If he had, we could ask Master Ning to paint a portrait to help search for him.”

Ning Buyi looked up, “You mean the Wu family of Viscount Wei Yuan?”

Hearing that Ning Buyi knew of them, Zhan Yang quickly asked, “You know them?”

Ning Buyi nodded, “Yes, their Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master have both bought paintings from the gallery. Previously, I even helped the Third Young Master find a famous painting, apparently as a gift for the Left Vice Minister of Works.”

After speaking, Ning Buyi felt it was inappropriate and added with a smile, “The Third Young Master is very dedicated to his official career.”

Wu Yu’s previous position had been under the Ministry of Works, and it was perfectly normal to give gifts to one’s superiors. Both Qin Wan and Zhan Yang were worldly people who understood this principle, so neither paid much attention to this comment.

Qin Wan thought of Ning Buyi’s paintings she had seen at the Wu residence and realized she had been overthinking. The Dye Ink Gallery was famous, and seven or eight out of ten people buying paintings went to Ning Buyi. A family like the Viscount Wei Yuan would naturally buy the best, and a single painting was indeed quite normal. Now that Ning Buyi himself mentioned it so casually, it seemed even more ordinary.

With this thought settled, Qin Wan dismissed her remaining doubts and asked Ning Buyi, “Has Master Ning seen the Wu family’s eldest son?”

Ning Buyi thought for a moment, “I think I have… Our gallery has been open for several years. In the early days when we weren’t very well-known and had few customers, the Wu family’s Third Young Master was one of our early patrons. As for their eldest son, I believe I’ve seen him, but I can’t remember clearly enough now to paint his portrait.”

Zhan Yang sighed, “Then never mind—”

Qin Wan then asked, “What does Master Ning think of the Wu family’s Third Young Master?”

Ning Buyi paused his brush and thought for a moment before saying, “The Wu family’s Third Young Master is very practical. Although his status is somewhat awkward, he has always worked for the good of the mansion over the years. Moreover, he is very filial. His mother is bedridden, and I hear he sleeps in his mother’s room every night just to personally serve her medicine and soup.”

Wu Yu’s mother had remarried into the mansion with him and must have suffered much due to her remarried status. Fortunately, Wu Yu was extremely filial. But precisely because Wu Yu was so filial, could this filial piety have led him to make mistakes?

Ning Buyi sighed, “The Third Young Master is the most filial young master I have ever met.”

Qin Wan listened, her eyes deepening in thought. Ning Buyi said no more after this, quickly finishing the portrait. When Zhan Yang looked at it, he said, “I’ll have people make several copies. With this portrait, finding the person should be much faster.”

Just as he finished speaking, Taoist Zhang walked out from behind, “Captain Zhan, I’ve calculated—”

Taoist Zhang couldn’t prevent the killer’s murders or solve cases—he only calculated the timing of each incident. Entering the room, he quickly bowed to Qin Wan upon seeing her. Previously, he hadn’t shown such respect to Qin Wan, but since she had saved his life, he no longer dared to act arrogantly toward her—

“Has the Taoist calculated the time?”

At Qin Wan’s question, Taoist Zhang replied, “Yes, three nights from now.”

Qin Wan’s heart skipped a beat—three days later would be Qin Shuang’s wedding day!

Zhan Yang frowned deeply, “Then we have even less time. I’ll take more men out to investigate immediately…”

Zhan Yang called out, and Tong Yu entered. Zhan Yang instructed Tong Yu to take the portrait for copying while counting out men to go out. Qin Wan asked, “Has anything been discovered about Shopkeeper Wang?”

Zhan Yang shook his head, “Nothing. Shopkeeper Wang is good at business and has an excellent temperament. His apprentices all respect him greatly, and even his business rivals enjoy dealing with him.”

“What about those business rivals?”

Zhan Yang shook his head, “We investigated. Two jewelry shops in the East Market had some disputes with him, but they all had alibis for that night—”

Before Wang Shouchang’s case was solved, a fifth person had died. Understanding Zhan Yang’s difficulties, Qin Wan didn’t ask further and took her leave. Ning Buyi had finished his painting and also prepared to leave.

Since Qin Wan and Ning Buyi were now quite familiar, Qin Wan said, “It’s remarkable that Master Ning, with his current fame, is still willing to help the officials with such small matters.”

Ning Buyi replied gracefully, “As the Princess said, these are small matters. Painting a portrait is very easy for me, and if it helps the yamen, it’s a meritorious deed for me.”

After a slight pause, Ning Buyi added, “By the way, are the paintings that two masters did for Princess Yongning satisfactory?”

Only then did Qin Wan remember that night when they had deliberately delayed time, and later two masters had gone to the An Yang Marquis Mansion to paint for Yue Ning and the Grand Princess. “I haven’t been to the mansion these past days, so I haven’t seen the paintings, but given the gallery masters’ exceptional skills, she will surely like them.”

Ning Buyi nodded, “That’s good then.”

They talked while walking out of the yamen, and after bidding farewell to Ning Buyi, Qin Wan boarded her carriage.

In the carriage, Qin Wan murmured, “Stone Grinding Hell, Sword and Saw Hell, Heart-Gouging Hell…”

Stone-Grinding Hell punished those who broke precepts and wasted grain, Sword and Saw Hell punished those who trafficked or mistreated women and children, while Heart-Gouging Hell punished those who were unfaithful in love or heartless. Stone Grinding Hell was finished, next would be Sword and Saw Hell and Heart-Gouging Hell. Who was the killer’s target? And what would they do?

Lost in these thoughts without finding any clues, Qin Wan remembered Ning Buyi’s mention of Yue Ning and said, “To the An Yang Marquis Mansion—”

The attendant driving the carriage turned around, immediately heading toward the An Yang Marquis Mansion in the western city. Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at the mansion. Seeing Qin Wan arrive, the mansion’s servants respectfully invited her in. Before reaching the main courtyard, Yue Ning came out—

“Why have you come today?”

Qin Wan smiled, “I came to see the paintings the gallery masters did for you.”

Mentioning this, Yue Ning couldn’t help but laugh, “Honestly, they painted very well. Grandmother is very satisfied. If not for your sudden idea that day, I might not have thought to invite painters. Looking back now, we should have done this earlier.”

Speaking thus, Yue Ning sighed, “Grandmother has aged, and even Mother has wrinkles now. If we had known, we should have had their portraits painted earlier, when they were in their prime.”

As Yue Ning led Qin Wan to the main courtyard, they met the Grand Princess. Hearing that Qin Wan wanted to see the paintings, the Grand Princess was also very pleased. They went together to the side hall, and upon entering, they saw two portraits hanging on the wall—portraits of the Grand Princess and Madam Jiang. The Grand Princess smiled, “They painted very well. Yue Ning said this was your idea, and indeed it was good.”

Qin Wan and Yue Ning exchanged a secret glance, both unable to suppress their smiles.

The Grand Princess continued, “We wanted to have Yue Qing painted too, but he insisted painting was for women and refused no matter what. Ah, since his father left, we really can’t control him anymore.”

Qin Wan knew that Yue Qing now took his duties very seriously and probably didn’t want to waste time on portraits, so she offered a few words of consolation. The Grand Princess then pulled Qin Wan into the courtyard. In early summer, the courtyard was ablaze with colorful flowers. As they walked, the Grand Princess said, “The painting is excellent, but sitting for it was uncomfortable. It’s been two days, and my bones still haven’t recovered.”

Yue Ning laughed, “We can barely sit still for an hour, but Grandmother sat for two whole hours that day. The painters, seeing they were painting Grandmother, were especially careful not to be negligent, fearing that any lack of detail would make the portrait less lifelike. But this troubled Grandmother and Mother. Fortunately, the final paintings turned out wonderfully…”

Qin Wan nodded with a smile. The paintings she had just seen indeed captured the Grand Princess and Madam Jiang vividly. As the saying goes, good work takes time—naturally, one couldn’t rush to achieve good results.

“It was the painters’ first time seeing Grandmother and Mother, so of course they needed to observe to paint well.”

Thinking of the night when she was painted, Yue Ning also nodded with a smile, “Indeed, I was also scrutinized by the painters for a long time that night.”

The Grand Princess laughed, “Coming back so late that night, I thought you were up to something else, but you were just having painters do your portrait late at night. You are something…”

Yue Ning shrugged and shared another knowing look with Qin Wan.

But after walking a few more steps with the Grand Princess, the smile gradually disappeared from Qin Wan’s face. Could anyone paint such a lifelike portrait just from seeing someone’s general appearance?

Seeing Qin Wan lost in thought, the Grand Princess asked, “How are the preparations for your sister’s wedding coming along?”

Qin Wan came back to herself and quickly replied, “Everything is prepared. First Aunt has arranged everything very thoroughly.”

The Grand Princess nodded with a smile, “I won’t attend then. The mansion isn’t planning a grand celebration for your sister’s wedding. I’ll have Yue Ning go and bring a generous gift.”

Qin Wan quickly nodded, “Grandmother is too kind—”

The Grand Princess patted her hand, “This is all for your sake.”

Qin Wan hugged the Grand Princess’s arm, acting somewhat spoiled, “Wan’er understands, thank you, Grandmother.”

Hearing this, the Grand Princess looked at Yue Ning, “Ah, seeing the mansion preparing for a wedding makes me think of you two, especially Yue Ning, who’s particularly undecided…”

Yue Ning’s face showed slight distress, “Grandmother, Miss Qin’s marriage is her own affair, why must you bring me into it…”

Yue Ning looked to Qin Wan for help, and Qin Wan quickly changed the topic to paying respects to the Empress Dowager at the palace.

The grandmother and granddaughters toured the garden nicely, and Qin Wan stayed to have lunch with the Grand Princess. After the Grand Princess went for her afternoon nap, Qin Wan prepared to leave the mansion, but before she could exit the main courtyard, a servant came to report that Wei Qizhi had arrived!

Qin Wan was slightly surprised—why had Wei Qizhi come?!

Glancing over, she saw no trace of surprise on Yue Ning’s face; clearly, Yue Ning had known about this beforehand.

“He must be bringing the veterinarian! The foal he sent fell ill, so I sent someone to his mansion. He said he would bring someone to treat the foal…”

Hearing this, Qin Wan was no longer in a hurry to leave and went with Yue Ning to receive Wei Qizhi.

When they saw Wei Qizhi, he had indeed brought a middle-aged man who was very skilled at treating horses.

“I didn’t expect Princess Yongci to be here too. This is Master Li, the best veterinarian in my caravan. Where is the foal? He’ll know how to treat it as soon as he sees it…”

At Wei Qizhi’s words, Yue Ning personally led him toward the stables. Qin Wan noticed that Wei Qizhi’s attendant was carrying something, and asked, “Has Young Master Wei brought gifts as well?”

Wei Qizhi smiled, “The other day while looking at shops in the south of the city, I bought an antique from the previous dynasty. It’s a sword, reportedly the Chengying Sword, though I’m not certain. I don’t practice martial arts, and among the people I know, only the Princess is suited to use this sword.”

Qin Wan was slightly surprised. The Chengying Sword was one of the Ten Famous Swords, reportedly forged by the Sword Saint Ouye Zi. Compared to other famous swords, the Chengying Sword had a thin, elegant blade most suitable for women. Could such an item be bought just by browsing shops in the south of the city?

Qin Wan didn’t believe it and couldn’t help but study Wei Qizhi. As he spoke, his eyes kept glancing at Yue Ning, with a hint of anticipation, as if eager to please her.

Qin Wan frowned—what was Wei Qizhi up to?!

Yue Ning hadn’t expected it to be the Chengying Sword either, but being fond of martial arts, she naturally appreciated excellent weapons. She almost immediately stopped to open the box the attendant was carrying. When opened, inside was indeed a long sword gleaming with cold light. Though called a long sword, its blade was very narrow, as evident from the scabbard. Yue Ning took it in hand and drew the blade—instantly, a flash of cold light dazzled the eye. Though Qin Wan didn’t understand swords, just seeing that cold light told her this was a superior weapon.

It was a very elegant sword—if someone like Yan Chi were to hold it, it might seem somewhat incongruous, but it suited Yue Ning perfectly. Yue Ning casually performed a sword flourish, her eyes brightening. Looking at Wei Qizhi, she said frankly, “This sword—it’s not also for repaying a debt, is it?”

Wei Qizhi rubbed his nose, “Hehe, Princess, just accept the item. Think of it however makes you comfortable.”

If it were something else, Yue Ning might have declined, but this happened to be a sword—exactly to her taste. Yue Ning truly liked this sword, and immediately made up her mind, “Fine, I’ll accept it. From now on, consider us even!”

Wei Qizhi burst into laughter, “Good, good, good. I’m glad the Princess likes it.”

Watching from the side, Qin Wan frowned—this Wei Qizhi was very suspicious!

When they reached the stables, the foal inside began neighing wildly from afar in their direction. Wei Qizhi’s eyes brightened, and he strode forward. Though the foal was fierce-tempered, Wei Qizhi paid no attention, walking right up to pat its head. The previously agitated foal immediately lowered its head, becoming completely docile. Yue Ning watched from behind in great surprise.

“It’s quite obedient with you—”

Yue Ning was somewhat dissatisfied. The foal had been here for a month, and she was very fond of it, training it with great care, but clearly, the foal was more attached to Wei Qizhi.

Wei Qizhi laughed, “I caught it myself, of course, it listens to me!”

Patting the foal’s head, he said, “Chiluan, why aren’t you listening to the Princess?”

The foal snorted twice, and Wei Qizhi acted as if he understood, “Alright, alright, I understand. We’ll treat your illness now, and after you’re better, you must be more obedient!”

Wei Qizhi spoke with such conviction that Qin Wan and Yue Ning exchanged glances, both thinking Wei Qizhi wasn’t quite normal—how could anyone understand horse speech?!

Wei Qizhi waved his hand, “Quick, examine Chiluan.”

The master following behind stepped forward, taking out several instruments to check Chiluan’s teeth. Soon, he found the cause and said, “Young Master, this humble one will go back and prepare two doses of medicine to send over. It should be better in two or three days.”

Wei Qizhi was delighted, “Excellent, excellent! You’ll be rewarded when you return, and if it truly recovers in two or three days, there will be another reward.”

Wei Qizhi’s rewards were quite generous, showing the true spirit of a wealthy merchant. Yue Ning looked at him somewhat disdainfully, “Since it’s close to you and you’re here, why don’t you exercise it?”

Wei Qizhi was very pleased to hear this. He opened the stable and led Chiluan out. The small foal looked quite endearing, and Wei Qizhi’s expression when facing Chiluan was as warm and intimate as if dealing with a friend. Qin Wan realized that Wei Qizhi’s love for horses was genuine. There was a small riding ground not far from the stable, and Wei Qizhi led Chiluan there, truly beginning to exercise it while teaching Yue Ning horsemanship techniques. The variety of skills he displayed left Qin Wan amazed and Yue Ning wide-eyed!

Listening to Wei Qizhi’s eloquent explanations, Qin Wan felt as if he was glowing.

After exercising the horse, Wei Qizhi adjusted his robes and went to the main hall to see the Grand Princess and Madam Jiang.

In Jinzhou, Wei Qizhi had been injured and heartbroken over Song Rou’s affair that had wrongly implicated him. Back then, he hadn’t shown such spirit as now. Although Wei Qizhi wasn’t from a noble family, he could converse naturally and gracefully before the Grand Princess and Madam Jiang, making the Grand Princess laugh heartily with just a few words. Though his visit wasn’t long, it was clear the Grand Princess quite liked him. After he left, she was still sighing.

“What a pity, such a fine young man. If he entered officialdom, who knows what great achievements he might have.”

As a royal princess, the Grand Princess naturally thought of court affairs. Madam Jiang smiled, “I think he could achieve great things in commerce too. With an imperial consort for an aunt, if he wanted, he probably could already be a court official.”

The Grand Princess sighed, “That’s true, but merchants still have lower status.”

Yue Ning seemed lost in thought upon hearing these words. Qin Wan tugged at her sleeve, “What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”

Yue Ning said softly, “I envy Wei Qizhi… doing what he wants to do… He probably doesn’t care whether others think his status is high or low. In this world, few people care so little about face like him.”

Qin Wan couldn’t help but smile—Yue Ning was praising Wei Qizhi in a roundabout way…

If Wei Qizhi were truly from a merchant family, that would be one thing, but his maternal family was Duke Song’s mansion, and he had an aunt who was an imperial consort. In comparison, his choice to become an imperial merchant seemed quite unambitious, yet he still did it!

“Young Master Wei’s courage is indeed admirable. It’s rare to find someone like him in today’s Great Zhou. But everyone has their path. Some enter officialdom unwillingly, yet find joy when they truly rise in rank.”

Qin Wan knew what Yue Ning was thinking. They were the same age, and with Qin Shuang and Qin Chaoyu both getting married, they too would inevitably face marriage. Before marriage, everything was negotiable, but after marriage, their current freedom would likely become an illusion. If even men like this were subject to gossip, what could women do?

Because of Wei Qizhi’s visit, Qin Wan had delayed until it was quite late to return to the mansion. She first went to the main courtyard to see Qin Shu and Madam Hu. When she returned to her own courtyard, she found Qin Shuang sitting in her room. Seeing Qin Wan return, Qin Shuang said, “I want to sleep with you tonight, I’ve already brought my blanket…”

Fu Ling covered her mouth to hide her laugh, “Miss, Sixth Miss says she can’t bear to part with you and wants to sleep with you these next few nights.”

Qin Wan felt both helpless and touched, and agreed. After washing up and bathing, she lay down with Qin Shuang, who was both nervous and excited, constantly talking about the wedding until Qin Wan grew drowsy, not even knowing when she fell asleep. Early the next morning, before Qin Wan had fully awakened, she heard many people talking outside.

Opening her sleepy eyes, Qin Wan called out “Fu Ling,” and saw Fu Ling enter with a troubled, surprised expression. One look at Fu Ling’s face told Qin Wan something was wrong, and she immediately became alert, “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Fu Ling glanced at the still-sleeping Qin Shuang and said softly, “Miss, Third Madam has arrived!”

For a moment Qin Wan didn’t react, then realized who Fu Ling meant by Third Madam. She sat up suddenly, “Third Aunt has come?!”

Fu Ling nodded, “Yes, she arrived at the mansion before dawn, and I heard she’s been arguing with the Marquis and First Madam.”

Qin Wan’s brow twitched—she knew without thinking what Madam Lin was arguing about with the Qin Shu couple…

Qin Wan frowned, looking at Qin Shuang beside her. Qin Shuang was sleeping deeply, and who knew how late she had stayed up excited last night. She was still snoring softly. Qin Wan rubbed her brow, “It would be best if Uncle could explain clearly. If not, Third Aunt will likely misunderstand Qin Shuang…”

Just as Qin Wan finished speaking, arguing voices came from the courtyard.

“Where is Qin Shuang? Let her come out and face me!”

“How could she steal her sister’s husband? Forcing her sister to become someone’s concubine!”

“I raised her, how could she be so ungrateful…”

One accusation after another rang out at the courtyard gate. A dark light flashed in Qin Wan’s eyes, and at this moment, Qin Shuang finally woke up. She sat up with bleary eyes, “What’s wrong? Who’s arguing outside?”

Fu Ling’s expression changed slightly. Qin Wan sighed, helping Qin Shuang up, and said gravely, “Third Aunt has come, and she seems to have misunderstood you. Let’s get up quickly, we can explain things directly later.”

As she finished speaking, Madam Hu’s voice came from outside, earnestly pleading, “Third Sister-in-law, it’s not what you think. Why won’t you listen to us? No one forced Qin Xiang, it was her own decision…”

Madam Lin, travel-worn from rushing here, didn’t believe Madam Hu’s words, “Xiang’er isn’t someone who doesn’t know what’s important. Even if it’s the Prince of Cheng, being a concubine without status is still just a concubine. Something must have happened! It must have! Sister-in-law, let Qin Shuang come out, I want to hear from her—”

Madam Lin was agitated, her eyes red as she forcefully pushed away the maids blocking her.

Bai Ying and Ban Xia were guarding the courtyard gate. Ban Xia said, “Third Madam, the young ladies haven’t risen yet. It would be improper for you to enter like this. Please rest in the front courtyard first.”

Madam Lin glared fiercely at Ban Xia, “Who are you to speak to me like this? Even your mistress wouldn’t dare talk to me this way, yet you dare to block me?!”

Madam Lin was truly angry now. Qin Xiang was her only hope, and she couldn’t allow Qin Xiang’s marriage to change so unclearly. Prince of Cheng or not, Qin Xiang wasn’t carried in with a grand wedding procession, but taken away in a small carriage!

What this meant, Madam Lin dared not even think about…

Qin Xiang had been brought to the marquis’s mansion—why hadn’t they stopped it?!

Why had they watched her being taken away?!

Ban Xia dared not say another word after being scolded. Bai Ying frowned and was about to speak when the door suddenly opened. Qin Wan and Qin Shuang stood in the doorway, Qin Shuang looking somewhat frightened while Qin Wan’s expression was cold.

“Third Aunt has come from afar and should rest well. Such anger will only harm your health.”

Qin Wan was now Princess Yongci, and Madam Lin knew this, but she merely gave Qin Wan a cold look before moving toward Qin Shuang. Seeing the two come out, Bai Ying no longer blocked the way. Madam Lin pushed away the maid supporting her and quickly walked up to Qin Shuang. Qin Shuang looked better than she had in Jinzhou, and her clothes were more exquisite. The gold bracelet on her wrist was prepared for the wedding—and all of this should have been Qin Xiang’s!

“You tell me, what exactly happened?!”

Qin Shuang already had hidden worries, and now being questioned so harshly by Madam Lin, she was completely frightened, “Mother… it wasn’t me, it was Fifth Sister herself… she and Prince Cheng had an affair…”

Madam Lin’s eyes widened, “What did you say?! You dare slander Xiang’er?!”

Madam Lin was furious, her eyes about to burst from their sockets as she raised her hand to strike Qin Shuang’s face. But just as her hand came down, someone grabbed her wrist.

It was Qin Wan who had caught her arm.

Madam Lin glared at Qin Wan, “You, what are you doing—”

Qin Shuang had closed her eyes in fear, but when the expected slap didn’t land, she opened them to see Qin Wan holding Madam Lin’s arm and immediately felt touched to tears.

Qin Wan coldly looked at Madam Lin. Back in Jinzhou, this Third Aunt, though not directly harming the Ninth Miss, hadn’t offered her any help either. She felt little closeness to this Third Aunt, “Third Aunt wants to hit someone without understanding the situation, where is the reason for that?! Qin Shuang hasn’t stolen anything from Qin Xiang. Third Aunt should rather ask what good deeds Qin Xiang has done!”