“Then it’s heaven’s will?” Third Madam Li Shi asked, pressing her handkerchief to her chest.

Bai Qingyan shook her head: “Behind this, I fear there are other motives…”

Nanny Tong bowed to the masters and said: “Grand Princess, esteemed madams, after Chancellor Lu’s youngest grandson injured someone to defend our eldest miss, our eldest miss had already sent Physician Hong, disguised as someone sent by the Lu mansion, to examine Lin Xin’an’s injuries and check his pulse! Physician Hong said they were minor injuries… and that mother and son were both greedy for money. From their words, it seemed they had already extorted a large sum from the Lu mansion. They complained about the Lu mansion sending another physician, yet weren’t afraid of Physician Hong discovering any problems with his examination. They were quite emboldened.”

Standing under the glazed lamp with its dancing flames, Nanny Jiang suddenly heard an extremely faint crackling sound and shuddered as she said: “This old servant hadn’t finished speaking earlier. After that woman beat the Dengwen Drum, she denounced the powerful nobles, then brought up the matter of eldest miss burning captured enemies, saying a long string of things… claiming that eldest miss burning prisoners was intolerable to heaven’s justice, using all sorts of vicious words against eldest miss, asking why her son couldn’t criticize and scold eldest miss for being such a…”

The words that followed were too ugly for Nanny Jiang to voice. She clenched her fists and continued: “She also said how could someone as brutal as eldest miss deserve to be enfeoffed as a county princess.”

Bai Qingyan’s fingers resting on the table tightened as she looked up, her eyes already crystal clear.

That woman beat the Dengwen Drum, but as a mother, instead of recounting the suffering her son had endured these past days to gain the people’s sympathy and seek justice for her son, risking her life to beat the drum, she was there to criticize her?

One opening leads to all openings.

This matter, from Lin Xin’an’s drunken words defaming her reputation at Fanque Tower, was aimed at her, Bai Qingyan, from the very beginning!

Why would Lin Xin’an choose to say those words at Fanque Tower, a place of courtesans? Because brothels and gambling dens were places where all sorts of people gathered, making them the fastest venues for spreading information.

However, Lin Xin’an probably hadn’t expected Lu Yuanpeng to appear and give him a beating.

After being beaten by the legitimate grandson of Chancellor Lu, others would have been scared out of their wits, yet Lin Xin’an… dared to use his lowly status to challenge the noble, confronting the current Right Chancellor’s mansion and even daring to extort money!

A student from the Imperial Academy in the capital didn’t want his future anymore.

Unless someone was backing him, how else could he be so emboldened?

While it’s said that the barefoot don’t fear the shod, since Lin Xin’an was a student at the Imperial Academy, how could he be considered barefoot?

If this was aimed at her, she felt this matter wasn’t hard to guess. It was either Old Fang from the Crown Prince’s mansion, or people like Li Mao and Prince Liang.

However, Prince Liang’s confinement to his mansion hadn’t been resolved yet. Based on Physician Hong’s description of Lin Xin’an, this person avoided harm and sought profit… If he had followed Prince Liang’s orders to ruin her reputation, after the incident was disrupted by Lu Yuanpeng, he would never dare continue entangling with Chancellor Lu’s mansion.

Left Chancellor Li Mao and Old Fang, who flew the Crown Prince’s banner, were both possibilities.

However, Left Chancellor Li Mao doing this wouldn’t be much different from Prince Liang doing it.

That night, everyone in Duke Zhenguo’s mansion tossed and turned, unable to sleep because that woman kept targeting Bai Qingyan relentlessly.

Dong Shi couldn’t sit still, sending wave after wave of people to check if the Imperial Academy students were still outside Wude Gate. Each time she received an affirmative answer, her heart sank a little more.

The last time Nanny Qin came to report, she said that besides asking the emperor to severely punish the killer, the Imperial Academy students were also requesting the emperor to severely punish Bai Qingyan for unauthorized execution of prisoners, to clear Jin’s name of being brutal wolves and tigers, and to rectify Jin’s reputation.

Dong Shi sat on the soft couch, clutching her handkerchief, finding this matter more troublesome the more she thought about it.

Knowing Dong Shi couldn’t sleep, Bai Qingyan had Nanny Tong prepare Dong Shi’s favorite sour plum soup and came to Dong Shi’s courtyard to keep her company, waiting together for Wei Zhong to return with his report.

Wei Zhong’s capabilities were unquestionable, and he returned quickly.

Just as he entered the hanging flower gate, the Grand Princess sent someone to summon Bai Qingyan.

When Bai Qingyan entered Changshou Courtyard with Dong Shi and her daughters, Wei Zhong had just arrived as well.

Wei Zhong had thoroughly investigated the matter. The two households neighboring Lin Xin’an’s mother had both learned of Lin Xin’an’s death only after his mother went to beat the Dengwen Drum.

Those neighbors all said that when they got up in the morning, they still saw Lin Xin’an’s mother brewing medicine for Lin Xin’an.

Wei Zhong had martial arts skills and had quietly snuck in to examine Lin Xin’an’s corpse. Upon careful examination, he discovered the person had been smothered to death using a traceless killing method—the “Jia Guan” technique.

But since Wei Zhong could detect this, naturally, an experienced coroner would also be able to tell.

Lin Xin’an’s mother was willing to risk her life beating the Dengwen Drum, apparently not truly wanting to condemn Lu Yuanpeng to death, but rather going through this elaborate scheme to incite Imperial Academy students against Bai Qingyan.

Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes in thought for a moment, then asked: “In the Imperial Academy, who was the first to volunteer to take the rod punishment for Lin Xin’an’s mother? Have you investigated this?”

Wei Zhong hadn’t investigated this and was momentarily stunned by Bai Qingyan’s sudden question.

“I trouble you to make another trip tonight and find out clearly who led the charge within the Imperial Academy this time. I want their background details.”

Wei Zhong looked at the eldest miss, whose tone remained unperturbed, kowtowed his acknowledgment, and properly withdrew from the main room to investigate through the night.

“Grandmother and mother need not worry anymore. This time… the Crown Prince will certainly protect me,” Bai Qingyan said.

The advice Old Fang gave to the Crown Prince was nothing more than to ruin her reputation, then have the Crown Prince step forward to protect her regardless of the circumstances, thereby making her grateful to the Crown Prince and henceforth dependent on him with unwavering loyalty.

So, whether this was Li Mao’s doing or Old Fang’s doing beside the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince would ultimately be persuaded by that Old Fang, who thought he had everything under control, to come forward and protect her.

This crisis would be a false alarm for her and Lu Yuanpeng as well.

Tomorrow, she could return to Shouyang with peace of mind.

·

At this moment, Chancellor Lu’s mansion was also shrouded in dark clouds.

The study in Chancellor Lu’s mansion was brightly lit.

Lu Yuanpeng’s mother, Third Madam Lu, was crying her heart out, kneeling outside Chancellor Lu’s study, begging Chancellor Lu to rescue Lu Yuanpeng no matter what.

When trouble arose, the men discussed matters in the study. Not only could the womenfolk not help, but they were also wailing like mourners outside—wasn’t this just causing trouble!

Chancellor Lu’s temples throbbed as he heavily set his teacup on the table, suppressing his anger as he spoke to his restless third son, who kept looking outside: “Shouting! All she knows is shouting! If your wife keeps making noise, send her back to her mother’s house to shout!”

Chancellor Lu’s third son knew his father was truly angry and quickly bowed in apology before running out to have people take Third Madam back to her courtyard.

At first, Third Madam was unwilling, but when her husband said that if she continued shouting and disrupting father’s thoughts on rescuing Lu Yuanpeng, Lu Yuanpeng would truly be beyond saving, Third Madam finally allowed her nanny to support her pale-faced return to the rear courtyard.

With the study finally quiet, Chancellor Lu drank two cups of tea before his mood calmed down.