Qiu Huan’s whole body trembled as she shrank there, not daring to make a sound. Only when she heard Nanny Wang curtsy in acknowledgment did she hurriedly look up at Nanny Wang with pleading eyes.

Seeing Qiu Huan’s appearance, Nanny Wang knew that Qiu Huan must have stolen Chun Tao’s jade pendant and earrings while taking her undergarment.

Nanny Wang’s heart sank to the bottom. She was the most trusted by Old Madam Dong and the most respected nanny in the Dong residence. She never expected her niece to have such shallow vision and be so recklessly bold as to do such things. It made her feel utterly ashamed.

Nanny Wang hoped Qiu Huan would come to her senses – as long as she could preserve Chun Tao’s reputation, she could save her own life. Otherwise, she would never be able to remain in the Dong residence again.

No sooner had Nanny Wang left than Bai Qingyan asked Qiu Huan, “Luo Fugui says… that on the twentieth of the eighth month, you arranged for Chun Tao to meet with Luo Fugui. Is this true?”

Qiu Huan wasn’t completely stupid. She knew her aunt hadn’t responded to her just now and would find Chun Tao’s belongings in her room. If she continued to falsely accuse Chun Tao together with Luo Fugui now, she would be unable to remain in the Dong residence in the future and might even be sold off.

But if she admitted to stealing Chun Tao’s undergarment and giving it to Luo Fugui to frame Chun Tao, and that her hands weren’t clean, she still couldn’t remain in the Dong residence, and the final result would probably still be getting sold off.

Qiu Huan clenched her palms tightly, her gaze falling on the finely embroidered, high-quality shoes on the feet of Chun Tao kneeling in front of her. Unwilling emotions churned in her heart – since the outcome would be the same either way, why should she clear Chun Tao’s name?

Since misfortune was coming, they might as well all be miserable together!

Qiu Huan kowtowed to Bai Qingyan: “Exactly! That day, this servant originally went to apologize to Miss Chun Tao, but Miss Chun Tao said that if I could help her arrange a meeting with Concubine Luo’s brother, she would speak well of me before Princess Zhenguo and let me return to serve at Princess Zhenguo’s side!”

“You’re lying!” Chun Tao’s eyes reddened with anger. “You were the one who came to find me at the gate of Master Dong’s study courtyard, saying that Nanny Wang was looking for me. Xia Yu and Dong Mei were both there, and you were the one who sent them away and knelt on the ground begging me to speak well of you to our Miss… to let you return to serve at our Miss’s side!”

As soon as Chun Tao finished speaking, Qiu Huan kowtowed heavily to Old Madam Dong and Bai Qingyan, talking to herself without responding to Chun Tao: “Moreover, Princess Zhenguo asking my aunt to search this servant’s room for Miss Chun Tao’s things is truly wronging me. Although this servant is just a slave, my aunt is a nanny besides Old Madam. What fine things hasn’t she seen? She would never be so shallow as to steal things from a mere maid like Miss Chun Tao. Please, Princess Zhenguo, see clearly.”

Seeing Qiu Huan speak with such righteous indignation, Madam Cui’s heart clenched. This Qiu Huan was someone she had arranged to serve beside Bai Qingyan, and she never expected her to be such a heartless creature who would falsely accuse Bai Qingyan’s maid.

That Chun Tao was the youngest and most beloved daughter of Dong Shi’s wet nurse. Later, when Dong Shi’s wet nurse passed away when Chun Tao was four years old, Dong Shi brought Chun Tao to Bai Qingyan’s side. It could be said that she grew up alongside Bai Qingyan. Even without an engagement, Dong Shi or Bai Qingyan would certainly arrange an excellent family for her in the future. How could Chun Tao possibly look favorably upon someone like Luo Fugui?

Moreover, Chun Tao’s cousin Chen Qingsheng… she had heard Dong Shi mention him before. It was said that Chen Qingsheng was valued by Bai Qingyan and had limitless prospects. Would Chun Tao abandon such a fiancé for mud like Luo Fugui, who couldn’t be helped up the wall? Was Luo Fugui younger than Chen Qingsheng, more handsome than Chen Qingsheng, or more talented than Chen Qingsheng? He wouldn’t even blush saying such things.

Soon Nanny Wang returned, holding the earrings and jade pendant she had found in Qiu Huan’s room, so angry that her legs were trembling.

When Chun Tao saw that these were indeed her missing earrings and jade pendant, her heart relaxed. She received the jade pendant from Nanny Wang’s hands and thanked her.

Seeing her aunt bring the stolen goods and not leave her any way out, Qiu Huan felt even more hateful, tears welling up in her eyes.

Qiu Huan reacted quickly, crawling forward on her knees several steps and kowtowing: “Qiu Huan never took these things! It must be Chun Tao! Chun Tao just went back to her room to check her belongings – she must have put them in my room to frame this servant! If this servant had stolen things, I certainly wouldn’t have kept them in my room – I would have gotten rid of them early to exchange for silver!”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Chun Tao had never seen such a shameless person. She gripped Chen Qingsheng’s jade pendant tightly in her hand, trembling with anger, and turned to look toward Bai Qingyan. “Miss, when this servant went back to look just now, so many people were following… how could I possibly go to Qiu Huan’s room to plant things!”

Bai Qingyan, sitting beside Old Madam Dong, spoke: “Now things are very clear. Qiu Huan conspired with Luo Fugui to falsely accuse Chun Tao. One probably wanted to marry Princess Zhenguo’s maid, and the other probably thought that without Chun Tao, she could replace her!”

Seeing this, Luo Fugui hurriedly kowtowed: “This humble one spoke no lies. Please, Princess, do justice for this humble one!”

“Do justice for you? What kind of thing are you… that you deserve to have me do justice for you?” Bai Qingyan picked up Chun Tao’s undergarment, her voice indifferent. “My maid, who grew up with me like a sister, is she someone you can covet by stealing an undergarment? I can sit here today purely to support Chun Tao! Otherwise, I would have had you beaten to death with clubs already. Would I waste my time on this?”

Hearing Bai Qingyan’s words, Chun Tao couldn’t stop her tears from falling.

Qiu Huan’s body trembled as she looked up at the coldly beautiful Bai Qingyan. The personal maid’s reputation had already been ruined by Luo Fugui – was Princess Zhenguo still going to protect Chun Tao?

Bai Qingyan stood up and bowed to Old Madam Dong, Dong Qingyue, and Madam Cui: “Today’s matter concerns my maid. If my handling exceeds bounds, please forgive me, grandmother, uncle, and aunt!”

Dong Qingyue nodded: “You are of princess rank. Not to mention dealing with them, even dealing with Changmao along with them would be proper and appropriate!”

Hearing this, Dong Changmao’s face turned deathly pale. He hurriedly knelt and cupped his hands: “I submit… to Princess Zhenguo’s disposal!”

“Chun Tao, get up!” Bai Qingyan handed the undergarment to Chun Tao. “Take it out and burn it!”

Chun Tao was quite surprised but still obeyed Bai Qingyan, standing up and taking the undergarment out to burn.

This undergarment had been touched by such filthy creatures – Chun Tao truly didn’t want it anymore.

Luo Fugui’s eyes widened: “This… this can’t be burned!”

“This matter has nothing to do with Changmao, so he can’t be blamed for it. Luo Fugui, to climb up to Princess Zhenguo’s maid, took someone else’s undergarment to falsely accuse Chun Tao, damaging my reputation. I am very angry. Damaging a princess’s reputation is originally a capital offense, but considering Second Young Master Dong, I’ll spare Luo Fugui’s life.”