When Jin Chao returned to Qing Tong Court, her expression was somber. The servants didn’t dare to breathe, serving her cautiously. When Liu Xiang brought tea, the Young Lady complained that it was too hot, swept it to the floor, and told her to leave and not serve her anymore!

Qing Pu understood Jin Chao’s intention: “Young Lady suspects Liu Xiang?”

Jin Chao nodded: “I’ve sent her away for now. I don’t want to wrongly accuse her and make her suspicious. Find Yu Tong, who is close to her, and also call Old Li who does the cleaning.”

Yu Tong couldn’t say anything definitive: “…This servant hasn’t noticed anything unusual about Liu Xiang.” Qing Pu led her out first, and Jin Chao gave her a meaningful look. Having been mistress and servant for many years, they understood each other implicitly. Qing Pu knew to instruct Yu Tong to keep quiet and not say too much.

Old Li, however, immediately knelt and explained in detail: “This servant cleans the front courtyard and often sees Liu Xiang leaving the compound… But a few days ago, Liu Xiang behaved unusually. She left at dusk, and this servant thought it was on your orders, but she returned in less than half a quarter hour with something in her hand… Yes! It was a pair of gold hairpins with blue sapphire plum blossoms! But this servant never saw Liu Xiang wear them again.”

Jin Chao rewarded Old Li with some silver and told her not to spread the word.

She was now seventy to eighty percent certain but wanted to be cautious and didn’t alert anyone. Liu Xiang continued to serve her daily, though her heart was pounding. Ever since she had overheard the Young Lady secretly investigating her background, she had been extremely nervous. She tried to perform better, hoping to stay, fearing a return to her former impoverished life of being beaten by her father and brother.

She had suffered the hardships of poverty since childhood and was particularly fond of valuables. She had taken many small items from Jin Chao that she thought wouldn’t be missed or cared about. But this was far from enough. Gu Lan had provided her with more jewelry and valuables. When she heard about the gold filigree hairpieces, she knew this information could be exchanged for gold jewelry, and sure enough, Gu Lan gave her a pair of gold hairpins!

Although Gu Jin Chao hadn’t suspected her, she wasn’t as fond of her as before. Liu Xiang thought about her treasures and couldn’t help but comfort herself: Don’t worry, even if she were married off casually, those items would be enough for her to live a good life!

Jin Chao sent someone to summon Luo Yongping. Having gone away for just a few days, Luo Yongping had already investigated thoroughly and respectfully reported to Gu Jin Chao: “Liu Xiang has only one older brother named Song Da. Her mother died when she was young, and her father passed away two years ago. But her brother doesn’t work for the Yu family; he’s an idle vagrant who loves gambling. He bets heavily and plays many forms of gambling—backgammon, card games, dice—he plays them all. He often gambles at Wanchun Gambling House, sometimes losing as much as a hundred taels in one night…”

No wonder Liu Xiang was like a bottomless pit that could never be filled!

Jin Chao lifted her teacup and drank, then continued asking: “With her brother losing so much money and having no livelihood, hasn’t he gambled away all their family property by now?”

Luo Yongping smiled: “Strangely enough, this Song Da seems very well-off. Even when he has no money, he somehow produces gold and silver jewelry to pawn!” Jin Chao’s mind stirred as she looked at him, and Luo Yongping had already taken out some items, “This servant redeemed some from the pawnshop, but there are many more.”

This Luo Yongping was indeed capable. Jin Chao nodded and had Qing Pu call Madam Tong in to identify the items.

Madam Tong examined them for a long time before making her decision: “Most of these belong to the Young Lady. This butterfly hairpin—only the Young Lady uses yellow grape jade for inlays… Some others I don’t recognize. Ah, this one!” She picked out a pair of red coral earrings from among them, “I’ve seen Zi Ling, who serves the Second Young Lady, wearing these.” She also pointed to a piece of jade thumb ring, “This item, I’ve seen Concubine Du wearing it.”

Concubine Du? Jin Chao recalled that when Madam Tong was investigating, she had found that Liu Xiang had once served under Concubine Du.

Madam Tong was also shocked: “These are all the Young Lady’s belongings. No wonder Liu Xiang never came to me for the registry book. Without registration, it was much easier for her to take things. Fortunately, I’m still familiar with the Young Lady’s possessions!”

Gu Jin Chao nodded: “I originally thought she was only connected to the Second Young Lady. I didn’t expect that she also had ties with Concubine Du.” Having raised such a large parasite, she would soon be eaten hollow.

Madam Tong frowned slightly and said in a low voice: “Young Lady, do you think Concubine Du and Concubine Song might be working together…”

“It’s possible,” Jin Chao had thought of this too. If these two women had already joined forces, it would be difficult for her to move against them.

“…Although we don’t know about these two concubines for now, I’m afraid Liu Xiang can no longer stay!” Madam Tong made a gesture.

“Removing her without alerting these two is not easily done right now,” Jin Chao thought for a moment and said, “If we could catch her in the act of stealing, I would have a reason to drive her out of the household.”

Luo Yongping bowed slightly: “Young Lady, this Wanchun Gambling House belongs to the Ji family. Previously, when Song Da gambled there, he would use the Young Lady’s name, saying his sister was the most favored maid by the Young Lady’s side, and no one within ten li dared to offend him. Out of respect for the Young Lady, Song Da’s losses at Wanchun Gambling House were kept low… Otherwise, he would have lost much more.”

In her previous life, Jin Chao had heard of all kinds of unsavory matters. In a gambling house, if they wanted to manipulate the games, it wasn’t difficult at all.

She smiled slightly: “Tell them they don’t need to hold back. Since Song Da loves gambling so much, it would be better for him to lose more.”

“This servant will arrange it immediately.” Luo Yongping smiled and withdrew.

A few days later, Liu Xiang came to ask the Young Lady to leave, her eyes red with anxiety: “Young Lady, please allow me to go home once. My brother is sick in bed, and I want to check on him.”

Jin Chao was trimming excess buds from her winter plum blossoms and said, “It’s the New Year period, don’t let your brother suffer. You may go first.”

Liu Xiang hurriedly packed one or two gold ornaments and some silver from her room and went home. Her house was in Qingping Lane, with an emaciated old dog outside that wagged its tail and followed her, only to be kicked away by her.

Liu Xiang entered the inner room and found that the original rosewood bed, cabinets, tables, and stools were all gone. A thin man in hemp clothing was wrapped in a thin cotton quilt, curled up on a wooden board. One of his legs hung lifelessly, broken, the wound bloody, staining the quilt red. As soon as he saw Liu Xiang return, he cursed loudly: “Dead whore, I called for you to come back and you didn’t! Did you only want to return after my leg was broken?”

Liu Xiang’s tears immediately fell: “Think about it, it takes a whole day to travel back and forth! You’re in this state and still cursing me! Where’s the money? Where’s the furniture? Tell me, where did you take everything!”

Song Da was nonchalant: “I gambled, of course I pawned them first! I don’t know why, but my luck has been terrible lately. I’ve lost over a thousand taels of silver. Did you bring silver back? Get me a doctor first, and I’ll use the rest to win it all back!”

Liu Xiang trembled with anger. Gambling… in such a state, and he still wanted to gamble!

“I didn’t bring much silver now. How much do you still owe the gambling house?”

Song Da thought for a moment: “Four hundred taels, I guess… I can’t remember clearly! Don’t you serve a Young Lady? She’s the niece of the Ji family. Go ask her to waive my gambling debt, hurry!”

Four hundred taels… Liu Xiang felt ice-cold all over. Four hundred taels—now that Madam Tong managed Qing Tong Court, she couldn’t produce four hundred taels even if she were beaten to death!

“You want to bring this matter to the Young Lady? If she knows you’ve been gambling, neither of us will have a future!” Liu Xiang glared at him fiercely. He was her only brother, and the Song family bloodline couldn’t end with him. No matter what, she still needed to save him. She gritted her teeth, turned toward the courtyard, and went to dig up a brick beneath the jujube tree.

Song Da smiled eerily: “You hid gold there, didn’t you?”

Liu Xiang’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Song Da continued: “Cheap whore, hiding things behind my back. I dug it up and used it long ago! Haha, I used it to buy Hong Tao a pearl shirt and five taels worth of gold filigree hairpieces…”

Gold filigree hairpieces! Again with the gold filigree hairpieces!

Liu Xiang’s expression suddenly became ferocious. She jumped up, walked to her brother’s bedside, and gripped his neck, shouting: “Give me back my gold! I saved for so many years! I saved for so many years!…” Her voice gradually diminished as she spoke, with tears falling profusely.

Everything was gone—the gold, the silver—she had nothing left.

Song Da said: “You don’t have any, but the Young Lady does. Go take the Young Lady’s gold, let me win it back first…”

Liu Xiang’s eyes suddenly brightened: “Yes… yes, the Young Lady has gold, and the Second Young Lady also has gold. I need to go back and get the gold. I need to go back now.” She picked up her bundle and rushed out of the room. Song Da pounded the bed in anger, “Find me a doctor to set my bone! Little cheap whore! Not caring if I live or die…”

The emaciated old dog wagged its tail as it entered, circling Song Da and licking his face.

“Damn it! Not eating for a few meals and still not dead!” Song Da avoided the dog’s rough tongue, “Get out! I have nothing to feed you!”