Miss Qiao took out a pill from her pouch: “This pill can react with alcohol residue remaining in the human body, turning into something toxic. Old Wang, you eat it and let these two watch.”

Old Wang looked completely bewildered.

This wasn’t fair—those who hadn’t been cleared of suspicion got to watch while he, who had been cleared, had to take poison?

Qiao Zhao took out another pill: “Don’t worry, this is the antidote. As long as you take it within two quarters of an hour, there’s no danger. It’s good for your health.”

Old Wang held the pill with trembling hands, looking pitifully at Old Madam Deng: “Old Madam—”

Before Old Madam Deng could speak, Lady He said coldly, “Miss told you to eat it, so eat it. Didn’t she say it would be fine? Keep babbling and I think we needn’t bother with questioning—just sell off all you old things and be done with it, saves us trouble!”

Being sold at his age would lead to no good end. Upon hearing this, Old Wang tearfully swallowed the pill.

Everyone in the room focused their gaze on Old Wang.

In just a moment, Old Wang’s complexion changed as he clutched his stomach: “Old Madam, this old servant needs… to go to the privy!”

He ran off, and Qiao Zhao said lightly behind him: “Remember to return within two quarters of an hour.”

Old Wang paused briefly, then ran even faster.

After just one quarter of an hour, Old Wang returned pale-faced with trembling legs, looking like wilted vegetables that had shrunk after losing water. He swayed unsteadily to Qiao Zhao and knelt with a thud, crying: “Third Miss, please quickly give this old servant the antidote.”

Qiao Zhao handed over the other pill, which Old Wang immediately swallowed. Color gradually returned to his face, and he even felt a lightness throughout his body.

He kept his head lowered, hiding his surprise.

Qiao Zhao walked before Old Zhao and Old Du, opening her palm to reveal two pills.

Both men’s faces changed color.

Miss Qiao smiled: “Don’t be afraid, gentlemen. This pill won’t take effect if you haven’t drunk alcohol—it only affects those who have.”

She placed the pills in their hands one by one, saying unhurriedly: “However, there’s something I must remind you both of. Since you both claim you didn’t drink last night, after taking this pill, I won’t provide any antidote.”

“No antidote?” Old Du’s face paled.

Miss Qiao nodded: “Correct, no antidote. Since you both didn’t drink, you won’t need an antidote. But if someone did drink—heh, shouldn’t liars receive punishment?”

Her gaze turned cold as she stared at the two men.

Old Zhao, pale-faced, gritted his teeth and swallowed the pill.

Qiao Zhao’s gaze moved to Old Du’s face.

Old Du clutched the pill, his face alternating between pale and flushed, hesitating to act.

“Don’t worry, it won’t cause something as unsightly as perforated bowels—”

Old Du finally fell to his knees weakly, kowtowing repeatedly: “Third Miss, spare my life! Third Miss, spare my life! This old servant did drink last night, but—”

Qiao Zhao directly cut off his words with a cold laugh: “Don’t tell me you’re going to continue making excuses, claiming you didn’t drink with Old Qian?”

Old Du was stumped.

He had indeed planned to say that.

“If not, then why did you lie? Don’t treat your masters like fools to be deceived. I’m questioning you all simply to understand the truth. If you continue being senseless, then, as Madam said, sell off your whole family and enjoy some peace!”

Old Du had never seen a young miss with such an aggressive demeanor. Unable to withstand it, he finally confessed: “It was this old servant who drank with Old Qian yesterday. This old servant has a loose tongue and heard Old Qian mention Third Miss’s affairs, accidentally let it slip, and it spread everywhere. Please forgive this old servant! Please forgive this old servant!”

The crisp sound of slapping echoed in the room as Qiao Zhao remained ice-cold, showing no intention of stopping it.

While these inner courtyard schemes meant nothing to her, having flies buzzing around was still annoying—she had to give the people behind this a lesson.

In just a moment, both sides of Old Du’s cheeks swelled up high, making him look like a pig’s head.

“Enough.” Old Madam Deng spoke up. “You two, talking nonsense while drunk, truly deserve punishment—”

“Grandmother, I still have something to say.” Qiao Zhao said indifferently.

Everyone looked at Qiao Zhao, but she only stared at Old Du, smiling slightly: “Old Du, you’re still lying.”

Old Du immediately protested his innocence: “This old servant isn’t! This old servant drank too much and accidentally repeated what I heard from Old Qian.”

“Heh.” Qiao Zhao chuckled lightly, then stopped looking at Old Du and instead looked at Old Madam Deng. “Grandmother, yesterday, Grandfather Li told me that Old Qian suffers from a type of amnesia, which is why he forgets things so quickly. Presumably, people who frequently associate with him would know this. Old Du took advantage of this, insisting that it was Old Qian who drunkenly revealed that among yesterday’s passengers in my carriage were young men. As merely someone spreading the tale, even if discovered, the crime would be much lighter than deliberately slandering one’s master.”

“Third Miss, you can’t say such things—you’re asking for this old servant’s life—”

Qiao Zhao didn’t even glance at Old Du, bowing to Old Madam Deng: “Grandmother, yesterday your granddaughter was caught in the rain and felt unwell, so I retired early and haven’t explained to you—the traveler who shared my carriage yesterday was the Ninth Princess.”

At these words, Old Du’s face turned ashen.

Qiao Zhao smiled lightly: “Grandmother, consider this—if Old Qian had spoken carelessly while drunk, why would he leave out such shocking facts and instead spread rumors about young men sharing my carriage? This doesn’t match human nature of wanting to boast while drunk! So the actual situation is that Old Qian probably said nothing at all. These rumors were fabricated by Old Du to slander your granddaughter, while conveniently blaming the forgetful Old Qian to exonerate himself.”

“Old Du, we’ve been friends for so many years—how could you harm people like this?” Old Qian was so angry that his teeth were grinding.

Lady He suddenly stood up: “Wait!”

She strode to Old Du, looking down at him from above, then suddenly slapped her forehead: “I remember now! Old Du, you manage the eldest miss’s storeroom, right? That’s right, you were the personal attendant of the eldest miss’s birth mother, and your wife was the eldest miss’s wet nurse!”

Perhaps due to maternal instincts, Lady He had never been so sharp-minded before. She immediately rushed to Old Madam Deng, hugging the old lady’s legs and crying: “Old Madam, I wondered why Zhaozhao suffered from the rain and still had to have her reputation ruined again—so this is the root cause!”

Qiao Zhao curved her lips and stepped aside.

“Old Madam, if the eldest miss resents me as a stepmother for not doing well enough, that’s fine, but she can’t harm my Zhaozhao! What wrong has Zhaozhao done? Wah wah wah—”

Old Madam Deng felt the urge to bang her head against the wall from Lady He’s crying and shouted sternly: “Summon the eldest miss and her wet nurse!”

Having stirred up trouble in the residence, Li Jiǎo had been staying in her courtyard to avoid suspicion. Hearing Old Madam Deng’s summons, her heart tightened as she hurried over with her wet nurse.