“How is this possible!” Qin Jieyu exclaimed in a low voice, carefully examining the creditor’s name at the top of the document.
Qin Jieyu.
She gasped, glaring at Jiang Taohua. “What trick have you played?”
Taohua shrugged. “Given the circumstances, my lady, are you still trying to falsely accuse others? The shop assistant has already stated he never saw me. The promissory note is in your possession, bearing your name. The jade pendant is also in your hands, and you were caught alone with Mr. Xu. With so much evidence stacked against you, are you still trying to shift the blame onto me?”
Qin Jieyu gritted her teeth, hurriedly turning to Shen Zaiye. “There must be a mistake. Perhaps Madam Jiang bribed the shop assistant!”
Shen Zaiye’s face darkened as he glanced at the assistant, who immediately kowtowed in fear. “How dare I accept money to lie? I swear on my life and my family’s lives that everything I said earlier is the absolute truth. My home is on the outskirts of the capital. If you find that I’ve spoken falsely, my lord, you may come for me at any time!”
His words were earnest, his expression sincere. It was clear the assistant wasn’t lying.
Mei Zhaoxue closed her eyes briefly and said softly, “Send the man out. We’ve heard enough, and my lord will make his judgment. It’s improper to keep outsiders here any longer.”
“Yes,” Zhanlu obeyed, promptly escorting the assistant out.
The courtyard fell silent. Shen Zaiye fixed his cold gaze on Qin Jieyu, who was sweating profusely, unable to defend herself. Finally, she burst into tears. “I truly am innocent!”
“The evidence is irrefutable. Your deceit is futile,” he said coldly. “Now confess, what exactly have you and that retainer been up to?”
“I…” Tears streaming down her face in anger, Qin Jieyu trembled as she looked at Jiang Taohua. “If there were any improper dealings with him, it was someone else. How can I explain what I haven’t done, my lord?”
Taohua, who had already risen gracefully, smiled slightly upon hearing this. She looked down at Qin Jieyu and said, “I’ve been wanting to ask you something, and now that the truth has come to light, I’d like to hear your answer. You’ve repeatedly mentioned receiving information about my alleged misconduct from a certain source. May I ask, where exactly is this source?”
As if suddenly enlightened by her question, the others seemed to understand. Gu Huairou clapped her hands and said, “Indeed! How did Madam Qin learn about the alleged late-night liaisons and exchange of love tokens? Surely only those in Zhengchun Pavilion would know such things?”
Qin Jieyu frowned, answering without much thought, “Of course, I heard it from someone. If I were to reveal my sources, wouldn’t Madam Jiang seek revenge? That would discourage those brave enough to speak the truth.”
“Oh?” Taohua chuckled. “So, you’re saying that you didn’t witness these events personally, yet you’re adamant about accusing me of wrongdoing?”
“It is the truth!”
Taohua smiled gently, glancing at the jade pendant in her hand. “This is the truth.”
Qin Jieyu’s eyes widened in disbelief. She sobbed uncontrollably, utterly helpless.
‘That Jiang Taohua!’ she cursed inwardly. ‘She planned this step by step, intending to trap me today! Such a scheming and vicious woman!’
In her anger, Qin Jieyu forgot that she had initially planned to frame Taohua based on rumors. Her scheme was no less malicious than Taohua’s; the only difference was that she had failed while Taohua had succeeded. Thus, in her mind, Jiang Taohua became the villain.
In the wars between women, there is rarely a clear right or wrong—only different perspectives.
Taohua turned away from her, looking at Shen Zaiye, who had been watching the spectacle. She smiled and asked, “My lord, shouldn’t you demote her now? The evidence is clear, so whether Madam Qin admits to it or not shouldn’t matter. However, given the strict rules of our household, they likely didn’t do anything too outrageous. She can remain in the manor. Your reputation isn’t too severely tarnished.”
Shen Zaiye pursed his lips, glancing sideways at her before saying, “Given the circumstances, Qin shall be demoted to a bedwarmer. Move her out of Haitang Pavilion and into the servants’ quarters. Reduce her monthly allowance accordingly. From now on, she’ll assist the madam with her duties.”
Though a thousand times unwilling and ten thousand times reluctant, the situation was beyond salvaging. Qin Jieyu could only grit her teeth and kowtow to Shen Zaiye. “This concubine… thanks my lord for his mercy!”
“Family scandals should not be made public,” Shen Zaiye sighed. “I will deal with the retainer. He still has his uses and will remain here. You two are to sever all ties and never overstep your boundaries again.”
“…Yes.”
The onlookers sighed. They had come expecting to see Jiang Taohua in trouble, but instead, Qin Jieyu ended up bearing the blame. The evidence was reasonable and conclusive, leaving even Mei Zhaoxue unable to speak in her defense.
As they left Linwu Court, Gu Huairou whispered to Taohua, “I never imagined you could be so formidable. Qin has been arrogant in the manor for so long, and no one has ever been able to subdue her.”
“It’s not that I’m formidable,” Taohua replied, her lips pursed. Her face showed little joy; instead, she seemed as worried and amazed as the others. “I didn’t expect Madam Qin to be the one implicated this time.”
“What?” Gu Huairou’s eyes widened, and she stopped in her tracks, pulling Taohua aside to whisper, “How could you not have known?”
“You’d have to ask a certain lady in the courtyard about that,” Taohua said, raising her eyes to look at Duan Yunxin, who was surrounded by the other women near the madam.
Duan Yunxin was speaking softly to Mei Zhaoxue, her expression calm and her eyes as gentle as ever. As if sensing the gaze from behind, she paused and turned to smile at Taohua.
Gu Huairou stared in bewilderment, murmuring, “It can’t be. You truly suspect Madam Duan?”
“It’s not suspicion; it’s almost certainly her,” Taohua said quietly, returning Duan Yunxin’s smile. “I intended to lure her out. After all, someone as thoughtless as Qin couldn’t pose much of a threat to me, and she couldn’t have been behind the previous incident that targeted four people at once. So this trap was set for Duan. I don’t know what happened behind the scenes, but somehow Qin ended up falling into it instead.”
Gu Huairou was utterly confused, understanding less the more she heard. She had thought Jiang Taohua had merely turned defeat into victory, but now it seemed there was much more to the story than she realized.
“You should go rest now,” Taohua said seriously as they reached a fork in the path. “Big waves are coming in the manor, and it’s best to stay far from them to keep your feet dry. In times like these, a peaceful life is a blessing.”
“…I understand. Thank you, my lady.”
Taohua nodded and headed back to Zhengchun Pavilion with Qing Tai
“My lady, I’ve already disposed of that set of clothes,” Qing Taisaid softly. “Fortunately, you changed before returning, so the shop assistant couldn’t recognize you.”
That was one reason. Another was that she had used a minor soul-controlling technique to make him forget her features, relying only on clothing for identification.
Taohua smiled. Today, her lucky star shone brightly. Everything had gone smoothly, even the opportunity to slip the promissory note into Qin Jieyu’s sleeve had been handed to her by Qin herself.
(End of Chapter)