“Madam Donge, I’m not sure what you meant by that just now,” Feng Jiu’er said, not at all inclined to dwell on Madam Donge’s earlier remark.

“What relationship does Little Sister Liang have with the Fortress Lord? And why would such a relationship implicate the Lady of the Fortress as the murderer?”

“You’re an outsider — I don’t understand why you’d want to involve yourself in our Nanman Fortress’s affairs,” Madam Donge said, looking at Feng Jiu’er with open disdain.

“Madam Donge, this…”

Before the Fortress Lord could finish his explanation, Feng Jiu’er’s lips curved up slightly. “I’m a friend of the Fortress Lord’s.”

“That’s right.” The Fortress Lord turned to look at Feng Jiu’er and nodded immediately. “Miss Feng and I are friends. I’m the one who asked her to help investigate this matter.”

Madam Donge didn’t question or argue with the Fortress Lord’s words, but her gaze remained fixed on Feng Jiu’er.

Feng Jiu’er looked at her politely and waved a hand. “So, Madam Donge, would you mind explaining what you meant earlier?”

Madam Donge’s thick brows knit together as she said flatly, “You’re an outsider, of course you wouldn’t know the affairs within our fortress.”

“Before the new year, the Fortress Lord rescued Old Liang’s youngest daughter, and there’s been talk ever since that the Fortress Lord might take her as a concubine.”

“Madam felt uncomfortable about this and harbored murderous intent — that wouldn’t be surprising at all, would it, Miss Feng?”

“If this is truly the murderer’s motive, then wouldn’t this favored concubine, Miss Xiaoyi, have the same motive?” Feng Jiu’er’s gaze shifted to Chen Xiaoyi.

This favored concubine — however one looked at her, she didn’t seem like a good person. The Lady of the Fortress, by contrast, carried herself openly and with dignity, far more pleasant to be around.

Feng Jiu’er knew better than to be one-sided about things, but her point wasn’t unreasonable either — when it came to jealousy over favor, why would the Lady of the Fortress be the only one capable of it?

And what could one expect, with a Fortress Lord who kept so many women?

Chen Xiaoyi clearly hadn’t expected the accusation to suddenly turn on her. She widened her eyes at Feng Jiu’er, tears streaming down again.

“Fortress Lord, I didn’t — how could it be me? Miss Feng, what proof do you have that I did this? I didn’t do it!”

Feng Jiu’er finally began to understand why this woman was currently the most favored.

Her features were striking, and her figure was undeniably excellent — even people from modern times, however much cosmetic work they tried, probably couldn’t achieve such a figure.

She’d also heard that women who knew how to act coquettishly had an easier time winning men’s favor. Feng Jiu’er couldn’t say for certain about others, but judging by the Fortress Lord’s behavior, it certainly seemed true.

“I was simply giving an example — why would Miss Chen get so worked up?” Feng Jiu’er said with a faint smile, her voice soft.

“Fortress Lord.” Xiao Yingtao looked at the Fortress Lord and bowed. “I can vouch that the young servant wasn’t lying.”

“Miss Xiao Yingtao, do you know something?” the Fortress Lord immediately asked, waving his hand.

“Yesterday, Jiu’er had me escort the young servant back — in truth, it was to check whether she had any issues,” Xiao Yingtao said with a nod, continuing.

“While she was changing clothes, I searched her bed. There was no jade pendant on it.”

“If the jade pendant really was found on her bed, then this must be a frame-up!”

“How could there be such a thing?” The Fortress Lord looked at Xiao Yingtao, his thick brows furrowing tightly.

Xiao Yingtao bowed again. “It’s true.”

Just then, Liang Yi, who had escorted the Lady of the Fortress out, returned from outside.

The Fortress Lord looked up at the person entering, frowning slightly. “Liang Yi, Miss Xiao Yingtao says she searched the young servant’s bed yesterday and found no jade pendant.”

“Also, why was it that you found nothing yesterday, but found the jade pendant again this morning? What exactly is going on?”

Liang Yi returned to stand before the Fortress Lord with calm composure and bowed.

“Yesterday, we searched the young servant’s room thoroughly. We found no jade pendant.”

“Whose idea was the second search?” Feng Jiu’er asked quietly.

“Mine.” Madam Donge looked at Feng Jiu’er and answered flatly.

“Yes. After Madam Donge finished helping the three sworn brothers handle the funeral arrangements, she didn’t rest, but wanted to personally investigate the matter,” Liang Yi said with a nod.

“Since Madam Donge is my adoptive father’s younger sister, and she went along with the three sworn brothers, I didn’t stop her.”

“I never expected that the second search would turn up the jade pendant.”

“The fact that the jade pendant wasn’t found the first time, nor even by that young lady, doesn’t mean that finding it now is a frame-up,” Madam Donge said in a deep voice.

“My elder brother died so horribly — Fortress Lord, don’t you owe me and my three nephews an explanation?”

“Of course,” the Fortress Lord said, nodding at Madam Donge.

Feng Jiu’er hadn’t expected the Fortress Lord to turn and look at her at this moment.

Where had his composure from the other day gone? Though admittedly he hadn’t seemed all that commanding even then, at least he’d shown some resolve — unlike now.

Could it be that this Fortress Lord both loved women and feared them?

Feng Jiu’er wasn’t even sure what nonsense was running through her own head — but this kind of matter really shouldn’t be hers to decide.

Seeing that Feng Jiu’er had nothing to say, the Fortress Lord pulled his gaze back with a touch of regret.

He looked at the three Liang brothers and coughed lightly, saying in a deep voice, “Rest assured, if it truly was Madam who did this, I absolutely will not show leniency.”

“But right now there are still many points of doubt in this case, and it’s too soon for anyone to draw a conclusion.”

Turning to Madam Donge, the Fortress Lord continued, “What Madam Donge says isn’t entirely unreasonable either.”

“But at such a critical moment, why would the young servant take out a jade pendant she’d hidden so carefully? Is she afraid people won’t suspect her enough?”

“So the credibility of this scenario isn’t very high either — wouldn’t you agree, Madam Donge?”

Madam Donge studied the Fortress Lord for a moment, her gaze sweeping over Feng Jiu’er again before she pulled it back.

“What the Fortress Lord says isn’t unreasonable, but I still hope the investigation will focus on this young servant. She had more opportunity than anyone to administer the poison, didn’t she?”

“Right.” The Fortress Lord nodded. “So from the very start, we’ve had people watching the young servant’s every move.”

“Rest assured, everyone — whoever the murderer is, I will absolutely not let it slide.”

“Good.” Madam Donge stood up. “Then I’ll head back with the three of them for now. Fortress Lord, if there’s any news, notify us immediately.”

“Of course.” The Fortress Lord stood and waved his hand.

“General Liang Yi, I wonder if you could stay behind?” Feng Jiu’er said quietly, watching the others leave.

Liang Yi had no intention of leaving. Hearing Feng Jiu’er’s voice, he turned his head toward her and bowed.

Word that Feng Jiu’er had saved the Old Fortress Lord had quickly spread throughout the fortress.

Everyone knew that the Fortress Lord cared deeply about the Old Fortress Lord, his life-saving benefactor, and naturally treated Feng Jiu’er with the utmost courtesy as well.