Once a first-css maid, Huiqin had always been superior to Luye, who had been nothing more than a rough servant girl. Back then, Luye would bow her head and curry favor. Who would have thought that after Huiqin was sent to the undry room, Luye would begin showing up every time she came to deliver clothes?

  Luye now wore silk and satin, adorned herself with high-quality jade bracelets, and funted gold and silver jewelry—looking far more elegant than Huiqin ever had. She often boasted, ciming it was all thanks to rewards from the Seventh Miss. After all, the third master's wealth was no secret.

  Adding insult to injury, Luye frequently made sarcastic remarks, mocking Huiqin while dispying her now smooth, delicate hands, starkly different from their former roughness. Huiqin, proud and hot-tempered, could not tolerate such humiliation. She would retort angrily, piling on her best jewelry as if to compete. However, Luye never argued back, leaving with an indifferent air that only deepened Huiqin's frustration.

  Today, Luye had once again taunted Huiqin, even leaning in to whisper mysteriously, “Huiqin, your sweetheart is coming back. Aren’t you excited?” Then, she murmured a few more words before leaving.

  Huiqin froze, her face turning pale. How did Luye know about that? By the time Huiqin came to her senses, Luye was already gone. She hurriedly chased after her, too terrified by what she had just heard to shout and draw attention. All she could do was follow silently.

  Luye walked at a leisurely pace, turning corners as if on a routine stroll, eventually reaching the wall at the back of Yin Courtyard. She began digging near the base of the wall, gncing around cautiously. Huiqin crept closer, unsure of what was happening. Before she could react, a bck bag was thrown over her head, and she was bound and gagged.

  Now, back in the courtyard, Huiqin saw Old Madam and the Madam standing before her. Panic and desperation surged as she threw herself toward Madam Xu.

  “Madam, Luye is lying!”

  Madam Xu’s face darkened. This worthless fool! She had already failed the task of ensuring Qin Shuying took her medicine and allowed the girl to slip through her grasp. Had it not been for Huiqin’s mother being one of her dowry maids, she would have had Huiqin beaten to death long ago. Even so, Madam Xu had sent her to the undry room to reflect. And now, this idiot had caused such a scene in front of everyone!

  Luye, still kneeling, calmly expined, “Old Madam, Madam, when we returned from Xuantang, we saw Huiqin acting suspiciously near the courtyard wall. She was burying something…”

  “Lies!” Huiqin shouted. “Old Madam, Madam, I’m being framed!”

  Luye interrupted coldly, “Let me finish before you deny it. Old Madam has always been fair; she will judge what’s true or false.”

  Huiqin bit her tongue, seeing the stern expressions on both Old Madam and Madam Xu’s faces. She gred hatefully but remained silent.

  Luye continued, “When I confronted her, she panicked and tried to escape with the item she was burying. Fortunately, I managed to stop her and bring her here. The item in question… it’s too filthy to describe.”

  Turning to Old Madam, Luye bowed deeply. “I dare not lie, Old Madam, but the contents are unfit for your noble eyes. Please allow Nanny Gu and Nanny Liu to examine it first.”

  At Old Madam’s nod, Nanny Gu and Nanny Liu moved to inspect the bag that Ziteng had pced in the corner. When they opened it, their faces turned deathly pale. Staggering back to their respective mistresses, their eyes bore into Huiqin as if she were already a dead woman.

  Old Madam’s voice was icy. “Nanny Gu, tell us what you saw.”

  Nanny Gu hesitated for a moment before answering, "Old Madam, inside the bag are some valuable pieces of jewelry and a few cloth dolls. Judging by the style, the jewelry is old and doesn’t appear to belong to Huiqin but rather to a certain Madam of the household. The cloth dolls are full of needles, with birthdates and curses written on them. Judging by the wear, they’ve been there for some time. The birthdates… are those of Old Madam and the Seventh Miss.”

  Crash!

  Old Madam threw her teacup at Huiqin’s face with such force that it shattered upon impact. “Beat this wretched servant to death!” she commanded, her voice trembling with fury.

  "Old Madam, I’m innocent! I didn’t do it! It’s all Luye and the others framing me!" Huiqin wailed, kneeling on the ground and begging for her life.

  Madam Xu immediately dropped to her knees as well. Though she detested Huiqin, she dared not openly defy the Old Madam in such a moment of rage. “Old Madam, please calm your anger!” she implored.

  Nanny Gu, realizing the gravity of the situation, signaled with her eyes. Luye, Ziteng, and the others quickly left the room. Even Nanny Gu herself retreated to guard the door, leaving only Old Madam, Madam Xu, and Huiqin inside.

  Old Madam’s face was calm, yet her eyes burned with icy rage. “When the inner quarters are in chaos, the household cannot prosper. Evil spirits run rampant, causing turmoil. Madam Xu, are you determined to let the Consort in the pace find no peace? To let the Sixth Prince become a ughingstock among the court?”

  Huiqin trembled at these words, colpsing to the floor. For the Old Madam to speak so openly in front of her meant that she was already considered dead.

  Madam Xu, on the other hand, was startled but felt deeply indignant. In her heart, she loathed Huiqin for ruining her pns and despised Qin Shuying’s cunning even more. However, she knew better than to challenge the Old Madam directly. With forced humility, she said, “Old Madam, I’ve been remiss in managing the household, causing you concern. I will have Huiqin beaten to death immediately and ensure today’s matter does not leak to outsiders. However, the Seventh Miss’s maids are already aware. I seek your guidance on how to handle them.”

  The Old Madam inwardly sneered at Madam Xu’s foolishness. Qin Shuying must have anticipated this scenario long ago—otherwise, why would Luye have insisted that both Nanny Gu and Nanny Liu examine the evidence? If the Seventh Miss’s maids couldn’t be kept, then neither could Nanny Gu nor Nanny Liu.

  “They are the Seventh Miss’s maids; let her decide their fates herself!” the Old Madam decred sharply.

  With that, she rose to her feet, her body swaying slightly. Madam Xu instinctively moved to support her, but the Old Madam brushed her off and straightened her back as she walked out. Yet the hunch in her posture and the unsteady steps betrayed her frailty.

  Her departing figure was particurly poignant.

  Her eldest son, Qin Yongtao, no longer shared much common ground with her. He would outwardly agree to her words but often dismissed her advice. Having served as an official for over twenty years and risen from the son of a disgraced woman to his current position, he relied on not only talent but also cunning, shrewdness, and an acute sense of reading the emperor’s intentions.

  The Old Madam, though once sharp and capable—singlehandedly supporting the family and raising her sons to success—was now seen by Qin Yongtao as soft-hearted and outdated. The world had changed, and he believed her role should be to enjoy her twilight years peacefully, far removed from court intrigues.

  Being a wise woman, the Old Madam understood her son’s thoughts. Over the years, she had gradually stopped interfering in his affairs, especially after the death of Qin Yongzhou. The blow to her health and spirit had left her unable to maintain the same level of control. Yet, the Qin family remained the Consort’s maternal home, and Madam Xu’s growing dominance kept the Old Madam on edge, unable to truly let go.

  Although Qin Yongluo was dutiful and steady, he was not her own flesh and blood.

  If only Qin Yongzhou were still alive…

  The Old Madam sighed deeply, her thoughts drifting to the image of her youngest son, who had passed away so young.

  Yongzhou…

  And Yongzhou’s only daughter…