Chapter 23

Everyone in the hall gasped in shock, and Qin Zhang couldn’t help but ask, “Ying Ying, are you saying that Fu Zhen has been dead for a long time?”

Qin Ying nodded and exchanged a glance with Xie Xinglan. The others were skeptical of her words, but Xie Xinglan, knowing how diligently she worked to solve the case, immediately asked, “How did you discover this?”

Qin Ying replied, “Previously, we discussed Fu Ling’s motive for committing the crime. If Fu Zhen lost her reputation and left the capital, thus ruining her entire life, it could barely make sense as a motive. However, barely making sense means it lacks sufficient weight, and Fu Ling herself just stated there was no need to kill for this reason. But what if Fu Zhen’s situation was far worse than merely ‘not doing well’?

“Yesterday, when I visited the Fu residence, I found that there was a well in their compound that had been inexplicably sealed two years ago. I also heard Third Miss Fu Yuan mention that Fu Ling had burned the garden to ward off bad luck and wanted to complain to Master Fu. At that moment, I thought Fu Ling wasn’t simply burning the garden—she likely set off some sparks. Coupled with talk of bad luck, it reminded me of the ongoing Ghost Festival, when people often burn paper by the roadside to honor deceased loved ones. If Fu Ling was merely paying tribute to her deceased mother, she should have gone to her mother’s grave. But doing it in her family’s garden and being reprimanded by Master Fu indicates that it was something shameful and hidden.”

Fu Zhongming’s face immediately changed, sweat dripping from his forehead as he tightly gripped the armrest of his chair. He instinctively glanced at Fu Ling.

Fu Ling, sitting upright, had lost her earlier cheerful and relaxed demeanor, but she remained composed. She looked at Qin Ying as if listening to a theatrical drama, then bitterly smiled and said, “Ying Ying, everyone else has wronged me, and now even you are doing the same? Burning paper in the garden was indeed to honor my mother, but you know I have a stepmother. She holds deep resentment toward my mother and never allows us to pay tribute to her anywhere except the ancestral hall. She wouldn’t even let me visit my mother’s grave during the Ghost Festival. That’s why I secretly paid homage to my mother in the garden a few days earlier. Later, my father found out and scolded me for the sake of my stepmother.”

As Fu Ling spoke, her eyes turned red. “Family scandals shouldn’t be aired, and my father has his reasons. But I didn’t expect you, Yingying, to suspect me over these trivial details…”

Qin Ying remained unmoved. “Do you still remember Lv He?”

The hand Fu Ling was using to wipe her tears paused, and a fleeting dark glimmer flashed through her eyes before she feigned confusion and asked, “Lv He? Wasn’t she a maid who left our household?”

Calm and unhurried, Qin Ying said, “If it were only based on some peculiarities within your residence, I wouldn’t dare to accuse you openly. But then I found Lv He. She was a third-rank maid in your elder sister’s courtyard. On the night your sister had her incident, a nanny saw someone carrying your sister out of the residence…”

Fu Ling immediately said, “That’s because my elder sister didn’t want to return to the ancestral land.”

A trace of pity emerged in Qin Ying’s eyes. “On the 12th, Xie Jian saw a familiar maid buying offerings at the East Market. Though he couldn’t recall which household the maid belonged to, I knew she was likely from your side. Moreover, that day, you left the city, traveling south along the official road until you reached the White Plum Forest in Zhao Family Village, Qinghe Town—”

Fu Ling’s pupils shrank as if pricked by a needle, looking somewhat disbelieving.

Qin Ying, though reluctant, still spoke clearly and firmly, “The White Plum Forest is a cemetery in Zhao Family Village. Due to its favorable feng shui, wealthy families often establish burial sites there. Two years ago, after your elder sister’s incident, you couldn’t bury her in the Fu family cemetery. So, you hurriedly buried her in a plot within the White Plum Forest at night and then claimed to the outside world that she was sent to her hometown in Fenzhou to get married.”

Fu Ling’s fingers, hidden within her sleeves, trembled, but Qin Ying continued, “Fenzhou is located in the southeastern coastal region of Great Zhou, and a round trip takes more than half a year. As long as you claimed she was sent there, who would investigate whether she was alive or dead? For a woman whose reputation was tarnished, disappearing without a trace was hardly unusual.”

“I guessed that after the incident, you wouldn’t leave her body carelessly buried, so I sent people out of the city yesterday to search through the cemeteries in nearby villages. After a night of inquiries, they finally found something. The caretaker of the White Plum Forest, though unaware of your identity, described someone matching your appearance. Moreover, your sister’s grave wasn’t marked with the name ‘Fu Zhen,’ but rather ‘Jiang Zhen,’ and ‘Jiang’ is your mother’s surname.”

“Two years ago, on the night of the Qixi Festival, you sent the body there. The coffin was prepared in the village, and after working all night, the grave was finally completed by dawn. You didn’t dare invite anyone to perform funeral rites; you simply placed some basic offerings and stopped there. After returning to the manor, you fell seriously ill because of it. Half a year later, out of guilt, you had the grave renovated. Over the past two years, you visited it five or six times, mostly during festivals, on her death or birth anniversary. But this year, you didn’t go during the Mid-Autumn Festival.”

Qin Ying said solemnly, “After the incident, you knew you would be suspected, so you waited four days before paying your respects. Did you tell her that you avenged her so that she could rest in peace?”

Fu Ling’s face turned pale, while Fu Zhongming beside her was drenched in cold sweat, trembling at the lips, unable to respond. Fu Ling suddenly stood straight and said, “I don’t know why you would fabricate such a story, but my elder sister isn’t dead. She’s in Fenzhou—”

Qin Ying sighed, “The caretaker of the White Plum Forest is just outside. Shall I call him in to confront you?”

Fu Ling froze on the spot, trying to appear calm and fearless, but she couldn’t relax no matter how much she tried. Her lips twitched a few times, and her expression turned strange. “Even if I really went there, the person in that grave isn’t my sister. My sister isn’t dead. I couldn’t possibly kill someone over a fabricated matter…”

Seeing her determined resistance, Qin Ying said, “What I don’t understand is why, after your sister’s incident, you didn’t hold a public funeral but buried her in such an unfamiliar place, even without her real name. The well in your manor was sealed—was it because she threw herself into it, or was she pushed?”

Fu Zhen’s death left everyone in shock. At this point, Li Kun asked, “Lord Fu, how exactly did Fu Zhen die? If she was pushed into the well, wouldn’t this be another case of murder?”

Fu Zhongming trembled as he knelt on the ground, wiping his sweat and hoarsely saying, “Your Highness, please judge wisely. Zhen’er… Zhen’er… she couldn’t bear the humiliation and chose to die to uphold her honor…”

Li Kun asked again, “Then why conceal this matter?”

Fu Zhongming couldn’t stop sweating and answered with a trembling voice, “At that time, her matter with Du Ziqin had stirred up a huge scandal. Zhen’er, being a sensitive and sentimental person since childhood, tried multiple times to end her life after returning home, seeking to prove her innocence. Initially, we watched over her day and night, but on the night of the Qixi Festival, we failed to keep an eye on her, and she threw herself into the well. By the time we rescued her, she was already gone.”

“We intended to hold a funeral, but… outside, people were saying that Zhen’er lacked virtue and was trying to climb the social ladder by associating with noble families. Whether she died to uphold her honor or out of shame, how could this be explained clearly? She had younger siblings to consider—her sister would eventually marry, and her brother would aim for academic achievements. If they went anywhere, others might say they had a sister who lacked virtue. Wouldn’t that harm them? So, my wife and I, for the sake of the remaining children, had no choice but to bury her elsewhere…”

Fu Ling firmly denied everything but didn’t expect Fu Zhongming to suddenly confess. She had been calmly facing all accusations from Qin Ying and Xie Xinglan, but upon hearing Fu Zhongming’s account, her expression drastically changed, and she sharply said, “Father, wasn’t all this just for your own benefit?”

Fu Zhongming felt a pang of panic in his heart and turned to say, “Stop talking nonsense. Your sister’s matter cannot be hidden, so let it not be hidden. Right now, everyone says you are the murderer of Miss Cui and Young Master Xue. Instead of proving your innocence properly, are you still concerned about these things?”

Fu Ling sneered coldly with reddened eyes, “Prove my innocence properly? Why? Are you afraid that if I am really convicted as a murderer, it will drag you and Madam Jiang (a different Jiang from Fu Ling’s mother) down?”

A flicker of anger crossed Fu Zhongming’s eyes, but before he could speak, Fu Ling continued, “My sister was never the kind of person to be overly sentimental. After the incident, she didn’t shy away at the hairpin banquet and tried to prove her innocence. But she didn’t expect that while the gossip from the outside didn’t break her, it was you and Madam Jiang who pushed her to her death!”

Fu Ling’s speech quickened as she sharply questioned, “Do you remember how you cursed at my sister? You called her shameless, said she disgraced the Fu family, and even claimed that her actions would warrant punishment if this were in Fenzhou. All because you endured a few mockeries from your colleagues, you put her under house arrest and deprived her of food and drink. After you left the residence, Madam Jiang allowed the servants to insult her and even exaggerated the outside rumors, making my sister think everyone was calling her a disgrace…”

“For a whole month, you and Madam Jiang crushed every bit of her self-esteem. You condemned her, said you’d send her back to the clan lands, never allowing her to return to the capital. She became utterly hopeless, seeing death as her only relief—she wanted to go find our mother.”

“She threw herself into the well and died. Your first reaction wasn’t grief but thinking about how to cover up the matter. You couldn’t accept having a daughter with a tarnished reputation who died in such a manner. You feared it would affect your official reputation, and Madam Jiang feared it would implicate her children. You even considered sending her remains back to Fenzhou. In such hot weather, with such a long journey—her death didn’t stir even a shred of pity in you.”

Fu Ling’s eyes were bloodshot, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she said, “It was my desperate pleading that made you agree to find a burial site outside the city for her, so that I could at least offer her incense during the holidays. For the past two years, you haven’t visited her even once. Do you also realize that you drove her to her death? Indeed, you forced your own daughter to die—what face do you have left to see her? In the dead of night, does my sister turn into a vengeful spirit to question you about how you were as a father?!”

Fu Zhongming’s vision darkened for a moment. “You… you wretched child…”

Fu Ling wiped away a tear and sneered, “In your eyes, my sister and I are, of course, wretched children. Only the ones born to Madam Jiang are your real son and daughter. Without Madam Jiang, how could you have climbed to the position of Minister of Ceremonies?”

Suddenly, she smiled strangely and said, “But your cherished smooth political career is about to turn into a mirage!”

Fu Zhongming stared at her in horror while Fu Ling turned her gaze to Xie Xinglan and Qin Ying. “Since you have even found my sister’s burial place, I have nothing left to hide. That’s right, I indeed killed Cui Wan and Xue Ming.”

After concealing her emotions for over half an hour, Fu Ling finally exhaled deeply. “Because they absolutely deserved to die. Though my father and Madam Jiang indeed caused my sister’s suicide by drowning, the root cause of everything lay with Cui Wan and Xue Ming.”

“They acted inappropriately despite being engaged, but my sister never intended to expose them. Why did they have to cruelly frame her? At that time, my sister was already discussing a marriage proposal. She didn’t want to marry into a prestigious family, only to find an ordinary person to live a peaceful life. But Cui Wan and Xue Ming resorted to despicable methods that cost her her life…”

“You mentioned that banquet on the boat—after my sister returned, she seemed heavy-hearted. I asked her many times, but she never revealed a single word. It was only after her death that I realized something was wrong. I had no idea until I found the person who delivered the jade pendant to Du Ziqin. That person was a servant working closely with Xue Ming. After they framed my sister, the Xue family sent him to a distant estate. At that moment, I was shocked—why would Xue Ming treat my sister so maliciously? Until last year’s Lantern Festival, during a group outing to the marketplace, I found a sachet embroidered by Cui Wan on Xue Ming.”

With a tone full of resentment, Fu Ling said, “I figured everything out. It turns out my sister had stumbled upon their illicit affair, which led to their revenge against her. I suppressed my hatred and maintained contact with them. The more I interacted with them, the more clues I discovered. Later, I learned Cui Wan never had asthma at all. The reason she left the capital for half a year back then was because she was pregnant.”

Fu Ling sneered mockingly at Madam Lin and Xue Xianzhi, “Oh, what a paragon of purity Cui Wan is! What an exemplar of moral integrity Xue Ming is! After committing such disgraceful acts, one was about to marry into the Prince’s household, and the other was destined to embark on a promising political career. A bright and boundless future—why? Why should good people go unrewarded while bad people get everything they want in life?”

Xue Xianzhi, holding his breath, was rendered speechless. Madam Lin, pale-faced, exclaimed, “You harmed Wan’er. Do you really think you’ll have a good ending?”

Fu Ling chuckled lightly, “When I saw my sister in such a pitiful state that day, I was powerless to help her. I thought I should have followed her. And now, all that awaits me is death. Perhaps dying is better than marrying into Qizhou to a useless drunkard…”

As she spoke, Fu Ling turned to look at Fu Zhongming, who was collapsed on the ground. “Father, don’t you like returning to Fenzhou? After today, you likely won’t have the face to stay in the capital anymore. You might as well take your wife and children and return to Fenzhou to live out the rest of your miserable life.”

Fu Zhongming’s face turned ashen, and his teeth clenched audibly in fury. He trembled so much that he couldn’t manage to utter a single insult. Fu Ling smiled sweetly, raising her chin high with an air of resolute determination as if ready to face her death bravely.

The crowd in the hall was shocked beyond comprehension. Li Kun asked, “Envoy Xie, is what she confessed all true?”

Xie Xinglan said, “Essentially correct. The servant who delivered the jade pendant from the Xue family has been found. He said he was once approached and coerced into revealing the details of delivering the pendant. In his panic, he disclosed everything.”

“Longyi Guards also obtained Du Ziqin’s testimony, which aligns with her account of events. On that day, she poisoned Cui Wan during the daylight hours. The poison likely came from Lord Fu’s prescription. She knew Cui Wan and Xue Ming had a nighttime rendezvous and that Xue Ming couldn’t leave alone. Using the mechanism within the rockery, she silently killed Cui Wan.”

Xie Xinglan turned to look at Fu Ling. Fu Ling’s expression was calm and composed. “I originally planned to use poison so no one would suspect me, but I didn’t anticipate that Cui Wan never drank tea. Instead, her affair with Xue Ming persisted, and they even scheduled a nighttime talk. That night was my sister’s death anniversary. Therefore, I used their lives to honor my sister.”

At this moment, Qin Ying said, “Were you trying to frame Lu Roujia?”

Fu Ling glanced at Lu Roujia, who sat at the bottommost position, and her tone softened slightly. “Initially, I wasn’t certain about killing Xue Ming. With Cui Wan dead, everyone would be under suspicion. Thus, I needed a scapegoat. Among the many guests that night, Roujia’s lower status would make her the easiest target for conviction. Still, since she was set to marry into the Marquis of Changqing’s household, it was unlikely she would truly be wronged to death. But with all this chaos, the case became even more intricate and challenging to investigate.”

“I put poison during the day, though I didn’t intentionally point suspicion towards her. However, the poison was rare, so some might have suspected her due to her family’s ties to imperial medicine. In the evening, I accidentally discovered she had lost her handkerchief, which firmed my decision. But to my surprise, Ying Ying, you cleared her of suspicion,” she smiled bitterly. “Honestly, I still don’t understand why you helped her.”

Qin Ying liked Cui Muzhi but chose to help clear the name of Cui Muzhi’s future wife. This was indeed unusual. Although the focus at present was on Fu Ling, Cui Muzhi and Lu Roujia were both present, and Fu Ling’s remarks naturally drew everyone’s attention to the three of them.

Under the scrutiny of all, Qin Ying hesitated briefly before saying, “I once thought certain individuals were outstanding and honorable, yet after Cui Wan’s death, I found that not only was he embroiled in endless disputes, but he also stood idly by as Lu Roujia was wronged without offering help. At that moment, I realized how mistaken I had been before. Given this, why not help Lu Roujia do a good deed? Besides, I was also one of the suspects. If everyone stayed uninvolved, when would the truth come to light?”

Qin Ying’s candid attitude made the crowd’s expressions change significantly. Without her saying it, the crowd wouldn’t have thought about it, but with her words, they became aware of how cold and indifferent Cui Muzhi had seemed on the night in question. Cui Muzhi was naturally annoyed to be criticized face-to-face by her. Yet Qin Ying’s subtle mention of “certain individuals” left him in an awkward position—unable to refute and remain silent, his face turned red with frustration.

Xie Xinglan hadn’t expected Qin Ying’s remark. His brows slightly arched as he glanced at Cui Muzhi, whose face was dark purple with anger, and the faint gleam in his deep eyes brightened slightly.

At this moment, Fu Ling looked at Qin Ying and said, “It turns out you’re no longer obstinate.”

Qin Ying replied, “What good outcome could obstinacy bring?”

Fu Ling understood she was referring to her but avoided her gaze and began narrating, “That day, I had already instructed Mo’er to ensure the letter for Xue Ming was delivered that night no matter what. If the authorities concluded that someone else was the culprit, I wouldn’t go to Qingyang Temple. There was still time. Xue Ming is a man, and I wasn’t confident I could kill him unscathed. Besides, there wasn’t a perfect smokescreen for killing Xue Ming, so I didn’t want to take that step. However, because you helped Lu Roujia, I had no choice but to take the risk.”

Qin Ying was stunned. In the original storyline, Lu Roujia had been wrongfully imprisoned, and Xue Ming had also survived. Although the author didn’t delve deeply into this case, the characters within the unseen parts of the story had their own rules, which allowed Xue Ming to escape unscathed. Suddenly, Qin Ying turned her gaze to Madam Lin and Cui Jin. Later, Cui Wan’s death was even determined to be accidental drowning. Could it be, like Fu Zhongming’s intention, that the truth about the daughter’s murder was deliberately concealed to protect the family’s reputation?

Madam Lin loved Cui Wan dearly, but Cui Jin was much more likely to have done such a thing.

Upon figuring this out, Qin Ying couldn’t help but sigh. Fu Ling later married far away to Qizhou. Though there was no explanation about her life afterward, her words suggested it wasn’t a good match.

“Even if Wan’er and Xue Ming had originally framed your sister, they didn’t intend to take her life. Yet, from the very beginning, you sought their deaths in revenge. The most vicious one is actually you!”

Amidst a moment of silence, Madam Lin spoke again, scolding furiously, “Do you think death is as simple as it gets? In this world, death is not the most terrifying thing…”

After saying this, she rose and knelt in the hall, “Your Highnesses, the criminal has confessed her guilt. Please immediately send her to the heavenly prison and subject her to strict interrogation!”

Li Kun frowned and said, “Since she has confessed, it should indeed be so.”

At this moment, Madam Lin’s eyes burned with hatred, “And her maids—they are all accomplices. Perhaps Fu Zhongming and his wife and daughter were also aware of this. I beg Your Highnesses to report to His Majesty and ensure that this case is thoroughly investigated.”

Fu Ling, who had prepared herself for a righteous death, was unafraid of Madam Lin’s threats. However, Madam Lin’s words caused her expression to change drastically. She hurriedly said, “I am the one who killed. My maids were merely following orders and had no idea what was written in the letter, nor did they know why I went to Qingyang Temple. They absolutely cannot be considered accomplices! I beg Your Highnesses to judge wisely.”

Seeing that Li Kun and Li Yue remained unresponsive, Fu Ling turned to Xie Xinglan and Qin Ying for help. “Envoy Xie, Ying Ying, I swear what I’m saying is true. Even though I hate my father, he didn’t know about the murder. I stole the manuscript of Huang Ting myself—it has nothing to do with him!”

Madam Lin stared intently at Fu Ling, clearly showing no intention of letting things go. At this moment, Li Kun said, “What you’ve said still needs to be verified through interrogation. Envoy Xie, detain the criminal. Since she has confessed, my fifth brother and I can report to our father. As for what follows, handle it according to protocol.”

Li Kun was present to observe the trial. Now that the culprit had confessed, he showed no interest in the fate of a few maids. Though the Earl Zhongyuan family held no real power, their longstanding foundation made tormenting a few prisoners easy.

Fu Ling scanned the room, her gaze eventually landing on Qin Ying in a plea. Qin Ying noticed the lingering hatred in Madam Lin’s demeanor and felt that the situation had gone too far. Punishment carried out with personal motives would be highly improper. However, she was unsure if she could stop Madam Lin.

Upon receiving the order, Xie Xinglan commanded the imperial guards, “Take Lord Fu, Fu Ling, and the Fu family maids outside.”

As the Fu family members were led away, this theatrical public trial came to an end. Unable to support himself any longer, Xue Xianzhi fainted, his eyes rolling back. Xue Suqing, while escorting him back to their residence, ordered someone to summon a doctor.

The others present sighed deeply and, in low voices, began to discuss matters among themselves in front of the Cui family couple. At this moment, the Second Prince, Li Kun, turned to Qin Ying and said, “County Princess Yunyang seems to know a great deal about the case. You’ve even uncovered the truth behind Fu Zhen’s death.”

Qin Ying was just about to explain when Xie Xinglan interjected, “Your Highness, during the case investigation, County Princess Yunyang collaborated from the beginning, deducing that the culprit was likely a woman due to her shorter stature. She also uncovered the misdirection of the mechanism used to harm Cui Wan.”

Hearing this, Qin Ying raised her eyebrows and glanced at Xie Xinglan. However, he didn’t look at her, maintaining the composed demeanor of an upright gentleman.

Li Kun was astonished. “County Princess Yunyang possesses such talent?”

The crowd, already surprised by Qin Ying’s revelation of Fu Zhen’s death, was now even more shocked by Xie Xinglan’s statement. It was widely known that Xie Xinglan held contempt for many of the royal relatives and nobility. For him to speak up on Qin Ying’s behalf demonstrated her significant contributions. Was this really the same County Princess Yunyang who had repeatedly made a fool of herself for Cui Muzhi?

Even Qin Zhang, although surprised, took pride in his precious daughter’s achievements. “Your Highnesses may not be aware,” he declared shamelessly, “but Ying Ying has poured heart and soul into this case. She has always been intelligent, though she failed to channel her cleverness properly. Now that she has turned over a new leaf, solving a small murder case like this was naturally easy for her.”

Qin Zhang’s boastful remarks made even Qin Ying feel embarrassed. Others wanted to roll their eyes, but Qin Ying’s success in solving the case was undeniable, leaving them with no choice but to believe it. Li Kun chuckled dryly, “Such a thing happened? I will report this to the Emperor. Envoy Xie, you mentioned a misdirection used by Fu Ling to harm Cui Wan—what kind of misdirection was it?”

Qin Ying felt uneasy under everyone’s gaze. When she looked at Xie Xinglan, he didn’t say a word to help her. She had no choice but to clear her throat and say, “There’s a hidden channel inside the rockery, which releases water every night at the hour of Xu…”

Her words were calm and methodical, and she explained everything in one breath. Even those who hadn’t entered the rockery understood the key details. Li Yue exclaimed in surprise, “People in the capital only say you’re a decorative pillow, but I didn’t expect you to be so clever!”

Qin Zhang raised his chin slightly. “Ying Ying is like a pearl hidden in a box. This time, with lives at stake, she had no choice but to reveal her skills.”

Qin Ying couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. The others, who wouldn’t have believed it before, were now half-convinced.

The public trial concluded. Li Kun and Li Yue needed to return to the palace to report so they wouldn’t linger. Meanwhile, Madam Lin, with her hair disheveled, collapsed on the ground, and Cui Jin looked utterly dazed, too distraught to care about appearances or etiquette. The crowd exchanged glances for a moment, and since most were unrelated to the case, they began to take their leave one after another. Even Lin Qian, his son, and Cui Muzhi didn’t bother to stay any longer.

Although Fu Ling had confessed, the case still required numerous witnesses and evidence to be finalized. Xie Xinglan led the guards to question the household servants further while Qin Ying accompanied Qin Zhang out of the hall.

As the room emptied, Cui Jin finally snapped out of his daze and began shouting angrily, “You foolish woman! Wan’er was ruined by your teachings, and you’ve been hiding it all this time. You even kept her pregnancy a secret! Now, it’s all out in the open, and the Earl Zhongyuan family’s reputation is in ruins. You should just go and bash your head in now!”

Madam Lin seemed deaf to his scolding. Her eyes flickered with a cold light tinged with madness. Cui Jin’s brows furrowed, and his curses grew more vulgar and frenzied.

Outside, Qin Zhang heard the commotion and immediately called out to Qin Ying, “It’s time for us to leave.”

Qin Ying agreed and followed Qin Zhang out. But after taking a few steps, she heard a nanny behind her carrying Cui Han into the room. The nanny said, “Madam, the young master has been looking for you for a long time…”

At the sight of Cui Han, the madness in Madam Lin’s eyes finally subsided a little. When the nanny approached, Madam Lin grabbed Cui Han and burst into tears. “Han’er, Mother has finally found the culprit who harmed your sister. Mother will make sure she dies a horrible death to avenge your sister! Han’er, my poor Han’er…”

Madam Lin’s cries echoed from behind. As Qin Ying was about to leave the courtyard, she frowned slightly. Cui Han and Cui Wan were half-siblings, sharing the same father but different mothers. Madam Lin didn’t lament her biological daughter Cui Wan’s misfortune, so why did she feel so much pity for the illegitimate Cui Han?

In a daze, Qin Ying recalled the scene of Madam Lin holding Cui Han’s hand in the mourning hall. Concubine Zhang had mentioned that Madam Lin once made Cui Han kneel before Cui Wan’s coffin.

Qin Ying stopped in her tracks, a chill running down her spine, and turned back to look—