Upon hearing this, Lin Yourou’s face instantly turned pale. She stubbornly insisted, “This… this sachet was embroidered by me myself. It was never given by you!”
Old Master Ji couldn’t bear to listen any longer. He angrily interrupted, “Miss Lin! This sachet is made from brocade specially produced by the Qin family of Jiangnan. It was part of my late wife’s dowry, and there isn’t a second piece like it in the entire capital. My daughter treated you with kindness and sincerity. How could you frame her like this?”
“Wh… what?” Lin Yourou stared at the sachet. She only knew the fabric was of high quality, something she couldn’t afford. She thought it was merely expensive, never imagining it was an out-of-print fabric from the Qin family!
The Duchess gave a meaningful glance, and a maid roughly snatched the sachet from Lin Yourou’s person and handed it to her.
The Duchess felt the fabric and immediately understood. “This is indeed fabric from the Qin family of Jiangnan. I saw it over a decade ago when I visited Jiangnan.”
Old Master Ji’s eyes welled up with tears. “The Qin family of Jiangnan is my wife’s family.”
The Qin family’s cloth shop wasn’t particularly famous and had vanished more than ten years ago, so it was normal for no one to remember it.
Once the Duchess confirmed it was Lin Yourou’s doing, her expression turned cold. She slapped the table sharply and declared, “Take Lin Yourou away and keep her under strict guard. Also, summon the Lin couple to the Duke’s residence!”
“Yes, Madam.”
The Duchess acted swiftly, having Lin Yourou taken away. She didn’t even glance at the gifts brought by the Ji family, only giving Ji Wanwan a brief look before saying, “Minister Ji, I know your family has faced hardships. Today’s incident was entirely caused by Lin Yourou. Our Duke’s residence can distinguish right from wrong. Please take your gifts back. Your child is innocent in this matter.”
She had already heard that the Ji family’s foolish daughter had suffered a concussion from the fall, even more severe than Yu’er’s. This girl was already simple-minded, and now with this concussion… the Ji family’s situation was likely to become even more difficult!
After saying this, she also ordered someone to fetch a box of premium ginseng from the storeroom to give to Ji Wanwan.
Ji Wanwan understood. Because she was a fool, the Duchess not only forgave her but also sympathetically gifted her a ginseng root… to nourish her brain.
“…”
Is this the joy of being a fool?
Ji Wanwan cried!
Old Master Ji was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor and hesitated to accept it, but the maid directly handed the ginseng and snow lotus to Xiao Tao.
Just then, a guard hurried into the front hall and said, “Madam, the Duke requests Minister Ji to join him in the front hall.”
The Duchess stood up and said, “I will accompany Minister Ji there.”
“Yes,” Old Master Ji replied before entrusting Ji Wanwan to Xiao Tao’s care.
After everyone had left, Xiao Tao ran over and pointed to the chair Old Master Ji had just occupied. “Miss, no one is sitting here. Please rest for a while.”
Ji Wanwan raised an eyebrow. She had been thinking the same thing. “Come, come, sit with me!”
“No, no, Xiao Tao wouldn’t dare.” The other chair had been occupied by the Duchess. How could she be so presumptuous?
In the entire Ji family, only Ji Wanwan was the beloved center of attention. Others didn’t enjoy such high treatment.
Ji Wanwan sighed and patted her own thigh. “Come, sit on your young lady’s lap.”
Xiao Tao’s eyes widened in shock. She hurriedly stepped forward to cover Ji Wanwan’s mouth and whispered urgently, “Miss! How can you say such things? This… this is so indecent! Only lechers in operas speak like this!”
Fortunately, no one was around, or her foolish young lady would have gained another scandalous reputation.
Ji Wanwan broke free from her hand, surprised, “But we’re both women, what’s there to be afraid of?”
Xiao Tao glanced around and whispered slyly, “Even women aren’t safe. In the plays… anyway, people will gossip!”
Ji Wanwan instantly understood, “You mean… Longyang?”
Xiao Tao exclaimed in shock, “Miss! How did you know that?”
She had only heard it from people outside the mansion, but what they were spreading wasn’t from plays—it was about those two…
Ji Wanwan immediately remembered. In the original host’s memories, she had overheard it along with Xiao Tao, but Xiao Tao didn’t know she had been hiding nearby at the time.
“You’re talking about Prime Minister Shen and Qin Wang, right? These two, the top civil and military officials, are known as the most handsome men in the capital. But they’re almost of age and still haven’t taken wives or concubines, and they’re constantly fighting fiercely. So, there are plays saying they’re actually in love and killing each other!”
“One civil, one military, two powerhouses clashing—when you think about it, they really are a perfect match! Oh, I kind of want to ship them!” The more Ji Wanwan spoke, the brighter her eyes became.
Although Xiao Tao didn’t understand what her mistress meant by “ship,” she could somehow grasp it and even wanted to hear more detailed stories. She didn’t notice at all that a man of extraordinary grace and elegance was standing not far away, watching them with a dark expression.
The man exuded a strong aura of abstinence. His face was cold and indifferent, his thin lips pressed tightly together. The fingers holding the folding fan were distinct and powerful, as if they could crush the fan at any moment.
Unfortunately, Shipper Ji Wanwan didn’t notice anything unusual and continued to chatter excitedly, “I heard Qin Wang is far away at the border now. Before he left, he had a huge argument with Prime Minister Shen—it was really intense! To outsiders, it looks like discord, but to us shippers, it’s flirting! By the way, Xiao Tao, do you know what this is called in the plays?”
“What is it called?” Xiao Tao asked, both fearful and curious.
Ji Wanwan replied excitedly, “Broken Mirror Joined Together!”
Crack—
The folding fan that had accompanied Prime Minister Shen for many years shattered.
“Broken Mirror Joined Together?” Shen Huaiji repeated the words slowly, his voice deep and magnetic but tinged with a dangerous edge.
The Shadow Guard behind him was already terrified. His master had always been someone who never showed his emotions—when had anyone ever angered him to this extent!
Shen Huaiji, usually steady and composed, was momentarily stunned upon hearing such words. When he regained his senses, he walked out of the Duke’s mansion with a dark expression, while the gossiping mistress and maid inside remained completely unaware.
Once outside, the Shadow Guard struggled to hold back his laughter. Shen Huaiji glanced at him, and the guard immediately returned to his expressionless face.
Shen Huaiji said slowly, “Is it funny?”
The Shadow Guard replied with a straight face, “Reporting to Prime Minister, yes! I’ve never heard such a thing before. So, this is how people outside are spreading rumors about you and Qin Wang. I couldn’t help but laugh—it wasn’t intentional!”
Shen Huaiji: “…”
The Shadow Guard asked curiously, “But speaking recklessly about you and Qin Wang is indeed disrespectful. Since you’re unhappy, Prime Minister, why not punish that foolish girl?”
Shen Huaiji boarded the carriage, his deep, unreadable eyes slowly closing. Just as the Shadow Guard thought he wouldn’t speak again, a low voice slowly came, “She is not foolish.”
From exposing Lin Yourou at the Ji family’s gate to proving at the Duke’s mansion that Lin Yourou was the mastermind—resolving a crisis once might be a coincidence, but doing it twice or thrice is not.
That girl has been acting all along.
“Investigate her and that child together.”
Qin Wang’s Death-Exemption Golden Medal wouldn’t be given away casually. There must be some close connection between them.
“Yes.”