“Ah Ling, you mustn’t take a madwoman’s words to heart,” Old Madam said.
Qu Cheng chimed in, “She’s becoming increasingly confused. Ah Ling, your father has truly wronged you greatly.”
“It’s good that you know,” Old Madam feigned anger. “If I hadn’t prepared in advance with Ah Ling today, that venomous woman would have taken our lives – grandmother and granddaughter alike.”
Qu Ling suppressed her inner doubts and played along with their act. “Father, what matters most now is preventing my two younger brothers from having any further contact with Madame.”
Qu Ling sighed.
“Whatever issues Madame has with me are merely household matters. But her inciting Ah Yi to kill me – that’s harming Ah Yi himself.”
Old Madam, hearing this for the first time, was shocked and unsettled. “When did this happen? Why wasn’t I told?”
Qu Cheng evaded the main point, covering it up lightly. “It was just childish play. Ah Yi was merely trying to scare Ah Ling.”
However, he privately agreed with his daughter’s suggestion.
His two sons must not be ruined by Song Shi’s hands.
“That venomous woman!” Old Madam gasped in fury.
How dare she use her own son as a weapon.
“Mother, rest assured. I’ll immediately move both children to the outer courtyard and never allow Song Shi to contact them again,” Qu Cheng said.
Old Madam nodded. “That’s exactly what should be done.”
After exchanging a few more words, Old Madam began showing signs of weariness.
Having been up half the night, she was somewhat drained.
Qu Cheng then took his leave with Qu Ling.
“Let me walk you back,” Qu Cheng said under the cold moonlight, feeling somewhat apologetic. “Were you frightened today?”
“A little,” Qu Ling had learned to show vulnerability, realizing that constant agitation wouldn’t gain her anything.
“How did you know Nurse Qi had been bribed by Song Shi?” Qu Cheng asked.
Qu Ling’s heart tightened – she knew Qu Cheng wouldn’t be so easily fooled.
“Grandmother discovered it herself,” Qu Ling said.
“Lianzhi insulted my aunt, so I went to report it to Grandmother. But I found that Grandmother’s attendants were keeping things from her. Father, don’t you think that’s wrong?”
Qu Cheng nodded – regardless of the reason, deceiving one’s master was betrayal.
“Nurse Qi kept making excuses for Lianzhi, but Linjian Courtyard is Aunt’s residence. When Grandmother refused, Lianzhi moved in anyway. Grandmother had every right to be angry – Nurse Qi shouldn’t have defended Lianzhi.”
Qu Cheng continued nodding – this reasoning was sound too.
Qu Ling’s voice remained clear and bright. “So Grandmother and I discussed putting on an act to test Nurse Qi. We never expected she would actually go running to Madame.”
“Truthfully, neither Grandmother nor I knew whether the bird’s nest was actually poisoned. We only learned Madame truly had murderous intentions after Nurse Qi died.”
Qu Cheng’s hands tightened behind his back, his throat growing somewhat dry.
When he had arrived at Yun Song Hall, Song Shi had sworn, “Ah Ling is utterly audacious – she tricked Mother into drinking poison.”
He had believed it immediately, waiting only for Qu Ling’s return to settle accounts.
Again and again, he had wronged his own daughter.
“Father,” Qu Ling broke his silence, “those gold and silver jewelry in Nurse Qi’s room – Grandmother had people steal them after Madame left the main courtyard.”
“The moment Nurse Qi went to see Madame, Grandmother stopped trusting her. She was determined to have her killed – if not poisoned by the bird’s nest, then beaten to death.”
Qu Ling laid everything out clearly.
The long-simmering conflict between Old Madam and Song Shi had been building up, ready to erupt.
Qu Cheng’s initial doubts had now completely dissipated.
How could a girl who had just returned from Jiangzhou possibly stir the waters of the Hou Manor?
“Father, if I stay in the Hou Manor, will I die too?” Qu Ling said gloomily, “So many people have died.”
She counted silently in her heart.
One, two, three, four…
Soon there would be a fifth.
All killed by her…
Hehe.
“You won’t,” Qu Cheng thought she was frightened and comforted her, “If you encounter such things in the future, just stay away. Keep your distance, close the gates of Nuanshan Residence, and live your own life.”
Whether it was due to guilt or blood ties, Qu Cheng felt a pang of heartache for this daughter.
“If Madame gives you trouble, have that maid from the Princess Manor help you fight back.”
“Her name is Sushang,” Qu Ling finally smiled.
Qu Cheng, who had initially been critical of this maid who had injured someone, no longer minded.
“Alright, then wherever you go, take Sushang with you.”
Father and daughter exchanged smiles, creating a surprisingly warm moment.
“Father, whether it’s the Crown Prince or the Princess who wins in the end, our family will only rise higher.”
Qu Ling’s sudden remark made Qu Cheng stop in his tracks once again.
“My mother once saved the Princess’s life. No matter how close I am to the Princess, it’s only natural. The Crown Prince won’t suspect it’s your doing, Father.”
“Father, the foundation of the Hou Manor shouldn’t be bet entirely on one person. What if the Princess wins?”
Qu Cheng felt as if he had been enlightened, remaining lost in thought for a long time.
“Father, you only need to continue serving the Crown Prince as usual. Leave the Princess to me.”
Qu Ling smiled.
“If the Crown Prince wins, you’ll naturally ascend to greater heights. If the Princess wins, you can say it was your plan for me to secretly support her.”
In her previous life, the Dingxiang Marquis Manor and the Princess had fallen out, leaving Qu Ling caught in the middle and living a difficult life.
She was destined to have close ties with the Princess. Rather than letting Song Shi use it against her later, it was better to tear open a gap from the start.
To come and go from the Princess Manor openly.
Qu Cheng listened for a long time, opening his mouth but unsure of what to say.
“Father, the Hou Manor is my home. I naturally want it to thrive.” Knowing he hadn’t made up his mind, Qu Ling decided to add fuel to the fire.
She repeated the exact words Mama Zhou had said in her previous life to Qu Cheng.
“No matter how much the Princess dotes on me, she is not my blood relative. Otherwise, she would have petitioned for me to be granted the title of Princess of the Commandery.”
Qu Cheng neither agreed nor disagreed, only asking her, “A-Ling, what do you want?”
“I don’t want anything,” Qu Ling smiled innocently, “I only wish for Father to treat me better.”
She made no attempt to hide her disgust for Qu Lianzhi, “I can’t stand her acting so arrogantly just because she has Madame’s backing.”
“I may not have a mother, but I still have you, Father.”
Qu Cheng chuckled wryly.
He remembered how, six years ago, Qu Ling often accused him of favoritism, saying he only cared for Song Shi’s children.
It turned out his daughter had never changed.
But now, hearing her say it aloud, he felt no resentment, only pity.
“You and Lianzhi are sisters. Whatever she has, you will not lack.”
Qu Cheng said, “Tomorrow, I’ll have the seamstress make new clothes for you. I will compensate you for all the years you’ve missed.”
“Thank you, Father.” Qu Ling’s eyes curved into smiles.
The same matter, when expressed in different ways, yields different effects.
What does she want?
She wants the Dingxiang Marquis Manor to be utterly destroyed.