It was nothing like Qin Xiu had imagined—no scandalous scene, not even the expected person.
“Where did this beggar come from?” Gu Wang exclaimed.
Inside the room lay only a ragged beggar, who had fainted upon the bed.
Pang Xiangsi pointed at the cloth clutched in the beggar’s arms. “What is that?”
Tan Hua peered closely. “Looks like a handkerchief.”
Qin Xiu steadied herself. “Where did this handkerchief come from?”
Gu Wang glanced at her, then quickly supplied, “Could it be someone secretly exchanged tokens with this beggar, leaving behind the handkerchief?”
At that, Qin Xiu’s eyes flickered. “Whose handkerchief is this? Does anyone recognize it?”
Gu Wang, eager to seize the chance, blurted out without hesitation, “It looks familiar—seems like my eldest sister’s handkerchief.”
As expected, murmurs rippled through the crowd.
“Could it be that my eldest sister came out just now to meet this beggar?” Gu Wang said in feigned astonishment.
Qin Xiu frowned. “This…”
“I thought Gu Nian was pure and innocent, but it turns out she was only pretending.”
“I heard the Gu family is strict in their household rules, yet their daughter behaves so shamelessly.”
“Disgraceful! And didn’t she try to seduce the young master of the Song family several times?”
“Isn’t Song Jinglan fond of the Third Princess? For Gu Nian to dare compete with her—she really has no shame.”
Qin Xiu watched the scene grow ever more chaotic, just as she had hoped. She quickly furrowed her brows and interjected, “Please, everyone, stop. The Gu family’s young lady has always seemed fine to me. A maiden’s reputation is of utmost importance. I know her character well—she would never act recklessly, even if she had someone she loved.”
Her words seemed to defend Gu Nian, but in truth, only fueled suspicion.
“She brought him into the house—how is that not reckless? Your Highness is simply too kind, deceived by my elder sister,” Gu Wang declared indignantly. “For her to commit such a disgraceful act, I must tell Father and Mother so they can deal with her properly.”
Qin Fei, calm in the corner, dug at her ear. “You haven’t even confirmed whose handkerchief it is, yet you’re already pinning guilt on Miss Gu? If you lot were judges, the whole world would be condemned.”
“Eighth Sister?” Qin Xiu looked at her. “Have you seen Miss Gu?”
“I’m right here.” A clear voice rang out from behind the crowd.
Gu Nian appeared, accompanied by Er Ya.
“This maid has been with Miss Gu the whole time. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed—she never met with any outsider, let alone this beggar of unknown origin.” Er Ya was Qin Fei’s maid, so her words carried weight.
Qin Xiu’s heart stirred. “But wasn’t Eighth Sister just escorted to the latrine by Er Ya?”
The crowd faltered, suspecting Er Ya was covering for Gu Nian.
“I did go to the latrine,” Qin Fei waved her hand, glaring at Qin Xiu in mock reproach. “But only because your maid suddenly abandoned Miss Gu halfway. She was feeling faint, so I had Er Ya take her to rest by the lotus pond in the south courtyard. When I returned, I heard you all slandering her. Truly, what an injustice.”
Gu Nian’s expression was clear, gentle yet firm. “Just now, Miss Ah Bi suddenly disappeared, so Er Ya helped me to the lotus pond to rest. My dizziness has passed, so I came here—only to find such a misunderstanding.”
“Ah!”
At that moment, Qin Fei pointed in surprise at the handkerchief in the beggar’s hand. “That handkerchief looks familiar to me!”
Qin Xiu froze, only to see Qin Fei looking at her with utter seriousness.
“Isn’t that your maid Ah Bi’s handkerchief?”
The crowd gasped.
No one had expected the situation to flip so completely.
Just moments ago, they had accused Gu Nian of owning the handkerchief—now it was said to belong to Qin Xiu’s maid.
“Impossible!” Qin Xiu’s brows knitted tight. “Eighth Sister, don’t speak nonsense. How could my maid be connected to a beggar?”
Qin Fei folded her arms, gazing down at her. “The eldest daughter of the Chancellor’s household outranks your maid in status, doesn’t she? Yet you dared to drag her name into this mess.”
Qin Xiu’s face flushed red, then pale. “I—I never accused Miss Gu. Eighth Sister, you must have evidence when you speak.”
“I *am* speaking with evidence.” Qin Fei arched a brow and glanced at Er Ya. Without a word, the maid slipped out. Soon after, a servant rushed in.
“Third Princess, your maid is asleep in the side chamber.”
Gu Nian looked calmly at Qin Xiu’s unraveling composure. “Your Highness, your maid is in the side chamber, while I was at the lotus pond in the south courtyard. Near and far—surely that is plain enough?”
Qin Fei clicked her tongue twice. “Third Sister, how do you teach your maids? To end up mingling with beggars?” She strode to the beggar, pulled the handkerchief from his grasp, and spread it before everyone. “If I’m not mistaken, this fabric is reserved for the royal household. And here, at the corner—doesn’t it bear the name of Yuxiu Palace?”
Qin Xiu watched helplessly as Qin Fei turned the tide.
“If this handkerchief isn’t Ah Bi’s, then the only one left from Yuxiu Palace… is you, Third Sister.” Qin Fei covered her mouth in mock surprise. “So this handkerchief is yours?”
Qin Xiu clutched her chest, her face drained of color, as if in great pain. “You—you!”
“Your Highness!” Pang Xiangsi rushed to support her. “It’s your heart ailment acting up.”
Tan Hua frowned at Qin Fei. “Eighth Princess, how can you insult your own sister’s virtue?”
“I’m only speaking to the facts,” Qin Fei replied, rolling her eyes inwardly.
Suddenly, the beggar murmured from behind her: “E-Eighth Princess…”
Everyone heard it clearly. Another reversal—yet again.
Qin Xiu, who had just been clutching her chest, now revived with energy. “What? What did that beggar just say?”
Tan Hua blinked in astonishment. “It sounded like he called out the Eighth Princess’s name.”
Qin Fei recalled Ah Bi’s lies to the beggar and was utterly speechless.
“Just because the handkerchief bears Yuxiu Palace’s name doesn’t mean it belongs to someone from there,” Pang Xiangsi mused. “A schemer in the palace could have obtained it.”
Tan Hua added, “Perhaps Ah Bi was drugged and carried into the side chamber.”
Well then. The accusations had twisted yet again—this time landing squarely on Qin Fei.
“Eighth Sister…” Qin Xiu’s acting flared to life. With tear-filled eyes, she looked at Qin Fei as though betrayed. “We are sisters—how could you harbor such malice, to frame me so cruelly?”
Qin Fei pointed at herself. “Me, frame you?”
Gu Nian stepped forward. “Third Princess, do not slander others.”
“If the Eighth Princess wasn’t colluding with the beggar, why would he call her name?” Gu Wang muttered weakly.
“Silence, Gu Wang!” Gu Nian, who had never quarreled with him before, suddenly snapped with uncharacteristic severity.
Qin Fei patted Gu Nian’s hand. “My conscience is clear.”
“Even if you try to deny it today, everyone saw what happened. With so many witnesses, Father will find it hard to favor you.” Qin Xiu wiped her tears.
“Deny it?” Qin Fei laughed. “I already said my conscience is clear. Even before Father, I remain innocent. Why don’t we go and debate it before him?”
Qin Xiu bit her lip. “Fine.”
Inside the Zichen Hall, the Emperor rubbed his forehead as he looked at the group. He had already heard the whole story. His beloved daughter Qin Xiu was weeping miserably in Consort Zheng’s arms, looking utterly wronged.
By contrast, Qin Fei sat boldly at the front, sipping tea and nibbling pastries, radiating confidence.
The truth seemed obvious at a glance.
“Your sister has gone too far today,” Qin Xiu sobbed, clutching her chest. “Not only did she slander me, she nearly ruined the Chancellor’s daughter’s reputation, and turned the birthday banquet into chaos.”
The Emperor frowned at Qin Fei. “Is this true?”
“No.” Qin Fei rinsed her mouth with tea, then said calmly, “Father, the handkerchief in the beggar’s hand belongs to Ah Bi. You can verify it yourself.”
Qin Xiu lifted her eyes. “If she wanted to frame Ah Bi, she could have knocked her out and stuffed the handkerchief into the beggar’s hand.”
“I wasn’t even with Ah Bi at the time. It would be impossible for me to frame you.” Qin Fei smiled.
“Perhaps you pretended to have a stomachache, went to the latrine, then knocked Ah Bi out and placed her in the room next to the beggar, disguising yourself as if you had just arrived.” Qin Xiu looked pitifully at the Emperor. “Father, never have I been so accused, so humiliated—I don’t even wish to live anymore.”
Consort Zheng clutched her tighter. “Your Majesty, please have pity on our daughter.”
The Emperor, who had always favored Consort Zheng, could not help but feel distressed.
“Absurd.” Qin Fei set down her teacup. “Why would I slander you? People commit misdeeds for a reason. What reason would I have? Am I jealous of your shabby Yuxiu Palace? Or of your rough looks? Or of the fact that you lack Father’s affection, which I enjoy?”
Qin Xiu nearly spat blood at her words, yet Qin Fei spoke them without a flicker of shame.
The Emperor frowned. “Qin Fei, enough. Do not speak of your Third Sister that way.”
Just then, a loud thud and a burst of sobbing startled everyone.
“It is *I* who have truly been wronged!” Qin Fei’s tears flowed freely, unlike Qin Xiu’s forced drops—hers were a flood breaking through a dam.
“Gu Nian kindly invited me to her birthday banquet. Father knows I have few friends. When I heard her being slandered, of course, I defended her. But then Third Sister turned the fire on me. Is that how an elder sister should behave?”
Qin Xiu’s eyes widened. “I…”
“Besides, Father knows my nature. Do you think I have the wit to arrange for some beggar to appear at the Chancellor’s estate? If I truly wanted to ruin Yuxiu Palace’s reputation, why would Ah Bi be left fainted in the side chamber? Why wouldn’t I simply put her on the beggar’s bed, instead of clumsily planting her handkerchief in his hand?”
Qin Fei spoke with sincerity, her sobs mournful. “Third Sister first wronged Gu Nian, and now she wrongs me. Why not bring that beggar here and interrogate him, to clear my name?”
Her words carried weight. With both sisters’ accounts difficult to judge, the Emperor, even if he wished to favor one side, had to uncover the truth. He ordered, “Bring the beggar forward.”
The beggar was dragged in, bound hand and foot, trembling as he realized he had been hauled into the imperial palace.
“Th-this humble man greets Your Majesty…”
“Silence.” The Emperor’s gaze was cold. “Speak. Why were you in the Chancellor’s estate? What were your intentions?”
Facing the throne, the beggar dared not conceal anything. He kowtowed frantically. “Someone instructed me, Your Majesty. I never wanted this. That person told me to wait in the room, and then… then when a young lady entered… I swear I didn’t want it, but she gave me too much money…”
The Emperor’s brows furrowed deeper. “Who instructed you?”
The beggar thought hard, then declared, “It was the Eighth Princess.”
The Emperor’s eyes snapped toward Qin Fei, sharp with anger. “And you still deny it…”
“Wait.” Qin Fei cut him off, stepping forward to point at Qin Xiu. “Do you mean *this* Eighth Princess, Qin Xiu?”
The beggar had no idea who was who—he only remembered a maid telling him that the one behind it was “the Eighth Princess.” He nodded repeatedly. “Yes, the Eighth Princess Qin Xiu.”
Qin Xiu’s face froze. She had thought the beggar’s words would condemn Qin Fei beyond doubt, but Qin Fei had twisted the loophole back on her.
“Father, this man doesn’t even know who the Eighth Princess is. He only repeats what someone told him.” Qin Fei lifted her chin, unflinching. “If I truly wanted to commit a crime, would I be foolish enough to leave my own name behind, inviting punishment later?”
The Emperor’s gaze shifted slowly toward Qin Xiu.
Qin Xiu frowned, speaking weakly. “Eighth Sister, are you saying I framed you?”
Qin Fei’s smile was sly. “What do you think?”
Qin Xiu wiped her tears. “If I had instructed this beggar, I would never have shown myself before him. Perhaps he only heard the title, without knowing your face. And now you would use that to accuse me? I cannot accept it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Consort Zheng chimed in, tears flowing like rain. “You know our Xiu’er—she wouldn’t harm a single ant. How could she stoop to such vile tricks?”
Qin Fei nearly applauded their performance. “Well then. If the beggar’s words aren’t enough, I have another witness.”
She called out, “Er Ya—”
Er Ya dragged in the struggling Ah Bi.
Qin Xiu was stunned. She had ordered Ah Bi hidden in Yuxiu Palace—how had Qin Fei found her?
“Come now.” Qin Fei forced Ah Bi’s face toward the beggar. “Was it this woman who instructed you?”
The beggar didn’t hesitate. “Yes, it was her!”
The Emperor’s expression darkened instantly, his gaze darting to Consort Zheng and Qin Xiu.
“Tsk, tsk.” Qin Fei thought to herself that she ought to thank the brainless author—if the plot weren’t written so simply, she might not have escaped so easily.
Qin Xiu reacted quickly, turning on Ah Bi in disbelief. “Wretched slave! How dare you use such despicable means to frame my sister?”
Qin Fei raised a brow. Oh? So now they were pushing someone out as a scapegoat.
Ah Bi’s expression flickered, then she seemed to resign herself. She knelt before the Emperor. “Your Majesty, this maid could not bear to see the Eighth Princess bullying the Third Princess time and again. And besides, Young Master Song clearly loves our princess, yet Gu Nian keeps trying to seduce him. I despised them both, so I did this.”
The Emperor’s voice was stern. “Since this was the maid’s doing alone, I will spare you this time. But if it happens again, I will not be lenient.” He looked gravely at Qin Xiu.
“Wait.” Qin Fei interjected. “What if this maid was only ordered by Third Sister, and now she’s being pushed out as a scapegoat? If Father dismisses the matter so lightly, wouldn’t that be unjust?”
The Emperor was already displeased at being interrupted. For Qin Fei to challenge his judgment again was nothing less than defiance of both an emperor’s authority and a father’s dignity.
“Qin Fei, Qin Xiu is your elder sister. How can you be so petty?”
“My being petty?” Qin Fei looked serenely at Qin Xiu. “If I were truly the mastermind today, would Father protect me the way he protects Third Sister?”
The Emperor, impatient but unwilling to show it, said, “Enough, Qin Fei. I have already spoken. I am not favoring anyone; I am only judging by the truth. This matter was not your sister’s doing—why must you quibble endlessly?”
Consort Zheng shot Qin Fei a cold glance, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Besides, the Eighth Princess has suffered no real grievance. Xiu’er is the elder sister. It is bad enough that the younger one shows no deference, but now she humiliates her sister as well. Is this how Consort Shen instructs her daughter?”
Qin Fei’s expression cooled. “Do not drag my mother into this…”
“And what of the Third Princess’s maidservants? Is this how Consort Zheng instructs her daughter?” A deep, steady male voice rang out from beyond the Zichen Hall.
Qin Fei started, turning to see Cen Hejue striding in, clad in dark azure Daoist robes. His steps were firm, his handsome face clear of any weakness, his eyes bright. It seemed the medicine’s effects had completely worn off.
Was he here to support her?