Prince’s Manor.
Song Chengyin’s courtyard.
Qiao Shuyi walked in wearing a pomegranate-red ruqun dress, the red so dazzling it burned the eyes.
Qiao Shuqin stood guard by the bed, looking up at the sound. When she saw that glaring red, the usual timidity in her eyes faded completely, replaced by long-suppressed hatred.
“Qiao Shuyi! Was it you who made my mother seriously ill?!”
“Besides, she is still your elder. How could you wear such bright colors when you learned she was seriously ill?”
Qiao Shuyi did not even glance at her. She walked past Qiao Shuqin toward Qiao Nanyu, who sat in the main seat with a gloomy expression, and gave a graceful bow:
“Father, your daughter was recuperating at the villa. Why have you suddenly called me back?”
Qiao Nanyu looked up at her, his gaze heavy:
“What happened to your Concubine Song’s illness?”
“Father, because of Mother’s affairs, I have been in low spirits. I left the manor three days ago to recuperate at the villa. How could I know how Concubine Song fell ill?”
Qiao Shuqin rushed forward:
“Qiao Shuyi, stop pretending! My mother has always been in good health. Her illness must be man-made! You already believed that my mother and I harmed your mother—only you, only you have the motive and ability to hurt someone!”
Only then did Qiao Shuyi deign to look at her:
“Sister, convicting someone requires evidence. Otherwise—it is slander.”
Qiao Shuqin trembled with anger. She fell to her knees before Qiao Nanyu with a thud:
“Father, I beg you! You must seek justice for Mother! She has served by your side for over twenty years; if not for merit, then for her hard work. How can she just… without any clear reason…”
Qiao Nanyu glanced down at her, his brow furrowing even tighter.
He looked back at Qiao Shuyi and said sternly:
“Shuyi, Father asks you once more, was it your doing?”
Qiao Shuyi met his gaze, her expression calm:
“No.”
Qiao Nanyu fell silent.
He had been overwhelmed with troubles lately; how could he have the mind to deal with these women’s scheming in the inner courtyard?
The new Emperor had been on the throne for barely a year. Factions were forming in the court, and various forces were stirring restlessly.
He had to act before the young Emperor consolidated his power.
He had been building his influence in Jinzhou for over a decade. Since marrying Liu Jinyu, he had used the Liu family’s resources to massively expand weaponry and train soldiers.
At most, within a year, he would raise an army.
Even if he could not defeat the entire Great Zhang, he would carve out Jinzhou and first become the Emperor of Jinzhou.
Once he secured his footing, he would gradually plan his next moves, step by step, marching toward the capital.
At such a critical moment, how could he spare time for these women’s trivial matters?
Moreover—
He glanced at Qiao Shuyi.
Since he had divorced Liu Jinyu, Qiao Shuyi was his treasury.
Even if she had truly done something, he would have to tolerate it.
Besides, he had thought it over afterward—the affair involving Liu Jinyu was quite suspicious.
That vulgar woman, how would she have the courage to do such a thing?
It was likely Song Chengyin’s doing behind the scenes.
But at the time, with so many witnesses, if he had not divorced Liu Jinyu, how could he establish his authority in front of his subordinates and future allies?
Now that Song Chengyin was seriously ill, it was her own fault.
He pulled back his thoughts and looked at Qiao Shuqin kneeling on the ground, his tone tinged with impatience:
“Shuqin, since you believe there is more to your mother’s illness, I will give you five days to investigate this matter. If you find evidence that your sister was responsible, I will punish her severely. If you cannot find anything—let this matter end here.”
With that, he strode away without looking back.
Qiao Shuqin knelt on the spot, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Father had always doted on and indulged Qiao Shuyi since childhood—this was not the first time. How could she have foolishly hoped that Father would take her side?
After a long while, she slowly rose to her feet and turned to face Qiao Shuyi.
“Qiao Shuyi, I will uncover the truth. Your mother was driven out of the manor, and you should be too.”
Qiao Shuyi shrugged:
“Then I shall await my elder sister’s good news.”
Three days later, Song Chengyin passed away from illness.
When the news arrived, Qiao Nanyu was inspecting the military camp outside the city and merely sent a message back:
Official duties prevent my return. Let Shuqin handle the funeral arrangements herself.
Thus, within the vast Jin’an Manor, only the courtyards of Song Chengyin and Qiao Shuqin were draped in white mourning banners.
The two courtyards, clad in plain white, stood in stark contrast to the vibrant colors and festive atmosphere elsewhere in the manor.
Qiao Shuyi had remained secluded these past few days, staying within her own Jinglan Courtyard.
Fortunately, she had Zong Zhengheng for company—admiring flowers, sipping tea, composing poetry, and painting—so she never felt bored.
Qiao Shuqin, however, faced an entirely different situation.
She bustled about daily, holding the token Qiao Nanyu had given her, running back and forth, mobilizing the manor’s staff to investigate the case.
One moment she summoned this matron for questioning, the next she called that servant for confrontation, in and out, never stopping for a moment.
But as a concubine-born daughter, what connections had she ever cultivated over the years? What favor had she ever shown to any servant?
Those who complied on the surface turned away, but how many truly took her words to heart?
In Jin’an Manor, the servants kept their own accounts.
The Second Young Miss had a difficult temperament, but so what?
No matter how flawed a master might be, they were still the master.
To the servants, distinctions like legitimate or illegitimate birth, status, rules, and etiquette were all meaningless.
Only silver was truly substantial.
Performing a single task for the Second Young Miss yielded rewards in silver equivalent to a year’s hard labor.
Moreover—
These past two days, undercurrents surged within the manor, and the servants whispered among themselves.
Concubine Song’s illness had been strange, her death sudden—who didn’t have their suspicions?
Not long ago, some had murmured that with Madam Liu divorced, the Second Young Miss was likely to lose favor.
But now?
Concubine Song was dead.
Even a fool could see which way the wind was blowing.
“Young Miss.”
Fuzhi lifted the curtain and entered, bowing her head to report: “The Eldest Young Miss requests an audience.”
Qiao Shuyi was reclining on the daybed, allowing Zong Zhengheng to peel a lychee for her.
“Oh? Let her in.”
She glanced sideways at Zong Zhengheng:
“Zhi Gui, you may leave for now.”
Zong Zhengheng nodded, placed the peeled lychee into the dish before her, and rose to leave.
As he lifted the curtain to exit, he came face-to-face with Qiao Shuqin, who was approaching.
Qiao Shuqin looked up at him.
Zong Zhengheng stepped aside, allowing her to enter.
The curtain fell, separating the two worlds inside and out.
Qiao Shuyi reclined on the daybed, twirling a strand of her fallen black hair with her fingertips:
“Elder Sister, what brings you to my Jinglan Courtyard today?”
Without waiting for an invitation, Qiao Shuqin sat directly opposite her.
“Qiao Shuyi, you knew all along that I would find nothing, didn’t you?”
Qiao Shuyi’s expression remained indifferent: “I thought Elder Sister had some self-awareness.”
Qiao Shuqin clenched her fists: “Qiao Shuyi, I hate you.”
“Originally, I was the rightful legitimate eldest daughter of this manor. My mother was the first wife to enter the household, and I was the firstborn daughter. Because of your mother, because of you, I became a concubine-born daughter—neither here nor there, an awkward and illegitimate daughter in this manor—”
“It was you who stole everything from me.”
“Sister, shouldn’t your hatred be directed at Father’s heartlessness in demoting his wife to a concubine all those years ago? Or perhaps you should hate your mother for having no background, no ability to protect her rightful position as the principal wife?”
“Why hate me, a sister born a year later than you?”
Qiao Shuqin’s breath caught in her throat.
She opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.
After a long pause, she managed to force out a sentence:
“But all these years, have you ever respected me? When have you ever treated me as your elder sister?”
“If you were a good younger sister, we could have shared a deep bond. But you!”
Qiao Shuyi straightened her posture, her gaze turning colder:
“A deep sisterly bond?”
“From as far back as I can remember, your mother has schemed against mine more than once. Poisoning her one day, framing her the next, and presenting false evidence before Father the day after. It’s just that Father dotes on my mother, indulges her, and no matter how much your mother stirs up trouble, she can’t harm my mother in the slightest.”
“Don’t paint you and your mother as innocent victims. The affair between my mother and Lord Zhou—wasn’t it you and Concubine Song who fueled it behind the scenes?”
Qiao Shuqin met her gaze, her eyes filled with stubborn hatred:
“That was your mother’s own shamelessness! That letter was clearly written by her own hand! It was her own lack of virtue!”
Qiao Shuyi did not lose her temper.
She leaned close to Qiao Shuqin’s ear, her voice dropping to a whisper:
“Qiao Shuqin, if you insult me, I’ll just make you kneel or lock you up, and that will be the end of it. But if you and Concubine Song harm my mother, you will pay a painful price.”
“I might as well tell you—it was I who killed your mother. What can you do about it?”
Qiao Shuqin’s pupils contracted sharply.
“You… you…”
Instinctively, she raised her hand, about to slap her—
But Qiao Shuyi was quicker, grabbing her wrist with one hand and slapping her back with the other.
Slap!
The blow sent Qiao Shuqin tumbling to the ground.
Qiao Shuyi crouched down, looking at the woman on the floor clutching her face with disbelief in her eyes. She tilted her head and smiled innocently:
“Sister, accept my condolences. After all… the dead cannot be brought back to life.”
With that, she stood up, her gaze looking down from above:
“Watch your mouth from now on. Don’t let me hear you insult my mother again. The price is more than you can bear.”