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  Madam Xu instantly colpsed into her seat.

  Buddhist retreat?

  Without power, what meaning would life hold?

  If she were to be beled as "devoted to Buddhism", wouldn’t everyone in the Qin household know that she had been stripped of authority due to her misconduct?

  Buddhist retreat?

  Sitting in solitude every day—how could she possibly endure such a life?

  Madam Xu opened her mouth, wanting to protest, but no words came out.

  Qin Yongtao, on the other hand, had no such hesitation.

  The Old Madam was right—Qin Kaile was already married.

  In most prestigious households, it was customary for the eldest daughter-in-w to manage the household affairs.

  Qin Kaile’s wife, Madam Dong, was the daughter of a former Hanlin Academy schor, a sixth-rank official.

  Seven or eight years ago, Master Dong fell gravely ill and, unable to recover, resigned from his post and returned to his hometown. The Dong family had since moved away from the capital.

  Madam Dong was twenty-seven years old, well-educated, gentle, and virtuous.

  She had been married for twelve years and had borne one son and one daughter—

  A daughter of eleven and a son of eight, both currently residing with her.

  “I will write to Dong Shi immediately, asking her to return to the capital at once.”

  The Old Madam nodded, her voice firm.

  “From now on, aside from major festivals, Third Girl shall not return to her mother’s home.”

  Madam Xu froze again.

  Qin Yongtao also hesitated for a brief moment, then nodded.

  “I will send someone to inform her at once.”

  Madam Xu gritted her teeth, wanting to argue, but one gnce at the Old Madam’s expression made her shiver.

  She dared not speak another word.

  After a long silence, the Old Madam continued—

  “As for the pace—unless Her Majesty the Empress issues a decree, the women of our family shall no longer enter. If the Sixth Prince visits our residence, we shall receive him with the courtesy befitting his status—no more, no less. And when Dong Shi returns, begin searching for a marriage match for Sixth Girl, whether in the capital or the surrounding regions.”

  At these words, Madam Xu could no longer hold back.

  “Old Madam, how could this be? I am still her mother—how can I not be the one to decide her marriage? Since when is it up to a sister-in-w to make such decisions?”

  The pace. The Sixth Prince…

  Qin Yongtao suddenly understood something, his entire body tensing up.

  Then, he snapped—

  “Mother has her own pns! What are you panicking for?”

  Madam Xu could no longer care about restraint.

  She pressed on with urgency—

  “Old Madam, if word spreads that Sixth Girl’s marriage was arranged by Dong Shi instead of me, outsiders will surely suspect something is wrong with our household. It will ruin our family’s reputation!”

  The Old Madam gnced at her coldly.

  “Then we shall tell everyone you are ill.”

  Unable to oversee her own daughter’s marriage?

  That illness would have to be severe indeed.

  Madam Xu’s head spun, her body weak.

  If not for the chair beneath her, she might have colpsed to the floor.

  Yin Courtyard

  Seated by the window, Qin Shuying gazed outside without a hint of joy.

  Seeing this, Nanny Fu sighed.

  “Miss, Madam Xu has finally angered the Old Madam enough to be removed from power. This is a good thing—so why do you still look so troubled?”

  Ziteng stood silently at the side.

  Qin Shuying sighed.

  “Nanny, Grandmother’s health is fragile. With all these concerns weighing on her, I worry even more for her well-being.”

  Nanny Fu nodded.

  “If the Young Madam can truly take on the responsibility of managing the household, the Old Madam will finally be able to rest.”

  Qin Shuying offered a faint nod.

  “Let’s hope so.”

  “From what I’ve heard, the Young Madam is well-educated and a virtuous wife. She has been a good support to the Young Master. Miss, you need not worry—she will surely rise to the occasion.”

  Qin Shuying remained silent.

  In truth, she knew very little about this sister-in-w.

  Nanny Fu, taking her silence as agreement, changed the subject—

  “But the Lu family… They are getting off far too lightly! I have always thought that Lu Changxuan was a wicked man.

  “To lust after his own sister-in-w…

  “To snder the Second Miss…

  “To watch his own son die from illness without lifting a finger…

  “What kind of monster does such things?

  “And now, to try and interfere in Qin family affairs, even attempting to imprison you—

  “And in front of so many people, to tarnish your reputation!

  “Scum like him deserves to die a hundred times over!”

  At these words, Ziteng’s gaze flickered, her eyes sharp as she looked at Qin Shuying.

  But Qin Shuying remained calm, her gaze still fixed on the peach blossoms outside, their buds on the verge of blooming.

  Bright. Bold. Resilient.

  “No rush.”

  Her voice was cool.

  “This is only the first step. Nanny, rest assured— I will repay every kindness and every cruelty in equal measure. Lu Changxuan… I will not let him go.”

  She turned toward Ziteng.

  “The task I assigned you—how is it going?”

  Ziteng immediately lowered her head.

  “Miss, I have been following your instructions— Providing silver in secret, keeping everything in motion.”

  “Good.”

  Qin Shuying’s expression remained composed.

  “Now tell Nanny the details. This matter will require her assistance.”

  Nanny Fu’s eyes sharpened.

  She had already guessed what this was about—

  Was Miss pnning to bring down Lu Changxuan?

  She was surprised, but also impressed—

  Her young mistress had been preparing this from the very start?

  “Miss, you only need to give the order. If my family’s head steward must step in, rest assured—he will handle everything properly.”

  At this, a smile touched Qin Shuying’s lips.

  Nanny Fu truly was brilliant—

  A woman of the imperial pace, sharp and intuitive.

  She understood everything with just a few words.

  For the past six months, Qin Shuying had trusted her with everything—

  Except this matter.

  Not because she didn’t want to—

  But because this was something Nanny Fu could not have intervened in, even if she wanted to.

  But now, it was time for her involvement.

  “This concerns the Zhou family—the maternal retives of the Second Miss.”

  Nanny Fu stiffened.

  “The Zhou family?”

  Qin Shuying’s voice grew colder.

  “Lu Changxuan had them all killed. But he does not know— They left behind evidence of his crimes before they perished.”

  Nanny Fu froze, then shuddered.

  “That beast…! How could he? Without the Second Miss, he would have had nothing! And yet…”

  She clenched her fists, shaking with rage.

  Qin Shuying’s tone remained calm.

  “Which is why, Nanny—Lu Changxuan must be destroyed.”

  She did not say this with gritted teeth.

  She did not say it with fury.

  And yet—

  Hearing those words, both Ziteng and Nanny Fu felt a chill crawl up their spines.