Chapter 48: The Deeper the Trust Once Was, the Greater the Doubt Now

Qingcui was illiterate—a fact known to many. Even if she had picked up this letter, she could not possibly know to whom it was addressed. The debate had lingered until now, with none daring to say publicly for whom the letter was intended, largely because Qin Wanru had deftly steered the conversation elsewhere. Yet at this moment, Qingcui inexplicably knew the answer. There was only one explanation: Qingcui had known all along what the letter contained. But who had told her?

Pale-faced, Qingcui looked at Lady Di in terror, lips trembling, unable to muster an excuse.

“How dare you! How do you know this letter is from the Second Miss to Heir Di? Who told you?” Nanny Zhou suddenly barked, as if she had just realized it herself, though her words were a covert signal.

That single question instantly reminded Qingcui of her cue. Her lips quivered twice, and she was about to run with Nanny Zhou’s line of defense, only to be cut off by Qin Wanru’s cold voice. Qin Wanru's eyes were unfriendly as she looked at Nanny Zhou. “Nanny Zhou, Qingcui is my maid. How is it that you seem to know everything she wants to say? Could it be that you and Qingcui are well acquainted?”

To be so close suggested collusion.

“How can you say that, Wanru? Nanny Zhou is only trying to help you question her!” The words were sharp and left Nanny Zhou momentarily speechless. Lady Di hurriedly coughed and forced a smile in an attempt to smooth things over for Nanny Zhou.

Qin Huaiyong’s brow furrowed so deeply it seemed almost locked in place. As a military man, he was accustomed to directness and decisiveness, and had never paid much attention to the affairs of the inner courtyard. But now, he realized how much he had overlooked—Wanru’s matters, Shui Ruolan’s, and even those of the old matron.

Before him, both Lady Di and Nanny Zhou appeared flustered, their words a patchwork of excuses that failed to cover the truth.

“Wanru, though you’re still young, you’re no longer a child. Don’t be so willful. Qingcui may have erred, but her crime is hardly one deserving of death. To condemn her without discussion is not the act of a merciful mistress,” Lady Di coaxed earnestly.

Her words painted Qin Wanru’s refusal to forgive Qingcui as mere petulance, implying Qin Wanru was capricious—a trait hardly endearing, a subtle trap to sour Qin Huaiyong’s impression. After all, who could like a willful, unmanageable child?

Was Lady Di, having failed once, now sowing discord yet again?

Looking upon Lady Di’s face, Qin Wanru felt a cold sneer in her heart. In her previous life, it was her own naivety that had led her step by step into ruin, ensnared in Lady Di’s schemes. But in this life, she was determined to tread Lady Di beneath her feet.

“When Mother arrived, did she not also condemn me without a word of explanation? Does that mean Mother is not a merciful parent?” Qin Wanru tilted her head slightly, asking with feigned confusion.

She was still young enough that such a gesture seemed natural, reminiscent of a little daughter.

Indeed, she was just a child. Who could expect her to understand all the hidden currents at play? Thus, her words were innocent, while every line from Lady Di and Nanny Zhou dripped with calculated malice.

Seeing her daughter’s innocent, childlike manner, Qin Huaiyong’s heart filled with both guilt and tenderness. He reached out and gently patted Qin Wanru’s hair, his voice soft. “Wanru is a good child. Father will stand up for you.”

In every matter, past and present, Qin Wanru was clearly just an innocent child—a child bullied by her own maid. The thought that, within his own household, Wanru’s lot was worse than a servant’s filled Qin Huaiyong with an inextinguishable anger. “Rest for now. I will discuss with your mother the matter of changing your attendants. Never again will your maids treat you as anything less than their mistress.”

“General…” Lady Di sensed disaster and interjected anxiously.

Qin Huaiyong shot her a fierce glare, silencing her unfinished plea.

“Gather all the servants who were idly watching earlier. None of them shall remain in this courtyard to serve!” Qin Huaiyong bypassed Lady Di and gave his orders directly to his own page.

The page nodded quickly in assent.

Lady Di grew flustered and indignant. Qin Huaiyong had never so blatantly disregarded her authority before. For him to interfere in the affairs of the inner courtyard was tantamount to a public slap in the face.

“You, come with me!” After issuing his orders, Qin Huaiyong addressed Lady Di, not even glancing back as he strode out.

Lady Di looked helplessly at Nanny Zhou, knowing the matter was dire.

Nanny Zhou inclined her head toward Lady Di, signaling her to follow Qin Huaiyong—there was no hiding now. Gritting her teeth, Lady Di could only obey.

At least she still had her backing—the Yongkang Count's Manor in the capital. The general could not truly do anything to her.

Nanny Zhou did not immediately follow. Her eyes, filled with suspicion, fell on Qin Wanru. Lately, the Second Miss seemed almost like a different person. What on earth had changed?

Sensing her gaze, Qin Wanru lifted her head and met Nanny Zhou's eyes—calm, poised, with eyes so clear they seemed to reflect the soul itself. Nanny Zhou grew flustered, hurriedly averted her gaze, bowed in haste, and rushed after Lady Di.

Qin Wanru’s attention lingered on Nanny Zhou's retreating figure. Nanny Zhou was Lady Di's chief confidante, closer to her even than Nanny Fang, and had been sent by Lady Di's own mother, the Dowager of Yongkang Count, to serve as Lady Di's right hand. She was, in truth, the most trusted aide of both Lady Di and Qin Yuru.

Many matters were handled by her behind the scenes. This person could not be left in place! Yet with Nanny Fang only just dealt with, now was not the time for Nanny Zhou’s removal. If she remembered correctly, a better opportunity would present itself later—one that would strike Lady Di even harder...

As she walked ahead, Nanny Zhou suddenly felt a cold chill run down her spine, a sense of foreboding...

Inside Lady Di’s chambers, all the servants had been sent out, even Nanny Zhou was locked outside. The atmosphere within was tense and oppressive. Qin Huaiyong stared coldly at Lady Di, unsettling her to her very core.

Her hand trembled as she picked up the teapot, fawningly poured Qin Huaiyong a cup of tea, but before she could speak, he slammed the letter heavily onto the table, his face dark. “What is this?”

“I… I don’t know,” Lady Di stammered, panic rising. The satisfaction she had felt earlier about this letter was now replaced by dread.

“You don’t know, but the maid does? Do you take me for a fool, Lady Di?” Qin Huaiyong’s voice was low, but so cold it turned Lady Di’s face deathly pale.

“So you claim to treat her as your own daughter, to have raised two daughters yourself—Lady Di, you are truly the picture of maternal kindness!” The fire in Qin Huaiyong’s chest blazed ever hotter; anyone could see his fury.

He had only ever wanted to repay a debt of gratitude, yet he had allowed another’s daughter to fare worse than a servant in his own household, even to be bullied by servants. Not just the head maid, but an entire courtyard of idle, gossiping maids and women—none of them worth keeping. Qin Huaiyong felt that, when he died, he would have no face to meet the departed.

“General, I… I truly tried to treat her as my own, but… she isn’t, after all, and my mother often speaks up for her. ‘A doting mother ruins her child’, they say. I didn’t want to spoil Wanru, so I left her to manage her own courtyard. How could I have known she would make such a mess, unable even to manage a single maid?” Lady Di wept, clutching her handkerchief, her complaint making it seem as if the blame lay with Qin Wanru for being useless.

“You call that helping her?” Qin Huaiyong forced himself to remain calm.

In the past, he had always heeded Lady Di’s words. She was the daughter of the Yongkang Count’s Manor in the capital. In truth, her marriage to him had been beneath her station, only sealed by an old agreement between their families. For that, Qin Huaiyong had always been grateful.

He had never pressured her over her failure to produce a son. Such things were fate—he was content with two daughters, never blaming Lady Di for it. But now, he could not bear her shameless words.

“And what of Yuru? Do you leave her to manage her courtyard as well, or do you find troublesome servants to hinder her?!” Qin Huaiyong’s voice rose, each question sharper than the last. If not for his restraint earlier, he would have lost his temper in Wanru’s courtyard.

The more he recalled, the deeper his doubts grew.

“General, I…” Lady Di cried, desperate to explain.

“Are you going to tell me this letter was written by Wanru? We are in Jiangzhou. To send a letter to the capital would require a trusted courier or a relay station. Wanru is still a child—do you think she could orchestrate such a thing, or write such a letter to be carried all the way to the capital? And how is it that I know nothing of any correspondence between Di Yan and Wanru?”

“Di Yan is your nephew, your chosen son-in-law. In the past, all his letters were for Yuru. Two years ago, when Di Yan visited, Wanru nearly lost her life—nothing good befell her. And what did you tell me then? That he was just a boy who wanted to play with Wanru, and that boys are often careless. Are you now telling me Di Yan had set his sights on Wanru, and that she is so grateful for being spared she has kept up a secret correspondence with him for his mercy?”

Qin Huaiyong’s tone was full of scorn as memories flooded back—memories that now seemed cruelly ironic. How could he have been so blind to Lady Di’s true feelings towards Wanru, so foolish as to leave Wanru in her care?

“You cannot even abide an orphaned child. Do you have any right to call yourself a mother?” Qin Huaiyong’s disappointment was so deep his hands trembled. Regret gnawed at him—his decisions had nearly destroyed the child. Looking at Lady Di, he had made up his mind.

The dilemma that had long troubled him was, in that moment, resolved.

“You will dismiss all the servants who lingered in Wanru’s courtyard, then have the brothel-mistress bring in a new group. Wanru will choose them herself—you need not interfere. My cousin will help her.”

“What does this have to do with your cousin? Isn’t she fond of solitude, always staying in the ancestral hall?” Lady Di’s face changed, sensing danger. It was not Wanru she truly feared, but Shui Ruolan, suddenly mentioned.

Qin Huaiyong’s gaze fell on Lady Di, his authority so overwhelming her eyes darted in panic, her heart pounding, her handkerchief twisting in her grip.

“My cousin will not remain in the ancestral hall forever. Prepare yourself—I intend to marry her.”