With Multiple Babies, Who Still Wants to Be the Marquess’s Wife? - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Lan Qingxi’s Revenge

When Nanny Zhang saw the uneasy look on her mistress’s face, she asked, “Madam, is something wrong?”

Madam Zheng replied, “That wretched Qin woman going to find Lan Qingxi at this time—this doesn’t feel right.”

Nanny Zhang had a terrible headache and wasn’t thinking as clearly as usual. For a moment, she couldn’t figure out what exactly was off.

Madam Zheng said coldly, “Yesterday I sowed discord between Lan Qingxi and that Qin slut. Lan Qingxi might have her suspicions, but with her temperament, she wouldn’t fall out with Qin so quickly.”

“For them to break off like this, chances are they’re just putting on a show for me.”

After saying that, she cursed again, “Lan Qingxi is such a brainless fool, helping an outsider against her own!”

“She’s the wife of the heir. How could she go and help that Qin slut?”

“Doesn’t she realize that woman came back with her son to fight the heir for the family inheritance?”

She loathed Concubine Qin, always referring to her as “that slut.”

Though she didn’t like Lan Qingxi much either, in her view, everything Lan Qingxi had belonged to her and could not be allowed to be taken in by Qin’s lies.

Not to mention, Lan Qingxi had no shortage of silver. If she got conned by Qin and handed over money, it would be her own loss.

The more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t sit still. She told Nanny Zhang, “Go and get Lan Qingxi here!”

Nanny Zhang felt that Madam Zheng might be overthinking it a bit, but when she thought about it more deeply, she also felt Madam Zheng’s suspicion made some sense.

So she had the young maid at the door go summon Lan Qingxi.

A quarter of an hour later, Lan Qingxi arrived. Madam Zheng greeted her with a gentle smile and asked, “How is Li Qiu doing?”

“I have some tonic here. Take it with you later to help her recover.”

Lan Qingxi lowered her head and said, “The physician said her injuries are very severe. She may not survive this time.”

Her voice choked up as she spoke, as if she was about to cry.

Madam Zheng was secretly delighted when she heard this—she wished Li Qiu would die already so she could plant her own people in Lan Qingxi’s quarters.

But on the surface, she appeared solemn and concerned. “Is it that bad? Should we find another physician for a second opinion?”

Lan Qingxi dabbed at the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief and said softly, “The physician I hired is the most skilled in treating external injuries in the capital. If even he can’t help, I’m afraid…”

She sniffled lightly and looked up at Madam Zheng. “Mother, Concubine Qin came to see me today. She denied having set me up.”

“She said it was all part of a trap you laid, that you were the one trying to seize my dowry.”

Madam Zheng’s brow twitched when she heard that and asked, “And you believed her?”

Lan Qingxi’s eyes were red. “Li Qiu is lying there, her fate still uncertain. My mind is a mess.”

“I know that Concubine Qin wouldn’t help me for no reason. She wouldn’t come to me without a purpose.”

“She said something today that really shook me. Though I did chase her out, the more I thought about it after, the more her words seemed to make sense.”

Madam Zheng asked, “What did she say to you?”

Lan Qingxi replied, “She said that when Li Qiu had her accident, she saw Xiulan from my courtyard go into Li Qiu’s room.”

“Later, she saw Xiuyu heading your way. Not long after, Nanny Zhang said your Ruyi Jade was missing and brought people to search Li Qiu’s room.”

“I’ve been thinking—if Concubine Qin really set this up, then how did your Ruyi Jade end up in Li Qiu’s room?”

“She said either this was done on your orders, or there’s a traitor in your house.”

Both Xiulan and Xiuyu were maids assigned by Madam Zheng to Lan Qingxi’s quarters.

Madam Zheng had orchestrated the scheme hastily yesterday, and there were holes in the plan everywhere. There were so many inconsistencies that she couldn’t even explain them herself.

Madam Zheng said coldly, “So you believe her and not me?”

Lan Qingxi shook her head. “I don’t know. My mind is in complete chaos.”

“I don’t trust her either, but there were details in what she said… they sounded too real to be lies.”

She looked at Madam Zheng and asked, “Mother, Li Qiu could not possibly have stolen your Ruyi Jade. Who really took it?”

Madam Zheng looked toward Nanny Zhang, who was startled and quickly said, “Madam, this old servant discovered the Ruyi Jade was missing during a routine check of the storeroom. That’s why I went looking for it.”

“As for who took it, I truly don’t know.”

Madam Zheng knew that if she didn’t give Lan Qingxi an explanation for this matter, Lan Qingxi would definitely become estranged from her.

Yu Junshu had said that Lan Qingxi was already displeased because of Song Linyuan. If she were to distance herself from her now, it would not be good for them.

She asked, “Who manages the storeroom?”

Nanny Zhang replied, “It’s Xiaoying.”

Madam Zheng then said, “Bring Xiaoying here.”

The moment Nanny Zhang heard this, she knew that the blame was going to be pushed onto Xiaoying.

Before she brought Xiaoying over, she whispered a few words to her. When Xiaoying arrived, she immediately fell to her knees and said, “Madam, this servant was wrong! I won’t dare to do it again!”

With that, she effectively admitted to stealing Madam Zheng’s Ruyi Jade.

Nanny Zhang raised her hand and slapped her hard, scolding, “How dare you! Speak! What exactly happened?”

Xiaoying trembled as she explained, “This servant saw that Madam never used the Ruyi Jade. My mother is sick and needs silver for treatment, so I thought I’d sell the jade.”

“But just as I was planning that, Nanny Zhang came to inspect the inventory and discovered it was missing. I panicked and went to Xiaoying, asking her to help me hide it.”

“I thought hiding it in the young madam’s courtyard would be safest, but I didn’t expect Nanny Zhang to search the whole residence and actually find it in Li Qiu’s room.”

Though her explanation didn’t hold up to much scrutiny, it provided a motive and outlined the entire course of events.

Madam Zheng said coldly, “How dare you!”

Xiaoying begged, “Please spare me, Madam! I’ll never do it again!”

Madam Zheng turned to Lan Qingxi and asked, “How do you think this should be handled?”

Lan Qingxi replied, “Stealing from the household one is assigned to guard is a grave crime—unforgivable. A servant like this, in the Lan family, would surely be sold off.”

She paused for a moment, then continued, “But this is the Marquis’ household, and the rules here are strict.”

“Yesterday, when Li Qiu was mistakenly believed to have stolen the jade, Mother, you gave the order to beat her to death. Yet theft by a person entrusted with storage is far more serious than simple stealing.”

“This time, only the Ruyi Jade was found missing. Who knows what might have gone missing before?”

Xiaoying cried, “This is the first time! I swear, I haven’t done this before!”

Lan Qingxi looked at Madam Zheng and said, “Mother, you manage the household. I’m sure you’re experienced in handling such matters. I won’t make suggestions for you.”

Madam Zheng had originally just wanted a scapegoat so she could sell Xiaoying off and be done with it.

But with Lan Qingxi saying this, she could no longer deal with it lightly.

Because if she did, it would surely cause resentment in Lan Qingxi’s heart—and everything she had schemed so far would be in vain.

She said, “Xiaoying stole the property. According to the family rules, she will be beaten with 30 sticks and then sold.”

“Xiulan and Xiuyu are accomplices. They will be beaten with 20 sticks and then sold.”