Chapter 8: Tie these two maids up and beat them to death!

Nanny Qin had been by the original owner’s side for many years; she knew her temperament, her style of conduct, and even her slightest habits by heart. Yet, the Shi Qingqian before her not only possessed martial arts skills but was also fundamentally different from the young mistress she once knew. Today’s series of swift and decisive actions only served to confirm the suspicions growing in her heart.

The person before her was not the young mistress she had raised!

Hongzhu, standing to the side, also frowned slightly, her gaze filled with scrutiny. Though she lacked Nanny Qin’s seniority, she too had sensed that something was amiss, yet she had never dared to voice her doubts.

"I am not," Shi Qingqian admitted frankly.

Upon hearing this, tears immediately welled up in Hongzhu’s eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She was certain the body before her belonged to her mistress, as she had seen the birthmark on her back while bathing her. If this was not her mistress, there was only one possibility: the soul within had been replaced.

Their mistress was dead!

Nanny Zhao’s eyes also turned red. She continued to press, "Are you some spirit or demon that has stolen her soul?"

Nanny Zhao’s voice grew cold and sharp. She picked up a pair of scissors nearby; if the person before her replied with a "yes," she would charge forward instantly, even if it meant sacrificing her own life to avenge her mistress. Hongzhu also gripped a short blade, her eyes bloodshot as she stared at Shi Qingqian, awaiting her answer.

Observing their demeanor, Shi Qingqian felt a sense of helplessness and shook her head.

"I am not. Your mistress died the night she was poisoned with the love-toxin. I never intended to come here, nor do I understand how it happened, but I was pulled into this body."

"If you trust me, you may stay in the Marquis's estate and wait for an opportunity to avenge your mistress. If you do not trust me, or if you believe I am the murderer responsible for her death, you are free to leave, or you may try to kill me."

"However, I offer a friendly piece of advice: even if the two of you attack together, you are no match for me."

After speaking, Shi Qingqian watched Nanny Zhao and Hongzhu intently, waiting for their decision.

Nanny Zhao and Hongzhu exchanged a glance, then both lowered their weapons and knelt on the ground.

"We beg you to help us avenge our mistress!"

"You trust me?" Shi Qingqian asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We do! If you were a soul-stealing demon, we would have died the moment we confronted you! Therefore, we believe you." Traces of tears still lingered in Nanny Zhao’s eyes, yet her expression was resolute.

Hongzhu nodded vigorously from the side, echoing, "Our mistress died in a state of injustice. We want to avenge her, but with our own strength, we are powerless."

"You have such capabilities; would you be willing to help us avenge our mistress? If you can, we two will serve you with our lives!"

"Rise, both of you. If I am to live well in this world, those two cannot be allowed to thrive. I promise you, when the opportunity arises, I will let you exact your own revenge," Shi Qingqian said solemnly.

"Thank you, Mistress!" Nanny Zhao and Hongzhu kowtowed once more before standing up.

"Mistress, regarding what happened yesterday, must we take some remedial action? In case..." Nanny Zhao said, looking slightly worried.

"I will write a prescription for you; just fetch the medicine and I will take it. Remember, do not let anyone else see the prescription."

After saying this, Shi Qingqian walked to the desk, picked up a brush, and dashed off a prescription with fluid strokes before handing it to Nanny Zhao. Nanny Zhao took it with great care and turned to leave the room.

"Hongzhu, help me pack my medical kit. You are coming with me to the Prince of Zhenbei’s mansion!"

***

Elsewhere, Lu Hongzhao was being half-carried and half-dragged by Zizhu and Lanzhu into the Red Plum Pavilion.

The Red Plum Pavilion was the former residence of the Marchioness. Because the Marchioness had loved plum blossoms in her youth, Marquis Qin, hoping to please her, had planted many red plum trees in her garden. Later, as the Marquis continued to bring concubines into the estate, the Marchioness no longer wished to live in the Red Plum Pavilion and moved to the more secluded Bamboo Rhyme Pavilion. Since then, the Red Plum Pavilion had remained vacant, with only occasional servants arriving to clean it.

That Lu Hongzhao was arranged to stay in the Red Plum Pavilion—symbolizing the status of the lady of the house—was enough to reveal the true intentions of Qin Lang.

As soon as Lu Hongzhao entered the pavilion, an old nanny and three senior maids emerged. When they saw Lu Hongzhao’s swollen face, they were stunned.

Their mistress had gone to catch an adulterer; how had she ended up in such a state?

"Concubine? What happened to your face? Who was so bold as to strike you!"

Nanny Feng was a nanny assigned to Lu Hongzhao by the Emperor, carrying with her the sharp, formidable aura of the imperial palace. Though her voice was not loud, it carried an undeniable tone of interrogation. Every word seemed squeezed out from between her teeth, exuding a cold chill, as if anyone in the Marquis’s estate who dared to lay a hand on Lu Hongzhao had committed a grave sin. She was determined to ferret them out and punish them severely to demonstrate the nobility and inviolability of the person she served.

Seeing Nanny Feng, the fragile facade Lu Hongzhao had just put on vanished. She glared viciously at the two maids who were supporting her and snapped, "Nanny Feng, it was that slut Shi Qingqian who ordered people to beat me! Among those who struck me were these two. I want Shi Qingqian and all her maids dead!"

Nanny Feng’s eyes turned cold. She looked at Zizhu and Lanzhu as if they were already dead. "What are you standing there for? Tie these two maids up and beat them to death!"

As she finished, the maids in the Red Plum Pavilion rushed forward in a flurry, scrambling to seize Zizhu and Lanzhu.

"Audacious!" Zizhu shouted sternly. "The injuries on Concubine Lu were inflicted by the Young Mistress’s orders! Do you dare to question her?"

"My Young Mistress is the one currently in charge of this estate. You have been busy cleaning the courtyard, so perhaps you are unaware? The Young Mistress even beat the Heir today; he is still lying in bed unconscious!"

Lanzhu had been somewhat afraid, but remembering how formidable her Young Mistress had become—daring even to strike the Heir—she regained her courage. She feigned calmness to intimidate them.

Indeed, upon hearing Lanzhu’s words, the maids stopped their movements and looked at one another in dismay.

What? The usually gentle and virtuous Young Mistress was capable of violence? Not only did she strike Concubine Lu, but she also beat the Heir?

The maids did not believe it, but a maid who had accompanied them to the Listening Wind Pavilion confirmed the matter, and the maids of the Red Plum Pavilion retreated one by one...

They were merely menial servants; how could they dare to easily involve themselves in the power struggles of the masters? On one side was the favored Concubine Lu, and on the other was the legitimate Lady of the House—neither was someone they could afford to offend.

Only the three senior maids who emerged from the room attacked Zizhu and Lanzhu. Like Cui’er, these maids had been sent from the palace to serve Lu Hongzhao, and seeing her so severely injured, they feared being punished themselves.

Thus, their blows were heavy and ruthless, truly intending to beat Zizhu and Lanzhu to death. With two hands unable to fight four, Zizhu and Lanzhu were soon bruised and bleeding.