Seeing that the schemes of those two cunning and ruthless women were about to succeed, Qiu Liuyue could no longer hold back and hurriedly defended herself: “No! That’s not what happened! I didn’t push her—she fell on her own!”
However, the Duchess of the State would not give her a chance to explain or argue: “Enough! If you didn’t push her, are you suggesting that Xia (the maidservant who fell) deliberately threw herself in to frame you? In this weather, dressed so lightly, falling into the water without timely rescue could easily be fatal. Are you saying Xia had such a deep grudge against you that she’d risk her life to frame you?”
“It really was—” Qiu Liuyue had barely started when Qiu Muxue cut her off.
A beauty shedding tears, like a rain-drenched pear blossom, always carries a unique charm. Qiu Muxue wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said, “Mother, Xia is my personal maidservant. How could she possibly have any deep grudge against my sister? Liuyue, if you have any grievances against me, you could have just come to me directly. Why… why resort to such a cruel act? What if… that was an innocent life.” As she spoke, her tears began to flow even more freely.
Qiu Muxue and the Duchess took turns speaking, and just as the heavy accusation was about to be irrevocably pinned on Qiu Liuyue, the situation took an unexpected turn.
Chi Huai, watching the farce from a corner, shook his head. “Qiu Muxue and that Duchess are truly vicious. With this accusation, whether Qiu Liuyue can ever marry—let alone marry well—is now uncertain. Meanwhile, Qiu Muxue stands to gain immensely from this.”
After all, if this incident were confirmed, Qiu Liuyue would forever be branded as “jealous,” “ruthless,” “scheming,” and “disregarding human life.” What respectable family would want such a daughter?
In contrast, Qiu Muxue would effortlessly cultivate an image of being “gentle,” “virtuous,” “cultured,” and “tolerant toward her half-sister.” Such qualities were highly valued by noble families—not only would she make a dignified wife, but she would also manage the household impeccably and maintain harmony among concubines, ensuring peace in the inner quarters.
Naturally, this was nothing but advantageous for her.
If Qiu Liuyue couldn’t find a way to turn the tables, her future would undoubtedly be bleak.
Chi Huai had some understanding of the Duke of the State. In his eyes, legitimate daughters and illegitimate daughters were not the same. Legitimate daughters could be doted on as treasures, while the only value of illegitimate daughters lay in political marriages or being gifted to loyal subordinates to secure their allegiance.
The Duke paid little attention to such trivial “domestic matters,” leaving the household affairs entirely in the hands of the Duchess. If an illegitimate daughter held value, he might show some concern, and the Duchess wouldn’t dare to mistreat her too openly. But if she had no value, the Duke wouldn’t care, leaving her entirely at the Duchess’s mercy.
Now, if Qiu Liuyue lost her value as a marriage pawn, the Duke would naturally withdraw his attention from her. Whether she lived or died would then depend solely on the Duchess’s whims.
Glancing at the surrounding guests and then at the marriageable Qiu Muxue, Chi Huai shook his head and took a bite of pastry. As he did, he suddenly felt an odd gaze upon him. But when he looked around, everyone’s attention was fixed on the unfolding drama—no one seemed to be watching him. Dismissing it as his imagination, he continued eating and observing the spectacle.
Thus, Chi Huai remained unaware that when he bit into the pastry, revealing his white teeth and pink tongue, with crumbs clinging to the corners of his lips, a certain woman—also quietly observing from the shadows—had her eyes darken with an unsettling glint. Her tongue flicked lightly across her own lips in a disturbingly predatory manner.
The woman [whistled inwardly]: What an adorable little cutie! That sweet look of his makes me want to—[censored]—tease him mercilessly!
Unaware of this, Chi Huai suddenly shivered and scratched his head. Why did he suddenly feel like he was being targeted by something dangerous? Hmm… must be his imagination.
Meanwhile, in the center of the commotion, Qiu Liuyue’s fists clenched tighter and tighter, her neatly trimmed nails leaving marks on her fair palms as resentment burned within her.
The Duchess had an overwhelming desire for control over the Duke’s household. In the past, Qiu Liuyue—having lost her mother early, lacking any backing, and possessing only average looks compared to the other beauties—had been dull and unremarkable, ignored and bullied in the inner quarters.
But over time, Qiu Liuyue had grown more vivacious and skilled at grooming herself, her beauty steadily blossoming. At the recent New Year’s banquet, she had shone brilliantly with her literary talent and clever riddles (Qiu Liuyue called them “brain teasers”), even catching the attention of the Minister of Revenue’s son. The two had grown close.
This sudden rise had drawn the Duke’s notice to his previously overlooked illegitimate daughter. He began to pay attention to her, nurture her, and allocate more resources to her.
After all, if an illegitimate daughter could help forge ties with the Minister of Revenue, the Duke saw it as an excellent bargain.
But while the Duke was pleased, the Duchess was not. A pawn she had once controlled with ease had suddenly slipped from her grasp—an unforgivable offense to a woman with such an iron grip on her domain (the Duke’s inner household).
Moreover, the “cake” of benefits was finite. The more people who shared it, the less there was to go around. If Qiu Liuyue gained more, the Duchess and her beloved second daughter would inevitably receive less.
Some people grew greedier the more they had, always craving more—and the Duchess was one of them. Her eldest daughter had married into the imperial palace and now held the rank of Consort. With the emperor’s harem sparse and high-ranking consorts few, she wielded considerable influence.
Naturally, the Duchess wished for her younger daughter to follow the same path. But the more one desired, the more one had to sacrifice. Now that Qiu Liuyue was competing for resources, wasn’t she obstructing her daughter’s path? How could the Duchess possibly view her favorably?
Hence, this carefully orchestrated drama—not only crushing Qiu Liuyue but also elevating Qiu Muxue—was a perfect, multi-beneficial scheme.
Just as the Duchess and Qiu Muxue were reveling in their imminent victory, the situation shifted again.
Later, the maidservant—who had either “accidentally fallen,” been “pushed by Qiu Liuyue in a jealous quarrel,” or “jumped in to frame Qiu Liuyue”—was brought out. Sobbing, she knelt and clung to Qiu Liuyue’s legs, repeatedly blaming herself.
Though her words seemed like self-reproach, they effectively hammered the accusation of “Qiu Liuyue pushed her into the water” even deeper, leaving Qiu Liuyue with no way to refute it.
Just as the farce seemed about to conclude with Qiu Liuyue’s utter defeat, another twist occurred. Chi Huai’s beloved (the woman he had mutual feelings for) casually glanced in a certain direction, a thoughtful look crossing her face: “This Qiu Liuyue’s luck… is truly remarkable.”
A faint glint of reflected metal flashed, and a small sachet from the weeping maidservant’s person fell to the ground, rolling to the feet of several young noblemen.
Though she was just a maidservant, she was still a woman—one who had just narrowly escaped death. Moreover, this was the Duchess’s banquet, attended by many influential figures. To maintain their gentlemanly demeanor, they decided to retrieve the item for her.
Thus, when the loosely tied sachet was picked up, its contents spilled out.
What fell wasn’t particularly valuable—just a piece of paper. Though the paper itself seemed high-quality, it was insignificant to the noble guests. The critical detail was what was written on it.
The note explicitly outlined a plan: the maidservant was to “accidentally” fall into the pond while delivering something to Qiu Liuyue, even at the cost of her life, to ensure the accusation of “jealousy-driven murder” was irrevocably pinned on her.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Those from noble families were quick-witted and soon identified the most likely culprit—Qiu Muxue. But this was the Duke’s territory, and openly discussing his legitimate daughter’s misdeeds was unwise. Exchanging meaningful glances, they lowered their heads and remained silent.
Even Chi Huai quietly bowed his head, resuming his role as an inconspicuous spectator.
Qiu Muxue was no illegitimate daughter like Qiu Liuyue, who lacked backing. Mocking Qiu Liuyue was one thing, but mocking Qiu Muxue in front of the Duchess? That would invite trouble.
If they laughed at Qiu Muxue now, it wouldn’t be long before she laughed at them.
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