Madam Wang was still reeling with shock when she heard Qi Zhen speak again: “Also, that maid Yunque—send her to the northern coal mine.”
In large noble households, punishing a servant usually meant a caning or withholding wages.
A harsher punishment would be being sold off.
But the harshest of all—was being sent to the black coal mines.
A woman, weak and unused to physical labor—what could she do there? The implications were obvious and chilling.
Madam Wang couldn’t hold back any longer. “My lord Marquis, it must have been the servants acting recklessly. It couldn’t have been Jin’er’s idea. Jin’er was raised by me—I trust her.”
Whether or not she could be trusted, Qi Zhen didn’t particularly care. He replied coldly, “I only care about the outcome. If something like this happens again, and the master can’t manage her servants—then that’s incompetence.”
Madam Wang bit her lip, a jolt of alarm shooting through her.
On the other side, Qi Yunting stormed back to his room in a rage and began swearing.
He cursed Qi Yuan the most.
He’d never wanted that useless thing back in the first place—who knew that now she was even more unbearable!
Who did she think she was?
Going on and on about rules and manners!
Back when he was studying propriety and etiquette, that useless thing was probably still feeding pigs in the countryside!
He was so angry he couldn’t even eat. Even when Yunyan, the most favored maid by Qi Jin’s side, came to see him, she was turned away without a glance.
When Yunyan returned to the courtyard, Qi Jin was choosing fabric for new clothes. Madam Wang doted on this daughter, letting her pick out new materials to her heart’s content every season.
Even after the truth came out, Madam Wang’s affection for her didn’t waver in the slightest.
At the moment, several servants were holding bolts of cloth and explaining them to Qi Jin— Shu brocade, embroidered gauze, silk satin—each one dazzling to the eyes.
But Qi Jin’s thoughts were clearly elsewhere. After half-heartedly picking through a few, she suddenly noticed Yunyan returning and immediately had everyone else dismissed.
Yunyan didn’t wait for her to ask. She stepped forward quickly and lowered her voice: “Miss, something’s happened.”
Qi Jin had been the noble daughter of the marquis’ household for years. All her servants had been handpicked by Madam Wang. She was deeply connected to those in her mother’s courtyard.
So it didn’t take long for her to figure out what had happened.
Her face darkened more and more as she listened. When she heard that Qi Yunting had been slapped, that Qi Zhen planned to invite relatives to the ancestral hall and officially change Xu Yinyin’s name to Qi Yuan, a storm was already gathering on her face.
Yunyan’s voice grew quieter and quieter. Seeing the dark clouds settle over Qi Jin’s expression, she hastily whispered, “Miss, you don’t need to lower yourself to her level! How could she compare to you?”
Qi Jin’s voice was both bitter and mocking: “She’s the real daughter. Blood will always be blood. And me? I’m just the daughter of a butcher.”
At this moment, she hated Qi Zhen to the core.
He talked a good game—saying she would always be his daughter, always the noble young lady of the house.
But then he turned around and raised Qi Yuan up like that!
If he truly cared for her, he could’ve had Qi Yuan return quietly and live in obscurity.
But now?
He wanted to summon the ancestors, invite the family and friends, and formally acknowledge her!
Where did that leave her face? He was publicly slapping her in the face!
Yunyan was left speechless, frightened out of her wits. And just then, the curtain was lifted—
Qi Yunting entered, still wearing the red imprint of a slap. When he saw Qi Jin’s tear-stained face, his heart ached terribly. He strode over and sat in front of her. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying like this all of a sudden?”
The two of them had grown up eating and playing together, far closer than other siblings.
Seeing him, Qi Jin’s tears fell even harder. Yet she still said, “You’re mistaken, big brother. I’m not crying.”
“You’re not crying?!” Qi Yunting was frantic. “Look at your swollen eyes! What happened? Tell me honestly!”
Qi Jin forced a smile. “Really, it’s nothing.”
Yunyan snorted, “Isn’t it all because of that newly-returned young miss…”
Qi Yunting’s expression immediately darkened with anger.
Qi Jin quickly scolded her, “What nonsense are you spouting? Since when do servants get to interrupt when masters speak?”
Qi Yunting couldn’t bear to see his sister suffer. Without asking for details, he shot to his feet. “I’ll go confront her!”
Qi Jin hurriedly grabbed his arm, her tears falling like rain.
“Big brother! Saying that only makes me feel even more ashamed! She’s the true daughter of the marquis household—your full-blooded sister! What am I? Just a cuckoo in another bird’s nest…”
At those words—cuckoo in another bird’s nest—Qi Yunting nearly exploded.
“Who said that?! Tell me—I’ll kill them!”
Qi Jin said nothing. She lay on the table, her shoulders trembling with sobs.
Even Yunyan couldn’t help but cry. “Young Master, please don’t press her anymore! Everyone knows—since the true young lady came back, she had Yunque driven out of the household! Our miss is already in a difficult position. If she offends that young lady again, how will she survive in the future…”
Qi Yunting was burning with fury. “What a joke! Our marquis household’s noble young lady, raised for so many years, and she’s still not as good as a peasant girl?! I don’t care about blood or not. To me, Qi Jin is my only sister! Whoever dares wrong her—I’ll kill them!”
As he spoke, he flung aside the curtain and stormed out. Standing in the corridor, he coldly addressed the servants: “Open your eyes! If any of you dare offend Second Miss—I’ll take your worthless lives!”
Qi Yunting was the household’s eldest young master, the legitimate firstborn son, and undisputed heir of the marquis estate.
His authority in the household was unquestionable. With him speaking out in defense, it wasn’t long before the entire estate knew—
The young master had no regard for his “real” sister. His heart still lay with the second miss he’d grown up with.
Qi Jin had achieved her goal. Behind the window, she watched the kneeling servants outside and curled her lips coldly.
So what if she came back successfully from the countryside?
Qi Zhen wasn’t the only power in this marquis household.
Surviving in the inner court was no simple matter.
She had Qi Yunting and Madam Wang backing her, not to mention the web of connections she’d built over more than a decade.
If she wanted to—she had countless ways to make Qi Yuan unable to gain a foothold here.
The ancestral hall? Recognizing ancestors and returning to the family?
We’ll see about that. Let’s see whether Qi Yuan has the fortune to even make it that far.
After his warning, Qi Yunting didn’t forget to reassure Qi Jin: “Ah Jin, don’t worry. As long as I’m here—no one in this estate will dare step on you.”
When Zhang Mama heard the news, she was helping Qi Yuan arrange her room.
Thankfully, the Mingyue Pavilion was fully equipped. She had just been about to relax—
But after hearing a few words from her daughter, her vision went black.
