Volume 1, Chapter 44: The Apricot Blossoms Lean Over the Garden Wall

She had never seen this box before; it was impossible that it belonged in her room.

Could it be that Qi Haosong had left it behind just now?

She clenched her fists tightly as Nanny Zhong approached step by step, casting a glance at Xie Wanqing.

"Marquess's Lady, there is a set of hair ornaments here that appears rather unusual."

Upon hearing the words "hair ornaments," Lady Jin's eyelids twitched heavily, and her gaze burned as if she wished to pierce right through the box and immediately see the contents inside.

"Mother, this is not..."

Panic surged uncontrollably within Xie Wanqing's heart. The moment she opened her mouth, Madam Luo directly lifted the lid of the box.

Inside lay a set of filigree hair ornaments with intertwined vine patterns, topped with a stunning Kingfisher diadem inlaid with a turquoise stone the size of a pigeon egg.

Lady Jin instantly gasped for breath, nearly fainting on the spot.

"What is the matter with the Second Sister-in-law? If you are feeling unwell, sit down and rest a while."

Seeing the exquisite hair ornaments, Madam Luo initially assumed them to be of extraordinary luxury and thought Nanny Zhong was implying that Xie Wanqing was being overly extravagant. Just as she was about to set the box aside, she suddenly noticed a piece of paper pressed against the underside of the lid.

She picked up the lightly scented piece of stationery and took a look.

Written upon it were four lines of delicate verse—a poem expressing a maiden's romantic longing.

The handwriting was naturally not that of Qi Xiuyu.

While the servants were illiterate, the few masters and mistresses present all saw their expressions shift dramatically.

Xie Wanqing immediately dropped to her knees. "Mother, please discern the truth! This box... was picked up outside by a servant in my courtyard. As for what is inside, I know nothing of it."

Madam Luo's complexion was flushed with a blazing fury, taking on an eerie, unnatural hue.

Xie Mingyue took a step back and said calmly, "Such precious hair ornaments must cost at least two thousand taels. To think they were simply picked up outside by your servant?"

Xie Wanqing felt a lump catch in her throat. She abruptly raised her head and glared at her. "It was you, Xie Mingyue! You are the one trying to frame me, aren't you?"

Before Xie Mingyue could respond, Madam Luo raised her hand and struck her across the face with a resounding slap.

"Shut your mouth, you shameless harlot!"

Though Madam Luo made no other grand movements, her chest heaving violently, Xie Mingyue stepped forward and gently stroked her back to soothe her.

"Mother, do not give in to anger. If you were to collapse, there would be no one left to manage today's major affairs."

Her mind buzzing, Madam Luo was reined back to her senses by those words.

Covering her face, Xie Wanqing knelt on the ground, daring only to weep silently.

"Mother, Mother, I truly do not know where these things came from! If I were having an illicit affair with someone, I would certainly hide such love letters securely. How could I possibly leave them out in the open for everyone to see?"

Madam Luo leaned on Xie Mingyue for support, refusing even to spare her a glance. "Go on, search the place thoroughly."

Standing nearby, Lady Jin stared at Xie Wanqing with venomous hatred.

To think that the woman truly dared to seduce Qi Haosong—he was her husband's younger brother, after all!

At the mere thought of how savagely Qi Yongxiang had beaten Qi Haosong that day, yet how Qi Haosong had stubbornly refused to relent for the sake of this woman, Lady Jin's hatred for Xie Wanqing burned to the bone.

A vixen, a vile creature!

It would be best to use this opportunity to drown this unchaste wretch in a pig cage and banish all future troubles forever!

The matrons did not dare slacken. They searched Xie Wanqing's courtyard meticulously, eventually unearthing another box containing cinnabar, along with several scraps of fabric and sewing needles.

The sight of these items drained the remaining color from Xie Wanqing's face, turning her ashen.

Earlier, she had indeed contemplated using sorcery to curse Xie Mingyue to death. However, feeling that such dark arts carried too much negative karma, and thinking of Qi Ruofeng, she had ultimately dismissed the idea.

Never did she expect these materials to be dug up now.

The sight of the cinnabar box made Madam Luo's blood boil with rage. "Go and invite the Marquess here!"

She knew full well that this matter could not be resolved lightly; Xie Wanqing could no longer be kept alive.

Murder, arson, adultery, sorcery...

Each crime was more vicious and destructive than the last.

"How did our Marquess's household ever end up with such a poisonous vixen like you!"

Before the words fully faded, Qi Xiuyu suddenly rushed into the courtyard.

Thanks to Xie Wanqing's medicinal ointment, his bloodied and battered legs had healed at a much faster rate, allowing him to walk unaided once more.

"Mother, Wanqing is still carrying a child in her womb! What are you doing!"

Unaware of what had transpired, he had only learned that Madam Luo was leading a large contingent through the inner quarters to conduct a raid.

Upon seeing him, the corners of Madam Luo's mouth twitched fiercely as she hurled the letter directly at his chest.

"You still defend this harlot! Look at what she did while you were away from home—she secretly took herself another man!"

Qi Xiuyu picked up the letter and read it, his blood instantly running backward in his veins.

Kneeling and crawling forward, Xie Wanqing clutched at his legs and wept, "Husband, Husband, I did nothing of the sort! You know my heart belongs to you. Someone is framing me, I truly am innocent!"

Qi Xiuyu looked down at her in silence, recalling how, upon returning home these past few days, Xie Wanqing had spared no effort to cling to him.

Even after he was injured, she had gone out of her way to seduce him.

Could a woman with such insatiable desires truly remain virtuous and well-behaved while he was away from home for so long?

Staring fixedly at Xie Wanqing, he demanded in a harsh, forbidding tone, "Who is it!"

The world went dark before Xie Wanqing's eyes, and her hands and feet instantly turned ice-cold.

He didn't believe her—he actually didn't believe her!

How could this be? Clearly, they had been the ones plotting together to drive a wedge between Qi Jinshan and Xie Mingyue. Why was she now the one trapped by her brother-in-law, falsely accused and condemned?

"Vile creature!" Qi Xiuyu aimed a fierce kick at Xie Wanqing's head and face, tearing the embroidered sachet she had sewn for him from his waist and smashing it into her. "How have I ever wronged you! How are you leaving Ruofeng to face the world!"

Trembling like a leaf in the wind, Xie Wanqing sobbed, "Husband, I truly didn't... This is... this is..."

Gasping for breath and knowing full well that she could never utter Qi Haosong's name, she clutched desperately at the hem of Qi Xiuyu's robe as if on the verge of fainting, crying out in sheer desperation, "I was framed by someone else!"

Her mind in utter chaos, frantically sifting through her memories like a drowning person clutching at a straw, she pointed a trembling finger at Qinghua and shrieked, "It was her! She was sent to my courtyard by Xie Mingyue not long ago! She accepted silver from Wutong to come here and frame me!"

Qinghua's eyes widened in shock. "Second Mistress, this servant has always kept herself blameless and has never betrayed her master!"

Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that Xie Wanqing, despite her fragile and gentle appearance, would viciously turn around and dump the blame entirely on her.

Qi Xiuyu's gaze shifted to Xie Mingyue, struck dumb by the tranquil, deep-pool-like composure in her eyes.

At that moment, Nanny Zhong emerged from the room once again. "Marquess's Lady, behind the window hooks in the Second Mistress's chamber, we found a piece of men's fabric."

The sight of the cyan fabric bearing ingot patterns in Nanny Zhong's hand caused Lady Jin to stagger backward in shock.

Recognizing the high quality of the fabric and realizing the man's status was by no means low, Qi Xiuyu grew even more furious. "Who on earth is it? Are you going to speak or not!"

Enveloped by overwhelming terror, Xie Wanqing's lips quivered, unable to utter a single syllable.

How could she possibly speak the truth? Qi Haosong was a male member of the Marquess's clan; no one would ever believe her...

They would only assume that she had seduced him.

With resentment burning in her eyes, Qinghua stared at Xie Wanqing and suddenly blurted out, "Second Master, Marquess's Lady, this servant saw it!"

Xie Wanqing snapped her head up sharply.

With an expression that looked ready to commit murder, Madam Luo snapped, "Speak!"

Qinghua pressed her lips together and declared, "It is the Th..."

"It was Qi Haosong!" Xie Wanqing cried out, cutting her off first. "It was the Third Young Master! Hearing that I was pregnant, he came specially to offer his congratulations. As for this love letter... the Third Young Master told me before that he has someone he holds dear in his heart. I fear the Third Young Master must have been muddle-headed and left the wrong letter here by mistake!"