Chapter 431

**Chapter 438: Turmoil (Part 2)**

Did Eldest Miss cause Aunt Tong to miscarry?

Eleventh Miss was stunned.

Back when she was in the small courtyard, she had noticed that Lord Xu and Eldest Miss were at each other’s throats—like fire and water, completely incompatible.

When a marriage reaches such a state, it is never the fault of just one person.

At that time, Lord Xu had already achieved fame and success, holding a high position of power. The former would make him highly confident in his actions—precisely because they were the reason for his success. How could a man like that ever admit flaws in his character or methods? And the latter ensured he was surrounded by flatterers and sycophants, most of whom deferred to his preferences, allowing him to act as he pleased without needing to consider others. Over time, how could he possibly learn to yield, compromise, or humble himself?

She had married into this household with no expectations.

In a society where the husband ruled supreme, the only way to survive such a marriage was to adapt to him—he would never adapt to her.

But things took an unexpected turn later.

Lord Xu was not a petty man. Though he spoke little, if your reasoning was sound, he would listen.

She had always wondered—how had his marriage with Eldest Miss come to such a state? What irreconcilable conflicts had arisen between Lord Xu and Eldest Miss?

Could Aunt Tong’s death—while pregnant—have been the root cause?

The thought struck her, and she instantly spotted a gaping hole in Yi Yiniang’s tale.

Putting aside Yi Yiniang’s current position, back then, Lord Xu was still in his hometown, his future uncertain. Eldest Miss had no children of her own. By all logic, pregnant concubines should have been the most safeguarded in the household—because bearing a child not only ensured the continuation of the Xu family line but also provided Eldest Miss with support should anything happen to Lord Xu during the three-year mourning period. Why would she strike at such a precarious moment?

Besides, there were also Lady Wen and Qin Yiniang back then. Though Lady Wen’s background was humble too, it was still better than Aunt Tong and Qin Yiniang’s—both former maids. If it was just about asserting dominance, why go after Aunt Tong instead of Lady Wen?

Eleventh Miss suddenly recalled that night when Lord Xu, drunk, mentioned feeling guilty toward Aunt Tong...

Her mind was in turmoil.

A long-ignored suspicion now rose unbidden.

Perhaps Aunt Tong held special significance to Lord Xu, which was why Eldest Miss could not tolerate her?

Eleventh Miss couldn’t help but glance at Yi Yiniang.

A chill drenched her, like a bucket of ice water, leaving her frozen to the core.

What was she doing? How could she let Yi Yiniang’s words send her spiraling into wild guesses?

She reined in her emotions and steadied herself.

How could Qin Yiniang, a lowly maidservant-turned-concubine, have pulled off Aunt Tong’s murder under Madam Tao’s sharp watch? And how could she have pinned it on Lady Yongping, then in charge of the household?

Considering the respect Lord Xu had shown Qin Yiniang all these years... Eleventh Miss smelled something fishy in Yi Yiniang’s story!

“Yi Yiniang!” She looked at Yi Yiniang, who was being held back by Amber, her expression skeptical. “Don’t think you can fool me just because I’m young—I’m not clueless about the past, so stop spouting nonsense.”

“My sister was generous and fair-minded. Back then, the Xu family was hanging by a thread—why would she bother with a lowly concubine...?”

“Lady Xu, I’m not lying to you, I truly am not!” Seeing Eleventh Miss’s skepticism, Yi Yiniang panicked. “Qin Yiniang admitted it to me herself!”

Qin Yiniang, who wouldn’t even trust her own maid, Cui Er—why would she confess her crimes to Yi Yiniang and give her leverage?

Elevenniang was deeply suspicious.

The hardest thing for a person to endure in this world is loneliness, and there’s always a way to find solace.

Perhaps she and Yi Yiniang shared such a bond.

"I've said it before," she spoke slowly, "you must speak with solid evidence!"

Seeing Elevenniang’s expression soften slightly, Yi Yiniang's heart leapt with hope and she hurriedly said, "Madam, think about it—if Qin Yiniang hadn’t harmed Aunt Tong, why would she secretly light an eternal lamp for her at Ciyuan Temple, and keep it burning for over a decade? If she hadn’t done something unforgivable to Aunt Tong, why would she hold memorial services for her every year on the Zhongyuan Festival, praying for her reincarnation, without fail for all these years? And whenever we mention Aunt Tong, she never says a word..."

These were things Elevenniang wasn’t entirely aware of.

But that still didn’t prove Qin Yiniang had harmed Aunt Tong. "I’ve heard that Aunt Tong entered the household two years before Qin Yiniang," Elevenniang mused. "After Qin Yiniang was assigned to Lord Xu’s quarters, Aunt Tong mentored her, and the two were very close. Aunt Tong died tragically. If Qin Yiniang wished for her to be reborn quickly and escape suffering, honoring their bond as sisters, that wouldn’t be unreasonable, would it? How can you conclude from this that Qin Yiniang killed Aunt Tong?"

She continued, "Since you claim Qin Yiniang told you about this, what exactly happened back then? How did Qin Yiniang kill Aunt Tong? And how did she frame my elder sister? I assume you know all the details. Why don’t you explain it carefully, so we don’t go around in circles guessing without any solid facts to consider?"

"I... I... I..." Yi Yiniang's eyes shifted evasively.

Qin Yiniang was someone who trusted no one but herself—why would she ever confide such things?

If not for the fact that she had no children, and Third Madam was harsh, making her desperate to save up for her own funeral expenses, she wouldn’t have been swayed by Qin Yiniang’s several hundred taels of silver to introduce her to Zhu Daopo. She had assumed that with Qin Yiniang’s cautious nature, they’d never be caught—who knew Qin Yiniang would be so reckless as to personally frighten the young master, bringing about this predicament...

Now that everything was exposed, if she didn’t find a way out, even if Lord Xu showed mercy for his brother's sake and sent her to Shanyang, given her relationship with Third Young Master, he’d likely deal with her himself to give Lord Xu an explanation. Her only hope now was to stir Elevenniang’s resentment toward Qin Yiniang, so that when she shifted the blame onto Qin Yiniang, Elevenniang might speak a few words in her favor before Lord Xu. With Lord Xu’s respect for his official wife, she might still have a glimmer of hope.

But Qin Yiniang had never told her any of this—where was her solid evidence?

Yi Yiniang began sweating profusely.

In desperation, she suddenly remembered something.

"Madam!"

As if clutching at a lifeline, she brightened. "Aunt Tong lost a baby boy back then!"

Elevenniang started visibly.

This was the first she’d heard of it.

"A baby boy?" At a time when the Xu family desperately needed a son, she miscarried a boy... "Exactly!" Seeing Elevenniang’s reaction, Yi Yiniang’s hope surged again. "If you don’t believe me, ask Elder Madam. She was there. And Second Madam—she knows too. If Aunt Tong’s child had been born safely, he would’ve been the eldest son. What place would Qin Yiniang have then? That’s why Qin Yiniang wanted her dead! Yes, that’s exactly why!" Yi Yiniang grew more certain as she spoke. "Qin Yiniang even feigned pregnancy complications, which was why Elder Madam sent her to Second Madam’s care."

"At that time, Aunt Tong was only four months pregnant, wasn’t she?" Elevenniang said softly, watching her. "How would Qin Yiniang know Aunt Tong was carrying a boy?" She added, "If I recall correctly, Third Madam was also pregnant at the time. Where were you, Yi Yiniang? What were you doing? Weren’t you attending to Third Madam? How would someone from the third household know so much about the fourth household’s affairs?"

Perspiration dotted Yi Yiniang’s brow.

"I... I heard it from our Third Madam," she stammered. "Third Madam said that was why Elder Madam always held some resentment toward the late Fourth Madam. She thought the late Fourth Madam was petty and vindictive, lacking in tolerance—concerned only with her own interests, not the family’s..."

Mid-sentence, she noticed Elevenniang smile faintly, and a flash of realization struck her—she had misspoken. Her words caught in her throat. "N-no, but Elder Madam... Elder Madam still treated the late Fourth Madam quite well. After dealing with everyone who knew about Aunt Tong’s punishment, she even accompanied the late Fourth Madam to seek medical help, which eventually led to the birth of Fourth Young Master..."

Yi Yiniang’s rambling explanation revealed much.

Elevenniang’s thoughts whirled. "Oh?" she interrupted coldly. "So you’re saying my elder sister punished Aunt Tong, and her miscarriage was related to that?"

She had misspoken again.

Yi Yiniang wished she could bite off her own tongue.

"N-not punishment," she backpedaled frantically. "It was about setting rules—rules for the concubines."

"Nonsense." Elevenniang’s expression turned icy. "What kind of ‘rules’ would cause a four-month pregnancy to be lost? What rules were those? Why was Lady Wen unaffected? Why was Qin Yiniang fine? Why was it only Aunt Tong’s child that was lost?"

Yi Yiniang’s heart pounded.

This Fourth Madam—they’d rarely interacted before, but who knew she’d be so sharp? It was best to move past these murky matters quickly. Otherwise, they’d just keep going in circles—when would it end? Thinking fast, she exclaimed defensively, "Fourth Madam, Lady Wen was a formally wedded concubine, assigned to the west wing with maids and older women to serve her—unlike Aunt Tong and Qin Yiniang, who started as maids. Though Aunt Tong was later promoted, she still shared the warm chamber with Qin Yiniang. It was only after she became pregnant that they moved to the east wing. Once three months passed, she had to follow the same rules as when she was a maid. Others may not know, but Madam Tao does. Even if Madam Tao hesitates to speak the truth, there’s still Lady Wen—she lived in the west wing back then. She would know better than anyone!"