Ziteng quietly commented from the side, “Miss has long been waiting for Nanny Fu to say that.”

  Nanny Fu’s face burned with embarrassment. Even a young maid could see things more clearly than she had—she truly had lived her years in vain.

  “There’s no need for you to bme yourself, Nanny,” Qin Shuying said gently. “These days, every step we take is on thin ice. We can’t afford to let our guard down, not even for a moment. Otherwise…” She didn’t finish the sentence, but Nanny Fu understood the unspoken warning.

  Nanny Fu couldn’t help but recall the past, back when she had served in the pace. Back then, she had been naive, and so had her mistress. The end result… was so tragic that even now, she dared not think of it.

  Her expression hardened. “Miss, I understand now. I will remember.”

  Good. Otherwise, if she were used by someone with ill intentions, the price would be far too great.

  Qin Shuying took a sip of tea and asked casually, “Nanny, how is the matter of impeaching Lu Changxuan coming along?”

  At the mention of this, Nanny Fu regained her energy. “Several Censors have already submitted memorials accusing him of greed, coveting his wife’s younger sister’s dowry, and being unfit for a post in the Ministry of Personnel. His Highness the Crown Prince has kept the reports without issuing an order, but a few Censors refused to let it go. They quoted precedent after precedent, and one of them is even a distant retive of that Madam Zhong. He’s relentless. On top of that, the Fifth Prince’s faction is advocating for a fair judgment. As of yesterday, Lu Changxuan has been suspended from his duties and pced on leave.”

  Qin Shuying nodded slightly. “Just as expected. That Madam Zhong’s husband has held his post for over a decade without any promotion. Yet Lu Changxuan, because of what Ziteng mentioned before—being assigned to a provincial office—lit a fire under Lord Zhong. It’s no surprise he wouldn’t let him off easily. As for the Fifth Prince… he’s always been known for his uprightness. Of course, he’d insist on impartiality.”

  She sneered faintly. Fairness? What fairness? This was all about politics.

  Now that Consort Lian’s power was growing, she dared to openly challenge Consort De. Consort De had long been displeased with her and naturally took this chance to suppress her. Lu Changxuan was Consort Lian’s brother-in-w; suppressing him was a way to sp Consort Lian in the face.

  As for the Crown Prince, Qin Shuying had made an offhand remark at Lu Residence’s gate about how Lu Changxuan might have hidden backers besides Consort Lian. It hadn’t been baseless.

  Lu Changxuan was ambitious and unscrupulous. He’d tch onto whichever patron offered the most advantage.

  Qin Yongtao, on the other hand, had always desired for his family to climb to the top, but he knew to keep a low profile and maintain a good reputation, so that when the time came, he could cim the moral high ground. Therefore, he would never go out of his way to pave the way for a son-in-w like Lu Changxuan.

  Lu Changxuan’s rise to a fifth-rank official post was partly thanks to Madam Xu’s influence, and partly his own maneuvering. He was shrewd and sharp, born to thrive in the bureaucracy. He had the constant financial backing of Qin Yaoyao and had even funneled a rge sum of money to Consort Lian through Madam Xu. That was how he had climbed to where he was now.

  Many schors stagnated for years, unable to break through the barrier of the fifth rank. Yet Lu Changxuan, at such a young age, had reached this point—not an easy feat.

  But over time, Lu Changxuan had grown resentful toward Qin Yongtao. That resentment had likely fueled his thoughts of “switching allegiance.”

  “Lu Changxuan has suffered a setback. Naturally, someone will come to console him,” Qin Shuying said thoughtfully. “That Young Master Che is also a man who has seen failure. They might find themselves sympathizing with one another.”

  And then, there was the unmarried Miss Che—just fifteen years old and still unbetrothed. Five years ago, when the Zhou family fell from grace, she had been ten. Her family had been well-off and had given her an excellent education. She was a gentle, well-bred young dy.

  If Lu Changxuan began mingling with the Che family, it wouldn’t be strange for him to cross paths with Miss Che. If Miss Che took a liking to him—or if Lu Changxuan had designs on her… what kind of expression would Qin Feifei wear then?

  What came after was no longer within Qin Shuying’s control.

  In truth, she had chosen the Che family not only because they were now destitute.

  But this would require careful pnning.