MFURCC -Chapter 81 Suspicion Arises

Could it be that she had noticed from the very beginning? That she had taken precautions in advance?

No—impossible. No young lady would willingly submit to a body search!

If she had known early on, she would have made a scene immediately. Why wait until now and suffer the humiliation of being searched?

She must know nothing.

Madam Deng’s heart rose and fell, fell and rose again.

Yet the change in her expression lasted only an instant in reality.

She comforted herself. Although this plan had failed, at least Liuzheng had not detected anything.

Next time, she could still think of another way.

After all, the Empress had given her a few days. As long as the task was completed before the Qiqiao Festival palace banquet, it would not count as failure.

Though only two days remained, her younger sister-in-law had a good relationship with Ruan Liuzheng—they would certainly continue visiting each other. She still had countless opportunities.

Thinking this through, Madam Deng finally relaxed completely.

“Nothing was found… I must have overthought it. It wasn’t accidentally caught on you.”

Madam Yuan could not help saying, “Sister-in-law, I told you it couldn’t possibly be on Yaoyao. You refused to believe me. Now do you?”

Madam Deng shot Madam Yuan a dark look.

That single glance inexplicably sent a chill down Madam Yuan’s spine.

It felt as if she were being stared at by a venomous snake.

In that moment, Madam Yuan suddenly remembered Liuzheng’s words: “Kill her.”

Startled by her own thoughts, she hurriedly turned away and called outside for someone to come in and dress Liuzheng’s hair.

Madam Yuan herself was also a noble-born lady and did not know how to arrange hair, so she summoned her personal maid.

“Just make it simple,” Liuzheng said.

“Yes,” the maid replied, carefully combing her hair.

Liuzheng’s hair was exceptionally thick. It needed no padding—once gathered up, it held easily.

After a simple bun was styled, Madam Yuan led Liuzheng back out.

Returning to the main hall, Zheng Ding had already learned that nothing had been found on Liuzheng.

He stepped forward and gave her a slight bow.

“Miss Ruan, I truly offended you. I—”

“Brother-in-law, there’s no need to say more. I understand. You were doing this for my sake.”

If today’s matter had not been clarified and thoroughly investigated, even the slightest rumor leaking out would utterly destroy Liuzheng’s reputation.

A great general reduced to petty theft—never mind how the Censorate would attack her; even the people’s spittle would be enough to drown her.

The prestige she had earned with such difficulty would collapse in an instant.

Reputation was hard won, yet could be destroyed by a single sentence, a single incident.

Seeing her understanding, Zheng Ding relaxed slightly.

He was a fair man. Turning to Madam Deng, he said, “Sister-in-law, you misunderstood Miss Ruan. You should offer an apology.”

Madam Deng had already prepared herself to fulfill the written agreement while Liuzheng was still inside having her hair done.

“General Ruan…”

Her face twisted into an expression halfway between laughter and tears, her plump features bunching together.

“I truly owe you an apology for asking you to cooperate in searching for the hairpin. I hope you will be magnanimous and not hold it against me. I apologize to you here.”

Once the words left her mouth, Madam Deng felt entirely at ease.

It was only an apology. Open the mouth, close it—no great effort.

As long as she did not feel embarrassed, then it would be others who felt awkward.

Liuzheng looked at Madam Deng’s shameless, thick-skinned face and smiled faintly to herself.

The real show was only just beginning.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Nanny Jiang beside her.

Nanny Jiang gave an almost imperceptible nod.

It was time to begin.

Liuzheng withdrew her gaze and spoke to Madam Deng.

“Sister-in-law Deng, this matter may seem small—or it may be great. I asked you to apologize not to make things difficult for you, but to seek fairness. Otherwise, in the future, whenever someone loses something, they might try to pin it on me.”

The word “pin” displeased Madam Deng.

With so many servants present, Liuzheng gave her no face at all.

Just as she was about to speak, someone rushed in.

“Second Master! This servant wishes to report someone!”

Zheng Ding frowned.

Liuzheng was still present as a guest. Couldn’t household matters wait until after the guest had left?

He already felt humiliated enough today.

“Whatever it is, speak later!” Zheng Ding said.

But Liuzheng replied, “Lord Zheng, let him speak. I won’t spread it outside. There’s no need to mind me.”

Madam Yuan added, “Yaoyao is not an outsider.”

With his own wife saying so, Zheng Ding, though exasperated, relented. “Very well. What is it?”

“This servant wishes to report Nanny Zhou!”

Nanny Zhou was Madam Deng’s head steward nanny.

At the sudden mention of her name, she trembled and immediately darkened her face. “Chen You, what nonsense are you trying to say?!”

Chen You was a servant from Madam Deng’s courtyard. Normally unremarkable, yet today he dared to accuse her?

“Silence!” Zheng Ding shot Nanny Zhou an annoyed look, then turned to Chen You. “What do you accuse her of?”

Chen You kowtowed deeply. “Second Master, this servant personally saw Nanny Zhou steal jewelry from my mistress’s desk.”

Nanny Zhou’s eyes widened instantly.

“You’re talking nonsense!”

Madam Deng was about to speak, but Madam Yuan cut in first.

“Someone! Slap her! Let this wretched servant never interrupt again!”

The nanny beside Madam Yuan stepped forward and delivered two heavy slaps to Nanny Zhou.

“Stop!” Madam Deng could no longer endure it. “There must be some misunderstanding. Nanny Zhou has followed me for many years and has never overstepped. And she knows clearly what that pair of hairpins means to me.”

Hearing this, even Zheng Ding hesitated.

After all, Nanny Zhou was a long-time attendant of Madam Deng. It seemed unlikely she would do such a thing.

He asked Chen You, “If what you say is true, why did you not report it at once?”

Chen You replied, “This servant wished to report immediately, but feared Nanny Zhou’s status as head steward. Yet just now, seeing my mistress misunderstand General Zhaoyong and even be forced to apologize, I truly could not bear it any longer!”

Zheng Ding pondered.

The explanation was reasonable.

Nanny Zhou was, after all, the head steward. Chen You, a lowly servant with no standing, would indeed hesitate to speak.

It was only after seeing Madam Deng wrong Liuzheng that he finally could not hold back.

Very logical.

Zheng Ding looked at Madam Deng. “Sister-in-law, your hairpin is missing, and now someone accuses Nanny Zhou. I must have her room searched.”

“No!” Madam Deng said sharply. “It cannot have been Nanny Zhou!”

Liuzheng let out a light laugh. “Sister-in-law Deng, when you suspected me earlier, you had no evidence at all and still insisted on searching my person. Why is it different when it concerns your own nanny? Besides, it is only a room search—not a body search.”

For a woman, a body search was far more humiliating than a room search.

Madam Yuan immediately chimed in, “Exactly, sister-in-law! She is but a modestly paid nanny. It is not impossible she grew greedy. You even suspected Yaoyao, yet you do not think Nanny Zhou capable?”

“I…”

Madam Deng choked on her words.

That was because she and Nanny Zhou had planned from the beginning to frame Liuzheng with the hairpin.

They would use it to force Liuzheng to submit a memorial pleading on behalf of Shen Tinglan.

Of the ten thousand soldiers Shen Tinglan had caused to die, at least half had been transferred from Liuzheng’s command by imperial decree.

If even Ruan Liuzheng petitioned for Shen Tinglan’s confinement to be lifted, His Majesty would naturally agree—and would gladly give face to the Empress.

After all, Shen Tinglan was from the Empress’s natal family, and she had repeatedly requested that the confinement be lifted.

At first, Madam Deng had intended to move Liuzheng with emotion and reason.

But she had not expected that at the mere mention of Shen Tinglan, Ruan Liuzheng would look as if she wanted to devour someone.

Thus she had changed tactics and used this framing scheme.

Unfortunately, something had gone wrong. Not only had they failed to frame Liuzheng, but one of the hairpins had gone missing.

There was one truth in what she had said: the hairpin truly was extremely important to her.

Which was precisely why Nanny Zhou could not possibly have stolen it.

Most likely, it had accidentally fallen from Liuzheng’s head somewhere.

“I was not suspecting General Ruan. I already explained—I only feared it had caught onto her. Sister-in-law, do not speak carelessly! As for Nanny Zhou… since you all insist, then search.”

“Madam…” Nanny Zhou felt inexplicably uneasy.

Chen You had been reprimanded by her several times for laziness.

Seeing him accuse her made her deeply unsettled.

“You’ve done nothing. What are you afraid of?” Madam Deng said, then turned to Zheng Ding. “Second Brother, if you insist on searching, then send someone.”

With those words, Nanny Zhou knew she had no choice but to allow it.

She guessed Chen You must have seen her holding the hairpin earlier.

But she had only taken it under her mistress’s orders to frame Liuzheng.

Chen You had therefore assumed she stole it.

Once nothing was found, she would deal with that lowly servant later!

Nanny Zhou seethed inwardly.

At the same time, she felt a trace of resentment toward Madam Deng.

They said to search, and her mistress barely defended her. Her authority in the courtyard would surely diminish.

Even if there was trust, her mistress should have spoken more on her behalf.

But the dissatisfaction merely brushed through her heart lightly and did not linger.

Soon, Zheng Ding sent people to search Nanny Zhou’s quarters.

He said to Liuzheng, “Today has truly been disgraceful before Miss Ruan. If you have other matters, I can have A-Yuan escort you out now.”

But Liuzheng replied, “No need. I also wish to know where this hairpin has gone. Since I was involved, it is only right to see it resolved from beginning to end.”

There was nothing unreasonable in that. Zheng Ding said no more about escorting her out.

…

In less than half the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, the servants sent to search Nanny Zhou’s quarters returned.

As head steward, she had her own small residence—quick to search.

They brought back the “missing” hairpin.

The instant she saw it, Nanny Zhou’s eyes went wide in disbelief.

“How—how is this possible…”

Madam Deng also looked at her.

She had always thought the hairpin had fallen from Liuzheng’s head after being planted there.

Yet now it had been found in Nanny Zhou’s quarters?

Could it be that Nanny Zhou had betrayed her?

In that instant, suspicion arose in Madam Deng’s heart.