Chapter Four: From Innocence to Theft

In the corridor, Crown Prince Xiao Yongjing half-supported and half-carried Song Yiqiu, who was pretending to be unconscious.

Song Sangyu deliberately slowed her pace, glancing back every now and then. When she saw Hongxiu arriving with several rough-looking women, she quickly exchanged a glance with Hongxiu.

A shy smile appeared on her face, and she stepped forward with a graceful bow.

“Your Highness is of noble birth and has done a great service to my sister. The servants can do the heavy lifting.”

"I heard that my father recently acquired a painting called 'Autumn Evening in the Mountains' by Xu Da from the previous dynasty. The original is extremely rare, so it is treasured in the elegant pavilion in the front hall. I wonder if Your Highness would do me the honor of having Sangyu show you the way?"

Xiao Yongjing's lips curled into a knowing smile. His gaze swept over the 'unconscious' Song Yiqiu, and he casually pushed her towards the old woman.

"Oh? A genuine work by Master Xu? That's quite rare."

"Very well, it is indeed inappropriate for me to linger in a woman's boudoir. Your sister... I entrust her to your care."

Song Yiqiu, who was feigning unconsciousness, felt a chill in her heart. She had originally planned to rely on the Crown Prince to expose Song Sangyu's conspiracy, but now...

She instinctively gripped the corner of the prince's sleeve.

Xiao Yongjing felt the force applied to his sleeve, looked down and saw Song Yiqiu's tightly closed eyes. His interest intensified, and he gently but firmly brushed her hand away.

He whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Song Yiqiu, let me see whether you are a lamb to the slaughter or... a wolf that bites."

Song Yiqiu bit her lower lip:

Damn it, if I were a wolf, I'd be the first one to bite you to death.

Song Sangyu was overjoyed, but she suppressed her excitement:

"Yes! Hongxiu, you all must make sure to escort the young lady back to her room to rest!"

She turned to the Crown Prince and smiled sweetly:

"Your Highness, this way please."

Hongxiu and the old women helped Song Yiqiu up and carried her towards her boudoir in the opposite direction.

After returning home, Song Yiqiu lived in a corner room, which was sparsely populated and in a very poor environment.

Hongxiu roughly pushed Song Yiqiu to the edge of the bed, quickly locked the door behind her, and spoke in a cold and smug tone:

"Young Miss, please enjoy yourself! I won't disturb you any longer!"

The door clicked shut and locked.

Song Yiqiu opened her eyes instantly, quickly put her fingers down her throat, and gagged violently, spitting out most of the alcohol mixed with aphrodisiac onto the ground.

At this moment, the effects of the drug took hold, and the coachman, already delirious and disheveled, lunged at him.

Song Yiqiu's eyes turned cold. She dodged to the side, then pulled out the hairpin hidden in her sleeve and plunged it into the coachman's thigh.

Her other hand covered his mouth tightly:

"Shut up if you don't want to die!"

The coachman's face contorted in pain, but he couldn't utter a sound.

Song Yiqiu turned around, picked up a cup of cold tea from the table, and poured it over his head:

"Speak! Who ordered you to do this!"

The coachman, slightly sobered by the cold water and excruciating pain, was terrified.

"Young Miss, spare me! Spare me! It was the Second Young Miss! She made me do this; she gave me the money..."

Hearing the commotion outside the door, Song Yiqiu knew time was of the essence. She swiftly pulled out her hairpin and pressed it against the coachman's throat once more.

"Do as I say, and you might live! Otherwise, you'll die immediately!"

The groom nodded frantically:

"Your young mistress commands, I will obey! I will certainly obey!"

Song Yiqiu calmly gave the order, constantly observing the surrounding situation:

"Put your clothes on properly, then tear them a bit more, make yourself look disheveled. Whoever comes in later, just say you're here to steal money. If they dare mention a single word about aphrodisiacs or slander my innocence, I'll kill them on the spot!"

After saying that, she quickly overturned the jewelry box left by her grandmother, scattering the jewelry all over the ground. Then she picked up a wooden chair and smashed it against the wall.

The loud noise successfully attracted the crowd that happened to be walking nearby.

Song Sangyu was leading the group when she heard the sound. A look of confusion flashed in her eyes. How could it be so fast...?

His expression quickly shifted to smugness, and he immediately raised his voice, his tone becoming worried:

"Oh! What's that sound? It's coming from my sister's room. Sister? Sister, are you alright? Don't scare me!"

She bowed to those around her, her face showing anxiety, as if she truly shared a deep sisterly bond:

"Everyone, go quickly and check on her! My sister wasn't feeling well and went back to her room. I hope nothing bad has happened to her!"

Upon seeing the crowd arrive, Hongxiu immediately knelt on the ground and, as planned, shouted loudly:

"Master and Madam! This servant...this servant thinks I just saw the eldest young lady and a groom in the room...this servant dares not speak!"

The eldest brother, Song Tianhan, angrily rebuked:

"Outrageous! Song Yiqiu! What dissolute habits did you pick up on the frontier that you dare to do such a shameless thing in the mansion!"

The onlookers immediately started discussing:

"My God, how could this be..."

"A lone man and a lone woman, alone in a room..."

"This eldest daughter of the Song family is just too..."

The father, his face ashen, gave the order:

"Break down the door!"

The servants quickly broke down the door, and what everyone saw was Song Yiqiu holding a blood-dripping gold hairpin. Although her clothes were slightly disheveled, they were intact, and her eyes were wary.

The coachman, dressed in tattered clothes, knelt on the ground, covering his face and wailing in pain, blood streaming from his legs.

Jewelry was scattered on the ground, and there were smash marks on the walls; the place was a mess.

Song Yiqiu spoke first, her voice filled with the panic of a fight:

"Father, Mother, uncles and aunts, this thief is incredibly audacious! He sneaked into the house to steal while I wasn't looking, and when I discovered him, he tried to kill me. Fortunately, I learned some self-defense techniques on the frontier, so I prevented him from succeeding!"

Song Sangye was dumbfounded, completely taken aback, and subconsciously retorted:

"Impossible, sister... are you alright? But... a man and a woman alone in a room... it's just..."

She deliberately emphasized the phrase "alone man and woman," trying to steer the onlookers' thoughts toward innocence.

Song Yiqiu sneered, then suddenly collapsed to the ground as if 'exhausted,' squeezing out tears, her voice trembling with sobs:

"Father, Mother, you must stand up for your daughter!"

"My daughter believes this is not a simple theft. It is clearly my second sister's personal maid, Hongxiu, who colluded with outsiders to steal my grandmother's belongings."

"After being discovered, they even tried to kill me to silence me; this is practically murder for money!"

She successfully shifted the focus from murder for money, and the seriousness of the incident immediately escalated.

Song Sangyu's face turned deathly pale:

"Song Yiqiu! You're spouting nonsense!"

Song Yiqiu suddenly looked up, her gaze fixed on Song Sangyu:

"Oh? Then let me ask you, if you weren't feeling guilty, why did Hongxiu lock the door when she escorted me back to my room?"

She pointed to the lock on the ground:

"His Highness the Crown Prince can also testify that it was Hongxiu who helped me back!"

Xiao Yongjing stood leisurely at the back of the crowd, and seeing the gazes directed at him, he spoke calmly:

"It was indeed what I saw. It was that maid named Hongxiu who locked the door."

Song Yiqiu burst into tears, each word piercing the heart:

"Father, Mother, how could we have guarded against such a traitor within our own ranks!"

"Today she dared to collude with outsiders to steal my property and endanger my life. Will she dare to steal the secrets of the household and harm the interests of the family in the future?"

"If this matter is not thoroughly investigated to serve as a warning to others, will there still be a place for me, the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife, in the Song family?"