Wang Lingyi was always worried about her sister, and her eyes fell on Xi Pei from time to time. Seeing her staring at a maid in a daze, she also looked over and saw the peacock-tail-spreading-feather-inlaid hairpin at a glance.

My sister's lost dowry jewelry was worn on the maid's head.

Wang Lingyi couldn't understand what Ren Jiayu wanted next.

During these five years, Xi Pei was called the prince's consort, but in reality, she worked hard like a servant. Even as a widow, she still had a nominal husband, who ran to Ren Jiayu's house every day waiting for orders.

When the Third Prince was alive, they claimed it was a cover-up of their deep brotherly love. After he passed away, they were afraid that the world would not know about this deep affection. Yet, they refused to let Xi Pei go. After five years of humiliation, she became emaciated and unrecognizable, and was eventually driven to suicide.

What else do you want?

Wang Lingyi still remembered Xi Pei, skinny and bony, his face as pale as paper, a hairpin on his chest, as he lay there, barely breathing. She hated the Fifth Prince so much that she wanted to draw her sword and chop him down.

No one dared to pull out the hairpin. Finally, it was Ding Yang from the Imperial Hospital who took the risk and tried. Wang Lingyi was deeply grateful to the Empress.

Yet, Ren Jiayu found it difficult to let go of the hatred she held. She had been rejected by the Fourth Prince, Xuanyuan Mingrui, forcing her to marry the sickly Third Prince. Her reputation and happiness had been ruined. Now, she was left alone with her children and a widow.

Even though her father, the emperor, her mother, the empress, and her concubines all had high hopes for her, she was still rejected. Isn't this a great humiliation?

By rejecting her and asking to marry Wang Xipei, was he trying to tell everyone that Wang Xipei was better than her?!

Ren Jiayu originally thought that Wang Xipei would just swallow the humiliation given to her, but unexpectedly, there was a voice speaking up for her. Although it humiliated Wang Xipei, it also made her and Xuanyuan Huaiyu look inferior for being cowardly.

This dirty water was just like that, it was all poured onto her. No matter what, she would have to pay the price. If she stabbed herself to death, it would be fine. She was still alive, so she had to bear it.

Wang Lingyi heard her sister gently say to the maid, "Can you please let me see the kingfisher hairpin on your head?"

The maidservant remembered the instructions from above and her hands couldn't help shaking. This hairpin looked very valuable... She looked up and saw another maidservant standing not far away on the opposite side.

So she answered "yes" respectfully and took off the kingfisher hairpin from her head. When she handed it over, the maid opposite happened to come over and bumped into her. The hairpin fell to the ground, and the two maids stepped on it back and forth with their four feet in a "haste".

When the two finally stood aside, the exquisite peacock hairpin with spread feathers and kingfisher feathers had been destroyed beyond recognition. The hairpin was broken, the pearls and jade fell off, and it was crushed into dust like mud. The lifelike peacock now had a broken head and bald feathers, broken wings and a torn tail.

Wang Xipei stared blankly at her grandmother's hairpin... and forced herself to suppress the bitterness and anger in her heart.

Wang Lingyi was quick to react. She first shouted softly, "Don't move." The two maids had no choice but to stop. Wang Lingyi beckoned a little girl over and said, "Take my handkerchief and wrap up the broken hairpin on the ground. Pick it up and let me see it."

There was something strange about these two maids, but not the other maids. This little maid squatted down to clean up.

Wang Lingyi then asked the two maids, "What are your names?"

This sudden change also startled the ladies at the table, and they all looked over.

The two maids looked at each other and said with their heads down: "Your servant is thinking of Xia" and "Your servant is thinking of Qiu".

The little maid had already packed up and placed a bag of broken hairpins, pearls, jade and feathers on the table as Wang Lingyi instructed.

Wang Lingyi looked at him and asked, "What's your name?"

"My servant Yunxiang."

Wang Lingyi nodded. "Good girl. I am the wife of the young marquis of Ningyuan Marquisate. Go to the outer rest room and call my maids Xuan Mo and Xuan Qing."

The Fifth Prince married Ren Jiayu with great fanfare and invited many guests to the banquet. The attendants and maids of those who attended the wedding banquet were arranged to rest in the outer room, while the servants inside were all from the palace.

Having been the "hostess" of the Prince's Mansion for five years, Wang Xipei found Yunxiang familiar. She was a servant of the Prince's Mansion, but Nianxia and Huaiqiu looked very unfamiliar. Were they new?

Wang Lingyi held up the broken hairpin. On the three sections of the handle were written "Mrs. Wang Ning, the First-Rank Imperial Censor of Nanyi County, Xiaoshuo". Wang Lingyi said, "This is my grandmother's hairpin. Originally a pair, left to us sisters. I wonder where you got it from?" The two maids remained silent.

Upon hearing this, the ladies on both sides leaned over to take a look. Wang Lingyi simply showed the three sections of the hairpin to the ladies nearby. One lady said, "I was surprised at first, a maid wearing such an expensive hairpin."

A moment later, Xuan Mo and Xuan Qing arrived. Wang Lingyi said, "Send these two maids to the Jingzhao Yin. Let him ask them how the hairpin that grandmother gave to my sister ended up in their hands."

The two maids said, "We are servants of the prince's mansion. Although you are an honored guest, if you want to deal with us, you still need our master's permission."

Wang Lingyi smiled and said, "If we want to punish you, it's naturally your master who will give the order; but if we want to report the thief to the authorities, anyone can do so."

Xuan Mo and Xuan Qing had already stepped forward, each carrying one of them as they walked out.

Someone had already reported the uneasy situation to the housekeeper. The housekeeper sent someone to report to Xuanyuan Huaiyu while coming over to stop them.