Zhang Hu arrived quickly.
Seeing Qu Jingyun's displeased expression, Zhang Hu said, "Madam Shen, you can't blame us for this. Everyone knows that Shen Yue is infatuated with the Fifth Prince. Maybe she went to follow him."
"Something terrible has happened! The Fifth Prince has also disappeared!" Another servant came to report.
For a moment, everyone looked at Qu Jingyun with strange eyes.
Madam Zhang spoke directly: "Madam Shen, it's not that I'm being rude, but Miss Shen has legs, she can run away on her own. In my opinion, you should keep Miss Shen at home, or go and beg the Empress or the Imperial Concubine to grant Miss Shen and the Fifth Prince a marriage."
"I guess the Fifth Prince wouldn't be interested in such a lovesick girl, would he?"
"Exactly! Getting stuck with a woman like that is bound to bring you a lifetime of bad luck... Ah!"
The man let out a piercing scream.
Before anyone knew it, Qu Jingyun had already taken out the Cloud-Locking Whip that she had hidden.
An extremely thin iron chain pierced through the speaker's cheek, with hooks on the chain like small thorns catching on her face.
Then Qu Jingyun pulled the hook back.
The man was disfigured, and blood kept flowing down his face.
"Qu Jingyun, how dare you treat me like this!" The woman raised her head, covered her face, and scolded.
Only then did everyone realize that it was actually the wife of the Minister of Rites.
Moreover, they were from Empress Wang's maternal family.
Qu Jingyun looked at her coldly, "I'm teaching you a lesson: loose lips sink ships, so be careful what you say."
"you……"
She wanted to intimidate Qu Jingyun again, but as soon as she met Qu Jingyun's gaze, Madam Wang backed down.
Qu Jingyun's eyes were terrifying.
Madam Zhang was also surprised that she would dare to kill someone in her own residence, so she quickly came out to smooth things over.
"Madam Shen, please don't be angry. We were just joking. We'll go find Miss Shen right now."
Madam Zhang turned back and gave Zhang Hu a wink.
Zhang Hu snorted coldly and said reluctantly, "You guys go find where the Fifth Prince is."
Seeing that they were cooperating, Qu Jingyun didn't make things difficult for them anymore.
She sat down again, waiting for everyone to reply.
Soon a servant rushed in.
"The Fifth Prince is resting in the side room. Besides the Fifth Prince, there are other voices inside, which seem to be a woman."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang smiled smugly.
"Madam Shen, is that alright now? You haven't even properly raised your daughter, yet you come to our mansion to act arrogantly. You two are truly shameless."
Lady Wang was helped downstairs to have her medicine applied. Upon learning that the Fifth Prince and Shen Yue were having an affair without a matchmaker, she disregarded her still-painful face and rushed off to watch the show.
"Madam Shen, shouldn't you apologize to me?"
Qu Jingyun swept her gaze across them sharply.
How can you be so sure the person inside is my daughter?
Madam Wang sneered, "Who doesn't know that your Shenyue is a lovesick fool? She can't take her eyes off the Fifth Prince and even dares to confess her feelings to him in public. Who else is so shameless besides Shenyue?"
"That's right, I dare not associate with the people from the General's Mansion again in the future."
"Qu Jingyun has been fooling around outside for five years. Who knows how many men she has been with? Like mother, like daughter. The two are exactly the same."
"No way, she still wants to force us to confess."
"Oh!"
Qu Jingyun let out another cold laugh.
She didn't speak to those women who were confined to their homes anymore.
She turned to look at the maid following behind her.
"Has the young mistress returned?"
The maid shook her head. "The young mistress said she wanted to take Miss to see more of the scenery outside, and she hasn't returned yet."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yin Xue's voice rang out.
"Mother, your daughter is back. Did you miss your daughter?"
Upon hearing Yin Xue's voice, Qu Jingyun laughed again.
Immediately afterwards, everyone saw Yin Xue leading Shen Yue back.
Shen Yue was holding a bouquet of flowers, which looked like they had just been picked.
Madam Zhang looked at Yin Xue with surprise.
"Madam Shen, how come you're with Miss Shen? Where is the Fifth Prince?"
Yin Xue looked puzzled.
"Madam Zhang, what are you saying? How could we have met the Fifth Prince?"
"Where did you go just now?" Mrs. Zhang asked in surprise.
Shen Yue waved the flowers in her hand and said with a smile, "My sister-in-law took me to pick flowers."
Everyone's expression changed again.
Even Madam Zhang became extremely embarrassed.
Madam Wang wished she could disappear into the ground.
Oh no! Not only did she fail to handle the Empress's matter properly, but she also got disfigured. Now she has no way to explain herself when she goes back.
Qu Jingyun suddenly spoke up: "It doesn't seem to be my daughter who's been fooling around with the Fifth Prince. Then who could it be?"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at the daughter beside them.
If several daughters were missing, he immediately sent his servants to look for them.
Soon, the people in the courtyard were all busy.
Qu Jingyun smiled and looked at Madam Zhang, "Madam Zhang, it seems Miss Zhang isn't here either. Would you like to go look for her?"
Madam Zhang gave a cold laugh.
She puffed out her chest and said confidently, "My Chaochao is different from my other daughters. Chaochao is the most well-educated and reasonable, and she would never do such a shameful thing."
“That’s good, but I see there are quite a lot of people here, but it seems like Miss Chaochao isn’t here,” Qu Jingyun said.
"Huh? It seems that's really true."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang felt dizzy and almost fainted.
Qu Jingyun pinched her philtrum to prevent her from fainting.
Seeing that she couldn't pretend to be unconscious, Madam Zhang stopped pretending.
She pushed Qu Jingyun away with disgust, "Let go of me right now. I know my daughter very well. She would never do such a thing. Xiao Cui, go and invite Miss over quickly."
Xiao Cui hesitated, but Madam Zhang's eyes were too terrifying, so Xiao Cui had no choice but to bite the bullet and go.
"Wait a minute." Qu Jingyun suddenly called out to the person.
She smiled at Madam Zhang, "We're quite concerned about Miss Chaochao too. How about we go and take a look together?"
"Qu Jingyun!" Madam Zhang called out her name through gritted teeth.
Qu Jingyun then asked, "Madam Zhang seems very afraid of us seeing Miss Chaochao. Could it be that she really has some unspeakable secret?"
“Of course not!” Madam Zhang immediately retorted.
With so many people watching, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.
With Madam Zhang's permission, the others followed her out.
Qu Jingyun smiled and waved to Chen Yue.
“Moon, come to your mother’s side. If you get lost in a little while, these people will start talking nonsense again.”
Although Shen Yue couldn't understand Qu Jingyun's sarcastic remarks, she had already realized from what had just happened that her mother was a good person.
The group deliberately chose a route that wouldn't pass by the side rooms.
When they arrived at Miss Zhang's boudoir, Madam Zhang called out several times, but no one came out.
Seeing this, Qu Jingyun asked curiously, "Madam Zhang, your daughter doesn't seem to be in her room. Why don't you look for her elsewhere?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Yin Xue's voice suddenly rang out.
"You little girl, you're in such a hurry, did you steal something from the Zhang family?"
In an instant, it attracted everyone's attention.
Someone recognized her and exclaimed, "Isn't this Hongxiu, Miss Zhang's maid?"
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