After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

In the woodshed, Granny Qian had been released and thrown into a large vat, while Chunfang was tied to a pillar in front of her, looking quite disheveled.

Granny Qian sneered, "Look at you, you ended up with the same fate as me. The Sixth Miss will never let you go. Don't have any illusions."

"That's still better than being driven to extinction by you all. Besides, what right do you have to laugh at me? Can you be any better than me?" Chunfang chuckled, completely ignoring Granny Qian's words.

Granny Qian was indeed in a bad state. The large vat was not very spacious, and more importantly, it was not high. She could only squat inside and could not sit. Her hands were also bound behind her back, and she could not move at all. The lid had a hole cut out, which just happened to trap her head, making her range of movement very small. If she was not careful, she would be cut on the neck by the uneven cross-section.

As a respectable housekeeper in the Fang family, Granny Qian had never suffered such humiliation. When Chunfang mocked her a couple more times, she became furious and embarrassed. "The concubine will definitely save me. Sixth Miss, do you think you can defy heaven? As for you, you are doomed if you have no one backing you."

Chunfang rolled her eyes and closed them. "Then you can just wait for the concubine to come and save you. With all the things she's done, she's probably too busy taking care of herself to have any time to worry about you."

"Hmph!" Granny Qian's mouth was dry and she didn't want to waste any more words on her, so she simply shut up. Actually, she was the one who was most unsure of herself. Recently, Fang Xiaoran had been acting unpredictably and was a bit hard to understand. She really wasn't sure what she would do.

On the other hand, Fang Xiaoran thoroughly investigated the people who covered for Granny Qian and found that they were all secretly working for the Wang family. Not only were they secretly selling land and lending money at exorbitant interest rates, but they also used that money to subsidize the Wang family.

Fang Zhengyong has always trusted Wang Shi completely and never interfered in family matters. Now that this has happened, it's uncertain whether she will still protect her as she did last time.

Fang Xiaoran handed the testimony and some evidence to Qinglan, instructing her to take them to Cuiwei Pavilion and personally deliver them to Liu Shi. This puzzled Qinglan, who frowned and asked, "Miss, why do you want to give them to Liu Xiaoniangzi?"

"Just do as I say," Fang Xiaoran said calmly, without saying much more. Qinglan was taken aback for a moment, then nodded, "This servant understands."

In the blink of an eye, Qinglan arrived at Cuiwei Pavilion and handed over the things Fang Xiaoran had given her to Madam Liu. Looking at the testimony in her hand, Madam Liu's expression changed slightly. "What does Sixth Miss mean by this?"

"This servant is unaware. As you said, once it's handed over to you, you'll know what to do with it. If there's nothing else, this servant will take her leave."

Seeing that she couldn't get any more information out of her, Liu nodded slightly, "Go ahead."

After Qinglan left, Fang Yunyao walked out from behind the screen with a puzzled look. She had just been eating roasted chestnuts when she heard that the people from Beiju had arrived. She had been listening intently, but hadn't heard anything. So she came out curiously and asked, "Mother, what kind of trouble is Fang Xiaoran causing now?"

"She gave me evidence that Wang had sold land and shops at exorbitant interest rates and used the money to cover her family's debts. She even had the accounts, and it was all done very clearly," Liu said slowly, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

Fang Yunyao was very puzzled, "Aren't these things meant to bring down the Wang family? Why would she give them to you if she hates the Wang family to the core?"

“Hate is one thing, but whether you can bring her down is another. She’s trying to get my help, and there are many connections behind this. If we investigate, Wang Zhiyu will definitely not be able to turn things around. It’s an opportunity for me, but it’s too risky. Although the Wang family is not as good as the Fang family, they are still definitely one step ahead of our Liu family. If we make enemies over this, my brother and sister-in-law will definitely suffer.”

Liu's two older brothers work under Wang Zhiyu's eldest brother. If something goes wrong, she might be punished in the future. But she really didn't want to miss such a great opportunity.

“If the evidence is presented to Father, he will naturally not let Wang Shi off the hook. Why do we need to step in? She can do it herself…” Fang Yunyao muttered to herself. She knew the pros and cons of this, but she was unwilling. They could have just reaped the benefits, but Fang Xiaoran insisted on dragging them into the mess.

Liu sighed, "Don't you know your father's temperament? Besides, Sixth Miss probably doesn't want us to get benefits for nothing. Her goal is not to make Wang Shi never recover, but to clear Bai Qiqi's name. She probably had confidence in this all along, which is why she put the choice to us."

"So, what should we do?"

"Let me think about it." Liu rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. This was both an opportunity and a hot potato, and she really couldn't decide.

The next morning, Wang woke up from a nightmare and instinctively called for Granny Qian, but Granny Qian did not come; instead, her maid Xiaochun did.

"Madam, did you have a nightmare? Should I fetch a doctor to examine you?"

"No need." Madam Wang shook her head slightly, then glanced at Xiaochun and asked in confusion, "Why is it you?"

It was usually Granny Qian who took care of her daily needs, since she had been by her side since childhood and knew her best.

Knowing what Madam Wang meant, Xiaochun replied, "Granny Qian left yesterday and hasn't returned since. I didn't report it because you seemed upset."

"What? He hasn't come back yet?" Madam Wang looked at the person in front of her in surprise, her eyes filled with disbelief and worry. She gripped the handkerchief in her hand tightly, her body trembling slightly, as if she was trying hard to control her emotions.

Her voice carried a hint of anxiety: "Why didn't he come back? Could something have happened to him?"

"Perhaps something came up and delayed them..."

"Impossible. She is always cautious. Unless she was intercepted, there is no reason for her to be delayed."

"so what should I do now?"

"Go find Wang Er at Shangpin Shop and ask him to send someone to take a look. Be quick."

"Yes."

Xiaochun immediately got up, but Wang was still worried. She grabbed her and whispered, "Change your clothes, and it's best to cover your face. Go out the back door, and don't let anyone see you."

After Xiaochun left, Madam Wang sent someone to call Fang Menghe, but was told by a maid that "the Third Miss is throwing a tantrum, saying that Lady Liu, who is in charge of the household, deliberately cuts off her food, clothing and daily necessities, and even stopped giving her money to buy jewelry. She went to the Master to complain, but was scolded by him instead, and is feeling wronged right now."

"This Liu woman is incredibly audacious. I've been in charge of the household for so many years and I've never made such a request. Yet she's already cutting back on expenses as soon as she takes over," Wang said angrily.

The maid replied, "That's right, but I heard it's because the old lady's pills have become too expensive lately, and the family's treasury is already running out of money. If this continues, I'm afraid the eldest young master's marriage will be..."

This was Wang's Achilles' heel; she couldn't stand such words. She slammed her hand on the table in anger and roared, "How dare she! Come with me to see the old lady!"

"But aren't you under house arrest right now?"

"There are priorities; let's see the old lady first."