The merchant's rebirth led to the complete downfall of the Marquis's mansion.

Xia Qiutang was probably really anxious, especially since the news about her and the heir of the Marquis of Jinglin spread throughout the capital the next day.

Everyone was saying that she and the prince had been having an affair, which was why the prince rescued her in front of everyone and then abandoned his fiancée at Goddess Lake and took her back to his mansion.

Public opinion is overwhelming, and Xia Qiutang had no way to defend herself. Coupled with her stepmother's inaction, her reputation was further damaged.

So, the next evening, a letter was delivered to the Qin family, but it was delivered directly to Qin Yao.

In her letter, Xia Qiutang said that she did not want to take advantage of Qin Liu's kindness, but now she was being forced to her death. If Qin Liu did not help her, she would only have one way out: death.

He also thought of Qin Yao, saying that Qin Yao, a businesswoman, would be looked down upon if she married into a wealthy family, but he would protect her and they would enter the family together in the future. He would treat Qin Yao as his own younger sister.

……

After reading it, Qin Yao did not keep the letter, but instead had someone secretly deliver it to Qin Liu.

He didn't make a move, so what should she do with him?

Having been murdered and with everyone around her disappearing one by one, how could Qin Yao, reborn into this life, sit idly by and wait for death?

The first person I checked was Xia Qiutang, and then there was an unexpected surprise.

The first thing we know is that Xia Qiutang is not a simple concubine's daughter. Her mother was the first wife of the Vice Minister. However, after he was promoted and made a fortune, his wife died, so the first wife naturally did not receive the treatment she deserved.

She didn't die, but she was demoted to a concubine and barely survived in the Vice Minister's mansion. The one who died was her son from her previous marriage.

Xia Qiutang was born after she became a concubine.

This is going to be quite a show; if things don't go well with your marriage, you can use it.

The second thing they found was the man Xia Qiutang married in her previous life, the youngest son of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

The two had already started an affair.

Not only that, Qin Yao also discovered that Xia Qiutang had more than one backup boyfriend.

It's just a relatively good marriage prospect that's within reach.

Ha! She was actually killed because of such a woman in her past life. How stupid of her. She can't blame anyone else.

Finally, regarding Qin Liu, I spent some money to find out about him from Xia Qiutang's maid, Changwu.

A pancake, a meal.

Qin Liu still remembered it, but it turned out that it was just that Xia Qiutang's maid, Lüying, had bought it for her brother when he visited relatives that day. Lüying was suddenly called out and didn't have time to put the things away, so she took them with her.

Xia Qiutang thought the things were unclean and told Lüying to throw them away. Just then, there was a beggar outside, and Lüying casually tossed them over.

If Qin Liu should be grateful, it should be to Lü Ying.

That night, the letter reached Qin Liu's hands.

His reply was soon delivered to Qin Yao.

His reply was simple: after the deed was done, there were two conditions. First, Qin Yao's safety had to be guaranteed; second, he had to stay with Xia Qiutang.

Qin Yao then handed it out, asking someone to rewrite the letter and send it out again.

She would guarantee his safety, and if he wanted to be with Xia Qiutang, she would grant his wish.

The rumors and gossip outside have intensified far beyond expectations.

Of course, a great deal of the work here was done by Qin Yao.

Besides the ladies present at the time, she also sent storybooks to the teahouse and paid the storyteller to tell the stories in different ways.

A story about the inner quarters of a household, written by Qin Yao herself, only this time the Marquis's mansion is replaced with a wealthy but impoverished family in the county. The Qin family is now a family with no descendants but money, and the Vice Minister's family is replaced with the county magistrate.

These past few days, I've only talked about the scene where the character falls into the water. I've talked about it repeatedly until everyone in Kyoto knows about it, and until people start to speculate and make connections.

They also spread rumors and found several servants present to testify.

This immediately stirred up the Marquis's mansion and the Vice Minister's family, making them the talk of the town.

Within two days, the Vice Minister's family began to suppress the rumors, but it was too late. The Vice Minister blamed his wife for not handling the matter in time and also blamed his daughter for being troublesome.

He bluntly stated that he wanted to send her away.

After kneeling in the ancestral hall for two days, Xia Qiutang couldn't take it anymore and urged Jiang Su to take action as soon as possible.

Upon receiving the news, Jiang Su felt that things were almost arranged, so he set off in a grand procession with a large group of relatives.

Just as they were setting off, a secret letter was delivered to Xia Qiutang.

Xia Qiutang, who was kneeling as punishment in the ancestral hall, was trembling as she held the letter. After reading it, she could no longer hold back her tears.

Before Changwu and the guarding nanny could react, Xia Qiutang had already lifted her skirt and run out.

"Oh! Third Miss!" The guard, Granny Kong, was startled when she saw her run away and quickly got up to chase after her.

This was a punishment from the master, and the madam sent her. If things go wrong, she'll be the one punished.

Changwu followed. She hadn't been feeling well these past few days either; she had not only been beaten with a board but had also had to kneel in the ancestral hall with her mistress.

However, she was injured and could not outrun Granny Kong no matter what, so she could only limp behind them.

Xia Qiutang ran all the way to her aunt's courtyard. The servants inside were all surprised to see her, and for a moment no one stopped her.

Xia Qiutang went straight into the inner room, where her aunt, Chen, was leaning against the couch, her face pale.

"Auntie!"

Chen turned to look at her, and this startled her so much that she almost jumped down.

"Tang'er! Aren't you in the ancestral hall?"

It's no wonder that Madam Chen was surprised. Not only did she obey the words of the adults and the madam without question, but Xia Qiutang, under her tutelage, also dared not disobey.

Xia Qiutang had never done anything like this before, from childhood to adulthood.

As for the sudden lifting of the punishment, that was even more impossible. These past few days, she had been pleading with the mistress every day because of her daughter's matter, but she hadn't even been able to see the mistress's face.

I've heard quite a bit about what happened between my daughter and the crown prince. How could they possibly be released from their punishment under such circumstances!

“Auntie! Tell me! Are you Father’s first wife?” Xia Qiutang asked excitedly, sitting on the edge of the bed and holding Chen’s hand.

"Who told you that?!" Chen was shocked and squeezed Xia Qiutang's hand tightly.

"Never mind who told me! Just tell me, is that right?"

Many emotions flashed in Madam Chen's eyes, and she didn't know how to speak. Just then, Granny Kong caught up with her.

"Third...Third Miss! Ouch!" Granny Kong was getting on in years and was quite overweight; running like this was taking its toll.

"Third Miss...you...you can't hurt me...come back with me right now, or if Madam finds out, there will be even more trouble!"

Xia Qiutang ignored her and continued to look at Chen Shi.

"Auntie! Tell me, is it yes or no?"

Chen looked away, not daring to look at her, "Tang'er, don't ask!"

Seeing her like this, Xia Qiutang understood everything and immediately let out a cold laugh.

She suffered countless scornful looks and endured much mistreatment from her stepmother and stepsisters because of her status.

If it weren't for the fact that she was an illegitimate daughter, she wouldn't have had to fight for her own marriage.

Over the years, in order to change her status, she has resorted to any means necessary, inquiring about eligible young men and trying every possible way to get close to them.

As a result, she was now told that her mother was originally the legal wife, and she was originally supposed to be the legitimate daughter-in-law.

How could she accept this?!

She wants to forge her own path; she wants to rely on herself!