"What do you mean?" Madam Shen was taken aback and asked, "Just that sentence, nothing else?"

Jinxiu puckered her lips and nodded, "Just that sentence."

Madam Shen sat down with a puzzled look, contemplating Old Madam Shen’s intentions.

Xiqiu asked Nanny Cen, "Has everything been sent to the Ruan Mansion?" Nanny Cen replied affirmatively, "Madam Ruan said she will submit the card to the palace tomorrow, ensuring that the lady’s words are conveyed."

Xiqiu nodded. The curtain was suddenly lifted, and Bihuai peeked in with a troubled expression, "Madam, something happened." Xiqiu was stunned and asked, "What happened?"

Bihuai entered cautiously and said, "Just now, Mrs.’s sent someone over saying that Second Madam is missing."

Missing? How could a perfectly fine person go missing? Xiqiu furrowed her brows and asked, "How did she disappear?"

Bihuai replied, "The First Madam said someone went to deliver food to the Second Madam in the morning. When they opened the door, they saw the maid inside had been knocked out, and the Second Madam was nowhere to be found, even her usual clothes and jewelry were missing." Bihuai was filled with skepticism; could it be that the Second Madam had been pretending to be mad all these years and seized the opportunity to escape?

"And the Marquis, has he sent someone to search?" A person might feign madness for half a month or half a year, but maintaining such an act for so long is not easy. Moreover, the Second Madam, such a proud person, wouldn’t pretend to be mad... But it’s understandable if a mad person suddenly disappears. However, it’s unimaginable for a mad person to pack their bags and escape from the Marquis Mansion guarded everywhere.

"The Marquis has sent people to search!" Bihuai replied.

Xiqiu nodded, whether Princess Chengning is crazy, a rebel, or anything else doesn’t matter; the Emperor wouldn’t pursue it. If not for her madness and the protection of the Xuanning Marquis Mansion, she might have been sentenced to death by the Emperor long ago. But if one day she leaves the Xuanning Marquis Mansion and suffers humiliation or does something disgraceful to the Imperial Family, the Emperor would view the matter differently.

Intuitively, Xiqiu felt someone had taken the Second Madam away.

Xiqiu changed her clothes and went to the Marquis Mansion. The Grand Dowager and First Madam also had somber faces; this matter could be big or small, possibly involving remnants of Prince Rong’s faction. Xiqiu stayed with them for a while; Fourth Master Xiao and Xiao Yanyi had not returned.

The Grand Dowager, seeing Zhi yawn, said, "It’s getting late. You should take the child back; he’s tired."

Xiqiu looked at the sleepy Zhi, nodded, and said, "I’ll take him back." She bid farewell to the Grand Dowager, headed to Yimen, and boarded the carriage.

The streets were under curfew, yet footsteps could be heard all around, occasionally accompanied by subdued knocks on doors. Xiqiu held Zhi and sat with Bihuai and Biwu in the carriage, which clattered along until it suddenly stopped. Biwu asked, "What’s happening?"

Tiancheng, who was accompanying the carriage, replied, "We’ve encountered the Marquis ahead, Madam. Should we greet him?"

Xiqiu paused, knowing Xiao Yanyi was probably searching for the Second Madam, and softly replied, "Go ahead and greet him." Tiancheng complied, spoke a few words with Xiao Yanyi, and returned to tell Xiqiu, "The Marquis said he sent people to escort us back; Fourth Master is outside the city and may return late. He asks you not to worry."

"Understood." Xiqiu acknowledged, and the carriage resumed its journey, now with an additional seven or eight guards escorting them back to the Governor Mansion. Once Xiqiu was inside, they turned back.

Xiqiu put Zhi to sleep, sat alone in her room waiting for Fourth Master Xiao, and uncertainly picked up a book, idly flipping through it. At some point, she dozed off at the table, startled awake by the sound of footsteps. She saw Fourth Master Xiao leaning over planning to carry her to bed.

"You’re back." Xiqiu rubbed her eyes and stood up, eagerly asking, "Did you find her?"

Seeing her awake, Fourth Master Xiao sat beside her, poured himself a cup of tea from the teapot, and replied, "Found her..." His face was grim, and his tone carried hidden anger.

Xiqiu was shocked and asked, "What happened?"

Fourth Master Xiao looked at her, his face as cold as ice: "Found her in Chunli Building."

Chunli Building? Xiqiu’s heart sank. Though she hadn’t heard of it before, the name alone told her it was undoubtedly a brothel.

Her face turned solemn as she sat across Fourth Master Xiao, "Where is she now? Where have they sent her?" Since she was found in Chunli Building, she couldn’t be brought back to the Marquis Mansion.

Fourth Master Xiao pondered for a moment and slowly replied, "She’s been sent to the Shandong estate overnight."

Xiqiu felt a weight on her heart, "Were any clues found on how she entered, or how she left the Marquis Mansion?" She couldn’t have entered the brothel or left the mansion without help.

Fourth Master Xiao set down his teacup, his voice as cold as ice, "Second Brother dug out her hairpin and clothes behind Madam Shen’s courtyard; they were freshly buried."

Indeed, it was Madam Shen!

She intentionally cleared away the Second Madam’s jewelry and clothes, creating the illusion that she was lucid and escaped, truly a meticulous scheme.

Xiqiu clenched her fist tightly... The most hateful act of all was sending her to a brothel. Even if the Second Madam were found, she couldn’t return to the Marquis Mansion; publicly, they’d only claim she died unexpectedly. Otherwise, the scandal would damage the Imperial Family’s reputation, and Xiao Yanyi would never escape being labeled a cuckold.

Such a vicious tactic.

This woman must not remain in the mansion!

"Tomorrow, go be with Mother. We haven’t told her about this yet; find some excuse to send Madam Shen away. I’m just worried Mother might be devastated if she learns about this." Fourth Master Xiao said calmly.

Xiqiu nodded in agreement.