Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Coachman Who Refused to Admit His Debt

“Miss, you’re awake?” Qingyue burst through the door and, seeing Qin Wanru already dressed, was momentarily stunned.

“I couldn’t sleep up on the mountain,” Qin Wanru explained, pulling at her sleeve, then shifted the subject. “What is it?”

“Something happened across the way—a man was found beneath a young lady’s window in the courtyard opposite ours. I was worried something might happen to you, so I rushed in!” Qingyue, seeing that Qin Wanru was unharmed, finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to report.

“Let’s go and take a look.” Qin Wanru sat before her dressing table. “Just tie my hair up simply.”

Qingyue nodded and stepped forward, deftly making two simple buns for Qin Wanru, forgoing any ornaments and only tying two ribbons.

When Qin Wanru and Qingyue arrived at the neighboring house, a large crowd had already gathered. Many had been disturbed from their rest, and even some nuns from Tranquility Nunnery had come over to maintain order.

The black-clad man had already regained consciousness and was tied up tightly by two burly matrons, forced to kneel on the ground. The black cloth covering his face had been torn away.

Just as Qin Wanru entered, she caught sight of that somewhat familiar face, though for a moment, she couldn’t recall who he was.

“Miss, he’s from our manor!” Qingyue, her eyes sharper than Qin Wanru’s, recognized him at once and announced loudly.

Her voice rang out clearly, and immediately the noisy crowd fell into silence, all eyes turning to Qin Wanru and her maid. Up till now, no one had managed to get the black-clad man to speak. Yet, the things found on him were enough to condemn his intentions.

The mountain was filled solely with womenfolk. If any were abducted, it was obvious they would be sold into those filthy places. The ladies present loathed such men to the core.

A decent girl, sold off to such a place—what good could come of it? The black-clad man had already been beaten by many, but he clenched his teeth and refused to speak, leaving everyone at a loss.

“He’s... from our manor?” Qin Wanru wore a look of surprise, her gaze scrutinizing the man.

“He’s Madam’s coachman, the one who always drives her carriage,” Qingyue confirmed after a glance. Though his face was swollen from the blows, she recognized him at once.

The men from Lady Di’s household were always dominant in the General’s Manor, even the coachmen. This coachman, being Lady Di’s man, would never drive for Qin Wanru. Even when the other coachmen were unavailable, he would make excuses, claiming Madam might need the carriage any moment.

Because of this, Qingyue had suffered his attitude many times and recognized him all too well.

The coachman’s head buzzed from the beating. Hearing the sudden hush in the crowd, he instinctively looked up, meeting Qin Wanru’s dark, penetrating gaze. He panicked and began to struggle frantically.

Having been knocked out and awakening to find himself surrounded by strangers, the coachman was relieved, thinking that as long as no one discovered he was Lady’s man, she would have ways to free him.

He didn’t know why he’d ended up beneath a strange young lady’s window, but he was grateful that he hadn’t been found out by Second Miss’s people.

He thought he must have made a mistake, and though unlucky, he felt somewhat fortunate.

But to his shock, Qin Wanru now stood before him, and panic overtook him.

“You serve my mother?” Qin Wanru’s gaze was icy as it settled on his face.

Chilled by her cold stare, the coachman averted his head and continued to struggle, pretending he hadn’t heard her.

“So you truly are my mother’s man. Why did she send you here? Was it for me?” Qin Wanru continued, her voice steady.

“Miss, you’ve got the wrong person. I... I don’t know what you’re talking about, don’t know which Madam you mean!” the coachman shouted, realizing silence would not do, and decided to deny everything.

Qin Wanru sneered inwardly.

This coachman was obviously Lady Di’s confidant. With Qin Yuru in trouble, Lady Di was growing desperate and resorted to such vile schemes. She must have calculated that, with so few servants by Qin Wanru’s side, it would be easy to abduct and drug a mere eleven-year-old child.

Glancing around, Qin Wanru saw that the crowd had grown suspicious, but no one spoke; a peculiar silence hung over the scene.

“Miss, I don’t know what you’re implying. I’ve never seen you before. I just... just saw that young lady was pretty and...” The coachman’s eyes darted about, and he pointed at a young lady, who was weeping in her maid’s arms.

This girl had just been helped out of the room.

Weighing his options, the coachman was not afraid of prison; Madam’s influence could always secure his release.

At his words, the young lady sobbed anew. A woman in her thirties came forward, gently holding and soothing her, her gaze landing on Qin Wanru with a frown.

A maid at her side wanted to step forward, but the woman waved her back.

But the subtle gesture did not escape Qin Wanru’s notice. She had never seen such poise in a woman in Jiangzhou Prefecture—her servants so well-trained, obeying with just a signal. This was surely no ordinary lady.

“Qingyue, slap him!” Qin Wanru concealed her surprise and issued the cold order. The more unusual the situation, the more to her advantage.

Already furious, Qingyue strode over and delivered several hard slaps to the coachman’s face.

“What business is this of yours? Why meddle, like a nosy dog chasing rats!” the coachman snarled at Qin Wanru, his anger rising.

“Go on, keep lying. Do you really think that even if you end up in prison, my mother will always find a way to rescue you?” Qin Wanru’s voice was icy, her unwavering gaze chilling the coachman to his core.

Wasn’t this Second Miss always gentle and soft-spoken, easy to deal with?

“Young Miss, I truly don’t know you! You keep mentioning some Madam, dragging me into your disputes—what’s your aim? If you have a grudge with that Madam, that’s your business. Don’t involve me; I have nothing to do with your quarrels!” The coachman, panicked, still tried to maintain his composure and argued loudly.

He tried to act righteous, as if he were a gentleman criticizing Qin Wanru. If not for the current circumstances, some might have believed him. But now, his protests only deepened everyone’s suspicions, and more began to side with Qin Wanru.

A man carrying such things, sneaking beneath a young woman’s window—no one could think well of him. His posturing was laughable.

“If you insist on denying until death, so be it. I’ll have Grandmother send for Father, so he can identify you himself,” Qin Wanru declared sternly, her small face set in determination. Though young and diminutive, she radiated an indescribable authority.

The woman in her thirties regarded Qin Wanru with astonished eyes.

Such a child, younger than her own daughter, yet able to remain so calm and composed under these circumstances—this was rare even among the daughters of the most illustrious families.

The coachman grew frantic, his eyes darting. If this matter reached the General, he would be finished—Madam had warned him repeatedly about this.

But then he remembered that the General was preoccupied with Eldest Miss’s affairs—he surely wouldn’t have time to spare. He cursed himself for worrying too much earlier, and his courage returned.

“Let the young miss call whomever she wishes; I have nothing to fear,” the coachman said, attempting to sound unafraid, but in this moment his pitiful bravado only made him less believable.

“Qingyue, have someone from Grandmother’s rooms summon Father—tell him Grandmother is gravely ill and he must come to Tranquility Nunnery at once!” Qin Wanru, seeing the coachman still unyielding, lifted her brow and gave the order.

“Second Miss, you would deceive the General? Such filial impiety!” The coachman, panicked, shouted, then his face froze.

Eldest Miss’s situation was important, but if Old Madam truly fell ill, the General would come at once. The old lady was advanced in years; any mishap could not be ignored.

But in his panic, he failed to guard his tongue and blurted out, “Second Miss,” when before he had only addressed her as “this young lady.”

“Second Miss? So now you know I am the Second Miss, not the Eldest?” Qin Wanru had been waiting for this. She turned the tables, her gaze sharp as a blade.

With this, the truth was plain to all: the black-clad man was indeed a villain from the General’s Manor. Those who knew Qin Wanru, or could infer her identity, instantly understood the connections.

In Jiangzhou Prefecture, the only one called General was Ningyuan General Qin Huaiyong.

“Sec—Miss Qin, I... I’ve seen you before, I know you’re the Second Miss of the Ningyuan General’s Manor,” the coachman tried to argue.

But Qin Wanru ignored him, her gaze shifting to the window where he’d been caught, and then following its line of sight outside. The crowd’s eyes followed hers.

“Could it be you went to the wrong place? Mixed up left and right, and took this young lady for me, making her suffer in my place?”

Qin Wanru’s gaze returned from her own courtyard to the one before her.

It was a coincidence—the two courtyards faced each other, both simple, with low walls, as no men were expected to stay overnight. From one courtyard, you could see the opposite house and its window.

The two windows were nearly aligned.

So it was a mistake? The onlookers began to whisper. Though they’d suspected the coachman, they’d wondered why a servant from the General’s Manor would do such a thing—targeting a young lady he didn’t know. But following Qin Wanru’s gaze, they understood.

“So the General’s wife wants to harm her own daughter? Such a cruel heart, fiercer than a tiger’s.”

“Fiercer than a tiger? Don’t you know, the General’s wife isn’t the Second Miss’s birth mother.”

“Truly despicable and depraved. I heard before that the General’s wife and Eldest Miss nearly ruined Second Miss’s reputation—now they want to destroy her completely...”

“That woman is truly evil. Even if she’s not the birth mother, can she not bear even a child without a mother?”

...