"Madame, Qiu Mama has just returned." Zhi Hua knew that her Madame was very concerned about Qiu Mama's recent whereabouts, so she kept a constant lookout. 

"Bring her to me," Su Yufeng gritted her teeth and said.

"Yes!" Zhi Hua quickly fetched Qiu Mama.

"Why has Madame called for me?" Qiu Mama asked respectfully.

"You still have enough self-respect left to ask?" Su Yufeng slammed the table and grilled her furiously, "I instructed you to bury a thousand silver taels and Ye Ruyi's slave deed in Fifth Concubine's courtyard, how did these things turn into rocks?"

"You wrongfully accuse me. I indeed buried those things in the courtyard as you instructed. I do not know either how they turned into rocks!" Qiu Mama kneeled down in fear and trepidation and added hurriedly, "Could it be that Fifth Concubine had an inkling of the plan and swapped out the silver taels?"

Su Yufeng squinted at Qiu Mama. She thought of something, and her anger settled. She nodded and said, "That is possible. After all, Fifth Concubine has always been full of craft and cunning. It would not be strange if she had exchanged the silver taels."

"Aye, it is my fault for being incompetent. I was complacent because Fifth Concubine was lying in bed, which resulted in this slip-up. Madame, please punish me," Qiu Mama said apologetically.

"It is not your fault. Forget it, you may go!" Su Yufeng dismissed coolly.

"Madame, thank you for not rebuking me." Qiu Mama shed tears of grat.i.tude and thanked Su Yufeng before she bowed, retreated a few steps, and left.

 As Su Yufeng watched Qiu Mama go, a flash of coldness flitted past her eyes. 

The next morning, she went to the Su Residence in a carriage. This time, Su Junqing was home. When he saw Su Yufeng, he smiled and said, "Aunt, since you are here, has everything been settled?"

"Settled my *ss!" Su Yufeng rarely swore, but she did not hold back as she pointed at Su Junqing and reprimanded him, "You brat! You have caused me so much trouble. Did you take the people in the Justice Department for fools and use a random girl's corpse as a stand-in for Ye Ruyi?"

"What? The people in the Justice Department saw through it? How is that possible?" Su Junqing was a little startled.

The small girl's body has the same shape as Ye Ruyi's, and she is dressed in Ye Ruyi's clothes, accessories, and longevity lock. How did the people at the Justice Department see through it?

"How would I know? Anyway, Old Master is very certain that the small cadaver was not Ye Ruyi," Su Yufeng replied peevishly.

Su Junqing frowned slightly. Wan Ziyang and Bai Songling were the only ones who could have possibly seen through the corpse charade. Both of them were difficult to handle and had been watching his underground businesses closely. He hated them to the bone and would not be satisfied until they were both dead. However, these men had immense cultivated power. Although Su Junqing had sent a.s.sa.s.sins after them a few times, all were unsuccessful. It was a difficult task that had cost him manpower.

Su Yufeng saw her nephew's dreadful expression and thought that she had been too harsh on him. She softened her tone and said, "Junqing, it is not that I want to nag you, but Ye Ruyi is a nuisance and must not remain alive."

"Aunt, do not worry. Ye Ruyi will not live longer than seven days," Su Junqing said with certainty.

"Why do you need to keep her alive for so long?" Su Yufeng frowned.

Even if he wanted to toy with small girls, there were plenty of them in the Drunken Cloud Pavilion: why did he have to cling so tightly to Ye Ruyi?

"Aunt, don't fret over this. I heard that cousin Shanshan has been going out with the Crown Prince lately. It seems that a happy occasion will be arriving soon." Su Junqing gave a slight smile and changed the topic.

Su Yufeng knew that she could not pressure him too much. After all, he was the Su Clan's future heir, and she still needed his support. She replied, "Shanshan is immature. She still needs you to put in a good word for her with the Crown Prince."

"Aunt, you need not worry. I will definitely help my cousin achieve her aim," Su Junqing said with a laugh.

"Oh, by the way, how is the investigation into the incident regarding Lady Yun going?" Su Yufeng asked.

Although she had suspected that Ye Jiuge was the culprit, she could not be sure without evidence. After all, many people had grown envious of the Su Clan over the years. 

"I haven't found anything." 

Su Junqing felt unhappy at the mention of the incident. He had trained Lady Yun for many years and even taught her Mental Manipulation. Just as she was beginning to see some success with it, she was murdered. It was a ma.s.sive loss for him. 

"I think that the Drunken Cloud Pavilion should be managed more strictly."

"I understand."

"Oh, I have another matter that requires your help." Su Yufeng lowered her voice and carefully instructed Su Junqing.

"That is a trivial matter. Do not worry, Aunt. I will definitely help you prune the weeds and pull up the roots." Su Junqing nodded.

"It would be best if you could throw the blame to Ye Jiuge," Su Yufeng said with a cloudy face.

"That will be difficult," Su Junqing hesitated before he spoke.

Since Ye Jiuge had returned from the Wanzhang Depths, people were watching her. For now, it would be disadvantageous for them to act against Ye Jiuge.

"Do it, even if it is difficult," Su Yufeng gritted her teeth and said.

Ye Jiuge had repeatedly ruined her plots, and she could not tolerate it any longer.

"I will try my best to help you." Since his aunt had helped him obtain Ye Ruyi, he would try to find a solution within his power.

Meanwhile, as Su Junqing and Su Yufeng were discussing how to deal with her, Ye Jiuge was sitting down to tea with Wan Ziyang in the Yuwu Teahouse. 

After drinking half a pot of tea and still no word from Wan Ziyang, Ye Jiuge could not control herself and blurted out, "And why is Lord Wan looking for me?"

"I came to tell you that there are developments in the small girl's case." Wan Ziyang placed his teacup down. He had expected Ye Jiuge to speak only after they had drunk the entire pot.

"Oh, what developments?" Ye Jiuge's eyes immediately brightened.

When she was performing the autopsy, she had suspected that the small girl had been killed by a perverse customer from the Drunken Cloud Pavilion and thrown into the water to impersonate Ye Ruyi. As such, she had written an anonymous letter to request that Wan Ziyang investigate the Drunken Cloud Pavilion, but she had not expected him to act with such haste.

"The small girl was secretly sold to the Drunken Cloud Pavilion by her stepmother and was abused to death," Wan Ziyang said with a sullen face.

While he had already arrested the girl's stepmother, the Drunken Cloud Pavilion had refused to admit it. He did not have sufficient evidence and was unable to act against them. As such, he had been feeling dispirited.

Ye Jiuge fell silent. Although she had guessed the cause, it was still a bitter pill to swallow.

The small girl had been so young and died so tragically.

"Eldest Miss Ye, don't you find it strange that your Fourth Sister's longevity lock was hanging on the small girl's body?" Wan Ziyang's inquisitive eyes fell on Ye Jiuge.

When he had received the anonymous letter the previous afternoon, he had suspected that Ye Jiuge had sent it. There was too much of a coincidence. Frankly, he could not figure Ye Jiuge out. Even though the people in the capital had called her stupid, useless, and ugly, at present, only "ugly" appeared to describe her; he did not find her "stupid" or "useless."

"I don't find it strange." Ye Jiuge shook her head.

"What do you mean?" Wan Ziyang frowned. He had thought that Ye Jiuge had wanted to find her younger sister wholeheartedly. Could it be that he had guessed wrong?