Upon hearing this, Luo Shi was naturally taken aback, hardly believing her ears. The wife of Steward Li immediately stepped forward and snatched the object wrapped in a slightly worn silk handkerchief from the maid’s hands. She obsequiously presented it to Luo Shi, unfolding it and saying, “Madam, look—are these not the two seal stones that the young lady lost?”
The room was brightly lit by candlelight. Luo Shi took the two seal stones from Steward Li’s wife and examined them closely—one was Tianhuang stone, the other chicken-blood stone. Indeed, they were the very seal stones her child Wuyou had lost.
What in the world was going on? How could these have been found in the quarters of the newly arrived bride? Had she not seen it with her own eyes, Luo Shi would never have believed it.
“Who would have thought that the newly arrived mistress would stoop so low…” Steward Li’s wife muttered disdainfully.
Luo Shi clenched the two seal stones in her hand and frowned at the woman, displeased by her remark. Yet the evidence was right before her, and she was momentarily at a loss. With so many eyes watching in the room, even if she wanted to shield Mu Xiyan, she couldn’t silence everyone.
As she hesitated, Steward Li’s wife spoke again, “Since the young lady’s lost seal stones have been found, this matter must be reported to the master. Let him decide how to handle it.”
Luo Shi pondered, feeling something was amiss, though she couldn’t pinpoint what. She waved her hand and said, “Wait. I must first ask my daughter-in-law for her explanation. And summon Wuyou as well.”
With that, she ordered a maid to fetch Mu Xiyan and Yan Wuyou, who were waiting outside.
Standing under the corridor outside, watching her mother-in-law Luo Shi lead a search party into her room, Mu Xiyan grew suspicious when they didn’t emerge for a long time. Had something been discovered in her room?
Soon, a maid hurried out and ran up to her, panting, “Mistress… the madam requests your presence.” She then turned to Yan Wuyou and curtsied, “Young lady, the madam also asks you to come to the mistress’s room.”
Yan Wuyou nodded and stepped forward, smiling as she tugged lightly at Mu Xiyan’s sleeve. “Let’s go.”
Mu Xiyan returned the smile, feeling reassured, and walked side by side with Yan Wuyou into her room. Upon entering, she immediately sensed the tense and eerie atmosphere. Luo Shi sat at a small round table, flanked by Steward Li’s wife, with seven or eight maids standing on either side. The moment Mu Xiyan and Yan Wuyou stepped in, all eyes turned toward them. Mu Xiyan felt a chill, instinctively realizing that the gazes were fixed on her.
Noticing the silence and the stares directed at Mu Xiyan, Yan Wuyou turned to Luo Shi and asked, “Mother, why have you called Xiyan and me in here?”Luo Shi raised her clenched hand and opened it, saying, "Look..."
Xiyan cried out in delight at the sight, "That's... that's... the young lady's two seal stones! The young lady's seal stones have been found!"
Yan Wuyou glanced at the overjoyed Xiyan and couldn't help shaking her head, thinking, "This silly girl is still so happy, not realizing this feast is set up just for you!" She sighed softly and walked over to Luo Shi, saying, "Mother, let me see."
Luo Shi handed the two seal stones wrapped in a slightly old silk handkerchief to Yan Wuyou.
Yan Wuyou took them and examined them carefully for a while. Without a word, she wrapped the two seal stones back in the same old handkerchief and returned them to Luo Shi.
Luo Shi noticed her child's indifferent expression, showing little joy, as if she were an unrelated bystander. Meanwhile, the suspected thief—her daughter-in-law—was beaming with happiness. This? It only deepened her confusion.
"Hmph! What a performance. In all my years, I've never seen a thief who could act so well," the housekeeper Li sneered from the side.
Xiyan caught the implication of these words. Could the thief she was referring to be... herself? She then noticed Luo Shi looking at her with suspicion, and the other maids and servants in the room were mostly casting cold and disdainful glances her way. Recalling how nothing had been found in the other servants' rooms during the search, yet the seal stones had turned up under her bed—didn't that make her the thief?
Realizing this, Xiyan's heart leaped into her throat. She stammered, "It's... it's not me..."
Luo Shi responded gently, "Good child, don't be afraid. I believe it wasn't you. But the maids found these two seal stones under your bed. Can you explain why the missing seal stones from Wuyou's study ended up in your room? Or if you have any difficulties, you can tell me?"
Xiyan was utterly bewildered by the sudden accusation. She could only wave her hands frantically and say, "Mother-in-law, it really wasn't me. I don't know how the young lady's missing seal stones ended up in my room."
At this, the housekeeper Li interjected again, "The stolen items were found in your room, yet you claim ignorance? No one would believe that. I think we should take the young mistress to the master and let him handle this matter."
Luo Shi glanced at Mu Xiyan, then at Yan Wuyou, hesitating. Unexpectedly, Yan Wuyou said, "I agree. Additionally, I’d like Mother to invite the two concubines and Changsong, along with the other siblings, to Father’s presence. Since such an incident has occurred in the household, everyone must be curious. Without clarity, no one will rest easy."
"I’m afraid the concubines and Changsong may have already retired for the night. Perhaps we should summon them tomorrow?" Luo Shi hesitated.Yan Wuyou added, "I suppose Father and Mother both wish to clarify this matter of the missing seal stones and identify the true culprit. Therefore, it would be best for us to get to the bottom of this tonight. We shouldn't let the real thief escape while Miss Xiyan is wrongfully accused."
Luo Shi seemed to detect something in these words. Hearing Yan Wuyou speak with such certainty, she said, "Very well. Let us all gather in the main hall at the front. We'll summon your father, the concubines, and your younger siblings."
"This matter involves the personal attendants serving both me and Miss Xiyan. They must be brought along as well," Yan Wuyou reminded.
Luo Shi glanced at her daughter and nodded. "Then we'll proceed as you suggest."
The Li steward's wife opened her mouth as if to speak, but upon seeing Luo Shi's decision was made, she restrained herself. Luo Shi then instructed several maids to notify Wang Yiniang, Jiao Yiniang, and the children including Yan Changsong to assemble in the main hall. She then led the group toward her own main courtyard.
Fifteen minutes later, outside the main hall of Luo Shi's courtyard, stood all the maids involved in the incident. Inside the hall, Yan Wengui and Luo Shi occupied the main seats, while Wang Yiniang and Jiao Yiniang sat to the left, flanked by Yan Changzhu and Yan Wuyu.
On the right side, Yan Wuyou, Yan Changsong, and Yan Changbai sat in a row of official chairs. Mu Xiyan stood at the center of the hall, with the Li steward's wife positioned behind her.
Once everyone was seated, Luo Shi recounted in detail the events of searching Yan Wuyou's courtyard for the stolen seal stones. Finally, she presented the two seal stones to Yan Wengui before the assembled group.
Yan Wengui examined the stones carefully before looking up sternly at Mu Xiyan in the center of the hall. "Daughter-in-law, explain what's going on here. Since your marriage into our Yan family, we've treated you well. Why would you do such a thing?"
Mu Xiyan paled, shaking her head nervously. "Father-in-law, I didn't... I truly don't know..."
As she defended herself, she cast pleading glances at Yan Wuyou, growing increasingly anxious. She recalled how just days ago, the eldest Yan daughter had confidently promised to handle this matter of the missing seal stones. Yet now, the young mistress sat calmly without making any move.
Noticing Mu Xiyan's pitiful, helpless, and aggrieved gaze, Yan Wuyou cleared her throat. "Father, your conclusion seems rather hasty. How can you assume Miss Xiyan is guilty simply because the seal stones were found in her room?"
"Oh?" Yan Wengui set down the stones and stroked his thin beard. "Speak your mind freely, child."Yan Wuyou continued, "First of all, Xiyan has never received any formal education. Apart from recognizing her own name, she is practically illiterate and thus knows nothing about scholarly collectibles or seal stones. Even when Caiyan handed her those items from the study, she had no idea of their actual value. Moreover, there are over a dozen rare and valuable seal stones in my study. Why is it that only the two most precious ones went missing this time? This is the first suspicious point."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was startled. It turned out that this newlywed bride was actually illiterate, which was entirely unexpected. They had assumed that, being the daughter of a county magistrate, she would at least be literate—a rarity indeed for someone from an official's family.
This first point did indeed seem suspicious. Yan Wengui nodded and said, "Indeed, as my child has pointed out, the first point doesn't seem like something our daughter-in-law would do. But isn't it possible she randomly took two pieces and happened to pick the most valuable ones?"
Luo Shi, who had initially been pleased by Yan Wuyou's first statement defending Mu Xiyan, now felt displeased when Yan Wengui raised this one-in-a-million possibility to challenge their child. She secretly glared at Yan Wuyou, almost exclaiming aloud—how could someone who had been an official for over a decade be so hard on their own child?
Yan Wuyou stood up, walked slowly to Mu Xiyan's side, and patted her shoulder reassuringly before turning to Luo Shi and Yan Wengui seated at the head of the hall. "Assuming Father's one-in-a-million scenario is possible—that Xiyan took the valuable seal stones for profit—then consider this: if a servant stole their master's belongings, wouldn't they try to sell or transfer them as quickly as possible? At the very least, they would hide them in a secret place outside. But the maid who found the seal stones discovered them under the bed in Xiyan's own bedroom. What does that imply?"
Yan Wengui smiled and interjected, "It implies that either your wife is incredibly foolish or someone deliberately framed her. If we assume your wife is foolish enough to steal the stones and hide them in her own room instead of elsewhere, isn't that another one-in-a-million possibility?"
Yan Wuyou didn't respond directly. Instead, she turned to Mu Xiyan beside her and said, "Miss Xiyan, show us your handkerchief."
Puzzled but compliant, Mu Xiyan took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to Yan Wuyou. Holding it up, Yan Wuyou walked to Luo Shi and said, "Mother, please take a look at these embroidered chrysanthemums. Do you notice anything unusual?"
After examining it carefully, Luo Shi exclaimed in surprise, "These chrysanthemums are embroidered using the double-strand embroidery technique from the long-lost Hongxiu Workshop. The color of the flowers shifts slightly when viewed from different angles.""Mother, take another look at the pouch Xiyan is wearing, and the decorative borders on her skirt are also embroidered with this same technique. What you may not know is that this embroidery method was passed down to Miss Xiyan from her grandmother, so the patterns on her handkerchiefs and such are different from others'." At this point, Luo Shi seemed to realize something and immediately picked up the slightly worn handkerchief wrapped around two seal stones to examine it closely. Sure enough, the cluster of bamboo embroidered on it was done using ordinary stitching.
Luo Shi then took Xiyan's embroidered...
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