Xiaolian, who had originally intended to go find He Yushan, suddenly halted her steps.

She felt a pang of nervousness. Weren't all the guests in the mansion supposed to have left already?

Then why did she still see that little brat?

Thinking back to the three children who had been gathered around when she took the baby away, Xiaolian frowned. If she had done this alone, there would be nothing to worry about.

What worried her was that these three children might have said something they shouldn't have, exposing her actions.

And now, as feared, trouble had indeed come.

Xiaolian felt a surge of annoyance in her heart; she shouldn't have come over just now.

With this thought, she withdrew her foot, deciding it was best to leave the Diligence Courtyard immediately.

If that little brat recognized her, it would be troublesome.

Having made up her mind, Xiaolian turned to leave uneasily. However, while she had noticed Xu Qingshi inside the room, she failed to notice that Xie Yanzhi and Jiang Yu were a step behind.

As soon as Xiaolian turned around, she bumped right into Xie Yanzhi and Jiang Yu.

Xie Yanzhi and Jiang Yu stared wide-eyed at the woman before them.

That bad woman!

Remembering that this bad woman would harm children, their first reaction was to run.

"Yanzhi?" Lady Yao, who had spotted a child resembling her son from a distance, hurried over. But just as she called her son's name, she saw Xie Yanzhi, seemingly terrified, quickly run behind her. Pointing at the ferocious-looking Xiaolian, he said, "Mother, bad woman!"

Jiang Yu, snapping back to reality, also hurriedly hid behind Lady Yao, trembling with fear.

Xie Jincheng, following behind, heard his son's words and without a second thought, strode forward, grabbed Xiaolian's hand, and twisted it behind her back.

But... this was just a maid with no strength to tie up a chicken?

Why were his son and Jiang Yu so afraid of her?

"Sir, what has this servant done wrong? I am a maid of the Grand Princess's mansion. What do you intend by grabbing my hand like this?" Xiaolian struggled but couldn't break free, so she deliberately twisted his meaning.

Xiaolian's heart sank. She hadn't expected those three children to still be in the Grand Princess's mansion. Now she was also afraid—had the Grand Princess discovered that she had abandoned the young miss?

Recalling the Grand Princess's usual swift and decisive methods, Xiaolian was filled with dread.

Lady Yao frowned, looking at her son and Jiang Yu. This was just a maid. Why were they afraid of her? And calling her a bad woman?

"What's going on?" Hearing the commotion, Gu Xiangnan came out with his two sons to investigate.

Seeing Xie Jincheng holding a young maid, he was also puzzled.

At that moment, the Grand Princess, supported by He Yushan, also emerged.

Ruan Jinge, holding the child, followed behind.

"Xiaolian?"

He Yushan exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Xiaolian restrained.

Only then did Gu Yunfan recognize that this maid was none other than Xiaolian, who served his wife.

"Lord Xie, is there some misunderstanding? This is my maid?" He Yushan looked displeased at Xie Jincheng, thinking, how could this man just grab her maid like that?

Wasn't this a slap to her face?

Xu Qingshi looked at the woman seized by Xie Jincheng. Wasn't she the bad woman who had abandoned Little Dumpling?

"She's the bad woman who abandoned Little Dumpling!"

Without thinking, Xu Qingshi shouted.

His voice stunned everyone in the Grand Princess's mansion.

Even Lady Yao beside him widened her eyes in shock.

Xu Heming didn't react much; after all, such domestic strife was not uncommon among noble families in the capital.

"Impossible!" He Yushan retorted as soon as she regained her composure.

"The three of us saw her take Little Dumpling away with our own eyes. She said the Grand Princess missed Little Dumpling and wanted to see her. We even spoke with her!" Xu Qingshi stated with absolute certainty.

"Madam, save me! This servant has been by your side all day today. How could I have gone near the young miss?" Xiaolian pleaded tearfully.

He Yushan glared coldly at Xu Qingshi. Such words could not be spoken lightly.

Otherwise, if word got out that she had plotted against her sister-in-law's newborn daughter, her reputation would be ruined.

"Xiaolian has been by my side all day. She couldn't possibly have taken the child out." He Yushan firmly believed Xiaolian's words.

After all, Xiaolian was a maid she had brought from her parents' home. She didn't believe Xiaolian would lie to her.

Moreover, although she disliked her mother-in-law favoring the second branch's little girl so much, she had never thought of harming the child.

It was just a girl, destined to marry out eventually.

She hadn't ordered Xiaolian to do such a thing, and she saw no reason for Xiaolian to act on her own.

"When you were by this old woman's side, this maid was not present." The Grand Princess looked at He Yushan, the chill in her eyes intensifying.

Everyone present understood that Xiaolian was He Yushan's person. If Xiaolian had truly done this, everyone would assume He Yushan was behind it.

"Sister-in-law, why would you do this?" Ruan Jinge felt a pang of heartache recalling the day's terrifying events.

And now, the one responsible turned out to be her respected elder sister-in-law?

"It wasn't me. I didn't do it." He Yushan shook her head.

She couldn't understand how things had come to this.

"If it wasn't you, why did Shaoyu come to lie before this princess?" The Grand Princess looked at her daughter-in-law. She had originally thought she was sensible.

Who would have thought her heart was so narrow that she couldn't even tolerate a child?

"Mother-in-law, I truly didn't. Xiaolian, tell them quickly, you didn't do it, right?" He Yushan looked at Xiaolian with hopeful expectation.

She longed to hear a denial.

"It was her. We all saw her. Also, this morning she was wearing green clothes, and she has a scar the size of a copper coin on her left wrist. I saw it clearly." Xu Qingshi described with great clarity what Xiaolian wore that morning and the scar on her hand.

"Yes, it was her! I saw it too!" Xie Yanzhi quickly emerged from behind Lady Yao to say.

"I saw it too," Jiang Yu affirmed with certainty.

"I didn't!" Xiaolian tried to struggle, but Xie Jincheng directly pushed up the sleeve on her left arm, revealing the scar.

"Xiaolian, why did you do this?" He Yushan looked at Xiaolian in despair, unable to comprehend her motives.

"Sister-in-law, why would she do it? Doesn't she listen to you?" Gu Yunshu, thinking how his daughter had nearly lost her life, was filled with rage.

He and his wife had always been respectful towards their elder sister-in-law. Yet, she had tried to harm Nuonuo, a child so small.

How cruel her heart must be!

"It wasn't me!" He Yushan shook her head, but no one believed her words.