A grandmother and granddaughter swap souls, causing chaos throughout the entire court.

Granny Liu led a group of rough-looking women into various houses.

"The lady's dowry gold bracelet is missing. No one is allowed to leave the courtyard today!"

The group of maids and servants were immediately thrown into a panic.

"Granny Liu, how could this be? We've been serving in the courtyard for years, who would dare steal Madam's things?"

"Whether it was stolen or not, we'll only know after a search!"

With a stern face, Granny Liu waved her hand, and the rough maids behind her rushed into the room, turning the chests, beds, and drawers into a complete mess.

The young maids turned pale with fright and cried out that they were innocent.

Granny Liu, however, turned a deaf ear.

She led her men to search from the main house to the side house, and then from the side house to the front yard.

Anyone who dared to utter a word along the way was silenced by her cold glare.

When they found the west wing, the third young master, Zhong Shichu, was squatting under the eaves, wiping the mud off the boots of the seventh young master, Zhong Shiyi, who had just returned to the mansion.

Chung Shih-chu was only five years old, and his size was smaller than that of other children his age.

When Granny Liu led her people over, he didn't even dare to raise his head. He simply moved aside to make way for them.

"search!"

Several old women immediately rushed into the side room.

Zhong Shichu was so startled that his hand trembled and his boot fell to the ground.

"Granny Liu, what's wrong?"

he asked quietly.

Granny Liu looked him up and down, her eyes as if she were examining a condemned object.

"What happened? Madam's gold bracelet is missing. The entire Lanxi Garden needs to be investigated."

Zhong Shichu quickly stood up: "I didn't take Madam's things."

"Whether you took it or not, we'll find out by searching you."

Zhong Shichu subconsciously took a step back.

Although he was young, he knew what a body search meant.

In the past, when he served the third son, if any of the boys lost their toys or jade pendants, they would always search for them on his person.

Even if there's nothing there, the young masters will say he hid it.

Because he was the son of the first wife.

Because he had no one to protect him.

"I really didn't..."

Before he could finish speaking, a rough-looking old woman reached out and pressed him down.

"Enough nonsense! What right does a little brat serving his master have to talk so much?"

Chung Shih-chu was pushed so hard by her that he stumbled and his shoulder hit a pillar.

The old woman roughly searched his clothes, sleeves, and waist, finally pulling out a hard object from his side.

Her hand paused.

The next instant, the old woman suddenly pulled the thing out.

A sudden burst of golden light pierced everyone's eyes.

The red gold bracelet with lotus scroll pattern lay quietly in her palm.

The courtyard fell silent instantly.

Zhong Shichu stared blankly at the bracelet, the color draining from her face little by little.

"This...this isn't mine..."

"Caught red-handed, and still dare to deny it?"

Granny Liu snatched the gold bracelet, examined it closely, and after confirming the "Zhao" character on the inside, immediately shouted sternly:

"Tie him up!"

"Granny Liu, I really didn't steal it!" Zhong Shichu's eyes reddened with anxiety, her small hands clutching her clothes tightly. "I don't know why it's on me; I've never seen this bracelet before!"

"Haven't you ever seen it grow onto you by itself?"

The rough-looking old woman raised her hand and slapped him hard on the back of the head.

Zhong Shichu was knocked off balance and his forehead hit the corner of the stone table next to him, whereupon a trickle of bright red blood seeped out.

He was in so much pain that his vision blurred, but he dared not cry out. He could only cover his forehead with his little hands and shake his head frantically.

"It wasn't me...it really wasn't me..."

"Take away!"

Granny Liu didn't give him a chance to explain.

Two guards grabbed Zhong Shichu's arms from the left and right, dragging him up from the ground and towards the front yard.

Instead of suppressing the matter, Granny Liu ordered someone to strike the gong hanging next to the gatehouse.

"clang--"

The dull sound of gongs echoed over the Yongning Marquis's residence.

All the maids, servants, and lowly servants who remained in Lanxi Garden, along with the cleaning staff, were summoned to the front courtyard.

Zhao Lihua's maid, Dongmei, also came over.

She glanced at the crowd with a cold expression.

"Madam's headache has flared up again. She just took her medicine and has already rested."

She deliberately raised her voice so that everyone in the front yard could hear her clearly.

"The madam instructed that this matter be handled entirely by Granny Liu in accordance with the rules of the manor. No matter who it is, if they have made a mistake, no favoritism shall be shown."

Granny Liu immediately bowed and replied, "This old servant obeys."

After speaking, she turned to face the crowd.

Chung Shih-chu was forced to kneel on the ground by two guards, his thin shoulders slumped under the pressure.

Granny Liu held up the gold bracelet.

"Madam's dowry gold bracelet was stolen today without explanation. After a search, it was found on the body of the fourth young master, Zhong Shichu."

She deliberately emphasized the words "Fourth Young Master".

"This item is crafted from pure gold and engraved with the Zhao family's mark; its value far exceeds that of ordinary jewelry. According to the Marquis's family rules, anyone who steals their master's valuable possessions shall be punished with fifty strokes of the cane!"

A hushed gasp immediately rose from the crowd.

Fifty strokes of the cane.

Let alone a five-year-old child, even a strong and healthy adult man might not survive such an ordeal.

Zhong Shichu raised his head, his eyes filled with panic.

"I didn't steal..."

"Shut up!"

Granny Liu coldly interrupted him.

"The evidence is right on you, and you still dare to deny it? Fourth Young Master, out of consideration for your youth, this old servant will spare you some dignity. If you confess now, this old servant can have the men go easy on you."

Zhong Shichu's lips trembled as he shook his head desperately.

"It wasn't me... I really don't know why it's on me."

"Since you refuse to admit it, then we will proceed according to the regulations of the prefecture."

Zhong Shichu knelt on the damp, cold blue bricks, looking up at his dusty little face, his voice trembling with anxiety.

"I did not enter the lady's main room at all today! You are framing me!"

Granny Liu held the gold bracelet tightly, not even bothering to lift her eyelids.

"The Fourth Young Master won't shed a tear until he sees the coffin."

She looked into the crowd and slowly called out, "Xiao Tao, come out here."

At the back of the crowd, a young maid wearing a light purple vest shrugged.

She was only twelve or thirteen years old, with a round face, and was in charge of sweeping the corridor under the main house.

Upon hearing Liu Mama call her name, she first looked around in alarm before walking out with her head down.

"This servant...this servant is here."

Granny Liu asked, "Have you seen the Fourth Young Master today?"

Xiao Tao's lips moved slightly, and she secretly glanced at the rough old woman standing behind Granny Liu.

The old woman placed her hand on her waist, from which hung a silver hairpin that Little Peach's mother had pawned a few days ago.

Xiao Tao's face turned even paler.

"Granny, this servant greets you."

Zhong Shichu opened her eyes wide: "When have you seen me before?"

Xiao Tao lowered her head under his gaze and stammered, "At the end of the hour of Si (9-11 AM), this servant went to the back room to fetch water and saw... saw the Fourth Young Master climb out of the window behind the Madam's main room."

"You're talking nonsense!"

Zhong Shichu hurriedly propped himself up from the ground.

Press down hard on his guard's hand, squeezing his shoulder blades, and shove him back onto the brick surface.

Xiao Tao's eyes reddened, and she dared not look at him anymore.

"This servant is not lying. When the Fourth Young Master came out, he was holding a golden object in his hand."

"I didn't! I've been in the laundry room all day! The people in the laundry room can vouch for me!"

Granny Liu ignored the question and continued pointing to the other witnesses.