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  These words were spoken with sincerity, logical, and reasonable. They stirred doubt among the crowd. Thinking back to how Qin Shuying had been silent for most of the time while her maid had been causing a scene, it indeed seemed inappropriate. Could she really be ill?

  Qin Shuying slowly lifted her head, her bright eyes meeting the skeptical gazes around her.

  Lu Changxuan—truly a master strategist, wasn’t he?

  With just a few words, he had shifted the situation entirely in his favor.

  Madam Liu also came to her senses, marveling at the fact that their Master had managed to turn the tide in just a few sentences.

  She was about to speak when she caught sight of Qin Shuying’s smile. Her heart skipped a beat. This… this expression—

  Sure enough, as soon as Qin Shuying opened her mouth, Nanny Liu’s heart pounded anxiously.

  “Physician Lu, both Madam Zhao and Madam Zhong are esteemed, well-mannered women. They came today with generous gifts to celebrate your son’s full moon banquet, yet they left in such haste without even staying for a meal. If they had not seen or heard something they shouldn’t have, why would they have left in such a manner? Physician Lu, it’s not uncommon to maintain connections in private, so why were these two dies so afraid to listen or even look?

  Everyone present understands the workings of the officialdom. Do you really think they’ll believe your expnations? Or do you take everyone here for fools, expecting them to be deceived by your words?

  Physician Lu, your ambitions must be great. You must have aligned yourself with someone powerful, for you no longer seem to hold the people of Chongde Alley in your eyes!

  After all, you are the kin of Consort Lian. Her Highness has always been gentle, virtuous, and respectful of etiquette—she would never look down upon the people of Chongde Alley. So, this must mean that you have found an even stronger backer to rely on!”

  Lu Changxuan’s brow twitched. He recalled Qin Feifei’s occasional compints about this cousin of hers—how she dared to say anything without fear. He had never paid much attention to it.

  What could a mere girl from the inner chambers possibly say? At most, sharp-tongued remarks and sarcasm.

  But he never expected her to dare make insinuations about court affairs!

  And she spoke so quickly—he couldn’t even get a word in.

  This was an attack that killed two birds with one stone!

  Lu Changxuan was shaken to his core. A flurry of thoughts rushed through his mind. She wasn’t wrong. He did, indeed, have other pns. Consort Lian had never truly supported him over the years. She always spoke about protecting the reputation of the Sixth Prince...

  Yet, on the surface, he showed a pained expression.

  “Seventh Sister, I understand that you are upset with me for not sending word to Young Master Liu so you could see him, and thus you resent me and speak out of turn.

  Seventh Sister, although you are engaged to Young Master Liu, you are not yet married. You absolutely cannot meet him in private. Our mother has advised you multiple times, yet you refuse to listen. Now, you’re causing such a scene. How can I even begin to reason with you? Come inside, let’s not make this any worse. I won’t hold your childish antics against you.”

  Qin Shuying smiled faintly.

  Lu Changxuan—now this was a formidable opponent.

  Luckily, she had meticulously pnned and considered all possibilities beforehand. Otherwise, just with this single statement, he would have utterly destroyed her reputation, leaving her with no pce in the capital.

  Sure enough, the crowd grew increasingly agitated, their discussions growing louder.

  Many of them began to view Qin Shuying with disdain, accusing her of being improper.

  Suddenly, a middle-aged man spoke up in a booming voice.

  “Well, now this is peculiar. Why is it that in all the other households, we’ve never heard of women secretly meeting men? But in your household—first, it was your first wife, then your wife’s younger sister in Duke Chu’s residence, and now this young dy?

  So tell me, is every woman in your household going to be accused of improper retions next?

  At this rate, even the old dy of your house should be next, no? She must be nearing fifty by now—if she were to be caught in a secret tryst, wouldn’t that be a frightful sight?”

  “Pfft!”

  Laughter erupted from the crowd. In an instant, nearly everyone was ughing, the disdain toward the Lu family becoming more apparent.

  Most of those gathered were servants of powerful families in Chongde Alley—they had no fear of a mere fifth-rank physician.

  Lu Changxuan clenched his fingers tightly, his gaze sweeping toward the approaching crowd—even the street vendors had begun gathering, swarming toward the commotion.

  Before he could say anything, the same man spoke again.

  “Physician Lu, this young dy is your wife’s younger cousin, yet before all these people, you so easily tarnished her reputation with just a few words.

  That’s not how one treats family—that’s how one treats an enemy.

  Are you trying to force this young dy to go home and hang herself?

  Because this is precisely what an enemy would do. It seems this young dy was right after all— the Lu family has long coveted her wealth.

  If she dies, wouldn’t the Lu family swoop in and take everything for themselves?”

  His words immediately won the crowd’s approval.

  “That’s right! That’s exactly it!”

  These were no fools. Quite the opposite—working in the households of the powerful had honed their instincts.

  At first, they had instinctively looked down on Qin Shuying, but now, after this man’s words, their perspective shifted entirely.

  Lu Changxuan’s eyes narrowed, watching the man closely. Who was he?

  Unfortunately, the man had a thick beard covering his face, making his features difficult to discern.

  Just then, one of Lu’s servants arrived with a name card but, seeing the scene, dared not speak further or seek Lu Changxuan’s permission.

  Then, another person spoke up loudly.

  “You really take us all for fools, don’t you? Did you think that with a few vague words, you could make us look down on this young dy?

  This is the imperial capital! Someone who grew up in Jing’an Alley dares to come cause trouble in Chongde Alley?

  It’s people like you who ruin the order of this pce! Lawless, reckless, and full of arrogance!”

  Another voice followed:

  “Your first wife—wasn’t she falsely accused and then burned to death?

  You didn’t even spare your own son. How cruel can you be?”

  “He was sick, yet you refused to let anyone treat him. That child died in agony!”

  “What? Is that true? What kind of father does that?!”

  “That’s not all—his first wife was burned alive!”

  “Why?”

  “Why else? He was having an affair with his widowed sister-in-w!

  She was a legitimate daughter, while his first wife was just a concubine’s daughter.

  Back when the Lu family was poor, the legitimate daughter wouldn’t even look at him. He had no choice but to marry the concubine-born one.

  But after he gained status? He rekindled his affair with the legitimate daughter—and the concubine-born wife became an eyesore.”

  “So… her affair with the steward—was that all a setup?”

  “Do you even need to ask? It was undoubtedly Physician Lu’s doing! Just look at how easily he smeared his sister-in-w’s reputation today. Framing his first wife must have been just as effortless!”

  The crowd grew furious, more and more people gathering, blocking nearly the entire street.

  “What a heartless, shameless man! He disgraces all officials!”

  “Get back to Jing’an Alley! You disgrace Chongde Alley!”

  “Get out!”

  “Get out!”