"It was I who negotiated with the maidservant; the Second Madam need not have met her personally, as she only gave me instructions on what to do," replied Chang Tai. "Therefore, indeed, the Second Madam never saw this maidservant."
"Chang Tai, why are you framing me!" Lin Qingqing shouted angrily.
"My lord, Chang Tai is not my servant. I can't command him in daily matters, and my words carry no weight," Lin Qingqing said. "How could it be me ordering him to do these things this time?"
Chang Tai said in a deep voice, "Second Madam, are you trying to shift the blame onto the young master! The young master knows nothing, and you specifically instructed me not to let him know either."
"Are you so loyal to your young master that if I asked you to keep silent, would you do so?" Lin Qingqing said. "Besides, I never said it was my husband who did it. Perhaps you did it behind his back to impress him."
