Brother Ren didn't actually want a divorce. After all, not only was the Wan family's power no less than his own, but the Wan family hadn't done anything wrong over the years.

"Big brother, why aren't you saying anything? You're not going to miss me, are you?" Ren Lingshan pinched her brother's arm hard.

Seeing that he didn't respond immediately, she immediately changed her expression and said in a tearful voice, "Yes, yes, you two are family now, what am I? I'm no longer your most beloved little sister. All the promises you made when you took me back to the manor were lies. Fine, I'll leave, I'll leave!"

"Little sister." Brother Ren's love for Ren Lingshan was ingrained in his bones. Upon seeing this, he immediately said to Madam Wan, "Quickly apologize to your little sister and beg her to forgive you."

The light in Wan's eyes went out instantly.

When Ren Da remained silent, she had some expectations, hoping that he would be reasonable and that he could protect her and her daughter like a big tree.

But she was clearly overthinking it.

"Ha! You want me to admit my mistake? What did I do wrong? You don't want a divorce, you want to divorce me? Fine, I'd rather be divorced than stay in this stinking place of yours. I want to see what kind of good end your Ren family will have with such a vicious woman."

After Wan finished speaking, she returned to her courtyard without looking back. She immediately instructed her servants to send a message to her parents' home and to take stock of her dowry. When her brothers arrived, she hurriedly carried the dowry back to her parents' home.

Wan acted swiftly and decisively, leaving no room for compromise. Although the remaining four sisters-in-law did not immediately join in the commotion, they met privately to discuss the matter.

"My sister-in-law is a very dignified person. For things to have come to this point, she must have received a lot of unacceptable bad news from the Grand Preceptor."

"My sister-in-law said that our fate will be the same."

“I have already sent a letter to my family, asking them to sound out the Grand Preceptor. The Grand Preceptor is kind and gentle. If you ask her about something bad in person, she will tell you directly.”

“I also sent a letter to my family.”

"Me too."

The remaining four sisters-in-law each said one thing, and did the same thing.

While they were feeling uneasy, their families received the letter and immediately took action.

Having experienced serving in the same court as Fang Ruotang these past few days, the four women's families no longer hesitated and prepared gifts to visit and inquire about their situation.

Upon receiving the reply, the four families went to the Ren family in a fit of rage and took their daughters back to their residences.

Before leaving, they didn't forget to give their respective sons-in-law a beating.

The Ren family held high office, and the families they married into were not ordinary people. The matter caused a great stir, spreading like wildfire throughout the capital. Everyone was astonished and could not believe it.

It's just too bizarre. Who would believe that someone would throw their wife into a beggar's den to be abused just to please their sister?

Who would believe that someone would throw a wife who has given birth to two legitimate sons into a military camp to be used as amusement?

To be blunt, even if you don't value this wife, you should at least consider the face of your legitimate son!

Finally, the matter escalated to the imperial court. The five families of the Ren family, who were related by marriage, begged the emperor to make a decision for them. The emperor had heard rumors beforehand and was extremely worried, fearing that these troubles would reach him and force him to make a decision. Unexpectedly, he still couldn't escape it.

The five in-laws launched into a tirade of insults.

The Ren family, outnumbered five to one, was no match for the enemy, but refused to admit defeat.

After all, it didn't happen.

Fang Ruotang sat in the seat of honor, feeling annoyed by Ren Lingshan, who, like her, was a beloved member of the group. She felt that Ren Lingshan had insulted the name.

This made her no longer dare to consider herself the darling of the household.

She used to be very proud of herself and was loved by her family. Now she feels that this love has been tainted with ugliness because of Ren Lingshan.

"Grand Preceptor, what do you think of this matter?" The Emperor passed the trouble to Fang Ruotang.

Fang Ruotang rolled her eyes and said unhappily, "How can I see? I'll just look with both eyes!"

"They want me to make the decision. What does the Grand Preceptor think I should do?" the Emperor asked obsequiously.

He has already obtained the cultivation technique from Fang Ruotang.

To be honest, he doesn't want to serve in the court for even a day; he wants to pass the throne to the crown prince every single moment.

But the crown prince refused.

He could only sit there patiently, now having to deal with the trivial matters of the minister's children. He wanted to flip the table.

Fang Ruotang had Xiao Jingzi look up the connections in the Left Censor-in-Chief's office. The Left Censor-in-Chief, Lord Ren, didn't have any fatal flaws; he was a close confidant of the Emperor.

As for the five young masters in the manor, they each have achieved something and have not committed any crimes.

This family, currently serving as good ministers to the emperor and good officials to the people, seems to have their minds blocked when it comes to Ren Lingshan.

Most importantly, Ren Lingshan's previous petty antics were confined to her own household, harming only her own family members. Her true potential had not yet been realized.

"Wait, the time isn't right yet," Fang Ruotang said mysteriously.

How long until Ren Lingshan meets the prince of Western Zhou?

[In the original timeline, the two had already crossed paths. The injured prince of the Western Zhou Dynasty sought refuge in her courtyard, where she took him in and treated him. Her husband later discovered this, which led to his sudden death.]

[The baby in her belly?]

[It was her husband's child, but she plans to abort it and find an opportunity to remarry a prince of the Western Zhou Dynasty.]

Fang Ruotang: ...

She looked at Lord Ren with a complicated expression.

Lord Ren was dumbfounded.

He didn't know! He didn't hear his youngest daughter say anything!

He knew that his son-in-law had suddenly died of a serious illness, but was it related to his youngest daughter?

[So, in the end, Lord Ren will betray our Great Yong to support his daughter becoming the princess consort of the Western Zhou?] Fang Ruotang stared at Lord Ren.

A cold sweat broke out on Lord Ren's back, and the other ministers in the court also calmed down, after all, the answer next was related to the life and death of the entire Ren family.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!