One day later, Yujing.

Having finished his official duties, Vice Minister Lu learned a new recipe in a book today and was excitedly preparing to cook for his wife. However, before the cook could even bring the ingredients back, a letter from Songjiang arrived first.

Madam Lu, who was practicing calligraphy with her head down, paused when she heard the servant mention Songjiang. She turned to her husband and asked, "Who sent it?"

Vice Minister Lu smiled and said, "There's only that big Buddha statue left."

He opened the letter, read its contents, and then solemnly handed it to his wife.

Madam Lu quickly glanced at the contents of the letter and frowned: "When did Lord Xu ever commit such a moral transgression? We've lived in Yujing for so long, how come we've never heard of it?"

Vice Minister Lu took the letter from her hand, turned around, placed it on the candlestick, and lit it. After the flame licked the letter and the snow-white paper turned to ashes in the blink of an eye, he said, "Whether you've heard of it or not is not important. Since that person said it exists, then it naturally exists."

What made him grim was that the powerful figure not only wanted him to take action against Lord Xu, but also set a specific time for him to submit a memorial impeaching Lord Xu on an auspicious day at the Marquis of Kaiping's residence. Wasn't this clearly making things difficult for him?

He sighed heavily, and for the first time began to doubt whether the choice he had made was correct.

But then he thought about it again and realized that he couldn't really be blamed for this. After all, when he was ready to risk his life for Wei Qinglou, Wei Qinglou seemed perfectly normal, far from being as unreasonable as he was now.

...

Being entrusted with this important task by Wei Qinglou shows that Vice Minister Lu is indeed very capable. Although it was difficult to find evidence of Xu's moral failings, he still managed to complete the task given to him by Wei Qinglou within the stipulated time.

The wedding of the young master of the Marquis of Kaiping was naturally a grand affair. On the wedding day, the mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, red wind chimes hung under the eaves, and colorful ribbons were tied to the trees, creating a joyous atmosphere everywhere. Guests came in an endless stream to offer their congratulations, and carriages and horses flowed like water in front of the mansion gate, making it no exaggeration to say that the mansion was bustling with activity.

However, when the auspicious hour arrived, before the Marquis's wife and the old lady could welcome the bride, they were greeted with bad news!

Lady Hou's elder brother, Xu, a fourth-rank official and head of the Sixth Department of the Censorate, was impeached for accepting bribes during the evaluation of officials. The evidence was conclusive, and the Emperor was furious! He was stripped of his official rank and dismissed from his post, and ordered to stay at home to reflect on his actions. The matter would be decided after the Court of Judicial Review had investigated the case.

That's the Dali Temple, the most notorious prison in the land. Anyone who passes through their hands will inevitably suffer greatly. At that point, let alone what bribes Xu Yanzhong might have accepted, they'll probably strip him bare.

However, in this capital city, how many officials are truly incorruptible and can withstand the scrutiny of the Dali Temple?

Upon hearing the report from her family, Lady Hou felt a sudden dizziness. The festive trumpets and red silk became a nightmare that tormented her mind, making her dizzy and ultimately causing her to faint in front of all the guests.

Meanwhile, the servants from the Marquis's mansion who were sent to fetch the bride returned to report to the old lady that Miss Lu, the soon-to-be wife of the Marquis's heir, had run away from the marriage!

This joyous occasion is off!

The old lady had seen all sorts of storms in her life, but now, looking at the banquet hall in complete chaos, she had absolutely no idea what to do.

The in-laws had an accident, the daughter-in-law fainted, and the granddaughter-in-law ran away from the wedding...

What should have been a joyous occasion for the Marquis's family has now turned the Fan family into a complete laughingstock. Even the wise and resourceful old lady wished she could faint along with her daughter-in-law!

But she can't.

She was the last pillar of the Marquis's mansion, both before and now. Anyone else could fall, but she could not.

She slowly looked at the guests whispering and gossiping in the banquet hall, beckoned the steward, and asked indifferently, "The Lu family's daughter and my Yongsi have formally exchanged birth dates and times, not to mention the Marquis's mansion offered a large sum of money as a betrothal gift. The Lu family's daughter says she doesn't want to marry him. Shouldn't the Lu family give the Marquis's mansion an explanation this time?"

She ordered her personal maid to fetch the official seal, and then said, "Go with the steward to the Lu family and ask them how they plan to give my grandson an explanation."

Her voice was as authoritative as ever, deep and cold, carrying an unyielding and irrefutable authority. In today's situation, the old lady, who had been silent for a long time, finally showed her composure and calmness as the head of the Marquis's family in front of half of the powerful and noble people in Yujing, making all the guests hold their breath in silence.

After giving her instructions, the old lady gave everyone a mocking smile. She said self-deprecatingly, "I never imagined that after a lifetime of following the rules and never making a mistake, I would end up making a fool of myself in front of everyone. I am truly ashamed..."

"This is not what the old lady wanted to see, so there is no need for her to blame herself," said one of the reasonable guests at the table.

Then someone else chimed in, "Yes, yes, please don't worry, Madam..."

She shook her head heavily: "It's no use saying more now. It's just a pity that you've all come from afar. Please forgive me for not being a good host. Please go back now, and I will definitely come to apologize in person another day."

Since the host had said so, even if the guests wanted to watch the excitement, there was no reason for them to stay any longer. So they all got up, clasped their hands in greeting, said a few words of comfort, and then took their leave.

The suona music in Kaiping Prefecture had long since stopped. On the bustling Yong'an Street, a narrow carriage was parked on the side of the street. Spacious and elegant carriages with exquisite patterns kept pouring out from the other side of the street. The coachman stopped the carriage on the side of the street because he was worried that if he drove out rashly, he would bump into the important people.

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