To Minhu's surprise, nearly every letter from An implied that Madam Min had frequently harassed her, even framing her twice, earning the displeasure of her elders and leaving her miserable. On his occasional trips back to the capital, An complained profusely and was prone to tears. Minhu refused to believe her and instead accused her of being unvirtuous and unfilial. Their relationship gradually faded. Two years ago, An committed suicide, leaving Minjia devastated and unable to speak again.

But Mrs. Min seemed to have changed into a different person, and was very enthusiastic about Min's marriage. She introduced him to many girls, including her brothers' daughters, her sisters' daughters, and the daughters of families related to her brothers and sisters.

She also said that because Min Hu had not given birth to a child of her own, she must let her have a good daughter-in-law. The Minister of Min also felt sorry for her because Min Hu had no children of her own and condoned some of her behaviors.

Initially, Min Hu was reluctant to offend Madam Min and didn't completely reject the proposal. However, Madam Min firmly opposed it, stating that those girls weren't fit to be wives of the Min family's heirs, let alone concubines. Min Hu secretly sent someone to investigate, and found that those girls were truly unsuitable. It wasn't just their families and status; they themselves, their parents, and their families all had issues that made them unsuitable for public appearances.

Min Hu was dissatisfied, but because of their past relationship, he couldn't openly oppose her, so he could only refuse through the old lady. Later, he discovered that Madam Min and those around her had said many things to Min Jia that they shouldn't have said, which aggravated Min Jia's illness. Only then did Min Hu begin to be wary of Madam Min and saw clearly her evil nature...

A while ago, Madam Min took advantage of the illness of the old lady Min and persuaded the Minister of State to betroth her fourteen-year-old niece to Min Hu, attempting to do it first and then ask for permission. Min Hu, upon returning home, learned of the situation and vehemently refused. The old lady was so enraged that she severely reprimanded the Minister of State Min and Madam Min, and her health worsened, leading to the termination of the marriage. The wound on Min Hu's forehead was caused by the Minister of State Min hitting him with a teacup...

"The First Madam was really good before, gentle and virtuous. She was not only kind to me, but also to my half-brothers and half-sisters. Did she become like this just because she didn't give birth to her own children? In fact, I have always been reluctant to make her sad and didn't want to openly turn against her..."

Minhu murmured, he really couldn't regard the current strong and unreasonable woman as the same person as the gentle woman before.

Xu Lanyin felt that 26 was the golden age for women to have children, and that the reason Mrs. Min couldn't have children was not because of her old age, but because she drank too much contraceptive soup, which caused infertility.

She said, "Is Madam Min's behavior due to her inability to have children, and she blames it on Master Min, so she harbors resentment and doesn't want you to have a good life? It seems that what your wife said before her death about being mistreated and framed by Madam Min is probably true. If that's the case, even if her nieces marry you, they won't necessarily have a good life, and it will definitely cause discord between you and your wife. She's not trying to bring her brothers and sisters to her side, but because those girls' families are not well-off, she can more easily control them and use them against you."

Minhu had thought this more than once before, only to quickly suppress it. He remembered so much of the love and care Madam Min had shown him when he was young. He preferred to believe that Madam Min was interfering in his marriage because she wanted to promote her siblings. She treated Minjia like that because An had committed that shameful act and was taking her anger out on the child.

Now that Xu Lanyin had spoken directly, he had no choice but to face the issue head-on. He also had to admit that this possibility was more likely. Perhaps, An had become unfaithful because of her mother-in-law's harsh treatment and her husband's lack of understanding...

Xu Lanyin added, "Madam Min's failure to bear children is sympathetic, but that's no reason for her to frame her stepson and his wife, harm Jia'er, or hinder Master Min's happiness in the rest of his life. Master Min's open rebellion against her is not only not wrong, but also a responsibility that a father and a man should have."

Min Hu breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Miss Xu, don't you think I'm being ungrateful and inappropriate?"

Not remembering kindness and not remembering favors are what Mrs. Min often accused Min Hu of.

"Of course not," Xu Lanyin said. "Madam Min was a concubine's daughter. Madam Wen had put in a lot of effort to become your stepmother, and she must have had her reasons. Her kindness to you was Madam Wen's condition, and she got what she deserved. For example, your dependence and love for her, and the respect from the elders... It's a pity that she squandered all these most precious things. Perhaps, if you had been a little more understanding of your wife and helped her, she wouldn't have died of illness at such a young age."

Xu Lanyin brought the topic back to An. Of course, she couldn't say that she knew An committed suicide, so she used the official news - death from illness.

Minhu raised his hand and rubbed his brow before saying with difficulty, "I've always wanted to tell Miss Xu something, but I'm too embarrassed to speak up. Let's get this far today and make it all clear."

His face turned red again unconsciously.

Seeing Xu Lanyin looking at him calmly, he said, "This is a scandal in our Min family. An-shi, she had an affair with her cousin. That day, she and her cousin were hugging each other in the bamboo forest when they were caught by two maids, Jia'er, and her wet nurse and called out. The eldest lady and others who were not far away rushed over. An-shi was so ashamed and angry that she went back to her room and hanged herself."

He finished telling the ugly stories with difficulty, his face flushed red, and he hit the coffee table with his clenched fist, causing the tea on the table to jump and spill a few drops of water.

It turns out there was a witness, Min Jia also saw it.

Perhaps An's infidelity stemmed from her mother-in-law's harsh treatment and her husband's indifference. Or perhaps, it wasn't infidelity at all, but simply a feeling of helplessness and sadness, seeking solace—just a hug, a moment of comfort. In past lives, a comforting hug between close friends of the opposite sex was commonplace, but not in ancient times.

Xu Lanyin said, "In fact, some things we see are not necessarily true. Lord Min is in charge of solving cases, so this kind of thing might happen, right?"

Minhu felt that Xu Lanyin was trying to save face.

He gave a bitter smile and continued, "Jia'er hasn't said a word since that incident. At first, she would cry loudly, but later she even stopped crying. Later, she didn't laugh or cry, and her face had no expression at all, as if she was stupid. It was only after getting along with you that she gradually changed... Madam Min was not kind to Jia'er, and the other family members would not cooperate because of the relationship with An. In this way, can Miss Xu completely resolve Jia'er's worries? Don't worry, I have reached a consensus with my grandmother. Before Jia'er gets married, I will try my best to serve as an official outside the government to give her a happy and relaxing environment. She doesn't need to return home to be stimulated..."