On March 19th, at dawn, Zhao Wu and He Dong rode back to Ningzhou Prefecture. They would leave just as the city gates opened, making a detour to the Wen family cemetery to pay respects to Wen Xing and his wife, Zhao. Leaving early would make it less likely they would be discovered. Even if they were discovered, they wouldn't be easily tracked unless they entered the capital.

This was the first time Wen Zhuoan went to the grave to pay homage to his parents after his "death".

After Xu Lanyin sent them away, she also sent Chai Zixiao and Min Jia away after breakfast, and then took Zhao Mingxi and Xu Lanyue back to the Xu family.

Chai had been looking forward to her daughter and grandson. She brought her grandson over, teasing him while she explained to Xu Lanyin how to interact with the noble ladies. She also instructed him to stay away from the people at the Beiyang Princess's residence. Although the Beiyang Princess's residence had agreed not to pick a fight with the Xu family, it was still unwise for anyone to interfere in the disputes between the young ladies...

Xu Lanyin smiled and said, "Don't worry, mother. I know."

In the afternoon, Xu Lanyin took Zhao Mingxi and Xu Lanyue to the Nanyang Princess's residence. They would stay there for the night, and tomorrow Xu Lanyin would accompany the Princess to the Peach Blossom Banquet.

The courtyard they lived in was very close to Ma's. As soon as they finished tidying up, Chai Zixiao and Ma came to visit.

Ma poked Chai Zixiao's little head and said, "I just separated from you this morning, and I've been waiting anxiously for you to come this afternoon. Oh, cousin, please take him away. This son has become wild."

Chai Zixiao twisted his body and acted coquettishly with Ma again.

Xu Lanyin was very happy. After chatting and laughing for a while, they went to the main hall where the eldest princess lived.

At the Wen Mansion of Duke Qing, Old Madam Wen listened to her second daughter-in-law Liu's mumbling with a gloomy face.

Even at this time, the Pu Mansion has not sent a notice to the Wen Mansion. The Pu Mansion does not even give them a little face.

“We just do whatever they say…”

"Shut up," Madam Wen stopped Madam Wen, "What did they ask us to do? Where's the evidence? If you don't keep your mouth shut, you'll be in trouble."

Madam Wen was speechless. Yes, they were just hinting at it. She could deny anything. If the news got out, it would be her husband who murdered his brother, sister-in-law, and nephew for the title.

Old Lady Wen glared at her second daughter-in-law. She had to admit that, with her second son included, they made a pair of fools. No, if you add her second son's two sons, they made four fools, one of whom had even gotten himself killed.

When her eldest son died, she cried so hard she almost choked. When her eldest grandson became disabled, she cried. When her fourth and eldest grandsons died, she also shed tears. But when her second grandson, whom she had been heartbroken for for years, died, she didn't shed a tear. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but she simply couldn't.

Now, her only offspring were her second son and third grandson, not counting those girls. If the title didn't go to her second son and third grandson, wouldn't that mean that the young woman would benefit from all the planning she had done all her life?

If only the eldest son were still alive, how wonderful it would be. If not, if the eldest grandson wasn't crippled by them, and the fourth grandson wasn't killed by them, how wonderful it would be...

Thinking of this, the old lady became sad again. She blinked her eyes, which were sore, but no tears came out.

That damned old woman said Zhao was a descendant of the traitorous prince's accomplices, and that her parents had grudges against the emperor, the empress dowager, and the Pu family. If the court discovered that Zhao had married this daughter-in-law, it would bring disaster to the entire family. She also said that she didn't dare tell anyone because she was related to her.

She was terrified at the time, but her eldest son, possessed by a demon, said that no matter how great her parents' sins were, they were not as serious as marrying off a daughter, not to mention that Zhao's parents had died long ago. He also said that Madam Pu's words could not be fully trusted, and that Madam Pu's hatred for Zhao was probably a personal grudge from a previous generation, so there was no need to pay attention to it.

Er'er came to persuade her again, telling her not to let the whole family be harmed because of one woman named Zhao. Even if the grudge between Zhao and Madam Pu was just a personal one, she couldn't afford to offend the Pu family because of Zhao. The Wen family had already fallen on hard times, and the Pu family was the Empress Dowager's family and the Emperor's family by marriage; they couldn't afford to offend them. Moreover, by listening to Madam Pu's advice, the Wen family would benefit greatly.

But the old man favored his eldest son and Zhao, and wouldn't let her touch Zhao. She had no choice but to give in, citing Zhao's poor health as an excuse to forbid her from leaving the house or meeting guests. By then, although the old man had begun to focus on alchemy, he still managed household affairs. Zhao was able to live in the mansion for thirteen years, giving birth to two sons before finally dying of illness.

She thought that with Zhao dead, the family would be safe. But her second son said that Zhuo Feng and Zhuo An were also remnants of the traitors, thorns in the Pu family's side, and they must not be allowed to succeed, let alone inherit the title or enter officialdom. So she turned a blind eye and allowed her second son to cripple her clever grandson.

She thought that once her eldest son married and had more sons, his family would still be well off. But two years later, her eldest son died in an accident. Later, she learned that her second son had murdered him for the title. Furious, she allowed her husband to beat her second son, leaving him bedridden for a month. But with only this one son left, she felt compelled to provide for him and his sons, no matter how angry she was. Later, her fourth and eldest grandsons also died in "accidents."

At that time, she felt that the death of her eldest grandson was truly an accident, and the death of her fourth grandson must have been done by her second son. He was afraid that the old man would directly pass the title to his fourth grandson.

However, her second grandson, Er'er's eldest son Wen Zhuolin, died in an accident. No matter how evil Er'er was, it was impossible for him to kill his own son Wen Zhuolin, who had nothing to do with the remnants of the rebellion, right?

Putting all the pieces together, she finally believed the old man's words. The real culprits were the Pu family, and the foolish second son was the knife in their hand. That evil woman wanted to kill Zhao, the eldest son, and their descendants simply to vent her personal anger or fear that they would know something, not because of the emperor and the empress dowager. So, the eldest grandson's death was no accident, but how did Zhuo Lin get in their way?

Now, with so many people dead in my family, they haven't even given me a shred of respect. I'm going to reason with them, but where's the evidence? The truth is, they didn't do anything, and the second brother and his wife are the murderers who killed their brother, sister-in-law, and nephew, and I'm just an accomplice, and the old man knew about it but didn't report it...

Seeing the old lady's uncertain expression, Madam Wen said with a stiff upper lip, "Jiaojiao is already fourteen years old and still unengaged. They say this Peach Blossom Banquet will select the new four beauties of the capital, so there will definitely be a lot of people attending. Jiaojiao is beautiful and talented, so I don't expect her to be chosen as one of the four beauties, but it's always good to show her face at such a crowded banquet..."

Old Madam Wen was so angry that her head hurt. She cursed, "You ignorant bitch! My brother has been dead for less than half a year, how can my sister go to the flower viewing banquet? Aren't you afraid that others will talk about her and she won't be able to find a husband?"

Madam Wen gritted her teeth in anger. This old woman was becoming increasingly ruthless in her scolding of her. But thinking of her beautiful and sensible daughter, she decided to fight for what she deserved.