"To seek justice for Second Aunt?"

Hongye couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Qin Yuan was stunned for a moment, then instructed the old woman to follow her back to Wutong Garden to change clothes, talking as they walked.

Gu Shiliu hurriedly asked, "Madam, shall we servants accompany you?"

Qin Yuan glanced at the old woman, who stammered and couldn't say anything, then said, "Just let Eighteen come with me."

He then instructed Hongye: "You and Cuiming go together, and while you're at it, prepare the invitation from the manor, just in case we need it later."

Gu Shiliu hurriedly instructed Steward Qian to send someone to drive him, and also asked Steward Han to send out strong servants and guards to accompany him. He then quickly sent a message to Lord Gu.

Qin Yuan changed her clothes and put on a full makeover before getting into the carriage and heading east of the city.

This old woman was Baihe's mother, and she knew a lot about the Lin family. After recounting how Lin's mother had manipulated Qin Wan, she continued, "In the past, Second Aunt was like a phoenix at home, never suffering any grievances. But in the Lin family, everything she did was criticized. That cousin wasn't any better. When she came, her clothes and accessories were worse than a maid's. She used sweet words to coax Second Aunt into giving her things and spending money, but when she got angry, she turned out to be an ingrate."

Qin Yuan remained silent.

She knew the Lin family members better than anyone.

But all of this was Qin Wan's own doing.

Cui Ming said softly, "Didn't they say that Scholar Lin has a bright future and will surely become a dragon or a phoenix in the future..."

The old woman snorted and said, "It's not that I'm being presumptuous, but after all these years in the Imperial Academy, I can tell what kind of scholar can pass the imperial examination. What good is it for Lin, the young master, to spend all his time at home arguing with women over these things? Our young master has gained the Emperor's favor, yet he still focuses on his studies, completely oblivious to the world around him. The master says he'll definitely pass this time. We servants rarely hear the master praise Lin these days. A few days ago, Second Miss came home and they even argued about Lin. Later, Madam was so angry she cried. If Second Miss hadn't been pregnant and fainted, who knows how things would have ended?"

Hongye exclaimed in surprise, "Second Miss is pregnant?"

The old woman said, "Yes."

Then, as if remembering something, she looked up in alarm and said to Qin Yuan, "...This servant..."

Qin Yuan glanced at her indifferently.

The old woman quickly changed the subject, saying, "Madam ordered me to invite the eldest young lady to the Lin family's residence. She thought that since the eldest young lady is now in charge of the household affairs of the Marquis's mansion and is also the elder sister of the second young lady, she could go and boost her confidence."

Qin Yuan nodded.

Everyone fell silent.

The old woman secretly regretted her words. She had said something terrible: that the second aunt was pregnant in front of the eldest aunt. Even she, a servant, had heard rumors about the Marquis's impotence.

Before long, they arrived at the alleyway in the east of the city where the Lin residence was located.

Qin Yuan ordered, "Set up all the ceremonial guards."

This is an attempt to intimidate others by using power.

Hongye eagerly poked her head out and loudly ordered, "Quickly set up the ceremonial guards of the Marquis of Dingbei's residence, so that no one will look down on us."

Suddenly, drums and music filled the air, and the atmosphere became lively.

The alleyway entrance, which had been blocked by many people, had now dispersed, clearing a wide passageway.

Gu Shiba instructed his strong servants to lead the way and drive the crowd forward. The guards rode on horseback in two lines, followed by Qin Yuan's main carriage, and then several small carriages with green canopies, carrying old women and strong men.

The onlookers all hid under the eaves on both sides, staring wide-eyed.

As the carriage passed by, the bells jingled softly, releasing a rich fragrance.

Such a spectacle is not something one usually sees.

At that moment, no one cared about watching the commotion at the Lin family's house; everyone was speculating about who the important person sitting in the carriage was.

Gu Shiba turned his horse around and galloped back to Qin Yuan's carriage, reporting, "Madam, there is already a carriage from the Imperial Academy ahead. The space is cramped, and I'm afraid there won't be enough room to move. We'll have to get off here."

Qin Yuan then said, "Okay."

The carriage stopped, and then all the women and strong women in the smaller carriage got out and quickly gathered around the main carriage, blocking the prying eyes of the crowd.

Hongye and Cuiming then got out of the car, followed by Qin Yuan. The old women and strong women then crowded around and walked into the alley.

The crowd could only catch glimpses of the figures, and they quietly marveled at the strict rules of the Dingbei Marquis's residence. They wanted to follow behind and watch the excitement, but were afraid of being driven away, so they only followed from a distance.

Before Qin Yuan even reached the door, the Lin family members had already received the news and hurriedly came out to greet her.

Lin Ziqi went first, and before Qin Yuan could even speak, Hongye said, "Please, Scholar Lin, pay your respects."

Qin Yuan was dressed in elaborate makeup today, looking magnificent and dignified, with an air of nobility.

Lin Ziqi knew that Qin Yuan's visit was ill-intentioned, so he immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Cui and Lin's mother followed behind him.

Qin Yuan said, "There is no reason for a mother to bow to her daughter."

He then greeted Lady Cui.

Madam Cui stepped forward, took her hand, patted it, and said with relief, "Daughter, it's good that you're here."

Cui's hands were a little cold and trembling slightly.

He was clearly very angry.

Qin Yuan glanced at Lin's mother, who was waiting to greet her, and snorted, "Mother, why aren't my sister and that cousin from the Lin family coming out?"

Cui said, "Your sister is sick, I'll make the decision to let her lie down."

Qin Yuan followed up by asking, "What exactly happened? I finally managed to come all this way, and she suddenly got sick."

Madam Cui said angrily, "It's all because of the Lin family's good upbringing. My perfectly good daughter married into this family, and the mother-in-law decides how to spend her dowry. Not only that, but she also brought a cousin from her own family. I don't know how many roundabout relatives she is. She said she came to our door seeking refuge, just asking for a meal so she could find a husband in the future. In reality, she's having an affair with her son-in-law, keeping it all from your sister. If she hadn't miscarried today, this matter would never have come to light."

"Where is she? What does she look like? How could she have bewitched my brother-in-law?"

Qin Yuan mocked.

They started talking right there in the alley. Lin Ziqi's face darkened, and he forced a dry laugh, saying, "Please invite Madam Hou and Mother-in-law into the courtyard to talk."

Qin Yuan didn't respond, but only coughed lightly through the veil.

Hongye immediately said, "The Lady of Dingbei is here. Why don't you all quickly pay your respects?"

Cui Ming said, "Lin Juren's mother should also pay her respects to our lady, since Lin Juren has not yet entered officialdom... We must not disregard etiquette."

Lin Ziqi's face flushed red, and his eyes were filled with unspeakable anger.

Lin's mother said angrily, "We're all relatives by marriage, we'll see each other all the time, why be like this?"

Hongye spat, "Even the poorest relatives in the imperial court can't overstep the rules. Does Old Madam Lin think she's more noble than others? You should know that once Scholar Lin passes the imperial examination and becomes an official, he'll be a first-rank official before you can see our lady without having to bow. Since you don't know, I'll be bold enough to tell you, so you won't be laughed at in your future social interactions. People who don't know might think Scholar Lin doesn't understand etiquette."