Qin Heng, the younger brother, strode forward and grabbed Qin Wan, his voice hoarse with dissatisfaction: "You are the legitimate wife and she is an illegitimate one. You didn't intentionally harm her, so why are you kneeling and begging her?"

Qin Yuan: "..."

Qin Wan broke down in tears.

The father sighed and said, "Yuan'er, what's done is done. If Wan'er doesn't marry Lin Ziqi, we'll have no choice but to send her to a temple to become a nun."

The stepmother moved her with emotion: "You and Wan'er grew up together. Can you just stand by and watch your own sister become a nun and spend her life in front of the ancient Buddha and the dim lamp?"

"What should we do about our daughter?" Qin Yuan cried. "What did our daughter do wrong? Instead of preparing her dowry at home, my sister, who is about to get married, went to some flower-viewing banquet. Now that something has happened to her, she wants to cancel our engagement."

Qin Wan cried again: "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have gone to the flower viewing banquet and fallen into someone's trap. Please don't blame my sister."

Qin Heng, the younger brother, was furious and said, "Shouldn't you be the one to break off the engagement? Second sister is the legitimate daughter and was supposed to marry into the Dingbei Marquis's mansion as the Marquis's wife. She has already suffered enough. You are the eldest sister, why don't you think about your second sister?"

Qin Yuan also cried: "Lin Ziqi broke off the engagement with me, what reputation do I have left? You said it yourself, I'm an illegitimate daughter, how can I still get married like this..."

Qin Heng interrupted her, saying, "Does eldest sister want to watch the Qin family be tarnished? You are the eldest sister, you should share our parents' burdens."

Qin Wan sobbed, "I... I'd rather be dead."

The stepmother pulled Qin Wan into her arms, wiping away her tears, and said, "What nonsense are you spouting about dying and living?" She then glared at Qin Yuan and said resentfully, "Your mother will take care of things for you."

This is going to be a tough fight.

Qin Yuan simply cried out to her father, "Why don't I die and let my sister take my place? That would be cleaner, and it would also be a way of repaying my parents for raising me."

After saying that, she was about to crash into the pillar when Hongye and Cuiming quickly grabbed her around the waist and the three of them burst into tears.

Qin Wan also burst into tears.

"Enough! All of you shut up!" the father roared. "What will it look like if outsiders see this!"

The only sound in the hall was the soft sobbing of the two girls.

After a long pause, the father sighed, “Yuan’er, as the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, I am an official appointed by the court. How could I force my eldest daughter to her death for the sake of my second daughter’s marriage? This matter has indeed wronged you… Your birth mother, Consort Chen, is a concubine. I will arrange for you to be registered under her name so that we can discuss marriage in the future.”

The stepmother's expression changed slightly as she met the father's cold gaze, then lowered her eyes and gently stroked Qin Wan in her arms.

Qin Yuan remained silent.

In her previous life, she was already the wife of the prime minister, but her status as an illegitimate daughter was often the subject of gossip. Qin Wan's actions, however, brought her this benefit.

Actually, it would be better not to marry Lin Ziqi and live a life of toil and hardship.

But now they are the ones who need her help.

She had to see what else they could offer.

Qin Heng said sarcastically, "Congratulations, eldest sister, on becoming the legitimate daughter. But I advise you to know when to stop."

"Shut up!" After scolding Qin Heng, the father added, "Yuan'er, I will find another good one for you among my students, and I will also increase your dowry."

Qin Yuan said with difficulty, "As an older sister, I can't just watch my younger sister die, but... my marriage can't be hastily arranged just because my younger sister is getting married..."

"Don't worry, daughter. I'll make sure you agree. I'll never marry you off to just anyone."

Qin Yuan then said in a low voice, "Then thank you very much, Father."

Qin Wan, having gotten her wish, stopped crying and looked at her with malice, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, sister. Why doesn't Father ask the Marquis if he is willing to exchange wives? Outsiders only know that the Marquis of Dingbei is engaged to our family, but they don't know which daughter he is engaged to."