Peng Yuan listened attentively, nodding repeatedly, her eyes already red.

These are issues that should be addressed by their mothers, but instead, their mothers do things they can't accept, so they have to rely on their girlfriends for comfort.

She didn't understand many of the things her mother asked of her since she was a child, but because they weren't forced upon her, she didn't care much. It wasn't until now, when some things have weighed her down, that she realized how heavy those thoughts were.

But after Jiang Jiuniang said that, she suddenly understood.

Indeed, pregnancy is a matter between husband and wife, and it is the woman who needs to be taken care of. Why should other women be sent to serve the husband?

I used to think there was something wrong with it, but now it seems outrageous!

“I understand, Sister Jiu Niang. You’re right. We need to break free from these shackles, instead of being entangled by them and dragging others down with us.”

Seeing that her gaze had become resolute and a smile had appeared on her face, Jiang Jiuniang finally felt completely relieved.

Disappointed, Cao Shulan left, but halfway there she remembered a serious problem and hurriedly called her personal maid to her side to ask, "I didn't say anything inappropriate at the other courtyard just now, did I?"

"No, miss."

The maid's face remained calm, but she was worried inside. She was her personal maid and knew all about what her mother had done over the years. Seeing the people she had harmed, she was really worried that she would be next.

Just now in the other courtyard, Cao Shulan's words were clearly full of flaws, but she was just a maid and dared not say anything.

"That's good. But even if we had told them, it wouldn't have mattered. They clearly didn't think that way. Let's go back to the manor."

Although she asked the maid, she actually felt that she hadn't said anything wrong, and if she had revealed any flaws, it was because she was intentionally testing her.

She has always been very confident in herself.

The maid had been by her side for so long and knew her temperament all too well, which was why she dared not say anything more.

"However, why did General Qin suddenly return to the military camp? Today's trip was a complete waste of effort!"

She tugged at her braid in a huff. She had gotten up early to dress up in preparation for seeing Qin Jian, only to find that he was nowhere to be found.

He thought to himself that next time he must make sure the soldiers guarding the city saw him return and then tell her, so that she could see him as she wished.

However, this time she didn't have to wait long. Qin Jian returned in just a few days. This time, the soldiers guarding the city notified her immediately. Upon receiving the news, she began to dress up, preparing to go to the villa to have a chance encounter with him again.

At this moment, Qin Jian returned to the villa. Before he could even hug and kiss his wife properly, he couldn't wait to find Lu Baichuan and his wife and lay out everything he had found.

"Good heavens, that old bastard Cao Zheng has given me quite a few surprises! He's done a lot of despicable things over the years!"

Qin Jian sat down, poured himself a bowl of tea, and then began to recount Cao Zheng's crimes.

Cao Zheng had done a lot of outrageous things during his previous tenure, but because he had connections, he was always able to get away with it. Moreover, he was good at disguising himself, and it was difficult for ordinary people to see through his true colors.

When Cao Zheng was transferred to Huizhou, he almost immediately packed his bags and left, leaving the current officials with a lot of messes that have yet to be sorted out.

In addition, not long after that man took office, a little boy secretly gave him a booklet containing records of Cao Zheng's misdeeds and evidence over the years.

The booklet wasn't very big, but it was filled with writing.

According to that person, it was left behind by Cao Zheng's former staff member, who entrusted the young boy to secretly hand it over a month after the new official took office.

The newly appointed officials do not have the same powerful background as Cao Zheng. Even if they have evidence, they dare not report it easily, because they might be intercepted by Cao Zheng's men on the way, and then they would be the ones in trouble.

He originally planned to wait until he had the opportunity to enter the capital and then try to present it to the emperor, but he didn't expect Qin Jian to investigate Cao Zheng's affairs, so he quickly handed this hot potato to Qin Jian.

The above details how Cao Zheng has plundered the people's wealth over the years, how he falsified tax returns, and what crimes he committed against whom—it's all there.

What's even more ingenious is that each case includes the victim's specific information, which can be easily verified to confirm its authenticity.

"I'm not stupid. After receiving this booklet, I still checked its authenticity, and it turned out to be all real!"

Qin Jian's voice trembled slightly as he spoke. With so much evidence in hand, not only Cao Zheng, but even the powerful figures behind him could be exposed.

After all, most of the gold, silver, and valuables he had plundered ended up in the pockets of his backer, and it would be easy to catch him if the trail was followed.

"It's safe!"

Jiang Jiuniang glanced through the booklet and was equally pleased. She then said, "This was probably a trick left behind by the murdered advisor. Cao Zheng certainly never expected this day to come!"

"Not only that! I also brought back an important witness, the little boy. He came with me, but I didn't bring him with me yet; I left him at the military camp."

He wanted to create the illusion that he came from the military camp, and incidentally, he settled the little boy there.

“That little boy is no ordinary person. He used to serve by the side of that advisor. However, when the advisor realized that Cao Zheng was going to make a move against him, he gave the little boy the booklet in advance so that he could escape with the booklet. That’s why the boy knows a lot of things.”

Lu Baichuan said, "Well, let's not rush to arrest them. Let's make a bigger scene first."

Everyone agreed with this opinion and was about to send someone to carry it out when a servant came to report that Miss Cao had come to visit.

Jiang Jiuniang immediately looked at Qin Jian and said jokingly, "You came pretty fast this time!"

Qin Jian was puzzled: "What do you mean?"

What happened to him that he doesn't know about while he was away?

Peng Yuan touched her stomach and said in a calm tone, "Then Miss Cao came for you."

"Why are you coming after me? I don't even know her..."

He seemed to realize something halfway through his sentence and exaggeratedly repeated, "They're coming for me?"

The other three nodded in unison, and Qin Jian finally said after a long while, "Heavens above, only heaven knows how innocent I am!"

He turned to look at Peng Yuan and solemnly assured her, "Honey, I really don't know her well, you have to believe me!"

His first concern was Peng Yuan's emotional state. Since Peng Yuan became pregnant, he hadn't had many opportunities to take care of her, and he often left her alone. There had also been the incident where her mother sent someone over. He was really worried that Peng Yuan wouldn't be able to handle it.

However, he underestimated his sister-in-law's abilities; his wife's pregnancy anxiety had long been cured.