When Pei Jingtai saw someone at the door, he assumed it was just another one of those down-on-their-luck people trying to curry favor. The Pei family had encountered this kind of person many times before, and Pei Jingtai was used to it. He was in a hurry to go out to the study to pick out a couple of books and didn't pay any attention to them. He just glanced at them casually and was immediately stunned.

"Eighth Miss?"

He had seen the girl in front of him at the flower-adorned banquet that day. At that time, she was secretly hiding and crying because she had encountered something sad. He accidentally bumped into her and asked her who she was. To his surprise, the girl asked him who she was.

He remembered it when he heard someone call her something like "Eighth Miss".

The last time they met, she was crying her eyes out, and this time she was in a terrible state again. He found that he always seemed to stumble upon this girl in such a disheveled state.

Shen Ming'e felt the same way. It was as if this young man had witnessed her rare moments of shame, making her feel extremely awkward. But saving her aunt was the priority, so she didn't care about losing face and chased after him. "Young master, I recognize you. It was in the bamboo grove during the flower-adorning banquet..."

Before she could finish speaking, she noticed the strange looks gathering around her. She suddenly realized that her words could easily lead people to have inappropriate thoughts.

Pei Jingtai frowned slightly, but did not reprimand her. Instead, he turned around, smiled, and shook the fan in his hand, saying, "What is it?"

He believed that if nothing had happened, the young lady he had met at the Flower-Picking Banquet wouldn't be in this state. He was worried that if the Eighth Miss continued talking, things would become increasingly absurd, so he took the initiative to ask.

Upon hearing this, Shen Ming'e felt as if she had grasped at the last straw and nodded repeatedly: "Since you were able to enter the Pei residence, could you please inform them that my aunt, Zhao, is currently at your residence? I am the eighth young lady of the Shen family, and something terrible has happened in my family. I urgently need to see my aunt!"

Her voice trembled slightly from the tension, and tears streamed down her face as she finished speaking. Pei Jingtai hadn't expected her to be so anxious, so he quickly comforted her, "Alright, I'll send someone to inform them right away. Don't worry."

After thinking about it for a while, he felt it was inappropriate, so he simply said, "How about this, you come with me directly to see your aunt."

Shen Ming'e was so grateful that she almost kowtowed three times to Pei Jingtai to express her gratitude.

In the upper courtyard of the Pei family, Zhao and other wives of officials gathered at Madam Pei's place to drink tea and chat. They set up several tables for mahjong, and everyone chatted amiably, occasionally talking about which silk shop in the capital had released new products, and occasionally discussing whose daughters were engaged, whose families they were marrying into, and what the other family was like.

The people coming and going were mostly women from families who frequently visited Madam Pei. They were talking without much restraint when they suddenly saw an old woman leading a young boy and girl towards them.

Madam Pei was playing cards when she heard that the Fifth Young Master had brought people over and that it was urgent. Madam Pei, Zhou Shi, quickly dropped her cards, chuckled, and said she would excuse herself for a moment before getting up and going to the side hall.

As soon as Shen Ming'e saw Zhou Shi, she burst into tears. "Madam Pei, please, please let me see my aunt. My aunt is about to give birth and is having a difficult labor. But no one in the family has gone to help fetch a female doctor, and none of the old women who went have returned. I had no choice but to rush out. I only beg my aunt to go back and uphold justice!"

These words touched upon the private affairs of the inner quarters, and Zhou dared not interfere further. She immediately summoned Zhao, whose face darkened upon hearing this.

She hadn't expected that Lin Shi, that fool, would be so disgraceful. She wanted to harm others but failed to do it properly. If this matter got out, wouldn't people criticize the inner quarters of the Shen family? If it got out, it would jeopardize the marriage of the young master in the manor. She wouldn't let Lin Shi off the hook!

Without delay, she immediately had a car prepared and returned to the Shen family home.

Madam Zhou was also worried, so she ordered someone to find all the female doctors in the vicinity and lead them to the Shen family.

When Madam Lin heard that the First Madam had returned to the manor with the Eighth Miss, her scalp tingled. She got up to leave, but Lian'er, seeing this, couldn't help but advise her, "Madam, if you go out now, won't people say that you orchestrated this? You should just say that you know nothing. If the First Madam asks, you can say that it was all arranged by Granny Jiang..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Lin slapped her across the face.

"What kind of terrible idea is this? If you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all." In her eyes, Granny Jiang was her right-hand woman, and no matter what, she had to protect Granny Jiang. But this Lian'er, who had never done anything good before, knew how to come up with terrible ideas.

Lian'er was slapped, sighed inwardly, but said nothing more.

At this time, Biyue Tower.

Zhao sent all the female doctors inside to examine Liu, while she stayed outside. The midwife, Granny Jiang, and the rest of Lin's people knelt on the ground, trembling, not daring to say a word.

"How dare you! You'd commit murder for money! You're all tired of living!"

She was at the Pei residence today to discuss her son's marriage. She wanted her son to ask for Pei Shuwan, the eldest daughter of Madam Pei, but this happened while they were talking.

If her son's marriage is ruined because of the sins committed by Lin, she will definitely fight Lin to the death!

The family's reputation has been ruined by this woman, Lin. She's stupid and loves to cause trouble. If we continue to be sisters-in-law with her, our whole family will be dragged down with her.

"What do you mean by that, Madam? You've really wronged this old servant." Granny Jiang vehemently denied it. "The old woman who went out to fetch the female doctor hasn't returned. Madam can go and ask her if someone went out to fetch the female doctor!"

He actually acted as if he wanted to confront the Zhao family.

Zhao snorted coldly and immediately ordered someone to administer the family punishment. Then she whispered to the old woman beside her, "Go and find that old woman who went out to fetch the female doctor. Also, send someone to the yamen to invite the Third Master back."

Ultimately, this matter still concerns the third branch of the family. She's keeping it under wraps for now, but the final decision on how to handle it rests with the third master. She should also inform the old lady; it would be best if the old lady personally punished Lin Shi.

Just as Lady Zhao was waiting at Biyue Tower, the gatekeeper suddenly came to announce that Consort Mingfei had arrived.

Zhao was taken aback. A few days ago, they had met Shen Mingzhuang at the royal villa. At that time, she was cold and indifferent, showing no intention of getting close to them. Now that she had suddenly returned, could it be because of Aunt Liu's matter?

Madam Zhao hurriedly went out to greet her. Shen Mingzhuang had indeed heard about this matter, and she hadn't expected that the person who came to deliver the message would be Pei Jingtai, the fifth young master of the Pei family.

Pei Jingtai was thinking that since Miss Shen was born out of wedlock, the Shen family would try to cover up the matter regardless of the lives of the mother and daughter in order to save face. That's why he thought of asking Consort Ming, who was also born out of wedlock in the third branch of the Shen family, to step forward and make a decision.

As they were both daughters of Master Shen, they should at least have some sisterly affection for each other.