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The maids were quite happy, though. The villa, though cool and unsupervised, was deserted and quiet; there was no one to talk to. Because Huiying was injured, the position of head maid for Youtong was temporarily vacant. She had originally planned to promote Hongyun, but after thinking it over, she decided against it. The two maids had been sent to her by the Second Madam together; if she promoted only one, it would surely displease Hongye, and that would only cause more trouble.

While Wen Qing and his group were still on their way, the Xu family arrived to finalize the engagement. They had invited Madam Gao, the wife of General Li, a highly respected figure in the capital, to be their consort. You Tong had previously heard Xu Wei mention the close relationship between the Xu and Li families; when the Xu family moved to the capital, it was General Li who took them in and recommended Master Xu for an official position, which led to the Xu family's later prosperity. Now, Madam Xu had specifically asked Madam Li to make the appointment, clearly showing her high regard for You Tong, which deeply moved her.

Although the Xu family's wealth couldn't compare to that of a large clan like the Cui family, they still prepared three sets of headdresses and jewelry in a respectable manner: one set of pure gold, one set of gilded filigree jewelry inlaid with pearls, and one set of jade. The onlookers all showed envious expressions, and the Second Madam felt particularly proud, her spirits lifting considerably.

You Tong simply kept her head down, maintaining a dignified and gentle demeanor. Occasionally, when a lady teased her, she would blush and remain silent, displaying a charmingly shy appearance. After the ceremony, everyone offered their congratulations, and the Second Madam returned the greetings with a gentle smile. You Tong stood behind her silently, only occasionally raising her head to smile with a blush on her face, her expression full of embarrassment.

As usual, she sent Huiqiao to watch over Huiying that evening, while she opened the window, lit the lamp, and casually read a book while waiting for Xu Wei to come over. Although he hadn't left a message saying he would be coming to the mansion that night, Youtong thought that firstly, today was indeed unusual, and secondly, they hadn't seen each other for quite some time, so if he wasn't too busy, he should come and see her.

Exhausted from socializing during the day, she felt a bit dizzy that evening. She leaned against the couch, read for a while, and then drifted off to sleep. In her hazy state, she felt a warmth on her body and opened her eyes to see Xu Wei clumsily carrying a blanket to cover her. Seeing that she was awake, Xu Wei immediately looked apologetic and said softly, "I was too rough and disturbed you."

You Tong shook her head, pulled the blanket up to cover her upper body, then sat up and reached out to hug Xu Wei, leaning her whole body against him. Xu Wei stiffened at first, then gradually recovered, and also reached out to hug You Tong's head, saying softly, "I'm sorry, I'm too late."

You Tong didn't speak at first, but leaned against him for a while before finally saying, "Madam Li came over during the day and placed an order, bringing three sets of jewelry. The Second Madam was very satisfied."

Xu Wei smiled and said, "As long as she's satisfied, that's good. These things were originally done for their benefit." Marriage is a union of two families, and You Tong's current status as the ninth young lady of the Cui family is, to some extent, an advantage for them. Otherwise, she would still have a clandestine identity. While Xu Wei doesn't mind her shocking past of faking her death to escape marriage, how would the people of the capital view her? Once she enters the Xu family, she will be the eldest daughter-in-law, the matriarch of the household. If she is criticized because of this, her life won't be easy.

You Tong naturally knew this as well. Although she was somewhat dissatisfied with the Second Madam's unjustified exile to the villa, she hadn't done anything about it and still treated her with respect. The two hadn't seen each other for a while, so they naturally had a lot to talk about. However, it was already late, and You Tong was afraid of affecting Xu Wei's morning court the next day. After exchanging heartfelt words, she urged Xu Wei to return to the mansion to rest early.

After he left, You Tong remembered Wen Qing's return to the capital. She had originally planned to mention it to Xu Wei, but she forgot about it for a moment.

Xu Wei didn't come again for several days. You Tong occasionally heard Cui Weiyuan mention that there seemed to be a change in the Imperial Guards. The former Right Imperial Guard General had been demoted for some reason, and now the court was in an uproar over this vacancy. Since the Imperial Guards were in charge of the palace's security, they could be said to have entrusted the safety of the entire royal family and nobility to them. Qualifications aside, the most important thing was loyalty.

In terms of seniority, Xu Wei was not qualified to be the Left Imperial Guard General. However, there was no one else in the court at present. Although Xu Wei was young, he had made real contributions on the frontier. More importantly, the Xu family were loyal officials who only knew how to be loyal to the court and the emperor and never schemed. Therefore, before his death, the late emperor specially issued a secret decree to summon Xu Wei back from afar.

General Meng, the former Right Palace Guard Commander, was the son-in-law of Grand Tutor Liu and a man of integrity and kindness, not affiliated with the Grand Princess or the Empress Dowager. His demotion is likely due to his involvement in the young emperor's escape from the palace. Now that a crucial position is vacant, the Grand Princess and the Empress Dowager are naturally vying fiercely for it. This matter has little to do with Xu Wei, but with General Meng gone, the Right Palace Guard is temporarily without leadership, and Xu Wei must take over until this matter is resolved, at which point he can relinquish his responsibilities.

You Tong, who normally never inquired about matters of state, now paid close attention to them because of Xu Wei, even gaining insights at times, which he wrote down to share with Xu Wei the next time he visited.

Xu Wei hadn't arrived yet, but Wen Qing had finally reached the capital. She had come with the Third Master, along with the other young masters and ladies of the Third Branch of the family. Their luggage filled over a dozen carriages.

The Cui family mansion wasn't large, and it was already full when You Tong and the others came to the capital. Now, with the addition of the third branch of the family, it was naturally overcrowded. The second madam had already prepared another residence for them in the east of the city and had informed the second master of the Cui family in advance. However, the second master hesitated and said that since they were family, why did they have to live separately? If word got out, people would think that the Cui family had split up.

The second wife laughed and said, "What are you saying, sir? I'm just thinking of Third Uncle and the others. This old house wasn't very big to begin with. Although it's not crowded, it's still not very bright. Not to mention anything else, just look at Wen Feng and Wen Yan's place. Two young ladies live in one small boudoir, upstairs and downstairs. And now Wen Qing is here too. I really don't know where to put her."

She still had something on the tip of her tongue but hadn't finished speaking. That Wen Qing was not someone to be trifled with. The Second Madam still remembered very well how Wen Qing had secretly harmed You Tong and Wen Yan. Speaking of which, she had to thank You Tong, otherwise, Wen Yan would have been hurt. If she, a young woman, were to have any scars on her face, she wouldn't be as easy to talk to as the Third Madam, and would definitely not let that little harlot off the hook.

Wen Yan and Wen Qing were never on good terms, so the Second Madam dared not put them together again. Although You Tong was cunning, she still considered the big picture and took good care of Wen Yan. It was better to be with her than with that ruthless little hussy Wen Qing.

Seeing that the Second Master was still stroking his beard and remaining silent, the Second Madam said again, "Alright, alright, I was just mentioning it casually. Do you really think we should send Third Uncle and the others to the house in the east of the city? I'll talk to Third Sister-in-law later. If she's also thinking about it, she'll naturally talk to Third Uncle herself." The Second Madam was actually eighty or ninety percent confident. What woman doesn't want to be in charge? If the Third Madam lived in the old house, she couldn't get involved in the affairs of the mansion. Everything had to be arranged by the Second Madam. But if she went to the east of the city, it would be the third branch of the family's domain. She could do whatever she wanted to make things difficult for Aunt Jiang, and no one else could even say anything.

Master Cui, aware of the household's difficulties, nodded in agreement. A moment later, remembering something else, he reminded him:

"I see that the Xu family is very keen on this marriage, and I'm guessing they'll be marrying Miss Jiu before the end of this year. Have you prepared her dowry yet?"

A hint of unease flashed across the Second Madam's face, but she quickly regained her composure, turned around, retrieved the dowry list from the cabinet, and handed it to Second Master Cui, whispering, "I don't know what the Second Miss is thinking. She's a married woman; does she expect to compete with the Ninth Miss? She comes to the manor every few days to ask about the Ninth Miss's dowry. I don't know how to answer her."

Upon hearing this, Master Cui frowned, somewhat displeased, and said, "She's been spoiled rotten; there's no need to pay her any mind. She got married sometime in the past, and besides, she married into the Shi family. How could they possibly compare to the Xu family?" He then shook his head and looked down at the dowry list.

"Yes, according to the example on this list, add 20% to each item," Master Cui instructed.

The second wife was slightly surprised. "Isn't this too much? This list was originally the eldest young lady's dowry when she got married. I already added 10% to each item. If we add another..."

"It's alright!" Master Cui stroked his beard and smiled. "I ran into Prince Zhuang when I left court today. He finally couldn't hold back any longer."

Chapter 44, The Great Disturbance

Of course, You Tong had no idea what Master Cui and his wife were thinking. At this moment, she was busy struggling with a large pile of fabric and silk thread in front of her.

With the wedding arrangements already finalized, she hadn't even started preparing her wedding dress and bridal veil. Even though the second madam had prepared the larger items like clothes and quilts, she still had to sew her own personal items like sachets, shoes, and socks. So, since returning to the manor, You Tong had been doing needlework with Hong Yun, and she was truly busy.

When Wenqing entered the mansion, Youtong and Wenyan did not go to greet her, and the Second Madam did not say anything. No matter how much the Third Master favored Wenqing, she was still only a concubine's daughter, and there was really no need to make such a fuss.

Besides Wenqing, two other illegitimate daughters from the third branch of the family, Wenmin and Wenxuan, also came to the capital. However, they were both young, the older one being only eight years old and the younger Wenxuan not even six. The second madam quickly arranged for them all to stay in a small villa in the western garden of the Cui residence, far away from Jiangxuezhai.

Because that courtyard was extremely remote, it was usually deserted. It wasn't until the third branch of the family came that they hurriedly tidied it up. The furnishings inside the house and the layout and scenery of the courtyard were much worse than those of Jiangxuezhai. As soon as Wenqing entered the door, he immediately started to make a scene, shouting and making a fuss in the courtyard, insisting on going to find the second madam to reason with her.

Aunt Jiang managed to pull her back and advised, "This place is not like Longxi. The Second Madam makes all the decisions in the mansion. Your father has just arrived in the capital, and he still needs your Second Uncle to handle things when it comes to finding a job. Now is not the time to act recklessly. Even if the Second Madam just lets you live in a more remote place, we have to swallow our anger and bear it if she gives us a hard time."

The Third Master, following the Second Master, traveled around the capital seeking a position. He had originally been a sixth-rank guerrilla in Cangzhou; if he were to continue his posting outside the capital, even a full sixth-rank position wouldn't be difficult. However, being a government official in the capital was no easy feat, and securing even a sixth-rank position was already a challenge. Fortunately, the Cui family had extensive connections, and in the past six months, the Second Master had cultivated a good relationship with the Minister of Personnel. He had given the Minister three thousand taels of silver, which surprisingly secured the Third Master a lucrative sixth-rank position as a vanguard officer. The Third Master was overjoyed and extremely grateful to the Second Master.

Although the imperial decree had not yet been issued, the Ministry of Personnel had given its approval, which put the Cui family at ease. The Second Master then specially invited the Third Master into his study and gave him a series of instructions, mainly about the various aspects of being an official in the capital, especially reminding him to manage the household affairs well and not to cause any trouble, lest the censors accuse him of neglecting his duties.

Although the Second Master did not say it explicitly, the Third Master understood perfectly. Wasn't this a clear reminder that he should not spoil Jiang Shi too much, lest it cause instability in the inner quarters? He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, and thinking of his elder brother's cautious and meticulous manner in the capital, he felt quite ashamed. He repeatedly blamed himself, saying, "I acted too rashly. Please forgive me in the future, Second Brother."

As soon as the Third Master returned to his room after leaving the Second Master's study, he saw Wenqing rushing out crying, wiping away her tears and complaining about how unfairly the Second Madam had treated her.

The third wife sat upright in the room, calmly drinking tea with a mocking expression on her face, but did not utter a word to interfere.

Aunt Jiang rushed out and pretended to pull Wenqing away, but her face showed a pitiful and aggrieved expression as if she had been bullied. She would occasionally glance at Third Master, her eyes filled with tears.

The words the Second Master had just used to reprimand him flashed through the Third Master's mind. Looking at Wen Qing's red and swollen eyes from crying, a sudden surge of impatience arose in his heart. All his usual kindness vanished, and he said coldly, "This courtyard is already crowded. If you don't want to live in the West Garden, do you expect Wen Feng and Wen Yan to switch places with you? You're such a grown-up, yet you're so immature. I don't know how your mother raised you."

After saying that, he turned to the Third Madam with a gentle smile and said, "Tomorrow, ask Second Sister-in-law to invite a governess back. This Eighth Girl is too spoiled and doesn't know any manners. If she is not properly disciplined, she might bring shame to the Cui family after she gets married."

No one expected him to react this way. Not only was Wenqing too frightened to even cry, but Aunt Jiang stared at him blankly. Even the Third Madam was stunned and stared at him for a long time before she suddenly realized what was happening and quickly got up and said, "It is my fault for not disciplining her properly. I will talk to Second Sister-in-law about it tomorrow."

After saying that, he stepped forward again, smiling as he said to the Third Master, "Master, you must be tired after walking around all day." He then quickly ordered the servants to serve tea.

Aunt Jiang had almost woken up by now. She quickly pulled Wenqing up and knelt down on the ground. She lowered her posture and said, "It is my fault for not disciplining Wenqing properly. Please punish me, Master and Madam." After saying that, she bowed to him with tears in her eyes.

Seeing her so self-righteous, the Third Madam sneered inwardly, but couldn't help but show it off on her face.

Third Master was initially softened by Aunt Jiang's pitiful appearance, but upon seeing Third Madam's attitude, he became uneasy. After thinking for a moment, he replied with a stern face, "Go back to your own courtyard and don't wander around unless necessary. Also—" He glanced at Third Madam nervously and whispered, "Starting tomorrow, you must pay your respects to her morning and evening without fail."

As soon as he uttered those words, everyone in the room changed color. Aunt Jiang was so frightened by his words that her face turned pale, while the Third Madam was both surprised and delighted, and her eyes immediately became a little sore.

When she first married into the Cui family, the Third Master was in a hurry to take Jiang as his secondary wife. It was only after the Old Madam Cui was furious and nearly kicked Jiang out that the Third Master reluctantly accepted her as a concubine. Although nominally a concubine, she received the same treatment as the wife. Relying on the Third Master's favor, Concubine Jiang rarely respected even the Third Madam, let alone performed the morning and evening greetings. But now, the Third Master's words had clearly brought her back to reality.

"Master...Master..." Aunt Jiang stammered, barely able to speak. Tears streamed down her face, her eyes red and brimming with tears, making her look like a beautiful pear blossom in the rain.

The Third Master was only thinking about the Second Master's words. He refused to look at her, hardened his heart and turned his head away. He waved his hand at her and said, "What kind of behavior is this, crying and sobbing? Go back to your room."

Aunt Jiang was too weak to walk; she lay limply on the spot, wailing sadly.

The Third Madam gave a wink to the maids, who immediately understood and rushed forward to drag Aunt Jiang away. Wen Qing was already terrified. She glanced at the Third Master a few times, looking utterly lost, before being pushed out by the maids.

Early the next morning, when the Third Master saw Concubine Jiang, dressed in plain clothes, without makeup, and looking haggard, bowing her head and humbly paying her respects to the Third Madam, he felt a pang of pity. However, with the Third Madam present, he couldn't do anything. He turned around and had his servants send some clothes and jewelry to coax her. But in any case, he didn't ask to exempt her from her daily greetings.

These things, of course, couldn't be kept from the Third Madam, but she wisely kept quiet. She knew perfectly well that Aunt Jiang, having been favored for so many years, naturally had her own abilities. Now that the Third Master had finally decided to suppress her, he naturally had to proceed step by step. The saying "haste makes waste" perfectly applied to this situation.

On You Tong's side, the Second Madam was quite pleased to see her obediently staying in her room doing needlework all day. Considering that Wen Yan would also be getting married early next year, she forced her to join in the preparations. Wen Yan had no choice but to stay in Jiangxue Studio and daze as well.

Wenqing cried in the West Garden for two days, but was finally forced out by Aunt Jiang, who insisted that she find Youtong and the other girl to reconnect. Wenqing had been feeling lost these past few days, and now that Aunt Jiang had said that, she was even more confused. She didn't care about her previous discord with Wenyan and the others, and shamelessly brought a large group of maids to Jiangxuezhai to "chat".

You Tong and Wen Yan were lounging on the couch in the small hall downstairs, chatting and laughing comfortably. Suddenly, Hong Yun announced that the Eighth Miss had arrived. The two of them were stunned for a moment, then frowned, looked at each other, and the room fell silent.

Since Wenqing had already arrived at the door, there was no reason to stop her from entering. Youtong had no choice but to ask Hongyun to invite her inside. She then took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, and sat up properly.

The atmosphere in the room became somewhat awkward. You Tong and Wen Yan occasionally exchanged a few words, and although they didn't completely ignore Wen Qing, they were very polite to her, their expressions revealing an undisguised distance.

Wenqing was naturally perceptive, and she could easily see through it. She wanted nothing more than to get up and leave, but remembering Aunt Jiang's earnest instructions before she left, she managed to suppress her urges. She glanced at the scattered pieces of fabric on the table, forced a smile, and casually said, "Isn't Tenth Sister getting married next year? Why are you already preparing her dowry? You're really in a hurry."

Although the marriage between You Tong and Xu Wei caused quite a stir in the capital, it was kept secret in Longxi until recently when the engagement was arranged, at which point the second wife sent word back home. The third wife's family was still en route and therefore unaware of the matter. After arriving in the capital, Wen Qing, who spent all his time in the West Garden and had not heard anyone mention You Tong's marriage, inquired about it.

Wen Yan's face immediately darkened, and she said irritably, "Who's in a hurry? Who said this is my dowry? Do you think everyone is like you—" Before she could finish speaking, You Tong stopped her with a look, and she swallowed the rest of her words back, sullenly muttering, "She just knows how to insult people, so annoying."

After saying that, Wen Yan suddenly thought of something. She blinked her big eyes and a smug and cunning smile appeared on her face. "Eighth Sister, you've just arrived in the capital, so you don't know about Ninth Sister's marriage, do you?"

Wen Qing glanced at You Tong with a puzzled look, her eyes filled with disdain and a mocking smile involuntarily appearing on her lips. She whispered, "Is it that marriage with the Shen family? It's called off, so what? It's no big deal."

She said this, but her tone couldn't hide her schadenfreude. "Didn't they say that the third young master of the Shen family was keeping a mistress outside? Ah, I knew it. If she were truly of good character, she wouldn't have fallen for Ninth Sister. Oh dear—look at my mouth, I just can't hold back!" After saying that, she patted her face insincerely, but her eyes involuntarily stared at You Tong, her eyes full of mockery.

You Tong just smiled and didn't say anything. Wen Yan, on the other hand, laughed so hard she couldn't catch her breath and couldn't even straighten her back. Hui Qiao and Hong Yun, who were serving her, looked at Wen Qing with displeasure and kept shaking their heads.

Wen Yan laughed, finally calming down. Clutching her chest, she said, "My dear eighth sister, you've come to the capital, how come you're so out of touch? How long ago was that third young master of the Shen family? And people are still bringing it up. Everyone in the capital knows that our ninth sister is betrothed to Xu Wei, the Left Guard General. They've even exchanged betrothal gifts, and the wedding is in two months. Ninth sister is now Xu's betrothed daughter-in-law, and even my mother treats her with utmost respect. You'd better watch your words."

Wen Qing turned pale instantly, stood up abruptly, pointed at Wen Yan with trembling hands, then at You Tong, her lips quivering but unable to utter a sound.

You Tong ignored her and continued fiddling with the needle and thread in her hands. Wen Yan, however, stood up and raised her head high, chin held high, with an expression that said, "What can you do about it?"

Wenqing ignored her, glaring venomously at Youtong, and asked through gritted teeth, "Is...it true?"

You Tong frowned slightly and whispered to the maids serving behind her, "Eighth Sister seems to be feeling unwell. Why don't you help her back to rest?" Although her voice was low, her tone clearly carried an undeniable air of authority. The maids stiffened upon hearing this and involuntarily stepped forward to help Wen Qing out.

Wenqing, still half-asleep, was pulled a couple of steps by them before suddenly waking up. Enraged, she shook off their hands, rushed forward, and overturned the table in front of Youtong, scattering needlework and fabric all over the floor.

"What do you want?" Before Youtong could react, Wenyan jumped out first. Before she could even start cursing, Wenqing suddenly pounced on her. The two immediately got into a fight. One pinched the other's hair, the other grabbed the other's arm, and they wrestled together. The maids were shocked and rushed forward to pull them apart, but they couldn't separate them.

You Tong was also dumbfounded and stood there for a long time before she thought of stepping forward to break up the fight.

It took a great deal of effort to pull them apart, but both of them were injured. Wen Yan was wounded on her wrist, with a large patch of skin torn off, while Wen Qing had her neck scratched, with a long, faint trail of blood showing through. You Tong quickly told Hui Qiao to fetch some ointment, tossed a bottle to Wen Qing's maid, and then carefully applied it to Wen Yan herself.

Wenqing was still not satisfied. Several times she tried to break through the maids' obstruction to grab Youtong, but she was stopped each time. She was so angry that she stomped her feet and cursed Youtong with vulgar language, calling her "little slut" and "little whore".

You Tong was too lazy to pay attention to her at the moment. She first treated the wound on Wen Yan's arm, and then turned around and said with a stern face, "Go and invite the Second Madam and the Third Madam over. I want to ask how I became a little slut and a little whore."

Wenqing's maids wanted to step forward to plead for her, but seeing Youtong's cold expression, they couldn't muster the courage to speak.

After a while, the second and third wives rushed over. Aunt Jiang, who had somehow heard the news, followed behind them with an uneasy expression.

As soon as they entered the gate, the three of them gasped in unison. The second madam, her face hardening, was the first to speak, pointing to the mess on the ground and demanding, "Who did this?"

The maids dared not reply. Wen Yan was about to complain when You Tong stopped her. She glanced at Wen Qing indifferently, then pointed to the maid behind Wen Qing and said, "You speak, so others won't say we're making false accusations." After saying that, she gave Aunt Jiang a meaningful look. The Third Madam knew what she meant and quickly said, "Don't worry, Ninth Miss, your Third Aunt will definitely uphold justice for you."

The maid who had been summoned by You Tong was stared at coldly by the masters and trembled with fear, but she managed to stay upright and not faint. Because there were other maids of You Tong and Wen Yan nearby, she did not dare to make up stories or shift the blame onto You Tong, but simply told the whole story in detail.

When the two ladies heard that Wenqing had started making trouble after learning that Youtong and Xu Wei were engaged, their faces turned ashen. Aunt Jiang looked both angry and anxious. After looking around for a while, she quietly retreated behind the crowd and instructed her personal maid, Rouge, to quickly go and invite the Third Master over.

Rouge dared not delay and quickly went out to find Master Cui.

The maid had already started talking about the fight between the two, but in the end, she didn't dare to mention the words Wenqing used to insult Youtong, only vaguely saying that the Eighth Miss had insulted the Ninth Miss. Youtong, however, was not having it. She stood up and said coldly, "Why don't you repeat what Eighth Sister said? I didn't know that our Cui family had such manners."

Seeing that Youtong spoke so solemnly, the two ladies guessed that Wenqing must have said something offensive. When they heard the maid timidly repeat a couple of sentences, they were immediately trembling with anger, pointing at Wenqing and shouting, "Good...good...what good upbringing! She's even more shameless than a shrew from the marketplace! Our Cui family could never raise such a young lady!"

Having said that, the second wife disregarded everything else and said to the third wife, "Wenqing is, after all, my niece. Without a proper mother, there's no reason for her to be left to me, her aunt, to handle her. Third sister-in-law, what do you think?"

The Third Madam had always disliked Wenqing. Last time, she was so angry that Wenqing had caused her son's injury that she had been furious. She had gone to great lengths to send Wenqing to a temple and lock her up for nearly a year, but that had not appeased her anger. Now that she had finally found fault with Wenqing again, the Third Madam was naturally overjoyed and quickly replied, "If you are willing, I will definitely give Wenfeng and Wenyan an explanation."

Hearing the two women speak so seriously, Aunt Jiang felt even more anxious and desperately wanted to leave immediately to ask Third Master for help.

Wenqing, however, seemed oblivious to her mistake, as if she hadn't heard the conversation between the Second and Third Madams at all. She just stared at Youtong with wide eyes, her gaze filled with a desire to tear Youtong apart. Youtong, on the other hand, ignored her and spoke softly to Wenyan, while carefully examining the wound on her arm, displaying a deep sisterly affection.

Not wanting to cause a scene at Jiangxue Studio, the Third Madam ordered her servants to take Wenqing away. She also sent a maid to inform the Third Master, then bid farewell to the Second Madam. She then spoke a few words to Youtong and Wenyan in a gentle tone, instructing Wenyan to take good care of her injuries. Finally, she left with a sullen face.

As soon as she left, Aunt Jiang had no choice but to follow behind. Before leaving, she pitifully tried to kneel down and kowtow to the Second Madam, begging her to say a word for Wenqing. However, the Second Madam had someone stop her and said politely, "What are you saying, Aunt Jiang? That Eighth Miss is the Third Madam's daughter, so naturally she is responsible for her upbringing. We have no right to interfere." After saying this, she picked up her teacup and saw her off.

After everyone had gradually walked away, the second madam glared at Wen Yan with a mixture of anger and resentment, wanting to scold her, but seeing the hideous wound on her arm, she couldn't utter a word.

Wen Yan was the best at coaxing people. With red eyes, she stepped forward and tugged at the Second Madam's sleeve, pleading, "Mother, I won't dare to do it again. If Eighth Sister comes again, I'll just avoid her."

The second wife angrily said, "Why are you hiding? Who does she think she is? A concubine's son, does she expect us to give in to her? It's fine that the third wife has gone to such lengths this time, but if it doesn't suit my taste, I will definitely go and have a good talk with my third uncle."

The third wife's family was not distinguishing between legitimate and illegitimate children, making the wife neither a proper wife nor a proper concubine. She was already very dissatisfied with this, and when Wen Qing tried to assassinate You Tong and Wen Yan but failed, the second wife harbored hatred towards Wen Qing. Today, it was even more outrageous that a son born to a concubine dared to hit her daughter. This was truly intolerable.

The second madam pulled Wenyan upstairs, while Huiqiao and the maids quickly cleaned up the mess in the room. Youtong sat by the window, lost in thought. She had already anticipated that Wenqing would come to cause her trouble, and had been thinking about how to deal with it, but unexpectedly, Wenyan had run into her today. Although Wenqing had gotten her comeuppance, she felt a little guilty thinking about the injury on Wenyan's arm.

Xu Wei came again that evening, and You Tong couldn't help but tell him everything that had happened during the day. After that, she laughed and said, "What kind of drug did you give Wen Qing? She's so infatuated with you that she doesn't care about any ladylike modesty at all."