"You ungrateful son," Xu Huizhen, having never been so humiliated, turned her anger directly onto Gu Kaiyuan, "Didn’t you see they were bullying your mother? Don’t you know to kill them one by one?"

Gu Kaiyuan sighed, was she still unclear about the current situation? "Mother, they are working for His Majesty, things have come to this, why suffer unnecessary injuries?"

"You are more sensible," the housekeeper grandma gave him an approving look, then turned to glare at the four still struggling, "You are no longer official family members, if you know what’s wise, cooperate with us. Otherwise, my sisters are heavy-handed; if you get hurt, no one will seek justice for you."

The sisters were specially picked from the confiscation team, specifically targeting these troublesome ladies. These high-status women were no better than lowly maids in their hands.

For those who knew better, they offered some convenience and didn’t search thoroughly.

They weren’t utterly evil; they knew where to draw the line.

After all, these official ladies still have their maternal homes, and if anyone truly adored their daughters, they could deal with us little ones with a flick of their fingers.

But if met with non-cooperation, it would embarrass them, and the adults might think they were ineffective; they didn’t want to lose such lucrative tasks.

Not giving them convenience was akin to smashing their rice bowls, so they weren’t going to be polite.

Seeing the old woman still cursing, the housekeeper grandma directly ordered angrily, "Sisters, move faster, use unusual methods if there’s non-cooperation."

"Yes," a few robust women showed hideous smiles; for those troublesome types, they had plenty of ways to deal with them.

They were just about to show some severity, but would anyone know how to read the situation?

"Everyone, we’ll cooperate," Gu Antong said tearfully, full of humiliation.

"Grandmother, Mother, let’s take off our jewelry; I believe Grandfather must be wronged, this hardship is only temporary."

Bai Suihe looked at Gu Antong, who reacted quickly, knowing how to imply multiple meanings.

"But..." Liu Yun was already in despair; the Holy Decree had been issued, how could there possibly be a reversal?

Gu Antong quickly grabbed her arm, "The Marquis Mansion will surely also help mediate, Mother, we have to trust our external family."

Thinking of the Marquis Mansion, Liu Yun understood her daughter’s intent but felt uncertain.

The one who inherited the Marquis Mansion now was her legitimate elder brother; the concubine was the old Marquise’s thorn in the side then. Because the concubine was favored, she got this good marriage; but after her father’s passing, the mansion’s sky changed long ago, and she hadn’t returned for years.

Gu Antong’s words indeed worked; several women exchanged looks, and their hands’ movements eased somewhat.

Gu Antong didn’t dare cause trouble anymore and quickly removed the headdress jewelry, helping Liu Yun take off her things too, placing them on the plate provided by the other side.

Xu Yulan, knowing the situation was hopeless, tearfully took off everything from herself.

Xu Huizhen closed her eyes, no longer resisting, allowing the women to loot her clean.

Since Bai Suihe cooperated, only her hair got slightly messy; she still looked relatively decent.

But Xu Huizhen and the others looked rather disheveled, hair messy aside, their bodies also bore a few scratches.

The family hadn’t snapped out of it until they were locked up in prison.

Everyone was still fine this morning; what grave crime did their mansion commit exactly?

"Mother, did Father mention anything to you these days?" Liu Yun covered her nose, finding the smell of the prison extremely hard to bear.

"What could he say? His heart’s long been taken by that wicked woman, could he talk to me for a few sentences?

Perhaps this disaster was brought by that wicked woman; our mansion was always fine before, then she came, and our family started attracting trouble.

Yesterday, I shouldn’t have brought her into the mansion, should’ve killed her right away."

Xu Huizhen squeezed these words from between her teeth, her gaze exceptionally sinister.

Thinking about their capture earlier, yet Mrs. Li wasn’t among the captured, Xu Huizhen couldn’t swallow this anger.

Bai Suihe found a corner to sit; she’d have to stay here two more days; as a pregnant woman, she wouldn’t mingle with them.

"Mother’s words make sense," Xu Yulan echoed with gritted teeth, "Could she be behind our backs, using Father’s name to commit evil?

We must find a way to see Father, and clarify what’s going on."

"I wonder how Wei Er and the others are doing?" Thinking of the children still in the Minister’s Mansion clan school, Xu Yulan couldn’t help but worry.

"Yes, and Anliang, with such a big matter at home, he must be anxious too. I wonder if the husband brought him back to the mansion." Liu Yun also thought of her son at this moment.

Mr. Liu’s household of the Ministry of War had a prestigious clan school; Gu Baijiang spoke well to get two grandsons in.

They usually ate and stayed at the Minister’s Mansion, returning once a month.

"Afraid the brothers will be implicated too," Gu Antong thought of the previous Holy Decree sentencing the entire Gu Mansion; how could the two brothers, being male, escape?

If not brought here yet, they’ve already been sent to Father.

"What kind of affair is this?" Xu Yulan’s tears flowed freely, "My Wei Er could take the Child’s Examination this year; it’s ruining us."

Her greatest hopes in this life were her husband and son; could they really stop here?

It’s so unfortunate; after just a few years of bliss, life would be worse than before.

Her crying affected Liu Yun too, who wiped her tears along, even Gu Antong’s eyes turned red.

Bai Suihe, forgotten by them for a while, took the opportunity to cover her face with her sleeve, actually secretly taking out a sachet to sniff.

"Get in quickly, dare mess around again, believe it or not, I’ll whip you?"

The yelling approached, "Thought you were esteemed sons once; now you’re more miserable than us. If you don’t behave, beware the whipping."

"Release me, do you know who we are? My grandfather is the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War, and my father is in the Hanlin Academy. You lowly people dare seize me?"

Hearing this familiar voice, Liu Yun couldn’t neglect her tears, immediately standing up and running to grasp the bars, "Anliang? Is it you? Liang Er?"

Xu Yulan also staggered over, "Wei Er?"

"Mother..."

Upon hearing familiar voices, the two children stopped struggling, instead running forward.

Seeing their mothers trapped, they dared not step closer, "Mother, why are you here?"

"My sons," Liu Yun cried, not leaving them any path of survival.

Then the jailer unlocked the shackled gate, directly shoving the still-struggling lads inside, "Be docile, cause trouble, don’t blame us for being unkind."

Bai Suihe sighed, now it’s complete.

Since she arrived, she hadn’t seen these two young masters, those cheap nephews, one ten, one eight, spoiled beyond measure.