Wang Wen released a sigh, pulled out a handkerchief from his sleeve, and handed it over. Dong Boyun took it and wiped the tears from her face before finally looking up.

"I don’t know how to tell you about this. Honestly, I was petrified when I saw the letter; I never imagined Father would dare to do such a thing. Now that things have gone wrong, he’s pushing everything onto me, saying that if I don’t act, the entire Dong Mansion will be finished." Since there were no outsiders in the carriage, Dong Boyun quietly recounted the events, "... Don’t you think something like this is terrifying? How can I not be afraid? Even at this point, Father still doesn’t come clean with me. I didn’t want to be foolish any longer, so I exposed everything, and now Father blames me and wants me to solve it."

As Dong Boyun spoke of this, she couldn’t help but start crying again.

Wang Wen stared in disbelief, "According to what you just said, the Dingyuan Marquis found out about the framing, which is why they retaliated by placing a yellow robe in the Second Prince Mansion. Now that the Second Prince is imprisoned, the Zhou Mansion captured Prince Shou’s granddaughter, only for the Dingyuan Marquis to discover this at the Zhou Mansion’s estate. Piecing these events together, I now understand."

After Wang Wen finished, he remained unresponsive for a long time, unable to believe it would be like this. Realizing how bold the Dong Mansion had been in undertaking such actions, it was no surprise that the Zhou Mansion had been after them. If something happened to Mr. Zhou, the Zhou Mansion would certainly drag the Dong Mansion down with them.

Wang Wen looked at his wife, who was wiping her tears by his side, and pulled her into his embrace, "I’ll accompany you to the Marquis Mansion. Your father already mentioned that the Dingyuan Marquis won’t hold this against you. Once we get there, we should talk about how the Zhou Mansion has been using this matter to threaten you. After all, the two mansions are related by marriage. The Dingyuan Marquis will not sever ties easily."

Dong Boyun raised her head, "Husband, it’s all my fault."

Wang Wen gave a faint smile, "It’s nothing of consequence. Alright, I will accompany you now; after that, we should return home since we still need to go to Mother."

Dong Boyun nodded in agreement.

Wang Wen then ordered the carriage to head to the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion. By the time they arrived, it was already midday, just in time for lunch. Sister Ling had been retrieved and, after breakfast, was taken back by Liang Hui, especially since Prince Shou, an elder, was now at the mansion.

After Lin Youning sent the guests off, she couldn’t stay awake any longer and fell asleep on the soft couch.

Gu Yifeng carried her to the bed and only got up to leave once she was sound asleep. As he stepped out of the main house, he saw Zhao Wu approaching, "Master, Wang Wen and the second young lady of the Dong Mansion are requesting an audience."

"Did they say who they wanted to see?"

"They did not specify who," Zhao Wu replied.

Since Li Si was escorting the cousin, Zhao Wu was the only one in the mansion.

Gu Yifeng nodded, "Take them to the front courtyard."

Zhao Wu acknowledged the order and left.

By the time Gu Yifeng arrived, Wang Wen had already drunk half a cup of tea. Seeing Gu Yifeng enter, he put down his teacup and stood up to greet him.

Gu Yifeng strode to the main seat and nodded to the two guests, "You’re here because something’s up, so go ahead and speak."

This urged them to get straight to the point.

Wang Wen stood and saluted, then explained the matter, "... Considering the significance of this matter, we truly don’t know what is right or wrong, hence the hasty visit."

Dong Boyun sneakily observed Gu Yifeng’s expression but couldn’t discern any emotions, so she withdrew her gaze.

Gu Yifeng finally spoke in a calm tone, "I am aware of this matter. I’ve spoken to your father, and you needn’t worry about the Zhou Mansion. I won’t pursue this incident further, but it mustn’t happen a second time, and that is out of respect for your aunt. When you return, inform your father of my words."

The burden in Dong Boyun’s heart finally lifted. Wang Wen also relaxed, replying, "Rest assured, Marquis, I will definitely tell my father-in-law about this matter."

Dong Boyun also stood to salute, and Gu Yifeng called Zhao Wu in to escort the two out before heading to the rear courtyard.

Once back in the carriage, Dong Boyun sighed in relief, "I didn’t expect the Marquis to be so accommodating."

"After all, there is a marriage connection between our two houses," Wang Wen also heaved a sigh of relief, "Let’s send someone to inform the Dong Mansion that the matter is resolved and head back to our own residence."

Dong Boyun naturally followed his lead, but upon returning home, she inevitably received cold looks from Mrs. Wang Sr. However, with the issue resolved, she no longer needed to worry about anything else and carefully admitted her mistakes to her mother-in-law despite the cold reception.

Mrs. Wang Sr. was quite surprised to see her daughter-in-law in high spirits but understood things were settled and did not pursue the matter further. She felt that a trip like this could allow them to settle down peacefully, which wasn’t a bad thing.

Mrs. Wang Sr. had a private conversation with her son, instructing the second daughter-in-law to return, "Your father and I have discussed, and we think you and your wife should go back to the hometown. You currently don’t hold any official position, and it might be good for you to tend to the old house there."

Wang Wen had no objections; although things seemed to be resolved, being so close to the Dong Mansion left uncertainty about future events, "I will follow Mother’s instructions."

Mrs. Wang Sr., pleased with her son’s compliance, nodded in satisfaction, "Pack your things over the next few days and head back to the hometown."

She left it at that and dismissed her son.

Wang Wen shared the plan with Dong Boyun, who was naturally delighted. With her maternal family’s affairs in the capital and with Wu Xueqin around, she couldn’t forget what had transpired between Wu Xueqin and her husband. Returning to the hometown seemed ideal, offering a fresh start without distractions. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

That very day, Dong Boyun instructed her maid to pack things, eager to head back to the hometown as soon as possible.

It wasn’t until the afternoon when Lin Youning awoke that she learned of Dong Boyun and her husband’s visit. After listening to her elder brother’s words, she nodded, "All matters will be resolved soon. What does the Holy Emperor have to say?"

"The Holy Emperor plans to suppress all the Second Prince’s men. Consort Zhou has been confined to her quarters in the palace, with no one left to aid the Second Prince. So now, your only task is to take care of your pregnancy, and you needn’t worry about anything else," Gu Yifeng squeezed her nose gently.

Lin Youning smiled, and just as the two were talking, Hailan walked in from outside, "Marquis, Madam, someone from the old Madam’s side delivered a message. They asked for you and Madam to visit after finishing your meal."

Gu Yifeng frowned, "Did they say what it was about?"

"It was Sister Suyi who came with the message. Turns out the Second Madam is expecting, and that’s why they want the Marquis and Madam to come over," Hailan, too, frowned.

Wasn’t the Second Master supposed to have been given a drug that prevented offspring? How could the Second Madam become pregnant?

When Sister Suyi mentioned it, even Hailan was startled. Seeing the expressions of the Marquis and Madam now, she could understand their reaction.