After being forced into a marriage with a wealthy family, the virtuous wife caused a huge uproar.

"Mrs. Su, shut up!" The old lady shouted angrily, angered by Su Jingyi's incoherent ramblings.

"Mother, how can we still accept Rong Yingluo if she disrespects me, her mother-in-law, so much? She's just a merchant's daughter. I've been married into the Gu family for almost twenty years, and I've never seen anyone as ignorant of seniority and questioning their elders like her." Madam Su was about to continue condemning Rong Yingluo.

She knew this matter couldn't be resolved peacefully, so she could only appeal to the authorities by virtue of her status as an elder.

"Granny Zhao, you are an old servant of Madam Su. Tell me, why did Liuli's dowry disappear without a trace?" the old lady continued to ask.

Today is a good opportunity to deal with the Su family.

Su tampered with her food, preventing her from leaving Shousong Courtyard for many years. Today, it's time to teach her a lesson.

When the old lady called out to her, Granny Zhao had no choice but to step forward and reply, "Reporting to the old lady, this servant does not know."

"You are the most capable old nanny by Su's side. The key has always been in your hands. If you don't know, who does?" A cold glint flashed in the old lady's eyes.

"Madam, I really don't know," Zhao Mama said, glancing at Madam Su before continuing to deny it.

"Guards, beat her until she confesses!" The old lady slammed her cane down, exuding authority.

The two maids brought by the old lady immediately grabbed Zhao Mama and forced her to kneel on the ground, while Ye Mama slapped her left and right.

A series of crisp sounds echoed in the courtyard.

Madam Su glared fiercely at the old lady.

If she had known that the old lady would one day leave the courtyard, she should have killed her sooner instead of ruining her plans today.

Madam Su regretted that she had been too soft-hearted and dared not take the old lady's life directly.

"Madam, I'm innocent!" Even after being beaten, Granny Zhao still had the energy to cry out her innocence.

"Granny Ye, you're too old, your strength is too weak. A-Ce, you do it." The old lady frowned.

He's the only man here.

"Yes, Grandmother." Gu Ce was very obedient. He stepped forward and slapped Zhao Mama five times, and her face swelled up like a bun, with blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.

"Please spare me, Madam! I'll tell you!" Granny Zhao, a woman from the inner quarters, was over forty years old and an old servant of the Duchess. She had never been beaten like this before and could not withstand the slaps from Gu Ce, a man.

"It was...it was the second young master who stole the key," Zhao Mama confessed honestly.

The dowries of the first four young mistresses were all disposed of by the second young master. With the Duchess in charge, who would dare to say anything?

Now that the old lady has left Shousong Courtyard, the second young master is still her own grandson. At most, she will only punish him slightly, and nothing serious will happen.

The Duchess had already told her that if anything really happened, this was how to explain it.

"Granny Ye, tell Steward Lu to send someone to bring Gu Xi back to me." The old lady didn't want to waste any more words with Madam Su.

Gu Ce gestured to An Yi, who in turn gestured to An Er, who was also in the shadows.

Seeing that Granny Zhao had confessed honestly, Su Jingyi knelt down in front of the old lady with tears in her eyes: "Mother, it is my fault for not raising my son properly. I am at fault."

"You're right, it's because you've failed to raise your son properly."

Ah Xi grew up by your side since he was little, look how spoiled you are!

He's eighteen now, but he's neither good at academics nor martial arts, and all he does is hang out with spoiled brats all day.

Look at A-Ce again, he became the top scholar in the imperial examination at the age of eighteen.

"And look at Qingya, she's arrogant and domineering, bullies the weak, and disrespects her elder sister-in-law. She's not even as sensible and well-behaved as the two concubine's daughters." The old lady spoke of Su's two children as worthless.

"Waaah... Mother, your daughter-in-law is suffering. The Duke is away from the mansion for many years, and the entire burden of this large mansion rests on your shoulders. It's not your fault that the two children are not properly disciplined."

"The Duke hired renowned tutors for A-Ce, but he never thought of hiring them for A-Xi," Su said tearfully, recounting her hardships.

"Mother, you are talking nonsense. Father always teaches my second brother when he comes back. He requires him to get up at dawn to practice martial arts, but my second brother sleeps until the sun is high in the sky and doesn't get up."

Martial arts training requires enduring the sweltering heat of summer and the freezing cold of winter. Did you, Second Brother, achieve that?

Twice, I saw you plead with Father, saying the child was still young and didn't need to work so hard; there would be plenty of time later. "With you like this, which renowned teacher do you think would want you?" Gu Ce said disdainfully.

Having spent so much time with Rong Yingluo these days, his tongue has become much sharper than before.

Su was indeed a loving mother, but unfortunately she didn't understand that loving mothers often spoil their children, and thought that loving her children unconditionally was the best approach.

The kindness shown to him was merely a venomous snake's feigned benevolence.

"A-Ce, how can you say such things about your second brother? He studies very hard. It's just that he's a child." Madam Su truly loved her two children and wouldn't allow Gu Ce to speak of them like that.

"Shut up, all of you." The old lady knew exactly what was going on.

Ah Xi and Qing Ya were both spoiled by Madam Su. If Madam Su hadn't tricked her into staying in Shousong Courtyard, and if she had been there to look after them, the two children might not have turned out so badly. Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".

Just as everyone was getting impatient, Gu Xi was brought back from outside.

Gu Xi and a few of his cronies were feasting and drinking at a restaurant.

These days, he lives a life of debauchery.

Since the day Gu Ce was promoted to prime minister, he has been going out to eat or gamble every day, and sometimes he even visits brothels.

He also had his pride; he was far inferior to Gu Ce. Only his cronies would give him a second glance and flatter him.

Gu Ce could tell from his drunken state that he had drunk quite a bit, and it was not a good time to ask him questions.

Without saying a word, he went up and kneed Gu Xi in the stomach. Gu Xi couldn't take it and vomited all over the ground. The stench mixed with the smell of alcohol made several people present gag.

"A-Ce, what are you doing?" Madam Su stepped forward with concern, gently patting Gu Xi's back. "A-Xi, didn't I tell you not to go out drinking? How did you get yourself so drunk again?"

"Mother, I don't drink, so what can I do? Why don't you ask my older brother to find me a job?" Gu Xi was not fully sober yet.

Rong Yingluo stepped forward and quickly put a pill into Gu Xi's mouth.

"Rong, what did you feed him?" Su asked in surprise.

"Hangover medicine. It was originally prepared for my husband, but it's been given to my second brother." Rong Yingluo was telling the truth. Gu Ce had been promoted to prime minister, so he naturally had more social engagements than before, and drinking was unavoidable.

After waiting for a quarter of an hour, Gu Xi was indeed much more lucid. He saw the old lady sitting upright while everyone else was standing. Looking at the courtyard, a place he had visited countless times recently, he became even more clear-headed.

"Gu Xi, just now Zhao Mama said that you stole the key she was in charge of and took your sister-in-law's dowry. Is that true?" The old lady asked with great authority.

"Grandmother, I didn't." Gu Xi denied it without even thinking.

"Tell me the truth, or don't blame me for using force," Gu Ce threatened.

"Big brother, I really didn't take it." Gu Xi was startled.

"Is that so?" Rong Yingluo scoffed, took a step forward, and pulled a key from his pocket.

When the old lady asked her question, she saw Gu Xi glance at her arms subconsciously, and she guessed that the key was on him.

"Second brother, what is this?" Rong Yingluo smiled mysteriously.

"That's the key to my room." Gu Xi tried to snatch it back, but Gu Ce raised his hand to stop her.

Rong Yingluo took the key, then walked to the lock that had fallen to the ground, picked it up, and inserted the key into the lock.

Her movements drew everyone's attention.