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

It seems I'll have to be more careful in the future.

She was truly used to being wild; she had seen plenty of scheming within high-ranking families, but she had never experienced it firsthand, so the impression wasn't deep enough.

Only now did she realize that the schemes within the inner quarters, big or small, were truly omnipresent.

"Young Madam, you're too rude. The Duchess is teaching you how to be a proper lady of a prominent family. You should be grateful to have such a good mother-in-law." Seeing Rong Yingluo's discomfiture, Zhao Mama felt much better.

"Fine, I'll copy it." Rong Yingluo had no choice but to accept the women's ring.

"The lady said that since you are going to copy the Precepts for Women, you don't need to pay your respects for the next two days."

"My mother really loves me dearly. Please convey my regards to her on my behalf." Rong Yingluo also plays a dutiful daughter-in-law.

Granny Zhao left with a smile.

"Miss, are you really going to copy it?" Yinghong asked with some concern.

"Copy, what else am I supposed to use to explain myself?" Rong Yingluo took the women's ring to the small study in the Silver Willow Courtyard.

Gu Ce didn't say she wasn't allowed in, so she decided to use his study.

She had never read the "Precepts for Women" in her entire life, let alone copied it. What she read most were the various scriptures of the Supreme Lord, which she recited during her morning and evening prayers.

Just calm your mind.

Since leaving Qingyun Temple, she hasn't done her homework, not because she's lazy, but because she hasn't had the opportunity.

No, she can't neglect her studies.

But in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, there were servants everywhere, and she couldn't find a suitable place to do her homework.

After quietly copying for an hour, Yinghong brought in tea. Seeing how seriously the young lady was copying, she wondered if she was treating punishment as calligraphy practice.

She picked up a few pages to look at; the young lady's writing was truly excellent.

Her handwriting is delicate and spirited, and it also has a sense of grandeur, even better than the young lady's.

It took more than an hour to copy it twice, and my hands were stiff.

"Yinghong, let's go for a walk in the garden and get some fresh air." She felt she needed to rest for a bit.

"Yes, Miss."

The master and servant strolled leisurely into the garden of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion was a rare large mansion in the capital, bestowed by the emperor. The garden alone was as large as a four-courtyard mansion.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is just two days away, and the autumn chill has already set in. Golden leaves are fluttering down from the sycamore trees in the garden.

The two hadn't gone far when they heard a woman crying.

"Aunt, my stepmother doesn't agree to my marriage to Young Master Zhou. What should I do? Young Master Zhou is really talented. He will definitely pass the imperial examination next spring."

I don't want to marry that illegitimate son of the Gao family. I've heard he spends his time having cricket fights, doesn't study or strive for self-improvement, and frequently visits brothels. I've also heard he's seriously ill.

"Alas, there's nothing I can do. I can't make decisions about your marriage. The old lady is seriously ill and doesn't care. Your father is at the border, so your marriage can only fall into the hands of your stepmother."

Rong Yingluo recognized who it was. It was her second younger sister in the manor, Gu Qingyin, who was the same age as Gu Qingya, only two months younger. She had just come of age and was of marriageable age.

It's estimated that the Duchess found her a son from a prominent family, even if he was an illegitimate child.

As for the sons of noble families who were not born into high positions, few of them amounted to anything; most were spoiled brats and ultimately depended on the legitimate branch of the family for their livelihood.

Nine out of ten noblewomen in high-ranking families would not allow their illegitimate sons to rise above their legitimate sons, unless they had no legitimate sons at all.

Rong Yingluo could imagine that if her second sister really married a man like that, she would only have to swallow her tears.

But who is this Young Master Zhou? Does Second Sister dare to have an affair with someone?

In the Duke's mansion, Madam Su was determined to kill her; it was unknown whether this concubine had been involved.

If her aunt and daughter are good people, she might consider helping them.

They had always lived in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, and they should know more about the inner workings of the household than she, a newcomer.

If they could provide some information, perhaps she could complete the task Gu Ce assigned her sooner, and she could leave the Duke's mansion sooner.

With the intention of finding allies, Rong Yingluo deliberately increased the weight of her steps and even broke a dead branch.

The talking stopped abruptly.

Two figures emerged from behind the artificial hill.

The mother and daughter breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that it was Rong Yingluo.

The Crown Prince's wife, who was not expected to live long, knew that she couldn't cause any trouble in the mansion.

"Greetings, sister-in-law." Gu Qingyin curtsied.

"Greetings, Madam Heir." Concubine Miao returned the greeting with a bow.

"Please don't stand on ceremony. I was just passing by and didn't mean to overhear your conversation," Rong Yingluo said frankly.

Both mother and daughter were somewhat uneasy. If she relayed their words to the Duchess, they would surely be punished.

"Don't worry, I will not tell anyone what I just heard," Rong Yingluo stated her position.

"Thank you, sister-in-law." Gu Qingyin bowed again.

"I've only been married into the Duke's mansion for a few days and don't know much about it yet. Since I've met you and my aunt here, it must be fate. I'd like to ask you and my aunt to talk to me and tell me about the Duke's mansion. Is that alright?" Rong Yingluo invited with a smile.

The mother and daughter exchanged a glance and nodded.

In their eyes, Rong Yingluo was also a pitiful person.

The deaths of four brides were no accident; they must have been orchestrated. But the brides were of low status and dared not voice their opinions.

The group strolled together to the pavilion in the center of the lotus pond and sat down.

The biggest advantage here is that you won't be overheard when you speak.

"Second sister, Aunt Miao, I heard what you said. For a woman, the most important thing in life is to marry a good husband. If you marry a filthy man, you will live in a quagmire for the rest of your life, unable to live or die."

If you marry an ambitious man, even if you're poor, your fate will take a turn for the better.

"So I understand my second sister very well." Rong Yingluo spoke sincerely, completely standing on the side of the mother and daughter.

"What the young master's wife says is true, but Qingyin's marriage is not something my daughter and I can decide," Aunt Miao said, her eyes reddening and tears welling up in them.

Gu Qingyin began to sob softly.

"What kind of family has Mother set her sights on?" Rong Yingluo asked.

In aristocratic families, financial interests are always considered when marriages are arranged.

Through these few days of contact, she could tell that Madam Su was not the kind of person who would deliberately marry her illegitimate daughter to a rotten man just to disgust her concubines and illegitimate daughters. Madam Su must have something to gain from doing so.

"He is the grandson of Gao Daren, the Minister of Revenue, who was born out of wedlock and was good for nothing since childhood."

He spends all his time playing around with a bunch of good-for-nothing friends, doing nothing productive. If Qingyin marries someone like that, how will she live her life? "Aunt Miao became more and more upset as she spoke."

"Have the two families exchanged birth charts?" As long as they haven't exchanged birth charts yet, there's still a chance.

"The Duchess originally planned to arrange Qingyin's marriage after the Heir Apparent's wedding, but she has been unwell these past few days, which has delayed the process," Aunt Miao explained.

Oh, so it was her fault after all.

It seems she was a benefactor to her second sister.

I can consider telling my second sister about this later, that she was the one who caused Su Shi to fall ill, so that my second sister will be even more grateful to me.

"Is the young master of the Gao family a womanizer?" Rong Yingluo asked again.

"He's naturally lustful. I heard he's taken advantage of all the maids in his courtyard and made them his concubines." Aunt Miao's eyes deepened with resentment as she spoke of this.

Gu Qingyin cried even more uncontrollably.

"Being lustful is fine," Rong Yingluo thought for a moment and came up with a brilliant idea.

"I have a way to make the Gao family break the contract on their own initiative," Rong Yingluo said confidently.

"Really?" The mother and daughter asked simultaneously for confirmation.

"Of course. Then my second sister can see how I did it." Rong Yingluo revealed a mysterious smile.

Rong Yingluo chatted with the mother and daughter for a while, and inquired about some things about the Duke's mansion, but they were all superficial and things that anyone could ask.

Just then, Granny Zhu rushed over: "Miss, this old servant has caught a thief trying to sneak into the inner room to steal something."