The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

The streets were bustling with activity, pedestrians thronged, the sound of horses' hooves mingled with the cries of vendors, and the air was thick with the aroma of cooking.

The area outside the Jingzhao Prefecture was packed with onlookers, all craning their necks to peer inside.

"Oh my, is Uncle Cao really inside?"

"Indeed, they were extremely fierce. They brought their stepmother and stepsister here tied up. This case was handled by Censor He. The Censorate doesn't have an office, so the court is being held here. Censor He even received the news and rushed over from the execution ground."

"Before Censor He could conduct the interrogation and follow the proper procedures, Uncle Cao pulled out a confession, which was stamped with the fingerprints of the Cao family members."

The crowd was chattering away.

"You can't blame Uncle Cao for not remembering the past. Although he's a man and didn't suffer a loss after that incident, being schemed against by his family like that is like having a dead fly in his mouth that he can't spit out."

"It's just a pity for Madam Cao the Second, who married into such a family and was still treated so badly."

He Xuran inside...

This was the fastest case he ever handled; not to mention the Shu family hadn't even arrived to identify the suspects yet. He had barely sat down before the case was over.

Upon receiving the news, the elders of the Cao family, along with the rest of their elders, stormed into the Cao family compound with grim faces.

"These unfilial descendants!"

The old man of the Cao family had white hair, but he was very energetic. His eyes were sharp, and he tapped his cane heavily on the ground.

"These unfilial descendants!"

He took a deep breath and said to Madam Cao, who had forced herself to get up to see them.

"If I were you, I would have punished him with family discipline long ago, and broken his legs with a stick. I wouldn't tolerate his nonsense."

Madam Cao's face was ashen, and she looked very uneasy.

This unease was even more intense than when he heard that Cao Qian was no longer in charge of the Cao family.

But she couldn't say what it was.

The elders of the Cao family were very imposing. They understood the principle that everyone prospers or suffers together.

He felt ashamed!
He was even more vicious.

"This is a family scandal!! Those who are sensible would have already covered it up. Let the Shu family make a fuss if they want. Yes, Censor He is capable, but what is there to be afraid of? The Cao family won't admit it anyway. As long as we claim outside that the Shu family girl is promiscuous, seduced her brother-in-law behind our backs, and even had the nerve to report us to the authorities, we can pin this crime firmly on her."

"Is right and wrong really that important?"

“She is a woman, and she is usually quiet and reserved, but that Shu woman is quite beautiful. If we just let it slip, there will be plenty of gossip.”

"What kind of trouble can the Shu family and He Xuran's people possibly cause?"

"If she can't take it anymore and commits suicide, then it'll be all over and all will be done, making things much easier!"

The old man from the Cao clan spat.

"But your Uncle Cao is really something! I've never seen anyone hand over their dirty laundry like that! He's so ruthless and heartless towards his stepmother and younger brother, leaving no stone unturned! He's made it public knowledge! He's ruined the Cao family's reputation!"

"Alright, alright, what's the point of saying that now?"

An elderly man of similar age next to him tugged at his sleeve.

"Things have already come to this, and we don't know how they'll rule. But given Cao Qian's behavior today, when he gets back, we old folks will give him a good talking to."

The lessons he spoke of were nothing more than a display of authority.

After all, among the Cao family, Cao Qian was the most capable child.

Even though I'm furious, I'll still have to rely on him in the future.

Just then, the servant who had been guarding the yamen ran back, not daring to rest all the way, his forehead covered in sweat.

He disregarded the rules and rushed inside without announcing his arrival. He tripped over the threshold and fell heavily to the ground.

Bang.

The usually silent Madam Cao finally stood up and asked urgently.

What was the verdict?

"Say it!"

The servants ignored the pain.

"It wasn't Lord He who made the decision."

“As soon as our Lord entered the courtroom, he said that the law was not comprehensive enough. There were some past cases, but they were all biased towards men. The punishments were not severe. The man’s family would just throw out some money, apologize, and get a few lashes. That was enough to settle things.”

"He didn't want to make things difficult for the impartial Censor He, but he really felt sorry for the Second... Second Madam." The servant trembled. "He also said that the mistress and the second master framed the women of the household, which was shameless and immoral. Since it involved officials of the court, their crimes were aggravated and unforgivable. In addition to ordering the yamen to give them each thirty strokes of the cane, he would expel them from the family genealogy and relocate them to the Lingnan area, never to leave again."

Everyone was shocked.

How could it be so serious?
"This...he's gone mad?"

That's his younger brother!!
He harbored resentment towards his stepmother, and over the years he had cleaned up countless messes for his younger brother. The entire Cao family was exploiting him, but...

But the crime doesn't warrant this.

They are family after all.

The elderly man was having difficulty breathing.

"That bastard!"

Old Madam Cao stumbled, her eyes lifeless, and fell back into the chair behind her.

"What a tragedy, what a tragedy!"

But the servant hadn't finished speaking.

Fearing punishment from his master, he kowtowed repeatedly to the ground.

“Anyone in the Cao family who knows anything about this will be implicated. You are old, so the old man will take the blame for you with the thirty strokes of the cane.”

"The Earl said that although he was a victim, he could not have acted in accordance with moral principles and ethics. Apart from being punished, he decided to transfer half of the Cao family's property to Miss Shu's name. In this matter, the Earl can be considered to have protected you, Madam. At the same time, his sins are grave, and he voluntarily requests..."

His voice grew lower and lower.

His body began to tremble.

The clan elder couldn't bear to listen to a single word: "Rebellion! Rebellion! He's trying to destroy the Cao family!"

"Although he is a junior, he inherited his father's title, making him the pillar of the Cao family. Even I would have to call him Lord Cao."

"Instead of protecting his family and fulfilling his responsibilities as head of the household, he acts recklessly! If only I had known this would happen... if only I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have given it to him in the first place!"

"You're all foolish! Knowing what kind of person he is, how could you..."

He was about to say something more.

He was interrupted sternly by Old Madam Cao.

"The clan elder talks too much. It's none of your business to tell my family what to do."

"You've reaped quite a bit of benefits over the years. The second son is mediocre. If he had inherited the title, you wouldn't be so happy!"

"Is it my fault now?"

She has always been able to weigh the pros and cons.

"Now that things have come to this, there's no need to waste any more time on that nonsense. If you're so capable, go and talk to Brother Qian about it!"

"The second wife's family has been completely defeated! You can't protect her, and neither can I."

at this point……

Perhaps we should think about what to do next.

Madam Cao also took her anger out on the family.

But she considered herself a clever person.

Since the second wife couldn't have children, she didn't need to repeatedly oppose Cao Qian for the sake of the second wife, thus damaging the relationship between the grandmother and grandson.

From now on, the honor and disgrace of the family will rest on Cao Qian's shoulders.

Old Madam Cao's gaze was deep as she asked the servant, "Have you finished reporting everything?"

"……without."

The servant took a deep breath: "The lord has declared at the yamen that he will ask the Emperor to strip him of his title."

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Cao's vision went black, and she nearly fainted.

The servant said, "He also sent me back with a message."

He repeated the words in a trembling voice.

“If you are worried about the second wife and want to accompany her to Lingnan, you can pack your bags now. If you don’t want to, you can go to your old village to stay. You are already getting on in years, so you can go there to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures to calm your mind.”

(End of this chapter)