So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

The Xie family head arrived at the Mo Academy the next day after court. At that time, Xie Yan had just woken up after taking his medicine and went straight into his study. He hasn't come out since.

"Young Master, the Duke and the head of the family have arrived."

They had heard about what happened last night, and not wanting this absurd matter to escalate, no one intervened. They ordered their servants to keep quiet and wait until everyone had calmed down before coming to inquire.

Hearing the hoarse voice coming from inside, Xie family head sighed, pushed open the door, and went in.

The windows inside the room were closed, making it completely stuffy. The person was sitting in a chair in the study. After the Xie family head had the door closed and everyone left, he went in and sat down.

"Ayan, the family will give you an explanation for this matter. Erlang is just temporarily confused and protecting that woman, but the Xie family is not to be trifled with and will definitely stand up for you."

"Yes, it's because of a woman that you two brothers have turned against each other. If this gets out, it will bring shame to the Xie family. Erlang is really too foolish."

When the Third Master's voice came, Xie Yan raised his bloodshot eyes, which startled everyone.

Then his calm voice rang out, "Uncle, this matter has nothing to do with A-Yu, so there's no need to keep an eye on her. I want to know how you plan to deal with Xie Xun?"

this---

The Xie family head quickly exchanged glances with the other elders. According to the clan's wishes, they should kill the Ning family girl to cover up this shameful matter and did not intend to do anything to Xie Xun.

But both of them wanted to protect the woman, which caused a huge rift between the brothers. What a tragedy!

"Ayan, if you agree to kill the Ning family girl to quell the rumors, no matter how much Erlang protects you, the clan will do everything in its power to stand up for you."

"Several of your uncles in the royal family hold significant influence in the council of elders. If you agree to suppress Erlang's power, dismantle his relationship with the Xiao and Wei families, and remove him from his position as commander-in-chief of the three armies, the Xie clan will provide their full support."

Upon hearing these words, the Duke of Dingguo recalled the memorials sent over the past two days. He frowned and remained silent, realizing that things were probably not so easy.

Xie Yan lowered his eyes. "So the clan doesn't plan to punish him?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent. The group looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

As fellow members of the Xie family, it was impossible for him to actually lay a hand on Xie Xun over a woman. Even if it was Xie Xun's fault, he could only put pressure on him.

East Garden.

Ning Yu didn't get a good night's sleep and woke up very early, her face showing obvious signs of exhaustion.

Xie Xun was still in the palace and hadn't returned. She glanced at the guards standing at the door but didn't see Qingfeng. So she had to settle for asking the guards.

"Has Qinghe returned from the imperial prison?"

A soft voice suddenly came from inside the house. The guard turned around and saw the lady standing at the door. He didn't dare to look any longer and immediately lowered his head.

"They've already gone back."

Ning Yu breathed a sigh of relief, looked away at the sky outside, and a resolute look appeared in her eyes.

The maidservant serving her saw that she was dressed in thin clothes and brought her a brocade and satin cloak, saying, "Madam, it's cold. You should wear something warmer when you come out."

Ning Yu pulled her outer robe tighter and was about to turn back when she heard a maid rushing in from the courtyard, "Madam, the Old Madam is here."

Her heart tightened, and her face paled instantly.

This was the first time the old lady had come to the East Garden in person. In the past, she was always followed by a large group of people when she went out. Now, only the Grand Princess was by her side, supporting her hand. Behind her were the Second Madam, who was always good at handling things, and two maids who served her.

The servants in the East Garden didn't dare to stop the old lady, so they could only give her a look and have someone quickly go and inform her.

Ning Yu knew there was no way to avoid it. If she didn't go to Rong'an Hall, the old lady would naturally come to the East Garden. Who would dare to stop the matriarch of the mansion?

She breathed a sigh of relief and left the waterside pavilion, heading towards the main hall.

The East Garden was very large, with a quiet and elegant environment. After crossing the ebony bridge, the old lady led her people into the main courtyard, with a maid leading the way.

Upon entering the hall, they saw the woman standing inside.

The second madam spotted the striking beauty at a glance, a far cry from her previous low-key and simple attire in the mansion.

Wearing a silk dress worth a fortune, with a cloak over it, and white jade and gold hairpins in her hair, her face looked like a lotus flower in the distance, and even her figure was slender and plump, which was eye-catching.

She was already beautiful, and the second master made her even more stunning and radiant. No wonder the two brothers drew their swords against each other and did so many despicable things.

The second madam sighed inwardly and hurriedly followed the old madam inside. She had always felt that this woman was not simple and had not allowed Xie Ling to provoke her. It seemed that her intuition was right.

The hall was well-lit. The old lady sat in the main seat, and the Grand Princess quickly served her a cup of tea and helped her take the heart-nourishing pills she usually took.

The room was quiet, except for the old lady's scrutinizing gaze. Compared to her relaxed and gentle attitude in the mansion before, her gaze now weighed heavily on her, making it hard for her to breathe.

Ning Yu lowered her eyes and didn't speak first.

"Close the door."

The servants in the East Garden didn't want to close the door, but the old ladies who came with the old lady immediately closed the hall door and chased everyone out.

Only a few masters remained inside.

"Please sit down," the old lady said calmly, yet with a touch of authority.

Ning Yu did not sit down; her posture was very compliant.

The Grand Princess looked at her face and said coldly, "After causing such a scandal, you still have the nerve to come back?"

Instead of staying peacefully in the villa, she instigated her son to commit such rebellious acts, and even dared to bewitch him into taking her back to the Xie mansion. Does she want to die even sooner?

"You vixen, do you even know who your husband is? If word gets out, how will Ayan face anyone?!"

A furious outburst ignited the atmosphere in the room. Ning Yu stood quietly in the hall, letting the person curse without uttering a sound.

Seeing her humble attitude, the old lady finally spoke, "Don't you know your son? Is this something she can decide?"

The Grand Princess was speechless. She knew perfectly well that Ning Shi, a woman, couldn't make decisions for Xun'er, but she absolutely refused to believe that Ning Shi hadn't seduced Xun'er.

"If you went out, why did you come back?"

Ning Yu's eyebrows twitched. She thought the old lady would scold her and question her about how she seduced Xie Xun and why she didn't die at the bottom of the cliff. Unexpectedly, she was only asked why she came back.

Recalling the old lady's previous attitude, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Could it be that she already knew about her and Xie Xun's affair?

Seeing her head bowed and silent, the old lady continued, "You're a sensible child. It's their fault for being foolish. It's not your fault, but---"

"This whole thing started because of you, so tell me how we should resolve it?"