If you force me to take the blame, I'll spend a day in jail and gain a year's worth of spi

As the group was collectively looking down on Zhang Yu, the butler, Uncle Fu, rushed over, bowed, and whispered, "Madam, the eldest young master's case... has been decided."

Qin Xuehua asked calmly, "How long was the sentence? A few months? Or a year or two?"

She anticipated that the Wang family would exert pressure, but she also felt that with the help of the Marquis's mansion, being locked up for a while would be enough.

Uncle Fu's throat bobbed, his voice dry:

"Replying to Madam... it is... it is fifty years."

Moreover, the case took an unexpected turn, and was eventually transferred to the Dali Temple, whereupon the eldest son was imprisoned.

These were naturally Li Dagang's doing, with the Wang family also secretly involved. Zhang Yu now has dozens of cases on his hands.

"Clang!"

Qin Xuehua's celadon teacup slipped from her hand and shattered on the ground, splashing tea everywhere.

She jumped up, her face deathly pale: "Fifty...fifty years?!"

This far exceeded her expectations.

Although she disliked Zhang Yu and even tacitly approved of Zhang Heng's many petty actions, she never thought of killing him or imprisoning him for life.

Zhang Wanning first covered her mouth in astonishment, and then a hint of uncontrollable schadenfreude surfaced in her eyes.

Live it!

That annoying, useless older brother is finally going to disappear completely!

Zhang Heng's gentle smile froze instantly, and his pupils contracted slightly.

Fifty years?

His original plan was to let Zhang Yu suffer for a few years, endure all kinds of torment, and preferably die in prison.

But he didn't expect the Wang family to be so ruthless, and he certainly didn't expect the case to go straight to the prison!

How many days could that good-for-nothing Zhang Yu last in a place like the Heavenly Prison?

Jiang Luohan's spirited brows furrowed tightly, and she said in a deep voice, "This matter is suspicious. The Wang family must have fabricated other charges behind the scenes and taken drastic measures."

"Mother, it's all my fault, it's all my fault."

Zhang Heng was the first to "react," kneeling down in remorse and saying, "If it weren't for taking the blame for me, how could my elder brother... how could he have ended up in such a predicament?!"

He beat his chest and stamped his feet, his performance was so sincere and moving, and he portrayed the image of a younger brother who was "deeply remorseful" and "deeply devoted to his siblings" in a very vivid way.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Wanning immediately stepped forward to defend her, her tone sharp:

"Xiao Heng, get up quickly."

How can this be your fault?

Zhang Yu has only himself to blame. Who told him to behave improperly and have a bad record, giving the Wang family a handle to use against him?

Now, with multiple crimes combined, he's been sentenced to fifty years and thrown into prison. He deserves it; he has only himself to blame!

She couldn't wait to nail Zhang Yu to the pillar of shame and pin all the blame on him.

Jiang Luohan glanced at Zhang Wanning. Although she felt that Zhang Wanning's words were harsh, she had to admit that if Zhang Yu himself was innocent, the Wang family would not have been able to fabricate such a serious crime out of thin air.

Zhang Yu's current predicament is likely partly his own fault.

She remained silent, neither agreeing nor refuting.

Qin Xuehua closed her eyes wearily, waved her hand, and said, "Perhaps... this is his fate."

She attributed everything to "fate," cleverly avoiding the responsibility of making Zhang Yu take the blame, and also avoiding the subtle, unwilling guilt deep in her heart.

Yes, it was Zhang Yu's own bad luck; this was a calamity destined for her, and it had nothing to do with her choices or the Marquis's mansion.

Then, as if she had just remembered something, she turned to Jiang Luohan, her face showing just the right amount of embarrassment and apology:

"Luo Han, look at this... Zhang Yu is now imprisoned and sentenced to fifty years. I'm afraid his life will be..."

You're his fiancée, this... what should we do?

Her words, seemingly out of concern for Jiang Luohan, were actually a test, and also a prelude to what she would say next.

Zhang Wanning immediately interjected:

"Mother, what is there to hesitate about?"

Zhang Yu is such a good-for-nothing; he's never good enough for Sister Jiang.

Now that he is imprisoned and his future is ruined, does he really want Sister Jiang to live a life of widowhood for him and waste her life?

This engagement must be dissolved.

"That's right."

Qin Xuehua nodded in agreement, her tone becoming resolute, "I've made the decision. Your engagement with Zhang Yu is off. He's now a criminal, and he's also... well, in short, he can't be a burden to you any longer."

Jiang Luohan had already had this idea in mind, and even secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Yu's imprisonment and sentencing gave her an excellent and legitimate reason to annul the engagement.

At the same time, she secretly glanced at Zhang Heng, who was also secretly watching her, and a ripple of emotion stirred in both of their hearts.

Zhang Heng was overjoyed; he was ready to formally accept Zhang Yu's fiancée.

Zhang Wanning's eyes darted around, and she added:

"Mother, Sister Jiang, breaking off the engagement is inevitable."

But for the sake of Sister Jiang's reputation, shouldn't we go see Zhang Yu and have him write a letter of annulment?

This way, everything is clearly stated in black and white, preventing any future accusations that Sister Jiang is taking advantage of someone's misfortune.

Her words sounded noble, but her heart was dark; she wanted to see Zhang Yu's miserable state in prison with her own eyes and then kick him while he was down.

"Yes, Mother."

Zhang Heng also raised his head and echoed, "Our elder brother has suffered such a calamity. It's only right and proper that we all go to see him and clear things up. It would also... fulfill the last bit of our brotherly bond."

He spoke eloquently, but inwardly he was sneering.

Go see Zhang Yu?

Of course I'll go!

He had already arranged a "good show" to completely shatter Zhang Yu's last bit of dignity and hope in the prison.

The struggle for the crown prince position has always been a matter of life and death; he must ensure that Zhang Yu is utterly destroyed and has no chance of ever recovering.

Qin Xuehua pondered for a moment and felt that what her children said made sense.

The annulment of the engagement must be handled cleanly and decisively, leaving no room for criticism.

It would be good to see Zhang Yu and put an end to things.

Just as she was about to nod in agreement, a clear, melodious, yet somewhat aloof female voice came from the garden entrance:

"Mother, Xiaoheng, Fourth Sister, Sister Luohan."

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young girl dressed in a moon-white academy robe, with a cool and aloof demeanor, walking slowly towards them.

She was about sixteen years old, extremely beautiful, yet like snow on a high mountain, she carried an aloofness that kept strangers at bay.

It was Zhang Qingyue, the third young lady of the Marquis's mansion, a famous talented woman in the capital who studied away from home most of the year and rarely returned.

"Third Sister? Why are you back?" Zhang Wanning asked in surprise.

Zhang Qingyue nodded slightly as a greeting. Her gaze calmly swept over everyone before finally settling on Qin Xuehua: "I returned because the academy was on holiday. I vaguely overheard some conversations outside the gate just now."

Her tone was flat and emotionless. "I have heard about my brother's situation. Since he has been sentenced to prison and the evidence is conclusive, he will be dealt with according to the law. As for the engagement... it is indeed necessary to make a decision as soon as possible to avoid harming others and ourselves."

Her words were concise and calm, neither gloating like Zhang Wanning, nor feigning grief like Zhang Heng, nor shifting blame to fate like Qin Xuehua.

She simply stated the facts and offered the most rational advice—to cut ties as soon as possible.

She has always had a distant relationship with Zhang Yu, her older brother, and even looked down on him for his past attempts to "please" her.

Now that Zhang Yu is in trouble, in her view, it is nothing more than his own fault for not cultivating himself, and the Marquis's mansion should be dealt with decisively.

When Qin Xuehua saw that even her daughter, who was always opinionated and renowned for her talent, said the same thing, she became even more determined.

She nodded: "Qingyue is right. In that case, let's go to the prison together. Let's say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done."

"It's getting late, let's go tomorrow."

Zhang Heng suddenly spoke up, postponing the matter until tomorrow.

He had previously thought Zhang Yu would be serving his sentence in the Jingzhao Prefecture prison, but unexpectedly Zhang Yu was imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, so he needed some time to rearrange his plans against Zhang Yu.