My whole family sucked my blood; after being reborn, the little cook went on a killing spree.

"you mean?"

The old ancestor's expression changed slightly; he had actually thought of that as well.

"If it's a man-made disaster, that's fine; those who deserve punishment will be punished. But what if it's portrayed as a catastrophe?"

Su Wan Ning brought up an old story from the palace: in a certain palace, maids and eunuchs died one after another under mysterious circumstances, causing panic among the people who all said that the empress was destined for disaster.

Soon, all the palace maids and eunuchs regarded that palace as an ominous place, and everyone avoided it like the plague. The Empress investigated and investigated but could not find anything, and in the end, she had no choice but to seal the palace off.

The empress and the last remaining palace maids starved to death inside.

Yesterday, all six people were unable to participate in making the birthday peaches due to an accident. At first glance, it didn't seem like a big deal, but the ignorant people in the village love to spread unfounded rumors. They might just say that the birthday celebrant was not blessed by God.

Of course, Su Wanning didn't say it that harshly.

But how could our ancestors not have thought of that?

She was angry at first, but she only deliberately let Zhou Mama fall so as to take the opportunity to teach Feng a lesson. Now, thinking about it more carefully, Su Yatou's words made a lot of sense.

This Feng woman dared to use my birthday banquet as an opportunity to scheme against Su girl; she clearly doesn't respect me at all! She's not afraid of rumors spreading and ruining my reputation.

Initially, because of Xuzhi, she gave the power of managing the household to Madam Feng.

Now it seems it's time to take it back.

"Grandmother, don't listen to this girl's nonsense! Absolutely no one outside is spreading rumors. If anyone dares to, I'll tear their mouth apart!"

Seeing the coldness in her ancestor's eyes, Madam Feng was truly panicked.

She was waiting for Su Wan Ning to complain. That maid had just been clumsy and accidentally spilled some water. No one was hurt. At most, she would be penalized for dereliction of duty and have her pay docked for a month.

But this brat kept talking in such a mystical way, and at our age, the old lady is most sensitive to such things!

A chill quickly spread from the soles of my feet throughout my body.

But the old ancestor had already been awakened by Su Wan Ning's words, and looked at her with utter disgust. "You can manage one or two, but can you manage ten or a hundred?"

"I……"

Feng swayed precariously and suddenly looked at Su Wanning.

A murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

"Third Madam!"

Su Wan Ning exclaimed in surprise, as if she had been frightened, and grabbed Xu Lingxi's sleeve, "Lingxi, quick, quick, let that maid go."

"I haven't even complained yet, how can you let them go?"

Xu Lingxi cooperated with her in acting.

Su Wanning shrank behind her, not daring to look at Madam Feng at all. "It was just an accident, it has nothing to do with Third Madam."

She then looked at the matriarch, "Grandmother, please pretend I didn't say anything! If I'm on the estate, the Third Madam won't do anything to me because of you, but if I leave the estate, I might lose my life... And my shop, what if someone won't let me open it? What will I do!"

"Su Wanning!"

Madam Feng was both shocked and furious. What that brat said was outrageous!

So, from now on, if anything happens, you'll have to blame yourself?

"Third Aunt, what do you want to do?"

Xu Lingxi stepped between the two, her eyes blazing with anger. "I haven't settled accounts with you yet! This woman said it was you who ordered her to pour boiling water on Chao Wan Ning!"

"I really didn't! I have no grudge against Madam Su, why would I do such a thing?"

Madam Feng knelt on the ground and wailed, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"Is there no grudge between you? She's already confessed; it was Feng Shi who approached her. Isn't Feng Shi a member of your Feng family? Your plan is simply to get away cleanly, isn't it?"

With just a glance from Xu Lingxi, the maidservant began to kneel and beg for mercy.

"Yes, it was Steward Feng Shi who sent someone to find me. He even gave me ten taels of silver and told me to ruin Madam Su's hand. I was thinking of using boiling water so I could say I didn't hold her properly... He also said that he would free my son from his slave status after it was done. I... I confessed everything. Please, Your Majesty, spare my life!"

Xu Lingxi immediately bowed to the ancestor, "Lingxi, we beg the ancestor to avenge us!"

"Wan Ning, please, Ancestor, grant us justice!"

Su Wanning followed closely behind.

The matriarch took a deep breath. "Someone, go and fetch the Grand Madam and the other masters and mistresses."

Xu Lingxi suppressed most of what happened yesterday, but these masters and ladies were not ones to keep quiet. They were certain that Xu Lingxi did not react on the spot because she wanted the old ancestor to have a good birthday celebration first.

So nobody mentioned it yesterday.

I've been waiting for it since early this morning.

When the person called them, they immediately gathered in the ancestral courtyard.

After Zhou's mother was injured, Qingfang, at the old matriarch's instruction, recounted all of Feng's crimes.

The more Master Li listened, the darker his face became. Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer and rushed forward, slapping his third wife hard across the face.

"You stupid woman! Look at what you've done!"

"what!"

This slap sent the kneeling Feng Shi sprawling to the ground.

She only felt a bloody taste in her mouth, and her face was both painful and burning. But now, how could she possibly have any face left?

The Dowager Madam, being about the same age as the Old Ancestor, understood her feelings best. "If it weren't for those three young ladies arranging the longevity peaches so beautifully, who knows what nasty things would have been said today! You, how foolish you are!"

"Third sister-in-law, tell us the truth. Those six cooks who made the longevity peaches have all run into trouble. Did you order them all to be done?"

If you get an upset stomach or are drunk, that's relatively easy to deal with.

It could cause someone to give birth prematurely, or break their leg; if this goes wrong, it could be fatal!

To scheme against Lady Su like that is far too cruel, isn't it? But why? Just because of the ham? Feng Shi was in the wrong first!

Everyone started talking at once.

With a handprint on her head, Mrs. Feng remained silent, her head bowed.

If I admit it, I will definitely not have a good outcome; but if I don't admit it, the ancestors have already decided that I am disrespectful to her, and I will not have a good outcome either.

Ha, after managing the household for so many years, I never imagined I'd be defeated by a mere cook.

She looked at Su Wanning with a malicious gaze.

"Madam Feng, your management authority is hereby revoked immediately. You are confined to your quarters for six months, fined one hundred taels of silver, and half of the annual allowance for the third branch of the family is deducted. You should reflect on your actions in seclusion."

The old ancestor's voice was stern and steady.

"Thank you, Ancestor Feng."

Madam Feng's face was ashen.

The power to manage the household was something she had worked very hard to obtain; once it was taken away, it would be incredibly difficult for her to take control of the household again.

A lifetime of hard work, ruined!

The room was filled with people, some of whom were nagging and scolding Madam Feng, while others were trying to comfort the matriarch.

For a moment, Su Wan Ning felt a sense of disorientation. In her past life, she had been whipped to death, and it seemed to be a similar scene.

At the time, it seemed that someone said that only when family rules were implemented could someone start whipping themselves. She had already attributed Feng's scheming against her to disrespect for the ancestor. But why was there no whipping among these punishments?