A grandmother and granddaughter swap souls, causing chaos throughout the entire court.

Watching this scene, Wei Changgeng couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

He composed himself, waved his hand, and coldly ordered, "Guards! Seize these insolent servants involved in the case, along with Lady Zhao, and take them back to the Jingzhao Prefecture prison!"

"yes!"

The constables on both sides immediately stepped forward to arrest the person.

At this time, Zhao Lihua was still under the control of the Mantra.

The domineering power of the Dao suppressed her soul, making her appear dull and lifeless.

She didn't even flinch when faced with the shackles of the constables.

Dongmei and the other maids were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground, not daring to even cry out.

Wei Changgeng looked at Zhao Lihua with a slight frown.

He turned around, approached Guoguo on the steps, lowered his voice, and spoke with a hint of probing and worldly wisdom.

"Madam, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

Guoguo looked at him with a puzzled expression: "Lord Wei, please speak frankly."

"After all, this Lady Zhao is the matriarch of the Yongning Marquis's household, and also the legitimate daughter of Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Revenue. She also carries the title of Princess Anyi."

"If a woman of such status were to be paraded through the streets in shackles and then imprisoned, it would be disgraceful for the Yongning Marquis's residence and the Ministry of Revenue's residence."

He tentatively suggested, "How about we leave this Zhao woman in your residence for now, so that you, sir, can use family law to deal with her? I'll just take these unruly servants away to be punished. In this way, we can both punish the wicked and preserve the dignity of the Marquis's residence. What do you think?"

Wei Changgeng believed that his words had given the Yongning Marquis's mansion a way out.

Wealthy families value their reputation above all else.

Even if it's rotten inside, it has to look good on the outside.

However, Guoguo didn't hesitate at all when she heard this.

"No, no!" Guoguo raised her chin. "Since she dared to commit such a heinous act, she should be severely punished by the law! My Yongning Marquis's mansion will never protect such a wicked woman!"

"Lord Wei, just handle this according to the law! Lock them up as required, interrogate them as required! As for the Marquis's reputation?" Guoguo said smugly, "Reputation is earned, not something you cover up by hiding such sordid things! Take them away!"

Hearing the old lady's resounding words, Wei Changgeng couldn't help but twitch his lips twice.

Which wealthy family in the capital doesn't value their reputation more than their own life?

Unfortunately, this Madam Zhong was an unyielding person who wouldn't listen to reason and would even trample on her own daughter-in-law's dignity.

He is indeed a unique and extraordinary hermit.

However, since the aggrieved party had spoken, he, as the Prefect of the Capital, was naturally happy to enforce the law impartially.

Wei Changgeng kindly offered a word of advice: "I admire the old lady's righteousness in putting family members aside. However... this Zhao is, after all, a noblewoman and the daughter of a high-ranking official. If I take her away to be convicted today, I'm afraid that by tomorrow morning, your esteemed Marquis and Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Revenue will try every means to get her out of the yamen."

Guoguo waved her hand dismissively: "Sir, just follow the laws of the Great Yong Dynasty. If I don't teach Zhao a lesson, she might not know how to behave."

Wei Changgeng immediately understood the old lady's purpose, so he said no more, cupped his hands in a salute, and waved his hand: "Take her away!"

A large entourage of officials left the Marquis's residence.

The courtyard fell silent again, leaving only trembling servants scattered on the ground.

Guoguo turned around, her gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on the burly guard who had almost killed her third brother.

The guard was so frightened by the old lady's cold gaze that his whole body trembled, and he quickly kowtowed to the bluestone slab.

"Please spare me, Madam! This servant was only following Liu Mama's orders; I dared not disobey..."

Guoguo snorted coldly, "You did follow your master's orders, that's fine. But who told you to be chosen out of bad luck?"

"Don't think I can't see through you. You showed no mercy whatsoever; you were aiming to kill the Fourth Young Master. It's clear you're ruthless and a bad person!"

Guoguo turned to look at Granny Zhou and ordered, "Tie him up and give him thirty lashes right here in the courtyard! Granny, you oversee it yourself!"

"Yes! This old servant obeys!"

Granny Zhou immediately responded and directed several servants to drag the terrified guard away and press him onto the torture bench.

After dealing with these wicked servants, Guoguo finally felt much better.

She turned around and her gaze fell on the wheelchair not far away.

A genuine and bright smile instantly bloomed on that not-so-young face.

This face, which should have appeared harsh and gloomy, now revealed a rare hint of naivety.

Guoguo lifted her skirt and strode quickly to the wheelchair.

"Father—" she almost blurted out in her excitement, "Oh, my good son, my good grandson!"

She crouched down, looked up at Zhong Tingyuan and Zhong Shichu, her eyes sparkling like a child seeking praise.

"Look, I've chased away all those bad guys who bullied you! That wicked woman has been arrested and thrown in jail! Aren't you happy?"

The father and son, Zhong Tingyuan and Zhong Tingyuan, had identical cold faces, and they just quietly looked at the smiling old woman in front of them.

There was no gratitude, no joy, not even the slightest emotional fluctuation.

In those eyes, there was only deep defensiveness and an unyielding chill.

Guoguo's smile gradually froze, and her heart felt like it was stuffed with cotton, making her feel uncomfortable.

She knew that her father and brother didn't care at all about what she had done tonight.

In their hearts, the grandmother was the culprit behind all the tragedies of the eldest son's family.

Just how wicked was the grandmother to make her own blood relatives so wary of her?

Even a simple gesture of goodwill will be seen as a trap with ulterior motives.

Guoguo watched as Zhong Shichu buried his little head in his father's arms, his thin little hands tightly gripping his father's clothes.

She felt a pang of envy and jealousy.

She longed to be held like this by her father.

Guoguo sniffed, suppressing the bitterness in her heart, stood up, and naturally walked around to the back of the wheelchair, grasping the handles with both hands.

"Let's go home," Guoguo said as she pushed the wheelchair out.

Zhong Tingyuan froze, instinctively wanting to push the wheel, but Guoguo pressed down on his shoulder.

"Don't move, don't move. Your leg is injured, I'll push you."

Guoguo's tone carried an undeniable forcefulness, yet also a hint of cautious flattery.

The group walked through the corridor and returned to Songhe Hall.

As soon as Guoguo entered the west wing, she was filled with worry.

Songhetang is currently fully booked.

The west wing was not large to begin with, and now Wen Jingxian needed a quiet place to protect her pregnancy, while Zhong Tingyuan was also disabled and inconvenient, so he needed a separate bed.

So the nanny rearranged the room and added another bed next to it. In addition, Zhong Tingyuan needed space to move his wheelchair around, so there was enough extra space in the room to add another bed.

Guoguo stood in the outer room, looking at her father and brother, feeling somewhat troubled.