Feng Jin quickly changed the subject, guessing what Old Master Ling was about to ask. She didn't want to explain the matter.
"How did you know about this, and who sent that man?"
Feng Jin's heart skipped a beat. Before she could explain, Ling Muzhu took all the blame upon himself. "Grandfather, these were all my doing. If you want to blame someone, blame me. It has nothing to do with my sister-in-law!"
Ling Muzhu, the "old six," was truly something. Saying this now was tantamount to admitting they were behind it all. Even with a thousand tongues, it would be hard to explain.
"It was me. I'll take responsibility for my actions. You don't need to bear this for me, Grandfather. It was all me. The man who defiled Zhang Miaor was also sent by me."
Feng Jin confessed it all frankly. In her opinion, Zhang Miaor brought it upon herself. She was merely giving her a taste of her own medicine and saw nothing wrong with it.
"Even if she did wrong, she is, after all... your cousin. By ruining her innocence, you've done something more cruel to a woman than killing her. How will she live on from now on?"
"Grandfather, you don't need to worry. They only care about wealth and status, and they won't die so easily."
With wealth and status not yet in hand, they wouldn't die so easily. It would be too regrettable if they died.
Given Ling Changyi's schemes, she wouldn't let Zhang Miaor die so easily.
"Grandfather, don't forget, they initially intended to frame Muzhu. If they had succeeded, what kind of罪名 would Muzhu have to bear? You know better than anyone. Also... Muzhu is about to take the imperial examinations. If he succeeds, his status will naturally be extraordinary. You should know exactly what their plans are."
He understood the stakes Feng Jin presented, but he ultimately didn't want to witness his own flesh and blood turn on each other.
They were both his grandsons. Even if he disliked it, they were family. If this matter got out, it would only make outsiders laugh at the Ling family.
"This matter ends here. No one is to speak of it again, nor is it to be spread. Do you understand?"
Old Master Ling said in a deep voice. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to suppress the matter for now, as preserving the Ling family's reputation was the most important thing. Family shame should not be spread, especially such embarrassing affairs.
"Then how does Grandfather intend to deal with Aunt and her daughter? Will you punish them severely and drive them out of the Ling family, forbidding them from ever setting foot in the capital again, or do you plan to smooth things over and pretend this never happened?"
She somehow felt that Old Master Ling was being soft-hearted now, intending to go easy on them with just a few reprimands.
"We must at least consider the Ling family's reputation. It's best not to let this matter escalate. Once things have calmed down, we'll find an excuse to send them away from the capital and cease all contact."
He had never particularly liked this daughter and hadn't seen her for twenty years. Never seeing her again wouldn't mean much to him.
"That's it?" Feng Jin was truly dissatisfied with this outcome. Committing such a despicable act and then being let off so easily? If they weren't severely punished, who could guarantee they wouldn't do it again?
She understood the characters of this mother and daughter all too well. As long as they remained in the mansion, they would be a constant danger. It was best to drive them out as soon as possible.
"Grandfather, don't forget, if I had arrived any later, after Muzhu had relations with her, and Ling Changyi had caught them in the act, would Ling Changyi still be acting so frail?"
If Ling Changyi had caught them in the act, she would undoubtedly have forced Ling Muzhu to marry Zhang Miaor.
With that leverage, even Old Master Ling would have been forced to comply, and the entire Ling mansion would have been under Ling Changyi's control.
Hearing this, a deep worry crossed Old Master Ling's face, but he couldn't make up his mind.
"Please, Grandfather, do justice for your grandson!"
Ling Muzhu knelt before Old Master Ling with a thud, his voice firm.
"This..."
Old Master Ling looked conflicted, unable to make a decision.
Seeing Old Master Ling's indecision, Feng Jin signaled Ling Mohan with her eyes. Only when Ling Mohan spoke would Old Master Ling be able to make up his mind quickly.
Receiving Feng Jin's signal, Ling Mohan spoke in a deep voice, "Grandfather, as long as this scourge remains, it will endanger the descendants of the Ling family. I implore Grandfather to prioritize the entire Ling family and punish them severely."
Ling Mohan held an unusual status in Old Master Ling's heart, so his words were naturally given more consideration.
After a moment of silence, Old Master Ling said in a deep voice, "Tomorrow, they will be driven out of the Ling mansion and forbidden from entering the capital for life."
The smile on Feng Jin's lips never faded. She knew Old Master Ling would handle it this way. Their urgent expulsion from the Ling mansion was already Old Master Ling's final concession.
However, this was the best outcome under the circumstances. If they stayed in the Ling family for even a day longer, who knew what kind of trouble they might stir up? It was better for them to leave quickly.
"Sister-in-law, are you dissatisfied with Grandfather's decision?"
Ling Muzhu noticed that Feng Jin hadn't smiled since she returned, instead pressing her lips together tightly, appearing troubled.
"This is already Grandfather's greatest concession. After all, she is his own daughter. If Ling Changyi loses face, the Ling family will also lose face. Therefore, expelling them from the capital as soon as possible is the best course of action..."
"It's just... it's just that I couldn't get justice for you in the end..."
"They have already reaped what they sowed. Losing their innocence and being expelled from the Ling family, all their aspirations have come to naught. This is the harshest punishment for them. Moreover, if sister-in-law hadn't arrived in time, once that incident had occurred, my entire life would have been ruined."
Even though the matter was over, he couldn't help but feel a chill of fear whenever he thought about it, his back hairs standing on end.
If his sister-in-law hadn't arrived in time, he would have faced the fate of being caught in bed by Ling Changyi.
He suspected that Zhang Miaor's current position would have been his.
"It was just a small effort, nothing to worry about..."
She also couldn't stand the sordid things Zhang Miaor had done. This intervention was merely a small lesson for her, to see if she would dare to do such things again.
"That won't do. Sister-in-law, you have shown me kindness beyond measure. I will always remember it."