Feng Jin glared fiercely at the man, truly exasperated by his scoundrel nature to the point of speechlessness.
"Someone ought to show the young ladies of the capital exactly what sort of rascal the man they long for and admire truly is. They would surely have a change of heart and regret their poor judgment of character."
She also marveled at those girls, how they flocked to Ling Mohan like flies to a rotten egg, throwing themselves at him. How could decent young ladies be so blind, letting themselves be so infatuated with Ling Mohan.
Ling Mohan curled his lips and deliberately teased Feng Jin, "Aren't you worried that those girls will swarm towards your husband when they see him?"
"I'm not afraid. It would be best if they all snatched you away, so you stop bothering me and making me restless."
"You said it yourself. Then don't you go fighting with those girls for me."
"Rest assured, I naturally won't. Toads with three legs are hard to find, but men with two legs are plenty. I won't throw away my dignity to fight over a man."
She wasn't one to be consumed by romance, nor would she lose herself for a man. Even if she loved him dearly, a woman needed to stand on her own. Constantly depending on a man would surely lead to her own downfall.
Ling Mohan's expression instantly darkened. He grabbed Feng Jin's wrist and said earnestly, "Are you saying you don't love me?"
"It's not that I don't love you. It's precisely because I love you that I don't wish to lose myself for the sake of loving you. While I love you, I am still an independent person."
Feng Jin analyzed calmly. Her love for Ling Mohan was unquestionable, but that didn't mean she would lose herself because of it, becoming his appendage, living solely dependent on him, losing everything if he were gone.
Ling Mohan lowered his gaze, concealing the emotions in his eyes, and said in a low, deep voice, "I have something to attend to. I'm leaving."
"You..." Feng Jin watched the man's retreating back, her mouth slightly agape. The words she was about to speak were swallowed back.
Had she said anything wrong? Everything she said was the truth. She had long expected Ling Mohan to be angry upon hearing her words, yet she still chose to voice them. Firstly, it was to remind herself not to be blinded by this ephemeral love.
Secondly, it was to make things clear with Ling Mohan – she was not the kind of woman who would cling to a man with all her heart.
Even less was she someone who understood the "Women's Virtues" or adhered to rules and etiquette. She disdained being such a woman.
Feng Jin sighed lightly. She wouldn't dwell on it any longer. The words were already spoken, and like spilled water, they could not be taken back.
Worrying about it was useless. She should focus on more important matters.
With the children not around today, she could enjoy a leisurely day, casting aside these bothersome thoughts. A slight smile tugged at Feng Jin's lips.
She would take this opportunity to go back for a second sleep. After waking up, she would then pick up the children.
As Feng Jin returned to her room, preparing to rest, a commotion erupted outside her door.
"Eldest sister-in-law... Eldest sister-in-law..."
Before Ling Muzhu’s figure appeared, his earth-shattering voice had already reached her.
Feng Jin quickly put on her outer clothing and opened the door. The moment she saw Ling Muzhu, she had already guessed his purpose for coming.
"Eldest sister-in-law, I..."
"Why have you come? I can guess. Go to the front hall and sit down. We can talk slowly."
Stopping Ling Muzhu, Feng Jin led him towards the front hall.
As soon as they sat down, Ling Muzhu eagerly asked, "Eldest sister-in-law, why did Grandfather suddenly get angry and have my father confined in the ancestral hall?"
As soon as he received the news, he rushed to the ancestral hall, wanting to ask his father directly what had happened. However, the ancestral hall was guarded by black-armored soldiers inside and out, and he couldn't get in.
When he tried to see his grandfather, he was met with a closed door and was coaxed and tricked into leaving by the butler.
He couldn't find his elder brother either, so he had no choice but to come to his eldest sister-in-law to ask for clarification.
Feng Jin took a sip of tea, unsure how to tell Ling Muzhu about the matter.
She was worried that if she told Ling Muzhu, he wouldn't be able to bear it. With the imperial examinations imminent, if this matter caused him to fall behind in his studies, it would be a lifelong regret, and that would be terrible.
"Eldest sister-in-law, just tell me the truth."
Ling Muzhu was as restless as an ant on a hot pan. He busied himself asking Feng Jin, desperately wanting to know the truth of the matter.
"This..." Feng Jin opened her mouth, but then withdrew the words she was about to say. She organized her thoughts, hesitated for a moment, and still didn't speak the words.
"Eldest sister-in-law, please tell me. No matter what it is, I can bear it. It's better than knowing nothing and being kept in the dark."
"Muzhu, why don't you go and ask Grandfather?"
Feng Jin was eager to pass the buck. Old Master Ling was a shrewd person; he would surely have other ways to confuse the issue.
"I already went to see Grandfather. The butler said Grandfather is ill and not receiving visitors. I was truly at my wit's end, which is why I came to you, Eldest sister-in-law."
Ill... That illness came so quickly. When she left, he was clearly still lively, running around the courtyard with Da Bao and Er Bao. In just this short time, he had fallen ill.
Feng Jin's mouth twitched uncontrollably. The Old Master had likely foreseen Ling Mohan coming to him for answers and deliberately feigned illness.
She even suspected that Ling Muzhu coming to find her was arranged by Old Master Ling, who, not knowing how to face the situation, had pushed the matter onto her.
"Eldest sister-in-law!" Ling Muzhu called out, filled with anxiety.
"Alright, sit down first. Stop pacing; you're making me dizzy. I'll tell you the truth."
Feng Jin decided to just go for it. After all, if the matter could be hidden for a while, it couldn't be hidden forever. Since the matter had been pushed onto her, she wouldn't be blamed for telling the truth.
"Your elder brother discovered that your father had been colluding with the Third Prince, receiving gold, silver, and beauties from him. Grandfather wanted to persuade your father to turn back, but your father was adamant and refused to listen to advice. In his rage, Grandfather had your father confined to the ancestral hall."
Ling Muzhu listened quietly, absorbing the information in a short time. Although shocked, he could accept it.
The Ling family had ancestral laws strictly prohibiting descendants from participating in the struggle for the throne. For generations, the descendants of the Ling family had adhered to this decree and never dared to participate in such disputes.
This was also why, through the changes of dynasties and the reigns of multiple emperors, the Ling family could remain independent, not only relying on their accumulated merits but more importantly, on their loyalty solely to the reigning emperor, never forming alliances with any factions.
Now, for his father to violate the ancestral law and collude with the Third Prince meant that the entire Ling family was aligning with the Third Prince.