Concubine Miao hurriedly said: “This concubine is ignorant. Please punish this concubine, Madam.”

“Punishment? If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten from being so distracted by your interruption. Tell me, were Second Miss’s words to Seventh Miss appropriate or not?”

Concubine Miao knelt on the ground and respectfully said: “Inappropriate.”

“What was inappropriate about them?”

“Third Master was an official, and though he has passed away, Seventh Miss is still a young lady from an official family. The status difference between official families and merchant families is vast. If Second Miss speaks this way and someone with ulterior motives uses it as material, it would naturally be bad for Seventh Miss’s reputation.”

Dong Shi said: “Yet Second Miss said I was tormenting her. Do you think so?”

Concubine Miao said: “Second Miss misunderstood. Madam is doing this for her own good.”

Dong Shi gently rubbed the tea cup lid and said slowly: “Originally, I was unwilling to bring you all to the capital. After so many years, there’s no reason why now, when it’s time to arrange Second Miss’s marriage, I should take on this mess. The slightest mistake would leave the impression in Master’s heart that I bully concubines and concubine-born daughters. I could just let you handle things yourself while I only provide the dowry—relaxed and comfortable, and I’d still earn a good reputation.”

Concubine Miao knelt on the ground, swallowing her anger and listening without daring to say a word.

“But who told you to cause such trouble? You two ran away conveniently, leaving me this hot potato! I didn’t dare presume too much and had to speak the ugly truth to Master first—once in the capital, everything would have to follow my arrangements. How did you promise then? Now when I have no choice but to discipline Second Miss, she first throws dirty water on me. Since that’s the case, you might as well go back on your own. I don’t dare take this responsibility. If you make mistakes, it would implicate Yue’er’s reputation. Even if I killed you a thousand times, it wouldn’t compensate for the sin committed!”

Concubine Miao was startled by Dong Shi’s tone and hurriedly pleaded: “Madam, please calm your anger! It’s all this concubine’s fault! However Madam wants to punish this concubine and Second Miss is fine—this concubine has absolutely no complaints. This concubine thanks Madam for the instruction!”

Dong Shi smiled coldly: “Your words sound nice, but you’ll turn around and write to Master, who knows how you’ll speak ill of me! You’ve done plenty of such things! Do you take me for a fool?”

Concubine Miao trembled all over. She was wrong, truly wrong. Relying on those years of serving Master, she had been bewitched and actually didn’t take Dong Shi seriously.

But now it seemed—how was Dong Shi the virtuous and magnanimous person she appeared to be on the surface?

The embarrassing incident with Wei’er in the south might well have been Dong Shi’s handiwork.

But Master had been angry with her, saying that Eighth Miss from the main branch in the capital had already gotten into trouble and had to go to a family like the Suns. With Wei’er also having problems, she would probably have to be sent to that household as a concubine too!

How could Concubine Miao be willing?

Earlier she had thought Master was exaggerating the situation, but now after returning, she hadn’t even seen Sixth Miss once. Even a legitimate daughter who had such problems had to be confined—what more a concubine-born daughter like Wei’er?

Today she also learned that Eighth Miss had been starved half to death and dumped at the main gate…

She was afraid, truly afraid.

“This concubine wouldn’t dare. This concubine swears that if I dare tell Master, let this concubine die horribly, with rotting intestines and rotting heart and lungs…”

Dong Shi remained unmoved: “You’re just a concubine—what does it matter if you die?”

She glanced at Qin Wei, and Concubine Miao understood Dong Shi’s meaning. Dong Shi wanted her to swear using Qin Wei, or else Dong Shi wouldn’t believe her.

Qin Wei naturally understood too and immediately bristled: “Mother, you just had me apologize to Seventh Aunt, and I did apologize. Surely you don’t still want…”

Concubine Miao rushed over to cover her mouth: “Second Miss, it’s all this concubine’s fault! Madam, this concubine will obey Madam in everything from now on. If I violate this, let Second Miss have no good marriage prospects!”

Only then was Dong Shi somewhat satisfied, but she said: “Second Miss is a young lady of this household—is she someone a concubine like you can use in oaths? Considering that you served Master once, from now on, just serve me in Rongfu Courtyard and don’t go out anymore. As for Second Miss, when I’m instructing her, you’ll watch from the side too, to prevent Second Miss from saying I’m tormenting her. I’ll say this first—if anyone makes trouble under my nose, I won’t care anymore. Whoever has the greater ability can seek their own fortune!”

Concubine Miao’s heart jumped, and she quickly replied: “Madam speaks truly.”

Dong Shi placed her tea cup on the table with a clink and said: “You’ve seen the situation in the household. If anyone dares make mistakes, first consider whether you have the face for it!”

Concubine Miao and Qin Wei were shocked. Qin Wei now belatedly remembered the situations of Sixth Aunt and Eighth Aunt, breaking out in a cold sweat.

When circumstances are stronger than people, she was willful but not stupid. She had no choice but to say: “Mother, it’s all Wei’er’s fault for being ignorant! Mother, you are magnanimous—please don’t hold it against Wei’er!”

Seeing her like this, Dong Shi just smiled coldly: “Enough. Don’t say you’re ignorant one moment and then point at me and scold the next! This is the only time. Next time if you dare point at me and scold, just the charge of disrespecting your legitimate mother alone would mean no one in all of the capital would dare marry you!”

Qin Wei was stunned. A flash of panic crossed her mind—Eighth Aunt’s appearance was so pitiful, so frightening!

“Daughter wouldn’t dare. Daughter will go copy ‘Admonitions for Women’ one hundred times as self-punishment!”

Dong Shi said: “You still have some sense! Besides that, you’re confined for one month!”

Qin Wei couldn’t believe it—she had just returned and was already being confined. How would everyone in the household view her?

Concubine Miao quickly said: “Madam speaks correctly. This concubine will keep an eye on Second Miss.”

Dong Shi said: “Seventh Miss is the apple of Old Ancestor’s eye, yet you dared mock Seventh Miss and ridicule Third Master. My confining you for a month is for your own good! Master will probably return soon. You may go.”

After Concubine Miao and Qin Wei withdrew, Qin Yue sat in her chair, never saying a word throughout.

When Qin Yongtao returned, Dong Shi was already waiting for him in the discussion hall.

As expected, Qin Yongtao’s expression was worse than if his own father had died.

After Qin Yunyun’s incident, though he had minimized the bad influence, the matter had already occurred with no room for reversal. His position as Minister of Justice was probably ruined!

Fortunately, with Liu Junqing achieving third place in the imperial examinations, that tangle of uncontrollable rage had diminished slightly, though it was still impossible to let go completely.

These past few days, Qin Yongtao had taken out plenty of anger on Xu Shi. Despite Xu Shi enduring Qin Yongtao’s towering rage, crying and pleading, she hadn’t earned even a bit of his pity.

Therefore, upon learning that Qin Fangfang had been sent back by the Sun family, Qin Yongtao’s fury burned toward the Sun family.

“What are the Suns to dare show me attitude! Someone come—file a complaint for me against Duke Zhuangmu…”

After all, the old ginger is the spiciest.

Dong Shi secretly marveled. Her father-in-law was indeed the Assistant Minister of Justice—once he acted, he aimed to destroy his opponent utterly.

Such in-law relationships were usually resolved privately.

This Sun family had truly picked the wrong time, thinking that now that the Qin household had problems, it had become the capital’s laughingstock? They actually dared to provoke! Little did they know they were hitting directly against Qin Yongtao’s fury.

Since Qin Yongtao dared file a complaint, he must have already gathered some dirt on the Sun family. This complaint, using Qin Fangfang’s situation, was probably meant to give Duke Zhuangmu’s household a lesson.