With the Ren family in serious trouble, Third Master Ren couldn’t temporarily return to Yunyang City. Now that Old Madam Ren had also fallen ill, Ren Yaoqi stayed the night as well.

Ren Yaoqi looked at Old Madam Ren lying half-upright on the kang bed, looking haggard and dazed, then at the panicked and anxious expressions of the Ren family members. Her feelings were quite complicated.

Today’s events had all been triggered by her. As a daughter of the Ren family, she was truly unfilial.

But Ren Yaoqi didn’t feel regretful. Compared to blind filial piety, she cared more about the lives and happiness of her parents and sister. If one day in the future she were to receive retribution for her actions today, she would willingly accept it.

Eldest Madam and Eldest Young Madam stayed to care for Old Madam Ren. Ren Yaoqi remained in Ronghua Garden to keep company until the household locked up for the night, then returned to rest in Ziwei Courtyard, where the third branch used to live.

News of Old Madam Ren’s illness also reached Yunyang City. The next morning, Li Shi and Ren Yaohua returned, while Ren Shijia and the Lin Kun couple came back together with Li Shi.

After the discussion, the Ren family’s masters decided that this time, no matter how much silver it cost, they would first go to the government prison to rescue Old Master Ren and Eldest Master Ren.

Subsequently, Fifth Master Ren Shimao and son-in-law Lin Kun went together to the government office with banknotes. The women stayed home to accompany Old Madam Ren while waiting for news. The tense atmosphere pervaded everyone in the Ren family. Even the usually boisterous Fifth Madam Lin Shi looked worried and barely spoke, sending someone outside every quarter hour to see if Fifth Master Ren and the others had returned.

Old Madam Ren had been frightened into illness and was physically weak. Having Fifth Madam hovering in front of her like this made her even more panicked. Leaning against the head of the kang, she snapped: “If you can’t stand staying here, then get out!”

Fifth Madam’s eyes reddened at Old Madam’s scolding. Feeling both wronged and frightened, she no longer cared about being afraid of Old Madam Ren and immediately voiced her grievances: “The Ren family has so many men – couldn’t anyone else go? Why does it have to be the Fifth Master? What if he doesn’t come back either!”

Old Madam Ren was so angry that her eyes rolled back. She pointed at Fifth Madam and scolded: “Shut up! Who are you saying won’t come back? Who won’t come back!”

Fifth Madam cried: “Don’t you know? Of the ten people who enter the government office, nine don’t come out! Even the one who does come out loses a layer of skin!”

In Fifth Madam’s understanding, anyone who went to prison never returned. When she usually threatened the servants and maids, she would constantly say she’d send them to the authorities.

When Ren Shimao was going to find the authorities to rescue people today, the Fifth Madam disagreed. She felt that as the fifth-ranked son, Ren Shimao was the youngest, with his second and third brothers above him. When trouble arose, why should he take the lead?

But Ren Shimao, who usually went along with Lin Shi in everything, refused to listen to her this time. If others didn’t know, didn’t he know the temperament of his two older brothers? With Old Master Ren and Eldest Master Ren absent, only Ren Shimao could step forward. Fortunately, brother-in-law Lin Kun had also come, giving him some confidence.

Lin Shi cried and made a fuss. Ren Shimao comforted her for a long time, but still went out with Lin Kun in the end.

Lin Shi worried about Ren Shimao and barely spoke all morning, her heart filled with fear and anxiety. Old Madam Ren was also afraid – she couldn’t imagine what would become of the Ren family if Old Master Ren and Eldest Master Ren couldn’t return. Fifth Madam’s words had hit her sore spot exactly.

Old Madam Ren struggled to sit up, wanting to scold Fifth Madam, but she hadn’t eaten much from yesterday to today and was feeling faint from anger. She immediately felt dizzy and was about to faint again.

Ren Shijia and Eldest Madam quickly supported Old Madam, helping her lie down on the bed. Ren Shijia rubbed Old Madam Ren’s chest while urgently comforting her. Eldest Madam showed a cold face to Fifth Madam for the first time, scolding: “Didn’t you hear Mother tell you to get out! Do you want me to call people in to drag you out?”

The eldest Madam was also very angry about what the Fifth Madam had said.

Fifth Madam bit her lip and ran out.

Li Shi couldn’t intervene and could only say from the side: “Should we ask a physician to come take another look?”

Ren Shijia looked at Old Madam Ren’s complexion, then nodded to Li Shi: “Please trouble Third Sister-in-law to go out and give instructions. Ask the physician to come examine Mother again – I just felt her forehead and it seems a bit feverish.”

Li Shi immediately went out to give instructions.

Eldest Young Madam Zhao Shi and Third Young Madam Qi Shi took the handkerchiefs handed up by the maids and came forward to serve Old Madam Ren by wiping her face.

Ren Yaohua helped Old Madam Ren massage her arms and legs. Ren Yaohua had feelings for her grandmother, who always protected her, so she served Old Madam Ren wholeheartedly. In comparison, Ren Yaoqi appeared much more wooden.

The Ren family waited like this for most of the day. At noon, son-in-law Lin Kun returned.

Old Madam Ren, who had been lying ill, perked up considerably and struggled to sit up asking: “How did it go?”

When she discovered only Lin Kun had returned alone, Old Madam Ren’s face went white and she nearly fainted again: “Why did only you come back? Where’s Fifth Master?” Old Madam Ren was quite bothered by what Fifth Madam Lin Shi had said earlier.

Lin Kun quickly said: “Don’t worry, Shimao and Big Brother will return later. I came back first because I was afraid you’d be anxious to know the news.”

Eldest Madam was delighted to hear this and quickly stood up: “Eldest Master will also return together?”

Old Madam finally caught her breath and had Ren Shijia and Ren Yaohua support her to sit up straight: “They’re all coming back? They’re all fine?”

Lin Kun said, “Shimao and I took silver to find Secretary Yang, asking him to help intercede. In the end, Magistrate Mu accepted ten thousand taels in banknotes and agreed to let Big Brother out.”

Old Madam Ren’s previously joyful face froze again as she urgently asked: “They let Eldest Master out, but what about Old Master?”

Lin Kun sighed: “After spending ten thousand taels of silver and asking many people to intercede, Magistrate Mu barely agreed to release Big Brother. But because this matter has rather serious implications, Magistrate Mu said Father-in-law still needs to remain in the government office until the case is resolved.”

Old Madam Ren felt like the sky was falling. How had things become so serious?

Eldest Madam asked: “Won’t they release him even if we spend more silver? If ten thousand taels won’t work, what about twenty thousand, thirty thousand, or one hundred thousand taels?” The Ren family wasn’t short of silver.

A voice at the door said: “This time it’s no longer a matter of silver.”

Third Young Master Ren Yijun and Eldest Young Master Ren Yiyan had entered.

“If it’s not about silver, then what is it about?” Ren Shijia urgently asked.

Ren Yiyan frowned tightly, looking somewhat weary: “A while ago in Ningxia, a group of bandits broke into a Deputy General’s home and massacred his entire family of over fifty people, then burned down the residence. This incident caused a great uproar in Ningxia at the time, and that group of bandits still hasn’t been found.”

Everyone felt an ominous premonition upon hearing this. Eldest Madam asked: “What does this have to do with our Ren family?”

Ren Yijun said, “Although the bandits weren’t found, they left some weapons at the scene, and the weapons the authorities found in our coal mines yesterday are the same as those used by that group of bandits.”

“How could this be?” Eldest Madam couldn’t quite believe it.

Old Madam Ren’s face grew even paler.

Ren Yiyan sighed: “So now the authorities suspect our Ren family has some connection with that group of bandits, which is why they won’t release anyone.”

Old Madam Ren came to her senses and suddenly slapped the edge of the kang in anger: “This is ridiculous! No one from our Ren family has ever been to Ningxia. How could we have any involvement with those bandits? Moreover, we’ve never even heard of this Deputy General – we have no grievances with him, so why would we kill his entire family?”

Old Madam Ren’s words voiced what everyone in the Ren family was thinking.

Even if the weapons found in the Ren family’s coal mines were the same as those used by that group of bandits, this couldn’t be used to determine that the Ren family had any connection with those bandits! One was in Yanzhou, the other in Ningxia – they were thousands of miles apart.

At this moment, Ren Yijun suddenly said, “Grandmother, do you know who ultimately benefited after this Deputy General died?”

Old Madam Ren said irritably: “How would I know! I wasn’t in Ningxia!”

Ren Yijun pulled at the corner of his mouth: “Then let me tell you – the ones who ultimately benefited from this tragedy were the Zeng family! The newly appointed Ningxia Commander-in-Chief Zeng Pu took over all of Deputy General Li’s troops after his death and used this opportunity to establish a foothold in Ningxia!”

After Ren Yijun finished speaking, he looked around at everyone and said somewhat mockingly: “You don’t even know these things, yet you still want to form a marriage alliance with the Zeng family? No wonder you don’t even know how you’re being destroyed in the end!”

Ren Yijun’s words were like a thunderbolt striking everyone’s hearts. Old Madam Ren was so shocked she couldn’t speak, even ignoring the harsh sarcasm in Ren Yijun’s tone.

“This time, Old Master and your father were imprisoned because of the Zeng family?” Old Madam Ren stared at Ren Yijun in disbelief.

Ren Yiyan said somewhat reproachfully in a low voice: “Third Brother, these are just our speculations.”

Ren Yijun snorted lightly, looking at Ren Yiyan: “Besides this reason, what other reason could there be? Could it be that our Ren family is out there killing and burning?”

Ren Yiyan was left speechless.

Ren Yijun said coldly: “Our Ren family is just merchant. We should have been content being ordinary merchants – at least the family would be safe and sound without constant worry! But you had to be greedy and try to play both sides, without considering what weight our family carries!”