While people in the capital were still eagerly awaiting the results of Marquis Jing’an’s residence’s formal inquiry about marriage, an incident at Earl Guchang’s residence diverted their attention.

Lady Zhu, Earl Guchang’s wife, went to the temple to burn incense and pray for blessings, only to encounter Earl Guchang with his concubine, disguised as an ordinary couple worshipping Buddha.

Most heartbreaking was that the concubine’s belly was already swollen. When Lady Zhu discovered them, Earl Guchang was carefully supporting her, his eyes filled with a tenderness Lady Zhu had never seen before.

Lady Zhu flew into a rage on the spot, kicking out with her foot. Earl Guchang’s concubine miscarried right there in the temple, blood spilling all over the blue stone tiles of the temple courtyard.

This incident caused Earl Guchang, who had always carried the reputation of being henpecked and was originally extremely guilty, to finally lose his temper. The couple had a huge fight in front of countless worshippers and parted on bad terms.

In her fury, Lady Zhu returned to her natal family’s Marquis Taining residence.

Old Madam of Marquis Taining sighed and advised her daughter: “How could you be so impulsive? Even if you encountered your son-in-law bringing his concubine to burn incense, you shouldn’t have made a scene right in the temple. She’s just a concubine—even if she was pregnant, even if she gave birth, how could she surpass you? You bore the Du family a pair of dragon and phoenix twins! Besides, if you suffered grievances, don’t you still have your natal family to support you? Now with this commotion, you’ve lost all reason instead.”

Lady Zhu tightened her jaw and sneered coldly: “Mother, how could I not understand what you’re saying? But you didn’t see how gentle and caring that bastard was toward his concubine. Seeing it made my lungs explode with anger—how could I care about anything else?”

Old Madam of Marquis Taining sighed heavily: “What good does not caring do? Your momentary impulse, kicking someone into miscarriage in a temple, has made you the talk of the entire capital, overshadowing even Marquis Jing’an’s marriage proposal to the Li family. What can be done about this in the future?”

“Does Mother think I’ve brought shame to the Marquis’s residence?”

“Aning, you’re a mother yourself now. How can you still speak like a child having a tantrum?” Old Madam of Marquis Taining rubbed her temples, thinking that while she, as a mother, wouldn’t despise her daughter, her daughter-in-law had quite a few complaints about this. After all, whenever people in the capital mentioned Earl Guchang’s wife, it would reflect on Marquis Taining’s residence’s upbringing of their daughter.

“Enough. Since your son-in-law has come to fetch you, go back. Stop being stubborn.”

Lady Zhu turned her face away: “I don’t want to see him!”

Old Madam of Marquis Taining patted her shoulder: “Aning, didn’t you say Feixue’s cold hasn’t completely recovered yet? Can you rest assured, leaving her alone at the Earl’s residence?”

Upon hearing this, Lady Zhu couldn’t help but hesitate. After struggling with herself for a while, she nodded.

Old Madam of Marquis Taining quietly breathed a sigh of relief and signaled her head maid to invite Earl Guchang in.

Soon, Earl Guchang walked in.

Earl Guchang, now middle-aged, hadn’t gained weight and still looked somewhat scholarly, but his complexion was frighteningly awful.

Old Madam of Marquis Taining coughed lightly: “Earl, Aning has a stubborn temperament. Please be understanding. You two should have a good talk.”

After Old Madam of Marquis Taining left, Earl Guchang looked at Lady Zhu with sinister eyes.

Lady Zhu became annoyed upon seeing this and sneered coldly: “So the Earl didn’t come to take me back, but to interrogate me?”

Earl Guchang looked at Lady Zhu’s cold expression, fury raging in his heart. He suddenly slammed the table: “You still have the face to give me attitude? Look at what you’ve done!”

Lady Zhu was stunned by the slam, and her anger was suppressed. She asked: “What does the Earl mean?”

She had shared a bed with this man for over ten years and understood him too well. Unless something truly serious had happened, he would never lose his temper with her like this at the Marquis’s residence.

Having returned to her natal family, no matter how angry she was, she was certain in her heart that he would come fetch her back.

She had dealt with pregnant concubines before—otherwise, how could their branch of the family have only her pair of children after so many years? This time was purely bad luck, letting her encounter them outside and losing control of her temper, attacking that little slut, which caused such a big commotion and made them lose face.

“What do I mean?” Earl Guchang’s eyes blazed with fire, completely different from the refined image Lady Zhu usually saw, “The Earl’s residence’s loan sharking has been exposed, and censors are already impeaching me. Are you satisfied now?”

“How could it be exposed?” Lady Zhu shrieked.

“If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it in the first place. Someone is specifically targeting the Earl’s residence—would they worry about not finding traces of evidence?”

Noble families couldn’t maintain their large households’ dignity relying solely on their annual stipends, and their descendants were mostly incompetent. To generate income, loan sharking became an unspoken choice that everyone understood.

This kind of thing usually went uninvestigated, but once evidence was solid, punishment would follow.

For officials engaging in loan sharking, severe cases meant dismissal and beating, while lighter cases meant having documents burned and losing all principal.

Just thinking about the ten thousand taels of silver going down the drain made Earl Guchang’s heart bleed, wanting to grab Lady Zhu and slap her hard several times.

“Now the silver is gone, and we’re entangled with those mad dog-like censors—all because of you, you bitch!”

Lady Zhu flew into a rage, reaching out to scratch Earl Guchang’s face: “Du Ziteng, when you were lending money and collecting interest, you didn’t say this! You’re something—the entire Earl’s residence relies on my dowry to maintain face. We finally found a way to make money, and you were all smiles when collecting payment, but when trouble came, you pushed it all onto me, a woman. Do you have any shame left?”

“I have no shame?” Earl Guchang, struck at his sore spot by Lady Zhu, trembled with rage, “Why don’t you ask why the Earl’s residence was targeted? Isn’t it because of your good deeds?”

“What did I do?” Lady Zhu asked through gritted teeth, both angry and hateful.

“The matter of splashing filth on the Li residence’s gate—did you instruct people to do it?”

Lady Zhu was struck dumb by the question.

Earl Guchang sneered coldly: “Why aren’t you speaking?”

Lady Zhu quickly recovered and raised her chin: “What is the Earl talking about? I don’t understand.”

“You don’t understand? Now, everyone in the capital understands that our Earl’s residence instructed people to splash filth on the Li family’s gate!”

“Where’s the evidence? On what basis do those people say this?”

Earl Guchang closed his eyes: “Are you naive or stupid? Do those spectators need evidence? You probably don’t know yet—our Earl’s residence gate has also been splashed with filth. First, the Earl’s residence’s loan sharking was exposed, then immediately after, the Earl’s residence was splashed with filth. Isn’t it obvious? Marquis Guanjun is getting revenge for his father-in-law’s family!”

Because of this obvious speculation, when the Earl’s residence’s loan sharking was exposed, he encountered obstacles everywhere when trying to seek help.

“How can Marquis Guanjun do this?” Lady Zhu’s face turned ashen as she murmured.

“Then tell me, the Li family matter—did you do it or not?” Earl Guchang stared intently at Lady Zhu.

Lady Zhu pressed her lips tightly: “So what if I did? Do you know how much grievance that little bitch from the Li family has caused Feixue—”

Before she could finish, a crisp slap rang out. Earl Guchang had harshly slapped Lady Zhu.