From the moment Old General Lin died, Wen Rugui’s thoughts had stirred.

He had patiently waited for over a year, imagining today’s scene countless times in his mind. Every possible oversight had been blocked in those repeated imaginings.

He had made complete preparations, and because of this, as soon as he heard Wen Rusheng’s words, he detected something wrong.

“Eighth Brother, the Old Madam is asking when I married.” Wen Rugui emphasized the words “when I married.”

The Old Madam struck her walking stick beside his foot, sending dust flying: “Don’t interrupt!”

“This son-in-law is worried that my cousin is nervous and might say the wrong thing—”

The Old Madam sneered coldly: “I think you have a guilty conscience.”

Wen Rugui choked, looking toward Wen Rusheng, his eyes concealing a warning.

Wen Rusheng scratched his head with an appearance of being at a loss.

The Old Madam’s tone became somewhat gentler: “Just say what you know. Don’t think about others.”

Wen Rusheng looked at Wen Rugui, then at Lin Shi, becoming even more awkward: “But I can’t quite remember when Tenth Brother and sister-in-law got married. Back then, Tenth Brother held his wedding ceremony in the capital, too far from home. I couldn’t attend…”

Hearing this, the crowd’s discussion immediately grew louder.

From the sound of it, Vice Minister Wen didn’t seem to have married back home?

Wen Rugui’s expression darkened as he reminded with suppressed anger: “Eighth Brother, the Old Madam is asking about before I came to the capital.”

“Before coming to the capital?” Wen Rusheng looked blank. “Before coming to the capital, Tenth Brother wasn’t married.”

At these words, Wen Rugui’s expression changed drastically.

Even the Old Madam felt like she’d been hit by a pie falling from the sky.

This really was an honest man.

“Eighth Brother, are you confused?” Wen Rugui’s tone was severe, veins bulging at his temples.

He never expected to stumble over something that should have been foolproof.

When Wen Rusheng and his son arrived in the capital, he had entertained them well without the slightest negligence, and had even introduced his cousin’s nephew to many people.

Even a fool would know that Wen Feng’s future prospects depended on his help. No matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn’t understand what was happening now.

Facing Wen Rugui’s questioning, Wen Rusheng couldn’t quite withstand it, his peripheral vision involuntarily sweeping toward Wen Hao again.

“Crack.” The young lady standing behind the Old Madam without much presence pulled something from her sleeve and bit into it expressionlessly.

Wen Rusheng shuddered, his face turning deathly pale.

The Old Madam tapped her walking stick on the ground: “Wen Rugui, why are you intimidating an honest man? Do you think everyone is as heartless as you?”

Wen Rugui nearly choked on his breath.

But at this moment, to reverse the unfavorable situation, he still had to rely on Wen Rusheng.

“Eighth Brother, have you forgotten Xiaoqing?” Wen Rugui tried to keep his tone level, gesturing for Madam Chang to come forward.

Xiaoqing was Madam Chang’s given name.

Under countless gazes, Madam Chang curtsied to Wen Rusheng: “Does Eighth Brother still remember me?”

Wen Rusheng stared at Madam Chang for a moment, then showed a look of sudden realization: “It’s little sister Xiaoqing!”

Wen Rugui’s expression eased slightly as he took the opportunity to remind: “Eighth Brother, don’t you remember about me and my cousin?”

Wen Rusheng slapped his forehead: “I remember!”

Before Wen Rugui could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard Wen Rusheng say: “You two had a verbal engagement, didn’t you? Later, when Tenth Brother went to the capital for the examinations and news came that you’d achieved success and married a noble lady, little sister Xiaoqing disappeared. So she came to the capital to find Tenth Brother…”

Wen Rugui’s face turned completely cold: “Eighth Brother, before I came to the capital, my cousin and I were already married. You’ve misremembered!”

The honest man Wen Rusheng became anxious hearing this: “How could I misremember whether you and little sister Xiaoqing got married? I may not match Tenth Brother in other things, but my memory is excellent…”

The crowd was already in an uproar.

“Didn’t Vice Minister Wen say he was forced by Old General Lin to abandon his wife and remarry? So he never married his cousin after all.”

“Then I don’t understand—if they weren’t married, why insist they were? In our Great Zhou, taking a second wife while the first still lives violates the law.”

One person stroked his goatee and offered a reason: “What’s not to understand? Look at the two young ladies standing beside the Lin family’s Old Madam, then look at the son and daughter standing behind Vice Minister Wen. Vice Minister Wen must be planning for his only son.”

“But even as a concubine-born son, as Vice Minister Wen’s only son, he’ll inherit everything from the Vice Minister’s mansion in the future. Why go to such lengths?”

“That would be true in an ordinary family, but not necessarily in the Vice Minister’s mansion. Didn’t you hear the Lin family’s Old Madam say that even the residence Vice Minister Wen lives in belongs to the Lin family? Could Vice Minister Wen easily give all that to his son?”

“Hmph, men!”

Wen Rugui could no longer listen to these discussions. He stared fixedly at Wen Rusheng, furious to the extreme.

He had clearly instructed him on everything—what was wrong with Eighth Brother?

But no matter how angry he was, he couldn’t explode in front of everyone.

At this moment, Wen Rugui tasted the bitter fruit of lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot.

“Wen Rugui, what else do you have to say?” The Old Madam was both hateful and satisfied.

Wen Rugui struggled to maintain calm: “That day Eighth Brother said he encountered something evil. Perhaps he hasn’t recovered yet, which is why his memory is confused and he’s speaking nonsense?”

“Encountered something evil?” Wen Rusheng quickly glanced at Wen Hao, shaking his head like a rattle drum. “No, no, no, how could I have encountered something evil! But what’s wrong with Tenth Brother? Why do you insist on saying you married little sister Xiaoqing—”

“Eighth Brother, think carefully before you speak!”

Wen Rusheng’s face turned white with fright: “Ten, Tenth Brother, what do you want me to think about?”

“You—” Wen Rugui was so angry his blood boiled, understanding that Wen Rusheng could not be counted on.

He knew there was something fishy about this, but at a time like this, how could he have the opportunity to investigate clearly?

As a last resort, Wen Rugui called out to Wen Ping.

Wen Ping lowered his head and came forward, not daring to look at Wen Rugui’s eyes: “This old servant is here.”

Wen Rugui looked toward the Old Madam: “My cousin indulges in drinking and his mind is somewhat unclear. Wen Ping has followed me since I passed the provincial examination and is also clear about the situation at that time. Old Madam might as well hear what he has to say first. I know Wen Ping is my man, and his words are hard to trust. Afterward, the Old Madam can certainly send people to Wen Family Village to verify.”

With Wen Rugui’s family circumstances back then, he naturally couldn’t afford to keep a study companion. Passing the provincial examination was different—some gave gold and silver, some gave land, and some gave servants.

Wen Ping was given by a local wealthy landlord.

Wen Rugui knew that Wen Ping’s words carried little weight, but at the moment, there was no better option. Even if the vast majority believed the Lin family’s side, as long as this matter was disputed, there was reason to go to Wen Family Village to investigate.

And if outsiders went to Wen Family Village, it would be strange if they could find out the truth.

Over the years, he had donated money to the village to repair the ancestral hall and build a school. People from other villages didn’t dare offend people from Wen Family Village because the village had produced him, a high-ranking official. It could be said that everyone in Wen Family Village had received benefits from him.

He didn’t believe there was anyone else as stupid as Wen Rusheng.

“Wen Ping, you were present when my cousin and I married. Describe the specific circumstances to the Old Madam.”

Wen Ping bowed his head low and didn’t move.

“Wen Ping?” Wen Rugui suddenly felt an ominous premonition.

Wen Ping raised his head to glance at Wen Rugui, sweat beading on his forehead: “Master… Have you misremembered? You and Madam Qing never married.”