“Old Madam of the Lin family has come out!” The crowd gathered outside the yamen grew excited.

“How was the judgment, how was the judgment?” Many people asked curiously.

“Look at Old Madam’s high spirits—she must have won.”

“Excellent!”

Cheers rose one after another, with many people clapping vigorously.

Wen Hao walked through the enthusiastic applause, the heaviest boulder weighing on her heart finally removed.

They had won. Grandmother and Mother were both fine, and she and her sister were fine too.

From now on, she would be a member of the Lin family, with no connection whatsoever to her father.

“Grandmother, let’s take the carriage back to avoid tiring you out,” Wen Chan gently urged.

Old Madam straightened her back even more. “No, we’ll walk back. I want all the fathers and elders of the capital to see that even if the General’s Mansion has only women and children left, we cannot be bullied!”

The group walked calmly under countless gazes, all the way to the General’s Mansion.

In the crowd, Wen Rusheng watched Wen Hao’s back disappear at the entrance, taking a step forward then retreating, pacing back and forth in anxiety.

He had said everything according to Ahao’s requirements. Why hadn’t Ahao released Feng’er yet?

Hiss—could it be that Feng’er had already been eaten by Ahao?

Recalling that crunch in full view of everyone, Wen Rusheng’s whole body trembled.

That, that, that… could that have been Feng’er’s finger?

Wen Rusheng stared fixedly at the General’s Mansion gate.

Today the General’s Mansion’s main gate stood wide open, but in Wen Rusheng’s eyes, it looked like the enormous mouth of a fierce beast.

He dared not enter, nor could he enter.

Wen Rusheng stumbled through the crowd, reached the base of a wall, and sat down with a thump to cry.

A pair of feet appeared before him.

Wen Rusheng slowly raised his head. What met his eyes was Steward Wen Ping’s face with a complex expression.

“Want a steamed bun?” Wen Ping squatted down and offered him a plump white steamed bun.

Wen Rusheng took the bun and bit into it.

The meat-filled bun was soft and fragrant, filling his mouth with juice.

Wen Rusheng finished it in two or three bites, then looked at Wen Ping in puzzlement. “Why are you giving me steamed buns?”

Wen Ping bit into his own meat bun and sighed deeply. “We’re both fallen souls in this world.”

Eighth Master must be like him—caught in Second Miss’s grip.

To save his son, he had spared no effort in stepping on the master. Now that the dust had settled, only darkness lay ahead.

He was the master’s trusted aide. Now that the master had fallen, where was his way out?

This was also why Wen Ping found Wen Rusheng more agreeable to look at.

Hearing these words, Wen Rusheng’s tears fell again. “Steward Wen, was your son also eaten by Ahao?”

Wen Ping’s expression stiffened. He spat out the meat bun in his mouth. “What is Eighth Master saying?”

Wen Rusheng leaned in close, his tense body revealing his nervousness. “I’m telling you, Ahao is actually a man-eating monster. Today at the Wen Mansion entrance, she even ate fingers—”

“Lunatic!” Before Wen Rusheng could finish, Wen Ping stood up and left with a flick of his sleeve.

He had thought this was a fellow sufferer, but it turned out to be an imbecile. What a waste of the three coins he spent on that big bun.

Wen Rusheng leaned against the corner, his face full of despair. “No one believes me, no one believes me. Ahao was right after all…”

“Father, what are you doing here?”

Wen Rusheng’s mumbling came to an abrupt halt. Upon seeing the young man appear before him, he jumped up.

“Feng’er, you’re alright?”

As he spoke, he touched his son’s face, and after touching the face, touched his hands.

Warm—they were warm!

Wen Rusheng’s tears fell like rain.

Wen Feng was somewhat at a loss. “Father, don’t cry. I heard about Tenth Uncle’s matter—”

“My child, you’re actually still alive!” Wen Rusheng hugged Wen Feng tightly.

Wen Feng looked bewildered. “Father, what do you mean by this?”

“Weren’t you captured by Ahao to be eaten as a snack?”

Captured… to be eaten as a snack… Wen Feng understood each word his father said, but strung together, they sounded like complete gibberish.

“A friend took me to Pingcheng to visit a great scholar. Unexpectedly, on the way back we encountered a broken bridge and had to take a long detour…” Wen Feng explained why he hadn’t returned for two days. “Father, what do you mean by saying I was captured by Ahao to be eaten as a snack?”

Wen Rusheng was already stunned, asking blankly, “You went out to have fun with friends?”

“It was to visit a great scholar. That scholar is quite accomplished in the eight-legged essay format. Getting his guidance will definitely help with the metropolitan examination…” Knowing his father was in a bad mood, Wen Feng quickly explained.

Wen Rusheng was dazed for a long while, then cried again.

The monster could even deceive people!

Seeing his old father cry so sadly, Wen Feng supported him. “Father, I know you feel you’ve wronged Tenth Uncle by putting righteousness above family loyalty, but your son is proud of you. You were right—we must conduct ourselves uprightly…”

Wen Rusheng stared blankly at his son and saw the light in his son’s eyes.

He gave a start and wiped his tears clean with his sleeve.

Whether he could conduct himself uprightly or not, he didn’t know, but earning his son’s heartfelt respect was truly an unexpected joy.

They say a father is a son’s heaven, but his son was too outstanding—so outstanding that for many years he hadn’t experienced the feeling of being a strict father.

His son was learned and knowledgeable. He lacked confidence in managing him.

“Father isn’t sad anymore. Feng’er, you must prepare well for the metropolitan examination. Don’t let your Tenth Uncle’s matter affect you.”

“Rest assured, your son will take the exam seriously.”

The father and son gradually moved away from the General’s Mansion.

The news of Vice Minister Wen severing ties with his wife spread like a gust of wind, quickly blowing through every street and alley.

And that wasn’t all.

The next day, memorials impeaching Wen Rugui flew like snowflakes onto Emperor Tai’an’s desk.

Emperor Tai’an flipped through a stack of memorials and shook his head.

This Vice Minister Wen truly was unpopular.

By this point in events, it actually wasn’t as simple as being unpopular.

Old General Lin had some old friends and former subordinates. When the matter of Wen Rugui slandering Old General Lin and wanting to demote his wife to concubine first erupted, the Lin family severed ties with lightning speed, not even giving them time to help. After one day, memorials impeaching Wen Rugui were naturally prepared.

Some of the remonstrating officials and censors who spoke out were doing so as their duty required.

Remonstrating officials had the right to report on hearsay, let alone when there were witnesses in this case.

Others either had always been at odds with Wen Rugui, or thought that once the vice minister position opened up they might have a chance, or gleaned the imperial will from how the Shuntian Prefecture Magistrate decisively judged that the Wen family’s two daughters would follow their mother and return to the Lin family, purely joining in the excitement.

When the wall falls, everyone pushes—it was exactly like this.

Although Wen Rugui held the position of vice minister and had some ability, he wasn’t at the level of stabilizing the nation. The Great Zhou would continue turning without him. Add to that pleasing the Empress Dowager, and Emperor Tai’an had almost no hesitation in issuing the directive to strip him of office.

Vice Minister Wen had been stripped of office!

Though this news wasn’t as sensational as yesterday’s rupture between the Wen and Lin families, it was a continuation of that excitement and naturally became a topic of conversation throughout the capital during leisure time.

Old Madam was not at all surprised by this outcome. She called Wen Hao and Wen Chan before her, in good spirits. “Chan’er, Ahao, the family genealogy has been changed. From now on, your surname is Lin.”

Lin Hao—

Wen Hao—no, Lin Hao—murmured the new name and smiled broadly.