She had planned everything. First, she assured her parents to keep the prince from splitting the family, then dragged it out day by day.

As long as she could keep Guan Muyun and he withstood the pressure, pretending to obey her, she would keep both face and wealth.

Shen Ruojin was very confident.

Now that things reached this point, Shen Yue had nothing more to say.

He hadn’t expected his sister to have no dignity, only dreaming of wealth and glory. He felt the world was collapsing.

Old Madam Shen walked by and heard the brothers talking. She was shocked: “What are you saying?”

She had many children to choose from but chose Shen Ruojin as her granddaughter, putting half her life into this child.

Now, the Duke of Lingguo’s Mansion hadn’t even given her the main wife position. The Guan family was ruthless and didn’t care.

Ever since this incident, she always sided with Shen Ruojin. If Shen Ruojin lost her status, not only would she but also her grandmother would never hold their heads high in the capital.

She couldn’t allow this to happen!

Old Madam Shen ignored the pain in her chest and got in the carriage to go to Guan’s house.

After all this trouble, the Duke of Lingguo finally had free time and invited the Jingzhao prefect, Mr. Bao, for tea, asking how the investigation of the assassin organization was going. Was there any conclusion?

Mr. Bao said, “It is still under investigation, but we have a basic conclusion.”

The Duke asked, “What is it?”

“Not very optimistic,” Mr. Bao bluntly replied. “It may involve King Liang. Please prepare.”

Guan Muyun disagreed: “Our law emphasizes ‘if the people don’t report, the officials won’t investigate.’ Xu Xiang is our servant. It’s the master’s right to punish him. Jin’er didn’t need to hire people. There might be some misunderstanding. I don’t know if it was her decision or her subordinates’.”

This was just a show of force. Mr. Bao said unhappily, “You can shout and kill at home, but hiring someone to kill is different.”

Guan Muyun had a way out: “Xu Xiang’s indenture is still with me. If I don’t sue him, what right does he have to sue? Also, Jin’er didn’t act on her own. If you don’t believe me, take our maid for questioning.”

The maid beside Ruojin was originally from a family. Her family’s safety depended on Shen Ruojin, so she wouldn’t make random accusations.

Mr. Bao thought Guan Muyun was starting to act like a rogue, and his face darkened. “Even if you exploit legal loopholes, the killers are still connected. Although these things are taboo in court, the emperor won’t openly punish you, but if the prince’s wife is involved, His Majesty won’t let it slide. Just wait and see.”

While they were talking, an attendant came to report that Madam Shen wanted to see Duke Ling.

Duke Ling’s expression darkened. “Tell her I’m busy and ask her to leave.”

The attendant hesitated. “Old Madam Shen insists on seeing you today. If you don’t respond, she’ll wait outside until you do.”

How could a lady from a respectable family act like this? Old Madam Shen’s behavior was quite disrespectful.

Duke Ling clenched his teeth. “Ask her to come in.”

As soon as Old Madam Shen entered, she began to criticize him. She refused to accept the idea of demoting his wife to a concubine. “What has Ruojin done to deserve this treatment?” she demanded. “According to the law, if you try to divorce her, she’ll have nowhere to go. Is there really no law in your house?”

Duke Ling was taken aback.

They had discussed making Shen Ruojin his co-wife, but they knew Guan Muyun couldn’t register two wives with the Ministry of Rites. In reality, it was still a divorce, though she would be considered a co-wife in the mansion.

But now, Old Madam Shen’s comments made the situation more complicated. It seemed the Marquis’ Mansion wanted to sever ties with Shen Ruojin, and they had no evidence to prove her biological parents were her real family.

Even if they were, Shen Ruojin could pay them to stay silent about their connection, which fit one of the reasons for divorce. This made the situation more challenging to navigate.

“I won’t let Jin’er suffer any injustice,” Guan Muyun said, but it felt weak.

“You don’t think this is unfair? How will you handle this?” Old Madam Shen scolded. “If you care for her, you won’t let her lose her position as the main wife. Even though she’s not from the Marquis family, she was raised as their daughter. Are you really not worried she’ll cause trouble?”

Thinking about losing Shen Ruojin made Guan Muyun angry. He stood up for her. “Ruojin has been taking care of the household and helping Mother in the mansion. She worked hard, even if she didn’t receive any credit. Last night, she cried to me about her fear of being divorced and remarrying. If this continues, she won’t be able to handle it. I hope you can show her mercy and give her a way out.”

Duke Ling closed his eyes and considered the situation.

Divorce was no longer an option. If they separated amicably and Shen Ruojin left the house, she would refuse.

But if they kept her in the mansion, registered as the prince’s wife, and the emperor learned she had once been involved with a traitor, it would affect the entire Duke Lingguo Mansion and his future.

Furthermore, the Crown Prince and Prince Rui were in conflict. They couldn’t support both sides.

On one side was the Crown Prince, who seemed sure to take power, and on the other was Prince Rui, who was married to his sister.

The Crown Prince had begun losing the emperor’s favor, and Duke Ling sensed a shift in the emperor’s attitude. It was uncertain who would come out on top.

In this case, it would be better for Guan Muyun to support Prince Rui while his family continued backing the Crown Prince, creating mutual reliance for the future.

Having figured this out, Duke Ling turned to Guan Muyun. “Didn’t you say yesterday you wanted to move out of the mansion?”

Guan Muyun was momentarily speechless and simply replied, “Yes.”

“Since you’re so reluctant to leave your wife, move to a separate residence,” Duke Ling said. “I’ll talk to the emperor myself, so you and your wife don’t need to worry about it.”

Shen Ruojin learned from the servants that Lord Bao had arrived at the mansion, likely to discuss the case. She wanted to know the progress.

As she entered Duke Lingguo’s study, she overheard the conversation between her grandmother and Guan Muyun, making her feel suffocated.

Yesterday, to protect her, Guan Muyun wanted to live outside the mansion, but Duke Ling had not agreed until now. This indicated that Duke Ling’s mansion had given up on them.

Yesterday, she had calmed Guan Muyun, getting him to stay patient in the mansion to maintain his position as the prince. But today, her grandmother’s fuss had ruined everything.

Shen Ruojin reflected on her life in the Shen family.

From a young age, she knew she wasn’t the Marquis’ biological daughter. She feared that one day the truth would come out, and they would bring back the real daughter, abandoning her. To avoid this, she had always tried to please Old Madam Shen, obeying her every command.

She was no longer the legitimate daughter of a marquis, so she would accept being Guan Muyun’s concubine. She desired a life of luxury and didn’t care about her temporary status; she only wanted to marry the son of Duke Lingguo. Was that so difficult?

Now, Old Madam Shen’s interference had ruined everything.

Feeling overwhelmed, Shen Ruojin finally expressed her dissatisfaction towards her grandmother.

“You claimed you took me in because you feared for my mother’s health, but it was all for your own benefit. When I got married, you didn’t want to give me any dowry because you thought the Madam’s dowry was enough. You’ve made me repay your kindness since then and have taken money from me over the years. Now that I’m in trouble because of you, you’re not trying to convince my father to help me, but instead urging my husband to leave. All you care about is your own reputation, never about my well-being!”

Before Ruojin could finish speaking, she saw Old Lady Shen foaming at the mouth and collapsing to the side.

Duke Ling was shocked. Seeing Old Lady Shen’s condition, he realized she was likely having a stroke.

Since the incident happened in his home, Duke Ling quickly shouted, “Call the doctor!”