Prime Minister Su never expected that Shen Qingwan would have connections to the General’s Manor.

Though he didn’t know her true identity, the Prime Minister’s Manor and the Huguo General’s Manor had never been on good terms.

Naturally, he had no intention of giving the General’s Manor any respect—especially since Gu Tingyi was not in the capital.

With Gu absent, Prime Minister Su felt even more unrestrained.

“Prime Minister Su, what do you mean by this?

Barging into the Huguo General’s Manor in broad daylight—are you taking advantage of my husband’s absence, thinking that us widows and orphans are easy to bully?”

Ye Minglan, the wife of General Gu, had been mentally impaired for many years, but now that she had recovered, her presence was just as commanding as before.

She faced the most powerful scholar-official without an ounce of fear.

Although Prime Minister Su wasn’t afraid of a mere woman, he didn’t want to bear the reputation of bullying a general’s wife.

As long as the General’s Manor handed over the person he was looking for, he had no desire to make an enemy of them.

Just as Prime Minister Su was about to speak, Ye Minghui, standing beside Ye Minglan, interrupted first.

She cast a reproachful glance at her sister and spoke in a gentle tone.

“Sister, perhaps Prime Minister Su has come for an important matter. A guest is a guest—how could you speak to him like that?”

Then, she turned to Prime Minister Su with an air of authority, as though she were the true mistress of the house.

“Prime Minister, since the General is not present, whatever the matter is, you may discuss it with us directly.”

That “us” was carefully placed.

Prime Minister Su narrowed his eyes, his expression dark and unreadable. “Oh? Then are you the true wife of the General? I did not expect the General’s Madam to be so reasonable. Since that is the case, things should go smoothly. I have come today in search of someone. If the General’s Manor hands them over, I will personally visit another day to express my gratitude.”

At this moment, Prime Minister Su’s gaze was fixed entirely on Ye Minghui, completely ignoring Ye Minglan.

Shen Qingwan folded her arms, watching Ye Minghui’s little act unfold.

She had initially thought her mother would tolerate it, but to her surprise, Ye Minglan acted decisively.

Stepping forward, she interrupted their conversation.

“Prime Minister Su, though you are not yet old, your eyesight seems to have deteriorated. Do you not even recognize who the true wife of the General is?”

Ye Minghui’s words had put Prime Minister Su in an awkward position.

She hurriedly grabbed Ye Minglan’s hand and explained,

“Sister, you misunderstand! Prime Minister Su simply made a mistake. I was just about to clarify things.”

But Ye Minglan did not even glance at her. Instead, she turned to Prime Minister Su and coldly issued an order to leave.

“There is no one in the General’s Manor that Prime Minister Su is looking for. You would be better off searching elsewhere.”

Prime Minister Su snorted and pointed at Shen Qingwan, who stood behind Ye Minglan.

“She is the one I am looking for. She kidnapped my grandson and slandered my daughter and son-in-law. Madam Gu, if you know what’s best for you, hand her over. Otherwise… don’t blame me for showing no respect to the General’s Manor.”

Ye Minglan shielded Shen Qingwan behind her and firmly declared,

“She is a young lady of the General’s Manor—my daughter. If you want to take her away, you’ll have to step over my dead body. If you have any evidence, take it to the capital’s magistrate. But if you have no proof, do not think you can smear my daughter’s name with mere words. The General’s Manor will never stand for it.”

When it came to matters concerning Shen Qingwan, Ye Minglan was unwavering.

Wanting to take her daughter away?

That was nothing more than a fool’s dream.

Shen Qingwan couldn’t deny it—being protected like this felt wonderful. Having someone to stand up for her warmed her heart.

“I’d like to see who dares to touch my granddaughter.”

As soon as Ye Minglan finished speaking, the Old Madam of the Gu family was helped outside.

She held a dragon-headed cane, dressed in the robes of an imperial noblewoman, her hair adorned with an elaborate pearl and jade crown.

Her presence was regal and imposing.

Prime Minister Su had not expected the Old Madam to step forward.

She had been personally granted the title of First-Rank Madam by the late emperor.

The dragon-headed cane in her hand was a gift from the late emperor himself, carrying the same weight as an imperial decree—it could strike corrupt officials and commoners alike.

Even imperial relatives had no choice but to endure a beating from that cane, let alone a mere prime minister like himself.

He had assumed that the Old Madam had long since withdrawn from worldly affairs, yet here she was today.

Did that mean this woman was truly the General’s long-lost daughter?

But hadn’t Gu Tingyi’s daughter gone missing? Had they found her? Or was Madam Gu simply desperate to acknowledge a foster daughter?

“Old Madam, it has been a long time. You are still in good health, I see,” Prime Minister Su said, softening his tone as he cupped his hands in greeting.

The Old Madam gave him a cold glance and replied,

“Prime Minister Su should first explain—how has my granddaughter offended you? Otherwise, I cannot accept such a greeting from you.”

Prime Minister Su forced a dry laugh and said,

“My daughter reported that someone kidnapped my grandson, Lu Tianyang, and injured both my daughter and son-in-law. I traced the culprit here to the General’s Manor. Whether she is truly the young lady of your house or not, the fact remains that my grandson was taken by her, and she was the one who injured my daughter and son-in-law. Old Madam, you are a reasonable person. Surely, you will give me an explanation?”

The Old Madam turned to Shen Qingwan, her tone full of warmth rather than accusation.

“Wanwan, don’t be afraid. Grandmother is here. No one will dare touch you. Tell Grandmother—has someone bullied you?”

How could her sweet and obedient granddaughter possibly do something as outrageous as kidnapping? She must have been wronged—bullied by others.

Shen Qingwan walked forward and took the Old Madam’s arm, speaking softly.

“Grandmother, after I was lost, I was sold by my adoptive parents to become Lu Wenzhao’s second wife. But soon after, he left for battle and was reported dead. I struggled to raise two children alone for years. Just when my life was starting to get better, Lu Wenzhao suddenly returned. What should have been a joyous family reunion turned out to be nothing more than betrayal from a heartless man…”

She gave a brief summary of what had happened with Lu Wenzhao.

The Old Madam was furious after hearing this and immediately cursed Lu Wenzhao for being an unworthy scoundrel.

This was also the first time Prime Minister Su had heard the full truth. He had never known that his son-in-law had secretly married and had children in the countryside.

Now, the man had abandoned his wife and children—no wonder she had come seeking justice.

Though he was enraged at Lu Wenzhao’s deceit, his grandson was still innocent. He had to get the child back as soon as possible.

“The matters between adults should not involve the children. My grandson is only two years old—he is innocent. Hand him over first, and you and Lu Wenzhao can settle your grievances separately.”

By now, Prime Minister Su understood the truth and had lost much of his earlier bravado. With the Old Madam present, he also couldn’t act recklessly.

Shen Qingwan scoffed.

“Prime Minister Su, you speak well—adults should not involve children. But your Su family’s children are human, while other people’s children are not? Su Ruoyun starved her father-in-law to death and sold my daughter. You raised such a daughter, yet you have the audacity to lecture others?”