Moreover, Master Wen had once confided in his wife that Li Yuzhen, the wife of Wen Ningchen, was not a suitable candidate to be the head of their household. However, this girl named Lin He possessed the qualities needed for such a position. He had even remarked that if anyone were fortunate enough to marry her, their family's fortune would flourish in the future.

Wen Fu knew her husband well—his words were never spoken lightly. If he voiced an opinion publicly, there was always a deeper reason behind it.

Initially, Wen Fu had been delighted when she learned of Lin He's close relationship with Wen Ningmo. She genuinely liked the girl and while she knew Lin He could never be matched with Wen Ningchen, pairing her with Wen Ningmo would still be acceptable. After all, Wen Ningmo was also her son.

Though the girl came from a rural background, if Master Wen himself considered her valuable, there was no doubt about her worth. Moreover, Wen Fu had learned of Lin He's role in supplying goods to Caidie Hall. She believed that should Wen Ningchen and his wife prove unable to manage the household properly, Wen Ningmo would be just as capable.

Thus, she never intervened when Wen Ningmo grew closer to Lin He’s family, hoping for their relationship to deepen further. In fact, she secretly wished they would grow even more intimate, planning to propose a formal engagement once Wen Ningmo reached an appropriate age. But before this could happen, Wen Ningxuan returned home.

Not long after his return, Wen Fu overheard some of the household staff discussing Wen Ningxuan's relationship with Lin He. The revelation disturbed her greatly, though she kept it hidden from everyone. She continued to encourage Wen Ningmo to visit Lin He frequently—Wen Ningmo, still a child at heart, eagerly accepted every opportunity his mother provided without question.

Meanwhile, Wen Fu approached the Dowager Lady, emphasizing that Wen Ningxuan was of marriageable age and needed to settle down soon. The old matriarch had no idea about the complex family dynamics involved but agreed with her daughter-in-law's reasoning. With this support, Wen Fu and the Dowager Lady began actively arranging various potential matches for Wen Ningxuan.

One such candidate was Ningnuo, the daughter of a close childhood friend from Wen Fu's natal home. During a recent visit to her parents' hometown, Wen Fu had spotted Ningnuo and found her strikingly beautiful with excellent family background and a gentle disposition. Convinced she would make an ideal match for her son Wen Ningchen, Wen Fu even took Ningnuo in as a formal adopted daughter.

She soon planned to bring Ningnuo into their household temporarily, hoping the younger girl might bond with Wen Ningchen. But what initially seemed promising quickly became disheartening—upon closer observation, Wen Fu realized Ningnuo was far more calculating than she appeared. The girl's duplicity and pretense disturbed Wen Fu deeply, especially since she had always desired the best for her son. Though this match lost priority, a bigger concern arose: Master Wen himself had grown suspicious of Ningnuo, remarking that the girl was overly scheming and only suited as an ordinary family acquaintance.

This revelation sparked new ideas in Wen Fu's mind—if Ningnuo could not be matched with her own son, perhaps she might serve another purpose. After all, if Wen Ningxuan were paired with this calculating girl, Master Wen might even come to disapprove of him entirely. And it seemed fate had aligned perfectly—Ningnuo herself was infatuated with Wen Ningxuan, though cleverly concealing her feelings behind a composed facade.

Seizing the opportunity, Wen Fu began actively steering Ningnuo toward Wen Ningxuan's path. She exploited Wen Ningxuan's trust in his younger brother to create more chances for them to meet. But to her growing frustration, Wen Ningxuan remained indifferent to Ningnuo despite their frequent interactions—though nothing was set in stone yet, she still hoped time would favor her.

Everything changed when Wen Ningxuan returned from Qinghe County declaring he wished to marry immediately. To everyone's surprise, his choice of bride was Lin He himself. Master Wen beamed with approval at this announcement while Wen Fu seethed inwardly, realizing Ningnuo had proven utterly useless despite all her efforts and manipulations.

Before any formal engagement could proceed, Wen Fu deployed every resource at her disposal to sabotage the union—carefully orchestrating events behind closed doors so as not to arouse suspicion. Though she knew Master Wen favored Lin He, she still attempted to sway the Dowager Lady by emphasizing how undignified it would be for a prominent family like theirs to marry into rural stock. After all, Wen Ningxuan was their only legitimate son...

The old matriarch agreed wholeheartedly. What reason could possibly justify marrying a country girl when such a refined match was available? Unbeknownst to Wen Fu, Wen Ningxuan's resolve proved far stronger than expected—he even threatened to leave the family altogether if forced into another union. If anything, Wen Fu secretly wished for his departure—once he left, whom he married would no longer concern her at all.

But this ultimatum unnerved the Dowager Lady, and with Master Wen vouching for him, the matter was ultimately settled in favor of Lin He's marriage. Wen Fu could only watch helplessly as the girl officially became part of their household...

Still determined to reclaim control, she seized upon the first opportunity to deploy Ningnuo once more. After all, Ningnuo herself remained eager and willing.

Today, Wen Fu had cleverly arranged for Wen Ningxuan's return home under false pretenses—pretending it was Master Wen's request. She had overheard her husband giving instructions to this effect through the steward earlier that day, so she saw no reason to fear exposure. In fact, by deliberately serving him tea laced with medication in front of Master Wen himself, she ensured Wen Ningxuan would have no suspicions—should anything go wrong later, her most powerful witness would already be on hand.

Timing it just right while their conversation seemed to be drawing to a close, Wen Fu sent in the maid with the specially prepared tea. As soon as Wen Ningxuan left this courtyard area, she immediately dispatched Ningnuo to follow him. She had arranged for Lin He's absence at her natal home today and already stationed people there just in case—should Ningnuo manage to convince Wen Ningxuan to bring her back with him, the plan would be nearly complete. After all, no matter how strong-willed he claimed to be, even a man could not resist such potent effects.

She had also promised Ningnuo that should this succeed, she would fight for her to become his official concubine. Once inside the household's walls, with Ningnuo's ruthless nature at work, displacing Lin He from her position as primary wife would be no difficult task at all.