Wen Ningxuan glanced down at the small woman in his arms, a slight curve to his lips. This little woman usually presented herself as so strong and sensible; sometimes, it pained him that she was too sensible. Today, however, it was rare to see her throw a tiny tantrum in the face of such matters.

Wen Ningxuan gently shifted her body higher onto his lap, smiling. "If our He'er doesn't want to go, then we won't. I'll have Ziyu send word back saying we've already gone out, and we can discuss things tonight when we return?"

Lin He paused, considering. Since the Old Madam had sent someone to summon her, she must know they hadn't left. Deceiving her like this seemed inappropriate. Moreover, avoiding it now wouldn't stop the inevitable later. Thinking this through, she said, "Forget it. Since I have to go anyway, I'll go now. You wait here for me, and we can go out together after I return."

Seeing her reluctance, Wen Ningxuan set her down. "Here's what we'll do: you change your clothes first, and have Ziqing and Ziyu wait in the side courtyard. I’ll accompany you over now. Whatever Grandmother needs to ask, she can ask quickly, and we’ll still have time to take you out in the afternoon."

With Wen Ningxuan accompanying her? That changed everything. Lin He immediately nodded. "Yes, that’s much better. Let’s go over now." Saying that, she quickly slid off Wen Ningxuan and went out to call Ziyu in to help her change.

By the time the Lin He couple reached the main hall, everyone expected to be there had arrived. Seeing Wen Ningxuan present, the Old Madam seemed slightly surprised but said nothing, merely gesturing for them to sit down on the chairs.

Before Lin He and her husband had even settled onto their seats, a drawling voice floated over from across the room: "Xuan'er, your courtyard had such a wonderful show this morning, why didn't you notify me to watch? Next time something this entertaining happens, be sure to send someone to tell me."

No need to look, Lin He knew the speaker had to be that infuriating Fifth Master. Only he dared to speak with such impunity in the main hall without fearing the Old Madam's reprimand.

Wen Ningxuan looked at his Fifth Uncle, the corner of his mouth twitching. "It was indeed a shame. Although the incident was incredibly amusing, the cast was lacking. If Fifth Uncle is interested, perhaps next time you can attend personally. But we must agree: not in my courtyard. I can barely step into my own rooms now; I’m seriously considering tearing down that courtyard and rebuilding it entirely."

"Ai, Xuan'er, you are too demanding. It was just a soiled bed, after all. We can simply throw the bed away. Why rebuild the entire courtyard? If you feel the bed linens and such are too precious to discard, send servants now to move them over to Sister-in-law; she can use them for Ningchen's wedding trousseau. They are getting married soon anyway, and it saves the household some expense," Wen Shixiang said, then burst into laughter.

Wen Ningxuan laughed along with him. Lin He secretly observed the others in the room. Most of them actually wanted to laugh too, but they were biting down hard out of respect for the Old Madam’s authority. If these two continued their banter for a few more lines, many people wouldn't be able to hold it in.

However, before the pair could finish their bout of laughter, the Old Madam, seated in the place of honor, grew furious, rapping her cane sharply against the floor several times. "You two unfilial sons, shut your mouths! What is so wonderful about this that you laugh like this?"

"Mother, isn't Ningchen getting married a good thing? This is truly a joyous occasion. You called us here precisely so we could know about this matter. Don't tell me that even after it has happened, you intend to investigate how they managed it? Oh, right, you called Xuan'er and his wife here—is it to inquire about what happened last night? If so, I'm quite eager to know as well," Wen Shixiang said, still chuckling.

Aunt Luo, standing beside him, looked toward Wen Shixiang and chimed in, "Fifth Uncle, look at what you are saying. Everyone witnessed the morning’s affair—it was practically caught red-handed. As for what happened last night, any clear-sighted person knows, so what else is there to ask? Although, I took our Qingxin and the Master to the shop early this morning, which was a pity... But let's stop talking about that. Today, Mother called us here to discuss how to proceed with Ningchen's marriage. You shouldn't joke around; please help us think." Even in her words, Aunt Luo could not entirely suppress her mirth.

The moment Aunt Luo finished speaking, the Old Madam shot her a glare, and Aunt Luo immediately lowered her head, falling silent.

Seeing that no one else dared to speak, the Old Madam asserted her authority. "I called everyone here today to discuss the wedding arrangements for Chen'er and Ningnuo. Since they are mutually devoted, I have already conferred with Jie'er's wife. Jie'er's wife suggests we find an auspicious day soon for them to marry. What do you all think? Furthermore, concerning this morning's incident, no one in this household is to mention it again. If I hear anyone gossiping, I will certainly enforce family discipline."

Lin He smiled inwardly. This was the way of handling things in a grand household: superficially pristine, yet fundamentally corrupt beneath. Such a scandal occurs, yet no one investigates the root cause or punishes the wrongdoers; they only strategize how to protect the offenders and save face for the family. No wonder people say that dissolute sons usually come from wealthy families.

"Mother, what do you mean about Ningchen getting married? Ningchen has already been married once. If he is to take Ningnuo now, it would be taking her as a concubine. Taking a concubine only requires a sedan chair to bring her through the gate; is there anything else we need to prepare?" the Third Madam next to her asked, confused.

"Exactly, Mother. Since Ningnuo is already residing in our home, we can even skip the sedan chair. Just have her pack some things and move into Ningchen's courtyard," Aunt Luo immediately added.

The Old Madam swept her gaze over the assembly, her lips moving silently for a long moment before finally speaking. "Jie'er's wife, you explain the matter of Chen'er's marriage."

Madam Wen remained motionless for a moment, seemingly gathering her thoughts on how to articulate the situation. After a considerable pause, she spoke: "Ningnuo marrying Chen'er will not be as a concubine, but as a Pingqi [Equal Wife]. From now on, she will be the First Young Mistress of the Wen family, just like Yuzhen, with no distinction in rank."

Madam Wen's statement caused a brief silence in the room. Moments later, the women erupted into a flurry of chatter. Aunt Luo spoke first: "Madam, you certainly are calculating. To devise such a method—it neatly solves this current problem while fulfilling your own desire. However, I must ask: this 'Equal Wife' status means no difference in rank, but the title of First Young Mistress of the Wen family must be entered into the family genealogy. The Master is not currently home; will the Master agree to this?"

The Third Madam chimed in as well. "Yes, Aunt Luo speaks correctly. Has Yuzhen agreed to this? Yuzhen's family background is not one to be easily trifled with. Won't her relatives come here demanding a fight and cause unrest in our home? Oh, right, why isn't Yuzhen here today?" The Third Madam finished, glancing around demonstrably.