Madam Xia was originally instructing her daughter on the skills of managing a household. Seeing her son arrive at this hour, she felt a touch of confusion. Her son was also set to participate in this year’s provincial examination; shouldn't he be studying right now? Thus, Madam Xia inquired, "Why have you come at this time?"

"Mother, I have something important to discuss with you. Please ask them all to leave first!" Xia Wentao stated.

Madam Xia observed the expression on her son’s face and sensed this was no trivial matter, so she said, "You all may step down now. Second Miss and Nanny Gu may remain!"

Nanny Gu was Madam Xia’s wet nurse and had always been Madam Xia’s trusted confidante, so Xia Wentao had no objection to her staying. As for Xia Wanting, Xia Wentao strongly preferred she not hear of this matter.

Once the servants had departed, Madam Xia asked, "Speak then, what is so urgent that you needed me to dismiss everyone?"

Xia Wentao did not rush into the matter but turned to Xia Wanting and said, "Sister, there is a box on the desk in my study. It contains something I bought for you. Why don't you go and look at it?"

Although Xia Wentao did not say it outright, everyone in the room understood that he intended to send Xia Wanting away, and Xia Wanting herself was clear on this. While she was somewhat curious about what her brother needed to discuss, since he had put it this way, she could only leave.

"Very well. I shall go see what my brother has bought for me first. If it’s not something truly fine, I might not even approve of it," Xia Wanting said with a smile, departing with her maid.

After watching her daughter leave, Madam Xia turned back to her son and inquired, "Is what you need to discuss related to Ting'er?"

Xia Wentao sighed deeply, then recounted the incident concerning Fu Lan’s visit.

"Slap!" Madam Xia furiously hurled the teacup across the room.

"That ungrateful wretch! How dare she scheme regarding Ting'er’s marriage engagement? She is utterly audacious! Have I been too lenient with her all these years? Has it emboldened her to dare do anything?" Madam Xia vented her anger.

"Mother..." Xia Wentao attempted to persuade her, but Madam Xia cut him off.

"Do not involve yourself in this matter further. Your primary concern now is the provincial examination. As long as you achieve success in the future, your sister and I will have someone to rely upon. Do you understand? As for this affair, your mother knows how to handle it. Rest assured!" Madam Xia instructed.

Xia Wentao understood that his mother's words held wisdom, and given his mother’s immense affection for his sister, she would never allow her to be bullied. Thus, Xia Wentao confidently entrusted the entire matter to Madam Xia to manage.

After Xia Wentao departed, Madam Xia instructed Nanny Gu, "Nanny, go and investigate the full details of this affair for me!"

"Alas, but please, Madam, do not let this anger ruin your health. Those low-class wretches are not worthy of upsetting you so," Nanny Gu advised soothingly.

Madam Xia nodded. "Don't worry. I certainly won't jeopardize my health over that concubine-born wretch."

Nanny Gu nodded with relief and immediately hurried off to investigate the matter. By evening, Nanny Gu had uncovered most of the facts. She relayed what she had discovered to Madam Xia, and upon hearing it, Madam Xia became even more furious.

"I truly never imagined that the wretch, even at such a young age, would already know how to bribe people. She certainly possesses more cunning than her low-class mother," Madam Xia scoffed. "It is I who have been negligent these past years. I showed kindness to those servants, and they have forgotten their place as servants. Nanny Gu, find a way to dismiss all those who aided that wretch this time. Our Xia Manor has no need for such servants."

"What about the Eldest Miss..." Nanny Gu inquired tentatively.

"Hmph. So she desires to scheme and become the legitimate daughter? That depends on whether she has the fate to achieve it. I was too soft-hearted before. Had the physician not declared that Concubine Liu was carrying a girl, I would not have let her off so easily back then. In all these years I didn't pursue the wretch’s transgressions, yet she forgot who she is and has become so presumptuous," Madam Xia huffed. "My poor Ting'er must now suffer her calculations. I must retrieve satisfaction for Ting'er, no matter what."

Nanny Gu also felt sympathy. "Indeed. Second Miss is such a good person, yet she is being schemed against by her. It is hateful that Young Master Fu cannot distinguish right from wrong, falling for the Eldest Miss's machinations without realizing it. If only..."

"Hmph. He is not reliable either. If he were a truly upright gentleman, no amount of scheming by that wretch would have mattered. Now, he is focused on that wretch? Then I shall grant his wish!" Madam Xia declared fiercely.

Nanny Gu was startled. "Madam, you mean..."

Madam Xia nodded. "Nanny, Ting'er is my only daughter. Naturally, I wish for her to live well. I wish I could reserve every good thing for her. But now, seeing Fu Lan, he is clearly not someone to entrust her to. How could I dare marry Ting'er off to him! It is fortuitous that he wishes to change the engagement; I couldn't ask for anything better."

Nanny Gu expressed some concern. "But, even though the Second Miss's name is not on the marriage contract, the few families we are acquainted with all know it concerns the Second Miss. If this engagement is broken, what about the Second Miss's future marriage prospects..."

"Ultimately, Ting'er's happiness is most important, is it not? As for reputation and such matters, I cannot afford to worry about them too much," Madam Xia sighed helplessly.

"But Master values reputation the most. If Master disagrees..." Nanny Gu worried.

"Hmph. Then it is only because the wretch he favors is shameless, committing the ugly deed of stealing her sister's engagement. It cannot be blamed on Ting'er," Madam Xia retorted angrily.

"I understand. Madam, please try not to be angry. It wouldn't be worth it if you made yourself ill," Nanny Gu advised.

Madam Xia softened her tone. "Enough. Go and see where Master is resting tonight."

"Yes!" Nanny Gu replied, then walked out.

Upon learning that Master Xia was spending the night with one of his recently favored secondary wives, Madam Xia instructed her servants to prepare for her own rest.

Lying in bed, Madam Xia could not sleep for a long time. She pondered many things: how she had secured this engagement for her daughter back then, and how she had shown rare leniency by arranging a relatively good match for that wretch. After a while, Madam Xia suddenly recalled the fortune stick her daughter drew at Lingjue Temple when they were returning from visiting her younger brother. Although she was not present at the time, her daughter's maid had recounted the whole story afterward—it seemed the venerable master had predicted trouble for her daughter's marriage. Although she had felt some apprehension then, she ultimately hadn't taken it seriously. Thinking about it now, if she had paid more attention then, would things be different now?

With this thought, Madam Xia immediately donned a mocking expression. Even if she had begun taking precautions from that moment, she could guard against those overly ambitious people within her own manor, but she absolutely could not stop the seductive women outside the gates.

Thinking this way, Madam Xia’s anger subsided somewhat, and she felt a strange sense of relief instead. It was a blessing they discovered Fu Lan’s true nature before her daughter married him; otherwise, her daughter’s entire life would have been ruined.

Shifting her perspective toward the positive, Madam Xia was no longer so enraged. Instead, she began focusing on how to extricate her daughter from this predicament with minimal harm, as her daughter was utterly innocent in this matter. It was entirely the wicked doing of those two shameless scoundrels.

Madam Xia barely slept that entire night, consumed by thoughts of how to ensure her daughter suffered no harm, or the least possible damage, and how to preserve her daughter’s reputation. However, upon reflection, she realized her daughter's reputation would inevitably suffer some blow.

The next morning, when Master Xia arrived, Madam Xia concealed nothing and recounted the entire incident.

Master Xia listened and wore an expression of disbelief. "Madam, is everything you say true?"

Madam Xia nodded. "Do you think I would lie to you about such a thing!"

"Absurd! How dare that Fu family boy even consider such a thing? Unacceptable! I must go and question his father. I want to see what explanation his father will offer me! Is my Xia Congwen's daughter someone he can claim or discard as he pleases?" Master Xia roared.

Madam Xia quickly intervened, "My Lord, if you rush over to confront Master Fu in such a manner, what will become of the reputations of both young ladies of our Xia Manor?"

Upon hearing the mention of reputation, Master Xia indeed hesitated. "This... Alas, I should not have been in such a hurry to settle the engagement just because the two families are old acquaintances. Now I see that the Fu family boy is not a good match."

"My Lord, what use is saying that now? We must seriously consider how to resolve this. If handled poorly, the reputation of our Xia Manor will be ruined!" Madam Xia insisted.

"What Madam says is absolutely correct. However, I must attend the court session today. We shall discuss this thoroughly when I return from the morning court," Master Xia stated.

Madam Xia nodded and saw Master Xia out of the manor.

On his way to court, Master Xia mulled over the matter he had just heard. The more he thought, the more suspicious he became. How could that Fu boy have known about Wanyu? Logically, they should never have met. Could they have been secretly involved? If that were the case, would his eldest daughter not have committed a shameful act behind their backs? If this were to get out... Master Xia dared not contemplate further. He decided that upon returning, he would seek his wife's opinion to see if she knew anything.

When Master Xia returned from court, he went directly to Madam Xia’s residence and questioned her about his confusion. Madam Xia did not speak herself but gestured for Nanny Gu to explain the details to Master Xia.

After Master Xia heard everything, he was so enraged that he swept the teacup to the floor. "That degenerate! To dare commit such an act! She is trying to destroy the reputation of our Xia Manor!"