After a while, the door opened from the inside, and Feng Jin emerged gracefully.
She walked to the butler's side, suppressing a smile, "Butler, you've worked hard. Let's go!"
"Not at all, not at all, madam, please!"
The butler had been fed to the mosquitoes for an hour and had lost all his previous spirit. At this moment, he was as respectful to Feng Jin as he could possibly be, almost to the point of worshipping her.
Feng Jin nodded with satisfaction. If things continued like this, would she still need to endure being fed to mosquitoes for so long?
By the time Feng Jin arrived, Old Master Ling was sitting at the head of the table with a solemn expression.
Second Master Ling had a grim face, his furrowed brows highlighting his current anger.
"Grandfather, Second Uncle." Feng Jin curtsied slightly.
"How much hatred do you have for Yan'er that you would disfigure her!" Second Master Ling angrily pointed at Feng Jin and berated her, "You are so heartless, you should have been kicked out long ago, or else the ancestral tablets would be restless, and the ancestral temple would not be protected!"
"Father, you saw it with your own eyes today, it's not that I'm wrongly accusing her. Yan'er is your biological granddaughter. Her appearance is completely ruined by her, and Yan'er's life is ruined!"
His son was driven to the countryside by Feng Jin, and his daughter's appearance was ruined by her.
If Feng Jin was not divorced and driven out of the Ling family today, his anger would not subside.
"Sit down! Making such a racket, wanting to fight and kill, what kind of behavior is this! The matter has not been thoroughly investigated, and you cannot make hasty judgments!"
Old Master Ling's majestic voice rang out, immediately deterring Second Master Ling.
"Feng Jin, did you really injure Yan'er's face?"
He had just seen Ling Yan. The doctor said that Yan'er's facial wounds were too deep, and coupled with the application of a medicine that caused the wounds to rot, it would be good if the wounds could heal. This face was considered ruined.
"It was indeed injured, but she brought it upon herself. I only regret not slicing her face a few more times."
Those who do much evil will be the first to be destroyed. It was all her own doing. She was not the farmer who saved the snake, nor was she a saint who repaid evil with good.
"You... you poisonous woman! You got Mu Zhu sent to the countryside, and now you want to harm my Yan'er."
Second Master Ling's hands trembled with anger, and he wished he could draw his sword and kill Feng Jin.
"Father, you heard it with your own ears. She dares to be so presumptuous in front of you. Who knows what else she has done to persecute your grandson behind your back? Father, you must expel her today and rid the Ling family of this scourge!"
"Second Uncle, what a big tone. Are you going to kick me out too!"
Ling Mo Han's deep voice echoed as he grabbed Feng Jin's wrist and shielded her behind him.
"Second Uncle, you're putting on quite an act. When did it become your place to discipline my wife!"
Feng Jin raised her eyelids and glanced at the man blocking her. Today, she found Ling Mo Han particularly pleasing to the eye.
"Han'er, she ruined your sister's face, and you're still protecting this poisonous woman."
Second Master Ling had managed the Ling family for many years, but he had always harbored a fear of this nephew.
When facing Ling Mo Han, his imposing manner involuntarily weakened.
"Second Uncle, speak cautiously. Feng Jin is my wife now, not someone you can insult."
Being rebuked by a junior, Second Master Ling's face was full of embarrassment. He sat on the chair, puffing out his beard and glaring.
"Grandfather, Second Uncle, I have investigated this matter. It was Ling Yan who intended to sprinkle the medicine on Feng Jin, and Feng Jin was merely defending herself."
Old Master Ling's expression changed abruptly. He subconsciously chose to believe Ling Mo Han and cast a scrutinizing gaze at his disappointing son: "Han'er, is what you said true?"
Earlier, he had adamantly insisted that Feng Jin had disfigured Yan'er and wanted me to make the decision, but he had never mentioned this matter.
"Father, these are all excuses Han'er came up with to help Feng Jin escape punishment. Han'er, Yan'er is your sister. How can you be so heartless as to protect her attacker? You truly break Second Uncle's heart."
"Second Uncle, you really are blind to the truth until you see the coffin. Lu Shi, bring them up!"
Lu Shi escorted the maids and servants to kneel before the hall.
"You two, say what you just said again. If you dare to hide anything, you will all be sold off!" Ling Mo Han said in a deep voice.
"Old Master, spare us! It was the cousin who wanted to harm the young madam, but was controlled by the young madam instead, and thus injured her face!"
"This was all forced upon me by the cousin. If I didn't do it, the cousin would have beaten me to death."
The maids and servants cried out continuously.
Second Master Ling's face turned extremely ugly, his face ashen: "You unruly servants! Who gave you the audacity to slander your master!"
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, the expensive blue and white porcelain teacup shattered at Second Master Ling's feet.
"You scoundrel! I'm still alive, and you dare to be so presumptuous. Do you really think I'm dead!"
Old Master Ling roared and coughed a few times.
"You have managed the Ling family for these years, being arrogant and overbearing, arbitrarily abusing and punishing servants. The deficit is significant. How many corrupt officials are there under your management? One by one, I didn't say anything to give you some face. Do you really think I don't know!"
"Father... I..." Second Master Ling, terrified, quickly knelt on the ground.
"You raised Mu Zhu to be ignorant of right and wrong and to be tyrannical. I know you are angry, resenting me for sending Mu Zhu to the countryside. You secretly had Mu Zhu brought back and replaced him with a substitute to go to the countryside. Do you really think you can fool everyone!"
Second Master Ling's eyes darted around, his heart sinking. He had done these things very carefully, without a flaw. How did his father know? Could it be... he had an informant by his side?
"Father, this was my momentary confusion. Mu Zhu is my only son, I..."
"With just this one son, you've raised him like this. If you had more sons, this Ling family would have been ruined by your hands sooner or later!"
What a disappointing thing. One son raised like this.
Old Master Ling was furious and continued to lecture Second Master Ling: "And Yan'er, a young lady, how did you teach her? She knows nothing of poetry, is not skilled in chess, music, calligraphy, or painting, and even the most basic needlework for a young lady, she is completely unskilled. You taught her to be arrogant and overbearing, prone to beating and scolding maids. How many maids in her room have you secretly helped her deal with after they were crippled or beaten to death? Do you really think I don't know!"
"If it weren't for the sake of the Ling family's reputation, and if I hadn't tolerated it, I would have reprimanded you countless times, both openly and secretly. Yet you still feigned madness and dismissed it with a laugh, not taking it seriously. It is your indulgence that has ruined both of them!"
"Father, I truly know I was wrong. I will strictly discipline both of them. Please, Father, do not be angry!"
Second Master Ling knelt at Old Master Ling's feet, constantly begging for mercy.
At this moment, he deeply regretted it. If he had known it would cause so much trouble, he would not have used this incident to make a fuss. Instead, he had brought so much disaster upon himself.
"From today onwards, you will hand over the position of family head to Han'er, and the matter of the deficit will be handed over to Feng Jin!"