Sensing what Old Master Ling would likely ask next, Feng Jin quickly steered the conversation elsewhere, not wanting to explain the matter.
"How did you know about this, and who sent that man?"
Feng Jin's heart skipped a beat. Before she could even begin to explain, Ling Muzhu had already taken all the blame upon himself. "Grandfather, these are all my doing. If you must blame someone, blame me. It truly has nothing to do with Eldest Sister-in-law!"
Ling Muzhu, being the "oldest sixth" as she affectionately called him, was truly something. To say that now was tantamount to admitting they were behind it all. Even with a thousand mouths, it would be difficult to explain.
"It was me. A person does what they do. You don't need to take on these burdens for me. Grandfather, it was all me. The man who defiled Zhang Mia'er was also found by me."
Feng Jin readily admitted to everything. In her eyes, Zhang Mia'er had brought this upon herself. She was merely returning the favor, and there was nothing wrong with that.
"Even if she did wrong, she is, after all… your cousin. By ruining her purity, you have done something more cruel to a woman than killing her. How will she live on?"
"Grandfather need not worry. They only care for wealth and status. They will not be so easily driven to death."
With wealth and status not yet in hand, they wouldn't die so easily. It would be a waste.
Given Ling Changyi's schemes, she wouldn't let Zhang Mia'er die so easily either.
"Grandfather, don't forget, they initially intended to frame Muzhu. If they had succeeded, you know better than anyone what charges Muzhu would have faced. Also… Muzhu is about to take his imperial examinations. If he succeeds, his status will naturally be extraordinary. You should know their intentions as clearly as a mirror."
He understood the implications Feng Jin presented, but ultimately, he did not wish to witness his own flesh and blood turning on each other.
They were both his grandsons. Even if he disliked them, they were family. If this matter spread, it would only make the Ling family a laughingstock.
"This matter ends here. No one is to speak of it again, nor is it to be spread. Do you understand?"
Old Master Ling said sternly. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to suppress the matter for now. After all, preserving the Ling family's reputation was paramount. Family shame should not be aired, especially such embarrassing matters.
"Then, how does Grandfather intend to deal with Aunt and her daughter? Will you heavily punish them and drive them out of the Ling family, forbidding them from ever entering the capital again, or do you plan to let bygones be bygones and pretend this never happened?"
She felt that Old Master Ling was being soft-hearted. He seemed inclined to let them off with a warning.
"We must consider the Ling family's reputation first. It's best not to blow this out of proportion. Once things stabilize, we can find an excuse to send them away from the capital, and have no further contact."
He had never liked this daughter much and had not seen her for twenty years. Never seeing her again wouldn't mean much to him.
"That's it?" Feng Jin was truly dissatisfied with the outcome. To commit such a despicable act and then have it resolved like this? If they weren't severely punished, who could guarantee they wouldn't repeat it?
She understood the nature of this mother and daughter perfectly. As long as they remained in the manor, there was a day's more danger. It would be best to get rid of them as soon as possible.
"Grandfather, don't forget, if I had arrived a moment later, and Muzhu had been caught with her, with Ling Changyi walking in on them, would Ling Changyi still be the frail person she is now?"
If Ling Changyi had caught them in the act, she would surely have forced Ling Muzhu to marry Zhang Mia'er.
With leverage in hand, even Old Master Ling would be forced to comply with her demands, and the entire Ling manor would be under Ling Changyi's control.
Upon hearing this, a deep worry crossed Old Master Ling's face, but he hesitated to make a decision.
"I implore Grandfather to do justice for your grandson!"
Ling Muzhu knelt before Old Master Ling with a thud, his tone resolute.
"This…"
Old Master Ling's face was full of difficulty. He couldn't make up his mind.
Seeing Old Master Ling still wavering, Feng Jin signaled to Ling Mohan with her eyes. Only when Ling Mohan spoke could Old Master Ling make a decision quickly.
Receiving Feng Jin's signal, Ling Mohan then spoke in a deep voice, "Grandfather, as long as this scourge is not eliminated, it will endanger the descendants of the Ling family. I implore Grandfather to prioritize the entire Ling family and punish them severely."
Ling Mohan held an unusual status in Old Master Ling's heart, so his words would be given more consideration.
After a moment of silence, Old Master Ling said sternly, "Tomorrow, they will be driven out of the Ling manor, forbidden from entering the capital for life."
The smile on Feng Jin's lips did not fade. She knew Old Master Ling would handle it this way. To expel them from the Ling manor so urgently was already Old Master Ling's final concession.
But this was the best outcome for the present. If they stayed any longer, who knew what kind of storm they might stir up? It was best for them to leave as soon as possible.
"Eldest Sister-in-law, are you not satisfied with Grandfather's decision?"
Ling Muzhu noticed that Feng Jin had not smiled since her return, instead pursing her lips tightly, looking troubled.
"This is already Grandfather's greatest concession. After all, she is his own daughter. If Ling Changyi loses face, the Ling family will lose face along with her. Expelling them from the capital as soon as possible is already the best…"
"It's just… it's just that I couldn't get justice for you in the end…"
"They have reaped what they sowed. Losing their reputation and being driven out of the Ling family, their every wish unfulfilled, is already the harshest punishment for them. Moreover, if Eldest Sister-in-law had not arrived in time, and that incident had occurred, my entire life would have been ruined."
Although the matter was over, whenever he thought about it, he still felt a chill of fear, his hair standing on end.
If Eldest Sister-in-law had not arrived in time, he would have faced the fate of being caught by Ling Changyi.
Perhaps Zhang Mia'er's position would have been his.
"It was just a small effort, nothing to dwell on…"
She couldn't stand Zhang Mia'er's despicable actions. Her intervention was merely a small lesson, to see if she would dare to do such things again.
"That won't do. Eldest Sister-in-law, you have shown me immense kindness. I will never forget it."