After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

"They even brought up the old Grand Tutor! How despicable!" Lin Cuilan was so angry when she heard that the old Grand Tutor was putting pressure on Fang Zhengyong that she immediately swept the tea off the table.

Xue Zhiming, who was reading, was startled and quickly put down his book to check. Seeing that Lin Cuilan was unharmed, he ordered the maid to quickly clean up the broken pieces on the floor before saying, "Why are you so fixated on that Fang Liu Miss? With her temperament, she will certainly not be filial to you after you marry her. Since you are taking a new wife, why choose an uncultured wild girl?"

“Even if she is a wild girl, she is still the legitimate daughter of the Fang family and a favorite of the Empress Dowager. My Xue family must cultivate extensive connections to ensure your smooth career advancement.” Lin Cuilan was still furious.

She naturally knew that Fang Xiaoran was difficult to get along with, but the problem was that the Xue family needed her money and wanted to establish a kinship with the Fang family and even the Empress Dowager. Otherwise, given her temperament, she would have broken off all ties with Fang Xiaoran long ago after several battles.

Previously, she thought that Fang Xiaoran would be at her mercy after marrying into the family, but now she has given up on that idea and is only considering the interests of the Xue family.

To everyone's surprise, Xue Zhiming didn't take it seriously at all. Instead, he said with a look of contempt, "She doesn't have that ability. You've overestimated her. I bet the Fang family doesn't even care about her. They'd love for someone to marry her. You just have to compete with your grandmother. If the Lin family wants her so badly, just give her to them. It's not like they can't do without her."

Xue Zhiming had no good feelings towards Fang Xiaoran, simply because he initially had a very bad impression of her, thinking that she was very arrogant and that he would not be able to control her in the future, let alone be a good wife and mother or a dutiful daughter to her parents-in-law.

Lin Cuilan sighed softly, her expression grave, and said, "Why do you think I'm so persistent? It's simply because of your maternal grandmother. Originally, I planned to use some underhanded methods, and if I couldn't succeed, then so be it. However, at this crucial moment, my mother stepped forward, intending to compete with us. Even she values ​​it so much, how can I easily give up?"

“Perhaps Grandmother has misjudged you. No, she’s blind, so how can she distinguish right from wrong? I think you’re going to be disappointed,” Xue Zhiming said slowly, then quietly sat down to the side.

Hearing this, Lin Cuilan couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. "What do you know? Your mother's mind is as clear as a mirror; how could she be wrong?"

"But is it really worth it to fall out with my maternal grandmother and the entire Lin family for such a person?" In Xue Zhiming's opinion, such a move was really inappropriate. Although the Lin family was showing signs of decline, it was still stronger than the Xue family. Moreover, as long as Old Madam Lin was around, her connections could still be utilized. Once the relationship was completely severed, it would be extremely detrimental to the Xue family.

Lin Cuilan was well aware of this, but she had no other choice. She could only sigh helplessly, "Of course I know it's not worth it, but Mother cares so much about Miss Fang, how can I let her get what she wants so easily?"

Xue Zhiming couldn't help but shake his head, "To put it bluntly, it's because you want to compete with your maternal grandmother."

His words were like a sharp sword, piercing Lin Cuilan's vitals, enraging her. She glared at him fiercely with her cold eyes, "I'm just challenging her. With her status and connections, if she had been willing to put in the effort, why would I have married into the Xue family? I still have to work hard for the Xue family and for you. If you had any ambition, and your father had any ability, how could I have ended up in this situation?"

Lin Cuilan was emotional and spoke sharply, leaving Xue Zhiming speechless. After a long while, he asked blankly, "Then what do you plan to do? Now that the Grand Tutor has taken action, we have no chance of winning."

"Since Mother is so impatient, I have no choice but to resort to drastic measures."

A day later, rumors began to circulate among the common people about Fang Yunyao, saying that she had been alone in a room with a man before marriage, and that the scene was so romantic that it aroused people's imaginations.

The matter initially only had a slight hint, and then gradually spread to teahouses. Fortunately, it seemed that someone deliberately controlled the scope of the spread, and it did not spread on a large scale. It was only discussed in a few teahouses.

However, for an unmarried woman, such remarks, once they are spread, would undoubtedly cut off her livelihood.

Before long, these rumors reached the Fang family. The old lady nearly fainted upon hearing them and immediately ordered Liu to find a way to quell the matter as soon as possible, otherwise, once the rumors spread, they would surely affect everyone in the Fang family.

How could Liu not be anxious about her daughter's reputation?

But there's no smoke without fire; clearly, someone deliberately spread this story to put pressure on the Fang family. Such blatant espionage makes it obvious who's behind it. The question is, how can this storm be quelled?

The Liu family was extremely distressed by this, and Fang Yunyao cried incessantly, saying she feared she would be too ashamed to face anyone in the future. Previously, the Xue and Lin families had only intended to use this matter to blackmail the Fang family, so they had not spread the word. However, now that the Fang family had not taken any action, some people naturally could no longer contain themselves.

“The two families are fighting, yet you have to be sacrificed. It’s because your mother is incompetent and can’t protect you.” Liu cried as she hugged Fang Yunyao.

As Fang Yunyao sobbed softly, she gritted her teeth and said, "It's all Fang Xiaoran's fault. If she hadn't caused so much trouble, I wouldn't have been implicated."

She still habitually blamed Fang Xiaoran, believing it was all Fang Xiaoran's fault, otherwise she wouldn't be in such a bad light now. Hearing this, Madam Liu gently released her and shook her head helplessly, "Yao'er, you must remember, you can mess with anyone but her, the Fang family's daughter."

After numerous confrontations with Fang Xiaoran, Liu gained a profound understanding of Fang Xiaoran's terrifying nature.

“She was never this powerful before. What is the situation now? She seems like a completely different person. Could it be that she has been possessed by something?” Fang Yunyao really couldn’t understand why Fang Xiaoran, who used to be bullied by everyone, would have such a huge change. Could it be that she had been hiding her strength all along?

Liu's eyes darkened slightly as she slowly said, "Perhaps she has never changed."

"But what should we do now? Once Father returns, he will surely kill me..."

Fang Yunyao grabbed Liu's sleeve anxiously, her eyes red and bewildered. Just as Liu was about to comfort her, a maid rushed in and said anxiously, "Young lady, the master is back and is on his way here."

"What?" Liu's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly pushed Fang Yunyao towards the cabinet and urged, "Yao'er, hide inside first. You must not let your father see you right now. Remember, no matter what happens, do not come out."

"But Mother..." Fang Yunyao was shoved into a cabinet and locked by Liu Shi before she could finish speaking. Then she got up and walked to the dressing table, removed her exquisite makeup, and even took off her hairpins. She looked disheveled and haggard.

A moment later, Fang Zhengyong stormed into Cuiwei Pavilion. Madam Liu hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, but Fang Zhengyong pushed her away and angrily rebuked her, "Look at the good daughter you've raised! In the future, all the girls in the Fang family will be implicated because of her!"

Seeing that his anger had not subsided, Madam Liu dared not say more and knelt down to plead, "Master, Yao'er was tricked. She would never do such a thing. Besides, it is obvious that someone deliberately leaked this information to blackmail us. Whether it is the Xue family or the Lin family, their purpose is nothing more than to form a marriage alliance with us. They would never really break off completely."

"Why would I need to say more? It certainly wouldn't be the Lin family. With the Grand Tutor mediating, even I wouldn't dare to object. The only family capable of such a desperate measure is the Xue family." Fang Zhengyong sat in his chair with a frown. A maid hurriedly brought him a cup of hot tea, and without daring to make a sound, she silently withdrew.

Liu knew the reason for Fang Zhengyong's anger, but dared not speak. She could only kneel and slowly move to his side. After a long time, she whispered, "Master, have you made a decision? The Xue family's recklessness is of no benefit to us whatsoever."

"What other choice do we have? On one side is the Grand Tutor, and on the other is our own family's scandal. If the Xue family insists on getting involved, we can only cut it off completely at the root. She should bear the consequences of her own actions." Fang Zhengyong's face was gloomy, and his tone was as cold as ice.

Realizing his meaning, Madam Liu turned deathly pale and hurriedly grabbed Fang Zhengyong's leg, pleading, "Master, Yao'er is also your daughter! You can't treat her like this..."

“Third Sister, Fifth Sister, and Sixth Sister are also my daughters. The entire Fang family will be disgraced because of this. Have you not considered them? And what about Huai De? He is not married yet. Once this matter gets out, which good girl will be willing to marry him?”

"But...but Yao'er, she's innocent too! Please, sir, spare her life..."

"It's not that I didn't give her a way out, but that she insisted on jumping into a trap set by others. If she hadn't had any ill intentions at the time, how could she have ended up in that place and been schemed against?"

Fang Zhengyong's words had already made his stance clear, and Liu Shi found it hard to accept. She clung tightly to Fang Zhengyong's leg, tears streaming down her face, and said, "She's still so young, how could she know about those conspiracies and schemes? Master, you watched Yao'er grow up. She could read at three and recite the Book of Poetry at five. You once said that she would surely achieve great things in the future. Please, have mercy on her..."

Her actions were born of desperation, leaving her no choice but to plead. However, Fang Zhengyong would never allow the Fang family to fall into dire straits. The Xue family had already resorted to ruthless tactics, and the Lin family was also eyeing the situation covetously. This matter could not be delayed any longer.

"I am not only Yao'er's father, but the entire Fang family must not be allowed to cause trouble because of her." After saying this, Fang Zhengyong kicked Liu Shi aside, stood up, and asked with a grim face, "Where is Yao'er? Someone, bring her out!"

"No, no, sir, please..." Madam Liu lunged forward again, only to be kicked away once more. At that moment, a group of servants rushed in and began searching for Fang Yunyao's whereabouts. The room was only so big, and Fang Yunyao's hiding place was easily discovered. Madam Liu was extremely anxious.

She knew that Fang Zhengyong's mind was made up and there was nothing she could do about it, but she would never allow herself to watch her daughter being taken away.

Seeing that a servant was reaching for the cabinet, Liu kowtowed heavily to Fang Zhengyong with a loud thud, her expression resolute, and said, "Master, there is still room for maneuver in this matter. I hope you will give me some time. If I cannot quell this storm, I am willing to accept your punishment."