The cousin's family is extremely wealthy; she deserves to be a concubine.

Otherwise, why would the second young lady have made herself look so pitiful because Madam Shen wanted a handwritten copy? And what about the scene when she delivered the book that day, and the witty banter between her and He Zhihuan?

She even suspected that the master and servant had given her the book not to make friends, but to set a trap for her.

But now that even the book is lost, and He Zhihuan's marriage to the Meng family has changed, there's no point in pursuing it any further.

The woman who gave me this book is no longer here. To be on the safe side, she even put on a show for Wenqin.

Thinking of this, she turned the book back to the spot where the tea had been spilled and fell into deep thought.

Thinking to herself that keeping this book was like having a ticking time bomb, she had to figure out a way to get rid of it.

At the very least, it cannot be left in the open, so that people can notice it at a glance.

On the bright side, though, since the book was lost, Wenqin couldn't see or touch it, so she couldn't make a comparison. How could she know that the lost book was different from the one she saw at Qingwu Courtyard?

Even if it were placed in the inner study and read by her uncle or cousin, they wouldn't be able to tell anything, since the handwriting that Wenqin had splashed with tea and blurred was copied exactly the same way on that handwritten copy.

She put in a lot of effort to make it look old while also preserving that small flaw.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but smile.

Sure enough, every seemingly insignificant detail may, at a crucial moment, save your life at some point in the future.

Perhaps she found the book unusually appealing at the moment, and it seemed she had discovered something extraordinary.

Her smile gradually widened; so this was the secret hidden in the rare book.

Hua Sirong had to admit that she had become the biggest beneficiary of the loss of the book she had treasured in her study.

However, why would the Marquis's mansion be willing to share such an important secret with the Meng family?

If it's because the Meng family is related to the Marquis's family by marriage, then why the Meng family in particular, when there are so many families related to the Marquis's family by marriage?

Hua Sirong felt it necessary to take some time to talk to He Zhizhu and try to get some information out of her; perhaps she could find some clues.

After leaving Fushou Hall, Shen did not return to Yimei Garden, but went directly to He Zhizhu's courtyard.

She dismissed all the servants from the room and stared at He Zhizhu without saying a word.

He Zhizhu: "Mother, why are you looking at me like that?"

Madam Shen's expression was not good. "Why did Xin Yucheng appear among the women?"

He Zhizhu pretended to be confused, "Who is Xin Yucheng?"

Ah, it seems to be the poor scholar who saved my second sister today. How could I know where he is? Mother, are you perhaps confused?

Madam Shen glanced at He Zhizhu and said, "I am your own mother. You don't need to pretend in front of me."

I wholeheartedly agree that you don't want to marry someone surnamed Xin again. But why push this pit of fire, which you yourself are unwilling to jump into, onto your second sister?

"And your brother, he actually lets you run wild. Today is his wedding day, isn't he afraid of causing trouble and affecting his happiness after marriage?"

He Zhizhu pouted, "If Mother criticizes me, she criticizes me. Why blame my brother?"

Shen valued this son the most. "Without your encouragement, would your brother have hired a poor scholar he had only recently met?"

"Without your encouragement, how could Xin Yucheng have gotten close to the women's group?"

"Tell me the truth, did you arrange for that maid who went to see your second sister?" Madam Shen stared at He Zhizhu's obviously guilty expression, and her heart skipped a beat.

Although I had a vague suspicion before, now that it's confirmed, I feel a chill down my spine.

She suddenly remembered something else, "Your third aunt's relative, Zeng Ke, he finally cried out that he received a letter from Rong Yatou. Was that letter your handwriting?"

Shen had been watching He Zhizhu's expression closely. Her heart sank into an ice cellar, and she spoke with a lack of spirit, "I thought Zeng Ke was just being unreasonable, that's why he cried out for justice. Who knew he actually had a real grievance."

He Zhizhu retorted, "Hmph, neither of my third aunt's relatives are any good people."

My third aunt and Zeng Ke were already scheming; I just added fuel to the fire.

Shen looked at He Zhizhu speechlessly, and after a long while, she finally said, "Has she left any evidence against you?"

He Zhizhu looked smug. "No, Zeng Ke said that the letter was destroyed by him."

Shen glared at him angrily, "How do you know if he's telling the truth or not?" What if he gets exposed later and ends up with a bad reputation for framing his sisters?

He Zhizhu was very confident, "because Zeng Ke knew that it wasn't her cousin who sent the letter."

Shen was shocked. "Whether Zeng Ke knows it or not, this is a handle he has in his hands. How could he possibly destroy it?" If the truth comes out, Zeng Ke holding that letter will be like a sword of Damocles.

If the letter was indeed written by Rong-jie, it would be irrefutable proof that Rong-jie had seduced Zeng Ke. If the letter wasn't written by Rong-jie, then someone was secretly framing the two of them.

Regardless, Zeng Ke always manages to portray the image of a victim in a way that resonates deeply with the audience.

He Zhizhu raised an eyebrow. "That's true, but I've lived two lives, how could I leave myself with such a weakness?"

To be precise, what I gave him wasn't a letter asking him out, but rather a list of the benefits he could gain from marrying Cousin Rong.

Shen laughed angrily, "If Zeng Ke and your third aunt didn't know there was a benefit to be gained, would they have been plotting against your cousin Rong?"

"You're going to all this trouble; what if you give them leverage over us?"

He Zhizhu: "Sometimes, no matter how well a plan is made, people might back down when it comes to implementation. The purpose of my letter was to give Zeng Ke a push at a crucial moment."

"As it turns out, I was right. Zeng Ke did indeed go to the women's side as I wished."

Shen couldn't help but criticize He Zhizhu, "It's a pity that your cousin only got into trouble; it didn't cause her any irreparable damage."

He Zhizhu's face showed regret, "It is indeed a pity. That idiot Jin Yaoyao, didn't she know to consult with Third Aunt before doing anything?"

They think they can outsmart anyone in our Marquis's mansion just because they have a little bit of cleverness!

It's ridiculous that he didn't even know whose person his personal maid was; he's as stupid as a pig.

Although my second uncle was born out of wedlock, my second brother was well-mannered from a young age. Did he really think that just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could be a good match for him?

Don't they realize that with my shrewd second aunt around, who can possibly take advantage of our second brother?

Even if she succeeds today, with her second aunt around, she can forget about having a good life even if she manages to marry into the family.