Chapter 64: Zhu Xuejiao and her daughter join forces to frame someone

A large group consisting of several noble ladies, their daughters, and the maidservants and matrons attending them surged forward and was led to the courtyard of Lin Wanqing. Zhu Xuejiao and her mother, Lady Zhu, were conspicuously among them.

The leading maidservant said, "This courtyard was previously lived in by our eldest young miss. It is usually very quiet, and no one will disturb you here. Will the ladies and young misses please rest here for a moment? This servant will go fetch some sobering soup for everyone to clear the alcohol."

With that, the leading maidservant turned and left.

Lady Zhu exchanged a glance with Zhu Xuejiao, then told her maid, "Go open the door. Don't make everyone stand out here."

Lady Zhu had already heard about what happened earlier in Lin Xianyun's courtyard. Far from feeling that her own daughter had been used as a tool by Lin Xianyun, she harbored a deep and bitter hatred for Lin Wanqing.

She knew her daughter's little ambitions better than anyone else. Moreover, she deeply desired for her daughter to marry into the General's Estate, which would elevate her own family's status as well. Yet, who could have anticipated that this stroke of good fortune would ultimately fall upon Lin Wanqing?

Who did Lin Wanqing think she was? Born of a merchant family and having brought doom to her own biological mother, such a lowly status was barely acceptable for marrying an ordinary person, let alone being looked upon favorably by slightly better households, not to mention a fourth-rank general!

Not only had Lin Wanqing stolen her daughter's desirable husband, but today she had also caused her daughter to lose so much face. How could Lady Zhu possibly swallow this insult?

Therefore, when Madam Qin approached her earlier and asked her to help lure several official-ranked ladies over to this side, she agreed without a second thought.

She knew Madam Qin was targeting Lin Wanqing; such back-courtyard tactics were entirely common. She also knew why Madam Qin sought her out, and even though she knew Madam Qin was using her as a pawn, she did not care. After all, if this matter succeeded, her daughter would once again have hope of marrying into the General's Estate.

Thus, she acted with great enthusiasm, rounding up every official lady she had the clout to summon.

The maidservant stepped forward and pushed the door open. Lady Zhu invited the other ladies inside, saying, "Come, let us all go in together. I hear that the eldest young miss of the Lin family was a bookworm before her marriage, holing herself up at home every day to read. The Lin household indulged her and gathered quite a few fine books for her. You ladies are all refined people, so let us go take a look at the fine collection the Lin family keeps."

At these words, the several ladies grew interested.

In truth, they might not truly love reading, but who wouldn't want to bask in an aura of refinement?

As everyone entered the courtyard and began admiring the scenery, they suddenly heard a strange sound coming from the main room.

The sound resembled the creaking of a wooden frame, mingled with the low, seductive groans of a woman.

The noise was not loud, yet everyone in the courtyard heard it with crystal clarity.

Immediately, the expressions of the several ladies shifted.

One of the ladies spoke bluntly, "To behave in such a manner in broad daylight is utterly shameless!"

As for the young misses, each of them wore a blank look. What was wrong with this sound? Why were their mothers reacting this way?

The young misses' nursing matrons hurriedly covered their ears, exclaiming, "Oh, my good young miss, do not listen to such things, lest your ears be dirtied."

The several ladies had no desire to meddle in the filth within that room; after all, it was none of their family's business, and why bother with such matters? Besides, knowing too much was hardly a good thing, so they immediately prepared to take their daughters and leave.

Unexpectedly, Lady Zhu intervened, "Everyone, please stay. Do not leave just yet. Why do I feel something is amiss? Earlier, I seemed to see the Lin family's eldest young miss leave the banquet to change her clothes, and now, in this room..."

The complexions of the ladies turned even uglier. "Truly devoid of shame! General Lu is away at the border fighting to defend the country, and yet she can commit such a disgraceful act! She ought to be thrown into a pig cage to drown!"

Lady Zhu hurriedly added, "That is not what I meant! You ladies may not know, but the eldest Miss Lin's character is exceptionally fine. It is utterly impossible for her to commit the sin of betraying her husband behind his back. Therefore, I fear Miss Lin may have fallen victim to villains. Since we have stumbled upon this, we cannot simply stand by and watch Miss Lin's purity be ruined. We are all women, so let us help her."

Her words stirred a sense of guilt in everyone's hearts.

Indeed, they were all women; how could they not know what fate awaited a woman who lost her reputation?

Consequently, one of the ladies declared, "Well said! Since there are so many of us, if we rush in together to rescue the eldest Miss Lin, it will be considered accumulating great virtue."

Heated by these words, the noble ladies immediately agreed to rescue her.

Although it was called a rescue, they could hardly charge in themselves; instead, they directed their own maidservants and matrons to rush the door together.

Expecting it to require immense effort to break the door open, they were stunned when the maidservants and matrons merely brushed against it, and the door swung wide open. Due to their excessive force, all of them tumbled forward onto the floor.

The suggestive commotion inside the room vanished, replaced by a crisp, clear female voice: "What are you all doing?"

Lifting their heads, they saw Lin Wanqing, her garments neat and tidy, one hand resting on the bed as she tilted her head to look at them.

Lady Zhu had rushed in eagerly, but seeing Lin Wanqing in this state, she subconsciously blurted out, "Why are you fine?"

Lin Wanqing cast a strange look at her. "Why wouldn't I be fine? I am in my own maiden home, in my own courtyard, what could possibly happen to me?"

Seeing that Lin Wanqing was completely unharmed, Lady Zhu realized Madam Qin's scheme had failed. Just as she was preparing to smooth things over with a cover story, her own daughter snatched the initiative.

Zhu Xuejiao, young and lacking restraint, coupled with the fact that she had recently suffered a humiliating loss at Lin Wanqing's hands, was now desperate to trample Lin Wanqing into the ground. She shrieked, "Lin Wanqing, where have you hidden your wild man? Hurry up and hand him out!"

Lin Wanqing's expression hardened as she rebuked sharply, "Miss Zhu, cease your wild slander! How can a young lady like you utter such filthy words?"

Zhu Xuejiao sneered, "Keep pretending! If there is no wild man in your room, how else could you have made those disgraceful sounds?"

Lin Wanqing looked utterly perplexed. "Disgraceful sounds? What sounds are disgraceful?"

Zhu Xuejiao raised her voice, "Naturally, the sounds a man and woman make when doing that deed! Lin Wanqing, you truly have no shame! General Lu has been gone for barely a month, yet you couldn't endure the loneliness and ran back to your maiden home to pull off such filthy acts. Aren't you afraid of being drowned in a pig cage?"

Lin Wanqing still wore a blank expression. "What act? What kind of act makes what kind of sound?"

Zhu Xuejiao let out a laugh of disbelief. "Lin Wanqing, what are you pretending for? The sound your room was making just now is the one!"

Lin Wanqing's eyes widened in shock. "What on earth are you babbling about? There is simply no—no, wait. You don't mean this sound, do you?"

Lin Wanqing gave the bed she was leaning against a shove, and the bed immediately emitted a loud, creaking rattle—the exact same sound the people had heard from the courtyard moments ago.

Zhu Xuejiao grew frantic. "That wasn't the only sound just now! There were your shameless groans as well!"

The confusion on Lin Wanqing's face deepened. "Miss Zhu, why can't I understand a single word of what you are saying?"