Chapter 794: Sent to the Ancestral Shrine

Tong Huaqiong took a carriage and personally went to the Lin Family.

Throughout Man Shengjing, there was no news about Miss Lin, and the Lin Family was almost in chaos.

When Mrs. Lin received the news of Tong Huaqiong’s visit, she initially did not feel like seeing anyone. But considering that according to the regular schedule, Tong Huaqiong would come to attend the wedding banquet two days later, there was no need for her to visit today.

Since she visited at an unnecessary time, it indicated that there was an important matter that required a meeting.

Mrs. Lin invited Tong Huaqiong in.

Seeing Mrs. Lin’s forcibly cheerful face, Tong Huaqiong didn’t beat around the bush and directly said, "Madam, let’s speak privately."

Mrs. Lin’s heart skipped a beat, and she dismissed the people serving around her.

Tong Huaqiong got straight to the point, "Your family’s eldest young lady escaped to my shop."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely certain."

Hearing this news, Mrs. Lin felt as though she had survived a disaster.

At the same time, she felt furious. Of all places, why did she escape to Tong Huaqiong’s shop?

Soon, in the midst of the snowy white expanse, a carriage drove out from the Lin Mansion.

Under the guidance of Gu Dashu, Tong Huaqiong, along with Mrs. Lin and several of her trusted maids, arrived at Gu Dashu’s fur shop.

"Open the door," Gu Dashu knocked.

Liu Yueer heard Gu Dashu’s voice and went to open the door herself.

As soon as the door opened, Liu Yueer pointed at Gu Dashu and scolded, "You’re not young anymore, yet you’re still a fool being played by a little girl. What kind of family is the Lin Family, and you dare to shelter Miss Lin when she escapes to our shop? Have you forgotten how Miss Xian Xian deceived you back at the provincial city? Do you want to implicate the entire Gu Family?"

"Don’t think that because the Emperor praised you as a righteous man, you can start thinking of yourself as one. Do you even know that you’ve been deceived by Miss Lin? She’s young but skilled in manipulation, deceiving you into thinking she suffers under her stepmother or bullied by her legitimate sister. When in reality, she’s ungrateful, repaying kindness with enmity towards her stepmother, and scheming against her sister. You better hurry up and send her back to the Lin Family for them to deal with her. She’s a ticking bomb in our shop."

Liu Yueer was about to explode in anger, ranting without noticing Tong Huaqiong and Mrs. Lin had gotten off the carriage.

Hearing Liu Yueer’s curses, Mrs. Lin’s expression turned colder than a snowy day.

The illegitimate daughter ran away to ruin her and her daughter’s reputation.

She had been too kind to the illegitimate daughter; even when planning to harm her own daughter’s innocence, she had still arranged a good marriage for her, allowing her a stable life at the frontier.

Mrs. Lin deeply regretted it. Had she known, she should have confined Miss Lin to the Lin Family’s ancestral temple for life, accompanied by the Buddha and never leave.

"Mother."

"Mrs. Lin."

Liu Yueer, seeing Tong Huaqiong and Mrs. Lin, stepped forward and saluted.

"Where is she?" Mrs. Lin couldn’t maintain her dignified image and stepped forward to ask.

Liu Yueer replied, "Inside."

Fearing Miss Lin would escape, Liu Yueer had locked her in the backyard.

Tong Huaqiong invited Mrs. Lin into the shop, and Liu Yueer led Mrs. Lin’s trusted aides to the backyard to bring Miss Lin before Mrs. Lin.

Miss Lin had not eaten for a whole day and night, dressed in thin clothing, walking in the wind and snow for half a day, and after being beaten by Liu Yueer, she weakly collapsed on the ground with a fever.

"Mother, I was wrong."

Seeing her stepmother sitting on the chair, Miss Lin was so frightened that her soul seemed to fly away. She knelt in front of her stepmother with a thud, kowtowing and begging for forgiveness.

Mrs. Lin looked at Miss Lin, frowning, thinking the injuries on her face and body were from misfortune on the road.

The accompanying maid asked, "How did Miss Lin get those wounds?"

If it turns out she encountered misfortune, the marriage planned for two days later would be canceled.

Miss Lin shook like a sieve, hope rising in her heart. Her mother asked about her wounds, seemingly still having some affection for her. She pointed at Liu Yueer.

Liu Yueer rolled her eyes but didn’t hide it, directly saying, "Madam, Miss Lin’s injuries are from me. She ran to my shop, refused to tell the truth, slandering you and Miss Lin the second, and even tricked the shop’s clerk into taking her to Prince Ning Mansion. In a fit of anger, I taught her a lesson, maybe a bit too harshly. If you want to punish me, I have no objections."

The maid who had just asked nodded internally in approval of Liu Yueer.

In her view, Miss Lin needed this sort of discipline.

The Madame was kind and considerate, barely even raising her voice, no matter what Miss Lin had done, which made her progressively worse. Even when scheming against Miss Lin the second, her punishment was merely house arrest without physical discipline.

But now, after a day out, she’s been beaten black and blue. Seeing her mother, she no longer stubbornly accuses her of false affection, nor threatens with suicide to break the engagement.

At least now she knows to kneel and admit fault?

Unacquainted with hardship, she’d fail to appreciate sunny days within the Lin Mansion.

Mrs. Lin looked at Miss Lin’s swollen, pig-like face, nodding to Liu Yueer, saying, "Thank you for educating her on my behalf."

Miss Lin’s mind went blank. Did her stepmother truly not care if she lived or died?

"Mother, I truly know I was wrong. I’ll never dare again. Only now do I realize that my life before was one of privilege... I...I was ungrateful, failing to see how well you treated me..."

"Wailing, Mother, I really know I was wrong. I don’t ask for your forgiveness, only that you take me back to the Lin Family. I’ll spend the rest of my life in the family temple, praying for you and sister."

Everyone clicked their tongues in disbelief; Miss Lin seamlessly slipped into repentance.

Mrs. Lin sat firmly, her gaze icy.

"Mother, I beg you, I was wrong, truly wrong."

Miss Lin’s head bumped on the ground, making a thud.

She was cold, hurt, and hungry, desperate to leave here soon.

Since hopes of reaching Prince Ning Mansion had perished, all she could do now was to plead for her stepmother’s mercy.

"Mother, I’ll return with you now, I promise I’ll obediently marry in two days."

Miss Lin suddenly remembered her engagement.

Now she realized that compared to being locked in a temple, marrying a minor Hanlin Academy official wasn’t that bad. At least she’d be clothed, fed, and free to leave.

If she got sent to the family temple, her life would be in vain.

Mrs. Lin’s lips curled into a cold smile.

The illegitimate daughter was trying to use her upcoming marriage to negotiate.

Even now, she was playing tricks.

The minor official from the Hanlin Academy would be delighted to be associated with the Lin Family, even to marry a maid as a foster daughter; it didn’t necessarily have to be Miss Lin.

Mrs. Lin said with a smile, "Eldest daughter has a weak constitution, unsuitable for marriage. Should first recuperate at the temple and then see."

Mrs. Lin did not say a harsh word.

But Miss Lin’s pupils suddenly dilated, her head slamming hard on the ground, crying and begging.

As she wished, she wouldn’t have to marry the small Hanlin official, wouldn’t need to endure hardships at the frontier.

For this engagement was now void.

The rest of her life would be spent in the Lin Family’s temple.