Madam Ling arrived soon after. She looked a little bit old, although pious, in a simple cloth gown without any makeup on her face, instead of wearing her fineries as usual. The bandage wrapped around her ears, in particular, made her appearance inferior to that of the young and charming Concubine Ma.

"Madam Ling, yesterday you said that Concubine Ma had an affair with another man, and was seen by a maid, so she caused the blame of the abortion to shift onto you. Is that true?" ...