Qiao Yuyan was known to have lost so much face, but she didn't look depressed at all. Her face was still so gorgeous. Qiao Yurong couldn't sit still. She stood up and said, "How come the eldest sister, after losing so much face, now wants to cause trouble for others?"

"You made Grandmother fall ill with anger, and you didn't even come to take care of her for a while. Now that Grandmother is finally feeling a bit better, are you here to lead a campaign with your entourage?!"

Mrs. Yao quickly pulled her daughter and scolded her gently, "Yurong, after all, she's your sister. Be mindful of your words!"

Afterward, she turned to Qiao Yuyan and said, "My eldest sister, don't blame me. In the past few days, our family has been the subject of many jokes, both openly and behind our backs. While you were at Qingxi Terrace, I've become afraid to go out. You're grown now and should be mature. Instead of staying put, why did you come out now?"

Old Madam let out a cold chuckle, "What's this? As your grandmother, am I not allowed to have a say? Are you going to continue tarnishing the reputation of the Qiao family? Are you here today to defy me?"

Qiao Yuyan hadn't even said a word since entering, yet everyone in the room had already criticized her.

Even the nanny next to Old Madam looked at her with disdain.

Qiao Yuyan stood there, waiting for them to finish, before finally speaking, "I did come here because of the events of a few days ago."

Upon hearing the servant's report, Qiao Weisheng, who had rushed over in a hurry, arrived at the entrance and heard this sentence from inside.

The servants in the courtyard, upon seeing the head of the household approaching, were instantly pale with fear. Those who had been eavesdropping outside the room hurriedly came forward, trembling, to pay their respects. Of course, there were also some who secretly rejoiced: If the Eldest Young Lady showed disrespect to Old Madam, household servants had even less reason to show respect.

Many are eager to witness her misfortune right now.

So, when Qiao Weisheng arrived, the maidservant who should have announced his presence initially didn't, as her first instinct was to enjoy the spectacle. When she finally intended to speak, she was stopped.

Qiao Weisheng had never been in charge of the affairs of the backyard. Although he was somewhat aware of his eldest daughter's character and had reprimanded her several times, he did not know her very well.

But these past few days, he had also been feeling upset. His own eldest daughter had caused such a huge embarrassment at someone else's gathering, and although his colleagues didn't say much to his face, he had heard plenty of gossip behind his back.

However, by the time he found out, Old Madam had already imposed a punishment, Ninghe Pharmacy had called a doctor, and Mrs. Xu wasn't at home. So he chose not to bring up the matter.

Who would have thought that this willful and reckless eldest daughter would still have the audacity to create a scene? Immediately, the anger in his heart became somewhat uncontrollable. It was strange that his second daughter often praised her sister in front of him.

Look at this arrogant demeanor; she really doesn't compare to her younger sister at all.

He wanted to see how far this troublemaker would go in her rebellion!

"Hmph!" The Old Madam slapped the table with an angry look on her face, "You still have the nerve to talk about what happened a few days ago. If you are spirited enough, you should cut your hair and become a nun, or end your life with a white cord. Do you know how in the capital are talking about our daughter now?"

Mrs. Yao was also angered by this and said, "Eldest Young Lady, I am not trying to be too harsh on you, but what you've done not only delays your own marriage prospects but also affects your younger sisters'. In the future, when people mention the Qiao family's daughters, they'll only remember the incident where you were chased into a pond by the Duke An's hounds!"

As sisters, they shared both honor and disgrace. Qiao Yurong's face turned even more unpleasant as she responded, "Second sister manages herself so well outside; everyone praises her for being dignified and graceful. But no matter how much face she earns for our Qiao family, it's still not enough to make up for what you've lost."

Qiao Yuyan clenched her fists in her sleeves. It was the Second Young Lady, Qiao Yuning!

If it weren't for their shared experiences from their past lives, her view of her sister would be the same as that of others. She was typically amiable and gentle with everyone, willing to help with any problems they encountered.

In this whole family, from top to bottom, who hasn't been won over by her charm?

Even during the incident when she was chased into the lotus pond by Duke An's hounds, it was Qiao Yuning who single-handedly pulled her out and protected her on the way back home.

As a result, Qiao Yuyan became the subject of ridicule in everyone's eyes, while Qiao Yuning, on the contrary, received unanimous praise for being dedicated to her sisters and for her beauty and kindness.

Qiao Yuning even went to Yuehua Nunnery with tears in her eyes, claiming to others that her elder sister had been disturbed lately and might be under the influence of evil spirits. She was there to fast and pray for her sister's well-being for forty-nine days.

Look at how noble and righteous she was. Qiao Yuning not only upheld the Qiao family's reputation but also found an excuse for her elder sister's absurd behavior.

On the other hand, what about Qiao Yuyan, the eldest daughter, who caused this embarrassing incident? She expected her sisters to bear the consequences of her own actions!

Looking at the people in the room, Qiao Yuyan furrowed her brow, bit her tongue, and tears welled up in her eyes. With a thud, she knelt down.

This sudden kneeling did startle Old Madam, and she almost stood up from her seat.

Not to mention Old Madam, even the maids and servants in Ninghe Pharmacy were shocked as if they had seen a ghost. Old Madam trembled, her tone turning harsh, "What kind of trouble are you going to cause now?"

Qiao Yuyan's face was filled with shame. "I have been in a daze while recovering from an illness and have thought a lot. In the past, I was willful and often angered grandmother. Especially this time, causing such a big incident and even making you ill, I truly deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

As she spoke, tears actually fell from her eyes. Old Madam didn't feel moved; instead, she felt alarmed. "You... Have you gone mad?"

Qiao Yuyan paid no heed to the other's words and continued with her performance. "Now, I'm aware of my mistake. Just as my second sister said, I'm currently in my right mind, and I have no idea what madness possessed me to seek out Duke An."

As she spoke, Qiao Yuyan took out a stack of papers from her purse. "It was also my foolishness to believe Duke An would look favorably upon our family."

Both Qi Xi and Mang Zhong both felt their eyes twitching. One couldn't understand why the Eldest Young Lady had taken out something she cherished so much.

The other couldn't believe it; she had looked for these letters several times and couldn't find them when she was in a hurry, wondering where they could have been hidden.

Old Madam asked the nanny to take the papers. When she saw them, her face turned red and then pale. She was so angry that she couldn't speak.

The others didn't know what it was, so they all looked up at Old Madam. When they saw that her expression had changed, they couldn't help but mutter in their hearts.

Qiao Yuyan had caused such a huge embarrassment this time that even if she produced an imperial decree, it would still be disgraceful. Could she really make amends by writing a few letters of confession?

"Is this... is it true?!" Old Madam furrowed her brow, looking solemnly at Qiao Yuyan kneeling on the ground.