Calvin Norton's face turned deathly pale. He had not expected Gavin Norton to know that he was the one behind it, nor had he expected Gavin Norton to suddenly expose the matter at this moment. Although he was confident that even if Gavin Norton knew the truth—that it was he who had pushed him into the pond—even if the matter was revealed, he would not be afraid. Yet, to be accused so abruptly and suddenly, and especially in front of Stanley Norton, whom everyone in the household feared, left him flustered for a moment, his face instantly drained of color.

"Gavin Norton, you, you, you’re slandering me!!!"

After all, he was just a boy of thirteen or fourteen, completely unprepared for this. In his agitation, he had already exposed his secret to the old foxes present. Of course, he had not realized that Gavin Norton was not referring to him.

It was indeed he who had pushed Gavin Norton into the pond, but he was not Gavin Norton's servant. His status in the Wang household was even slightly higher than Gavin Norton's.

A servant bullying his master, a servant killing his master!!

These two accusations could not be pinned on him.

But at this moment, he simply had no mind to think it through!

The early spring wind swept across Calvin Norton's face like a knife. His expression shifted from panic and agitation to a flush, then from a flush to pallor, and finally to a livid blue. After the initial panic and turmoil, he finally saw where Gavin Norton was pointing.

It was not at him, but at the burly youth behind him—the very one who had just slapped Lühé across the face.

"Eleventh Brother, I never said it was you. I was talking about that servant behind you. That day, I saw with my own eyes as he pushed me into the pond. Later, I was so frightened that I forgot about it, and everyone thought I had simply slipped and fallen in. As it happens, I recovered my memory yesterday and recalled the scene. I remember very clearly—it was this fellow named Charles Norton who pushed me into the pond!"

Silence fell again, another awkward pause. But during this silence, Stanley Norton's gaze, sharp as a blade, was already fixed on Charles Norton's face.

Charles Norton, the burly youth, was momentarily stunned.

"He's lying, it wasn't me...!"

"Wasn't you?" The smile at the corner of Gavin Norton's mouth was as cold as a winter wind.

"As far as I know, Eleventh Brother spent the entire day in the Birch Garden that day. You are his servant, his attendant, so by rights you should have been with him all day. How did you end up in the Autumn Garden? The Autumn Garden and the Birch Garden are at opposite ends of the estate, and the Autumn Garden is a rather desolate place. Even if you were running an errand for Eleventh Brother, it wouldn't have taken you to the Autumn Garden, would it?!" Gavin Norton's tone grew colder and colder, the implication in his words more and more chilling. "Don't tell me you weren't there. Even though the Autumn Garden is rather deserted, to get from the Birch Garden to the Autumn Garden you have to pass four guard patrol routes. The estate guards are constantly on patrol. I fell into the pond at a quarter past two in the afternoon, and at that time, a guard happened to be passing by—it was the guard who pulled me out. If you went straight from the Birch Garden to the Autumn Garden, the guards would surely have seen you. If you don't believe me, we can call the estate guards from that day to testify!"

"This—!"

Charles Norton hesitated, and Calvin Norton's face remained livid. Gavin Norton's sudden attack left this fourteen-year-old boy gradually at a loss for how to respond.

"It was I who sent Charles Norton to the Autumn Garden. The day before yesterday, I lost a piece of gold jewelry in the Autumn Garden. I remembered it that day and sent Charles Norton to fetch it. What's wrong with that?!" Just as Calvin Norton and Charles Norton were unable to respond, a clear voice rang out from the Birch Garden.

"Greetings, Seventh Madam!"

"Mother!!"

"Seventh Lady!!"

...

...

A waft of fragrance swept by, and a beautiful young woman in a pink and white dress strolled over. She looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, her eyes brimming with spring, those large, watery eyes carrying a captivating charm that even made the two family elders behind Stanley Norton pause in surprise.

"Julia greets the three elders!" The Seventh Madam walked up to the three men before Stanley Norton and bowed.

Scott Norton and Simon Norton both snapped out of their daze and nodded slightly. As for Stanley Norton, he did not even nod, and a trace of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

She was just a concubine. Although she was called the Seventh Madam in the Wang household, a concubine's status was not much higher than a servant's. In the household, even her own son outranked her. But this was the constraint of ritual propriety; in reality, even servants could bully their masters, let alone a favored concubine with a son.

Gavin Norton keenly caught the hint of displeasure in Stanley Norton's eyes and secretly laughed. The reason Stanley Norton could become the clan leader was not only because of his exceptional martial prowess, but also because he had passed the imperial exams.

Scholar, recommended man, presented scholar