Gently turning over, she breathed unevenly, panting in his arms, the wine gurgling and bubbling.

  The wind was filled with the fragrance of lotus, carrying a rich and sticky scent that lingered around. He Le'an listened to his steady heartbeat for a long time before saying: "Huiyu has an old friend from childhood who is the eldest grandson of General Pingbei, Shi Zonghuai. They met during the Qinghe season. If I'm not mistaken, the dark guard who disguised himself as Xi Shaoye was him."

  But for some reason, Cheng Shuwei knew about this matter, so she specially sent him a 'Green Plum and Bamboo Horse' wine to bid farewell. She said: "Twenty years ago, the Pingbei General's Mansion was convicted of treason, and all three clans were implicated and exiled to a poor land. However, on the way, they contracted the plague, and all 28 people in the Pingbei General's Mansion died in a foreign land. I don't know what twists and turns are behind this, nor do I know how Shi Zonghuai ended up in your hands. I only know that someone plans to catch you all in one net."

  He Lian said, "I know that Ruiqin Wang will be unfavorable to you, but what's scary is that there is someone behind Ruiqin Wang, and I don't even know who he is. I only vaguely remember that they were looking for something. They framed and harmed loyal officials everywhere, and the Pingbei General's mansion also suffered a disaster because of that thing."

  He gently pushed her away, looking straight at her, but she continued to say: "The Qianqin Wangfu doesn't have such things, but the Qianqin Wangfu that holds 200,000 troops is their biggest obstacle. For their goal, they will stop at nothing to destroy you."

  He Lian's eyes gleamed as he looked at him, "I also personally sent you to the guillotine."

  "In your dreams?" His hand on her shoulder tightened slightly.

  He Le'an shook his head and said, "In the previous life." As soon as he spoke, the hand that was tightly grasping his heart relaxed.

  She recalled the struggling, guilt and evasive appearance when she first arrived at the Qian Qin Wang Fu. Even though her words were absurd now, he was somehow bewitched and couldn't raise any suspicion, "Your meaning is that you used to be a person of Rui Qin Wang, came to harm our Qian Qin Wang Fu on purpose, and Qian Qin Wang Fu was successfully harmed by you."

  "He Le An said, 'Just as you were about to drive away the enemy in the southern border and fight a crucial battle.'"

  "...I don't think our humble prince's mansion is so vulnerable that it can be ruined by a mere young woman like you."

  He Lianan smiled wryly and said, "I don't know either. Not long after that, I died too."

  "Was he killed by Emperor Ruizong?"

  "Hmm." He Lian nodded, after all, she was just one of his countless pawns. Even if at that time she had endured humiliation and hardship for him, the already tainted her could not compare to that one pure and clean figure.

  Xu Xie smiled, "Then this grudge we will definitely have to avenge ——"

  "What?!" He Lan couldn't believe his eyes, his tongue was almost tied in knots, "You you you don't be ridiculous!"

  The smile on his lips deepened, he leaned in and hugged her, whispering softly in her ear, "An Er, I'm very happy."

  "You're willing to open your heart to me, share with me the secrets that are hardest for you to speak of. I'm truly delighted," said Xie Dao. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. Even if the sky falls down, I'll definitely find a place for you to take refuge."

  He Le'an nestled in his arms and said, "I don't know much about what happened, but I also died that year in my memories. It was during the heavy snow of December, just two or three days after Mei's sister's body was found drowned in the lotus pond of the Cold Palace."

  "If the last time he appeared with wine, the dark guard wearing a mask was Shi Xianghua. You want him to persuade Mei sister, the grievances of Pingbei General's mansion cannot be washed clean by her alone. Before that person appears behind Rui Qinwang, we cannot act rashly."

  "Besides, Huaiyu... might be betrothed to the eldest son of the Xuanqin Royal Manor."

  He gently stroked her back, listening to her murmuring softly until she fell asleep in a daze. He then carried her into the bedroom, tucked her under the quilt, and saw that she was still frowning slightly in her sleep. He smoothed out her worries and drove away her anxiety.

  At that time, she who had a crush on him, why did she avoid him like a snake and scorpion, and loudly declared that she would marry another man, making his heart almost break into pieces. He never thought that she had such viciousness hidden in her heart, making her live in fear every day.

  What a stubborn little fox. Silly, yet it has taken root in his heart and can't be transplanted elsewhere.

  He waited until she fell asleep, then left the bedroom and walked to the wooden platform in front of the lotus pond. A black shadow almost merged with the night color appeared silently, he said: "Her words, you also heard, as for what you want to do, it's up to you."

  His face was gloomy and tense, then he suddenly knelt down and said, "In these years, thanks to your blessing, I can stay in Fengzhou City to continue protecting her. Now that things have come to this, even if the unjust case of Pingbei General's mansion is overturned again, it will only be another bloodbath. I don't want anyone to be implicated for the sake of that departed glory, she deserves better."

  He glanced at him with a hint of meaning in his eyes, "One's origin cannot be changed, but the power to strive for the top can."

  "Every year at the end of winter, there is always turmoil at Yumenguan. King Xianqin complains every year that he lacks a capable and reliable helper."

  April couldn't believe it and looked up at Xie Ya, only to hear him say: "Get back up wherever you fell."

  **

  He Lian woke up and found herself in her own room. Xue Huiyu was sleeping beside her and hadn't woken up yet.

  She quietly got out of bed and went to the small kitchen, intending to pinch some interesting pastries to comfort Xue Huiyu. Suddenly, Shi Qing rushed in hastily and said, "Miss! Something big has happened at the Zhuo family's residence!!"

  He Le'an looked at her with a hint of doubt, and Shi Qing smoothed out his tone: "Last night, Zhōu Yìbó's concubine gave birth, but unfortunately, Zhōu Yìbó was away from home. Meanwhile, Shào Fūrén from the Wēi Wǔ Jiāng Jūn Fǔ had heard some news and rushed back to the Bó Fǔ, causing a huge commotion. In the end, two lives were lost. By the time old Zhōu Yìbó arrived, it was too late, and the child, a boy, couldn't be saved. What a pity!"

  When he heard this, He Lian was already at a loss for what to say. Looking at Ge's energetic behavior, she didn't seem like someone in her thirties, but rather a young girl whose brain hadn't fully developed yet. Her age had really been wasted.

  For so many months, although Shao didn't take her back, he also never formally divorced her. As long as she admitted her mistakes and behaved well for a while, the previous arguments would have blown over. But with this temper of hers, she had to go and cause such a big stir, now it's likely that Old Zhuo Yibo and General Weiwu still want to salvage this marriage. The parties involved, Shao, have already finalized their divorce.

  However, it's a bit strange how quickly this got out, she said: "Everyone in the city knows now?"

  "Everyone in the city knows, but not everyone knows what they don't know. The rumors on the streets are actually true. The maid bought things for you, and people along the way were all discussing it." Shi Qing said with a smile, "There are all sorts of news, and what the He family did to you has been dug up again."

  But in just three days, Shao's uncle indeed divorced He's family with the seven-out-of-seven rule, and no matter how much Shao Yingxiu and Shao Yingyuan cried and made a fuss, they were useless. Moreover, he deliberately brought two beautiful concubines into the house, taking over as the mistress of the backyard. Then, it was continued by Dai's family who had already taken over, and later there were rumors that Shao Yingxiu and Shao Yingyuan were intentionally treating their younger brother harshly, and the people in the alley had enough to gossip about their family.

  These days, Xue Huiyu has been in a bad mood, so He Le'an takes the initiative to invite her out for a walk. Unexpectedly, they run into He Shi and Shao Yingxiu and Shao Yinyuan on the second floor of Feng Chui Building, which is exclusively reserved for dignitaries. The three women glare at Xue Huiyu as if she were their arch-nemesis, their eyes blazing with fury, as if they would like to tear her flesh apart to vent their anger. He Shi grits her teeth and says:

  "It's you, it's all because of you, this wretched woman! If it weren't for your meddling and sowing discord, I wouldn't have fallen to such a state!"

  He Le'an didn't want to bother with her and was about to turn around and leave with Xue Huiyu, but suddenly He Shi rushed towards her like a madwoman, catching her off guard. She was knocked to the ground and had her neck pinched, struggling in pain. All she saw was He Shi's furious face, spitting out venomous words: "I want to kill you, you cheap slut! Kill you! Your mother wasn't any good either, and neither are you!"

  Xue Huiyu saw He Le'an's face was pinched red and white, and suddenly reacted to push He Shi who was riding on He Le'an's body. However, when Shao Yingxiu saw her move, she rushed over to pull her away, shouting indignantly: "Why are you hitting my mother?!"

  Xue Hui couldn't believe she could lie to such an extent, and in her daze, she was pushed down. The people in the next room heard the commotion and came out to see what was happening, only to hear Shao Yingxiu crying out, "How can you hit my mother?! My mother is already so pitiful, and you still want to hit her?! Waaah... Is there no justice in this world?!"

  In the whispers of onlookers, Shao Yingyuan also burst into tears in fright, but before she could open her mouth to slander, Xue Huiyu endured the pain from her buttocks and said, "Shut your filthy mouths! Who in all of Fengzhou doesn't know how vicious you people are? One cruelly murdered a pregnant concubine, one tried to destroy a cousin's reputation, and one mistreated a younger brother!"

  No matter how much Shao Yingxiu shouted and scolded, Xue Huiyu kicked her chest with one foot. He Le'an, who was thinking of strangling him to death, stumbled and almost lost consciousness. He struggled to breathe in the fresh air, but he was still very weak and couldn't resist He's hand slapping him, making a loud "slap" sound!

  Xue Hui did not expect He Shi to be so persistent, crazy-like, and still pressed down on He Le'an who had not yet caught her breath. She wanted to kick him away, but Shao Yingxiu suddenly stepped on her foot with great force, using the greatest strength to crush her. She couldn't help but cry out in pain: "Ah!!"

  Shao Yingxiu, who had been hiding behind the crowd, saw her painful appearance and showed a triumphant smile, and also shouted: "You bullied my mother!"

  "Stop it!" At this time, a young man with a dark green brocade robe and a handsome face walked out from the crowd of onlookers. He lifted up He Shi's collar with one hand and grabbed Shao Yingxiu's wide sleeve with the other, gently pushing them away, simply and directly stopping He Shi and Shao Yingxiu from pouncing on He Le'an and Xue Huiyu again.

  "Cough, cough, cough!" He Le'an took a deep breath of fresh air, coughing repeatedly, her face red and pale, filled with indescribable discomfort. She didn't immediately question or blame He Shi and Shao Yingxiu, but instead looked at Xue Huiyu and said, "You, you, cough, cough, are you okay?"

  Xue Hui's face was deathly pale, she covered her ankle which was in so much pain that it seemed like her bones were trembling. She shook her head with difficulty, while on the other side He Shi and Shao Yingxiu were still stubbornly scolding, Shao Yingyuan was still crying out loudly, the scene was noisy and chaotic.

  He Le'an, however, was visibly hurt from her expression, so she rubbed her neck and whispered to the stunned shopkeeper, "Please send someone to fetch a doctor, another to report to the authorities, and one more to go to the Jin Ning Marquis's residence to ask Xue Shizi to come over. Just say that his sister is injured and cannot move." She deftly handed over a gold ingot, then turned to the onlookers and asked, "If you all don't mind waiting for a bit, would you be so kind as to testify later about how these two men hurt us?"

  "He Lian, don't think about spitting blood at people, it was you who hurt us first!" Shao Yingxiu interrupted, wiping away her tears.

  He coldly said, "I've seen people who inform on the wicked before, but I've never seen you guys so shamelessly turning things around. Don't think that just because you're backed by the Jin Ning Marquis' manor, I'll be afraid of you. In front of reason and justice, there's no such thing as a noble's privilege!"

  He Le'an coldly swept her gaze over them, not wanting to argue with them about these meaningless things. She sincerely thanked the man who had stopped them instead, "Thank you."

  She wanted to respond with a smile, but the current chaos made it impossible for her to laugh. Fortunately, the man didn't mind her expression and casually replied: "It's no trouble at all, don't be polite."

  Xue Shizhi had already arrived. He stepped up to the second floor, saw the situation in the corridor, and his lips curled into a cold smile - Xue Huiyu was sitting on the ground with her hands covering her ankle, her face pale, with a layer of cold sweat on her forehead, next to her was He Le'an, whose clothes and hair were disheveled, and there were two purple marks on her white neck. His gaze fell upon He Shi and Shao Yingxiu, who were being held back by the men, and he sneered:

  "What's going on? Since nothing was disturbed at the residence of Duke Zuo Yi Bo, are you planning to cause trouble at our residences in Jin Ning and Jia Ning?"

  He sneered and said, "It's clear for all to see that they were the ones who made the first move—"

  At this time, the stairs creaked and groaned, and the county magistrate and the police officers arrived. As soon as they saw Xue Shizhi's arrogant attitude, it instantly changed to one of humility. He sized up the situation before him, but had not yet spoken when He Lian'an said: "It was I who reported this to the authorities."

  Her voice was a little hoarse, and when she raised her head, there were two circles of shocking purple on her neck. When Xue Shizi stood beside them, the county magistrate immediately nodded to show that he understood. Just as he was about to speak, He Shi rudely interrupted him, "County Magistrate, you don't have to listen to their nonsense. It was they who attacked us first, and everyone saw it!"

  The magistrate, whose words were interrupted, looked at He Shi with dissatisfaction, listened to her statement, and sized her up from head to toe. Stroking his goatee, he said: "They made the first move, but why don't I see any injuries on you?" Looking again at Xue Huiyu's painful expression, and then at their clothes, which were somewhat disheveled but still full of energy, this stark contrast was obvious to anyone.

  "You're all hurt inside, of course you can't see it!" Shao Yingxiu said quickly.

  At this time, the doctor came panting. He Lian coldly said: "Next time you slander others, first draft a draft. If the internal organs are injured, even if it doesn't show on the surface, the doctor will know clearly by feeling the pulse. The government has many forensic doctors to examine your injuries. When the time comes, you say that you have brain problems and mental confusion, or else we won't let you off lightly!"

  When he finished speaking, he bowed slightly and asked the magistrate, "Sir, Miss Xue is injured. May I have her taken to a private room for some treatment?"

  Just for these clever words and polite courtesy, the county magistrate nodded in agreement without caring whether the injured girl was from the Jin Ning Hou Mansion or not. Seeing Xue Shizhu carrying Xue Huiyu into an empty box room, he said: "Since she has internal injuries, when the doctor comes out later, we can also take her pulse by the way. However, before that, I must make it clear to you——"

  The county magistrate took a deep breath and said, "Before the trial in court, we have clerks who will record your words. If this cannot be resolved here, it must be taken to court, where the recorded words will serve as evidence. If it is found that you are lying, whether intentionally or unintentionally, you will each receive twenty heavy blows."

  "Hmph, you don't need to help the Jin Ning Marquis's household intimidate our Weiwu General's household. The Jin Ning Marquis's household may be powerful, but our Weiwu General's household is not easy to bully either!" He Shi said viciously, "Even if we don't have any injuries on us, that doesn't mean they didn't lay a hand on us!"

  He Le'an said calmly, "I've never seen a chicken egg willing to touch a rock. The whole Fengzhou city knows that you two are notorious. One of you harmed a pregnant concubine and caused her to lose her life and the child's, while the other tried to ruin my appearance but ended up hurting yourself instead. Knowing how fierce you both are, why would I, weak as I am, go provoke you? Am I stupid?"

  "She said, 'You say that everyone is watching, then let Magistrate know ask the guests present what they have witnessed!'"

  The county magistrate stroked his beard, looked around at the guests and pointed to the left with a wave of his hand, saying "You start speaking first."

  The woman on the left thought, "When we opened the door, we only saw this woman pressing down on that girl and pinching her. The girl who went in to treat her just wanted to save her friend, so she reached out to push this woman, but after pushing for a moment, that girl was trampled by the foot of the woman next to her."

  One after another, all of them testified to the same thing. Shaoyingxiu was so wronged that she burst into tears, "You, you are intimidated by the power of the Hou Mansion and speak recklessly. It was they who attacked my mother first, and my mother and I would only counterattack. It's not what you said!"

  "You tell me, why did I have to take action against you two first? With your arrogant attitude, I couldn't even dodge in time. And yet, I still ended up being bullied and beaten by you two. What's the point of that!" He Lan didn't cry, but her eyes turned red as she stubbornly held back the tears welling up in her eyes, her expression more heart-wrenching than any outright sobbing.

  "Of course you are..." Xiaoying was asked back, and before she could come up with a reason, a male voice said:

  "Magistrate, I may be able to reveal the complete truth behind this farce."

  He Shi and Shao Yingxiu stared disbelievingly at the man blocking their way, only to hear the county magistrate hastily say, "Speak."

  The man said, "What they said is basically the whole truth. What I saw was that the girl and the girl who went upstairs to get treatment met these three mother-daughter on the way up. They turned around and were about to leave, but this woman rushed over and grabbed the girl's neck first. Then, the girl with a foot injury tried to stop the woman from killing her, so she kicked her."

  "It's just that everyone can see that the two little girls are not this fierce mother and daughter, being bullied to death."

  The crowd around immediately boiled over like boiling water when they heard the complete version, and the slight hesitation just now disappeared. They all congratulated He Shi and Shao Yingxiu, but Shao Yingxiu was not so easy to fall down. She jumped up and pointed at the man's nose, saying: "I don't know where you came from, you blind fool——"

  She turned to He Lian and sneered, "I thought you were really something, He Lian. You've hooked one man after another. The Prince of Yue is dead, but your fiancé, Xi Ye, is still alive. And yet you're openly flirting with another man!"

  The door suddenly opened with a 'bang', and Xue Shizi sneered, "Shao Yingxiu, keep your mouth clean. The Duke of Yue is not someone who can be insulted by a woman like you who is all over the place. Moreover, open your narrow eyes wide and take a good look, this is Dongfang Yi, the eldest son of the Zhiyitang Manor."

  Not to mention the surprise of the county magistrate, even He Le'an was shocked. He rarely appeared in Fengzhou City and was not favored by his mother, but he was willing to yield the position of eldest son to Zhiyitai's legitimate eldest son, Dongfang Chui. All he saw was a faint smile on his face as he said, "It's been many years since we last met, I didn't expect that you, Marquis Xue, could still recognize me."

  "You're all in cahoots! You're a bunch of snakes and rats!" Shao Yingxiu exclaimed angrily after being stunned for a moment.

  The county magistrate saw that the main witness was not a minor figure, and he became impatient with Shao Yingxiu, who still had a hard mouth despite the fact that things had come to this point. He said: "Look at your attitude, you don't bully others, others will laugh secretly, and you say others have bullied you, thinking of confusing right and wrong, without seeing the bright eyes of the masses forgiving anyone!"

  He saw that the county magistrate was also going to side with He Le'an, and he didn't care about his old face anymore. He opened his throat and started crying out loud, shouting: "Oh heavens, there's no justice! These people are ganging up on me, a poor abandoned woman, waaahhh!"

  Shaoyingxiu also echoed beside her, but she shed more tears, and the thick makeup on her face gradually faded. Others looked at her and saw the terrifying scars on her cheeks, and they were frightened and hid behind, pointing and whispering to each other. Seeing this, she covered her face and cried out in a loud voice, "It's all your fault, He Le'an! You're the one who made me like this!"

  Shao Yingyuan had been standing aside for a long time, and when she came back to her senses, she only felt that her mother and sister were somewhat... embarrassing. She subconsciously took two steps back, subconsciously not wanting people to think that she was one of them, but the way others looked at her had already changed, becoming similar to how they looked at He Shi Shao Yingxiu. In the end, she could only cry in grievance.

  The county magistrate had lived for more than half his life and had seen many dignitaries, but he had never seen such a shameless one as the one in front of him. It seemed that the recent rumors about the Zhuo Yibo government were not false after all. He turned to ask He Le'an: "Miss, you reported first, do you want..."

  "Since there is evidence to prove that they started it, and not only did they fail to kill me, but also intentionally fabricated false testimony to frame us, such heinous crimes are unforgivable. I implore you, sir, to handle them according to the law!" He Lan'an said in a calm and measured tone. Since He Shi and Shao Yingxiu wouldn't let her off easy, she didn't need to show mercy either.