Jiang Li was still pondering when Wangyou hurried over with a message.
"Miss, the guards sent word. They say there’s a development regarding the Yin Family’s second son."
Jiang Li gestured for Wangyou to continue.
Wangyou found it hard to say, but she steeled herself and said, "After the Yin Family’s second son left the gambling den, he went to a tavern. He was... consorting with a man."
As Wangyou spoke of this, her expression was unnatural, and she couldn’t help but blush.
Jiang Li had almost forgotten about this matter.
In her past life, she knew that Yin Chengzhou liked men.
Yin Chengzhou had taken a male lover many years ago. They had known each other for a long time, and his feelings for the man were very deep.
Although Yin Chengzhou was already married, he had no feelings for Hu Huiniang. The two were a couple only for the sake of producing an heir.
In her previous life, when Jiang Li discovered Yin Chengzhou had a lover, she did everything she could to expose the man’s true colors.
That man hadn’t approached Yin Chengzhou for true love, but had his eyes on the Yin Family’s fortune.
Even Yin Chengzhou’s gambling addiction was the man’s doing. He had led him down that path, intending to set a trap for him and swindle more money.
Even after Jiang Li made Yin Chengzhou see the man’s true colors and they broke things off, Yin Chengzhou still preferred men.
But under Jiang Li’s control, Yin Chengzhou didn’t dare. Under her strict supervision, he studied day and night for the imperial examinations.
Until Yin Chengzhou became the Prime Minister, he felt not a shred of gratitude for Jiang Li’s control, only a heart full of resentment.
Yin Chengzhou didn’t think he had become Prime Minister thanks to Jiang Li’s efforts. Instead, he felt that she had deliberately made him suffer.
He also believed that with his own intelligence and talent, he could have certainly made a name for himself much earlier, without having to wait so long.
Recalling these things, Jiang Li felt a dull ache in her heart.
This time, she wouldn’t interfere. She would just pretend not to know.
She was curious to see how, with his supposed "intelligence and talent," Yin Chengzhou would be swindled by his lover.
Just when would the Yin Family’s coffers be completely emptied?
Jiang Li pulled back from her thoughts and instructed, "Leave it be. Just keep an eye on them."
Seeing her mistress’s calm reaction, Wangyou silently reflected that she, too, had to learn to remain as composed as her Miss, no matter the situation.
Jiang Li continued to go out to "look for an academy," and the Yin Family’s troubles did not cease.
Yin Chengzhou was sneaking out to consort with his lover, Yin Ranshuang was secretly meeting with Wei Zizhang, and Mrs. Fan’s headaches worsened, leaving her delirious.
Yin Hongcai suffered a setback at court and was impeached for accepting bribes.
In short, the Yin Family was in complete disarray. Each of them was too preoccupied with their own problems to care what Jiang Li was doing.
Jiang Li was like a spectator, silently watching the members of the Yin Family fall step by step into the abyss.
She just wondered if, given the Yin Family’s current situation, Yin Hezhou, who was in the south, would return to the Capital City ahead of schedule.
When Yin Hezhou returned, things would only get more lively.
Before Jiang Li received any news of Yin Hezhou’s return, she learned that the General of Beijiang was coming back to the Capital City.
When she heard this news, Jiang Li froze completely.
In her past life, she clearly remembered the General of Beijiang only returned to the Capital City two years later.
Why was he two years early this time?
Jiang Li sent Wangyou to inquire and confirmed that the General of Beijiang was still Pei Yan.
Pei Yan’s military achievements in Beijiang were the same as in her previous life.
Only the timing had changed.
Thinking of Pei Yan, Jiang Li’s lips curved slightly.
She had gained another ally.
...
Meanwhile, Pei Yan, who was galloping back to the Capital City, had already been traveling nonstop for many days.
His subordinates, worried about his health, urged him to stop and rest, but Pei Yan refused.
His subordinates were very curious what matter could make the General so anxious to return to the Capital.
He was even risking execution by separating from the Beijiang Army to return ahead of them.
Only Pei Yan knew the reason why.
In his past life, he had won countless victories at the border, only returning to the Capital City two years later.
He knew she had already married. Although he didn’t understand why she was willing to marry a memorial tablet, he respected her decision and silently watched over her.
He watched as she took charge of the Yin household, putting the entire family on the right track, until her body gave out.
The Yin Family said she had gone to their estate to recuperate, and he had actually believed them.
He hadn’t dared to disturb her, and besides, he was too preoccupied with his own troubles at the time, being plotted against.
Who would have known that a few months later, the news he received would be of her death from illness?
He investigated personally, only to discover that the Yin Family had sent her, sick, to the estate but refused to let anyone treat her, leaving her to die in agony.
Pei Yan didn’t dare to dwell on that kind of pain.
Later, he avenged her, turning the Yin Family upside down and making its members suffer a hundred times the pain she had endured. The Yin Family completely vanished from the Capital City.
But she could never come back.
Pei Yan’s old wounds reopened, and it wasn’t long before he followed her in death.
He never could have imagined that he would return to fifteen years in the past.
This time, he would win his victories early and return to the Capital City to warn her to be wary of the Yin Family.
When he was young, his family had fallen from grace and cast him out. Only the Jiang family was willing to take him in.
Miss Jiang never looked down on him. She would even stand in front of him to protect him.
He grew up with Miss Jiang, practiced martial arts with her, and even thought of becoming her guard in the future to repay her kindness.
He went to the battlefield to win military honors so he could support her.
He just hadn’t expected at the time that she would be the only one left in the Jiang family, or that she would choose to marry a memorial tablet.
In his past life, he had respected her choice, planning to achieve more merits and return to the Capital to become her support.
But he hadn’t anticipated that the Yin Family was a den of wolves that devoured people whole, not only swallowing her dowry but also wanting her life.
Therefore, this time, he had to return early, no matter what.
He had to protect her life.
...
After hearing that Yin Hongcai had been suspended from his post for investigation, Jiang Li went to a teahouse and sat for a while longer than usual.
Since she couldn’t drink wine to celebrate, she made do with tea instead.
In her past life, Yin Hongcai had no need to accept bribes.
It wasn’t that he scorned money, but rather that he could easily get more from Jiang Li, so he valued his reputation and wouldn’t take such risks.
But now, the entire Yin Family needed money.
Mrs. Fan’s headaches were growing more severe, and even without being able to hire Divine Doctor Bai, the medicine from other doctors in the Capital City still cost a considerable number of silver taels.
Not to mention Yin Hezhou, who was far away in the south. He was in hiding with no income, yet he still had to support a mistress and children, requiring aid from the Yin Family.
And Yin Chengzhou, with his gambling addiction, was a bottomless pit. If no one set him straight, Yin Chengzhou would only stray further and further down this path.
Yin Ranshuang wanted to marry into Prince An’s Mansion, thinking that as long as she had enough silver taels and dressed lavishly, she could get her wish.
But she didn’t know that Wei Zizhang was merely the son of a concubine and not favored by the official wife. If he were truly interested in her, the Princess Consort would certainly agree to the match.
After all, what the Princess Consort wanted most was to see her husband’s concubine-born son marry a girl from a low-status family.
As Yin Hongcai watched the Yin Family’s savings being depleted bit by bit, he naturally grew anxious, which is why he took the risk.
Jiang Li’s train of thought was broken by the feeling of being watched.
She looked up, but the tree outside the teahouse was empty.
’Could it be that I was mistaken?’