The old woman had an aggressive demeanor.
She believed she was in the right, and seeing that Liuzheng was very polite, she thought she was easy to manipulate and didn’t take Liuzheng seriously at all.
Liuzheng patiently continued to explain: “After days of heavy rain, the soil on the mountain is soft, and a mudslide is bound to happen. Before we came down the mountain, our Ruan family’s summer resort was hit by a huge rock that rolled down and destroyed a livestock shed, killing three horses.”
“Who knows if what you’re saying is true? I think you’re clearly trying to harm our lady!”
Liuzheng frowned.
This old woman is getting more and more outrageous.
Just as he was about to speak, the old lady arrived.
The mother and daughter from the second wife’s family followed closely behind.
The old lady told them to wait in the room, but how could they wait?
I stood not far from the doorway and quietly peered inside.
Inside the room, the old lady first bowed to Prince Su.
The sight of the gray hair caught Prince Su’s eye, and he quickly straightened up and stepped forward to help the person up.
“Madam, there’s no need for such formalities.”
Liuzheng quickly stepped forward to help the old lady.
“Grandmother, what brings you here?”
“I heard something happened here and I was really worried about you, so I couldn’t help but come and see.”
“Yaoyao is fine, you should go back quickly.”
Liuzheng didn’t want her grandmother to worry, so she asked her to go back.
The old lady refused.
She walked up to the old woman.
“Granny, what has my granddaughter done to deserve your anger?”
The old woman raised her chin and said, “It’s because your granddaughter came to our village saying that a mudslide was coming that our lady rushed down the mountain, but unfortunately, she had a miscarriage.”
“It was not my granddaughter’s wish to cause miscarriage; she was just worried that you might encounter a mudslide.”
“Heh, mudslide? You guys are making it sound so convincing, anyone who didn’t know better would think you were telling the truth!”
The old lady couldn’t help but get angry.
“You… how can you speak so rudely? I want to see your wife and explain this to her in person.”
“Do you think you, an old woman, can just see our lady whenever you want?”
A murderous glint flashed in Liuzheng’s eyes in an instant.
She could ignore the old woman’s harsh words, but she couldn’t tolerate her speaking to her grandmother like that.
“I meant well, and instead of thanking you, you insulted my grandmother?”
“When did I ever curse her? Besides, even if I did, so what? You two, grandmother and granddaughter, are you really that kind of people? Who sent you to harm our lady?”
Liuzheng’s hand unconsciously reached for the sword at her waist.
Prince Su’s hand twitched slightly in his sleeve, about to throw a hidden weapon, when at that moment, footsteps sounded and the ground trembled slightly.
Everyone instinctively looked towards the door and saw a burly man with thick eyebrows, black eyes, a strand of white hair at his temples, and wearing a dark blue round-necked robe embroidered with a soaring unicorn stride in.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Prince Su put away his hidden weapon.
The visitor first bowed to Prince Su, and then looked at Liuzheng.
Before she could even speak, the old woman rushed forward, wailing, “Lord Duke, you’ve finally arrived! Madam was nearly miscarried because of these wicked people’s wicked words! You must avenge Madam and strangle them!”
The mother and daughter outside the door turned pale with fright and turned to flee.
They didn’t want to be implicated by Liuzheng!
…
Inside the room, as soon as the old woman finished speaking, the Duke of Wei raised his hand and said, “Drag her away and beat her to death!”
The old woman’s eyes brightened even more, and her gaze toward Liuzheng was full of arrogance.
Liuzheng was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously protected her grandmother, preventing them from getting close to her.
Prince Su frowned slightly, about to speak, when he heard Duke Wei say to the guards behind him, “What are you all standing there for? Drag this scoundrel away and beat him to death on the spot!”
“yes!”
Two guards stepped forward, each grabbing one of the old woman’s hands and dragging her out.
Liuzheng: “…”
The old woman seemed to awaken from a dream.
“My lord! You’ve made a mistake, it’s not me…”
Before she could finish speaking, her mouth was covered and she was dragged away.
Just then, Commander He strode forward and knelt on one knee.
“Your Highness, something terrible has happened! We’ve just learned that a massive mudslide has struck the mountain, and both villages on the mountain have been completely submerged!”
Prince Su raised his eyes and looked at Liuzheng.
Liuzheng let out a barely audible sigh of relief.
It’s finally here.
The mudslide hadn’t come, and with the old woman’s persistent nagging, she almost thought her memory was playing tricks on her, or that she had misheard because she was bedridden in her past life.
If that’s the case, then she has truly offended the Duke of Wei’s mansion.
Fortunately, just like in the previous life, a mudslide occurred.
But unlike others, she saved her grandmother and the rest of the Ruan family at the manor, as well as the people from the Duke’s manor.
Liuzheng’s eyelashes trembled slightly as she tightly grasped her grandmother’s hand.
It was at this moment that she truly felt that she had value in this second life.
Unlike what Ruan Changzheng said before she died, she was just a burden to him.
Even if her own mother doesn’t love her, her own father only cares about his own interests, and her brother wishes she were dead, she still has value.
She saved so many lives, didn’t she?
Prince Su saw the complex emotions in Liuzheng’s eyes, but he couldn’t understand them.
He didn’t understand why Liuzheng’s eyes showed such intense sorrow after the mudslide had come true.
He felt a sense of unease in his heart, just like Liuzheng, and even his breathing became somewhat heavy.
He pressed his hand lightly to his chest, disliking the feeling.
At this moment, the Duke of Wei strode towards Liuzheng.
Liuzheng subconsciously straightened her back. This Duke had made many military achievements in his youth, and even in his old age, his murderous aura had not faded.
Liuzheng’s hand reached for the Cloud Piercing Sword at her waist in the next instant.
She wasn’t sure if the Duke of Wei would still blame her.
But in the next instant, this trusted minister, who was nearly fifty years old, knelt down before her.
“Wei Hu thanks you for saving my life, Miss!”
After a moment of surprise, Liuzheng quickly helped the Duke of Wei up.
If Wei Ranfeng saw this scene, he would probably make a scene with her.
“Your Excellency, Liuzheng is unworthy of such a grand gesture. You are too kind to me. Please get up.”
Duke Wei finally stood up, but then bowed deeply to her.
Liuzheng quickly stepped aside to avoid the Duke of Wei’s courtesy.
“Miss, your kindness is immense and we, the Duke’s family, will never forget it. May I ask which family you belong to? It would be best if we could personally visit and express our gratitude once my wife has recovered.”
At this moment, Prince Su spoke up: “Does the Duke not recognize her?”
Duke Wei looked up in confusion, his gaze landing on Liuzheng’s face.
With bright eyes and white teeth, what a beautiful young woman.
If their family backgrounds are comparable, she could be a perfect match for his son and become his daughter-in-law.
Wait a minute, this woman…
Duke Wei narrowed his eyes and examined it carefully.
“You…you are General Zhaoyong?”
“Liuzheng greets the Duke.” Liuzheng finally had a chance to bow and then introduced her to her grandmother.
The Duke of Wei recognized the old lady.
Back in the previous dynasty, the matter of Old Master Ruan resigning from his official post caused quite a stir. At that time, he was still very young and full of enthusiasm, and he also wanted to resign… Of course, in the end, he was stopped by his elders and even got a beating.
He greatly admired the two elders of the Ruan family.
“I hope you are well, Madam. Were you frightened just now?”
“No. How is the Duchess now?”
“I just saw her come back. She’s already asleep. The imperial physician said she’s fine and just needs to rest.”
“Amitabha, may the Buddha protect us.” The old lady clasped her hands together.
Duke Wei shook his head: “Madam is mistaken. It wasn’t Buddha who protected my wife, but General Ruan who saved her. If it weren’t for her, my wife would probably already be…”
He didn’t dare to continue.
Although they have been married for many years, their feelings for each other remain as deep as when they were newlyweds.
If anything were to happen to the Duchess, he might not want to live anymore.
Looking again at Liuzheng, the Duke of Wei’s eyes shone as brightly as the moon.
This is their family’s benefactor, their lucky star!
If we could bring our son home to marry her, wouldn’t that bring good fortune to the Duke’s mansion?
Thinking this, the Duke of Wei couldn’t help but ask, “Excuse me for asking, but is General Ruan married?”
Liuzheng was taken aback and was about to answer when Prince Su, who had been ignored all along, spoke in a low voice: “Duke, I have something to ask you.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Liuzheng.
Liuzheng quickly and tactfully took her grandmother’s leave.
The room quickly quieted down.
The Duke of Wei clasped his hands in a fist salute to Prince Su: “Your Highness, I heard from my servants that it was because you led men up the mountain in time that…”
Prince Su interrupted him, not wanting to listen to the Duke of Wei’s repetitive and rambling remarks.
“Why did my cousin arrive so quickly?”
It’s a three-day journey from here to the capital.
King Su called the Duke of Wei his maternal uncle, but he dared not truly acknowledge that title.
He bowed and clasped his hands before answering, “The continuous heavy rain made me uneasy, so I rushed over. Who would have thought that I would meet people from the village on the way who said that something had happened here, so I hurried over on horseback…”
When he came out of the lady’s room, he was also eager to get rid of the guy who spread rumors that there would be a mudslide.
Before they could even descend the stairs, a guard came to report that a mudslide had occurred on the mountain.
The entire Summer Palace was submerged.
He was shocked and frightened. When he heard that his “benefactor” was with Prince Su, he rushed over.
However, in the corridor, he overheard the old woman serving the lady verbally abusing her benefactor and his grandson.
Therefore, as soon as he entered the door, he ordered his men to drag the slave out and beat him to death.
After listening, Prince Su nodded in understanding.
But then he suddenly asked, “What did the Duke mean when he asked General Ruan whether he was married?”
The Duke of Wei’s eyes lit up at the mention of Liuzheng.
“Your Highness has forgotten that Ranfeng is still unmarried. His second brother, Ranshuo, already has someone he loves, while he, as the elder brother, remains a bachelor. It doesn’t matter what happens to him, but don’t delay his brother’s marriage. Don’t you agree?”
In the guesthouses of Dajin, it is customary for men to marry in accordance with the order of seniority.
If the elder brother is not married, the younger brothers cannot get married first.
Of course, women don’t have this rule.
Prince Su curled his lip slightly.
“The Duke only thought of this, but forgot that General Ruan is no ordinary woman. It will probably not be easy to get her to stay at home and take care of her husband and children.”
The Duke of Wei didn’t seem to care at all.
He himself earned his title through battle, so he would only think highly of a woman like Liuzheng.
“I don’t need her to be a good wife and mother. As long as she can keep Ranfeng in check, I will be grateful for her kindness.”
The last trace of a smile on Prince Su’s face faded away.
“Has the Duke ever considered that General Ruan has more than just military merits behind her; she also has a long-serving army. Although she has handed over the military tally to His Majesty, the long-serving army is still willing to obey her orders. Now that the Crown Prince is confined to the Eastern Palace, if the Duke rashly proposes to marry her, it may arouse His Majesty’s suspicion.”