Thud!
The Madam fell to her knees in fright. "Second Madam, it was my blindness and ignorance. Please be magnanimous and spare me. All of this was orchestrated by Madam Lu."
Yun Ci walked toward the Madam. Dressed in white, she stepped expressionlessly onto the corpse, like a vengeful spirit risen from hell. The sight made the Madam tremble with fear. With nowhere left to retreat, the Madam felt her chin seized as Yun Ci mercilessly forced a handful of pills into her mouth, only releasing her grip after making her swallow them.
"What did you give me?" The Madam reached to gag herself.
Yun Ci sneered. "How many girls in Yuntai Ge have been ruined by this stuff? It's time you experienced it for yourself."
"Hehuan Powder!" The Madam panicked. Death would have been preferable.
The dose Yun Ci had given her was dozens of times greater than what she herself had been forced to take the day before. In the blink of an eye, the effects took hold.
The Madam's eyes grew hazy with desire as she desperately tore at her clothes, her rationality fading away. Unable to endure any longer, she finally ran downstairs stark naked, throwing herself at anyone in sight.
Seeing this, only half of the fury in Yun Ci's heart subsided.
Hearing sounds from the eaves above, Yun Ci did not linger. Before leaving, she knocked over a candle, watching as the flames engulfed the curtains.
Pushing open the window, she leaped down and, with a few agile movements, left Yuntai Ge, arriving at the agreed-upon location.
Fu Xi was already waiting there, having brought a spacious carriage.
Yun Ci gave him a thumbs-up and praised him. "Don't worry. Once I resolve the troubles at hand, I'll prioritize researching the antidote for you."
Fu Xi's expression softened considerably. He had learned that Yun Ci had also been framed, and everything that happened the previous night was purely coincidental.
Yun Ci boarded the carriage and instructed, "To Lu Jia."
"Mm!"
Meanwhile, behind them, Yuntai Ge had descended into chaos. People inside screamed as they fled, and slowly, the fire began to spread, growing increasingly uncontrollable.
Lu Jia
When Lu Yanci hurried back to the estate, before he could inquire about Yun Ci, the steward urgently summoned him. Ye Jiayi followed behind, thrilled.
Surely, news of that wretched woman's scandal at Yuntai Ge had leaked and reached Lu Jia.
"Second Brother, don't act impulsively later. Yun Ci might have had her reasons," she advised from behind, feigning understanding.
Lu Yanci snorted coldly. How dare she commit such an act against womanly virtue? He wanted to kill her on the spot.
Upon entering the main hall
"Erlang has returned." Old Madam Lu beamed at the sight of her grandson. "Just now, Granny Sun from Madam Liu's household came specifically to thank Yun Ci for taking care of Madam Liu all night yesterday and brought gifts of gratitude."
A nearby table was piled high with an array of rare and precious medicinal herbs.
Lu Yanci frowned.
Madam Liu was the wife of General Liu, a niece of the current Empress Dowager, and held the title of Junzhu.
Since General Liu died in battle, Madam Liu had rarely appeared in public, and many who tried to curry favor with her were turned away.
Now that Yun Ci had coincidentally saved Madam Liu, Old Madam Lu was immensely pleased.
"How is that possible?" Ye Jiayi exclaimed. "Yun Ci wasn't at the temple yesterday at all. She went to Yuntai Ge. Many people can testify."
At the mention of Yuntai Ge, Old Madam Lu's smile faded slightly. "Yun Ci is the principal wife of Lu Jia. How could she possibly go to such a place?"
Ye Jiayi immediately looked at Lu Yanci: "Second Brother, at this point, there's no need to cover for Yun Ci anymore."
Lu Yanci took a deep breath and said, "Grandmother, that wretched woman Yun Ci did indeed go to Yuntai Ge yesterday and stayed overnight. It's absolutely impossible that she was at the temple."
"Old Madam, it was this servant's fault. I failed to keep an eye on Second Madam, allowing her to drown her sorrows in wine and make such a mistake." Bi Ye knelt on the ground, kowtowing.
With all three of them saying the same, Old Madam Lu's expression began to falter.
After a moment of thought, Old Madam Lu said, "The matter of Yuntai Ge must be a misunderstanding. Yun Ci comes from a noble family—how could she go to such a place? Someone must be framing her."
"Grandmother," Lu Yanci said, "I personally went to Yuntai Ge just now. Many people saw this wretched woman there, and this jade pendant was also found on the bed."
He produced the jade pendant.
Old Madam Lu had seen Yun Ci wear it before and recognized it at a glance.
Seizing the opportunity, Ye Jiayi added, "Grandmother, who knows what methods Yun Ci used to bribe people into giving false testimony?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a young maid announced that Second Madam had returned.
Yun Ci had changed into an elegant long dress, her hair tied up in a simple bun adorned with only a few plain hairpins.
Even so, it was hard to conceal her exquisite beauty.
Her skin was fair, her features delicate, and her every movement exuded an air of nobility.
"Grandmother," Yun Ci bowed in greeting, but before she could straighten up, Ye Jiayi grabbed her wrist: "Yun Ci, how could you be so foolish as to go to such a place? And now it's become common knowledge. You even deceived Madam Liu into giving false testimony to trick Grandmother. This time, I can't help you either."
"You wretched woman! The Lu family has treated you well. How dare you do something so shameless!" Lu Yanci roared angrily.
Yun Ci clenched her palm, barely restraining herself from slapping him.
Old Madam Lu said sternly, "Yun Ci, for the time being, you should stay in your courtyard and not come out."
Yun Ci frowned. She hadn't even defended herself yet, and the entire family was already siding with Ye Jiayi.
Did they think she was an easy target to bully?
Dream on!
"Grandmother, I truly cannot bear such a wanton and shameless woman. I beg you to grant me permission to divorce her!" Lu Yanci declared righteously.
Ye Jiayi quickly chimed in, "Grandmother, this matter is about to cause a huge scandal. If we don't divorce Yun Ci immediately, our Lu family will surely be implicated."
Due to Nalan Xin's wrongdoing, Old Madam Lu had never been fond of Yun Ci.
If they could take this opportunity to kick Yun Ci out of the Lu family, it would be for the best.
"Yun Ci, this time, even Grandmother can't help you." Old Madam Lu looked utterly disappointed and ordered someone to prepare brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Soon, Lu Yanci finished writing the letter of divorce and threw it at her, each word piercing her heart and insulting her.
Yun Ci sneered and took it.
Then, with a tearing sound, she ripped it into shreds and hurled it at Lu Yanci.
This sudden move stunned everyone present.
"Nalan Yun Ci, have you gone mad?" Lu Yanci gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked, as if he were about to strike Yun Ci at any moment.
"I, Nalan Yun Ci, was brought into the Lu family with great ceremony in a grand sedan chair. Now, because my father is imprisoned, you deliberately set a trap for me and then divorce me. Does the Lu family truly think the integrity of the Nalan family is something to be trampled upon?"
At these words, Old Madam Lu's eyelids twitched.
"Yun Ci, your disgraceful deeds are already known to everyone…"
As Ye Jiayi stepped forward, Yun Ci slapped her hard across the face.
Clutching her cheek, Ye Jiayi stared at her in shock, her eyes filled with venom.