Ye Jiayi carried the life of the original host on her shoulders. Since she had taken over the original host's body, it was only natural that she would seek revenge for her.
Yun Ci withdrew her gaze and turned to Fu Xi. "I haven't asked about your identity yet. Who are you?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she sensed an extremely chilling aura emanating from Fu Xi. Even she couldn't help but shiver.
"Don't overthink it. I just want to know the extent of your capabilities and whether you can investigate matters concerning my father."
Nalan Xin had been exceptionally good to the original host. Over the years, he had never taken a concubine and had only this one daughter, whom he cherished dearly.
Now that he had been framed, Yun Ci had no reason to stand idly by.
Fu Xi restrained his imposing presence and did not explain his identity. He only said, "Nalan Xin owns a private residence where the Jinweijun discovered a large amount of gold, silver, and jewels. Among them was a batch of silver ingots stamped with official seals—the relief funds from the flood in Liuzhou three years ago."
"Was the informant really Lu Yanci?" she frowned. This scheme had truly been in the making for three years.
Fu Xi nodded.
It was indeed Lu Yanci who had discovered these relief funds a month ago.
Yun Ci's face tightened. "If he had planned this long ago, why did he still marry me? Wasn't he afraid of being implicated?"
At this, even Fu Xi found it strange.
He never interfered in the domestic affairs of his ministers, but upon careful reflection, it did seem suspicious.
"When the ruler wants a minister dead, the minister has no choice but to die. When the cunning hare dies, the hunting dog is cooked. It's simply that the current emperor is blind and cannot tolerate loyal ministers, so he used Lu Yanci's hand to eliminate the Nalan family," Yun Ci blurted out.
Fu Xi's expression darkened abruptly. He shot Yun Ci a displeased glance, but the words on the tip of his tongue were impossible to refute—after all, it was indeed he who had issued the decree to punish Nalan Xin.
And it was also he who had personally granted the Lu family the title of Guogong Fu.
"Young Master!"
A maid's greeting came from outside the courtyard.
Yun Ci snapped back to reality, but before she could give any instructions, Fu Xi had already leaped up and hidden himself among the leaves of a parasol tree in the courtyard.
The next moment, Lu Yanci walked in and roughly grabbed Yun Ci's hand. "I know you're upset and resentful that I neglected you for a month. If you have any anger, take it out on me. I will make it up to you in the future."
Yun Ci raised an eyebrow and asked directly, "So you came to plead with me on behalf of the child in Ye Jiayi's womb, to beg the old lady to spare her?"
Lu Yanci was taken aback. He hadn't expected Yun Ci to be so direct and was momentarily at a loss for excuses. He said bluntly, "The Dual Succession of Two Branches has precedents in previous dynasties. Don't be unreasonable. She is also a pitiful woman, widowed at a young age, with no one to rely on in the mansion. What's wrong with wanting a hope for the future? Nalan Yunci, you truly are heartless, unable to tolerate even a child."
Look at this—clearly, they were the ones at fault, yet with a few words, they could shift the blame onto her, making her out to be cruel and ruthless?
"Yun Ci, if my sister-in-law and the child are safe, I promise to give you the respect you deserve in the future. Otherwise, I will never set foot in this room again!"
Lu Yanci understood Yun Ci well. They had grown up together, and he knew exactly how she felt about him.
So Lu Yanci was confident that she would agree.
Yun Ci forcefully shook off Lu Yanci's hand and sneered, "It wasn't me who wanted the life of the child in her womb. If you have any backbone, you can go plead with Grandmother. Whatever bitter consequences come later, you can bear them yourself. Why drag me into it?"
She had just narrowly escaped death, and now her husband was threatening her?
Who cared about his favor?
"Nalan Yunci, this is the last chance I'm giving you!" Lu Yanci threatened viciously.
Yun Ci took out a handkerchief and wiped the spot where Lu Yanci had just touched her, then tossed it on the ground with a look of disgust, not bothering to hide the revulsion in her eyes. Lu Yanci was stunned, thinking he must have seen wrong.
No, impossible—how could Yun Ci look at him like that?
"Fine! Don't come crying to me later!"
Unable to persuade her and provoked by her actions, Lu Yanci stormed off in a fit of rage. Before leaving, he drove away all the maids and servants in the courtyard, ordered the main gate shut tight, and commanded her to reflect on her actions, even forbidding her from having dinner.
Yun Ci rolled her eyes. How could there be such a petty, hypocritical man in the world?
Main Hall
Seeing Lu Yanci return with a livid expression, Old Madam Lu already knew the outcome. She said gravely, "Is Yun Ci determined to make things difficult for Jiayi?"
"Grandmother, she's too angry right now to listen to anyone. If she suffers a bit, she'll surely come around," Lu Yanci replied.
Old Madam Lu agreed with this.
As for the child in Ye Jiayi's womb—it was Lu Jia's first legitimate great-grandson, and even the physician said it appeared to be a boy. Old Madam Lu truly couldn't bear to get rid of it.
Her earlier words had been spoken in anger. Now that she had calmed down, Old Madam Lu had no intention of harming Ye Jiayi. Besides, Lu Jia and the Ye family had already reached an understanding.
The Ye family would support Lu Yanci in official circles, while Lu Jia would provide Ye Jiayi with security. In the future, the family title would be inherited entirely by Ye Jiayi's child.
But now, everything had been thrown into chaos by Yun Ci.
"Grandmother, how is Jiayi?" Lu Yanci asked with deep concern.
Old Madam Lu replied, "She was a bit frightened, but she took some medicine and is already asleep. Don't worry—the child in her womb is fine."
Lu Yanci breathed a slight sigh of relief. Earlier, Ye Jiayi had thrown herself into his arms, weeping like a rain-soaked flower, and his heart ached for her.
The grandmother and grandson fell silent for a long while.
"The key to resolving this still lies with Madam Liu. If she refuses to help Yun Ci, no matter how much Yun Ci stirs up trouble, it won't matter. The matter won't spread beyond these walls."
As long as Madam Liu didn't intervene, Lu Jia had plenty of ways to silence Yun Ci.
Lu Yanci pondered for a moment. "That might be difficult. Madam Liu stays secluded year-round, rarely sees outsiders, and there's really no one close to her who can speak on our behalf."
"Who says there isn't?" Old Madam Lu suddenly smiled. "Now that Jiayi has been dragged into this, Lady Ye won't just sit back and do nothing. I recall Lady Ye and Madam Liu have some connections. And if that fails, there's still the noble consort in the palace. We can always find a way."
Reminded by Old Madam Lu, Lu Yanci immediately sent someone to deliver a message to Lady Ye.
As soon as the news reached the Ye family, Lady Ye could no longer remain idle. She was both furious and heartbroken—furious that Yun Ci, that little wretch, dared to compare herself to her daughter, and heartbroken that her daughter was suffering so much in Lu Jia.
"Prepare the carriage!"
Lady Ye decided to visit Madam Liu's residence in person.
She waited at the door for a full two hours before the steward finally invited Lady Ye inside. Madam Liu was not surprised to see Lady Ye arrive. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lady Ye, with reddened eyes, explained the purpose of her visit.
When the name of Second Madam of the Lu Family, Yun Ci, was mentioned, Madam Liu’s expression darkened almost imperceptibly. She had been offering incense at the temple when she was delayed by heavy rain. Upon leaving, she found a bamboo umbrella at the entrance but saw no sign of its owner.
Madam Liu tried to reassure herself not to overthink it, but before long, she was threatened by Yun Ci’s guards, who forced her to give false testimony.
After calming down, Madam Liu was both furious and resentful. It was true that she had met an unrelated man that day, but at most, Yun Ci was merely a witness who happened to see it.
As long as Madam Liu refused to admit it, what could Yun Ci possibly do?
After all, Madam Liu had a decent reputation in the capital, was a widowed woman, and was the niece of the Empress Dowager. With these identities, everyone would undoubtedly believe her words.
In contrast, Yun Ci would be seen as making baseless accusations.
Thus, Lady Ye’s visit actually brought Madam Liu some satisfaction. She stammered and pretended to be troubled, saying, “How could this girl act so recklessly and deceive me?”
Lady Ye, shrewd as she was, sensed an opportunity and immediately pressed further, “Madam, were you deceived by Second Madam Lu? Could it be that last night, Second Madam Lu was not at the temple taking care of you?”
“Ah! It’s a long story,” Madam Liu sighed helplessly. “I pitied her for losing her mother at such a young age, and with Nalan Jia in such a state, how could she establish herself in Lu Jia if her reputation were tarnished? Little did I expect that my good intentions would end up aiding the wicked! It truly is a sin, a sin.”