Madam Liu’s words were like a reassurance to Lady Ye, who said with a gloomy expression, “If it weren’t for Second Lady Lu’s arrogance and domineering attitude, I wouldn’t have troubled you with this visit. She deceived you first and then used the Empress Dowager to suppress Lu Jia. This matter is getting out of hand…”
Lady Ye then recounted how Yun Ci had threatened Lu Jia with the Empress Dowager, which infuriated Madam Liu so much that she tightly gripped the armrest of her chair.
“That scoundrel! How dare she be so audacious and spout such nonsense?”
Seeing Madam Liu’s anger reach its peak, Lady Ye grew even more pleased, secretly thinking that Yun Ci was digging her own grave. Once her lies were exposed, neither Lu Jia nor the Ye family would spare her.
Lady Ye had even already planned how to torment Yun Ci.
“Madam, before this matter escalates further, we must resolve it as soon as possible.”
Madam Liu nodded in agreement and immediately declared that she would expose Yun Ci’s lies in front of everyone in Lu Jia the next morning.
With this assurance, Lady Ye left satisfied.
…
Lu Jia
Yun Ci changed into black clothes, pushed open the window, and leaped out. Following the original owner’s memories, she moved across the rooftops and arrived at Ye Jiayi’s courtyard.
It was already the dead of night, and the courtyard was eerily quiet.
She instinctively sensed something was amiss.
Before parting, Old Madam Lu had implied that Ye Jiayi would be dealt with to give her an explanation—the child was certainly not going to be spared.
Yet the courtyard was silent and peaceful, showing no signs of trouble.
Climbing onto the rooftop, she lifted a tile. Under the candlelight, Ye Jiayi was leisurely enjoying tonics, her complexion rosy and seemingly unbothered.
The door creaked open.
Lu Yanci walked in, and Ye Jiayi immediately put on an expression of utmost grievance, rising with a sob. “Erlang, you should go back quickly. Don’t let anyone catch you again. I… I don’t want to burden you.”
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Lu Yanci approached Ye Jiayi, wrapping an arm around her waist to help her sit down. The two were close, their actions intimate.
Yun Ci curled her lips in disdain—these two really didn’t bother to hide anything.
“Is the child troubling you again?” Lu Yanci placed a hand on Ye Jiayi’s abdomen. “This pregnancy has been so hard on you.”
Ye Jiayi shook her head shyly. “As long as I can give birth to this child, I’m willing to risk my life.”
“Jiayi, don’t worry. No one will harm you or the child,” Lu Yanci’s eyes flashed with ruthlessness. “Grandmother scolded you today only to placate that wretch. Tomorrow, when Madam Liu exposes her lies in public, I will give you justice.”
“Erlang…” Ye Jiayi was overjoyed. She had already received the news from Lady Ye, which was why she was too excited to sleep and had secretly sent for Lu Yanci.
She was used to Lu Yanci’s company every night and felt uneasy without him.
Watching the two of them being so affectionate, Yun Ci nearly gagged in disgust. Suddenly, she understood why Ye Jiayi’s courtyard was so quiet.
So, Lu Jia had already sent someone to Madam Liu.
Trying to expose her?
In your dreams!
Yun Ci carefully replaced the tile on the rooftop and left silently. With a few flips, she exited Lu Jia and arrived at a painting studio under Lady Tang’s name, where she knocked on the door.
After a moment, the door opened, and the manager rubbed his sleepy eyes, asking, “Who are you looking for?”
Yun Ci produced the jade pendant. The steward took a closer look and immediately sobered up, opening the door respectfully and saying, "Young Master, please come inside."
"Hmm!"
Once inside, Yun Ci went straight to the point: "Find me a few painters. I have something to arrange."
"Yes."
Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, four painters arrived. Yun Ci picked up a brush and sketched a rough outline and scene: inside a temple, a woman wearing a blue-green gown with several hairpins in her hair stood on the threshold, gazing into the distance, while a tall figure stood behind her.
"Young Master, what is this?" the steward asked, puzzled.
Yun Ci cleared her throat. She truly lacked the skill to paint a detailed portrait. Among the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, it just so happened that the original owner was least skilled at painting.
She could only seek outside help.
"The woman's face doesn't need to be depicted in detail—just a vague impression will do. As for the man, only half of his face needs to be painted."
Following Yun Ci's description, the painters began their work. Soon, four paintings were laid out before her. She selected the one with the most artistic charm and kept it.
Seeing the sky gradually brightening outside, Yun Ci didn't linger. She simply said, "Today's matter must not be spoken of."
"Yes!"
When Yun Ci returned to the courtyard, she waited for a moment before standing under a large tree, looking up and calling out. The branches swayed lightly, and Fu Xi leaped down, landing in front of her.
"Speak!"
Seeing Fu Xi's grumpy expression, Yun Ci felt not the slightest bit guilty. She said, "There is indeed something I need you to do."
Fu Xi raised an eyebrow.
"This is Lu Yanci's personal jade pendant. Get a few more waist tokens from his guards and find a way to drop them into the fire at Yuntai Ge."
"You want to frame Lu Yanci for the arson?" Fu Xi immediately understood.
Yun Ci nodded: "Clever!"
"Lu Yanci is the Shizi of the Duke's household personally appointed by the Emperor and is also related by marriage to the Ye family. Even if Jingzhaoyin investigates and finds Lu Yanci, he would never dare to trouble him. At most, this matter would be downplayed."
So Fu Xi didn't even take the jade pendant.
Yuntai Ge had been burned down in a fire, with numerous casualties. Jingzhaoyin was investigating, but the final outcome would likely be left unresolved.
"Who said anything about handing this over to Jingzhaoyin? Give it to Prince Zhao."
Prince Zhao was Lu Yanci's mortal enemy. With Lu Yanci's rise, many tasks originally assigned to Prince Zhao had been given to Lu Yanci instead.
Moreover, Prince Zhao was the Empress Dowager's own son and had no fear of Lu Jia or the Ye family.
It was likely that Prince Zhao would be more than happy to suppress Lu Jia.
Fu Xi suddenly glanced at Yun Ci, a hint of admiration in his eyes. This was meant to stir up conflict between Prince Zhao and Lu Jia.
In truth, whatever the Emperor valued, the Empress Dowager would seek to suppress. This had been the case for years.
Because Fu Xi was the legitimate son of the late Empress, while Prince Zhao was the legitimate son of the current Empress Dowager. When Fu Xi ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager was the most dissatisfied. Over the years, she had frequently made covert moves, never truly abandoning her ambitions for the throne.
Fu Xi took the jade pendant and left two words: "Wait here!"
After giving her instructions, Yun Ci was about to lie down and rest when her maid, Hong Ling, knocked heavily on the door. Apart from Bi Ye, all the other maids around her had been quietly replaced by people from Lu Jia.
Under the pretext of teaching her attendants the rules of Lu Jia, or using excuses like a shortage of staff in the household and temporarily borrowing them, the original owner, being easygoing, had never protested.
Being under surveillance was not a pleasant feeling. Today, she intended to dismiss all of them. As Yun Ci pondered this, she touched her empty stomach and said, "Have the meal served."
Hong Ling looked at her with a shocked expression upon hearing this: "Second Madam, how can you still be in the mood to eat? The Old Madam didn’t sleep a wink last night."
"You should still go and kowtow to the Old Madam to apologize later. After all, now that you’ve married into this family, if your reputation is ruined, how will you live in the future? Yesterday, when the Shizi came, you shouldn’t have thrown a tantrum. Losing the Shizi’s favor—what difference is there between that and being a discarded wife?"
"Bang!"
Yun Ci slammed the table, her gaze sharp as she stared at Hong Ling. That one look sent a chill down Hong Ling’s spine.
She had served the Second Madam for over half a month now, and in that time, she had always seen the Second Madam as gentle and polite to others. When had she ever shown such a terrifying presence?
"Second Madam…"
"Do you know where Bi Ye went?" she asked calmly.
Hong Ling suddenly realized that she hadn’t seen Bi Ye all night. Hearing Yun Ci’s tone, Hong Ling gave an awkward smile: "Did Bi Ye make a mistake? Was she punished by kneeling by you, Second Madam?"
"No, she’s dead."
Yun Ci stepped closer to Hong Ling, looking at her as if she were already a lifeless object. Hong Ling’s legs went weak, and she knelt on the ground.
Just then, Nanny Gu arrived, and Hong Ling shrank back as if granted a reprieve.
Nanny Gu glanced at Hong Ling, then said with a false smile: "Second Madam, what a display of authority! Venting your anger on a maid first thing in the morning—it must have been quite a hardship for you to put on such an act for the past month, making others think you were a virtuous and gentle woman. But in reality, you deceive those above and below, lie through your teeth, and are guilty of heinous crimes!"
"Slap!" Yun Ci didn’t hesitate for a moment before striking Nanny Gu across the face.
Nanny Gu was stunned, glaring furiously at Yun Ci: "Have you gone mad! How dare you hit me? I serve the Old Madam!"
"Yesterday, even Eldest Lady Lu was struck. What makes you, a mere servant, any different?" Yun Ci retorted.
"You!" Nanny Gu was furious, but thinking of how Yun Ci would soon be exposed and end up confined to death, she gritted her teeth and swallowed her anger, saying in a low voice: "Second Madam, there’s no need to show off your authority in front of this old servant. The Old Madam has ordered you to come at once!"