Help! The cunning and treacherous minister and I were reborn together!

In the front yard, servants and maids of the mansion stood in several rows, waiting for Yuanzhi to give instructions.

The young master was safe and sound, the Xiao family remained standing, and the servants who had previously neglected and looked down on their master were now all trembling with fear.

"Everyone, don't panic. The law doesn't punish everyone. No matter what mistakes you made before, they will all be wiped clean from today onwards! Moreover, when the Xiao family was in its most difficult time, you chose to stand with the Xiao family through thick and thin. Your loyalty and courage are witnessed by heaven and earth!"

Yuan Zhi curtsied and said, "I am here to thank you all."

"Young Madam, I am ashamed, I have failed you!"

"Young Madam, please don't do this, we can't accept it!"

……

Yuan Zhi sat down again. "The main reason I called everyone here today is to arrange the Double Ninth Festival banquet four days from now."

Luo Mei stepped forward and, following the young lady's instructions, distributed task cards to the managers of each area.

Yuan Zhi selected a few good swimmers and instructed them to stand guard by the pool, one every ten steps. Several of them were the ones who had sought evidence against Yuan Zhi the day before. The men looked at each other, feeling extremely embarrassed.

"I've said it before, the past is forgotten. This is just a job, not a personal revenge. But if you fail to perform your duties, I will punish you severely. Do you understand?"

Everyone said in unison, "Understood!"

Yuan Zhi rubbed her forehead. "Alright, everyone go and get busy."

Luo Mei massaged her temples, saying, "Miss, your injuries haven't healed yet. You're overworking yourself. You'll break down. Go back and rest."

"Success or failure hinges on this moment. We need to think it over again and see if there are any oversights."

At this moment, Granny Li came from the side and knelt down in front of Yuanzhi.

"Young mistress, this servant is guilty."

"Oh?"

Yuan Zhi became interested. "What crime have you committed?"

"I shouldn't have helped the second young master and plotted to frame the young mistress." Granny Li slapped herself. "I deserve to die!"

Now that the madam is bedridden and the second young master is reflecting on his mistakes behind closed doors, the young mistress holds absolute power in the Xiao family, and her word is law. If she were to oppose the young mistress again, she would be courting death!

Yuan Zhi blinked. "Tell me, what leverage does your uncle have over you?"

Li Mama said awkwardly, "Actually, it's not really a problem. It's my good-for-nothing daughter who slept with the second young master and is now two months pregnant. She refuses to abort the child and refuses to get married. She dreams of becoming the second young master's wife all day long."

“I had no choice but to beg the second young master, but he said my daughter was of lowly status and unworthy to be his wife. He said if I helped him steal the accounting key from the young mistress, he could consider taking my daughter as a concubine. I… I was confused for a moment, please forgive me, young mistress!”

Yuan Zhi slammed his fist on the table. "That bastard Xiao Shen, he doesn't do anything human!"

Why don't you tell your mother-in-law and ask her to seek justice for you?

Granny Li wept bitterly, "Madam values ​​ancestral precepts and will not allow the second young master to take a concubine. My daughter's status means she cannot be the principal wife. What good would it do for me to speak up?"

Yuan Zhi said irritably, "So, your conspiracy with your uncle will work? What if he takes the money and then goes back on his word?"

"Although the second young master is unruly, he keeps his word. Moreover, the madam dotes on him... If he insists on taking a concubine, the madam should agree."

"If you trust the second young master, why did you come all the way to me? Anyway, he'll be released soon, and then you can discuss your grand plans together. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Granny Li kowtowed, "This servant had absolutely no such intention!"

Yuan Zhi asked helplessly, "Then what do you mean? Are you afraid I'll harm you?"

Granny Li's voice was barely audible: "No, no."

Of course there are!

Yuan Zhi didn't intend to make things difficult for her; in fact, he wanted to lend a hand.

Granny Li is an old servant of my mother-in-law and enjoys her deep trust. If we can bring her under our wing, it's like planting an informant in the main courtyard, so we can know in advance about any trouble that may be brewing.

"Don't worry, I'm a person who respects the elderly and cares for the young. How could I be disrespectful to you, Granny? I just want to make a deal with you."

*

When Xiao Zong returned home after his shift, he saw Yuan Zhi kneeling on the ground with his palms outstretched, holding up a shiny sandalwood ruler.

What's going on here?

He didn't tell her to get up. Instead, he walked past her, untying the black iron arm bindings on her hands as he went.

With a clang, two iron lumps appeared on the table.

"the fat is in the fire?"

Xiao Zong poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and asked.

During the day, Yuanzhi saw craftsmen sawing wood and suddenly remembered the two daggers she had thrown into the lotus pond.

Those were his father-in-law's belongings, and Xiao Zong deliberately placed them in his bedroom so that he could easily remember him by looking at them.

She stabbed her father-in-law's son with his knife and threw his belongings into the pool. If Xiao Zong finds out, he will definitely kill her!

So she hurriedly found someone to retrieve the dagger and put it back in its place. Before Xiao Zong got angry, she first offered a apology and begged him to spare her life!

Yuan Zhi adjusted her kneeling posture and direction, and began to feign pitifulness.

“My husband, I confess, it was indeed I who stabbed my brother-in-law.”

Xiao Zong had almost forgotten about it, but now, when he recalled it, he could only remember her tearful eyes and her soft, warbling explanation.

"You lied to me yesterday when you said you didn't?"

"I mean I didn't seduce my uncle or stab him. I didn't have the strength to say more. So I don't think I'm deceiving my husband."

Xiao Zong toyed with his teacup. "Why did you hurt him?"

“He tried to steal the accounting key. When I refused, he started groping me. I had no choice but to do it to protect my innocence.”

The bottom of the cup touched the table, and Xiao Zong smiled.

"Why are you carrying a sharp weapon while walking around the inner quarters?"

Yuan Zhi pouted, "Isn't it all because of my husband! When news of your great achievements reached Shengjing, the whole house was in chaos. Those audacious servants were smashing, looting, burning, and harassing the women. If I didn't carry a knife to defend myself, did I expect my husband to come to my rescue?"

Xiao Zong's eyes suddenly dimmed. "I'm sorry, I didn't think this through properly and caused you a lot of worry."

Seeing that he was distressed, Yuan Zhi took the opportunity to confess to the remaining crimes.

"I don't blame my husband. Could you please be more magnanimous and not hold my mistake against me?"

"You stabbed Cheng Qi in self-defense, I won't blame you for that, get up."

Yuan Zhi didn't move, but cautiously glanced at him.

"I'm not talking about stabbing my uncle, but... the dagger that stabbed him..."

Xiao Zong's pupils contracted, as if he had thought of something. He got up, walked to the cabinet, and opened the door. Seeing that the two daggers were still there, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"You stabbed my brother with this knife?"

"……Um."

Seeing his gloomy expression, Yuan Zhi didn't dare mention throwing the knife into the water. Instead, he raised his arms, lowered his head, and showed remorse.

"My husband, I was wrong!"

Xiao Zong leaned against the cabinet, arms crossed, his voice leisurely.

"You're kneeling so far away, I can't even reach you to teach you a lesson. Come here."

Yuan Zhi chose to crawl on his knees or walk over.

In her past life, she was at least an Imperial Noble Consort. The fact that she knelt before him just now was already an immense favor!

When she was only half a step away from Xiao Zong, she squatted down again. Xiao Zong took the ruler from her hand at the right moment. She was so frightened that she closed her eyes tightly and forgot to kneel down.

After a long while, the ruler still hadn't fallen. Yuan Zhi opened her eyes slightly and saw that Xiao Zong had already sat back down on the stool, holding the ruler, staring at her with great interest.

"How did you..."

Ignorance is no excuse.

"Oh."

Yuan Zhi sat down next to him, fiddling with the two iron lumps.

Having failed to seduce him before, she felt a sense of defeat for the first time in her life. Xiao Zong and His Majesty were, after all, different.

Xiao Zong is not interested in women because he has Zheng Xiangxiang in his heart. Only by replacing that woman can she occupy his heart.

From now on, every step she takes, every movement she makes, and every word she utters will be a mimic of Zheng Xiangxiang. She refuses to believe that this won't win him over!

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, playing with his armband, Xiao Zong asked, "Do you like this?"

Yuan Zhi: "..."

She just wanted to play the role of a wooden beauty; sitting still would look silly, so she thought of finding something to play with. Did he mean Zheng Xiangxiang liked it?

She has to like it too!

Yuan Zhi picked it up and lifted it. "It's heavy, but it's quite pretty."

"So interested? I'll have them make a light one for you tomorrow!"

"...Thank you, my husband."

“This alone is not enough,” Xiao Zong threw down the ruler, got up and walked to the chest and cabinet. After rummaging through it for a while, he took out a black iron sword. “Try it.”

When Yuan Zhi took it, it was even heavier than the arm bindings!

The sword had barely left the table by two inches when Yuan Zhi lost her balance and it crashed down. Xiao Zong reacted quickly and caught it with his hand.

“It was my oversight. I’ll find you a short sword for women and also find you a female master.”

With martial arts skills at her disposal, she could deal with lecherous men like her brother and avoid being bullied.

Yuan Zhi waved his hands repeatedly, "No, no, I'm naturally weak and not cut out for martial arts, so let's forget about it!"