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

Xiao Zong took out the dagger he always carried and began to shave while answering her questions.

"Yan Qiao is thriving in the Maritime Trade Office. He wrote to me asking me to keep an eye on Feng Quan and Xu Muxin and not allow them to get married. This is my thank-you gift."

Su Zhi opened her eyes wide and asked, "Can you eat it?"

"Yes, it's said to be made in Frankish-style. I thought you haven't had much of an appetite lately, so I specially asked him to bring you some new stuff."

"My husband, you are so good to me."

Su Zhi opened her arms to hug him, but Xiao Zong quickly dodged, "Watch out for the knife!"

The woman withdrew her hand, puffing out her cheeks and crossing her arms. "You wouldn't even accept a woman throwing herself at you, you're really a saint!"

Xiao Zong got up and walked to the table, took out the fruit from the fruit plate, and put the pineapple in. He thoughtfully cut the fruit into small pieces, then carried the plate back to the bedside.

"Eat."

Su Zhi picked up a piece and ate it in small bites. She saw Xiao Zong turn around and leave, seemingly engrossed in something.

The pineapple was very sour. When I was eating my second slice, Xiao Zong came back, carrying a broom and a dustpan.

Without a word, the man started cleaning. Seeing how diligent he was, Su Zhi found the fruit in her hands exceptionally delicious, and she ate most of it in no time.

After cleaning the floor, Xiao Zong washed his hands and walked slowly into the inner room.

Suddenly, a cry of surprise rang out, and he turned from walking to running, rushing to Su Zhi's side.

"what happened?"

My mouth hurts.

Why does your mouth hurt?

"I don't know, but it really hurts. Could this fruit be poisonous?"

Xiao Zong was shocked and hurriedly went out to call for help.

Chu Jiuchuan and several elders rushed over upon hearing the commotion. They were displeased to see Xiao Zong breaking into their boudoir at night. However, Su Zhi's safety was more important at the moment, so they walked past him and went inside.

Master Chu, being well-informed, said that pineapples should be soaked in salt water before eating, otherwise they would sting your mouth.

Fortunately, it was just a false alarm. After the crowd scolded the two of them a few times, they dispersed.

Xiao Zong and Yuan Zhi looked at each other, initially a little embarrassed, then both burst into laughter.

The two secretly carried on their affair until their wedding day.

The Chu family had many members, including some who served in the same court as Xiao Zong. They held hands and blocked the groom outside the door, forcing him to compose a poem to urge him to get ready for the wedding.

Xiao Zong had known they had this trick up their sleeve, so he invited a scholar from the Imperial Academy to come and challenge them. However, no matter how many poems he wrote, these young men just wouldn't give way.

He gave Dou Zhao a wink, and the other nodded, leading the Leopard Guards forward to escort the young men aside.

Xiao Zong moved as if he were in an empty house, cheerfully directing his men to scatter lucky money as they made their way to the backyard.

Xu Muxin and Chu Lanyin stood in front of the door, arms crossed, staring at him.

"The bride is getting ready, Lord Xiao, please wait a moment!"

Xiao Zong could tell from their expressions that they were lying, so he took out some lucky money and tossed it to them.

“I spend every day with my child. Whether she is dressed up or not, she is the most beautiful woman in the world. Please make an exception and let me in.”

Chu Lanyin retorted, "Of course, a woman should be the most beautiful woman in the world when she gets married. How can I feel at ease letting my sister marry you when my brother-in-law is so clueless about romance!"

Xiao Zong clasped his hands in a fist and said, "It was my fault, but I promise that I will cherish and love her from now on and never let her suffer the slightest grievance!"

Luo Mei emerged from the house, carrying an incense burner with a smoldering incense stick stuck in it.

“Miss said that vows of eternal love are useless, let’s do something practical. The young master is a martial artist, so he should be able to do a horse stance without any problem. The time limit is the burning of an incense stick. If he can do it, she will go with you.”

Dou Zhao whispered, "Master, it's actually quite simple!"

Xiao Zong grunted in agreement, got into position, and began practicing his horse stance.

However, it wasn't long before they discovered that something had been added to the incense stick, making it burn extremely slowly.

Dou Zhao and the others kept blowing on it, but after a quarter of an hour, the incense hadn't even burned halfway.

Xiao Zong pretended to rub his leg and gestured to his brothers. The group then pulled the two women in front of the door to help the commander enter the house.

The door was suddenly pushed open, and Su Zhi, hearing the sound, looked towards the door with a smile.

Her bright red wedding dress accentuated her rosy cheeks, and a tassel dangled from her jeweled headdress, swaying gently as she looked up, making her appear like a celestial fairy.

"My husband made me wait a long time."

Xiao Zong's throat was dry. He strode over, cupped her cheeks, and tried to draw some sweet dew from her.

Su Zhi pressed her finger against his lips, "Don't be reckless."

She had applied lip rouge; if he ate it, even if she reapplied her makeup, the people outside the door might still notice. After so many days of fooling around, she couldn't afford to lose face on their wedding day.

Xiao Zong hugged her and took a deep breath.

"It can really be torture."

Fearing they would miss the auspicious time, the people outside knocked on the door to urge them on.

Xiao Zong released her hand and, amidst Su Zhi's exclamation, carried her out the door.

The Marquis of Changping's family was wealthy and powerful, and out of a sense of compensation, the dowry stretched across an entire street. The common people craned their necks to watch the spectacle and received a considerable amount of money as a reward.

The wedding procession arrived at the new house in a grand procession. After receiving the kowtows of the newlyweds and having a meal, Madam Qin returned to the Xiao residence with her daughter.

Xiao Rong twisted her belt, feeling extremely depressed.

If the mother and sister-in-law can get along well, the eldest brother won't need to take his sister-in-law to the new house, and their family won't be separated.

And then there's my second brother. Ever since he learned about his sister-in-law's background, he's been acting like a madman, constantly beating and verbally abusing Aunt Zhang. My mother couldn't bear to see Zhang Hui suffer, so she sent her away from the mansion. When my second brother found out, he almost fought with my mother, but luckily my eldest brother stopped him.

At today's banquet, many noblewomen whispered among themselves, discussing the scandals of the Xiao family. Baili Yi's mother sat among them, listening to the entire affair with a somber expression.

Xiao Rong let out a sigh of relief. She was terrified of being jilted by the Baili family, and the whole meal had been filled with anxiety. Fortunately, afterward, Baili Yi came to find her and reassured her.

Knowing that her daughter was upset, Qin held Xiao Rong's hand and offered a few words of comfort.

She used to favor one over the other; if she had known this would happen, why did she have to love that wretched Xiao Shen so much!

Yun is her only support, and it is all because of her foolishness that she has created this irreversible situation.

Ugh!

The new house was still bustling with activity. After a while of making merry in the bridal chamber, Xiao Zong saw that his wife was sleepy, so he kicked his brothers out.

Su Zhi needed to bathe every day to fall asleep. Xiao Zong helped her remove her hairpins and asked softly, "Would you like to take a bath?"

The woman could barely open her eyes, but she still nodded.

Xiao Zong had hot water prepared and, seeing that Su Zhi was trying to hold on, gently rubbed her long hair.

"Go to sleep if you're tired, I'll help you take a bath."

Normally, Su Zhi would blush and refuse, but she was too sleepy today, as if she had been granted a pardon, and she fell asleep in his arms.

After Xiao Zong finished washing her, he carried her back to bed and went to take a shower next door.

Unexpectedly, just as she was halfway through washing, Dou Zhao knocked on the door from the outside and said that Consort Zheng was about to give birth.

Xiao Zong dried himself off, put on his robe, opened the door, and said to Dou Zhao:

"Send men to keep an eye on the Eastern Depot. If anyone mentions Xing'er, silence them immediately! Also, contact your spies in the palace to ensure Consort Zheng's safe delivery!"