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

Matsukaze-in, the backyard.

The man cornered Gu Yu against the wall, his large hands almost crushing her shoulders.

"Didn't you say they were having marital problems? Tonight, the young master personally carried the young mistress back. What if the young mistress brings up what happened last night? Do we think we'll survive?"

"Scared now? Last night when you were making love with me, you said, 'To die under the peony flower is to die a romantic death!'"

Gu Yu looked at him with disgust. "If it weren't for your similar build to the young master, do you think I would have chosen you? Coward, get out of here!"

Gu Yu pushed him away and walked towards the front yard. She had served the young master for so many years. Could the young master really kill her over such a trivial matter?

Ultimately, it's all Yuan Zhi's fault, that stupid woman who managed to get herself half-dead at the banquet!

If she did it on purpose, trying to play the victim to get the young master's sympathy, then she's a despicable woman. If it wasn't intentional, it means there are plenty of people who want her dead, and she can simply reap the benefits.

As the end of the month approaches, the osmanthus flowers are still in full bloom.

On the Double Ninth Festival, Yuan Zhi kissed the young master under this tree, while she could only stand behind the moon gate, weeping alone.

With a mighty swipe, Gu Yu unleashed a shower of petals, their lingering fragrance enveloping her like a haunting ghost. Her face contorted in rage, she imagined the fallen blossoms as the face of that woman, and stomped on them.

A figure slowly approached from behind, its footsteps barely audible...

After Yuan Zhi finished drinking the medicine, seeing that Xiao Zong had saved her life and was so considerate, her anger from the past few days subsided somewhat.

Since everything has been said and they will eventually divorce, she doesn't need to cling to him.

Xiao Zong is a normal man, and he is in the prime of his life. He knows Gu Yu very well, so it is understandable that he couldn't control himself for a moment.

She is still the matriarch of the Xiao family and should manage the household affairs well for Xiao Zong.

After thinking it over, she said generously, "Since my husband and Guyu have already consummated their marriage, I would like to elevate her status. What do you think, my husband?"

Luo Mei cried out urgently, "Miss, how could you..."

Xiao Zong raised his hand to stop Luo Mei, "Don't speak yet." He glanced at the sick beauty on the bed, "I apologize for offending you a few days ago, but Gu Yu is a pure and innocent young lady, you must not slander her reputation."

Yuan Zhi straightened up and said indignantly, "I thought you were upright and honest. How can you deny taking Gu Yu's body?"

"You even accused me of slandering her! I heard you two in the room last night... with my own ears. You even had her tell me to wait for you at the gate at Shenshi today. Wasn't that what you said?"

Xiao Zong's forehead veins throbbed. "That was indeed what I said, but I had a case with the Leopard Guard yesterday, so I didn't go back to the manor. The message was relayed to me by one of the Leopard Guard's men."

"I interrogated prisoners all night last night, how could I have time to have fun with Gu Yuxing? If you're going to frame me, you should at least come up with a plausible reason!"

Seeing that his words and actions didn't seem fake, Yuan Zhi still asked with unease, "Really?"

“Dou Zhao was with me last night. If you don’t believe him, the entire Leopard Guard can testify to that.”

Yuan Zhi felt a little better, but then she thought, "Wait a minute!"

Xiao Zong spent the night at the Leopard Guard, so who was it that he had slept with Gu Yu?!

She grabbed his arm. "I believe you, but what I said wasn't entirely untrue. Last night, I went to your room and saw the shadows of a man and a woman reflected in the gauze curtains. Gu Yu told me that the woman was definitely her. But who was the man...?"

Xiao Zong's face was clouded with gloom. Yuan Zhi would not joke about such a thing. Gu Yu was always respectful and cautious. How could she do something so outrageous!

"Luomei, go and call Guyu."

"Yes, son-in-law!"

Luo Mei was finally able to punish Gu Yu, that little brat!

In the side room, Yuan Zhi and Xiao Zong looked at each other, awkwardly unsure of what to do. She lowered her head, her fingers fiddling with his wide sleeves.

Xiao Zong withdrew the sleeve that had been resting on her. "Weren't you quite imposing just now? Why are you embarrassed now?"

Yuan Zhi muttered, "How can a grown man like you be so petty?"

"Comparable to Madam Xiao's magnanimity, who took the initiative to arrange for her husband to take a concubine. If the men in Shengjing heard about this, they would all envy me for having such a virtuous wife!"

"Xiao Zong! Haven't you mocked me enough?!"

"No!" He gripped her round shoulder with his right hand. "Yuanzhi, listen to this! You may be magnanimous, but I am not. If you dare to get close to Feng Quan again, I will find a way to transfer him out of the capital!"

Yuan Zhi was speechless. Feng Quan was someone the county princess had taken a liking to. She had only used him. How could it be that in Xiao Zong's eyes, the two of them seemed to have a secret affair?

Besides, Lord Feng is the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, a fourth-rank official. He is only one rank higher than Feng Quan. What right does Lord Feng have to transfer him?

“I’m not even friends with Lord Feng. I asked him for help just to deal with you! If you would allow me to leave the manor and not prevent me from associating with the county princess, why would I need to get close to him?”

Xiao Zong pinched her cheek. "You still have the nerve to talk back? Who am I doing this for?"

Yuan Zhi retorted, "For the Xiao family, of course. You mean for me?"

"Aren't you a member of the Xiao family?"

Yuan Zhi was taken aback. That's right, she was also a member of the Xiao family!

However, Yuan Zhi is the kind of person who will argue even when he is in the wrong, and it is impossible for him to admit his mistake.

"Well... if you hadn't brought me to the Leopard Guard, would I have been scared? If I hadn't been scared, why would I have been going against you at every turn! And that day, you actually tried to force yourself on me, is that the behavior of a gentleman?"

As Xiao Zong stared at her snow-white skin, he couldn't help but feel aroused when he thought of the beautiful scenery he saw when he carried her out of the wooden house.

"Who told you I'm a gentleman?"

Yuan Zhi blushed when she saw his gaze fall on her.

After returning to the manor, Luo Mei wiped her down with ice water. Now, apart from her undergarments, she was only wearing a light green gauze cover-up, so light and transparent that it was almost invisible.

She pulled the blanket from the foot of the bed over herself and said, "Don't look!"

Xiao Zong smiled, turned his back, lifted her blanket, and braced himself against the bed with his hands.

"The doctor said you inhaled too much heat and need to let it dissipate. Don't cover yourself up. I won't see him."

Yuan Zhi grabbed his neck from behind, "I think you've already seen it all, so you don't care anymore, right?"

Xiao Zong used a counter-grappling technique to bring her in front of him, and looked her up and down. "With such beauty before me, who could resist? I do wish to stay here tonight. I wonder if Madam would be so kind as to take me in?"

Yuan Zhi shook her head, "I don't have the strength to serve my husband tonight, you should go back to your own room!"

"My bed was soiled by the maid, so I just wanted to sleep on the floor in Madam's room. What are you thinking, Madam?"

"You're making fun of me!" Yuan Zhi punched him. "Speaking of which, why did you make Gu Yu change the bedding the day I moved to the west wing? Did you think I was dirty?"

Xiao Zong pinched her waist, "What are you thinking about all day long! I was worried that seeing that bed would remind me of you and make me so angry that I couldn't sleep, so I asked her to change it."

"Okay, I forgive you."