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

When Xiao Zong returned home that evening, he found a small tabby cat on his quilt, the same one he had seen on the Double Ninth Festival.

He touched it and asked Yuan Zhi, "How did you bring it here?"

Yuan Zhi said sadly, "Liu Rong injured the cat before he left, so I took it in and took care of it."

She knelt down beside him. "Today I sent people to look for Liu Rong, but they found that he has disappeared without a trace. Could you use the Leopard Guard's power to find out where he went?"

Xiao Zong touched her forehead. "No."

Last time, when he dispatched the Leopard Guard to search for her, he was reprimanded by His Majesty. Now, even finding a servant requires the mobilization of the guard. His position as commander has come to an end!

Yuan Zhi sighed, knowing it wouldn't work.

Xiao Zong changed the subject, "However, it's not that we can't discuss it. I can send my men to help you find it."

"What about the conditions?"

"My blanket has been taken. Madam, please allow me to share the bed with you tonight. I'll have my men inquire about it for you, how about that?"

Yuan Zhi gestured above the cat, "It's so small, how much space can it take up? There's so much room next to it, isn't that enough for you to sleep?"

Xiao Zong's dark eyes held a sly glint. "I don't have the habit of sleeping with cats. Besides, what if I'm a restless sleeper and roll over on it? You'd be ready to fight me, wouldn't you?"

Yuan Zhi glanced at the cat, then at him. The size difference was too great, which did indeed pose a potential problem.

"I can agree to that, but I have a condition."

"tell me the story."

She held up three fingers. "Three days is the limit. If Dou Zhao doesn't bring back any news within three days, you can forget about ever getting into my bed again!"

He straightened her fingers, gave her a high five, and said, "It's a deal!"

Yuan Zhi was satisfied and had the kitchen send over dinner. The two ate together and then prepared to take a bath.

Seeing her enter the cubicle, Xiao Zong followed her in.

Yuan Zhi turned around upon hearing the voice, "This is my bathtub, yours is next door."

"I know." He approached inch by inch. "It's just that doing this every day not only wastes water, but the servants are also likely to complain. Madam is thrifty and hardworking, so why don't we wash together?"

Yuan Zhi's lower back slammed against the outer wall of the wooden tub, leaving her nowhere to retreat. She turned the tables, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a kiss.

Xiao Zong was moved and pursued her relentlessly. As he removed his clothes, a jade-like arm stretched out and lay across his chest. He slowly opened his eyes and met her smiling gaze, only then realizing he had been tricked.

"No?"

She drew a circle on his heart. "When I asked the adults to help me find someone, they made excuses and even made conditions. This is my biggest bargaining chip, so of course it has to be an equal exchange, otherwise I'll lose out."

"what do you want?"

"I haven't decided yet, so please wait a little longer, my husband. I will come to your door whenever I need you."

She pushed Xiao Zong out, saying, "The water has been prepared today, we can't waste it, husband, go quickly!"

Xiao Zong leaned against the door, cursing himself for being ungrateful.

Before, when people threw themselves at you, you were afraid of this and worried about that, keeping them at arm's length. Now that you're shamelessly getting close, they've held a grudge and are no longer willing to accept it.

Xiao Congyun, you deserve it!

The water clock has run out of water, and the east is already white.

Xiao Zong went to court early in the morning. Yuan Zhi stretched and got up to get dressed.

The little tabby cat was able to eat today, so Yuanzhi handed it over to Chen Qing, ordered someone to clean the room, and went to the restaurant with Luomei.

The workers hadn't seen their boss for two days and had been slacking off, so they were unusually attentive to her when she arrived today.

Yuan Zhi instructed them that the guests arriving on the fifth day of the lunar new year would be distinguished guests, and they must be extra vigilant and serve them with utmost care.

She walked around the building and decided that she should hire a few more maids to entertain the female relatives.

Without hesitation, she found a matchmaker and selected several pretty maids with good looks and well-proportioned figures. After instructing them on the rules, she explained the points to note and practiced with the other maids twice.

Afterwards, Yuanzhi asked the kitchen to prepare several delicious dishes, and the group sat down to eat and drink.

The man who had advised her on matters of love that day was a "well-informed" fellow. Now, after drinking, he began to recount the secrets of various mansions in Shengjing with great eloquence.

Have you heard about the murder case at the Xiao family residence?

"It's all over Shengjing City, who doesn't know? They say that two of Lord Xiao's concubines were fighting for his favor, and one of them stabbed the other to death!"

Luo Mei lifted her buttocks off the stool, trying to stop them from talking nonsense, but Yuan Zhi quickly pressed her back down and shook his head at her.

She concealed her identity because she didn't want to put too much pressure on everyone. If they knew she was Xiao Zong's wife, the reputation of the Leopard Guard would scare them away!

"What do you mean stabbed to death? You're mistaken, it was strangled to death!"

A maid asked, "Isn't it said that the Xiao family has a rule that descendants cannot take concubines?"

"A maidservant is not a concubine! Besides, rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Didn't Young Master Xiao take a concubine?"

The man said, "You've got the point wrong. I think there's more to this than meets the eye."

The others asked curiously, "What's the secret?"

“A very important person is missing here.”

"Who?"

The waiter slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Xiao Zong's wife! It's said that she's incredibly beautiful, with a graceful figure and stunning looks!"

He pointed at Yuan Zhi and said, "If you can't imagine it, you can refer to our boss."

Everyone looked at Yuan Zhi, who was listening with great interest, peeling melon seeds as he asked, "And then? Keep going!"

The waiter clasped his hands in a fist salute, jumped onto a stool, and began to speak with great enthusiasm, as if surveying the world: "Heroes love beauties. Ever since Lord Xiao acquired his beautiful wife, he has completely forgotten about his two maids. These two have no official status, no children, and have lost favor. How could they not harbor resentment?"

"You think that the two of them were causing trouble for Madam Xiao, and that Madam Xiao discovered it and plotted to make them kill each other?"

The waiter waved his hand, "Such a vicious plan could not possibly have been conceived by Madam Xiao. It must have been Lord Xiao who did it on purpose to win a smile from his beauty."

Yuan Zhi laughed when she heard this; Xiao Zong's reputation was just too bad!

After calming down for a moment, she asked, "Wasn't the surviving maid handed over to the authorities? What was the verdict?"

"The trial hasn't even started yet, but I heard that Lord Xiao personally sent someone to deliver the evidence. He's definitely going to be beheaded!"

Yuan Zhi rested her chin on her hand. Xiao Zong truly lived up to his reputation as the commander of the Leopard Guard; he even managed to find evidence that had been destroyed.

Wait, could it be a fake?

A chill ran down her spine. What if she angered him one day? Wouldn't it be easy for him to take her life?

No, she has to cling to the county magistrate's coattails and quickly cultivate a force that can rival him in order to ensure her safety!

Seeing her face turn pale and then red, Luo Mei asked, "Is Miss feeling unwell?"

"I do not……"

Before he could finish speaking, the door was suddenly kicked open with a bang. The waiter thought he had encountered a rogue and grabbed a stool to smash it, but unexpectedly, a middle-aged woman walked in.

Yuan Zhi never expected to see his stepmother here.

"How did you come?"

With her left thumb pinching the web of her right hand, as if she had made a great decision, Wei knelt down before Yuan Zhi.

"I have come here to ask you for a favor."

Yuan Zhi unconsciously frowned, waved for the others to disperse, and walked upstairs with her back to her.

"follow me."