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

Yuan Zhi stared coldly at Yuan Ying.

In her previous life, Yuan Ying didn't want to serve the old emperor, so she conspired with her stepmother, saying that as long as she was willing to participate in the selection of imperial concubines on her behalf, her mother's memorial tablet would be allowed to enter the ancestral hall.

She entered the palace as promised, but they not only failed to keep their promise, they also destroyed all of her mother's belongings, leaving her with nothing.

Since God has given her a second chance at life, she will never let tragedy repeat itself.

This time, she's going to retaliate in kind!

"What nonsense are you spouting? How could I possibly know anything about the Xiao family or your husband? What are you up to by smearing my unmarried sister!"

Yuan Ying's secret was exposed, her face turned red, and she stubbornly tried to argue.

On the day of the betrothal ceremony at the Xiao family residence, she caught a glimpse of Xiao Zong from afar. He was handsome and had an extraordinary bearing, which captivated her at first sight.

Such a handsome and powerful man could be considered one of the best sons-in-law in Shengjing City.

How could someone like that fall for Yuan Zhi, a lowly child born of a concubine!

Yuan Zhi pressed, "If you don't understand, how do you know I'm not favored by my husband? Did you plant spies in the Xiao residence, or did you overhear from behind a wall?"

Yuan Pu observed the expressions of his two daughters: one was blushing and feeling guilty, while the other remained calm and composed. He could tell at a glance who had ulterior motives.

If word gets out that the elder sister is coveting her younger sister's husband, what will become of the Yuan family's reputation?

His voice was icy: "Ying'er, answer your sister's question."

"me……"

Yuan Ying's mind was in a daze, and she was at a loss for words.

“Master, it must have been a servant spreading rumors that Ying’er overheard. As you know, Ying’er is always clumsy with words but soft-hearted. She just wanted to care about Fifth Miss, but the words just came out wrong.”

Madam Yuan defended her daughter, and after speaking, she pinched her daughter's arm again.

Yuan Ying realized what was happening and said, "Yes, Father, I heard it from someone else and just wanted to ask Fifth Sister."

"You! Of all the virtues, words, skills, and appearance, you only have your looks."

Yuan Pu was exasperated. "Stop making a fool of yourself here. Go back to your room and copy 'Admonitions for Women' ten times. Bring it over tomorrow; I want to check it!"

"Okay, Daddy."

Yuan Ying readily agreed, and as she turned around, she gave Yuan Zhi a provocative glance.

It was just ten chapters of "Admonitions for Women," which she had her maid do for her.

"and many more."

Yuan Zhi called out to her.

Yuan Ying turned around, "Are you ever going to stop? Dad's already sent a message..."

Snapped--

Yuan Zhi slapped him across the face.

"what!"

The slap was extremely forceful, and Yuan Ying fell to the ground, covering her face and staring at Yuan Zhi in disbelief.

"You dare to hit me?"

"I hit him, how was it?"

Yuan Zhi shook her arm; this was the first time she had done it herself, and it hurt a little, but it felt good.

The Yuan couple were stunned; they never expected Yuan Zhi to dare to hit someone in front of them.

Yuan Pu said sternly, "Xiao Wu, your sister may have spoken inappropriately, but there is an order of seniority. As the younger sister, how could you hit your older sister?"

"Of course she deserved to be hit!"

Seeing that they were about to start arguing, the other family members offered token words of advice, "Don't be impulsive, talk it out."

After saying that, he led his wife and children to hide in the back room, clearing out the space for the family to do as they pleased.

Yuan Zhi looked at her father and said, "Fourth Sister has repeatedly failed to correct her ways, yet you continue to indulge her. If you do not restrain her, she will suffer the consequences of her words one day, and the Yuan family will be in trouble. It will be too late to regret it then!"

"That's none of your business to lecture me!" Madam Yuan helped Yuan Ying up. "Who do you think you are, daring to hit my daughter?"

She raised her hand to hit back, but Luo Mei intercepted her and grabbed her wrist.

"This servant advises Madam to stop. Miss is now the Commander's wife. If you slap her like that, it would be an act of insubordination. Have you thought about the consequences?"

Yuan Pu's face darkened. "Luo Mei, release the madam!"

Luo Mei let go, but Madam Yuan persisted.

"Master, look at this pair of bullying masters and servants!"

Yuan Pu was certainly angry, but he dared not go against Xiao Zong.

Unable to rely on her husband, Madam Yuan turned her attention to other matters.

“Yuanzhi, you’re using Xiao Zong’s name to bully others outside. Aren’t you afraid he’ll come back and settle accounts with you?”

Yuan Zhi looked at Yuan Ying, who was cowering behind Madam Yuan like a quail, and felt extremely happy.

“My husband is in charge of maintaining order in the capital. He despises Fourth Sister the most for being someone who believes everything she hears and spreads rumors. Today, I will teach Fourth Sister a lesson on behalf of my husband. He will only be happy to hear this, so why would he punish me?”

“If Mother feels this slap wasn’t enough, I can ask my husband to have my sister go to the Leopard Guard. They have all sorts of remedies there; we can try them all, and surely one of them will work for my sister’s ailment. I guarantee the medicine will be effective and the illness will be cured.”

Madam Yuan's face suddenly turned pale, but she retorted defiantly, "How could Xiao Zong, a dignified commander, take a young lady's joke seriously? You're just exaggerating and trying to scare people!"

"My mother thought the rumors were just a joke, but little did she know that rumors could spread like wildfire and cause a bloodbath in an instant."

Yuan Zhi gave examples: "Five years ago, there was the Chengyi Earl's rebellion case; three years ago, there was the case of the human pig bride; and there was also the late Empress Dowager..."

"Xiao Wu!"

Yuan Zhi was speaking so enthusiastically that he forgot to be discreet, but fortunately his father stopped him in time.

Yuan Zhi coughed lightly to cover it up, then continued, "Which of these cases didn't start with a rumor? And which one wasn't handled by the Leopard Guard?"

"Fourth Sister can't distinguish right from wrong and speaks without restraint. One day, the Leopard Guard's knife will be at her neck."

Yuan Ying hesitated, "Aren't you the Commander's wife?"

"You want me to plead for you? What a fool you are!"

Yuan Zhi lowered her eyes, her smile unusually cold.

"I'm putting this out there today: fortune and misfortune have no fixed gate; they are summoned by oneself. If you can't learn to be careful with your words and actions, then you'll have to bear the consequences yourself!"

Madam Yuan, being a worldly woman, was not afraid of her threats.

"You want to stand idly by? But when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. The Yuan family has fallen; do you think you can escape?"

Yuan Pu couldn't stand such words.

"Alright, shut up! On such a joyous day, how dare you say such unlucky things!" Yuan Pu was so angry that he blew his beard and glared. "Madam, take Ying'er to rest!"

"Yes."

Madam Yuan dared not disobey her husband when he was angry, so she withdrew with her daughter.

Turning the corner, Yuan Ying's eyes turned sinister. "Mother, rest assured, I will repay Yuan Zhi a hundredfold or a thousandfold for the humiliation we suffered today!"

Madam Yuan stroked her daughter's face, "Ying'er, there's no need to worry. No matter how arrogant Yuan Zhi is, she's only married to a third-rank official. Without an imperial title, she's nothing!"

“You are the eldest daughter of the Yuan family and the granddaughter of the Marquis of Yingchuan. Your status is noble, and you will certainly not marry worse than her. I will find a way to choose the best husband in the world for my Ying’er.”

Yuan Ying smiled sweetly, "Thank you, Mother. I knew it! You're the best to me!"

Main hall.

Yuanzhi and his father sat facing each other, neither willing to say a word of remorse.

Several uncles and aunts came out from the back room to ease the atmosphere. Yuanzhi chatted with them for a while, and then went to the courtyard where her mother had lived.

Learning from her past life's lessons, Yuan Zhi carefully collected her mother's belongings early on. Some were taken to the Xiao family mansion, while others were locked in a wooden box covered with iron and left in the Yuan family.

She opened the box and checked it over, finding nothing missing, then locked it again.

His gaze wandered around and finally landed on his mother's bed, where the bedding was soft and warm, as if still retaining his mother's body temperature.

She slowly lay down, her head touching the pillow, when suddenly she felt something hard against it.

Something's there?!