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

Yuan Rou was momentarily dazed and clutched her skirt tightly.

"Yuan Rou is so delicate and frail, I never expected there would be someone who resembles me. What a great coincidence! Where is this woman now?"

Xiao Zong's gaze darkened. "This woman is suspected of impersonation. I arrested her and she's locked up in the Leopard Guard prison."

Yuan Rou's smile faltered. "What does brother-in-law plan to do with her?"

"Sixth Sister seems to care about her a lot."

"It was just a casual question. If it involves official business, brother-in-law, please pretend you didn't hear it and don't need to reply to me."

Xiao Zong twirled his thumb ring. "There's nothing I can't say. She was tortured and confessed to the mastermind. According to the laws of Daqi, after the court hearing, she will probably be sent to the quarry to serve her sentence."

Yuan Rou's eyelashes trembled. "The quarry is hard and tiring. How can a girl like her endure it?"

Xiao Zong sighed, "Yes! Five years in prison, I don't even know if she'll come out alive! If she had turned back sooner, she wouldn't have ended up like this."

Yuan Rou's lips were pale, and her heart was pounding like a drum. "Have you caught the mastermind you just mentioned?"

“No, she escaped.” Xiao Zong’s expression was solemn. “Speaking of which, the mastermind’s name is very similar to my sixth sister’s name, Jiang Rou.”

Jiang Rou, having been manipulated by the couple, could no longer keep up the act and said in despair, "You two don't need to test me anymore. I am Jiang Rou, and Jiang Xin is my sister."

Just as Xiao Zong was about to ask more questions, Yuan Pu's voice suddenly came from outside.

"What brings you and your son-in-law to the estate?"

Yuanzhi saw his father and bowed respectfully, saying, "Father."

Xiao Zong cupped his hands in greeting, "Father-in-law!"

Jiang Rou's identity was exposed, and she didn't know whether she should worship or not, so she nodded slightly.

Yuan Pu walked to the official's hat chair and said, "Get up, everyone."

Yuan Zhi glanced at the sky and asked, "Is the court dismissing so early today?"

Yuan Pu straightened his clothes. "I'm not feeling well today, so I asked the yamen for leave. Just now, the servants bought some fruits and vegetables, and thinking that Rou'er was lacking food and clothing here, they brought some over with the servants."

"Father loves Sixth Sister so much, why doesn't he bring her home and instead raise her on the estate?"

"It's all because of your mother. She absolutely refused to accept Rou'er, so your father had no choice but to settle her here. Your sister is in poor health, and this secluded estate is quiet and undisturbed, which is perfect for your sister to recuperate."

Yuan Pu glanced at Yuan Zhi and Xiao Zong, "Don't just talk about me, what are you two doing here?"

"We've come here to..."

Xiao Zong, not wanting to beat around the bush any longer, interrupted Yuan Zhi and said directly, "The Leopard Guard took on a case of impersonation. Someone confessed that the real culprit is named Jiang Rou. We found this place based on that person's confession and learned that Sixth Sister's original name was Jiang Rou."

Yuan Pu waved his hand, "Impossible, impossible, it must be someone with the same name."

Xiao Zong did not accept his explanation. "The confession is written in black and white. How can it be faked? Otherwise, let Sixth Sister tell us what her name was and where she lived before she came to the manor."

"The person who confessed is malicious; she might have been sent by my wife who shared my hardships! She knows that Rou'er's birth mother's surname is Jiang, and she's jealous because of my past romantic affairs, so she orchestrated this whole thing!"

"Whether it's true or false, I'll have to investigate before I know. Jiang Rou has to come with me."

Yuan Pu's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. "Zhi'er, your husband is disrespecting his father like this, and you just stand by and watch?"

Yuan Zhi said indifferently, "My husband is doing this on official business, and I dare not interfere. If you, sister, are of good character, what's wrong with going to the Leopard Guard? With me watching over them, I doubt they would dare to use torture!"

"The Leopard Guard is a den of dragons and tigers. If your sister goes in, her reputation will be ruined. How will she ever get married?"

Xiao Zongdao said, "Father-in-law, you can rest assured. I will strictly order my subordinates to keep this a secret and will not harm Sixth Sister's reputation."

Yuan Pu sat down with his back to him. "I don't trust you, and I don't trust your men. In short, I will not let you take the person away!"

Yuan Zhi could tell from his expression that he was feeling guilty.

"This won't work, that won't work, is it someone else's fault, or is it Father's own problem? Let's stop beating around the bush and tell me honestly, is she a daughter of the Yuan family?"

Yuan Pu's gaze darted away, and he said in a low voice, "I did this for the sake of the Yuan family. Your eldest sister and second sister's husband's families are both ordinary people. Ying'er entered the Imperial Clan Court. Among your sisters, you are the one who married better."

But what good would that do? With your husband's temperament, could he help your third brother pass the imperial examinations, or help him revitalize the Yuan family? You and I both know it's impossible. Therefore, I can only use the Emperor's selection of concubines as an opportunity to place my own people into the palace. Only in this way can the Yuan family prosper and endure!

Yuan Zhi said sternly, "You are simply unreasonable! Allowing a courtesan to impersonate a respectable person and enter the palace—once this is exposed, you, me, and the entire Yuan family will be in trouble! I thought only Yuan Ying could cause such a disaster, how come Father has become just as stupid as her?!"

"You... is this how you talk to your father?" Yuan Pu said, his finger trembling as he pointed at her.

"This is how I talk to idiots!"

"you!"

Yuan Pu stood up abruptly and slapped him, but Xiao Zong was quick-witted and grabbed his wrist, forcefully throwing him onto a chair.

"With me here, no one can touch her!"

"It's none of your business how I discipline my daughter!"

Xiao Zong's eyes were cold. "What business is it of yours if I'm protecting my wife?"

Yuan Pu was furious. "Child, do you really want to offend your father for his sake?"

Yuan Zhi hugged Xiao Zong's arm, "A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl. Father, you understand!"

Yuan Pu tore off his mask of hypocrisy and roared, "This is the Yuan family home! How dare you come and go as you please? If you want to take people away from here, you'll have to kill me! Guards, stop them!"

The servants, who had been waiting outside for a long time, rushed in with sticks in hand and surrounded the two men.

Xiao Zong shielded Yuan Zhi behind him, kicked one of them over, snatched his stick, and quickly wiped out the rest.

He grabbed Yuan Zhi, made Jiang Rou follow, and the three of them dashed out the door!

A group of servants and laborers surrounded them, swarming in, some with sickles, some with hoes, and some with kitchen knives, waving them around haphazardly.

These people couldn't withstand Xiao Zong's punches, and Yuan Zhi told him to hold back and not to actually hurt anyone.

"rest assured."

Xiao Zong uttered two words and rushed into the crowd.

He was so restrained that he almost got hurt by his servants.

Yuan Zhi saw this and was anxious. He turned back to the flower hall and walked straight towards Yuan Pu.

Seeing her murderous aura, Yuan Pu said in fear, "What do you want to do? I'm your father!"

"When you put the Yuan family on the hot seat, did you ever think that you were my father? As a father and husband, you've really failed miserably!"

She quickly picked up the teacup, tapped it on the edge of the table, and the cup shattered in two.

She held one of the pieces against Yuan Pu's neck, saying, "If Father won't let us go, why don't we leave with him? We can look after each other!"