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

As the weather turned cooler, Luo Mei replaced the bed curtains with thick, warm, gold-flecked silk, which was not only airtight but also prevented light from getting through the windows.

Yuan Zhi sat up, clutching the quilt, feeling weak and sore all over. It was dark all around, and he had no idea what day it was.

With slender, delicate fingers, she lifted the curtain and called out in a hoarse voice, "Luo Mei."

After calling three times, Luo Mei finally heard it, pushed open the door, and filed in with her maids.

She walked to the bedside, hung the curtains on the gold hooks, and smiled like a flower.

"We'll help Miss bathe and wash up first. The food is warming up on the stove; you can eat as soon as it's ready."

Yuan Zhi took a couple of sips of the almond syrup she had brought, and her throat felt a little better. She asked, "What time is it?"

"It's almost noon."

"Noon!" she said, blushing. "Why didn't you call me?"

Luo Mei and the maids chuckled, "The young master is considerate of your hard work and doesn't want us to call you."

Yuan Zhi covered her head with the blanket. Did Xiao Zong, that scoundrel, want the whole world to know that the two of them had consummated their marriage?

Luo Mei dug her out, "Alright, my lady, if you don't get up soon, it will be dark!"

Yuan Zhi blushed with shyness, her eyes filled with tears, as she was helped to get dressed and get out of bed.

The maids busied themselves tidying up the bed, but Yuanzhi was too ashamed to look any longer and urged Luomei to take her to bathe.

As she soaked in the wooden tub, recalling the chaotic and passionate night before, a blush rose to her cheeks.

Xiao Zong had no concubines, yet he mastered the art of lovemaking without a teacher. However, he was incredibly persistent and didn't care whether she could handle it!

She had just closed her eyes when she suddenly sat up, splashing water everywhere.

wrong!

The palace sash was stained with nail polish. Could it be that he had an affair with some woman in the palace, which is why he was so adept at it?

Could it be Zheng Xiangxiang?

Luo Mei asked, "What's wrong, Miss?"

She shook her head slightly and leaned back. "It's nothing."

Xiao Zong acted strangely when he came back yesterday. If he really got involved with that wooden beauty and came to her for comfort again, she would definitely make him suffer a fate worse than death!

After taking a bath in a huff, Yuan Zhi ate a couple of bites of food and then directed the servants to move things from the private storeroom.

If that scoundrel dares to cheat on her, she'll make him bankrupt!

Half of the storeroom's gold and silver treasures were piled up in the courtyard. Fearing that things might get complicated if she waited too long, she led her servants to deliver the goods to the restaurant.

The commotion was so loud that Qin Shi heard it and ran over to stop her.

"What are you doing!"

Yuan Zhi frankly said, "Moving the warehouse, can't you tell?"

Qin was trembling with anxiety. "Of course I know you're moving things from the storeroom. I'm asking where you're moving all this?"

"A restaurant!" Yuan Zhi smiled brightly. "My business has been bad these past few days, and when my husband heard about it, he gave me half of his assets to help me through this difficult time!"

"These are priceless treasures, how could he just give them away like that? You must be lying to Congyun to use this money to support your lover outside!"

Yuan Zhi took out the document written by Xiao Zong. "It's written clearly in black and white, and it bears my husband's seal. How could it be fake? On the contrary, it's my mother-in-law who accuses me of having an affair without any evidence. Where is the proof?"

Qin was furious. "You still have the nerve to ask me for evidence? My Xiao family can't afford to lose face like that! Your low-class tricks can only fool my stupid son. You're not good enough to fool me!"

Yuan Zhi crossed his arms and said, "You can't afford to lose face, but I can. If you can't give me a proper explanation today, I'll definitely drag you to see the authorities!"

"I've really opened my eyes. There are mothers-in-law in the world who enjoy smearing their daughters-in-law. I've tolerated you for so long, do you really think I'm easy to manipulate?"

Qin said sarcastically, "You want to report this to the authorities? It's my Xiao family who should be reporting this! You, a concubine's daughter of a sixth-rank official, are lucky to have married into our family. It's no exaggeration to say that your ancestors' graves are emitting auspicious smoke! But you don't know how to cherish your blessings, you don't uphold the virtues of a woman, and you conspire with outsiders to scheme against my Congyun."

"Didn't you want evidence? Granny Li, go to Minghu Teahouse and invite the manager here. Let him tell you what my good daughter-in-law and Lord Feng of the Censorate have done!"

Yuan Zhi smiled contemptuously, "I thought my mother-in-law had found some incredible evidence, but it turns out it's just this. May I ask, mother-in-law, in broad daylight, with people coming and going in the teahouse, what shady business could I possibly have with Lord Feng?"

"When a woman meets a man outside the home, and they are alone in a room, even if they do not have sex, it is hard to guarantee that they will have physical intimacy!"

Yuan Zhi, with an expression that said "I give up," ordered a servant to call Chen Qing over.

“Luo Mei and Chen Qing were guarding outside the door that day. If we made any noise, they couldn’t have missed it. Besides, Lord Feng is a man of integrity and propriety. How could he possibly be entangled with a married woman like me? Even if my mother-in-law doesn’t believe me, she should believe Lord Feng!”

"You've used such good words, and you still say you're not interested in Feng Quan!"

Qin felt as if the entire Xiao mansion was surrounded by green light. Her legs went weak, and she sat down on a box full of jewels.

After Chen Qing arrived, he explained to Madam Qin that Yuan Zhi had only exchanged a few words with Lord Feng and came out quickly, so there was no misconduct involved.

Qin's smile was cold. "You're her person, of course you'll speak up for her. I ask you, if they didn't do anything, why did the eldest young master punish you?"

"That's because I didn't deliver the message in time, which caused the young master to misunderstand and think...think that the young mistress has run away!"

"How can you be sure that the young mistress and Lord Feng's meeting wasn't because their escape attempt failed, and they were discussing the timing of their next escape?"

Chen Qing's face flushed red. "Impossible!"

Qin pressed on, "How do you know it's impossible! Did you overhear their conversation, or did the young mistress tell you what they said?"

"No...no."

"That settles it then!" Madam Qin glanced at Yuan Zhi. "It seems your servants can't save you."

"Not necessarily!"

Yuan Zhi rubbed her aching back and sat down opposite her.

“I didn’t want to say it, but my mother-in-law kept pressuring me, so I had no choice but to bring it up. My husband and I consummated our marriage last night. The maids who were cleaning the bedding were all there. Whether I am innocent or not, my mother-in-law will know as soon as she asks.”

Qin was surprised, "You...you...how come I haven't heard of this?"

"Perhaps the main courtyard is far away, and the news hasn't reached your ears yet."

Qin composed herself and said with a dark face, "Now that you have completed the rites of marriage, you are the proper young mistress of the Xiao family. From now on, you should be more careful with your words and actions and avoid meeting other men!"

Yuan Zhi nodded perfunctorily, "Mother-in-law's words are right, I will remember them."

"Although these things were promised by Yun, your large-scale move will make others think something has happened to the Xiao family. You are only allowed to move a quarter of them today. We can talk about the rest another day!"

"I'm afraid that won't work!" Yuan Zhi tapped her fingers lightly on the lid of the box. "As the mistress of the Xiao family, my words carry weight! If I change my mind frequently, how can I maintain my authority?"

Seeing that she was determined to empty the Xiao mansion, Qin suspected that she had ulterior motives and firmly disagreed.

Yuan Zhi said unhurriedly, "Then there's no other way. Let's do as I just said and go see the officials!"