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

Upon receiving the imperial decree, the Grand Secretary reprimanded the minister who had withheld the memorial and forwarded it to the Emperor.

After Li Kai reviewed the document, he intended to strip the Prince of Wu of his title. Upon hearing this, Consort Dun knelt before the Vermilion Bird Hall for a long time, begging His Majesty to rescind his decree.

Li Kai stared at the drafted imperial edict, but hesitated to affix the imperial seal.

That evening, the eunuch announced that Prince Kang was out of danger, and Li Kai changed Prince Wu's punishment from stripping him of his title to house arrest, ordering him to reflect on his mistakes and forbidding him from leaving the palace without an imperial edict.

Xiao Zong smiled, as if he had already guessed that His Majesty would soften his heart.

Dou Zhao received his orders that afternoon and followed the King of Wu's men to rescue the family members of prisoners who were almost silenced. Now he returned to report and asked how they should be dealt with.

"Saving them is already an immense act of kindness. Are we supposed to support them for the rest of their lives? Just release them. The world is vast, and they'll find a place to settle down and make a living!"

Dou Zhao noticed his bad mood and said, "It's almost time to get off work, Master, why don't you go and pick up the young mistress?"

Xiao Zong rubbed his temples. "No, how's the situation in Jiaozhou?"

"The Qin censor punished several corrupt officials, most of whom were confidants of the King of Wu."

“That’s not enough,” Xiao Zong said. “Send a message to our men by carrier pigeon, and have them guide Imperial Censor Qin to investigate the matter of the King of Wu colluding with the border troops to sell military supplies.”

"Yes!"

The moon rises above the branches, and weary birds return to the forest.

Yuan Zhi personally cooked several dishes to reward Lord Xiao for his two days of hard work.

Xiao Zong raised his cup, flattered, but the smile on his lips slowly faded as he recalled His Majesty's punishment of the Prince of Wu.

Yuan Zhi advised, "The person we are facing is His Majesty, the ruler of Daqi. It is already very difficult to gain even a small advantage from him. Why should you hold a grudge?"

"I broke my promise by failing to avenge you."

Yuan Zhi nestled into his arms, her jade-like face flushed with spring, her eyes sparkling with a charming glint. Her lips, like those of a hibiscus flower, kissed his thin lips, soothing his agitated emotions.

"There's still a long way to go, there will be opportunities."

Xiao Zong threw down the cup, tightened his grip on her waist, and returned an even more passionate and intense kiss.

Yuan Zhi felt his body was so hot, as if it could melt her. Her limbs became weak, like a thin cloud in the sky, swaying from side to side with the gale.

The bells under the eaves wailed in the cold frost, drowning out the warbling of orioles inside the house. The man's heart was filled with endless sorrow, like a long night, but then he met a girl who was willing to light a lonely lamp for him.

After an unknown amount of time, all things returned to silence. Yuan Zhi smoothed his furrowed brow, put on his clothes, and went out.

A maid handed over the cooled medicine, which Yuan Zhi drank with her head tilted back, and said, "Go to sleep, there's no need to guard this place."

She glanced at the crescent moon in the night sky, showed no lingering attachment, turned back into the house, and bolted the door.

Time flowed by like water, and before we knew it, it was the tenth day of the eleventh lunar month.

Yuan Zhi sent invitations to all the noble ladies and gentlemen of Shengjing, and even invited the Princess of Pingyi County to come and oversee things in order to enhance his prestige.

It just so happened that Xiao Zong was on his day off, and in a playful mood, he led a group of young men in pitch-pot and archery, which drew cheers from the crowd. The women gathered together to play chess, play the zither, drink tea, and play polo, each enjoying themselves in their own way.

In the backyard of the Xiao family mansion, there was a horse farm, which Yuan Zhi converted into a Cuju (ancient Chinese football) field for young boys and girls to compete in.

The three sisters, Xiao Rong and Xiao Xuan, are all of marriageable age and are actively participating in the competition, hoping to stand out and find a good husband.

Yuan Zhi naturally gave them her full support, cheered them on, and then returned to her seat, her eyes fixed on the competition field.

Madam Qin's face darkened. "This banquet is for Rong'er. Why did you invite the third branch of the family here? Are you trying to steal the limelight?"

"All the noble ladies of Shengjing are here. If the three Xiao sisters are left out, what will others think of us? If my mother-in-law wants to be a snobbish person who flatters the powerful and belittles the weak, don't drag me into it!"

Besides, Rong'er is the only daughter of the Xiao family, and her brother is a high-ranking official of the third rank. Who can outshine her? Those noble ladies aren't stupid; they can see through the Xiao family's purpose in holding this banquet. Even the county princess is sitting peacefully in the stands, so they dare not cause any trouble!

Madam Qin snorted, "The daughter of a minor official, who hasn't even read many books, dares to show off her petty cleverness in front of me. Let me make this clear: if anything goes wrong at today's banquet, you will be held responsible!"

Yuan Zhi smiled mischievously. Xiao Zong was home today, and she wanted to see what Qin Shi could do to her.

The two teams were neck and neck, the score becoming increasingly tense and difficult to determine a winner.

Yuan Zhi clasped his hands together, staring intently at the arena.

suddenly!

A bronze mirror reflected the sunlight, and Yuan Zhi rubbed her eyes, then waved the red handkerchief in her hand to indicate that she understood.

She shifted her gaze to the high platform and saw Xiao Shen, who was shouting the loudest. This second young master felt that standing high meant a better view, so he chose the most conspicuous spot to survey the entire scene.

It's a waste not to use a ready-made target.

She tiptoed under the table with her small feet and beckoned to Luo Mei with her finger.

Yesterday, Luo Mei returned to the mansion with Chen Qing. Yuan Zhi revealed the whole plan, and Luo Mei volunteered to accompany her mistress to teach the second young master a lesson!

"What are your orders, Miss?"

Yuan Zhi whispered a few words to her, Luo Mei smiled and quickly left.

On the court, Xiao Rong dribbled the ball while jogging. Two tall young men reached out to block her. She leaned back, showing her great flexibility, and bent over to get past the two men who were blocking her.

Xiao Rong took a shot, bringing the first half to a close.

With a gong, a pebble flew towards the high platform, leaving a trail of afterimages.

With a loud bang, the man's mind went blank. He clutched his head and screamed in pain.

But the drums and gongs kept beating, drowning out his cries for help. He had no choice but to come down from the platform and go back to Zhang Hui to get her bandaged.

Madam Qin had already decided that Chu Lanyin would be her daughter-in-law. She secretly observed her for a while and became more and more satisfied.

After settling her son's marriage, she began searching for potential partners for her daughter, her eyes scanning the young faces in the room as she leaned back slightly.

"Granny Li, what do you think of the young master of the Lu family?"

"He is handsome and comes from a scholarly family. Miss will not suffer any mistreatment after marrying into his family."

Madam Qin nodded, "It's just that the official position is a bit low, but Scholar Lu is very talented and may be able to enter the cabinet in the future. Thinking about it that way, it's not so bad."

Granny Li pointed to the man juggling a ball in the corner, "That young master is strong and looks quite good."

"You have a sharp eye! That's the eldest son of General Fuyuan, a very precious person!"

……

Yuan Zhi listened to the two of them talking non-stop like chanting sutras, then got up and left to sit with Chu Lanyin.

The young woman was full of resentment. "Your mother-in-law gave me several looks, and it gave me goosebumps. Cousin-in-law, when will the show start? I can't sit still any longer!"

"It'll be soon." Yuan Zhi gestured for her to look across the street. "I've gotten rid of Xiao Shen, and the maid has let him in. We'll be able to get him in a little while."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a servant came stumbling over.

"Madam, something terrible has happened! The second young master has been attacked and killed!"

Qin stood up in shock, her face pale.

"How serious is it? Has the assassin been caught?"

"When I came to report, the second young master had injured his thigh. The assassin... the assassin chased the second young master all over the yard, and the servants who were trying to catch him were also injured."

"Fool!" Madam Qin was furious. "The eldest young master is right here in the manor. Why don't you go and invite him? Do you expect me to fight these thugs with a knife?"

"I was wrong, I'll go right away!"

The servants scrambled away, and Qin Shi, overwhelmed with anger, fainted.