The legitimate daughter returns, and everyone in the Marquis's mansion regrets and begs for for

"Stop causing trouble. Don't you know the old lady's temper?" Qu Qingyun glared at her third aunt.

"Then...what should we do?" Third Aunt asked, her face full of worry.

"Madam, please calm down. No matter who is trying to harm you, Qingyun and I will definitely find out and give you justice, okay?" The old Marquis coaxed the old lady gently.

"My lord, I'm just worried about you!" The third concubine's voice was filled with deep concern. "Please don't be angry with the old lady anymore; her illness is quite serious."

“Of course I know!” The old Marquis frowned in displeasure, then turned to the old lady and said, “Mother, my third sister-in-law is right. What you need most right now is to rest. We can talk about other things when you’re feeling better, okay?”

Upon hearing this, the old lady immediately nodded.

“In that case, you should all go back now,” the old Marquis said to the old lady.

"Yes, Father."

The third concubine helped the old lady up, and the two of them left the courtyard together, heading towards the main hall.

Stepping out of the courtyard, the old lady let out a cold snort.

"Madam, what should we do next?"

The old lady's eyes turned cold, and she said in a sinister tone, "Since they are so heartless, we have no reason to be polite! You don't need to worry about this matter; just proceed according to plan."

"Then, I understand."

"Alright, you can go now."

"Yes."

"Oh, and remember, don't bother your eldest sister these next few days. Don't interfere in her affairs!"

"Your concubine obeys."

Back in her room, Qu Muxue looked at the letter on the table, her eyes flashing with intense hatred. She gritted her teeth, picked up the letter, tore it into pieces, and then threw it into the brazier.

Qu Qingyun and Qu Muxue entered the old lady's courtyard one after the other, only to see a maid carrying medicine passing by outside the door. She looked at them with a puzzled expression, but quickly lowered her head and walked past, as if she hadn't noticed them.

Qu Qingyun frowned, thinking to herself that this maid seemed somewhat familiar.

"Madam, Qingyun has brought you your medicine."

"Hmm." The old lady responded faintly, then looked at Qu Qingyun: "Aren't you sleeping in your bridal chamber tonight?"

"Yes, Madam." Qu Qingyun replied respectfully.

"Then you can leave now, I'm a little tired."

Qu Qingyun was slightly taken aback.

What did she just hear?

Did the old lady know that she was scheming to get the princess's dowry?

"What's wrong? Is there something else?"

"No, it's nothing." Qu Qingyun smiled awkwardly.

Qu Mutian's eyes flickered a few times before he turned and left the room.

Qu Qingyun walked to the pavilion in the courtyard and sat down, feeling a sense of unease. What on earth was going on?

It seems he really needs to investigate this thoroughly.

Qu Muya sat in the garden of the Marquis's mansion. The soft morning light shone through the layers of willow trees and fell on her face, seemingly comforting the girl who was forced to play the role of a puppet.

She wore a faint smile, but in reality, she had something on her mind.

She had already decided to stop getting entangled with this "noble lady" Qu Qingwan and was determined to see this game through to the end.

"As long as I obediently accept their accusations and they send me to the manor, I should be able to escape this cage-like place." Qu Muya thought to herself, a hint of stubbornness showing in her eyes.

She leaned against the stone bench, quietly watching the blooming peach blossoms, which resembled the unfulfilled hopes in her heart.

"Qu Muya, you are a lowly commoner, trying to gain freedom by running away."

Just then, Qu Qingwan approached, her tone laced with mockery, as if every word she uttered was a knife, mercilessly piercing Qu Muya's heart.

Qu Muya's lips curled up slightly, as if she heard the disdainful retort in her heart, but she chose to remain silent and acted even more docile.

“You want me to go to the estate, and I’m willing.” She feigned innocence, her tone calm, but a glint of cunning flashed in her eyes.

The surrounding members of the Qu family were whispering amongst themselves. They had expected Qu Muya to resist, but she had given in so easily. For a moment, a hint of confusion appeared on their faces as they secretly speculated about Qu Muya's true intentions.

Just then, Qu Qingwan thought to herself, "She wants to escape to the manor; she must be plotting something." Meanwhile, Qu Muya's thoughts, like a gentle breeze, quietly reached everyone's ears: "She's truly blind; she can't see the true nature of this palace intrigue at all."

But then something strange happened. Qu Qingwan's expression changed slightly, and her heart tightened, as if her innermost thoughts had been touched upon.

She couldn't help but begin to doubt whether her usually confident scheme could truly deceive Qu Muya. While the others remained skeptical, their wariness of Qu Muya gradually grew.

A surge of triumphant pleasure welled up in Qu Muya's heart. Her eyes were slightly upturned, like blooming peach blossoms swaying gracefully in the morning light. At this moment, her expression was incredibly serene, as gentle as the spring sunshine, yet a turbulent scheme lurked beneath her heart.

"She's just a scheming concubine's daughter, who's afraid of who?" This thought exploded in Qu Qingwan's mind like a thunderclap, making her forget the gazes around her for a moment, and her panic intensified. She bit her lip slightly, the veins on her forehead were faintly visible, and her vigilance towards Qu Muya suddenly rose.

The members of the Qu family exchanged glances, their eyes seemingly floating on the surface of a lake with turbulent undercurrents, secretly speculating about the changes in this illegitimate daughter. Those who had once looked down on her were suddenly replaced by a complex emotion, a mixture of doubt and reassessment.

"She's not as simple as we think," someone whispered, their voice rippling across the calm lake and breaking the silence.

"Could she really hear my thoughts?" Qu Qingwan's heart tightened, and a wave of fear washed over her. She cursed inwardly, thinking, "How could this lowly commoner have such abilities? I can't let her continue to act so recklessly!"

Qu Muya secretly felt smug. She quietly observed the changes around her and noticed that everyone's gazes were becoming increasingly uneasy. Just then, a bold idea suddenly occurred to her. Since Qu Qingwan was uneasy about her feelings, she could use this to further seize control of the game.

"Qu Qingwan, am I really going to be defeated by you so easily?" she murmured to herself, a smile playing on her lips, as if she were secretly plotting something.

"I know you were prepared for my schemes, but this time, I won't let you have your way." Her eyes were like morning dew, filled with determination and clarity.