The cannon fodder heiress trembled with fear after being recognized as a member of her family.

Yan Dali stumbled back and pulled Wang Shi into the house. "Cuiyin is back, and she's angry with us!"

He picked up the teacup on the table and emptied it. "Just as the clan chief said, there's not much difference. Shunhua is gone, and the fates of both mother and daughter have changed. It's truly a blessing from heaven for the Yan family."

Wang was not optimistic about what he said: "We've been so harsh on her all these years, doesn't she hold a grudge?"

"What can we do! Her background is complicated, and going to the capital will be a life-or-death struggle for her. If we can't even endure this little bit of hardship, life in the inner quarters will be even more difficult. The clan leader also said that if we are properly tempered, the entire Yan family will benefit."

Yan Dali sighed, "Father's wish is for the Yan family to reappear in the eyes of the world. Father loves my sister the most. Otherwise, how could Chunhua let us manipulate her?"

Yan Shunhua is gentle in nature but strong at heart.

If she hadn't had so many concerns, she probably would have killed Han Zhen on the very first day of her divorce.

Fortunately, she was pregnant with Cuiyin, which gave the Yan family hope.

When Cuiyin was born, the clan leader predicted that the Sirius star of the Yan family had appeared.

Yan Qingping is the clan leader, who inherited his ancestors' divine calculation skills and could devise strategies without error.

However, it should be noted that Sirius needs to go through many hardships before it can truly become a towering tree.

If one cannot overcome this obstacle, it signifies an early death.

On the day Han Cuiyin was born, the old master of the Yan family was overjoyed but then saddened. He met Yan Qingping and passed away the next day.

Yan Dali recalled the events of that year with a sigh, "Fortunately, Cuiyin survived, and the calamity of her early death was averted."

"Don't get your hopes up. I've noticed that Cuiyin has been acting strangely these past two weeks. Her face is unusually dark. Maybe we should get someone to take a look. She might have been hooked up with something unclean."

Wang was somewhat worried.

Over the years, she has been cruel and tormenting people. If it weren't for the future, she would really like to raise that little person under her wing and pamper her along with her own daughter, Ruyi.

"There's still almost a year until next June, so let's not cause her any trouble for now and just let her be! Who knows what kind of life she'll lead once she gets to the capital."

The Yan family had once been wealthy and powerful, and they were well aware of the lifestyle of high-ranking families.

In addition, Han Zhen's home was in a village below the county seat, and his relatives and friends rose to prominence, often showing off under his name.

Han Zhen achieved fame at a young age, passing the imperial examination with top honors. His only flaw was that he married too early.

Because he had a wife early on, even the most prestigious and respectable families in the capital could only suppress their desires for him.

Princess Xu Mingxia of the Xu Prince's Mansion was different.

The Xu family rose to prominence through the military, and all its members were military officers with no civil officials. They disregarded formalities and bureaucracy.

If a man in the household takes a fancy to a woman, whether she is a married woman or a young maiden, he will snatch her away.

Anyway, the Xu family has the royal pardon, so as long as they don't treason, the people sitting high in the imperial palace will only turn a blind eye to them.

Xu Mingxia, influenced by what she saw and heard, began to imitate it.

From the moment I saw Han Zhen, the top scholar, parading through the streets, my mind was elsewhere.

Even after learning that he had a wife, she did not back down.

At literary gatherings attended by Han Zhen, Xu Mingxia, given her status, always managed to secure a place.

Over time, the two became acquainted.

Later, Xu Mingxia used a trick to get the two of them to consummate their relationship, and they were caught in bed by everyone.

When Han Zhen first entered the Hanlin Academy, his position was unstable, so he had no choice but to divorce his wife and marry another.

With the help of the Xu family, Han Zhen has risen to the position of Minister of Personnel, wielding power over the fate of officials.

The Han family often showed off these things in the county town.

The Yan family had also heard about it, so they could only avoid its sharp edge and hide in the small Yan family village.

Thinking about all this, Yan Dali felt frustrated. He couldn't be a proper lord anymore, and he had to do business in secret.

To dispel any curiosity from others, they would sometimes even go to work in the fields and pretend to be farmers.

If the Wang family hadn't known Wang's background so well, they would never have married her off to the Yan family.

“You’ve suffered these past years. In another two or three years, we won’t have to stay here like this anymore. We can finally enjoy a comfortable life. The family’s money is only coming in and not going out. We’ve accumulated quite a bit. Even if these kids are spendthrifts, it’ll be enough for them to squander.”

Mr. and Mrs. Yan were tight-lipped and never told their children about the actual situation of the Yan family.

They assumed the Yan family was just a slightly wealthy farming family and wouldn't dare to squander their money.

Unfortunately, they lacked academic talent and each found work to support their families.

"Let's talk about that later! We'll have a family reunion dinner tonight, and I'll go prepare the food. My second sister-in-law should be back from her parents' home soon, and she'll be there to help me. You go and take care of things, and prepare the red envelopes for the children so you can give them to them whenever you can."

After giving a few instructions, Wang went to the kitchen to prepare the family feast for the Mid-Autumn Festival reunion night.

Unlike the warmth of Yanjiacun Village, the Han family in the capital was somewhat somber.

Han Lingzhi knelt on the ground, without uttering a sound.

Her mother, Princess Mingxia, sat in the main seat, her face ashen.

There was no one else in the house except the mother and daughter.

"Are you still reasonable?"

Han Lingzhi lowered her head and remained silent.

"Crack!" A beautiful porcelain cup fell at her feet, shards flying everywhere, some of them embedding themselves in the back of her hand.

Seeing this, Princess Mingxia remained silent for a moment, then began to reprimand:

"You're a young lady, and you dare to run away from home with so few people just because you have some martial arts skills. Don't think that just because your father dotes on you, I won't punish you!"

"Don't you know who lives over there in the Pinglian Mountains? The daughter of a discarded woman, is she really worth treating like a plaything?"

"So what if she's suffering? Her maternal family, the Yan family, are tormenting her. Why do you care? You're still giving her two hundred taels of silver? From now on, your monthly allowance will be halved..."

Han Lingzhi then reacted and began to argue with Princess Mingxia, "No! Mother, you're being unfair! My monthly allowance is already less than my sister's, how am I supposed to go out and socialize if you cut it in half again!"

I should have just said I bought some medicinal herbs; it would have been better than getting yelled at here.

"Take this ointment and get back to your room to reflect on your actions! You don't need to come to the palace tonight either."

After Princess Mingxia finished speaking, Han Lingzhi wiped her eyes and left.

"Princess, why are you doing this? You've already lost your temper, and the Second Miss is upset. You'll feel bad for her afterwards." A nanny came in from outside and earnestly advised her.

"She felt pity for the daughter of a discarded woman. If we don't teach her a lesson now, what will we do next?"

Han Zhen told her that he wanted to bring the child to the capital, since it was the perfect age for a marriage alliance. It would be much better to exchange the child for something practical than to let her marry a farmer in her hometown.

As the two were whispering sweet nothings to each other, Princess Mingxia was suddenly struck by this news, and her heart sank.

More than a decade of being together day and night couldn't compare to those two years.

"After that person arrives, find a secluded place to settle her. As for her, I have my own plans. Make sure no one finds out."

Princess Mingxia gave the order, and the nanny nodded in agreement, "Why not settle them in the Prince's manor on the outskirts of the city? The young master won't find out."

"Go ahead, that's all. Oh, and send someone to urge Yue Shi on, we're about to enter the palace."

The maidservant outside came in to clean up the broken pieces on the floor and replaced them with another set of exquisite tea utensils.

Han Cuiyin was unaware of what was happening in the capital. She slept all day and didn't get up until evening.

"You little brat...where did you come from?"

She met Yan Xiao at the entrance of the Yan family home, and Yan Xiao's terrified expression was clearly visible to her.

"He's got a tough life; even the King of Hell wouldn't dare take him. But Third Uncle needs to be careful; he shouldn't have nightmares at night."