From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

Dark clouds loomed over the city, and the air was thick with the tense atmosphere of an impending storm.

Yan Ruyu and Xu Moqing exchanged a glance, both seeing the same worry in each other's eyes.

We can't sit still and wait for death!

The two hurried back to the Xu residence, their feet barely touching the ground as they practically jogged through the long corridor.

The servants in the mansion came and went in a hurry, looking uneasy. When they saw the two, they only gave a perfunctory bow before disappearing around the corner.

Xu Moqing pulled Yan Ruyu straight to the study. As soon as they opened the door, a musty smell hit them, indicating that no one had set foot there for a long time.

The books on the bookshelf were overturned, and the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on the desk were scattered all over the floor, creating a mess, as if someone had maliciously rummaged through it.

"It seems we were right." Xu Moqing's face grew even darker, and his tone carried a hint of coldness.

Just as the two were carefully examining the study, trying to find any clues, Xu Moqing's second uncle, Xu Wenchang, barged in aggressively with several clansmen.

"Mo Qing! What are you doing? Rummaging through drawers and cabinets, what kind of behavior is this!" Xu Wenchang glared angrily and pointed at Xu Mo Qing's nose, cursing.

"Second Uncle, someone is spreading rumors about our Xu family. I must find out the truth!" Xu Moqing said, his face flushed, arguing his case forcefully.

"Nonsense! This is utter nonsense! I think you've gotten yourself into trouble that's dragging your entire family down with you!" Xu Wenchang retorted without backing down, his voice growing increasingly shrill.

The surrounding clansmen also began to whisper and discuss among themselves, their eyes filled with suspicion and dissatisfaction as they looked at Xu Moqing.

"Second Uncle, you..." Xu Moqing wanted to explain, but Xu Wenchang rudely interrupted her, "Enough! I don't want to hear you say any more! If you continue to act so recklessly, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Yan Ruyu watched coldly from the sidelines, taking in everyone's expressions.

Suddenly, her gaze sharpened and fell on a meek young clansman behind Xu Wenchang.

He seemed to be deliberately avoiding her gaze, and he was tightly clutching a handkerchief stained with ink in his hand.

Yan Ruyu's lips curled slightly upward as she said softly, "Mo Qing, stop arguing. I think I know who's behind this..."

Yan Ruyu's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, fixed directly on the young clansman. "Brother, the handkerchief in your hand seems to have ink stains on it?" The clansman trembled, instinctively hiding his hand behind his back, his eyes flickering. "No...no..." The more he tried to cover it up, the more certain Yan Ruyu became of his guess.

She chuckled softly, "Why don't I show it to everyone? Maybe I'm just seeing things?"

Xu Wenchang also noticed his nephew's unusual behavior, and his face darkened. "Take it out!" The young clansman hesitated for a long time before reluctantly unfolding the handkerchief.

The handkerchief was clearly printed with several words, which were the key phrases in the rumors that slandered the Xu family!

Xu Wenchang's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he roared, "You...you actually dared to do such a thing!"

"I...I..." The young clansman was terrified and his face turned ashen. He stammered as he recounted what had happened. It turned out that someone had given him a bribe to spread rumors and ruin the reputation of the Xu family.

"Hmph, the small fry are dealt with, time to catch the big fish." Yan Ruyu curled her lips into a cold smile and turned to walk towards the pile of account books in the corner of the study.

Dust filled the air, making her cough, but she didn't care. Her slender fingers flew as she quickly searched through the ledgers.

Time passed by, and the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the rustling of papers turning.

Suddenly, Yan Ruyu stopped what she was doing, her eyes lit up, and she pointed to a line of records in the ledger and said, "Found it! There are several suspicious transaction records here, the amount is huge, and the transaction objects..." Her voice paused slightly, and her gaze swept over everyone, "...seemingly related to certain forces in the palace."

Upon hearing this, Xu Wenchang and the others quickly gathered around and carefully examined the records in the ledger.

The clansmen who were originally full of dissatisfaction with Yan Ruyu now looked at her with new respect. Xu Moqing looked at Yan Ruyu with eyes full of gratitude and love.

He gently took her hand and said tenderly, "Ruyu, thank you." Yan Ruyu squeezed his hand back, and the two smiled at each other.

The surrounding tribespeople, seeing how loving and harmonious they were, all smiled with satisfaction.

Just then, a servant rushed in, "Master, someone from the palace has arrived..."

After a messenger from the palace announced their arrival, a merchant dressed in a brocade robe was brought in.

Facing the scrutiny of Xu Moqing and Yan Ruyu, he showed no panic whatsoever. Instead, he calmly sipped his tea, his demeanor as if he were attending a banquet rather than being questioned.

"What brings you two here?" the merchant asked slowly, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Xu Moqing slammed the ledger on the table with a "bang," and demanded, "How do you explain these transactions?"

The merchant glanced at the ledger and chuckled, "It's just normal business dealings, why explain?" He readily admitted to having connections with the court, but remained silent on the specific details. This unusual behavior surprised both Yan Ruyu and Xu Moqing.

The two looked at each other and saw confusion in each other's eyes.

The study was eerily quiet; you could hear a pin drop.

Yan Ruyu activated the system analysis skill, and the merchant's every smile, frown, word, and action was magnified and analyzed by the system.

Suddenly, her gaze sharpened as she noticed an exquisitely crafted twin lotus flower embroidered on the merchant's cuff. This pattern was not typically used by merchants; rather, it seemed to be…

The symbol of Consort Li in the palace!

"Consort Li!" Yan Ruyu blurted out.

Upon hearing this, Xu Moqing's face instantly darkened, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The air in the study seemed to have solidified, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

But the next moment, it was as if a light illuminated the darkness, and everything suddenly became clear.

Just then, a palace maid gracefully approached and bowed to Yan Ruyu. "Miss Yan, Consort Li requests your presence." Yan Ruyu was puzzled. Why would Consort Li suddenly summon her?

The palace maid who delivered the letter had an expressionless face and deep, unfathomable eyes.

Yan Ruyu looked towards the palace. The majestic palace walls appeared exceptionally tall and imposing in the afterglow of the setting sun…

"I understand, I'll go right away." Yan Ruyu's tone was calm, revealing no emotion in her heart.