Lady Hou is reborn and, by pampering her illegitimate son, reclaims her life of wealth and privilege

Consort Chao stepped forward, her sharp eyes fixed on Prince Duan, and said sarcastically, "Prince Duan, you used to be so glamorous, but now you have to pay the price for a romantic affair. Do you know that Jiang Xinrui is my niece? If she loses her virginity because of you, I will make the entire Duke of Wei's mansion and the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion pay for it!"

Prince Duan turned deathly pale with fright. He knew that things would not end well today. He looked up at Jiang Huaiyu and saw that her gaze was piercing, her eyes flashing with anger. His heart tightened, and he thought to himself, "It's over. This time, I'm afraid I can't escape this fate."

Jiang Huaiyu stepped forward, looked at Prince Duan, and said coldly, "Prince Duan, do you know that your actions have violated the laws of our country? If Xinrui has truly lost her virginity because of you, I will make the law pay the price for you."

Prince Duan said tremblingly, "Your subject was wrong, and I am willing to bear all the consequences."

Princess Linchuan snorted coldly, turned to the palace maids and eunuchs and said, "Send the order to take Prince Duan into prison and await his fate."

The palace maids and eunuchs immediately stepped forward and took Prince Duan away. Consort Chao watched Prince Duan's departing figure and thought to herself, "This incident will surely bring Jiang Xinrui into my hands and pave the way for me to become Empress Dowager."

Jiang Huaiyu looked at Consort Chao with deep worry in her heart.

Inside Rongfu Garden, Prince Duan paced back and forth anxiously, like an ant on a hot pan. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes revealed boundless anxiety. At that moment, a subordinate rushed in, panting, and reported, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Miss Jiang Xinrui has disappeared!"

Prince Duan's face instantly turned ashen. His eyes widened, and he asked sternly, "What? Missing? How did you keep an eye on them?"

The subordinate replied tremblingly, "Your Highness, Miss Jiang Xinrui's maid is highly skilled in martial arts; the two of us guards are no match for her. They suddenly disappeared, and there's nothing we can do about it."

Prince Duan gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Send down the order to increase manpower and expand the search area. We must find Jiang Xinrui no matter what! She is crucial to my plan."

His subordinates obeyed and left. Prince Duan turned to look out the window, his anxiety growing. If news of Jiang Xinrui's disappearance reached his mother, Consort Chao, and Princess Linchuan, they would face immense trouble.

A short while later, the subordinate returned and reported: "Your Highness, we have increased manpower and are searching with all our might. But Rongfu Garden is too big, and it is difficult to find in a short time."

Prince Duan sneered, "You bunch of trash! If you can't find Jiang Xinrui, I'll have your heads rolled!"

His subordinates turned pale with fright and repeatedly agreed. Prince Duan turned back to his seat, picked up his teacup, but had no heart to taste it. He was filled with worries, needing to find Jiang Xinrui while also dealing with the arrival of his mother and the eldest princess.

Consort Chao, Princess Linchuan, and Jiang Huaiyu, along with their entourage, quickly arrived at Rongfu Garden. Rongfu Garden was a riot of flowers and lush greenery, but the atmosphere was unusually tense.

Princess Linchuan walked into the main hall with a serious expression. She glanced around sharply before looking directly at Prince Duan: "Prince Duan, I want to ask you today, where exactly has Jiang Xinrui gone?"

Prince Duan rose, bowed to his mother, Consort Chao, and his aunt, Princess Linchuan, and said calmly, "Mother, Aunt, I am indeed searching for Xinrui. I am very worried about her sudden disappearance."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huaiyu immediately became agitated. Disregarding social hierarchy, she glared at Prince Duan and said, "Prince Duan, are you trying to fool us? Didn't you know that Xinrui was missing?"

Prince Duan snorted coldly, his tone tinged with displeasure: "Madam Jiang, I truly do not know Xinrui's whereabouts. But she tried to seduce me and drugged me, fortunately I discovered it in time and did not fall for her trap. She is currently missing, and I have sent people to search for her."

Upon hearing this, Consort Chao's face turned ashen. She slowly said, "Prince Duan, this matter is of utmost importance. You must investigate it thoroughly."

Princess Linchuan frowned and asked, "Prince Duan, what evidence do you have regarding the drugging incident you mentioned?"

Prince Duan nodded and took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, which was stained with some powder: "I found this in Xinrui's room. The imperial physician has confirmed that it is indeed a sleeping potion."

Jiang Huaiyu's expression changed, and she immediately retorted: "This handkerchief may well be something you deliberately framed for Xinrui. We can't believe it so easily."

The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly tense. Consort Chao said in a deep voice, "This matter is of great importance and requires careful consideration. Prince Duan, you may leave now. I know what I'm doing."

Prince Duan bowed and turned to leave. Jiang Huaiyu said urgently, "Your Highness, you cannot favor Prince Duan. If Xinrui is truly guilty, I will punish her. But if Prince Duan has wronged her, we cannot stand idly by."

Consort Chao sighed and said, "Madam Jiang, I know you care about your niece, but this matter is too complicated, so we need to proceed with caution."

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Princess Linchuan's eyes as she looked at Consort Chao: "Your Highness, this matter concerns the royal reputation, and we must not handle it hastily. I suggest that we immediately send someone to investigate and get to the bottom of this."

Consort Chao nodded and said, "Alright, then we'll do as the princess says. I'll send someone to investigate immediately. Madam Jiang, you should go back for now. If you have any news about Xinrui, please let me know immediately."

Jiang Huaiyu bowed helplessly and withdrew from the hall. Princess Linchuan looked at Consort Chao and asked, "Your Highness, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

Consort Chao pondered for a moment and said, "I always feel there must be something fishy about this. Although Prince Duan is stubborn, I don't believe he would fabricate something out of nothing. But if Xinrui really did this, why would she do it?"

Princess Linchuan said, "Perhaps we can start by looking at the people around Xinrui and see if she has shown any unusual behavior recently."

After discussing their plan, the two each assigned people to investigate. Inside Rongfu Garden, the atmosphere gradually eased, but everyone knew in their hearts that this turmoil was far from over.

Meanwhile, Prince Duan returned to his palace, his expression grim. He looked at the handkerchief in his hand, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

Jiang Huaiyu glared at Prince Duan and angrily retorted, "Prince Duan, you are talking nonsense! Xinrui is my niece, and I know her character better than you do. How could she possibly like you or seduce you?"

Prince Duan smiled contemptuously, a hint of mockery in his eyes: "Madam Jiang, you really do care about your niece. However, the facts are right in front of you. Jiang Xinrui once told me that she fell in love with me at first sight and even tried to have a relationship with me in Rongfu Garden."

Jiang Huaiyu's face darkened, his anger flaring: "Prince Duan, you are slandering my niece's reputation! She clearly refused when Consort Chao requested a marriage decree, how could she possibly set a trap in the palace to seduce you?"

Prince Duan sneered and said unhurriedly, "Madam Jiang, don't forget, the palace is a treacherous place. How can you generalize about Jiang Xinrui's methods?"

Inside Rongfu Garden, the atmosphere was tense, drawing everyone's attention. Jiang Huaiyu clenched her fists, her eyes resolute, and said, "Prince Duan, if you were truly a gentleman, you wouldn't slander a woman behind her back. Today, I will seek justice for Xinrui!"