After the arranged marriage, she farms and survives under the tutelage of the villainous boss.

“See, I told you Jiang Zhiyun was no ordinary person, but you didn’t believe me. How did you fare in front of those old fogies? You were nothing more than a wicked concubine, a wicked concubine who brought ruin to the country and ruined the emperor. You always said it was because you were a woman that these people always looked down on women. But I don’t think so anymore.”

"Because Gu Wanqing, you are incompetent. You are simply no match for Jiang Zhiyun. Even if it's not up to us, it's the same in front of the Emperor and all the officials. No matter how much they scold her, they can't do anything to Jiang Zhiyun."

"..."

"Shut up." Gu Wanqing slapped her across the face. "Gu Wanzhi, don't forget who raised you. You're just a dog I raised to bite people."

"Get out of here. Bring Jiang Zhiyun in. I want to see her."

"As a Noble Consort, it shouldn't be a problem for you to show concern for my wife, right?"

-

Jiang Zhiyun led Song Chunhe to the prison gate to pick them up.

Song Chunhe kept reassuring her: "It's okay, Zhiyun, Lu Shao will definitely be fine. He's tough. He's only been imprisoned for a short time, so he probably doesn't have many injuries."

After he said that, Jiang Zhiyun still shook her head: "No. Those people are extremely cruel and don't value human life."

"This time when I enter the palace, the odds are against me."

Jiang Zhiyun is still feeling the afterglow. Despite her willingness to speak her mind in court, Jiang Zhiyun's legs are actually weak.

I've never experienced anything like this in either of my lives. In my past life, all I could do to win people's hearts was work behind the scenes.

Standing in the imperial court now, facing so many people and the so-called unpredictable emperor, this is the first time Jiang Zhiyun has ever been in such a situation.

However, it was only with a crazy passion in his heart, and the confidence given by the people or students.

The gamble was simply that the emperor wouldn't dare to kill or make a move.

The city of Bianjing is currently in a precarious state. A lockdown might not be objected to in the short term, but if it drags on, there will be far too many complaints from those around them.

If the punishment of ordinary people and students is intensified, then things will truly be over.

The Emperor has already ceded all the territory, leaving only Bianjing City. What he wants to preserve is merely the utopia of Bianjing City.

That's why Jiang Zhiyun was able to make such outrageous remarks in the imperial court.

At the same time, she knew that this was a one-time thing, and there would never be a second time.

Song Chunhe said, "My father clashed with you in court; he is Song Yun, the Vice Minister of Revenue. I'm sorry, Yunniang, there's nothing between us that we can talk about. If I were to say something nice to him, he would probably just take it the wrong way."

"It's nothing." Jiang Zhiyun shook her head. "Song Yun is Song Yun, and you are you."

"However, I am quite grateful to him because I got to know him through you, and I know a little about what kind of person he is. When I confronted him in court, my hatred and malice were quite genuine. If it were someone else, I probably wouldn't have been able to do that."

Song Chunhe was both amused and exasperated: "Then I've indirectly helped you too."

"However, if you ever face him in the future, I hope you can spare his life for my sake."

Jiang Zhiyun smiled and said, "If we really have that authority, then it's definitely possible."

"Right now, everything is unknown."

I wonder what state Xie Shuheng is in now, far away.

At this moment, Lu Shao was thrown out.

Song Chunhe had previously comforted Jiang Zhiyun that everything was alright, but now that he saw Lu Shao covered in blood, he rushed over quickly.

"What are you..."

"How could there be such a big problem?"

As he said this, Lu Shao weakly shook his head: "It's okay, don't worry about me."

He didn't look at Jiang Zhiyun, and kept trying to break free and stand up.

Song Chunhe tried to help him up, but Lu Shao wouldn't let her, stubbornly remaining still: "I can manage on my own."

"What's your business?"

Jiang Zhiyun suddenly lost her temper.

"Lu Shao, you keep everything bottled up inside, never saying a word. We've prepared a whole table of food for you, and if you'd told us earlier that there was danger, we would have stopped you from going. Why are you being so stubborn now?"

Jiang Zhiyun was furious.

You can be quiet, but you can't remain completely silent.

I don't know where the courage comes from to be someone who remains silent and does this all the time.

"I don't want to drag you down with my problems." Lu Shao was still awkward.

"This time, I'm prepared to die inside."

Yunniang was speechless: "All you do all day is talk about death. It's so unlucky to have that on your lips. Lu Shao, use your brain."

“You’re useful. You’re more capable than you think. Saving you is never a bad thing, and you don’t need to feel guilty about it. It’s only natural for me to save you. If I were in danger, wouldn’t you save me?”

“Of course I will save you!” he blurted out.

Then, realizing what she had said, she paused and said, "But it's not like that. Saving you is what I should do. I've always said I'd protect you, but I've never done so. Instead, I've messed things up, and now you have to come and save me."

He used to think he was just a step too slow, that he missed out on the person he would love for a lifetime because of some hesitation, but now he just finds it laughable.

His current sense of powerlessness, and the fact that he couldn't help and needed Yunniang to come and save people, made Lu Shao realize that he had never been worthy of Yunniang.

Those memories, those feelings of "if only I had been one step faster back then," that belief sustained me...

Blaming fate or others, or blaming oneself for not being mature enough or resolute enough—now it all seems futile.

What he had been pursuing seemed to be something that should never have been his in the first place.

This is what true powerlessness feels like.

Jiang Zhiyun looked at his dejected appearance and said, "Were you tortured terribly in prison?"

"The pain of the body and skin is far less than the pain in one's heart."

Yunniang: "..."

"Tell us what's bothering you, and we'll help you."

Yunniang and Song Chunhe sat down on the ground like this.

"..." Originally, he felt extremely wronged and uncomfortable, but now, with Jiang Zhiyun and Song Chunhe interrupting him like this, he couldn't say a word.

Song Chunhe said, "Zhiyun, I reckon it's about your heartbreak."

“I married Xie Shuheng a long time ago, and my child is already quite grown up. If you still can’t let go of this, Lu Shao, you’re really being a bit stubborn.”

"..." Lu Shao was speechless, feeling as if he were being publicly executed. He couldn't explain it, but it was extremely uncomfortable.

"It's nothing, I'm not upset. I don't know what to say when you all look at me like that."

"I want to go home and rest."

Song Chunhe nodded: "Let's take you to get medical treatment first. You can't rest while you're bleeding like this."