After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

When the news reached Fangfei Courtyard, Xie Chaoyun was looking at Lu Yun and Han Ting, who were standing side by side.

Lu Yun was brought back from the villa. He was seventeen years old, had an honest face, and when he smiled, he seemed a bit timid.

Lu Yun made no attempt to hide his background.

His grandfather and father were both prison officials in charge of criminal justice, while his maternal grandfather and mother were coroners. Before he could walk, his father carried him to the prison to watch executions. While other children had rattles and wooden horses as toys, his toys were the 180 kinds of torture instruments in the prison. He often woke up in the middle of the night to see his mother examining corpses; to him, corpses were just like the familiar decorations in his home.

If not for the misfortune that befell his family, he would have followed in his father's footsteps and spent his days in the dark and gloomy prison.

He had killed people, more than one, yet no innocent souls were on his hands.

He went to Chaoyun Villa because he had clothes to wear and food to eat, and he followed Lu Zhiyuan because he admired her. She was very special. At only eight years old and plagued by illness, she was able to manipulate a group of treacherous adults between life and death in a matter of days and nights.

That feeling excited him, like a ray of light in the darkness, illuminating his muddled life.

“Yuan’er is only eight years old. Do you think he has illuminated your life?” Xie Chaoyun did not believe Lu Yun’s words: “With your abilities, you can make a living even if you leave the Lu family. There is no need for you to be ordered around by a little girl.”

"Is Madam serious?" Lu Yun cupped his hands in greeting. "My grandfather and father were embroiled in factional strife, and I only escaped with my life by sheer luck. I will never be able to work as a jailer in the government again. My skills are useless except for killing and interrogation. Before I met Miss, I was just a servant who was ordered around. It was Miss who gave me a name, gave me respect, and made me feel that I could also live in the sunlight."

Lu Yun knelt on the ground: "Lu Yun knows what Madam is worried about. Please rest assured, Lu Yun's life belongs to Miss."

Han Ting snorted, looking down on Lu Yun.

He had already bathed and changed his clothes, transforming from a slave into a servant in the Marquis's mansion, wearing the exact same clothes as Lu Yun.

Unlike Lu Yun, he had delicate, somewhat effeminate features, exuding an aloofness and coldness. In terms of temperament, he seemed more like someone who had just emerged from prison. Yet, beneath his overall indifference, Xie Chaoyun saw warmth and kindness.

He grew up surrounded by love, and even after experiencing hardship, he retained his pure and innocent heart.

This innocent heart transformed into a burning desire for revenge upon hearing the name Zhu Guozhi.

"Lu Yun, stop him." Lu Zhiyuan yawned: "The Zhu family arrived three days earlier than I expected, which has kept me from getting any sleep."

"Yuan'er?" Xie Chaoyun asked, puzzled. "Did you bring those people to the door?"

Lu Zhiyuan put on an obedient expression: "Yuan'er only wrote a letter to the Zhu family and had someone deliver it to them as fast as possible, without sleep or rest. I thought they would arrive after the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet in the palace, but they arrived early."

Lu Zhiyuan pouted: "This is a bit troublesome."

Xie Chaoyun was unaware of Ji Wanwan's involvement with the Zhu family and was completely confused by what she heard.

Judging that the commotion at the door would continue for a while, Lu Zhiyuan had Liu Ying bring over some fresh tea and snacks. Han Ting was being held down by Lu Yun, panting heavily, like a little tiger with its fur standing on end.

Lu Zhiyuan rubbed her ears, stood up, gestured for Lu Yun to let go, stood on tiptoe, and slapped Han Ting across the face.

"Are you calm now? If not, I'll slap you again."

Han Ting tried to retaliate, but Lu Zhiyuan glared at him and stopped him.

Han Ting gritted his teeth: "My parents, my clansmen, all died because of him."

"So what?" Lu Zhiyuan retorted, "Zhu Guozhi has been dead for almost ten years. How old were you ten years ago? Three? Four? How much can you remember? Even if you do remember, will the government believe you? Even if the government does believe you, what can you do now? Overturn the coffin in front of the Zhu family and drag Zhu Guozhi's remains out and crush them? If that's the case, it would be better to send you back to the slave market."

Han Ting clenched his fists and remained silent.

Lu Zhiyuan took his hand, pressed him down to the table, and handed him a cup of tea: "Goujian restored his country by enduring hardship and biding his time in an enemy state for ten years. And you? You just wander around like a headless fly, getting yourself all hurt."

Han Ting bit her lip until it bled.

Xie Chaoyun asked, "Who is Goujian? And what is the story behind 'sleeping on firewood and tasting gall'?"

Lu Zhiyuan laughed it off and continued to lecture Han Ting: "I found the Zhu family members, and I bought you from the slave market. I also told you about Ji Wanwan's situation with the Lu family. Do you understand now?"

Han Ting couldn't understand it; all he wanted was revenge, and he just wanted to find the Zhu family and get to the bottom of things.

Lu Zhiyuan poked him with her finger and said dejectedly, "Did all your intelligence grow on your face? No wonder you were captured and made a slave."

Lu Yun lowered his head and chuckled, but when Lu Zhiyuan glanced at him, he stretched his lips into a straight line.

"What you mean is to be patient. Whether it's seeking revenge or seeking resentment, with you here, we'll surely get what we want."

Xie Chaoyun first pointed at Lu Yun, then at Han Ting, and finally at the door: "What exactly is going on here?"

Lu Zhiyuan hugged Xie Chaoyun's arm and explained.

Ten years ago, the Hou family fell into difficulties and sought a marriage alliance with the Xie family. To secure her future, Ji Wanwan married the merchant Zhu Guozhi and went to Weinan with him after the marriage. Ji Wanwan and Zhu Guozhi's marriage was an illicit affair, and it was not approved by the Zhu family matriarch until Ji Wanwan found a powerful patron.

"A benefactor?" Xie Chaoyun thought of her husband, Lu Huai, and her face darkened.

“It wasn’t my father. He was busy planning his marriage to my mother at the time and didn’t have time to pay attention to Ji Wanwan at all,” Lu Zhiyuan said. “Does my mother still remember the first time she met my father? Those bandits were hired by my father.”

"Yuan'er?!"

“These things were said by the servants in the villa. Yuan’er just pieced together the information.”

Xie Chaoyun thought back carefully and realized that there were indeed many loopholes in what happened back then. How could he, a down-on-his-luck son of a marquis, have appeared in that place for no reason and just happened to encounter bandits? That was an official road, no more than a hundred miles from the capital.

“There’s something fishy about Father’s trip to Weinan.” Lu Zhiyuan peeled a melon seed. “Does Mother remember why Father went to Weinan?”

Xie Chaoyun thought for a moment: "There was a flood in Weinan, and the imperial court was providing disaster relief. They needed to escort people, and someone recommended your father."

"Does Mother still remember the person who recommended you?"

"He was the Vice Minister of Works at the time, and he retired to his hometown not long after this incident."

"He is a man of the Prince of Yong'an. The nobleman that Ji Wanwan met was also the Prince of Yong'an. The Zhu family also works for the Prince of Yong'an."

Before he could finish speaking, the butler rushed over, saying that a fight had broken out at the door and that Xie Chaoyun should go and take a look.

The matriarch of the Zhu family didn't recognize Lu Huai, but she recognized Ji Wanwan. Seeing her come out, her eyes turned red with hatred. Before Ji Wanwan could speak, she grabbed the memorial tablet and rammed into her. Ji Wanwan looked terrified and instinctively hid towards Lu Huai. Lu Huai reached out and, in front of everyone, hugged Ji Wanwan tightly.

The old lady of the Zhu family missed her target and fell onto the steps along with the memorial tablet, her face covered in blood.