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

In the original storyline, Han Ting was bought by a wealthy businessman, drugged and controlled, and subjected to all kinds of humiliation.

The wealthy merchant's daughter discovered the affair. She first accused Han Ting of having an improper relationship with her father, but after seeing the shameful wounds on Han Ting's body, she felt pity for him and, while her father was out, she stole the antidote and sent Han Ting out of the mansion.

That year, Han Ting was seventeen.

Under the cover of night, they sneaked back into the wealthy man's house and set it on fire, burning it to the ground.

After leaving the capital, Han Ting encountered his father's former subordinates and returned to Jiangnan with them. At that time, the Qinghe Gang was in chaos, and it would be no easy task for him, the son of a deceased gang leader, to regain control of the gang.

No one knows how much he sacrificed or what he went through. All that is known is that at the age of eighteen, Han Ting single-handedly subdued the entire Qinghe Gang, making it the number one sect in Jiangnan.

At nineteen, Han Ting returned to the capital as the leader of the Qinghe Gang. He wanted Ji Wanwan to pay for his father's death, but in the original story, Ji Wanwan had already swallowed up the Xie family, transformed into the wife of the Marquis of Pingnan, and had the Prince of Yong'an as her backer.

Ultimately, the strength of the martial arts world was no match for the power of the imperial court. Han Ting and his Qinghe Gang were framed by Ji Wanwan and Prince Yong'an, becoming their excuse and cannon fodder for rebellion.

This time, Lu Zhiyuan rescued Han Ting first, saving him from being bullied. She also provided him with money, people, and supplies, helping him take over the Qinghe Gang ahead of schedule. With his talent, it wouldn't take five years for him to develop the Qinghe Gang into the largest force in the martial arts world.

She intends to use this martial arts force to counter the power of the Prince of Yong'an, in order to protect the Xie family from being framed.

Meanwhile, Xie Chaoyun was preparing to retire for the night when a maid sent by Old Madam Lu invited her to Fulin Courtyard. She knew in her heart that this trip was for the farce in front of the Marquis's mansion today, and most likely it was to get her to defend Ji Wanwan.

After passing through the long corridor and the courtyard, we arrived at Fu Lin Courtyard.

A strong smell of Chinese medicine wafted through the courtyard, unlike the health-preserving medicine I usually drink.

The curtain was rolled up, and the candlelight inside flickered.

Lu Jingyuan was held on the old lady's lap; such a big child, squirming and wriggling in her arms, was truly a sight to behold. Lu Jinyao stood to the side, her head bowed, her expression unreadable. Lu Huai paced back and forth in the room, and on his third round, he saw Xie Chaoyun standing in the courtyard.

"Aren't you coming in? Mother is getting impatient."

The reprimand that came at her made Xie Chaoyun, who had already missed her sleep, a little angry, and she deliberately stood in the courtyard for a while longer.

"Why are Mother and the Marquis in such a hurry to see Yunniang?" Xie Chaoyun stepped into the room: "Mother's headaches have been flaring up frequently, she should rest earlier. What could be so important that can't wait until tomorrow morning?"

Lu Huai's lips curled into a stern expression: "You know about Wanwan's matter, right?"

"I heard that someone testified on the spot that my cousin personally took the poison that killed her husband. With witnesses and physical evidence, my cousin has no way to defend herself and has been imprisoned in the Commandant's jail."

“Wanwan is innocent,” Lu Huai said urgently. “She had no idea it was poison, and the ginseng soup that killed Zhu Guozhi was not made by her, but by the maidservant next to Old Madam Zhu.”

Xie Chaoyun's expression turned slightly cold: "Has the Marquis gone to see his cousin? Did she tell you all of this?"

"Does it matter who said it? What matters is that Wanwan was wronged." Lu Huai's face was ashen, and he clenched his fists. "Have you ever been to the prison of the Commandant's Mansion? Do you know what it's like inside? Wanwan is just a weak woman. Do you know how much suffering she has to endure in there?"

“A life for a life, that’s only right,” Xie Chaoyun couldn’t help but say. “The Marquis says she’s innocent but can’t produce any evidence. Even the maid he mentioned, Yunniang doesn’t know if she even exists. But what Old Madam Zhu said is true, and the person who testified against Ji Wanwan in court has also produced relevant evidence. How can Yunniang believe that Ji Wanwan is innocent?”

Xie Chaoyun turned her back.

Despite being utterly disappointed and heartbroken by him, seeing him protect Ji Wanwan like this still caused her great distress. This was supposed to be her husband, the father of her daughter, yet he had never protected her and her daughter like this before; he hadn't even provided the most basic companionship.

My eyes stung, and I gripped my handkerchief tightly.

“Even if my cousin is innocent, the Marquis should go to the Commandant’s mansion instead of yelling at his wife in the middle of the night.”

"I heard from Huai'er that the woman who testified against Wanwan in court today was bought from the slave market by Yuan'er," said Old Madam Lu. "The eldest daughter of the Marquis's family went to the slave market to buy back a witness who accused Wanwan. Is it really true that Wanwan being accused of murdering her husband has nothing to do with you?"

Xie Chaoyun frowned: "What do you mean by that, Mother?"

Madam Lu pouted: "Just the way you understand it. If this matter is caused by you, go to the Commandant's Mansion first thing tomorrow morning and make things clear. For my and Huai'er's sake, Wanwan won't hold it against you."

Xie Chaoyun smiled, turned to Lu Huai, and asked softly, "What do you think, Lord Marquis?"

Lu Huai glanced at her: "I believe Yunniang. The matter of the Zhu family in Weinan has nothing to do with you, Yunniang. As for this slave... you should ask Yuan'er. There's always a reason behind coincidences. Let's not let a slave of unknown origin harm our Marquis's mansion."

Xie Chaoyun straightened her body.

“Yuan’er told me about the slaves. She accidentally entered the slave market while shopping with Liu Ying. Yuan’er is eight years old and Liu Ying is thirteen. How could they be as cunning as Mother said? Besides, Yuan’er lived in Chaoyang Villa before returning to the manor. Not to mention the Zhu family in Weinan, she didn’t even know who the neighbors of this Marquis’s manor were.”

Xie Chaoyun paused for a moment.

"He just went out to see some fun, and he just bought a few slaves out of kindness. How did he become someone with ulterior motives who framed his cousin?"

"Mother didn't say it was Yuan'er's fault. She was just afraid that Yuan'er would be taken advantage of."

"Use them?" Xie Chaoyun chuckled softly, ordering the maid guarding the door to retrieve the indentures of those slaves from Fangfei Courtyard: "I've seen all their indentures, and none of them are from Weinan. Except for Han Ting, who was brought back by Yuan'er, the rest have all been sent to the Xie family."

Old Madam Lu chimed in, "If they weren't guilty, why would they send someone to the Xie family?"

Xie Chaoyun chuckled lightly: "Did Mother ever make a mistake when she was eight years old? And what did she do after she made a mistake? Yuan'er was eight years old, and she was still unfamiliar with me, her own mother, let alone the Marquis's mansion. She left the mansion without permission and bought slaves, and several at once. Wasn't it a normal reaction for a child to hide them at her uncle's house for fear of being scolded? It's already absurd for Mother to judge, guess, and speculate about a child with the mindset of an adult. What's even more absurd is that Yuan'er is your own granddaughter."

Madam Lu's lips drooped: "I didn't say anything, it was just a normal reaction."

Xie Chaoyun nodded, a half-smile on her face: "A normal reaction? After hearing what Old Madam Zhu said, shouldn't Yunniang also question the relationship between the Marquis and these two children?"

Madam Lu choked, looking at Lu Huai guiltily: "What nonsense are you talking about? These two children have nothing to do with your husband."

"Whether there is a relationship or not can only be determined by a blood test." Xie Chaoyun looked at Lu Huai, his gaze slightly cold: "Does Your Excellency dare to conduct a blood test?"