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

When Lu Huai pushed open the warehouse door, he was busy stuffing peanuts he had dug out of the rat hole into his pocket. When he saw Xie Chaoyun's face, he burst into tears of joy.

"Yunniang, I knew you would come to save me." He rushed over and hugged Xie Chaoyun tightly, scattering the peanuts he was holding all over the ground.

The smell, similar to that of rats, filled her nostrils. Xie Chaoyun frowned and pushed him away in strong resistance.

"What is Your Excellency doing?"

"Did that bastard Lu Yong do anything to you?" Lu Huai held her shoulders and carefully examined her. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there were no unknown marks on her neck. "A mere steward in a villa dared to covet you. Fortunately, Yunniang, you are safe and sound."

"Is the Marquis worried about me, or about Yunniang tarnishing the reputation of the Marquis's mansion?"

"Of course I'm worried about you, Yunniang." Lu Huai's eyes darted away. "It's all my fault for being careless and falling into the trap of a villain. What about Lu Yong? I'm going to kill him."

"Lu Yong colluded with the bandits of Luoxia Mountain and has been taken away by the general who was ordered to encircle and suppress Luoxia Mountain." Xie Chaoyun was unwilling to explain further and simply returned Lu Huai's jade pendant to him.

This was left behind by the old Marquis, and it was something Xie Chaoyun had tried to guard against but failed to prevent. She knew that Lu Yong would tamper with it on the way up the mountain or after they arrived. She carefully checked the carriage, kept the silver notes safe, refused the food Lu Yong offered, and even arranged for Madam Ruan to meet her at the foot of the mountain. But she never expected that he would put the medicine on the jade pendant.

If they hadn't accidentally captured Yuan'er, she might have been humiliated by Lu Yong.

Thinking of this, his expression turned cold.

“Yunniang saw the divorce papers, but you wrote the wrong name, Lord Marquis. When we return to the estate, we will have to trouble you to write another one. This time, please do not write the character ‘Huai’ as ‘Zhun’ again.”

“That was fake, I did it on purpose, I was just stalling for time.” Lu Huai grabbed Xie Chaoyun’s hand: “How could I bear to divorce my wife? I deliberately wrote the character ‘Huai’ in Lu Huai’s name as ‘Zhun’ so that you could understand, Yunniang, that divorce letter was not my own choice.”

"So, the father divorced the mother to save his own life, and he gave her away to save his own life? So what was the mother's place in the father's heart? Did the father really care about the mother?"

"Lu Zhiyuan? What are you doing here!"

"Father just saw me." Lu Zhiyuan pouted. "I was captured by bandits from Luoxia Mountain. They not only captured me, but also the children of the ministers or vice ministers of the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of War, and the Ministry of Works. Lu Yong used the pretext of demanding ransom to make the six ministries send congratulatory gifts for his and my mother's wedding. Tsk tsk, so much money, what a pity."

"He kidnapped the families of officials from the Six Ministries. He's a madman!" Lu Huai paced anxiously, spinning in circles. "He's the steward of my estate. What if they connect this to the Marquis's manor and think that our manor is colluding with the bandits of Luoxia Mountain?"

Lu Zhiyuan tapped her chin: "That's possible! Father probably doesn't know yet, but Lu Yong not only colludes with the bandits of Luoxia Mountain, he's also the chieftain, and he's half Southern Chu blood. Tsk tsk, our Pingnan Marquis's mansion is probably in big trouble."

Lu Huai staggered, barely managing to stand by leaning on the stack of warehouse stock: "He's a bandit leader? And he's connected to the people of Southern Chu?"

Lu Zhiyuan blinked: "Colluding with bandits and suspected of treason, our Marquis's mansion will probably be executed along with the entire family."

Lu Huai sat down on the ground.

Xie Chaoyun sighed, not understanding how she had ever fallen for Lu Huai in the first place.

Lu Yong's identity has been verified. His father is a native of the Lu family, belonging to a collateral branch. Although his mother has half Southern Chu blood, she grew up in Northern Liang and was introduced to his father.

Lu Yong's parents died early, and he grew up relying on the kindness of many families. He has a vague memory of his mother and little memory of his father. All he remembers and knows is what those who fed him told him.

The people of Southern Chu chose him and used his background to set a trap. They painted a portrait of Xie Chaoyun, dressed the portrait of Xie Chaoyun in the clothes of the people of Southern Chu, and lied that he was Lu Yong's mother.

When Lu Yong saw the familiar face, he immediately developed a special feeling for Xie Chaoyun, which, under the gradual guidance of the people of Nan Chu, evolved into what it is today.

When you think about it carefully, Lu Yong is actually a pitiful person.

Inside the carriage, Xie Chaoyun stroked Lu Zhiyuan's head and asked softly, "Why did you scare him? Although Lu Yong is involved with Luoxia Mountain, he has nothing to do with the Pingnan Marquis's Mansion. You captured all the bandits from Luoxia Mountain, and although you attributed the credit to me, if it comes to rewards, it will definitely go to the Pingnan Marquis's Mansion and your father. Yuan'er, what are you thinking?"

“I’m gambling, gambling that Father will abandon you again, Mother, for the sake of the Pingnan Marquis’s mansion and for his own life.” Lu Zhiyuan tilted her head: “Mother, do you want to gamble, gamble that Father will give you a divorce letter after he returns to the capital, a real divorce letter that he thinks is beneficial to the Pingnan Marquis’s mansion?”

Xie Chaoyun shook her head: "He can't bear to part with my dowry, and he can't bear to part with the Xie family's wealth. Unless... the Emperor really wants to punish the Marquis's mansion, and he pushes Lu Yong's matter onto me to protect the mansion."

Lu Zhiyuan smiled slyly: "How do you know he won't do that, Mother? Have you forgotten that there is Ji Wanwan in the Marquis's mansion, and that letter that Ji Wanwan hid in Mother's study?"

Xie Chaoyun's eyes widened: "That letter wasn't—"

“We switched that letter. We know that, but Ji Wanwan doesn’t.” Lu Zhiyuan’s smile became even more meaningful. “She has always resented her mother and wished she could get rid of her and take her place. As long as we give her a chance, create an opportunity for her, she will definitely seize on Lu Yong’s matter and whisper in her father’s ear.”

Lu Zhiyuan pinched her fingers: "They can't bear to part with Mother's dowry, nor with the Xie family's support and wealth. Therefore, Ji Wanwan will definitely use that letter to persuade Father to join her in bringing down the Xie family, seizing Mother's dowry, and robbing the Xie family's money."

Xie Chaoyun's hand tightened.

In another carriage, Lu Huai was awakened by a nightmare, breaking out in a cold sweat.

He dreamt that the emperor summoned him, that the six ministers impeached him, accusing him of colluding with bandits and with the Southern Chu. He dreamt that the Marquis's mansion was raided, that he and his mother were put on a torture cart, and that Xie Chaoyun and Lu Zhiyuan stood in front of the mansion, watching him expressionlessly.

The Xie family members stood behind them.

He pleaded desperately, hoping Xie Chaoyun would save him, but all he heard were cold words: "Lu Huai, do you still remember the oath you swore to me on our wedding night? If I betray you, may I die a horrible death."

Suddenly, Lu Huai shivered and lifted the curtain to look at the carriage following closely behind. The mother and daughter were talking, and bursts of laughter could be heard.

He was excluded from the family of three.

Thinking of Xie Chaoyun's recent aloofness towards him, and Lu Zhiyuan's attitude towards him, a sudden surge of hatred arose within him.

If that's the case, then let's not be family!