After her transformation and rebirth, she manipulates the innocent and ruthless to overthrow the wor

The early summer night was quite cool, with the bright moon shining into the room. Cicadas chirped melodiously, and a gentle breeze carrying a faint fragrance wafted in, gently stirring the gauze curtains.

Xiao Ran walked slowly to the window, raised her hand to close it, and all the noise stopped.

She returned to the table and repeatedly washed the palm of He's hand that she had just held.

"Someone come here." She put the wrung-out towel into the basin.

The maid immediately pushed open the door and entered, stepping forward to bow and say, "This servant is here."

"Take this away. I need to rest. Don't disturb me unless necessary."

"Yes." After saying that, he started tidying up, and after finishing, he carried the basin, closed the door, and left.

Xiao Ran blew out the lamp, then quietly went to the window, opened the window that hadn't been closed properly, and climbed out.

-

Inside the woodshed, the door was locked. There were some dark red spots on the ground, which stretched out until they touched the scattered straw, where they gradually disappeared into the straw. On the straw stack lay a ragged servant boy with bloodstains at the corner of his mouth.

He scoffed.

Perhaps he shouldn't have glanced at Xiao Ran when he walked towards her today.

Then you won't see her silent lip movements.

"help me."

And yet, he was so bewitched that he helped her.

He casually wiped the blood from his mouth, leaving a glaring red stain on his sleeve, while his eyes were filled with uncontrollable coldness.

Just then, he heard some noise at the door. He listened carefully and saw someone fiddling with the door lock.

His hand secretly pressed against the dagger hidden in his sleeve.

He was punished today so that he could stay in the General's Mansion; not just anyone can come and kick him when he's down.

Thinking of this, he calmly closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. He was just venting his anger, so he decided to see which unlucky person would come and mess with him.

Xiao Ran pushed open the door and entered, only to see Afu lying disheveled on the haystack.

"Afu?"

He was covered in blood, and his clothes were tattered. He had been whipped and locked in the woodshed.

Seeing that his eyes were closed, and that he must be asleep and hadn't heard her, she took a few more steps forward.

Until they saw something sharp in his tattered sleeve, gleaming silver in the moonlight.

"You want to kill me?" Xiao Ran stopped in her tracks just in time.

Afu stopped pretending, slowly opened his eyes, and lazily replied, "So what if it is?"

"You can't kill me." Xiao Ran stared straight at him, but the room was too dark to see his expression clearly. She could only look to the side and said softly, "You can't escape..."

"How do you know I can't escape?" He slowly sat up, not looking at her, and drew a dagger from his sleeve. "Don't you know me well, young lady?"

Although it was just a joke, Xiao Ran understood that it referred to the things she had said that morning.

He was asking her what she knew, and although his words were a test, she knew he could kill her and leave safely.

If she doesn't answer correctly now, she probably won't get out alive.

She took a few steps forward and squatted down. Since she couldn't escape anyway, her only option now was to pique his interest, so she told him the truth, "Would you believe me if I said I dreamed about all of this?"

"Oh? Like a dream about a mother and daughter who ruined your family?" He said this with a smile, brandishing the dagger in his hand, clearly not believing it.

Knowing he didn't believe her, but he hadn't made a move, she figured he must be somewhat interested. So she piqued his interest and said confidently, "My dream told me that a major event will happen in the capital on the tenth of July. If it's false, you can kill me then."

"You know I can help you." Xiao Ran didn't say anything explicitly, but Afu wasn't stupid and immediately understood.

Being able to predict the future is something most people wouldn't even dare to dream of.

He put down the dagger and took a serious look at the girl in front of him who was not yet of marriageable age.

The girl's face was bathed in moonlight, a few strands of hair gently brushed against her cheeks in the breeze, and her eyes appeared exceptionally bright in the moonlight, yet there was a hint of timidity in her gaze.

He couldn't help but chuckle quietly.

Xiao Ran felt a little down when she heard his laughter. Did he agree or not?

After a long silence, he finally spoke, "What brings you here, young lady?"

Why don't you expose me?

She was asking about what had just happened in the hall.

"Didn't the girl say that?" He mouthed 'help me'.

Then he chuckled nonchalantly, "Besides, even if I told you, I'm afraid only you would believe me."

Xiao Ran was silent for a moment, then took out a box from her sleeve and placed it on the ground. "It's good for your injury."

"Really? How do I know if the girl is just pretending to give me the medicine to silence me?"

"Eat or not is up to you." After saying that, she got up, dusted herself off, and left without saying another word.

Afu didn't move, but simply lay down and looked sideways at the open door.

The moon is quite bright tonight.

That's what Afu thought.

-

In the middle of the night, after Xiao Mu had fallen asleep, Madam He secretly went to the artificial hill in the backyard.

Under the moonlight, she took out the jade pendant from her sleeve, carefully pressed the hidden clasp with her fingers, and soon assembled it into a jade whistle.

She blew carefully, producing a series of low chirping insect sounds.

After a while, someone suddenly hugged her.

"what--"

The woman was slightly surprised, but after realizing it was that person, she relaxed and blushed slightly: "Please let me go."

Instead of letting go, the person hugged even tighter.

"What are you afraid of? There's no one here." A middle-aged man's unique voice came from behind He Shi.

"I called you here because I have something important to say!" Madam He blushed and softly pushed the man away, but she didn't manage to move him much.

Looking at the woman's appearance, the man felt even more affection for her: "What's the matter that's causing such a commotion? Did Xiao Mu find out?"

Madam He gritted her teeth and said, "No, it's that slut. She's acting very strangely today, and she's also involved with Guan Wan'er..."

Ms. He told the man what had happened that day.

“Moreover, I heard from the maid that she was indeed very weak after she woke up, and there was even blood on the handkerchief she coughed on. It didn’t seem fake, but I…” Madam He touched her chest and said with a heavy heart, “I’m still very worried. If she discovers Wan’er in advance, wouldn’t our plan be in vain?”

"Alright, Rou'er." The man didn't care what she said. He suppressed his anger and pressed He Shi against the wall, saying in a hoarse voice, "She's just a little girl. What's the big deal? Don't worry, let your man handle it."

He wanted to say something more, but the man silenced her.

Under the alluring moonlight, a couple whispered sweet nothings behind the artificial hill, and slowly, the delicate cries of a woman could be heard.

But on the other side of the artificial hill, a person listened to all of this with a playful smile, and then gradually disappeared into the darkness as if he had lost interest.