They were in charge of being beautiful, and she was in charge of taking the hits.

Mo Baiyun frowned and quickly ran to Wu Ziyan's side: "Zhang Lang, who was kicked out yesterday, died in the brothel alley."

Wu Ziyan was extremely shocked. How could he be dead? Her eyes were full of disbelief. She hadn't done that. Even if she wanted to get rid of him, she wouldn't be so foolish as to leave any trace.

Chu Qiu observed Wu Ziyan's expression; he seemed genuinely unaware of such a thing, and his heart calmed slightly.

"I'm afraid they're trying to give me a hard time." Wu Ziyan narrowed her eyes, already guessing who it was.

"Little Yun'er, bury him and give his family some compensation."

"Master, this..." His master has improved somewhat, but he is still too kind-hearted and needs to be tempered.

"Go ahead, I still need to go to the Prime Minister's residence today."

Mo Baiyun was unwilling. According to his idea, a handful of corpse-dissolving powder would clean everything up.

Sima Lingchuan and Wu Ziyan got ready and boarded the carriage. Chu Qiu followed and sat on the carriage frame outside. Although Sima Lingchuan had a smile on his face, his eyes were full of anxiety. In the years since he got married, he had never returned the visit.

"No need to worry." Wu Ziyan placed her hand on Sima Linchuan's hand, just like when they entered the palace.

"Ziyan, actually my mother..."

"I don't want you to make the choice; I want her to be the one to make the choice." She knew what Sima Lingchuan wanted to say—nothing more than to say something to ease tensions between them. But the struggles in the court were ruthless, and it couldn't be resolved simply by marriage.

Sima Lingchuan stopped speaking. The road was long and bumpy, and the slow pace seemed intentional, which made Sima Lingchuan even more worried. When they arrived at the Prime Minister's residence, a servant led them inside.

Sima Zongcheng remained seated in the hall, showing no intention of rising to greet them. Wu Ziyan also spoke with a cold expression: "Prime Minister, oh no, or rather, Mother-in-law."

"Marquis Qingxian, I cannot accept such a title." The same words, but with a sarcastic tone.

“I can accept it; after all, I only get to stand in the Prime Minister’s residence,” Wu Ziyan retorted.

The meeting was already fraught with tension. Sima Zongcheng glanced at Sima Lingchuan and said, "You haven't been back for a while, go and meet your brother."

Sima Lingchuan looked at Wu Ziyan, who nodded. Sima Lingchuan bowed and said, "Yes, Mother," before retreating.

In that familiar corridor, Sima Lingyu saw Sima Lingchuan and then looked behind him to see if any other strangers were following.

Looking somewhat anxious, she pulled him into her room. He had overheard everything that happened that night, and he had also heard that his brother's relationship with the fourth princess had improved. He decided to tell him the truth.

Sima Lingchuan, seeing his younger brother's anxiety, asked, "Brother, what's wrong?"

"Brother, is the Fourth Princess going on a southern tour this time?"

"How did you learn that?"

"The mother and the second princess plotted to harm the fourth princess."

Upon hearing this news, Sima Linchuan's mind went blank, his hands trembled as he took a step back. That was his husband's family. Was his mother trying to wipe them out? Did she really not care about him at all?

But she was his mother, and in the end, he blamed himself for all the mistakes. He thought that if the second princess hadn't said she liked him back then, none of this would have happened.

Wu Ziyan sat alone in the hall, while Chu Qiu stood next to him. Wu Ziyan pulled him over to sit down.

Sima Zongcheng looked up at Chu Qiu: "Is this the male general from the Situ family?"

Wu Ziyan didn't want to go through all that preamble with her. Her main point was to reply with a random message: "Prime Minister, I will have to go south to manage the floods. I hope that your supplies will be delivered in time."

"I thought the Marquis of Qingxian came to accompany my son Lingchuan to wake up!"

"The Prime Minister wouldn't try to trip me up behind my back, would he? Like, what if I die in a natural disaster?" She threw out all the things she could foresee at once, and Sima Zongcheng's face turned red and white as he listened.

Looks like I stepped on her tail.

Wu Ziyan wasn't back to visit relatives; she didn't want to stay here a moment longer. But at this moment, Sima Zongcheng seemed out of sync with her, speaking slowly and deliberately: "That's not up to me; it has to go through the Ministry of Revenue and other officials..."

Sima Zongcheng began to launch into a long-winded speech, but he never got to the point. In short, he concluded that it had nothing to do with her and that if anything went wrong, she shouldn't be held responsible.

Wu Ziyan already knew that Sima Zongcheng, that old fox, would definitely make excuses, so Wu Ziyan simply took out the receipt: "This is what is needed. I hope the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Revenue and other officials will discuss it carefully."

"This shouldn't be given to me; it should be presented to the imperial court."

"Don't worry, I've already submitted a memorial to the Empress Dowager. This one is just for you to see."

Sima Zongcheng smiled and said, "Oh, that would be great. I will do my best to cooperate with you, Fourth Princess."

[After your sarcastic remarks, now you're calling on the Fourth Princess, huh?] She rolled her eyes.

Wu Ziyan and Sima Zongcheng exchanged glances for a moment, then Wu Ziyan stood up and said, "Then we won't disturb the Prime Minister any longer."

"Since it's a rare occasion for you to return my visit, I've prepared a feast."

"No need. I'll probably set off immediately once the Empress Dowager's memorial arrives."

"Then, I wish you, Fourth Princess, a safe journey and good health."

But her blessing sounded less like a blessing and more like an admonition to watch your step or you might accidentally die.

Sima Lingchuan followed Wu Ziyan back to the mansion. He had been sullen since leaving the Prime Minister's residence. Wu Ziyan comforted him, and Sima Lingchuan cheered himself up, peering out at the street: "Ziyan, can you not go on this assignment?"

"can."

"Then you won't go."

"What's wrong?" She stared at Sima Lingchuan, seemingly having discussed something with his younger brother.

Sima Lingchuan shook his head. He couldn't tell her either. Sima Lingyu had told him some of what she had heard, but he was torn between his husband and his family. It was a difficult choice, causing him great distress.

Wu Ziyan had already guessed something from Sima Lingchuan's eyes. She joked, "If I don't come back, you will inherit my title. I will keep proper documentation to ensure your safety."

Sima Lingchuan covered Wu Ziyan's mouth: "Ziyan, you can't say such things."

"I will keep you safe." Chu Qiu said calmly from outside the carriage. Wu Ziyan lifted the curtain and saw that his eyes were exceptionally firm.