Transmigrating into a book to save her best friend, her sickly husband vies for her affections every

Just then, Zhang Zhan heard someone calling him, a voice so distinct that even ashes could be recognized.

"Zhang Zhan!" Zhao Siwei rode up on horseback, followed by two other horses. Seeing that Zhang Zhan didn't even want to look at him, he scolded, "Is this the time to go against me? Don't you want to go back to the capital?"

Zhang Zhan naturally wanted it. He looked up at Zhao Siwei, his eyes filled with a helpless light.

Zhao Siwei helped Zhang Zhan onto his horse, glanced at the road back to the capital which was covered in snow and halfway up a mountain, and said to Xu Yuan, "I'll go with your master."

Xu Yuan refused.

"Let's go!" Zhang Zhan was no longer willing to listen to their nonsense. "I'm going back to the Marquis's residence!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Siwei spurred his horse and galloped off.

Zhao Siwei was extremely fortunate. After his resurrection, he replaced all the horses of his attendants with warhorses. Traveling through this snow would be really difficult, so he just had to see if the horses could handle it. He figured that taking turns riding the three horses should be fine.

A strong wind swept in, trying to blow the two of them back.

Zhao Siwei simply tightened the reins, using his body to resist the cold wind, and only dared to move when the wind subsided.

Zhang Zhan urged Zhao Siwei, "Hurry up!"

Zhao Siwei was already very fast; he wasn't even taking the same route he came by, but rather a side road leading back to the capital.

"Shut up, stop rushing us, or we'll all die in the snow together!"

Zhang Zhan bit his lip, knowing he had been too impatient. He could only grab Zhao Siwei's cloak, rest his head on his shoulder, and pray for his grandmother.

Once we got down the mountain, the road was much flatter, but the strong winds could easily knock people back.

Zhao Siwei spoke first, "I don't know anything about these things!"

He was emphasizing that there were too many variables today, and if Zhang Zhan kept them all in his mind, he would either be overwhelmed by a plate of pastries or be hated by Zhang Zhan tomorrow.

Zhang Zhan refused to believe it and gritted his teeth, saying, "How could it be such a coincidence! They drugged me and harmed my grandparents!"

Zhao Siwei choked on his breath and yelled back, "Are you a pig-brain? Have you ever thought about who's most capable when you're about to die? Am I the most capable?"

Zhang Zhan was infuriating. "Anyway, your mother will be most relieved if I die! Even if I'm ugly, I still look a little bit like the woman she hates! Just looking at me is awful!"

"I'm being serious!" Zhao Siwei exclaimed, his breath rumbling in the cold air. "Why are you rambling on and on?"

In his previous life, Zhao Siwei felt from the bottom of his heart that the deaths of Old Master Zhang and Old Madam Zhang were too suspicious and too fast. How could two people die at once? This is not how old people commit suicide for love.

Moreover, the two men knew very well that Zhang Zhan would only be alright if they lived.

With them dead, Zhang Zhan and the Marquis's mansion will only have hatred left. If Zhang Zhan hates him, then it means there's no one behind him anymore.

Therefore, this death is really too suspicious.

"Now that your grandparents are dead, you've lost your powerful backer in the Marquis's mansion, so—"

"Can you shut up!" Zhang Zhan roared. "Shut your mouth! I'm really upset right now! My mind is a mess!"

Zhao Siwei knew that he was no longer able to think.

They sped back to the capital and arrived at the Marquis's residence. The entrance was already covered in white, and the two white lanterns were being tossed about by the wind.

Zhang Zhan tumbled off his horse, and the steward at the gate, seeing him, covered his face and wept bitterly, "My young master, where have you been? You're finally back! Why haven't our old master and mistress had any good fortune in so long..."

Zhang Zhan scrambled up the steps, and when Zhao Siwei tried to help him, he shoved him away.

Rushing into the inner courtyard, the servants had already changed into plain clothes, with white cloths hanging from their waists.

Zhang Zhan's father, Zhang Ruizhe, squatted on the ground and cried. Losing both parents in an instant, he was naturally devastated and heartbroken. Looking at his returning son, he said, "Your grandmother just passed away, and she was calling your name..."

Zhang Zhan ran inside, and Zhao Siwei immediately heard heart-wrenching cries.

It was Zhang Zhan's mournful weeping.

Zhao Siwei stood at the door, watching as the woman knelt by the bed, throwing herself onto Old Mrs. Zhang and calling out, "Grandmother, Grandmother..."

Zhao Siwei didn't have the courage to go in. He just said to Zhang Ruizhe, who was standing up and wiping away tears with his sleeve, "Send off the old Marquis in style. When the old lady leaves, just come to me if you need anything. Don't worry about the cost."

Zhang Ruizhe stood up, wiping away his tears, and said gratefully, "Thank you, Ninth Prince, thank you, Ninth Prince..."

"There's one more thing." Zhao Siwei gently patted Zhang Ruizhe's shoulder; the force wasn't strong, but it almost made Zhang Ruizhe kneel down.

Zhao Siwei leaned close to his ear and whispered, "From this moment on, if anything happens to Zhang Zhan in the Marquis's mansion, I'll hold you responsible. Don't think that just because the old master and old lady are dead, your Marquis's mansion can do whatever it wants. I'm not dead yet."

“If he gets upset every time, your family will lose a child. You can try it and see if I dare to do it.”

Zhang Ruizhe knelt down, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, Azhan is also my son. How could I possibly kill him?"

"Didn't you kill him? Wasn't that illness he had given him by the Marquis's mansion? It's just that now that you think he's capable, many girls are attracted to his looks and are desperate to marry into your family, which has made you see the benefits."

Zhang Ruizhe: "I wouldn't dare. I would never allow anything to happen to my son."

“Actually, I thought you would ask me to investigate thoroughly.” Zhao Siwei sized up Zhang Ruizhe. “Is that necessary?”

The meaning is clear: I feel there's something fishy about this. Do you want me to investigate? But I don't want to directly interfere in your family's affairs, so you have to give me a way out.

"This isn't good for the Marquis either. He'll have to observe three years of mourning, and the girls in his family won't get married?"

Zhang Ruizhe shook his head, "My father has always been in poor health, and these past two days he was almost on his deathbed. Today he suddenly felt better, which is why Zhan'er went out. As for my mother, everyone in the capital knows how deeply she and my father love each other, and she also had a stroke, so—"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Zhan strode out.

"Zhan'er!" Zhang Ruizhe called out to his son, terrified by his son's somewhat erratic behavior. "What are you doing!"

"Find someone to perform an autopsy!" Zhang Zhan ordered his servants. He didn't believe his grandfather had died suddenly; he was clearly not as ill as before. His grandmother was an innocent victim; she had just fallen and then, upon hearing of her grandfather's death, was terrified and closed her eyes.

Zhang Zhan paused, then, with unwavering certainty, said, "I'll go to the palace now."

Zhang Ruizhe stood up and grabbed Zhang Zhan, shouting, "Are you crazy? Performing an autopsy! Your grandparents loved you so much, how could you do such a thing? What are you doing in the palace! Don't cause any trouble, you stay home!"

Zhang Zhan retorted, disgusted by his words, "Mind your own business!"

Zhang Ruizhe held Zhang Zhan tightly, saying, "I'm your father. If I don't take care of you, who will? I'll protect you from now on. Now you go back to your room and change your clothes, then go to the front hall to keep vigil for your grandparents!"

Zhang Zhan's fair face was already covered with tears. "Father? What right do you have to call yourself my father? You can't find many fathers like you in the world!"

Zhang Ruizhe said coldly, "Zhang Zhan! Did I say you were going to die?!"

"Is there a difference?!" Zhang Zhan threw Zhang Ruizhe aside.

Zhang Ruizhe felt that Zhang Zhan's antics were bound to cause trouble, and looking at Zhao Siwei, who remained silent the whole time, it seemed that he intended to go to the palace with him.

"The young master is agitated. Take him away. Don't frighten the Ninth Prince!"

Several servants rushed forward, and Zhang Zhan struggled desperately. Suddenly, a heavy slap rang out in the air.

Zhang Zhan turned his head away, while Zhang Ruizhe remained in the position of slapping him.

Zhang Ruizhe stopped Zhao Siwei, who was about to step forward, and said, "Please, Your Highness, step aside. There has been a sudden change in your family, and Zhan'er is emotionally unstable. Please return to the palace first. Someone, escort Your Highness back!"

Zhao Siwei didn't want to leave, so Zhang Ruizhe said, "Please, Your Highness, he's still emotionally unstable. If you stay here, he'll feel emboldened and dare to do anything. I guarantee he'll be fine."

Zhao Siwei was asked to leave.

He left the Marquis's residence, mounted his horse, and gazed at the imperial city, which was no longer clearly visible in the wind and snow.

He wanted to return to the palace.

Go back and ask your mother for clarification.

What does all of this mean today?

Reborn, he changed many things, wanting to postpone his falling out with Zhang Zhan and use the extra time to explore the truths he hadn't had the time or energy to find in his previous life.

It seems fate is playing tricks on us.

Let's start tonight.

This matter cannot be delayed; a result must be reached tonight, otherwise Zhang Zhan…

Zhao Siwei took a deep breath.

His gaze flickered, a reflection of his previous life after ascending the throne.

The arrow didn't kill Zhang Zhan, so he ordered his men to heal him. However, it had damaged his heart meridian, and by the time Zhang Zhan fully regained consciousness, he was already the emperor.

Tingyao found out after he ascended the throne. He didn't say much, just thought that Tingyao wanted to find out something, so he let him be.

This matter could not be kept secret from the court and the public. In the end, he learned that Zhang Zhan had confessed, and then, disregarding the objections of the officials, he imprisoned Zhang Zhan in the imperial mausoleum.

He thought to himself that he would wait for Zhang Zhan to ask to see him and for Zhang Zhan to tell him everything. Therefore, he did not investigate those matters at all. What he knew, combined with what Zhang Zhan knew, must be the whole truth.

As it turned out, this brat really acted like a spoiled brat, living freely in the imperial tomb. When he was in a good mood, he would even call on an opera troupe to perform for him.

When I send gifts during holidays, I never think of saying a word.

Goodbye for now...

Zhao Siwei stopped thinking, and a glint of fire appeared in his eyes.

In his past life, he gained the throne but lost everything.

**

Inside the Marquis's residence, Zhang Zhan was beaten so badly that he was slow to realize what was happening, and finally collapsed to the ground, laughing.

The surrounding servants were terrified.

This...this isn't just unbearable, it's driving me crazy...

They could hardly imagine what the Ninth Prince would do to the Marquis's mansion if Zhang Zhan went mad.

Zhang Zhan wasn't crazy; he just needed to vent his grief. He looked up at Zhang Ruizhe, who had walked up to him and squatted down.

“Child, living is the most important thing.” Zhang Ruizhe wiped away his tears. “Your grandparents also wish you were alive.”

Upon seeing this, the servants immediately withdrew quietly, leaving only the father and son inside the room.

Zhang Zhan hated Zhang Ruizhe to the core, "I don't have a father like you! Don't even mention that I'm your son!"

“I was never your father, so I don’t acknowledge you as my son,” Zhang Ruizhe said softly.

Zhang Zhan shoved him away, shouting, "Get out! Get out of here! Don't come near me!"

Zhang Ruizhe sat on the ground. "Zhang Zhan, both your mothers want you to live well, and so does your younger brother. Do you understand, Your Highness?"

The word "Your Highness" froze Zhang Zhan's mind. He stared at Zhang Ruizhe, who had stood up, his eyes filled with unease. "What do you mean?"

"Your biological mother was a palace maid serving Consort Xian; her name was Luozhu..."

“She was a very beautiful woman. Your face doesn’t resemble her at all. So, over the years, no one in the capital has recognized you, Luozhu. This is mainly because your birth mother died early and didn’t have much contact with the families in the capital. I just said that you resembled your birth mother, so no one paid much attention to it.”

“Your stepmother in the Marquis’s mansion did not marry me with true love. At that time, the Marquis’s mansion was in trouble and needed a lot of money. Her family wanted to climb to a higher position, so it was a marriage of convenience between families. She often went to the Royal Villa late at night because the construction of the lake in the villa was all handled by your stepmother’s family.”

"It was there that I met you, Luozhu. Your mother, your stepmother, suddenly asked me one day to help her bring back a woman, to tell everyone that she was my pregnant mistress..."

Zhang Zhan was stunned. He had never heard Zhang Ruizhe mention any of these things before.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and in the howling wind, no one could hear what the "father and son" were saying inside.

A quarter of an hour later.

Zhang Zhan pushed open the door, his eyes still filled with shock. "I don't believe you."

Zhang Ruizhe grabbed his stubborn "son": "Where are you going?"

"I'll go ask myself." Zhang Zhan's mind was foggy.

Zhang Ruizhe stomped his foot in anger, truly feeling that Zhang Zhan was not smart at all, just stubborn as a mule. "What are you asking? What makes you think that just because you asked someone you have to answer them!"

Zhang Zhan walked out, saying, "You didn't care about me before, and whether I care about the life and death of your Marquis's mansion or not, just pray that I can get a couple of questions out of you!"

**

Ouchi.

Zhao Siwei returned to his Luyao Palace and sent someone to invite Consort Xian over.

After Zhao Siwei finished asking his question, a voice told him to go find Zhang Zhan immediately.

As soon as Zhao Siwei stepped out of the main hall, he saw Zhang Zhan already appearing in the courtyard of his hall. He didn't know when he had arrived, but there wasn't much snow on his head, so he must have just arrived not long ago.

"Is she your mother?" Zhang Zhan asked directly. He stepped forward and said, "I've known you since I was five. I'm twenty-one this year. I've known you for sixteen years. I just want the truth from you. Is she your mother?"

Zhao Siwei looked at the person who had stopped three steps away from him and said, "Yes."

It was Consort Xian's doing.

Zhang Zhan clenched his fists. Just as he had guessed, "Fine." He took a deep breath. "Let your mother request to go to the imperial mausoleum to end her remaining years. I will not pursue this matter."

The wind blew in again, carrying snowflakes, and both of their cloaks were blown open. Zhao Siwei finally spoke: "Do we really have to say it here?"

Avoiding the question is itself an answer; the tears welling in Zhang Zhan's eyes finally fell.

"Then you shall keep an eye on your mother day and night."

He left those words behind and threw the jade token that Consort Xian had given him, which allowed him to freely enter and exit the palace, onto the ground.

"Zhao Siwei, you'll never have an easy time with us again!"

"A-Zhan." Zhao Siwei grabbed his arm. He rarely called Zhang Zhan like that. He would only call him that when Zhang Zhan made him feel helpless and frustrated. Then Zhang Zhan would know that he was about to get angry and would become much quieter. He just said, "Let's talk."