“Eldest Miss, spare my life! Eldest Miss, spare my life!” The doctor shrieked in terror, but with Lu Ping’s foot pressing hard on his spine, he couldn’t move at all.

Two guards quickly approached, pinning down the doctor’s hands. One guard held a stone and raised it decisively before bringing it down…

The sound of crushing bones, accompanied by the doctor’s agonized screams, echoed throughout the Duke’s mansion.

Ji Liu Shi was frightened out of her wits, cowering there not daring even to cry aloud, with a puddle of pale yellow liquid beneath her.

The doctor cried and shouted in pain: “Eldest Miss, spare me! I’ll tell everything… The poison wasn’t administered by me! When I arrived, that person was already unconscious! I thought I just needed to watch until he died. I didn’t know it was poisoning! I swear to heaven! If I speak falsely, may I die without descendants! Everything I’m saying is the truth!”

Suddenly, the doctor looked toward Ji Liu Shi as if seeing hope and shouted: “That woman! It’s that woman… When that nanny brought me here and was about to leave, I heard her tell this woman that once this man died, something… I didn’t hear clearly! The poison must have been administered by this woman! It has nothing to do with me!”

Bai Qingyan’s icy gaze turned toward Ji Liu Shi: “Ji Liu Shi…”

Hearing Bai Qingyan call her name, Ji Liu Shi shuddered all over: “Eldest Miss, please see clearly! I didn’t poison him! I… I can prove my innocence by death!”

Saying this, Ji Liu Shi pulled out the hairpin from her head, about to take her own life.

Nanny Tong was alarmed: “Quickly stop her!”

The guard was quick-eyed and swift-handed, kicking the hairpin from Ji Liu Shi’s hand and restraining her.

Bai Qingyan’s expression grew even colder: “It seems you’re not afraid of death… what you fear is a fate worse than death!”

She had gradually calmed down. Since she knew this, Ji Liu Shi was heartless toward Ji Tingyu, she didn’t need to show mercy for Ji Tingyu’s sake.

Ji Liu Shi trembled like chaff, looking at the hairpin that had been kicked away, tears streaming down her face.

She sat down in the chair: “Ji Tingyu is your husband. Why did you want to harm him? If you don’t speak… I have plenty of methods to make you talk. Iron nails driven under fingernails and toenails—ten fingers connected to the heart… even the toughest men can’t endure it. Do you want to try?!”

Ji Liu Shi’s body went completely limp, chilled from head to toe, her blood seeming to freeze.

Her throat tightened as she crawled crying to Bai Qingyan’s feet: “Eldest Miss, spare my life! Eldest Miss, spare my life! I… I was also forced! I’m not Ji Liu Shi at all! My name is Yu Lian, the illegitimate daughter of estate manager Wang Wangeng. My father threatened me with my mother’s life, making me impersonate Ji Liu Shi and commit suicide to fake martyrdom once Ji Tingyu died. If I didn’t do this, my mother would die! Eldest Miss… I don’t want to die, but I can’t watch my mother die!”

Yu Lian tremblingly pulled out a white porcelain bottle from her bosom: “This is what that nanny gave me! She said if the eldest miss came before tomorrow’s funeral procession, I should find an opportunity to make Ji Tingyu take it! Eldest Miss… I’ve told you everything! I had no choice! I don’t ask the eldest miss to spare my life, only that you give me a quick death! Please, eldest miss, give me a quick death!”

She took the gleaming white porcelain bottle and gripped it tightly, asking: “Where is Ji Liu Shi?!”

“Ji Liu Shi is already dead…” Yu Lian cried and confessed everything: “The young master of the Duke’s mansion took a fancy to Ji Liu Shi and wanted to force her to submit. Who knew Ji Liu Shi would resist and struggle, eventually killing herself by hitting her head against the wall in the room. The young master… the young master had her chopped into pieces and ordered her body thrown out to feed the dogs. My mother and I saw this happen. My father said that if I pretended to be Ji Liu Shi and covered up this matter, my mother could live! Otherwise… we would all die!”

In that instant, she felt so cold that her entire body went numb. The hot blood that had been boiling like magma in her body from rage suddenly turned thoroughly cold, colder than the piercing winter wind that could freeze water to ice.

So, grandmother wanted to cover up for that illegitimate son—this was the reason Ji Tingyu had to die.

So, in the grandmother’s heart, an illegitimate son with a vicious heart worse than a beast was more important than a loyal and righteous man who had risked life and death for the Bai family!

Grandmother’s actions… what difference was there from how the imperial family treated the Bai family?!

Chun Tao had just reached the doorway when she heard Yu Lian’s words. She paused mid-step, looking up at Bai Qingyan standing under the corridor lamp, all color drained from her face. Others might not know about the eldest miss’s relationship with the Grand Princess’s grandmother, but she was clear about it.

Bai Qingyan’s entire being was grim as if covered by a layer of frost, intense murderous intent surging in her eyes: “Tie up this Yu Lian and this doctor and detain them in this courtyard. Without my orders, no one is allowed to take anyone from this courtyard! Guard this place for me!”

After speaking, she drew the long blade from the waist of a nearby guard and walked toward the courtyard exit.

“Protect this courtyard!” Lu Ping instructed briefly and hurriedly followed Bai Qingyan, chasing after her and advising: “Eldest Miss, tomorrow Prince Zhenguo and Duke Zhenguo are to be buried. The Duke’s mansion cannot be in chaos right now. As long as Ji Tingyu is fine, why not wait until tomorrow!”

She could see Bai Qingyan radiating intense malevolent energy and overwhelming murderous intent, not answering, gripping the long blade, lips tightly pressed, striding silently and rapidly toward the direction of the mourning hall.

Though the Duke’s mansion was large, Bai Qingyan had just sent Lu Ping with guard teams to forcibly bring people back and had fighting and killing in the courtyard, which had long since alarmed the entire household. The servant women and servants coming and going were startled by the eldest miss radiating murderous aura, all making way and pressing their backs against walls, standing still to watch Bai Qingyan.

Bai Jintong was the first to rush over upon hearing the news. Before she could arrive, she saw Bai Qingyan carrying a sword toward the mourning hall from across the long corridor.

“Elder sister!” Bai Jintong leaped over the corridor railing and chased after Bai Qingyan. “Elder sister, are you carrying a blade to kill that illegitimate son?! What happened?”

Seeing Bai Qingyan gripping the blade so hard her knuckles turned white, her steps swift as wind, Bai Jintong had never seen elder sister lose composure like this. Even when the bamboo scrolls were returned, elder sister hadn’t been unable to control herself like this.

Bai Jintong grabbed Bai Qingyan’s hand holding the blade and said solemnly: “Elder sister! No matter who elder sister wants to kill… Jintong will wield the blade and never miss the mark!”

Bai Jintong’s tone was firm and resolute.

Looking at her younger sister’s decisive and determined gaze, her eyes burned hot.

Her throat choked up as she gripped Bai Jintong’s hand tightly and said through gritted teeth: “Don’t be afraid… elder sister knows what she’s doing!”

Bai Qingyan’s furious arrival with a blade had made it known throughout the mansion—she wanted her grandmother, the Grand Princess, to know that she was already aware of this matter! If grandmother still wanted to harm Ji Tingyu, she would have to kill her first.

Grandmother had effortlessly chosen the illegitimate son over Ji Tingyu, so today she would personally take that illegitimate son’s life. She wanted to see if grandmother would deploy her secret guards against her for the sake of that illegitimate son!