The Winter Holly Street in Lin’an City was spacious, with most of the ward filled with the residences of high-ranking officials. Moon-viewing windows and potted plants created scenery at every step, so even standing outside wouldn’t feel boring.

However, Elder Wen still couldn’t understand as he cupped his hands toward the person beside him: “Lord Shen, weren’t we supposed to enter the palace? What are we doing at this Grand Preceptor’s manor?”

He had never gotten along with that Liu Zhangtu, and to come here only to receive a cold rejection was truly infuriating.

Shen Qiyuan nodded slightly: “His Majesty had a request. Shen thought that since it was on the way, I would come by. I didn’t expect the Grand Preceptor to be indisposed today.”

Did Lord Shen believe this excuse for declining visitors?

Elder Wen glared at the servant who had closed the door, flicked his sleeves, and turned around: “His Majesty is benevolent, bestowing upon him great favor and high honor, yet he still doesn’t appreciate it. When we enter the palace later, this old minister will impeach him.”

Lord Zhang, beside them, wasn’t so angry, just somewhat puzzled: “Grand Preceptor Liu has always been courteous in his dealings with people. What’s gotten into him today?”

Shen Qiyuan glanced to the side.

The Marquis’s carriage flashed past from the western alley entrance, avoiding them as it headed south.

Withdrawing his gaze, he calmly straightened his sleeve cuff: “Who knows.”

A guilty conscience leads to panic, panic leads to mistakes, and making mistakes leads to attempts at concealment, which then leads to committing even more errors—this was inherently a quagmire that the wise would avoid, maintaining their integrity by staying clear.

For someone as resourceful and cunning as Grand Preceptor Liu, who could have forced him to this point?

—Achoo!

Ruyi was tied up in the woodshed, startled into sneezing by the dust kicked up from the ground.

The physician examining her pulse beside her was so frightened he shuddered and quickly withdrew his hand.

“How is it?” the steward nearby asked him.

The physician looked both amused and bewildered: “Her pulse is clear. Though she shows signs of anemia, how, how could anyone mistake whether she’s alive or dead?”

The steward lowered his eyes and smiled kindly: “It must be that the servants spoke clumsily and misspoke. This was just meant to be a pulse examination. Please bear with us.”

As he spoke, he instructed someone to escort the physician out, then fetched rope to bind Ruyi with two more loops.

Ruyi stood there obediently and cleverly, without resistance.

The more she acted this way, the more panicked Grand Preceptor Liu became.

Wen Yuan wouldn’t normally be willing to come to his place unless He Zeyou had already leaked the news to him.

But if he truly already knew about his attempt to kill his daughter, how could that stubborn old man have agreed to leave so easily?

Yet if he didn’t know, why would he bring both Lord Shen and Lord Zhang together?

His mind was in complete chaos, and Grand Preceptor Liu felt his temples throbbing.

“Master, the person is alive. How should we handle this?” the steward came to inquire.

How else could they handle it? If He Zeyou was going to accuse him of murdering his daughter, he naturally needed to keep a living Liu Ruyi on hand. That way, even if they confronted each other before the emperor, he would still have a way out.

Grand Preceptor Liu waved his hand: “Wait for news from Divine Offering Street first.”

The woodshed was very quiet. Ruyi leaned against the pile of wood and lazily yawned.

An elderly nanny was guarding beside her. Seeing her like this, she frowned and scolded: “Don’t try any tricks.”

Ruyi nearly choked on her own saliva, looking both amused and exasperated: “This counts as trying tricks?”

Having fallen to such circumstances, who could be so carefree? The old nanny didn’t believe it and kept looking her over.

Ruyi faced her examination openly, even giving a sweet smile: “Nanny, you smell so nice.”

The old nanny was startled and said with a stern face: “Nonsense.”

“I’m not talking nonsense.” She pouted, “I remember when I was little, my mother had this same charcoal fire scent.”

Lady He was sensitive to cold, so even in spring, charcoal was burned in her room. As a fire-tending nanny, having a similar scent wasn’t strange.

The old nanny tugged at her clothes, subconsciously sniffing them.

Ruyi smiled and smiled, then let out a soft sigh, resting her head against the firewood as she looked toward the tightly closed window shutters: “If only mother were still here.”

If my mother were still here, she would still have someone to protect her. How could she be tied up in a woodshed by her father?

The old nanny didn’t know the cause and effect, only remembering that the young miss had already been buried, yet now was captured and brought back. She supposed she had angered the Grand Preceptor to end up in this situation.

However, they say even tigers don’t eat their cubs. For a perfectly good daughter to be tied up like livestock seemed rather excessive.

Just as she was thinking this, the person in front of her turned to look at her: “Nanny, could you hold me?”

“Hold me like my mother used to.”

“My hands and feet are tied, so I can’t hurt you. I’m just a bit tired.”

The corners of her eyes were curved in a smile, but tears slowly welled up inside them, and her nostrils fluttered lightly.

The old nanny felt some sympathy, hesitating: “I’m just a servant.”

“Please hold me.” She pouted, swaying her body stubbornly, tears threatening to fall.

Looking left and right, the guards were all outside. The old nanny hesitantly extended her arms and embraced her.

Ruyi let out a sob, resting her chin on the nanny’s shoulder, murmuring: “Mother, I miss you so much.”

Her small body trembled constantly, and even though she was bound tightly, she still wanted to burrow into the nanny’s embrace.

This girl was naturally beautiful and ethereal like a fairy, and now with pear blossoms wet with rain, who wouldn’t feel pity?

The old nanny’s heart completely softened. She thought of her child who had died young, and her eyes also reddened: “Miss, have a good talk with the master. Blood is thicker than water—the master surely wouldn’t abandon you.”

Ruyi shook her head: “He only dotes on the third brother and has always been willing to abandon me.”

The third young master Liu Xuanhe, though not legitimate, was Grand Preceptor Liu’s apple of his eye and heart’s treasure. From when he was three years old, Grand Preceptor Liu had planned for him, hiring the best tutors, befriending the sons of powerful noble families, and even personally selecting and training the attendants by his side.

Compared to him, Liu Ruyi seemed like she had no father at all.

The old nanny’s expression was complex. Seeing her genuine sorrow, she whispered: “It’s not the miss’s fault. When the lady came through the door back then, she was already with child. The master has some reservations in his heart.”

Ruyi’s eyebrows moved slightly.

This matter wasn’t in Liu Ruyi’s memories at all.

She raised her head, looking somewhat indignant: “How can Nanny slander my mother’s virtue?”

The old nanny quickly explained: “This isn’t me talking nonsense—all the old nannies in the manor know about it.”

“Which other nannies know?” She looked unconvinced.

The old nanny thought for a moment, saying with difficulty, “Originally there were quite a few people, but over the years many have left one after another. That Nanny Xu, who came as your mother’s dowry, also knew, but she returned to her hometown a few days ago.”

Nanny Xu was the wet nurse who had died in the pond.

This nanny, before her, had a low position and had never served in her courtyard, so she must have heard it as gossip.

Though Lady He’s birth wasn’t high, she was wealthy beyond measure. Grand Preceptor Liu back then was like the current Marquis of Ningyuan—having scholarly credentials but no family fortune, yet wholeheartedly wanting to squeeze into aristocratic circles. So he married Lady He, took over most of the properties under her name, and after years of management, gradually climbed to the position of Grand Preceptor.

Coveting a woman’s wealth wasn’t anything rare among the noble families of Great Qian, but to marry a woman already pregnant for the sake of wealth—this was unacceptable in Great Qian.

Ruyi couldn’t understand either. With so much silver at her disposal, Lady He could have lived well without marrying. Why did she have to reach above her station for someone who didn’t love her, only to lose her life?