Unaware that she was being seen as a soft spot, Li Huaiyu casually stepped through the door.

“Oh, Lord Liu and Second Brother are both here?”

Jiang Shen glanced at her, then at the stern-faced Jiang Xuanjin on the bed, momentarily confused. “Sister-in-law, what brings you here?”

“I just went to see off some guests.” Hua Yu walked over and naturally sat down at the bedside. Turning to Liu Yunlie, she smiled, “Lord Liu, are you here to check on His Majesty’s injury?”

For some reason, ever since their encounter at the Mo Residence, every time Liu Yunlie saw this lady, he felt tense. She was clearly just a woman, yet her aura was quite imposing, almost overwhelming.

He stood up and cupped his hands. “I won’t disturb you any longer; His Majesty should rest well.”

“Leaving so soon after just arriving?” Hua Yu smiled at him. “Aren’t you and His Majesty close friends?”

Their previous relationship had been quite good; aside from formal occasions, they usually addressed each other by their names. Why was there suddenly a sense of distance?

Liu Yunlie gave a slight bow, feeling a bit awkward, and added, “I have matters to attend to. Once I’m done, I’ll bring some medicine for His Majesty.”

“Thank you.” Jiang Xuanjin replied.

Liu Yunlie left with a smile, but as soon as he turned to leave, his expression darkened. After walking a few steps and ensuring no one was around, he quietly asked the person behind him, “Where are the ones sent to gather information?”

His confidant quickly approached and whispered, “They’ve returned. Miss Bai doesn’t have much to investigate; she was acting foolishly for a long time, but after recovering, it’s unclear why she has gained His Majesty’s favor.”

“Her close associates?”

“The maid Lingxiu, and… she seems to be closer to the people from the Bai family. I’ve heard that Miss Bai Er and several elders from the family often visit her courtyard to chat.”

The Bai family? Liu Yunlie pondered.

In the guest room, with no outsiders present, Li Huaiyu smiled and asked Jiang Xuanjin, “Have you taken your medicine?”

Jiang Xuanjin shook his head, his expression cold.

Cheng Xu had brought the medicine early and placed it nearby. Jiang Shen said, “There were guests earlier, so he didn’t have time to drink it. Now is just right; it’s still warm, so drink it all at once.”

Upon hearing this, Hua Yu immediately handed the medicine to him.

Jiang Xuanjin glanced at it and muttered, “It tastes terrible.”

“What medicine tastes good?” Hua Yu raised an eyebrow. “Once you finish, I’ll pour you a cup of tea to rinse your mouth.”

“I don’t want it.”

“What do you want then? Candied fruit? It seems there isn’t any here.” Hua Yu looked around. “How about some fruit to help?”

“I don’t want that either.”

“Then…” Hua Yu was at a loss, holding the medicine bowl and laughing helplessly. “If this were at Jiang Manor, it would be fine, but here in someone else’s territory, you can’t just be a little obedient?”

Jiang Shen’s eyelids twitched as he watched. “Sister-in-law.”

“Hmm?” Hua Yu turned to look at him.

“Third Brother isn’t usually like this.” He directly exposed, “It seems he only acts particularly spoiled and fussy in front of you.”

This was true. When Third Brother was sick, he would gently coax him with bitter medicine, but at the age of seventeen, Jiang Xuanjin had downed the medicine in one go and coldly said, “I still have official documents to review.”

He hadn’t wasted even half a stick of incense before he was kicked out of the Mo Residence.

But what was going on now? Why was he so fussy with someone else coaxing him? This sulky expression, as if he needed to be fed, would surely make those literati in the capital who praised him like a lofty pine tree feel embarrassed if they found out!

Jiang Xuanjin looked at him with a hint of melancholy. “I want to eat the sweet cakes from the west of the city.”

Sweet cakes? Hua Yu quickly nodded, disregarding what Jiang Shen had said earlier. She put down the medicine bowl and bowed to him, “I’ll trouble Second Brother then; I can’t leave here.”

“Huh?” Jiang Shen stared at the person on the bed. “Aren’t you the one who doesn’t like sweets?”

“I want to eat them.” Jiang Xuanjin repeated softly.

Hua Yu put down the bowl and urged Jiang Shen to leave, pushing him while stuffing him with silver coins. “His Majesty’s wound is hurting; you should just indulge him a bit.”

“No, he’s doing this on purpose!” Jiang Shen was both angry and amused. “Sweet cakes are everywhere; why must it be from the west of the city? Don’t you think he’s being petty?”

Hua Yu paused, seriously pondering for a moment before shaking her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Huh?”

“I find everything he does quite adorable.” She grinned, her smile bright as spring, “I want to buy all the sweet cakes in the capital for him!”

Jiang Shen: “…”

Slamming the door, Jiang Er Gongzi left without looking back, muttering as he walked, “No wonder he can get married; a petty ice block paired with a clueless ice box is just perfect!”

The clueless ice box returned to the bedside and asked the ice block, “Are you willing to drink the medicine now?”

The ice block replied, “My hand hurts.”

The wound on his arm was deep as well. Hua Yu glanced at it and still took the initiative to hold the medicine, feeding him spoonful by spoonful.

“Why is your complexion so poor?” After drinking half the medicine, Jiang Xuanjin frowned and looked at her.

Li Huaiyu was taken aback, realizing, “I was wondering why I felt a bit dizzy; I was sick yesterday and got hit by a carriage in the street, then slept through the night… Hey, what are you doing?”

Jiang Xuanjin, angered, felt his temples throb. He pushed her hand away, wanting to press down on her hand, propping himself up to pinch her arm and shoulder, then said in a deep voice, “Get up here.”

“Hmm?” Hua Yu looked toward the door. “Aren’t you going to maintain your dignity? What if someone comes in later…”

“Get up here!”

“… Don’t get agitated.” Putting down the medicine bowl, Hua Yu took off her shoes and climbed over him to the inner side of the bed, obediently covering herself with the blanket. “I’m really fine; I can run and jump.”

She just felt a bit weak in her lower body and her head was a bit foggy.

Jiang Xuanjin reached out to check her forehead, then touched his own, his expression growing even worse. “It’s the same.”

“Isn’t the same a good thing?” Hua Yu laughed, “It means I’m normal!”

Coldly glaring at her, Jiang Xuanjin said, “I still have a high fever.”

Li Huaiyu: “…”

She had rushed over after tearing down the royal edict, completely forgetting about her own illness. Now that she relaxed, her head was indeed getting dizzier.

“Then I’ll take a nap first.” She said, “I took medicine before going out, and a little sleep will help.”

Jiang Xuanjin didn’t respond, only tucked the blanket around her, watching her close her eyes.

This person… doesn’t seem as foolish as he imagined. He reached out to touch her hair, his eyes filled with confusion. He had originally thought she was a madcap rogue, but which rogue would dare to say such things in front of so many officials? Her arguments were logical and bold; if it weren’t for those people having ulterior motives, she could almost have debated them all.

Miss Bai, who had been foolish for many years… was she really foolish for so long?

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of her outer robe casually placed on the bed. Jiang Xuanjin reached out to grab it, intending to toss it outside the bed. However, as he tugged on the sleeve, a stack of paper slipped out.

The neatly folded xuan paper looked like a drawing, and it seemed somewhat familiar. Picking it up and unfolding it, Jiang Xuanjin squinted.

It was a rough drawing of two small figures, depicting the scene of reconciliation, the fourth drawing she had made. Had she seen this drawing before? If she had seen it, why was she still asking him for an apology? Did she really think he was the one wronged, while she was secretly enjoying the show?

Feeling slightly displeased, he folded the drawing back and placed it aside, casting a sidelong glance at the sleeping person beside him, suddenly wanting to pinch her.

His second brother was right; to make someone obedient, there must be more people around, making others care for him and fear losing him.

This trick he hadn’t learned, but Bai Zhuji had grasped it well. If she were truly a fool, how many clever people would there be in the capital? Jiang Xuanjin sneered.

Li Huaiyu had no idea how long Jiang Xuanjin had been staring at her. When she woke up the next day, she felt refreshed and rolled over to hug the person beside her.

“Ah, it’s still more comfortable to sleep with you.” Hugging his uninjured arm, Hua Yu sighed, “When I sleep alone, I reach out to the side, and it always feels empty.”

Jiang Xuanjin glanced at her. “Talking about this so early in the morning, aren’t you afraid of biting your tongue?”

“Not afraid!” She cheerfully propped herself up and kissed the tip of his nose. “I’m more afraid of you biting my tongue.”

Jiang Xuanjin: “…”

Even the injured are being teased; she really has no shame!

Shameless Li Huaiyu quickly got out of bed, tidied herself up, and dressed. “I’ll stay here for a few days. I’ll go back to the manor and bring you some clean clothes.”

That sounded quite virtuous. Jiang Xuanjin pursed his lips. “Let Yu Feng accompany you.”

“Okay.” Hua Yu nodded with a smile, grabbing a meat bun from the breakfast tray brought by Cheng Xu and stepping outside.

Lord Ziyang was trapped in the Court and unable to attend court, but the world outside hadn’t changed much. As Li Huaiyu walked, she suddenly felt a bit worried.

This person is so upright; how could he fall into the hands of those people? Missing court for a few days is a small matter, but those in the court aren’t just idle; what if they take the opportunity to undermine him?

In the past, she had hoped for this person’s misfortune, but now they were in the same boat. Shouldn’t she help him a bit?

Just as she was thinking, a commotion suddenly erupted ahead, with many people crowding from the alley onto the street, blocking the way.

Yu Feng stepped forward to take a look, then turned to her and said, “Madam, let’s take a detour. There’s a gambling house ahead; it seems there’s a disturbance, and it’s not safe to pass through.”

“Oh.” Hua Yu nodded, not looking too closely. Gambling houses are always unstable, but as long as no one dies, the authorities generally don’t intervene.

However, when she returned to Jiang Manor to gather her things and prepare to head back to the Court, two servants from the Bai family arrived at the entrance.

“Fourth Miss, please help us!” As soon as they saw her, the two servants knelt down. “Quickly help us save our young master!”

Holding Jiang Xuanjin’s favorite scriptures, Li Huaiyu was quite puzzled. “Whose young master?”

“Our young master!” One servant looked up and said, “Your cousin, the two Bai young masters, are being bullied!”

Bai Zhuji’s cousin? Li Huaiyu realized, it must be the sons of the Bai Liu family and Bai Liang family. She had heard them mentioned before; one was named Fusheng, and the other was named Qilin, and they had wanted Jiang Xuanjin to help them secure official positions.

“They’re being bullied, so why are you looking for me?”

The servants anxiously replied, “A powerful person came from across the street, bringing high officials to pressure us. We didn’t dare disturb the Old Master, so we could only come to Jiang Manor to seek the Fourth Miss. We heard that the Fourth Miss is favored by His Majesty…”

“And then?” Hua Yu interrupted them with a smile.

The servants were taken aback, glancing at her attitude, and frowned. “You… you’re not going to help?”

“Why should I help?” She felt it was strange. “They’re not particularly close to me, are they?”

“…” Clearly, they weren’t close, and they had bullied her before.

“Out of words? Then step aside; I’m in a hurry to take care of someone.” She sidestepped them and got into the carriage.

The two servants wanted to say more, but Yu Feng raised his eyebrow, and they immediately fell silent.

This was quite interesting. Old Bai, who was so upright, had so few good people beneath him. Bai Xuanji had learned the demeanor, but her heart was quite cold. These two Bai cousins were even more useless; they couldn’t even pass the imperial examination and still caused trouble everywhere. If Old Bai found out, he would probably beat them half to death with a ruler.

She had no kind heart to help these people; they should deal with the mess they created themselves.

However, the trouble the Bai brothers had caused was indeed significant.

That evening, while Hua Yu was telling Jiang Xuanjin a story, just as she reached the part where “three monks carried water and fell into the river together,” Cheng Xu entered with a serious expression.

“Madam.”

It was rare for him to address her as “Madam” instead of “Master.” Hua Yu turned to look at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Your two young masters from your maternal family have been locked up in the Court’s prison.”

Jiang Xuanjin paused, glancing sideways. “What happened?”

Cheng Xu replied helplessly, “This morning on Chang’an Street, the two young masters from the Bai family got into a conflict and started fighting in the street. Someone reported it to the authorities, and upon questioning at the Court, it was discovered that the two young masters owed gambling debts and, in a fit of rage, fought with the gambling house staff.”

Such a thing? Jiang Xuanjin frowned, but Li Huaiyu was surprised and exclaimed, “No wonder they came to ask me for help! They dared to stir up such a big mess; if Old Bai finds out, it won’t just be a beating; he’ll probably kill them!”

Old Bai’s reputation would be ruined because of these two troublemakers!

Jiang Xuanjin looked at her with a complex expression. “Why do you seem unconcerned?”

“What should I be worried about?” Hua Yu blinked. “It’s not like I went to gamble and fight.”

“…” That was quite reasonable, but after all, they were her relatives. If something like this happened, anyone would try to cover for their family and help get them out of trouble.

“Don’t think of any schemes.” Hua Yu shook her head at his gaze. “Don’t even think about helping. Just take care of yourself!”

As soon as she said this, even Cheng Xu was surprised and looked at her.

His Majesty was right here; if he casually asked for help, wouldn’t this matter be resolved? Yet the Madam actually told him not to help… what was she thinking?

Without much thought, Li Huaiyu simply didn’t consider herself a member of the Bai family. After all, aside from Old Bai, the others had never done anything good for her. Why should she care if they were in trouble?

However, she underestimated the Bai family’s audacity. Just as she was thinking this, the Bai family women directly found their way to the Court.

“What are you doing?” Li Huaiyu frowned, blocking them as she closed the door behind her. “His Majesty is recuperating and cannot see guests.”

Bai Liang and Bai Liu were crying pitifully, pulling her to stand under the eaves nearby, tearfully saying, “You must help us! You have to help us this time!”

Hua Yu leaned against the wall, amused. “Isn’t it just that they got locked up for fighting? This little matter will be resolved in half a day; do you really need to be so anxious?”

“How can it be as simple as you say?” Bai Liu stomped her foot anxiously. “Fusheng was cheated out of three thousand taels of silver by the gambling house! Three thousand taels! Now they say they won’t release him from prison unless he pays back the debt!”

“If it could be resolved, we wouldn’t have come to you.” Bai Liang said angrily. “You think we enjoy being so humble? We’re out of options!”

Finally, she spoke straightforwardly. Hua Yu smiled, “But you’re coming to me because you’re out of options. I have no silver to help them pay off their debts, nor do I have the ability to get them out of prison.”

The two women looked at the tightly closed door of the guest room.

Li Huaiyu’s expression darkened. “If you dare disturb him, I have ways to ensure they stay in prison for life; do you believe me?”

Bai Liang covered her handkerchief and cried out, “What do you want? Old Bai doesn’t even know about this yet. While it hasn’t blown up, we should resolve it quickly. If this matter spreads, won’t it be your father’s people who will be embarrassed?”

To be honest, he wasn’t Old Bai’s son, so why would he care about his reputation? Hua Yu rolled her eyes, staring at Bai Liang for a moment before suddenly saying, “If you really want me to help…”

“Of course!”

“Then go back to the Bai Manor now and tell my father how you hid my dowry and tripped me up. Give me a fair deal, and I’ll find a way to help you resolve this matter.”

The crying suddenly stopped, and Bai Liang stared at her. “What time is it, and you’re still holding onto past grievances?”

Digging in her ears, Hua Yu smirked, “You’re the one who harmed me. I’m the victim; how can you blame me for holding a grudge?”

“You…” Bai Liang was furious, rolling her eyes and thinking for a moment before gritting her teeth. “You help first, and once Qilin and the others are out, I’ll go to Old Bai to apologize.”

“Still trying to negotiate with me?” Hua Yu exclaimed. “Isn’t your son your own?”

Even if he were her own, asking her to apologize to Old Bai would be quite difficult. Given Old Bai’s temperament, he had blamed her for the previous incident for a long time and hadn’t given her any support in her courtyard. If she brought this up again, she would surely be kicked out of the Bai Manor.

Bai Liang looked anxious, hesitating for a long time before saying, “Then I’ll go say it now, and you start thinking of ways to save them, okay?”

“Sure.” Hua Yu nodded generously.

Bai Liang pulled Bai Liu and left.

“Are you really going to tell Old Bai about the dowry?” Bai Liu wiped her tears, looking at her in surprise.

“I’d be a fool to say it!” Turning her head, she caught a glimpse of the person still standing there. Bai Liang huffed, “Just play along for now and buy some time.”

Once Bai Zhuji truly intervened, she would bring Lord Ziyang out. The Court would have to give some face.

The calculations were too loud and too obvious. Li Huaiyu yawned, glancing at the person beside her, then turned to call for Cheng Xu.

“Do you know the ins and outs of the gambling house incident?”

Asking someone else might not yield results, but since his master had always been strict, Cheng Xu handled matters meticulously. Upon being questioned, he immediately replied, “I’ve asked the people in the gambling house. Some sharp-eyed individuals said the two Bai young masters encountered a ‘cheat,’ but as long as the gambling house’s cheating isn’t caught in the act, there’s no evidence. No matter how you argue, they still have to pay their debts.”

“Did any officials get involved at the time?” Remembering what the servants had said when they came to find her, Hua Yu asked another question.

Cheng Xu nodded. “Hu Ben Zhonglang Jiang Yiang was patrolling nearby at the time. He saw the commotion in the street and went forward to inquire, which led to some conflict with the two Bai young masters.”

It was Jiang Yiang again?

Hua Yu raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling something was off.

She didn’t know about others, but Jiang Yiang had genuinely helped Jiang Xuanjin. It was evident from the day of the Danyang Princess’s funeral that he respected and feared Jiang Xuanjin. So, knowing that the troublemakers were from the Bai family, and that the Bai family had a marital connection with Jiang Xuanjin, would a person who originally respected Jiang Xuanjin directly imprison the Bai family members?

Given Jiang Yiang’s opportunistic nature, he should have suppressed the matter and then sought favor with Jiang Xuanjin instead!

“Has Lord Jiang seen His Majesty recently?” she murmured as she thought.

Cheng Xu replied, “He has seen him; it was he who brought people to escort His Majesty to the Court.”

Not “invited,” but “escorted.”

Li Huaiyu was startled, her eyes suddenly brightening.

Found it! Wasn’t this the person who had treated Jiang Xuanjin well before Danyang’s passing, and after Danyang’s passing, suddenly turned against him?

“Madam?” Cheng Xu, startled by her excited expression, asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong; it’s perfect!” Hua Yu grinned, her eyes sparkling. “The Bai family is in big trouble; you should quickly inform Old Bai!”

“What?” Cheng Xu was surprised. “Directly inform Old Bai?”

“Yes, tell him that two of the Bai family members owe money at the gambling house and that he should investigate thoroughly without covering for them!”

Cheng Xu felt that the Madam might have gone mad and quickly reassured her, “It’s not necessary, Madam. This matter has nothing to do with Old Bai; why drag him into it?”

“Why doesn’t it relate? They all share the surname Bai! As the head of the family, he should set an example of helping the law and not his kin; otherwise, how will these children be managed in the future?” Li Huaiyu waved her hand. “Hurry up!”

Cheng Xu looked at her in astonishment, nodding after a long while.

Jiang Xuanjin was leaning against the headboard, deep in thought, when suddenly Liu Yunlie approached.

“Hmm? Where’s the respected Madam?” Upon entering and not seeing Bai Zhuji, he was a bit surprised.

Glancing at him, Jiang Xuanjin said, “She’s outside.”

“Good, I have something to ask you.” Liu Yunlie said, “Two members of the Bai family have been locked up; should we think of a way to release them?”

“…” Jiang Xuanjin looked at him with a complex expression.

The upright Liu Yunlie actually came to ask him such a thing one day? According to his usual temperament, shouldn’t he be acting according to the law, without a hint of personal feelings?

“Don’t misunderstand.” Liu Yunlie sighed. “I just think that as friends, since you care for the respected Madam so much, it wouldn’t be right to watch her family suffer.”

“So?” Jiang Xuanjin scoffed. “You want me to use my power for personal gain?”

“How could you think that?” Liu Yunlie looked puzzled, frowning. “It’s just a matter of human relationships; why use such a term?”

Glancing around the guest room, Jiang Xuanjin’s expression was cold.

Liu Yunlie lowered his gaze. “Even if it’s using power for personal gain, that’s a crime I should bear; I won’t harm you. The names for entering and exiting the prison are in your nephew’s hands. If you decide to release them, just have him sign, and I’ll stamp it for him.”

Jiang Yan happened to be in charge of the left supervision of the Court, so for Jiang Xuanjin, it would only take a gesture.

While he was speaking, Bai Zhuji entered.

Liu Yunlie turned to look at her, a rare smile on his face. “Greetings, Madam.”

Seeing him arrive, Li Huaiyu raised an eyebrow, her expression shifting as she immediately suppressed her smile and lowered her head. “Lord, you honor me.”

After glancing at her and then at Jiang Xuanjin on the bed, Liu Yunlie asked, “While it’s convenient, would the Madam like to visit the prison?”

Visit the prison? Hua Yu looked at Liu Yunlie, realizing he seemed to have misunderstood something, genuinely thinking that this Bai Fourth Miss was close to those two cousins in prison.

Pausing, Li Huaiyu immediately put on a look of someone who had been poked in a sore spot, pinching her handkerchief to wipe away nonexistent tears, and sighed deeply, “There’s no need to see; what’s there to see? It would only cause more worry.”

“The Madam doesn’t need to say that.” Seeing her reaction, Liu Yunlie quickly said, “The two Bai young masters haven’t committed any major offenses.”

They hadn’t committed any major offenses but were locked up in the Court, and it required him, one of the three dukes, to personally come and speak? He even wanted to invite her to visit the prison?

Li Huaiyu smiled even more sorrowfully, “They haven’t committed any major offenses, yet I, as their sister, can’t help them; how can I face them?”

Jiang Xuanjin raised his eyes to look at her, just in time to catch the glance she shot him: Come on! Let’s put on a show!

What does this mean? He was quite puzzled, but Liu Yunlie, following her gaze, also looked over.

“Your Majesty.” He said, “The Madam is so heartbroken; can you bear to see this?”

Crying so falsely, how could anyone see her heartbroken? Jiang Xuanjin thought to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the person making exaggerated expressions, and he pursed his lips. Finally, he cooperatively spoke, “The two young masters of the Bai family deserve their punishment; she knows it in her heart.”

Liu Yunlie shook his head. “Knowing is one thing; who would want their brother to stay in prison forever?”

“I don’t care about you!” Jiang Xuanjin said coldly, “You can’t have cause and effect; you can’t let it slide just because they’re your cousins.”

“Who else’s family has gone to prison? As long as it’s not a major issue, they can all get out.” The person by the bed was getting angry, her neck stiff. “But those related to you, Lord Ziyang, are instead locked up! Why did I marry you? I might as well have married Lord Liu!”

“What did you say?!”

“I said it’s not wrong! Even Lord Liu knows to ask me if I want to visit the prison, but you, as a husband, haven’t said a word since you learned about this!”

“Do you think Lord Liu’s actions are right?”

“How are they not right? At least there’s some humanity!”

“Am I inhumane?”

“You, Lord Ziyang, are indeed inhumane!”

The two of them were arguing more and more fiercely, even dragging him into it. Liu Yunlie had originally planned to use this Madam to pressure Jiang Xuanjin into yielding, but unexpectedly, this backfired and instead provoked Jiang Xuanjin’s anger, leaving him momentarily stunned.

“Lord Liu, take me away!” The furious Madam Bai turned to him. “You’re the better one!”

Huh? He was astonished.

“Liu Yunlie, what do you mean by this?” Jiang Xuanjin glared at him.

Huh? He was even more astonished.

What does this have to do with him?!

“No wonder you came personally to bring this up.” Jiang Xuanjin narrowed his eyes at him. “Yunlie, I treated you as a confidant, but I didn’t expect you to have such intentions!”

What intentions? Liu Yunlie was at a loss for words. “Xuanjin, let me explain…”

“No need to say!” Jiang Xuanjin shouted coldly. “Yu Feng!”

“Here.”

“Go watch the prison. If Lord Liu dares to bring anyone in to visit, or if he releases anyone, report back immediately. I will definitely go to the court and accuse the current Lord of the Court of using his power for personal gain and favoritism!”

“Yes!”

After giving the order, Jiang Xuanjin looked at Liu Yunlie with displeasure. “I’m unwell; Lord Liu, please leave.”

Liu Yunlie was feeling quite troubled. Why had things turned out this way? The ones locked up weren’t even his nephews; why was he being accused? Wait, what was he here for?

Bai Zhuji, having escorted him to the door, looked at him pitifully and said, “I appreciate your intentions, but unfortunately, His Majesty is too domineering. Let’s part ways here.”

With that, she slammed the door shut.

Liu Yunlie was left in a daze, staring at the intricately carved wooden door, pondering for a long time without understanding her intentions.

Once the door closed, the face that had just been crying transformed into a grin as she turned to the bed, grinning widely. Looking at the stunned figure outside, Hua Yu didn’t dare make a sound and kept scratching the blanket.

Jiang Xuanjin glared at her, asking in a low voice, “Are you done playing?”

Nodding, Hua Yu rested her head on his lap, comfortably rubbing against him, then looked up at him and said, “Isn’t it all for you?”

His heart was filled with deeper confusion. Jiang Xuanjin reached out to tug at a strand of her hair, murmuring, “You seem to know everything.”

She knew that Liu Yunlie wanted to draw him into the Bai family’s affairs, and she knew not to fall for his tricks. She even reacted quickly to stage such a performance, effortlessly sending Liu Yunlie away.

How did Bai Zhuji, the Fourth Miss of the Bai family, know so much? And how did she know what to do?

Feeling a shiver run down her spine, Hua Yu propped herself up and asked, “What are you talking about?”

He frowned. “Playing dumb?”

“What do you mean by playing dumb? I just didn’t want to visit those two cousins who had treated me poorly, so I just made up a story. What are you thinking?”

Just a coincidence? Jiang Xuanjin pondered, it seemed plausible. This person had a poor relationship with the rest of the Bai family and wasn’t the type to repay kindness with kindness. It made sense that she wouldn’t want to see those in prison.

But… looking at the innocent face of the person in his lap, Jiang Xuanjin’s gaze deepened.

Was it just an illusion? He felt as if she was hiding some secret.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?” Hua Yu reached out to massage his forehead. “You should lie down and rest.”

“Are you not going to care about the Bai family’s affairs?” he asked softly.

Li Huaiyu smiled. “I married you; I only need to take care of your matters!”

Take care of his matters? Jiang Xuanjin shook his head. “You should take care of yourself.”

Liu Yunlie and the others were trying to force him to relinquish power. No matter how clever she was, she couldn’t manage these matters; he had to handle them himself.

With Lord Ziyang absent from the court and the Emperor injured, the three dukes were forced to assist in governance. Lord Ziyang had always been diligent; the amount of official business he handled in a day would take three people to complete. He could hold on for a while, but unfortunately, the Bai family had caused trouble.

“What did you say?” Upon hearing Cheng Xu’s message, Old Bai immediately flew into a rage, putting down his official documents and rushing to the Court’s prison, brandishing his ruler to hit people. If the jailers hadn’t stopped him, the two Bai young masters would have been beaten to death.

Seeing him arrive, Liu Yunlie was somewhat dumbfounded. “Why… why would you disturb Lord Yushi?”

“Unworthy descendants, disgracing the Bai family’s reputation; I, Bai, have come to discipline them!” Old Bai said angrily. After saying this, he was about to strike again.

Bai Fusheng and Bai Qilin panicked, quickly bowing their heads. “Uncle, it’s the gambling house that cheated us! We made mistakes, but they’re not major offenses!”

“Gambling addiction, fighting with others, and being locked up! Isn’t that a major offense?” Old Bai’s hand trembled with anger as he raised the ruler. “Beating you to death wouldn’t be excessive!”

“Uncle, please see clearly!” Bai Fusheng said anxiously. “Even if you beat us to death, we’ll still say it! It’s the gambling house’s problem; you’ll know if you investigate. That gambling house has ruined countless families!”

“Still trying to argue?” Old Bai was furious.

Bai Qilin knocked his head hard, turning his forehead red. “We’re not lying!”

Taking a few deep breaths, Old Bai calmed down a bit and asked, “What exactly happened?”

The two quickly explained how they lost several thousand taels with just five taels. Liu Yunlie watched from the side, suddenly feeling a bad premonition.

In the guest room of the Court.

Hua Yu was cheerfully chatting, “You don’t know how strict my father is; that three-foot-long redwood ruler has hit me countless times.”

Jiang Xuanjin ran his fingers through her hair, speaking softly, “Lord Bai is a just man.”

“Not just just; he’s simply vengeful against evil. Many times, he goes too far!” Hua Yu pouted. “I’m most afraid of him. If he catches any mistakes I’ve hidden, he’ll dig up all my past mistakes and settle the score in one go.”

She didn’t know how miserable Bai Zhuji was, but Danyang had certainly been tormented enough by Old Bai.

“With someone like Lord Bai around, it’s a blessing for Northern Wei,” Jiang Xuanjin said seriously.

Hua Yu snorted lightly, then smiled meaningfully.

At certain times, having someone like Lord Bai around could indeed be considered a blessing for Northern Wei.

Jiang Xuanjin gently stroked her hair and suddenly asked, “Can you write?”

Hua Yu was taken aback, shaking her head. “No.”

“Hmm? A young lady from the Bai family doesn’t learn to write?” He looked down at her.

“… I’m different; I was sick and foolish!” Hua Yu said. “I forgot everything from before I was foolish, so naturally, I forgot how to write.”

“You forgot everything?”

“Yes!”

“Then why do you specifically remember that Lu Jingxing is friendly with you?”

Her heart skipped a beat, and Hua Yu propped herself up, grinning. “Why do you keep bringing up Master Lu?”

“Just idly thinking about what happened before, I suddenly realized your words don’t match up.”

When she first met Lu Jingxing, she clearly remembered him.

“This is a coincidence.” Feeling a chill down her back, she kept smiling. “I didn’t remember him at first, but when I saw him, I remembered again. Just like when I see my father, I remember him immediately.”

“Remembering people but not events?” Jiang Xuanjin frowned.

Hua Yu reached out to take his hand, gently rubbing it. “Yes, I can only remember people. I don’t know why. Why are you asking this suddenly?”

Wiping away the sweat from her temples, Jiang Xuanjin said, “I just found it strange and asked casually.”

This person would never ask anything casually; he must have sensed something was off again. But he didn’t continue to question, and Li Huaiyu wouldn’t lean in to dig for trouble. She turned her face and smiled, “You finally listened to me? If you have questions, just ask; I’ll answer anything.”

“If you have to stay here for another seven days, will you feel bored?” he asked.

Seven days until he could leave? Hua Yu, hearing this, pouted, thinking, where did you get your confidence? Wouldn’t Liu Yunlie and the others only let him rest for seven days?

However, she still smiled and replied, “With you here, how could I be bored?”

“What’s so good about me?” He raised his eyes. “Since the first time you saw me, it seems…”

He pressed his lips together, feeling embarrassed to say it.

Li Huaiyu grinned. “What is it? You like me, right? Many girls in the capital like you; don’t you know what’s good about yourself?”

“But no one clings to me like you do.”

“Which is why no one has succeeded like I have!” She proudly raised her chin. “I’m the only one who married you!”

It was… Jiang Xuanjin rubbed his forehead. So many proper young ladies he didn’t marry, yet he ended up with someone like her?

“Is there anything else you want to ask?” she asked cheerfully. “If you don’t have any, I’ll ask.”

“What?”

“They all say you care for the common people.” Hua Yu blinked. “If you had to choose between me and the common people, who would you choose?”

“The common people.” Jiang Xuanjin answered without hesitation.

Hua Yu was stunned, her expression falling. “Why?”

“Family teachings.”

One of the Jiang family’s teachings: is to take the common people as one’s responsibility, never hesitating to sacrifice oneself.

His answer was serious, without deception or concealment, but as Li Huaiyu listened, she chuckled lightly, turning her head away.

“Not happy?” He frowned.

“No, my husband is a person of great integrity; why would I be unhappy?”

“… Your face says otherwise.”

Taking a deep breath, Hua Yu said, “It’s my fault for asking the wrong question. I shouldn’t have asked like that; it only adds to my troubles. There are so many common people, and I’m just one person; how can I compare? Let’s pretend I never asked, and let’s have lunch.”

As she spoke, she called out, “Cheng Xu.”

The person outside responded and entered, cupping his hands. “Lunch has been served, and I have news to report.”

“Speak.”

“Lord Bai went to the prison, and then he took people to the gambling house on Chang’an Street. It seems the Court is sending people to investigate something.”

Jiang Xuanjin raised his eyes. “Why would Lord Bai go to the prison?”

Cheng Xu glanced at Li Huaiyu, who smiled brightly and said, “I reported it! Bai Liang and the others came to bother me about this matter, wanting to use your influence to get them out. In a fit of anger, I had Cheng Xu inform my father.”

A glimmer of light crossed Jiang Xuanjin’s eyes as he turned to Cheng Xu. “Bring Xu Yan along as well.”

“Yes!”

In the capital, no gambling house was clean; they all relied on their powerful backers to run their predatory businesses. He had thought of ways to rectify this before, but the resistance was too great, and he hadn’t succeeded. However, now that they were targeting one house for a thorough investigation, and with Old Bai personally involved, they would surely yield results. However since the Bai family had debts with the gambling house, it would be best to have Xu Yan go along to avoid any appearance of favoritism.

The road that had been blocked suddenly opened up, and Jiang Xuanjin’s mood brightened instantly. He stroked the person in his arms and said, “Your accidental talent for causing trouble is quite impressive.”

Hua Yu looked at him in confusion. “What did I accidentally cause trouble for?”

He said it, but she didn’t know. Jiang Xuanjin smiled, his ink-black eyes sparkling.

Old Bai was a stubborn man; if his family members made mistakes, they would be punished, and he wouldn’t help them. If there were issues with the gambling house, he would investigate thoroughly and get to the bottom of it, ignoring pleas for leniency from various identities. In just one day, he would pull out all the gambling house’s shady dealings.

There was no evidence of cheating, but the gambling house’s shady dealings could be clarified. Not to mention tax evasion, there were also large sums of unaccounted gold and silver circulating there. With a wave of his hand, Old Bai would directly seal it off and then ask the Court for assistance.

Liu Yunlie’s expression was quite grim. “Lord Bai, the paperwork alone is already overwhelming us. Why are you bringing this case up now?”

Old Bai replied sternly, “If there are issues, they should be investigated. No matter when they should be investigated.”

This old stickler was even more rigid than he was! Liu Yunlie gritted his teeth. “The documents from yesterday have already piled up over a hundred; if we get busy with the gambling house now, we’ll truly be stretched thin!”

“Isn’t there a lot of people in the Court? If you’re busy, let Xu Yan follow me.”

“But don’t you need to review the documents?”

“I’ve handed them all over to Prime Minister Qi.” Old Bai said, “He likes to revise; let him take on more.”

Prime Minister Qi indeed liked to review documents; all the major affairs of the world were on them, and it was clear at a glance what was happening where. But… he only had one pair of eyes; no matter how tirelessly he read, there would always be a backlog of documents.

Summer had arrived, and both drought and flood disasters were occurring in Northern Wei. Many documents were urgent. Moreover, some documents had already been reviewed and revised by Jiang Xuanjin, and the follow-up reports submitted by others were seeking arrangements. They didn’t know how Jiang Xuanjin had arranged things before, and now they had to figure out how to continue arranging them.

It was easy to say to undermine Lord Ziyang, but they couldn’t even handle the paperwork!

In the first two days, Liu Yunlie and the others had been quite happy, feeling they were serving the country and demonstrating their value as ministers. But once the gambling house incident broke out, Liu Yunlie felt overwhelmed and finally went to ask Prime Minister Qi, “What should we do?”

Prime Minister Qi emerged from the mountain of documents, his eyes bloodshot. “Serve the country with loyalty; don’t sleep; bear with it!”

But some matters couldn’t be resolved just by staying awake. There were too many urgent documents, and without the decisive nature of Lord Ziyang, they could only watch as the fire slowly burned closer.

Five days later, the urgent memorials were directly delivered to the Emperor.

“Where is Lord Ziyang?” Li Huailin, pale-faced, lay on the dragon couch and asked.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, His Majesty is severely injured and has been invited to recuperate at the Court by the Lord of the Court. It has been many days since he has been seen.” Yun Lanqing cupped his hands.

“What is he doing at the Court?” Li Huailin was puzzled. “He should be recuperating in his residence.”

Yun Lanqing glanced at Jiang Yiang standing nearby.

Jiang Yiang cleared his throat and stepped forward. “Your Majesty, regarding the assassination attempt on Your Majesty, Lord Ziyang is cooperating with Lord Liu to investigate the assailant, so he is staying at the Court to avoid the trouble of traveling back and forth.”

“Absurd!” Li Huailin shouted angrily. “His Majesty is severely injured, and you still want him to investigate the assailant?”

“But Your Majesty’s health…”

“My life was saved by Lord Ziyang!” Li Huailin said angrily. “What you’re doing to Lord Ziyang is trying to put me in a position of being ungrateful and unjust?!”

Jiang Yiang lowered his head. “Your Majesty, please calm down.”

“Why has no one come to inform me?” Li Huailin turned to Yun Lanqing. “If it weren’t for today’s memorial, I would have asked you; were you planning to keep this from me?”

Yun Lanqing helplessly cupped his hands. “Your Majesty, the Imperial Physician instructed you to rest in the palace, and we couldn’t enter, so how could we report?”

Li Huailin paused, feeling frustrated. “Let’s not discuss this; quickly take my decree to send Lord Ziyang back to Jiang Manor and reward him generously!”

“Your servant obeys.”

Perhaps due to losing his father at a young age, the Emperor relied heavily on Lord Ziyang. No wonder those in the court were wary. Glancing at the long list of rewards attached to the decree, Yun Lanqing sighed as he hurried to the Court.

When he arrived, Yun Lanqing was about to shout “The decree has arrived,” but as soon as he raised his eyes to look inside, he froze at the door.

On the bed in the guest room, Lord Ziyang was lying on his side, resting his head on Bai Zhuji’s lap, his eyes lightly closed, seemingly asleep. Bai Zhuji was gently patting his back, humming a soft tune, her gaze tender enough to draw water.

Hearing footsteps, she turned her head to take a look. Upon seeing someone, she smiled and pressed her finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.

In an instant, six words appeared in Yun Lanqing’s mind: A beauty’s paradise, a hero’s grave.

However, the hero on the bed had a sharp hearing. Even though he hadn’t made much noise, he still opened his eyes.

“Lord Yun?”

Coming back to his senses, Yun Lanqing held the decree and explained, “I’m here to announce the decree, asking His Majesty to return to Jiang Manor to receive his reward.”

Glancing at the yellow scroll in his hand, Jiang Xuanjin asked, “Is His Majesty unharmed?”

“According to the Imperial Physician, he can eat and rest normally. His left hand still cannot move, but it’s not as painful as before.”

“Then it’s good.” Jiang Xuanjin propped himself up, putting on his clothes and getting out of bed. “I need to go to the palace for a while; please wait at Jiang Manor.”

Li Huaiyu, hearing that Yun Lanqing said Huailin was fine, was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but then she was startled by his words.

“You’re injured and still going to the palace? What for?” She frowned.

The person beside her slowly tied his outer robe. “There’s a favor I want to ask for.”

“Is there anything more important than your health?” She exclaimed, “What favor could be more important than your well-being?!”