The sky was overcast, and pewter clouds were like cotton soaked with ink.

A muffled thunder sounded in the sky, as if someone had heavily closed the lid of a coffin.

The wind rustled; rain as large as beans started pouring down, the chilling water splashing on Yao Ru’s suddenly pale face.

Though not lethal and painless, it felt like a dagger with a sharp, cold blade that could split her in half.

The old maid intended to support her back into the room.

But Yao Ru’s feet felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, unable to move an inch.

"What... did you say?"

Seeing her like this, the old maid felt distressed.

Yet this matter couldn’t be concealed. It was already being spread outside and would eventually reach the lady herself. Rather than let others mention the lady losing her composure outside, she would be the one to do this bad deed.

"Lady."

She worried, her aged face etched with deep wrinkles, calling Yao Ru by the name she used when she was still a maiden.

"Miss."

"Dear Miss, this old servant knows you have taken too much affection from the Yan Family and have always been unable to let go of that person. The Yao family, your family, always treated you like a piece of meat to be bartered, and you have suffered too much. It was not until you met the Princess Consort Yan that you knew what it felt like to be cherished."

"If nothing had happened back then, how could you be in this current state? But ever since they were exiled, it was destined you would be separated from them."

No longer on the same path.

"Your heart is bitter, this old servant knows, but now you have the young master. You cannot..."

Yao Ru’s legs felt weak, and as she looked up again, her eyes were red enough to shed blood, she scolded sharply: "Nonsense!"

"Over the years, the people of the Prince Yan Mansion have passed away one by one, but he persisted. Not to mention the one in the palace who seeks a reputation for kindness, even if obstructive yet unwilling to cause him death, in Lingnan’s harsh conditions, they would still keep him alive."

"He has made it through these years, hasn’t he? He bears a deep-seated grudge, how could he be willing to just give up his life?"

She didn’t believe it.

Didn’t believe how could wicked souls live long, while good people always die young!

Yao Ru: "You’re lying to me."

She asked very softly, "You’re lying to me, aren’t you?"

Old Maid: "The news came from Lingnan, it cannot be wrong."

"Now everyone outside is saying..."

She glanced around, ensuring no one was near, before whispering again: "They’re all saying perhaps the Holy Emperor has committed too much sin, thus there was the burn incident yesterday, and even Heaven couldn’t bear to watch. No wonder the Fifth Prince bears such Dragon Energy."

While saying this, she felt terrified.

But Yao Ru didn’t hear a word of it.

Heaven?

If Heaven truly had eyes, it should have burnt that person alive!

She wasn’t capable.

Could do too little, over these years no one dared to mention Ying Fuyan at all, yet she always thought no news was the best news.

It took her great effort to establish a connection; in Lingnan, with its poisonous insects and miasma, she prepared numerous ointments, warm clothes, provisions, and entrusted the constables to send them when possible, yet...

Now she was told that person was gone?

Inside, the child just coaxed to sleep seemed to sense his biological mother’s grief, and before even opening his eyes, he burst into wails.

The sound of his crying was intermittently pitiful.

Xun Zhu entered, holding a red-faced crying child in his arms, after putting away the Buddha Beads.

"Lady, the young master is probably hungry, will you feed him yourself, or shall I fetch the wet nurse from the adjoining room."

When Yao Ru could feed herself, she always did so herself.

The wet nurses were all Ying Zhi’s people, and she had sent them far away, not summoning them unless necessary.

But at this moment, Yao Ru seemed oblivious, her body swayed, and she ignored everything, striding outside.

Ying Zhi came here after leaving the Imperial Palace.

His expression was already gloomy, and entering the courtyard hearing the child’s crying, it turned completely dark.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he shouted sternly: "How are you looking after Dun! Why is he crying like this!"

He grabbed Yao Ru.

"Where are you going! If you cannot take care, then let those wet nurses do it! That is the son my mother and I have high expectations for."

"You are indeed his birth mother, but it’s your first time having a child, he had fallen ill several times since birth in just these few months!"

"Yao Ru, do you think you are fit to be a mother?"

How is he entitled to question her?

Every time the child had a fever, wasn’t it because he didn’t listen to Yao Ru’s advice that the child shouldn’t be exposed to the wind and insisted on taking him out?

If he truly cared, why not go and pick him up to comfort him?

High expectations?

Dun was no different from her, just another piece of meat to be bargained with.

But Yao Ru had no energy to argue with him.

She struggled, but her wrist was tightly gripped by him, making it impossible to break free: "Let go."

Seeing her expression, Ying Zhi squinted as if he thought of something and suddenly smirked.

"Is this...did you hear and believe it? How unfortunate, I had hoped to tell you myself."

Anyway, what others outside were saying was nowhere near what he knew.

Back then, Ying Zhi spared no means in marrying Yao Ru, always knowing she had someone in her heart. She was even unwilling to marry him, willing to die.

But once she entered the Second Prince Mansion, she should be devoted to serving him, coming when called, leaving when waved away, right? Yet Yao Ru never knew how to show weakness to him.

Always going against him over all these years!

Did Ying Zhi care about Yao Ru?

No, he didn’t.

But he couldn’t stand Yao Ru ignoring him.

He was exasperated.

"Don’t think I don’t know what you’ve been doing these years!"

"You’ve been going to Changdu Temple frequently, hiding it well. If I hadn’t been cautious last time, how would I know you paid a high price for a monk to chant the Rebirth Mantra daily. With your father-in-law and mother-in-law alive, it’s obvious for whom."

"And, you enshrined a Longevity Tablet, it’s for blessing the living, although there are no words inscribed, how can I not know it’s for Ying Fuyan!"

"Yao Ru, don’t forget who lies beside you at night!"

At this point, a distorted look flashed across his face as he pressed his lips down, struggling to control his anger.

The nanny’s face suddenly changed and she hurried forward, trying to argue, "Master, you misunderstand, the lady was..."

Was Yao Ru afraid? Watching Ying Zhi’s ugly behavior, she felt more disgusted.

"I did it. So what?"

Yao Ru: "I do miss King Yan, Princess Consort Yan. If Changdu Temple weren’t so far, I’d wish to go there every day to pray for Ying Fuyan."

She signaled the nanny to stop talking.

She looked Ying Zhi straight in the eye, with an aura not inferior to his.

"Ying Zhi, this is what you brought upon yourself. You insisted on marrying me, forcing me to manage the house, and coveted the Yao family’s support. Aside from not giving you any regard, I have managed the household affairs impeccably, and I believe I’ve done you no wrong."

She wasn’t flustered at all.

"Now that you know what I did when going in and out of Changdu Temple, so what?"

Yet you held it in until now.

"Go and report me. Tell others your Princess Consort is always thinking of the Holy Emperor’s convicted officials and their families, dare you?"

"You dare not. You care about dignity the most, and the Fifth Prince is watching for your mistakes. As husband and wife are one, you might even have to cover for me."

"I’m openly telling you now, what was in the past will remain so in the future? No one can stop me!"

Truly a person personally taught by Princess Consort Yan.

Her every word hit the mark.

"So what can you do?"

She sneered.

"Confine and punish me?"