After the divorce, I was adorned in a phoenix robe, while my ex-husband's entire family dug up

Finally, he hardened his heart.

"Aze is right, nothing can be accomplished without rules. Jia Ruo, it's not that whoever is weaker is right. If you do something wrong, you have to admit it and then correct it."

The victims in this matter are Aze and Ningning, so ask them how they want to be punished, and whether they accept it or not.

Wei Jiaruo's blood seemed to freeze. She opened her mouth, her palms almost bleeding from pinching.

Finally, she lowered her head and said meekly, "My lord, as long as my sister and Aze are comfortable, I will accept whatever punishment I am given."

She glared maliciously at Wei Zhaoning. What a grand scheme!

Let's see who's better.

Wei Zhaoning saw a hint of malice in Wei Jiaruo's eyes and took the initiative to speak first: "My lord, I did not mean to punish my sister. She is pregnant. If something happens to her after being punished, I cannot bear the responsibility."

As long as she acknowledges her mistakes and is willing to correct them, that's good. Perhaps we should let her go back home and focus on her pregnancy.

After she finished speaking, she glanced at Lu Ze.

Seeing that she didn't respond, Wei Jiaruo felt even more resentful!

Lu Zhufeng's expression softened considerably, but he also felt even more guilty. He said, "I'm so glad you think that way. It was all my fault before, and you suffered so much."

When Lu Ze saw that Wei Jiaruo was about to escape, he was the first to disagree.

He cursed Wei Zhaoning in his heart, thinking, "Useless thing, being used as a shield, and not caring at all. What an idiot."

He's different; he'll retaliate against anyone who touches his interests!

"It's her business whether she punishes her or not. Whether Wei Jiaruo can escape punishment depends on whether I agree to it."

Lu Zhufeng didn't know what to say. "As I just said, you're the aggrieved party. How do you want to be punished?"

Wei Jiaruo looked at Lu Ze pitifully, "Aze, just say it, your sister-in-law will admit it."

When Lu Ze saw her pitiful appearance, he became furious.

She's the one who did wrong, and she's the one who drove Bai Yunxiao further and further away from him. Why is she pretending to be innocent?

He spoke in a somber tone, as if she were the victim:

"I won't lie to you since you're pregnant, but I'll punish you by making you kneel in the ancestral hall for four hours every day for a full month before this matter is considered closed!"

Wei Jiaruo's body stiffened, and she felt a breath rising in her throat, unable to pass it down no matter what she tried.

She looked at Lu Zhufeng, but Lu Zhufeng's attitude was firm, and he showed no intention of pleading for her.

Finally, gritting his teeth, he said, "Sister-in-law knows."

This time, Lu Ze finally let her go.

With Master Tang's path completely blocked, Lu Zhufeng used his limited connections to find a reliable mentor to teach Lu Ze.

Wei Zhaoning was in a great mood. How could kneeling for a month be enough? She had experienced Lu Ze's temperament firsthand in her previous life.

Once he holds a grudge against you, you'll never have a comfortable life again.

"Miss, so that's what you meant by sending someone to plead for Master Tang. I thought you were really soft-hearted for the Second Young Master and wanted to help him." Dongxu had an expression of realization.

Wei Zhaoning smiled and said, "Let them fight like dogs, so they won't come looking for trouble with me every day."

Dongxu cautiously looked around the courtyard, and only after confirming that no one was around did she take out an account book.

"Miss, these are the account book copies that Liuxiang sent over. They only include the rice shop's records. Liuxiang said she hasn't had a chance to get the other shops' records yet."

Wei Zhaoning calmed himself down, took the account book, and flipped through it page by page. He found that the contents were all normal and there was nothing special about them.

"Wait a little longer."

"Tell Liu Xiang not to make any rash moves recently, so as not to arouse Wei Jiaruo's suspicion."

"yes!"

*

That night, Wei Jiaru knelt down in the ancestral hall.

She already had an injury on her leg, and the cold wind and the dampness of the ancestral hall made her feel unbearable after only an hour; her leg seemed to hurt even more.

Hearing footsteps outside, she immediately threw herself down and pretended to faint.

"Madam, the Marquis said that if she faints, he should call a physician, and he will not come himself."

"And... the second young master sent a few old women, saying they were coming to make sure you knelt down, and they're already on their way."

It turned out that the person who came was Liu Xiang.

Wei Jiaru gritted her teeth and struggled to her feet. "That Wei Zhaoning, he's ruined me!"

The Marquis is determined to abandon her.

It seems that her position in the Marquis's heart is not as important as that of his family.

This can't go on. With just a little provocation from Wei Zhaoning, Lu Ze came to regard her as an enemy.

Her position will never be secure; she needs to make everyone in the Marquis's mansion completely devoted to her.

She knelt down again and took out a witchcraft doll from her bosom, on which was written Wei Zhaoning's birth date and time.

She glanced at Liu Xiang and frowned, saying, "Why do you smell like medicine?"

Liu Xiang answered fluently: "This servant...is not feeling well, so I had a doctor prescribe some medicine."

Wei Jiaruo glanced at her disdainfully, "Since you have extra money to buy medicine every month after you've taken care of your younger brother, then I'll deduct another 500 coins from your monthly allowance. I don't have that much spare money left."

Liu Xiang lowered her eyes. "Yes."

After Wei Jiaruo finished speaking, her face contorted, and she took out silver needles and forcefully stabbed the witch doll one needle at a time.

He uttered in ventriloquism, a language only the two of them could hear: "Wei Zhaoning, die!"

"Wei Zhaoning, die!"

The ancestral hall was deathly silent. The pale moonlight shone through the broken window high up, casting distorted spots of light on the ground, sending chills down one's spine.

"Who's going to die?" a voice suddenly came from outside.

Wei Jiaru hurriedly stuffed the witchcraft doll into her sleeve, then turned around and saw Lu Jieyue.

"Sister-in-law, what brings you here?" she asked with a smile.

Lu Jieyue glanced at her sleeve. "Stop pretending. You can only do that pitiful act in front of Zhu Feng. You don't need to do it with me."

Wei Jiaru pursed her lips.

Lu Jieyue strode over and forcefully pulled the item out of Wei Jiaruo's sleeve.

She gave a chilling smile. "These birth dates and times are Wei Zhaoning's, aren't they?"

Wei Jiaruo swallowed hard. "She really went too far, that's why I..."

Lu Jieyue said disdainfully, "That's enough."

"I have no interest in watching your acting. If you hate her, you hate her; if you want her dead, you kill her. Isn't all this pretense tiring?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Jiaruo's eyes darted around. "What do you mean by that, sister-in-law?"

"You're not the only one who wants her dead. I have a plan, but I don't know..." Lu Jieyue recalled the way Meng Yun looked at Wei Zhaoning, and hatred spread through her heart.

She crouched down and whispered something in Wei Jiaruo's ear.

*

Wei Zhaoning sat by the window, sunlight streaming through the window and falling on the embroidered cloth.

She held an embroidery needle and was carefully embroidering a peony.

Unexpectedly, the needle tip slipped and pierced her index finger. Blood dripped onto the off-white silk.

She always felt uneasy.

Suddenly, Dongxu ran in frantically, shouting, "Miss! Something terrible has happened!"