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

"What do you mean by that?" Lu Zhufeng asked, his expression displeased.

Wei Jiaru hesitated, "Madam Tang won't wake up, and my sister isn't a doctor. What good would it do for her to plead for her?"

"No wonder I hadn't heard a word about it. It turns out my sister had kept the news from me and was deliberately trying to keep it from me."

Lu Zhufeng remained silent, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"My lord, I know medicine. I once saved someone who was on the verge of death. My sister knows about this. If I had known about it, I would have rushed over to help Madam Tang in time, and I wouldn't have given the Prime Minister's Mansion a chance to cause trouble for the Marquis's Mansion."

I never imagined that my sister would try to curry favor by keeping this from me, causing Madam Tang to remain unconscious and leading to this mess between the Marquis and Mother.

Lu Zhufeng's fingers slowly clenched, his knuckles turning white.

At this moment, the servant urged again, "My lord, everything is arranged. Shall we set off?"

Lu Zhufeng waved his hand impatiently, signaling him to leave.

He sat down again. "Jia Ruo, you know medicine? How come I didn't know?"

Wei Jiaruo's eyes darted away, but her tone was resolute.

"It's normal that the Marquis doesn't know; only my sister knows about this."

After saying that, she began to gather her emotions, her voice trembling, "My lord, I didn't mean to hide it from you."

"Do you remember that murder case from ten years ago, where the man was stabbed more than a dozen times but was eventually saved?"

Lu Zhufeng thought about it and realized that there really was such a thing.

It caused quite a stir back then. The man was rescued, and it was said that he went to the Duke's mansion every day to kowtow in gratitude to Wei Zhaoning.

At the time, he and Wei Zhaoning were both young and not familiar with each other. He didn't know how Wei Zhaoning saved the man, and he just listened to it as casual conversation.

Wei Jiaru knelt down immediately, pleading, "My lord, there's more to that story than meets the eye. But please, my lord, don't tell my sister what I said today, otherwise... otherwise... My lord, you're the only one I can rely on."

Lu Zhufeng seemed to have guessed something. Looking at Wei Jiaruo's trembling shoulders, his heart felt like it was being pricked by tiny needles, a dense, throbbing pain.

He gently coaxed, "Don't be afraid, I'll take care of whatever you need to do."

Wei Jiaruo sobbed, "Actually, I was the one who saved her, but my stepmother and sister wouldn't let me tell the truth. They locked me in the woodshed and wouldn't let me show my face. They even threatened me that if I dared to say a single word, my aunt would die without a burial place."

When the man woke up and saw his sister beside him, he was convinced that she had saved his life...

From then on, I never dared to show any talent again, otherwise my stepmother would think I was stealing my sister's thunder, and I might not even live to get married..."

Lu Zhufeng's brows furrowed more and more, and the temperature in his eyes gradually dropped.

Wei Jiaruo added, "Does the Marquis not trust me?"

"Everyone says my leg is crippled. If it weren't for my skills, I'm afraid..."

"Alright! No one doesn't believe me!" Lu Zhufeng hurriedly hugged Wei Jiaruo.

"Jiaruo, you've suffered so much."

In his eyes, besides pity for Wei Jiaruo, there was an even deeper hatred for Wei Zhaoning.

The immense sense of panic I felt earlier was replaced by anger.

"My lord, let's get ready quickly and go see Madam Tang. If we delay her treatment, the Marquis's mansion will be in trouble."

Wei Jiaruo said worriedly.

Lu Zhufeng thought for a moment and concluded that since Jia Ruo had this ability, the Marquis's mansion would be able to weather this calamity smoothly.

Thinking of what Wei Zhaoning had done that day, his shoulders heaved violently, and the anger in his chest almost burned out.

"I sent someone to the Prime Minister's residence to inquire about the situation. Although Madam Tang is seriously ill, her heart condition is still stable, and she won't be in trouble for a day or two."

Let the Prime Minister's residence be in a hurry. Once Wei Zhaoning returns, let them see who they really need to punish and who they should thank!

Wei Jiaruo shrank closer to Lu Zhufeng's arms. "But... if that happens, won't my sister know that I exposed what happened back then? My lord, I'm scared."

The anger in Lu Zhufeng's eyes grew stronger.

"She'll try to touch even a single hair on your head!"

"What's rightfully yours is yours; from now on, you needn't live in fear! I'd like to see if she dares to do it!"

Wei Jiaruo's lips curled into a smile. "Then, my lord, are you still going to Jiangnan?"

With a stern face, Lu Zhufeng ordered the servants outside, "Move the ship away!"

*

Pei Yi's arms were wrapped around Wei Zhaoning's waist like iron hoops, with such force that her ribs ached.

She opened her mouth, but could only inhale a few scattered breaths, making soft "mmm..." sounds in her throat.

She placed her hands on his chest, trying to gently push him away, but he held her even tighter. She could only let the dizziness from lack of oxygen slowly creep up on her, and her vision began to blur.

Pei Yi carried her into the cave before letting go.

His gaze was fixed on Wei Zhaoning, his eyes bloodshot, his once composed expression now a jumbled mess.

His gaze swept from her forehead to her wrists, then hurriedly moved to her ankles, as if afraid of missing any wounds. Even the corners of his eyes were taut, revealing extreme tension.

Seeing the blood seeping from his arm, he panicked.

He hurriedly took off his pure white undergarment and, without Wei Zhaoning's refusal, re-bandaged her wound.

Wei Zhaoning hesitated, not expecting the Regent to jump off a cliff for her sake.

"The memorial has been delivered to His Majesty." Pei Yi's face returned to its original calm.

But for some reason, Wei Zhaoning could sense a hint of anger in him.

Wei Zhaoning lowered her head in shame; she had misunderstood the Regent.

He recalled the sounds of fighting that had come from afar on the waterway.

It turns out that the regent had been secretly protecting her all along.

"I'm sorry." A thousand words were stuck in her throat, but all she could say were these three words.

Pei Yi slightly turned his face away and remained silent.

Wei Zhaoning sensed the atmosphere had become strange and took the initiative to step forward.

"Your Highness is injured." She stepped forward to check on him.

But it was soon discovered that the blood on his body belonged to someone else.

Apart from a small scratch from being caught on a tree branch when jumping off the cliff, he was otherwise unharmed.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have doubted you."

"I...I was so nervous and scared that I didn't dare to trust anyone, which caused the prince to be dragged into this mess."

Pei Yi was suddenly taken aback, lowered his eyes, and his expression darkened slightly.

"It's my fault for not arranging everything properly, which is why you've ended up in this situation."

His voice trembled as he spoke, lacking his usual composure.

Wei Zhaoning paused, she had never seen the Regent Prince show such an expression.

A strange feeling arose in her heart, as if she was very important to the Regent?

But she immediately dismissed the guess, perhaps fearing that if she died, the opening of the trade market in the Western Regions would not go smoothly.

Pei Yi looked at her, his expression suddenly becoming anxious, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.