So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

It was getting late, and after an incense stick's time, the nanny who was holding the lanterns led the Grand Princess away.

Hearing the noise behind the screen, Xie Xun peeked out and saw someone cautiously peek out. He opened his mouth and said, "Anyone who didn't know better would think my sister-in-law is here to have an affair?"

"---" Ning Yu immediately met his gaze, inwardly cursing him for his arrogant words.

"Governor, please rest. I'll be leaving now."

As soon as she moved, the pain from the pulled wound on her arm made her wince.

Ning Yu hurriedly looked down and saw that the wound had been torn open during the fight, and blood had stained her clothes red. Even the slightest movement caused her great pain.

There is medicine on the table.

This medicine came from a foreign land and helps wounds heal quickly. Ning Yu looked into the man's emotionless eyes, rolled up her sleeves, unwrapped the gauze, and sprinkled the medicine on the wound.

Her pale arms swayed in the candlelight, the only sound in the quiet air being the crackling of the candle flame.

From Xie Xun's angle, he could see the woman biting her lower lip, her profile alluring, her slender shoulders trembling slightly, and her delicate, slender fingers quickly and skillfully wrapping the blood-stained bandages.

It wasn't that Ning Yu wanted to use blood-stained bandages, but she really didn't want to ask him for one, so she had to wrap the wound with old gauze first and change it when she got back.

She treated her wound quickly, unlike a woman raised in seclusion. Xie Xun watched her movements, his dark, unfathomable pupils deep and cold.

In no time, the wound was bandaged up, and Ning Yu turned around and met the man's eyes.

Her eyelids trembled slightly. She placed the porcelain bottle on the table, nodded to him, and turned to walk out.

Xie Xun didn't stop her, and watched helplessly as the tall figure swayed her slender waist and left.

"master."

A respectful voice came from behind him. Xie Xun lowered his eyelids, his voice so faint it was almost inaudible, "Go investigate her."

Qingfeng was taken aback. Investigating a woman?!

"Yes."

After leaving the East Garden, Ning Yu headed towards her own courtyard. As she crossed the ebony bridge, she encountered Xie Ling feeding the fish by the lake.

"Hey, where did you come from so late at night, sister-in-law?"

Xie Ling, dressed in a pale yellow silk dress, looked at her defiantly with a pretty face.

Ning Yu didn't even glance at her, and walked straight across the bridge onto the covered walkway.

"Hey, I'm talking to you."

"Hearing that Father intends to request that my fifth sister be granted the title of County Princess, such a loud and boisterous announcement is probably not in accordance with propriety."

Xie Ling scoffed smugly, "Does my Xie family's tradition need your guidance? My elder brother just died, and instead of being at the mourning hall in the middle of the night, where were you?"

Ning Yu couldn't understand why a little girl would bother her all the time; she must have nothing better to do.

"Since you know your elder brother just died, are you dressing up in bright, colorful clothes just to upset Mother?"

Xie Ling's face fell at the mention of the Grand Princess; she was most afraid of this stepmother.

Seeing that the person was about to leave, she bit her lip in anger, feeling reprimanded by a woman who had married into the family to bring good fortune. Why should she?

"If I remember correctly, that's the East Garden. What are you doing in your second brother's garden? I need to tell Mother."

A moment of stiffness flashed across Ning Yu's eyes, which Xie Ling noticed. She was surprised, wondering if Ning Yu had been right.

She simply couldn't stand that this woman was too beautiful, even more beautiful than the girls in the Xie family. She disliked this kind of bewitching, fox-like woman.

I remember when she first married into the family, all her cousins ​​were practically eyeing her.

But she never imagined she would have any relationship with her second brother. Her second brother was completely indifferent to women and would never like her seductive appearance. Besides, she was already married to her eldest brother.

She deliberately tried to scare her by seeing her coming from the east side of the garden, and she actually succeeded.

During the evening banquet, this woman kept staring at my second brother restlessly. Could she really dare to seduce him?

"Hey, you didn't actually go to Dongyuan, did you? You've got some nerve, thinking you can find yourself a new home after your brother's dead?"

"Have you forgotten that you can reach the small kitchen by going through the peach grove?"

Xie Ling stared at her suspiciously. "What are you doing in the small kitchen?"

"I need to report everything to you. If you're not afraid of getting beaten, go find Mother." Ning Yu said, then pretended to be unhappy and left.

Seeing her completely unashamed demeanor, Xie Ling pouted, stomped her foot, and left.

Once the others had gone some distance, Ning Yu descended the stone steps and walked around the lake towards her own courtyard.

Xie Yan's body was brought back from outside the city two days later. The army cleared the way, and the general personally carried the coffin back to the Xie family before going to the palace to report.

Ning Yu heard about this just as she came out of the old lady's courtyard. The mourning hall was full of people, and deafening cries echoed throughout the mansion. The Grand Princess fainted from crying as she looked at the corpse.

She didn't dare to go forward to look. She saw people from the royal family coming and going, and the palace eunuchs came several times. Even the head of the Xie family came.

The Xie clan patriarch, holding a high position and backed by the council of elders, was Xie Yan's uncle. He was standing in front of the coffin, seemingly talking to Xie Xun, surrounded by a crowd.

Everywhere she looked were members of the royal family, and Ning Yu didn't want to go forward and risk getting into trouble, so she stayed quietly at the back of the crowd.

The coffin had already been carried into the mourning hall, and she looked through the crowd.

Xie Yan is dead. She is the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xie family, and she was married into the family by imperial decree. Her future days are probably not going to be easy.

The memory of Xie Yan, whom I had met a few years ago when it was snowing outside the city, involuntarily flashed through my mind, and a sense of sorrow welled up in my heart.

The young general was full of vigor and ambition, but he died on the frontier in just a few years.

"What is your sister-in-law looking at?"

A familiar voice reached her ears, and Ning Yu looked away, glancing sideways. "Why are you wearing all that gold and silver jewelry in front of my husband's spirit tablet?"

Xie Ling quickly pulled down her sleeves, glaring at her unhappily, "Don't give me that sister-in-law attitude."

"What are the Crown Princess and A-Ling talking about?" At this moment, the Second Madam turned her head and looked over. "She's young, don't take it to heart. The princess has fainted, go back and take care of her, you don't need to stay here."

Ning Yu looked at the huge crowd in front of her and hesitated for a moment. Wouldn't it give people something to talk about if she just left like this?

The thought had barely crossed her mind when a group of people suddenly walked out from in front of her, and her eyes unexpectedly met Xie Xun's.

The other person only looked at her for a second before quickly looking away, and she also quickly looked away.

The white hem of his robe fluttered in the wind, gently passing before her eyes, and she caught a whiff of the scent of sandalwood emanating from him.

Chengguang Ancestral Temple is only open during the Lunar New Year. Right now, because of Xie Yan's death in battle, all the members of the imperial clan have gone to the Mingtang.

Ning Yu watched as the group of people went to the Mingtang Hall, thought for a moment, and then turned and left.