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

Ningyu?!

It took the Duke of Dingguo a while to react before he belatedly widened his eyes and asked, "Who are you talking about? What's the name of the woman you want?"

"Ning Yu?! Isn't that the Ning family girl your eldest brother married? Did I hear wrong, or is it the same person?"

It's her.

The Duke of Dingguo abruptly stood up from his chair. "What happened? Wasn't she dead?"

"She's not dead." Xie Xun's voice was cold. "I took her away."

What?!

Enraged by these words, the Duke of Dingguo slammed his fist on the table and threw a teacup at him.

Xie Xun turned his head to avoid it, and the cup fell to the ground with a thud, spilling water all over the floor.

The Duke of Dingguo's gaze immediately locked onto the Grand Princess. Seeing her unpleasant expression, he knew that she was also aware of this matter, and angrily overturned the yellowed scrolls on the table.

"You dare steal your older brother's wife?! Have you gone mad?"

The roar was deafening, but Xie Xun's expression remained unchanged as he placed a folding book on the table.

The Duke of Dingguo didn't even want to look, and roared, "Where do you put your elder brother? How could you do such an absurd thing and even bring that woman back? Do you want to make the Xie Manchu clan lose all face in the capital? Don't even think about it."

Not satisfied with just cursing the Duke of Dingguo, she pointed at him and roared, "I think you've been blinded by a woman to commit this heinous crime!"

"Where is that woman? Bring her here and kill her, kill her right now!"

"I've come to inform my father and ask for his help in suppressing the Xie clan elders and imperial relatives."

"You're dreaming!"

Xie Xun's eyes were dark and sinister. "I'm not here to ask for your consent, but to inform Father. You can look at the folded paper on the table. The matter in the Northwest is settled."

"I also want to tell Father something: the Eighth Prince has died in Huaizhou. The clans in the northeast will soon join forces with the Seventh Prince to march south and force the emperor to abdicate. The capital is going to be in chaos."

The Duke of Dingguo and the Grand Princess were both stunned by his words and didn't react for a moment. In his anger, the Duke of Dingguo realized what was happening and rushed over to hit him.

The Grand Princess quickly stopped them and tried to coax them back to peace.

"Listen to what he did! Was the death of the Eighth Prince your doing?"

Xie Xun's voice was calm and even, yet it carried a pressing aura that made people tense.

"With the Eighth Prince dead, the Xie family has no one to support them. When the capital is in chaos, regardless of whether the Crown Prince's faction or the Seventh Prince's faction wins, whether the Xie family can maintain its position as the head of the Elders Council will not be up to them."

The Duke of Dingguo knew that his son was not joking. He suppressed his anger and picked up the folding book to look at it. After only a couple of glances, he almost fell backward, clutching his chest and unable to catch his breath.

How is this possible?! How is this possible?!

All the official routes for supplying grain were blocked, and the eight passes of Yuzhou were breached. What a rebellious son! What a rebellious son!

"What exactly do you want? Tell me, what do you want to do?!"

Xie Xun didn't want to say more, so he turned around and said, "I have most of the military power in the Elders' Council. The Xie family clan members won't really dare to oppose me. Those old men should have died long ago, so Father knows what to do in the clan."

They threatened him, even using the Elders' Council to threaten him, just to steal a woman?

He's gone mad! Has he gone mad?!

Also, what happened with what he just said, and when did the battle report come in?

The Duke of Dingguo stared in shock as he flipped through the folded pages on the table, trying to find something.

After leaving the study, Xie Xun went directly to the palace.

Not long after he left, the Xie family learned that he had kidnapped his sister-in-law and brought her back, causing chaos in the mansion.

The head of the Xie family ordered the matter to be suppressed and kept tightly under wraps, and ordered Xie Xun to return to his residence.

In the East Garden, Ning Yu was still asleep when she heard a loud commotion outside. She got up and left the inner room, and through the window she saw several Xie family ladies barging into the courtyard with a menacing air.

"The master has ordered that no one is allowed to step into the East Garden. Please forgive us, Madam."

"The old lady requests that someone go over there."

A gentle breeze blocked the entrance, and the guards from the East Garden all gathered around.

"How dare you draw your swords against us? Are all the servants in the East Garden this audacious?" the Third Madam roared.

"If there's anything you need, Madam, the master will personally attend to it when he returns."

This is outrageous! They've gone against the heavens!

The noise outside drifted in through the doors and windows. Ning Yu closed the doors and windows, clutched her wildly beating heart, and lowered her eyes, remaining silent.

The Xie family knows?! Does everyone know?

How could the Xie family allow such a thing to be brought to the forefront? Only members of the Xie clan and a few people in power heard about it.

The Grand Princess kept the news tightly under wraps, and those who were unaware of it still didn't know who the woman the Governor had brought back to his residence was.

The noise outside was finally silenced by the sound of flashing swords.

The Xie family patriarch originally wanted to have the guards surround the East Garden, but fearing that word would get out, he held back and ordered Xie Xun to return to the manor immediately.

Xie Xun returned in the evening and went straight to the East Garden.

The chill emanating from him swept into the inner room with a cold wind, and Ning Yu looked up and saw him.

"Why aren't you eating?"

She had no appetite and shook her head. "I'm not hungry."

Xie Xun gave a wink to the servant behind him, who understood and quickly went to prepare the meal.

The maidservant immediately stepped forward, respectfully removed the cloak the man was wearing, and then withdrew.

"Qingfeng said you haven't eaten anything all day."

"I didn't have much of an appetite, but I drank some soup."

Xie Xun walked over and picked her up, placing her on his lap. "Your waist is so thin, anyone who didn't know better would think I was abusing you!"

Ning Yu has a great figure, with a slim waist and long legs, and all the right curves. When she takes off her clothes, she is even more fair-skinned and voluptuous. However, she has become much thinner this month.

Ning Yu inwardly cursed him. She wasn't the type to be so dramatic as to want to die or come back to life. She would never mistreat herself. Even if he abused her, she would still eat and sleep well.

I just don't have much of an appetite today.

"What are your plans for handling the situation going forward?"

Xie Xun kissed her, "You don't need to worry about it, just stay here obediently."

Then, once he has suppressed everyone in the Xie family, what will her status be when she lives in this East Garden?

Ning Yu looked at him, "Can you release Qing He?"

Just then, the maids filed in, and the aroma of food quickly wafted in. Xie Xun patted her bottom and said, "Go down and eat first."

Ning Yu hated this action of his the most; he would hit her every time they were in bed.

The servants in the East Garden were well-trained, and in no time they had prepared a large table of food, all of which were Ning Yu's favorite dishes.

After she sat down, she brought up the topic again.

"Have Qingfeng go to the imperial prison in a bit and bring the person out."

Ning Yu's gloomy mood, which had lasted all day, finally eased a little. "Let her go back to the Ning family. She's not suitable to stay with me right now."

Xie Xun looked at her.

Ning Yu knew he was very suspicious, so she immediately said, "The old lady sent someone to find me at noon. I don't want Qinghe to be criticized by others because of me."

Xie Xun felt that she was alluding to him, and knowing that she was feeling wronged and upset, he wouldn't let her off the hook for such a small matter, so he agreed.

Just then, the voice of a guard came from outside.

"Master, the head of the family has sent someone to ask you to go to the ancestral hall immediately."

Xie Xun remained calm and only got up after finishing his meal. "I still have things to take care of. If you're sleepy, go to sleep first."