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

The closest place to the mourning hall was the old lady's Rong'an Hall. The Grand Princess was probably there. Ning Yu went to Rong'an Hall first as soon as she came out.

The physician just came out of the side room and said that the person was fine, but needed to rest.

Ning Yu nodded and went in to serve.

She was surrounded by maids and servants, so she only needed to give orders and didn't need to do anything herself. Most of the time she just sat on a stool in the outer room and waited.

After waiting for three hours, the sky outside was beginning to darken. Ning Yu was so tired that her back ached, and she wanted to go back and rest.

"Princess, you've taken your medicine. Your Highness must be tired. Please have something to eat."

There was a lot of porridge and dishes on the table. Ning Yu was indeed hungry, so she went over and sat down.

After the nanny set out the chopsticks for her, she went to the outer room and instructed the guards, "See if the governor has returned yet. He said the princess is looking for you."

"Yes."

The food at the Xie residence was much better than at the Ning family's. Even though she was eating alone, the table was full of dishes, including her favorite spicy shrimp soup, pickled vegetables, braised shredded bean curd, rouge goose breast, braised duck, and several desserts and soups that she had never eaten in her room.

Ning Yu ate until her nose was sweating. It was summer, and the duck on the stove was bubbling and steaming, making her feel hot.

A quick-witted maidservant immediately took a small fan and stood beside her to fan her.

When Xie Xun came in, he saw that her face was flushed from eating, and she was enjoying herself very much.

An undeniable gaze descended upon her. Ning Yu looked up and saw a large shadow blocking the doorway. The man was still wearing court robes, clearly having just returned from the palace.

She quickly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

Xie Xun stared at her lips, "Sister-in-law's lips are swollen from eating so much."

Ning Yu felt uncomfortable upon hearing this, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she looked back.

Looking into her alluring yet slightly sharp eyes, Xie Xun suddenly remembered what Qingfeng had reported to him.

Ning Yu returned from the estate five years ago. She was an inconspicuous young lady of the Ning family, born of the legitimate wife but not favored, and lived under the control of her stepmother.

She usually stays at home and doesn't go out much. Her family doesn't allow young ladies raised in seclusion to practice martial arts. Like the young ladies in the capital, she learns music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. It's just that I heard she often goes to her estate in Fuzhou and stays there for two or three months at a time.

How could the Ning Yu he knew be so different from the woman others described?

Ning Yu was naturally unaware that Xie Xun had sent someone to investigate her. Looking at those dark, bottomless pupils staring at her, she felt a strange chill in her heart.

"Sister-in-law, please eat slowly."

After the man finished speaking, he went into the inner room.

Ning Yu lost her appetite, wiped her mouth and stood up. "Please trouble you to tell Mother that I'm going back now."

"Please take care, Your Highness."

After leaving Rong'an Hall, Ning Yu headed north. Her residence was not far from here; it was the Mo Courtyard where Xie Yansheng had lived before.

Because he wasn't there when she got married, she didn't stay in Xie Yan's main courtyard, but instead cleaned out a room for herself.

To her surprise, when she returned, she saw Xie Ling standing in the courtyard, directing Qing He to serve her.

Her gaze instantly darkened. "What are you doing here?"

Xie Ling turned around and saw a fierce glint in the woman's usually cold eyes. Startled, she subconsciously placed the pastries on the tray.

Qinghe quickly took it and stood respectfully to the side.

This fifth young lady is spoiled and willful; she doesn't want to be pinched again.

"Sister-in-law, you're so imposing! Are you trying to eat me alive?"

Ning Yu said coldly, "I don't have the habit of eating dirty food."

"You dare insult me?" Xie Ling was furious. "A dying man, how dare you be so arrogant with me here?"

"Um?"

"Your elder brother's body has been returned. You haven't given birth to any children for the Xie family, so why are you holding the title of Crown Princess? Let me tell you, Mother has long decided that you should commit suicide by poison to join your elder brother, which will also fulfill a marriage wish."

"Who told you that?"

Xie Ling snorted and looked at her smugly with her arms crossed.

She overheard it by chance in her aunt's room. A woman who was given to her elder brother to bring him good luck was no longer of any use after he died. The palace's bestowal of her was even more disgusting. The Grand Princess didn't want her to live at all.

Although she didn't understand what her aunt meant, she understood that telling her sister-in-law to hang herself was the best option.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Ning Yu's face suddenly darkened.

She didn't think Xie Ling was lying. In this large family, the death of one person was not a rare thing. She had no backing, and the Xie family could kill her with ease.

"You'd better hurry up and find someone to plead for your life; maybe there's still a way out."

The smug voice gradually faded into the distance. Ning Yu watched the departing figure, clutching her handkerchief tightly without saying a word.

"Miss, is what she said true? Should we run away?"

A panicked, urgent voice sounded behind her. Ning Yu turned around, "Are you alright?"

"I'm tough and resilient, it's nothing."

"Go back to the house first."

The Grand Princess was proud and arrogant. If Xie Yan's death was really related to the old emperor, then the old emperor's decision to bestow her upon Xie Yan was clearly intentional.

She knew from the moment she married into the Xie family that life wouldn't be easy. Her father was of low rank; he had been in court for so many years but hadn't been promoted to any official position. He wasn't as powerful as some of the aristocratic families in the capital, let alone the Xie family, which was the head of the council of elders.

The old emperor's choice to marry the Ning family's daughter to the Xie family's heir is a joke that will make people a laughing stock in the council even after they die.

Previously, because the news of Xie Yan's death was uncertain, no one in the manor cared about her. Now that the body has been returned, the Grand Princess will be the first to vent her anger on her and show it to the old emperor. She is now in a situation where she is disliked by both sides.

Ning Yu sat at the table, her mind restless and unable to calm down. For the powerful and wealthy, killing someone was just a matter of lifting a finger. How could she save herself?

Go and plead with the old lady? The old lady fell seriously ill because of Xie Yan's death, and probably won't have time to care about her. She's only been married into the family for a month and isn't familiar with anyone in the Xie family who can talk to her.

Seeing her young mistress with her eyes lowered in thought, Qinghe didn't dare to disturb her. She quietly poured a pot of tea and placed it on the table.

The next morning, Ning Yu instructed Qing He to prepare the sacrificial offerings, and then secretly slipped out through a small door.

The city's markets were bustling. The carriage traveled along the long street to Chunfenglou, the largest restaurant in the city, which hosted the Qionglin Banquet exclusively for high-ranking officials and nobles.

The restaurant has two floors, and Ning Yu went straight to the private room on the second floor as soon as she entered.

There was no one guarding the door. She stepped into the house and looked up to see a man in a black robe sitting by the window.

This elegant room is located near a bustling area, with views of the endless palaces and buildings of the capital city outside the window. Light streams in from the window, illuminating the figures of those in the room.

"Your Highness Prince Zhao."