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

The East Garden has an excellent location and covers a vast area. A lake separates the pavilions. Ning Yu walked through the archway and followed the maid who was leading the way to the front of the waterside pavilion.

"Miss, the governor is still busy. Please wait here for a moment."

She paused slightly, gave a soft "hmm," and waited in the courtyard.

It was the hottest time of day, so hot that it was hard to open one's eyes. Ning Yu waited for almost an hour, but there was no sound from inside.

She was covered in sweat, and knew that the person had done it on purpose. She could only cover her forehead and walk to a more secluded and shady place.

Her legs were stiff and numb from standing. She had been tortured by that jerk a couple of days ago, and there wasn't a single part of her body that was unharmed. Not only were her legs numb, but they were also very sore and weak.

"Since the Governor is busy, I'll wait in the side room."

Qingfeng was standing guard at the door. When she saw someone approaching, her small face was flushed from the sun. "Miss, please wait a little longer. The Governor will be finished soon."

Ning Yu was furious and really wanted to leave, but reason prevailed.

She glanced inside the house, then stopped and stood at the door chatting with Qingfeng.

"How old are you this year?"

Qingfeng paused for a moment, then replied respectfully, "Twenty."

"Younger than your master."

"---"

Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Ning Yu crossed her arms and gossiped, "At this age, it's time to settle down. Is there anyone you like?"

Qingfeng's face went numb. "Miss, you should worry about yourself first."

"What do I have to worry about? She's married, and she might even have kids."

"---" Qingfeng couldn't help but look at her stomach. "Master won't allow it."

Ning Yu deliberately asked, "You even peeked into your master's private affairs?"

Qingfeng pursed her lips and remained silent.

He's a lackey, just like his sycophantic master.

"The master wants you to come in." Suddenly, a figure came out from inside.

In the sweltering summer heat, this man, dressed entirely in black, was clearly a handsome young man, yet his face was tense and icy cold.

Ning Yu felt that he looked somewhat familiar. The moment their eyes met, she suddenly remembered something.

Sha Ying ignored her and walked away from the edge of the corridor.

Ning Yu looked at his back. If she remembered correctly, this was the leader who had chased her back then. His eyes were so similar.

Inside the room, Qingfeng lowered his head, feeling as if his master's gaze was weighing down on him. He inwardly groaned and had no choice but to carefully reiterate what he had just said.

"What I told you?"

"It was... that I guessed."

Xie Xun said, "Then guess whether your mouth can still eat?"

"---" Qingfeng immediately knelt down, "Your subordinate is talking nonsense. You will be punished in the imperial prison in a moment."

"Get out of here."

He hurriedly got up and went out, not even glancing at Ning Yu as he passed by.

Ning Yu chuckled inwardly, but before she could finish her laugh, she heard a man's voice inside. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, turned around, and went inside.

The room was cool and breezy. The window was open, the bamboo blinds were half-rolled up, and a gentle breeze blew in from the lake. The man sat by the window, not even glancing at her.

Ice cubes were placed in all four corners of the room, and a chilly wind spread through the room with the help of the ice, quickly dissipating the heat from Ning Yu's body.

Xie Xun looked up at her. She was wearing an unassuming plain white dress. Having stood outside for a long time, her beautiful face was flushed red from the sun, but her lips were also extremely red, as alluring as if they were in the night.

"Men and women should be different. What are you doing at the East Garden, sister-in-law?"

"---" Ning Yu's eyebrows twitched. "There are countless beauties in the world, and the Governor is a dragon among men. He can have any kind of beauty he wants."

Xie Xun looked at her, his voice unusually gentle, "Ning Yu, do I appear to you like a Bodhisattva?"

"---"

She thought he didn't seem like a Bodhisattva, but rather like a living Yama.

Ning Yu had been standing for too long, and her legs were so sore she could barely support herself. She quietly rubbed her lower back. "What does the Commander-in-Chief wish to do?"

"My sister-in-law is a smart woman. She should know the difference between prey and hunter. Only the hunter has the right to say when it's over."

"Has the governor forgotten that you are getting married soon?"

"how?"

Shameless bastard.

The sunlight from the window fell on his face; his expression was neither cold nor indifferent, and his long, narrow eyes were as black as a deep pool, exuding an innate nobility.

Ning Yu pursed her lips and remained silent.

Xie Xun seemed too lazy to argue with her. He tugged at his sleeve and stood up, saying in the gentlest voice, "Go back and think it over carefully. The only outcome of being too clever for your own good is death."

Ning Yu was surprised that he would threaten her like that, and her eyes immediately darkened.

The two parted on bad terms. For the next two days, Ning Yu was preoccupied with something and didn't sleep well. One night, she suddenly heard Qin's mother knocking urgently on the door.

"What's wrong?" She quickly put on a coat and came out.

"Princess Consort, please go and see! Qinghe has been captured and imprisoned in the dungeon."

What?

"What happened?"

Mother Qin said anxiously, "I heard that when she went to the main kitchen to get food, she ran into the Third Madam. The Third Madam had lost her bracelet and everyone was helping to look for it. Somehow, it ended up in Miss Qinghe's purse, and the Third Madam caught her and beat her half to death."

Ning Yu immediately thought of Xie Xun, but then he thought that Xie Xun had many ways to kill their master and servant, so there was no need to frame him.

The garden where the Third Madam lived was next to the Emerald Pavilion. Ning Yu hurried for almost half an hour before arriving.

"Madam, the Crown Princess has arrived."

The third wife had just returned and hadn't even had a sip of tea when she heard these words. Her face turned ugly as she came out of the inner room.

A princess consort who can't even teach her own maid properly, yet she dares to steal from her and come to interrogate her. Does she really think she's an easy target?

"aunt."

The third wife gave an annoyed "hmm" and took the initiative to tell her what had happened. "Your maid has dirty hands, so lock her up in the dungeon for two days."

Ning Yu said, "My aunt said that your bracelet was lost by the lake. Everyone searched for an hour but couldn't find it. Qinghe was just passing by, so how could she have picked it up and hidden it, and then been caught red-handed by you?"

"From the time she arrived until she passed by the lake, it was only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Could she have picked up the bracelet? She wouldn't have gone into her aunt's room to steal a bracelet, would she? Besides, her aunt lost it while playing by the lake wearing a table."

Hearing her say it so confidently, the Third Madam suddenly felt that something was wrong, but she didn't want to admit it.

"The bracelet was found in her purse. Who knows where she found it and hid it? I wasn't just by the lake for half a day."

Ning Yu was too lazy to waste words with her. "Qinghe is my personal maid. Please take me to see her, Aunt. I want to ask her carefully if she really stole this bracelet."

With a "smack," the Third Madam, enraged and embarrassed, sat high in her chair, her figure radiating anger.

"What does the Crown Princess mean? Do you think I would wrong a mere servant? How can you be so aggressive towards your elders? Do you have any manners at all?"

The anger that Ning Yu had been suppressing in her heart suddenly exploded. Qing He had followed her for many years and was always implicated by her. Now she had been beaten half to death, but Ning Yu couldn't even see her.

"As the Crown Princess, you are not strict with your subordinates. You should go to the Buddhist hall to properly temper your temper."

"Without any evidence, my aunt took it upon herself to torture and kill my people. When the matter reached my grandmother, she didn't get away with it."

The Third Madam was furious. "Outrageous! Utterly outrageous! How dare a junior criticize me for the sake of a mere servant! Guards, take the Crown Princess away!"

Ning Yu knew she had acted impulsively, but Qing He was her bottom line, and she couldn't just stand by and watch her suffer.

"Is my aunt going to take me down there for torture as well?"

"you---"

"Third Madam, please calm down. The Crown Princess is kind-hearted and just anxious; she meant no harm," Qin Mama quickly stepped forward to persuade her.

The Third Madam was so angry she couldn't speak. She turned and left, saying, "I'm going to imprison that maid today. If the Princess Consort has the guts, then let her force her way in."