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

The physician arrived quickly, and after inserting silver needles, confirmed that there was no poison in her body. Jinse was dumbfounded.

"How could that be? You forced me to admit that I was instructed by Miss Fifth to slip the bracelet in—"

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Ling rushed forward and slapped her across the face. "What nonsense are you spouting?"

The old lady had had enough of this farce. Seeing that everyone in the household was watching the show with schadenfreude, she said directly, "This girl named Jinse caused trouble behind her master's back and had a slave trader come to sell her off."

Ignoring Xie Ling's sullen face, the old lady said angrily, "You're causing trouble all day long. Go back to your room and reflect on your actions. You can't leave the house for half a month."

"grandmother---"

"Go back."

Ning Yu knew that the old lady was deliberately favoring her granddaughter. After all, the life of a servant was insignificant compared to the master of the Xie family.

She stepped forward and said, "Grandmother, Qinghe—"

"Hmph, even if she didn't steal it, she deserves to be beaten for disrespecting her master." The Third Madam interrupted her directly.

As they were talking, a gust of wind blew in from outside the window, and the once clear sky instantly darkened, with dark clouds obscuring the sun on the horizon.

Ning Yu knew that Qing He wouldn't dare to contradict them; the Third Madam was just looking for an excuse to see her suffer.

The dungeon is so dark, and the Third Madam doesn't get along with her. She'll definitely make things difficult for her when she gets back.

"We've already punished her and given her a beating, so can Auntie please let her go back?"

She kept a low profile, even though she had been bullied and framed, she dared not retaliate, simply because she had no one to back her up. Everyone knew this.

The Third Madam knew this too, and felt even more smug. "The Crown Princess is kind and wouldn't bear to beat the maid, so I'll teach that maid a good lesson for you."

She couldn't find a reason to mess with her, so why couldn't she mess with a mere servant?

It was drizzling when Xie Xun arrived. As soon as he passed the eaves, he saw a person kneeling in the courtyard with their head bowed so he couldn't see their face.

"Second brother, isn't that your sister-in-law? Why is she kneeling in the yard?"

Xie Xun didn't reply and slowly walked down the steps.

She heard light footsteps behind her. Ning Yu's lowered eyes darted around, and as the person passed by, she reached out and grabbed the hem of his clothes.

Xie Xun lowered his eyes, and Ning Yu wondered if he was seeing things, but he felt as if Xie Xun had given a nasty laugh.

"Men and women are different, why is my sister-in-law grabbing me?"

Still holding a grudge against her for rejecting him back then, Ning Yu noticed that everyone in the corridor was looking in their direction, so she quietly shifted her body to block their view.

"I beg the governor for help."

"Help you?" He held up the umbrella, looking down at her. "Do you think this is a place I can come and go as I please?"

Ning Yu clenched her fists and remained silent.

She has no backing in the Xie family; without Xie Xun's intervention, anyone could devour her.

Seeing her resolute silence, Xie Xun raised an eyebrow and said, "Today, Lord Shangning made a serious mistake while overseeing affairs in the Northwest and is still in the palace."

Ning Yu was startled, and then suddenly raised her small face to look at him.

Xie Xun seemed to chuckle, bending slightly to hold the umbrella over her head. His voice was unusually gentle. "Ning Yu, you dare to play me? I'll let you see how the Ning family members die one by one."

Her grip on his clothes suddenly loosened, and her face turned deathly pale.

It turns out he didn't touch her; he was waiting for her to beg him.

mean.

Xie Xun looked at her face and straightened up. Ning Yu inexplicably felt that he was in a good mood at this moment. Well, seeing how hard she was living in the Xie family, how she was in such a sorry state without him having to lift a finger, he must be feeling incredibly happy.

"Mother's words are correct, but I think the Crown Princess's stubborn temper needs to be tempered."

As soon as Xie Xun entered the room, he heard the Third Madam's eloquent voice. The Old Madam sat in a high seat, her face not looking too good.

Upon seeing them enter, his expression immediately changed, and he smiled, saying, "Come in quickly."

"Mother, why is my sister-in-law kneeling in the yard?"

Hearing her son's words, the third wife snorted coldly, "She has a terrible temper; she acts like a servant is going to kill her."

Xie Xun sat down in the chair opposite him. The large group of people in the room looked at him with smiles and started talking about his marriage.

With Xie Yan dead, it's no surprise that Xie Xun will be the next head of the Xie family and will gain control of the elders' council and military. He carries the weight of the entire Xie family on his shoulders, so his marriage will naturally be highly sought after.

But he didn't seem interested; instead, he asked about the servants the Third Madam had mentioned.

"It was that maid who came with her as part of her dowry who stole my bracelet and even talked back to her mistress."

"Didn't we already investigate? It's all that Fifth Miss's fault for being so unruly; that's why she made such a fool of herself."

The third wife refused to admit it and stopped talking while drinking her tea. The other wife, who had seen through the trick, happily brought up Ning Yu's rebuttal.

"This princess consort really has a silver tongue; she's very eloquent."

"Alright, go check if she's still kneeling. Take her back, and release her maid as well." The old lady didn't want to bring up the matter anymore. She looked at the third madam and said, "Ayan is dead. She was still Ayan's wife and your junior. She should have some sense of propriety."

Upon hearing this, the laughing and joking crowd in the room immediately fell silent, and the Third Madam looked even more embarrassed.

But Xie Xun spoke up. He put down his teacup and said in a gentle voice, "Third Aunt is right. A servant can die, but to talk back to an elder, sister-in-law should be taught a lesson."

Upon hearing Xie Xun's words, the Third Madam straightened up instantly and continued speaking with a smile.

After the person entered the house, Ning Yu stopped kneeling and went directly to the Mo Courtyard, asking Qin Mama to go back to the Ning family to inquire.

Although she knew in her heart that Xie Xun wouldn't lie to her about something like this, her heart sank instantly when she heard it confirmed with her own ears.

The raindrops soaked her clothes, and the cold wind whistled through them. Ning Yu closed her eyes and leaned weakly against the pillar.

"Prince Princess?!"

Qin's mother's concerned voice came from behind her. Ning Yu looked at her and thought of Qing He, who was still locked up in the dungeon. Without time to think, she wiped the rain off her face.

"You should go back now."

There was a corner in the long corridor next to Rong'an Hall Garden, and Xie Xun happened to pass by it when he came out of the old lady's room.

As soon as he reached the corner, he saw a familiar figure standing obediently in the shadows, watching him.

Xie Xun glanced at her, scrutinizing her carefully from head to toe. She was wearing a light blue dress, which was slightly clung to her body after being rained on. Her beautiful face was unadorned, and she was staring at him expectantly.

His gaze felt like he wanted to strip her naked and drill into her bones. Ning Yu felt a chill run down her spine from his stare, but she didn't dare show any expression on her face. Instead, she walked slowly toward him, trying to appear weak.

"Commander."