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

The girl's face was smooth and fair. Under the moonlight, her slender features had a soft, jade-like glow. Even her simple white dress could not conceal her stunning beauty.

He took the slap hard, and his body went limp and he fell to the ground. From their angle, they could see Hua Yang's angry face.

"This Princess Huayang is getting more and more arrogant." The man who spoke was a young master from the Wei family.

He glanced at Xie Jia Liu Lang beside him and clicked his tongue, "Is this the kind of woman your second brother wants to marry?"

Xie Liulang ignored him, just watching the commotion with a faint smile. After a while, he didn't see his so-called sister-in-law retaliate. He didn't know what the two of them said, but then Princess Huayang walked away like a proud peacock spreading its tail feathers.

How amusing! Two sisters-in-law who hate each other so much—there's bound to be some drama in the house from now on.

Ning Yu could sense the gazes from not far away. She hadn't dared to retaliate earlier because of them, and she didn't know how many there were. She was afraid Xie Xun was also there.

Xie Xun is a vengeful man. He wants to marry Princess Huayang. If she dares to hit his wife, she doesn't know how he will torment her. She doesn't dare to make a move.

Sensing that the people there were still there, she rolled her eyes, covered her face, and walked away through a side path.

With them watching her, she couldn't bring herself to make a move against that damned princess.

After walking for a short while, Ning Yu saw the princess walking arrogantly along the riverbank, seemingly heading back to the banquet.

She didn't disguise herself, glanced around and saw that there weren't many people, then quickly darted over.

Hua Yang didn't even feel anyone approaching before someone grabbed her by the neck, pulled her forward a few steps, and dumped her into the river.

Before she could even utter a sound of struggle, her body began to thrash about in the river. She couldn't swim, and soon the surging water would engulf her.

Ning Yu stood by the river, calmly watching her struggle.

That bitch, it was actually this bitch.

Princess Huayang choked on water, struggling to hold on, she was about to sink and drown. Help! Help!

"Logically speaking, since you slapped me, I shouldn't have killed you because of that slap."

Just as she was rolling her eyes and about to sink into despair, Ning Yu took pity on her and spoke up.

She picked up a tree branch from the riverbank and handed it to her. Instinctively, Huayang gripped the branch tightly, coughing and panting heavily.

Ning Yu wouldn't let her go ashore, saying, "If the princess returns the slap to me, I'll save you."

"You're dreaming!" she yelled, about to call for help, when Ning Yu pushed her down again.

Hua Yang was immediately terrified and gripped the tree branch tightly. He looked up, about to yell, when he saw the woman's face. She stood motionless, her eyes sending chills down his spine.

She couldn't bring herself to utter the words; she felt as if she really dared to kill her.

"That's where the princess is wrong. I kindly saved you, but you wanted to call for my life. Does that mean we have to fight to the death to end this?"

"I was wrong."

The voice sounded very unwilling, and Ning Yu shook the branch in her hand.

Hua Yang's eyes were filled with resentment. She was dressed in thin clothes in the summer heat, and her clothes were completely soaked. If anyone saw her like this, her life would be over. She couldn't call anyone, and she absolutely couldn't let anyone see her.

With two quick slaps, her fair face instantly swelled up red. Ning Yu looked at her eyes, red with shame and indignation, chuckled, and handed her the branch.

"Your Highness looks cold. Should I call someone to help you?"

Her wet palace dress clung to her body, and Princess Huayang coughed incessantly, looking like a drowned rat, shivering uncontrollably.

She angrily raised her eyes, looked at her smug face, gritted her teeth, and didn't utter a sound.

That wretched woman, just you wait. She'll find a way to get back at her for this humiliation, kill her, and make her the laughingstock of the entire Great Xia.

Ning Yu saw that her eyes were red with anger, raised an eyebrow, ignored what she was thinking, turned around and left.

The grand royal hunting banquet ended in the second watch of the night. Xie Xun came out of the emperor's tent, followed by a group of senior ministers from the council of elders.

In two days, he would formally discuss the post-war affairs of Nanguan with Shangliang. His dark eyes glanced at the tightly closed golden curtains, and a barely perceptible sneer flashed in his eyes.

Back in his tent, he didn't see the woman who should have been waiting for him there, so he turned around to look.

Qingfeng immediately understood his meaning and said respectfully, "The young lady said she caught a cold at the banquet and won't be coming tonight."

She argues with him during the day and then does this to him at night. Does she really think he's just trying to scare her every time?

The atmosphere inside the tent instantly became suffocating, and Qingfeng quietly bowed and withdrew.

Ning Yu wasn't being coy by not going; it was because she still had some marks on her face and was afraid he would notice. If he investigated and found out she had kicked Hua Yang into the water and slapped him a few times, he would get angry at her, and she really wouldn't be able to handle it.

As Ning Yu pondered this, she applied the medicine to her face in front of the mirror. If the Xie family really chose Princess Huayang and she married into the family, her future days would probably be difficult.

Well, let's just take it one step at a time. She's always been someone who drifts along and goes with the flow.

Xie Xun didn't look for her for the next few days, and Ning Yu also avoided him. The people from Shangliang were still at the post station, and Xie Xun had been busy dealing with the war in Nanguan. The two of them hadn't seen each other even once while they were both at the mansion.

This morning, the Grand Princess brought up Xie Xun's marriage again. It seems that the matter needs to be settled before Consort Rong returns to her fiefdom with her son. It's unclear whether the marriage will be moved up.

Ning Yu was practically counting down the days; these three months had been truly unbearable.

"Miss, Miss, something terrible has happened!"

Ning Yu was embroidering a sachet in the room when she heard the hurried voice. She looked up with a smile and asked, "What's wrong? You're sweating profusely."

Qinghe lifted the beaded curtain and hurried in, "The Third Young Master has been taken to the Dali Temple for investigation because of bribery."

Ning Yu was taken aback, and a sense of unease welled up in her heart.

"Mother Yang said it was because a salt merchant was arrested. The book had written that the Third Young Master had accepted bribes from him and was taken in for investigation. The family sent someone to ask if they could pull some strings."

She's just a nominal princess consort; what connections could she possibly have?

Ning Yu thought of her cheap brother, and her hand, which was embroidering a sachet, unconsciously pricked. Although her third brother was unreliable, he wouldn't dare to make a fuss about salt merchants, would he? Why did she feel that something was strange about this matter?

She couldn't help but recall the day she missed their appointment because of her swollen face. Could Xie Xun be angry again over such a small matter?

What a capricious and unpredictable jerk.

They either threatened her family or tormented her in various ways. Ning Yu now deeply regrets provoking such a scoundrel.