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

The meal was rather unappetizing. Before long, a servant came to report that the Duke wanted to meet with the Governor in his study to discuss matters.

Xie Xun left, and the old lady was also tired. "Everyone, you may leave."

After leaving Rong'an Hall, Ning Yu prepared to return to her own courtyard.

The Xie family ancestral home was rebuilt by craftsmen on the orders of the late Emperor Da Zhao. It was connected to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion and occupied more than a hundred miles of the inner city, with a building every five steps and a pavilion every ten steps.

Looking at the beautiful scenery around her, Ning Yu thought about her own situation and became slightly serious.

The Xie family wielded immense power in the court. The Great Xia Dynasty was conquered by the Xie family and the royal family together, and the court was controlled by the council of elders headed by the Xie family.

There is an army called the Black Cloud Cavalry that has been under the command of the Xie family since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty. They are only subject to the orders of the Xie family head throughout the centuries and have been feared by the royal family for hundreds of years.

However, the Xie family had its own private army, and their stronghold was in the Northwest. All members of the Xie clan held high positions. Their great-grandfather was a member of the imperial family and a descendant of Prince Rong.

When the old emperor first ascended the throne, he wanted to eliminate this thorn in his side and a major threat by supporting other powerful families. However, these families were in cahoots and almost shook the foundation of the Great Xia Dynasty, so he had no choice but to deal with it slowly.

Now that Xie Yan has died on the battlefield, who knows if the imperial family was involved?

I wonder how this matter will develop, and whether she, the woman chosen by the old emperor to marry into the family to bring good luck, will be implicated.

The more Ning Yu thought about it, the more her head ached. She rubbed her forehead and went down the stone steps.

She hadn't walked far when she saw the man standing by the artificial hill. She paused, instinctively glancing around to see if anyone was passing by.

"What's so nerve-wracking, sister-in-law?" Xie Xun asked gently.

Ning Yu tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and looked at him. "Did the Commander-in-Chief deliberately wait for me here?"

Why not go back to his governor's mansion and stay in his ancestral home?

Under the moonlight, the woman was dressed in white, her long, black hair cascading down her back, secured only by a white hairpin. Her lips were as beautiful as a bright red crabapple, and her face was as delicate as a jade dove. She was extremely beautiful.

Xie Xun glanced at her face, raised an eyebrow, and scrutinized her closely. "Sister-in-law seems reluctant to see me?"

Ning Yu didn't know how this person had the audacity to stand here and talk to her, acting so nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.

Looking at his warm and gentle exterior, one can only feel his hypocrisy and cunning. If one had not witnessed his ruthlessness, one would truly believe him to be a kind person.

"You flatter me, Commander. It's getting late, so I'll go back and rest now."

"I have something I'd like to ask you, sister-in-law."

"Um?"

Xie Xun slowly took two steps forward, forcing Ning Yu to retreat behind the artificial hill. The intense pressure made her heart pound.

"Does Mother know that my sister-in-law knows martial arts?"

Ning Yu paused, looked up at him, and asked, "What do you mean? Are you threatening me?"

Seeing the unfriendly look in her eyes, Xie Xun curled his lips and said, "Where would a girl raised in seclusion learn martial arts?"

Since he had brought it up, Ning Yu stopped pretending and asked bluntly, "I saved the governor's life at the temple, yet he sent people to kill me. Is that the behavior of a gentleman?"

"Sister-in-law, you flatter me."

shameless.

Ning Yu gritted her teeth, took a step back, and moved further away from him. "I will keep quiet about the temple matter. Governor, just pretend you don't know me. From now on, we will address each other as uncle and sister-in-law."

Xie Xun looked down at her face, a forced smile on his face, and retorted, "The dead have the tightest mouths."

The moment the words left her lips, Ning Yu's heart leaped into her throat. Just as she was about to say something, she saw the man suddenly change the subject.

"Sister-in-law, don't be afraid. I've only come to get my things back."

The dagger, the dagger that fell on the bed.

Ning Yu instantly recalled the small knife that could cut through iron like mud. It was the knife that saved her when she fell off the cliff, stuck in the mountain wall. It was extremely sharp when used to kill, and seemed to be made of cold iron. It was a very handy weapon.

"What's wrong, sister-in-law? Can't you remember?"

"It's kept inside. I'll retrieve it and return it to the Governor tomorrow."

Xie Xun looked at her. "Send it over tonight."

Ning Yu wanted to refuse, but seeing his face where the smile didn't reach his eyes, she swallowed her words.

Xie Xun's residence in the ancestral home was in an excellent location, occupying the entire East Garden. A lake separated the garden, making it quiet and secluded, and soldiers in armor patrolled all around.

Ning Yu's residence was far from here. After passing through the long corridor and archway, and through the small steps paved with bluestone, bamboo forest, and tall pavilion, we finally saw the garden.

The buildings in Jinmen have flying eaves and green tiles. A winding stream flows under the long corridor, and the fragrance of Asarum in the courtyard is delightful.

She crossed the ebony bridge and entered through the archway, where a maidservant waiting at the entrance immediately bowed and led the way.

Fortunately, the place was secluded and it was late at night, so there weren't many people passing by. Otherwise, if word got out that a widowed sister-in-law had come to her brother-in-law's residence, the Grand Princess would be the first to kill her.

Once inside the garden, one walks through flowers and willows, turning through several small gates until one reaches the back gate of the mansion, which connects to various wards and markets in the capital and is only accessible to people from the East Garden.

Ning Yu followed the maid through the covered walkway to the waterside study.

"Your Highness is in the waterside pavilion. Princess Consort, please come in."

The waterside pavilions are interconnected, and the green-blue buildings are hidden among the many sycamore trees in the East Garden. Ning Yu pushed open the door and entered.

The extravagant lifestyle of the nobles in the capital was prevalent, but Xie Xun's house was simply furnished with no superfluous decorations.

She looked around the room but couldn't see the man. Just as she was about to put down the dagger and leave, she saw the medicine bottle on the table.

This is the bottle of wound medicine that Xie Xun carried with him before; she saw him use it.

The medicine she had previously applied at the clinic wasn't effective and might leave a scar on her arm, but she didn't have the money to buy expensive medicine.

"Want to use it?"

A familiar voice suddenly came from behind her. Ning Yu's back trembled, and she turned around, almost bumping into the man's arms.

She quickly stepped back and looked up, only to see a man covered in sweat, looking like a ghost, walking silently.

Xie Xun had just come out of the bath, wearing only a thin outer garment with the collar loosely tied, and black silk trousers. He looked down at her from above.

"You're afraid of me."

Sensing the sarcasm in his tone, Ning Yu's expression turned sour. The first thing she saw when she looked up was the man's well-proportioned and muscular chest.

The masculine breath that wafted towards her was hot and intense, which involuntarily brought back memories of the temple.

She shifted her position slightly, feeling the small table pressing against her lower back. "The dagger is here. Commander, please continue with your business."

After saying that, she turned to leave.

But as soon as she stepped out of the house, she saw a cold-blooded assassin suddenly appear in the secluded courtyard, his emotionless eyes staring straight at her.

Ning Yu's heart sank. She turned to look into the room. "What does the Commander mean?"

How dare he kill her in front of the Xie family? She really saved a heartless wolf cub.

Xie Xun leaned lazily against the small couch. "Sister-in-law, you were able to climb up from the bottom of the cliff, why would you be afraid of a mere guard?"

That man was clearly no ordinary guard; his martial arts skills far surpassed hers.

Ning Yu was so angry she wanted to curse, but she held back and said in a calm voice, "I won't mention to anyone that the Governor appeared at the temple. Let's just pretend we never met, okay?"

"no."