Even the crown prince is getting a marriage of convenience? Why are you in such a hurry to stop bein

"Oh, so it's Aunt Jinzhu."

"The Buddhist hall in the Duke's mansion has not yet been renovated, but Aunt Jinzhu, please come with me to take a look and choose a good location."

Jinzhu's official purpose was to supervise Lin Wan'er, so naturally she obeyed without question.

The two strolled together inside the Duke's mansion.

A red bridge spans a flowing stream, willow-lined embankments are fragrant with blossoms, and clumps of emerald bamboo sway in the wind, rustling softly.

After walking for a while, Xiao Lie had figured out most of Jin Zhu's background.

This palace maid named Jinzhu entered the palace at a young age and spent more than ten years in the palace. Now she is over thirty years old. Before leaving the palace, she was a palace maid who served the emperor with writing brushes and ink.

Serving the emperor with pen and ink was a very important position. This person would inevitably come into contact with all kinds of memorials, including confidential documents, and could only be competent for the job if he was a close confidant of the emperor.

A knowing glint flashed in Xiao Lie's eyes. Sending such a person to the Duke's mansion showed that the Emperor's thoughts were indeed not solely focused on Lin Wan'er.

When they arrived at the secluded and quiet West Garden, Xiao Lie suddenly spoke with a smile.

"This place is serene and surrounded by lush forests and bamboo groves, which is perfect for cultivating one's character and understanding one's true nature. Why not set up the Buddhist hall here? I think she will be able to gain some enlightenment by serving the Bodhisattva in the bamboo grove."

Jinzhu's eyes flickered slightly, and she respectfully responded without revealing the slightest abnormality.

After leaving, Xiao Lie had someone summon the steward and instructed him to quickly tidy up the West Garden and make it available for Lin Wan'er, Jinzhu, and the others to live in.

"Aunt Jinzhu is a person sent by His Majesty, so she should not be treated lightly. Her necessities need not be luxurious, but they should not be lacking either. In the future, when the servants in the manor see her, they should be careful and not say anything they should not say."

"Unless there is something urgent, others should not go to the West Garden on ordinary days, so as not to disturb the peace of the Bodhisattva."

"Did you hear me clearly?"

The butler was taken aback, his eyelids twitched, and he bowed and nodded repeatedly.

"I understand. I will definitely give those people a good talking-to and make sure they don't go up to Aunt Jinzhu and gossip, ruining the reputation of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion."

The steward, still feeling it wasn't enough, showed a hint of hesitation. "But shouldn't we send more honest and trustworthy servants to guard Qingfeng Garden?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lie knew that he truly understood what he meant.

He patted the butler on the shoulder with satisfaction, "No need. Such a grand display would only arouse suspicion."

"However, with such a big change happening in the manor, it's inevitable that people will have some doubts. Send some clever and reliable maids to serve Aunt Jinzhu and see if any rats start to appear."

The word "rat" was pronounced lightly, but the young man's tone was drawn out, making it sound unexpectedly profound.

The butler was startled and quickly agreed.

After instructing the housekeeper, he also went to "instruct" Lin Wan'er.

As soon as Xiao Lie entered Qingzhi Courtyard, before he even pushed open the door, he heard a series of crashing and smashing sounds coming from inside.

Xiao Lie clicked his tongue, his brows furrowing deeply, unable to hide his heartache.

He pushed open the door, glanced around coldly, and had already made up his mind.

"As expected, the things in the Duke's mansion are not as valuable as those in the Minister's mansion. They don't care about the cost of breaking them. Since that's the case, we shouldn't display these porcelain items anymore. We should replace them all with wooden furniture so you can smash them a few more times and hear your fill."

The young man's chilling mockery froze Lin Wan'er in mid-air. Holding a vase, she was torn between smashing it and not smashing it. Her delicate face turned bright red with embarrassment at the young man's few words.

She pursed her lips, put down the porcelain, and feigned nonchalance, "Heh, it's just some worthless trinket. Your family is so wealthy and powerful, why are you arguing with me about this?"

"If it's worthless, then I'll call the accountant and steward over later to settle all the old and new accounts together, and deduct all the losses from your dowry."

"you……"

Lin Wan'er gritted her teeth and silently swallowed the word "stingy".

When you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Having learned so many lessons, Lin Wan'er knew that she was like a fish on a chopping board in the Duke's mansion, unable to move.

She took a deep breath, turned her head away, and said coldly, "What are you doing here?"

Now that things have blown up, Lin Wan'er has nothing to fear. The emperor has ordered her to live a life of seclusion, so even if Xiao Lie is furious, he wouldn't dare to take her life; at most, he'll make her suffer some physical pain.

She raised an eyebrow and smiled smugly.

"If you tried to lay a hand on me, you're finished now. His Majesty has appointed palace servants to monitor the Duke's mansion inside and out. If you lay a hand on me, the Emperor will know that very day. You'll be branded as someone who caused domestic unrest and assaulted his wife. What kind of reputation will you have then?"

When she received the imperial edict, Lin Wan'er was initially indignant, then resentful, but now she could sense a slight benefit.

His Majesty bestowed the palace maid upon her, ostensibly as a warning and admonition, but in reality, it was also a way of giving her a protective talisman.

Lin Wan'er was feeling smug and arrogant when she saw the young man step forward, his eyes cool and distant, and speak softly.

"You think that palace maid is here to protect you? You think you can do whatever you want in the Duke's mansion just because you have her? That's ridiculous."

"It's been so long, I thought you'd at least have some brains left, but I didn't expect you to still be as dense as mush."

Lin Wan'er was both embarrassed and angry, but she stubbornly retorted, "What do you mean? Explain yourself!"

Xiao Lie stared at her, then sneered, "Since you are already in the Duke's mansion, why did His Majesty send someone else?"

"Of course, it's because in His Majesty's eyes, you are no longer a useful pawn. Your only remaining purpose is to give that spy a reason to stay."

"You bewitched His Majesty's beloved son, causing him to defy etiquette and law, ruining his reputation, and destroying most of his path to the throne. In the eyes of the Emperor and the virtuous Consort, such a person is called a vixen."

"Since you married into the Duke's mansion, you have repeatedly committed adultery, causing chaos in the Duke's household. In the eyes of the Emperor and his officials, this sets a bad example for women across the land and undermines the morale of the northern army. This is what is meant by a femme fatale and a harlot."

"You are an unchaste and immoral woman who flatters the emperor and bullies the people. Guess how the emperor will view you? He probably wants to kill you right now."

The word "kill" sent Lin Wan'er reeling back in terror. Her steps faltered, sweat beaded on her forehead, and with a thud, she collapsed into a chair, her face drained of color. Only her dark eyes remained, staring blankly ahead, as if she had seen a ghost, sending chills down one's spine.

Lin Wan'er felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, so cold that her teeth were chattering.

Her lips trembled for a moment before she uttered a few words.

"You're lying to me..."

Xiao Lie chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the scene with a hint of pity.

"Think what you want, but if I were to say you, you should start thinking about how to save your own life."

"If one day the Duke's mansion falls from power, Jinzhu will be useless, and so will you. I suppose you..."

Xiao Lie didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning he conveyed was enough to leave a deep impression on Lin Wan'er.