Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

In less than half a day.

The story of how the Duke of Dingguo found his adopted daughter while fishing and how his ancestors sent a lucky star to him in a dream spread far and wide.

In teahouses, taverns, and on the streets, the direction of discussion has quietly begun to shift.

"Hey, have you heard? So this is what happened with Dingguo's officially recognized adopted daughter!"

"Who is the Duke of Dingguo? How could he just casually adopt some unknown person as his daughter? It must be a divine intervention from his ancestors in a dream!"

"Yes, yes, I heard about it too!"

Immediately, someone chimed in, eager to show off their extensive information: "They said there was a golden light in the dream, and the ancestors said a lucky star was about to arrive, even pointing out the exact location. Duke Fu went fishing, half-believing, half-doubting, and lo and behold! He actually found Miss Jiang unconscious by the river! Tell me, isn't this fate?"

"That's right! Miss Jiang is from Yangzhou, and she's been as beautiful as a fairy since she was a child. She's famous throughout Yangzhou!"

"So she's a beauty from Yangzhou! No wonder she's so pretty!"

Someone suddenly realized, "I knew it! How could someone like Lord Xie marry someone of questionable lineage?"

"Ancestors sent a dream, and I caught a daughter while fishing... Tsk tsk, this sounds much more reliable than those rumors about demons!" An auntie who sells vegetables at a stall joined the discussion; she believed most in these predestined fates.

"The Duke of Fu must have accumulated a great deal of good karma for his ancestors to have sent him such a wonderful daughter! I think that Miss Jiang might truly be a blessed person!"

Of course, some people disagree.

"Pah! What ancestral dream? I bet it's all made up!"

"What do you mean by the floods in Jiangnan? The floods started as soon as she appeared; what else could it be but evil spirits she attracted? What a coincidence!"

"Exactly! What lucky star? I think he's more like a jinx!"

"Have you forgotten the nursery rhyme we heard a few days ago? 'A fox-faced creature foretells a flood!' It's crystal clear!"

"Hey, how can you talk like that?" the vegetable vendor immediately retorted, hands on her hips. "Jiangnan has been peaceful for so many years. This year's floods are indeed a bit severe, but what does that have to do with a young woman?"

"that is!"

"Nursery rhymes? Hmph, aren't those just made up by people? They can make up whatever they want! They're probably just made up by jealous people who are jealous of other girls getting rich and marrying good men, just to disgust others!"

A tea server nearby, while refilling water for someone, nodded in agreement: "This old man is right. What kind of family are the Duke of Fu's and Lord Xie? For a girl to be chosen by them and even receive a marriage decree from His Majesty, wouldn't their background be thoroughly investigated? Calling her a 'monster'... I think some people are just twisted in their own minds, and see everything as distorted!"

"Yeah, yeah!"

The onlookers nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with suspicion and disdain as they looked at the few vendors who were still stubbornly arguing.

The vendor who had initially been shouting turned red in the face and tried to argue, "You...you've all been deceived! She..."

His words were quietly tugged at by a companion next to him.

The man's eyes flickered, and he said in a low voice, "Forget it, forget it... Didn't you see the wind has shifted? If we keep talking, we might get into trouble..."

Most people would rather believe a story of good fortune endorsed by the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, imbued with ancestral blessings and legendary charm, than a malicious and baseless curse.

If one is to selectively believe, they generally prefer to hear auspicious, peaceful, and beautiful things.

Words like "demons" or "monsters" are enough to make people feel uneasy.

Fu Wenzhao soon heard the whole story and rushed over to find Jiang Sese.

Fu Wenzhao originally intended to comfort Jiang Sese and tell her not to be afraid.

Unexpectedly, the girl in front of him had clear and firm eyes, showing no sign of panic.

Fu Wenzhao's gaze paused slightly.

I felt a bittersweet mix of sadness and admiration.

She didn't seem to need his reassurance.

Fu Wenzhao forced himself to look away from his overly focused gaze, trying to make his tone sound calm and natural, with the concern of an older brother, "Sese... are you alright? Don't take those filthy words to heart."

Jiang Sese smiled brightly and said, "Brother, don't worry, I'm fine. The innocent will remain innocent, and the guilty will remain guilty. Father intervened in time, and those rumors can no longer cause any trouble."

"However, although the rumors have been temporarily suppressed, the person behind them has not yet been identified."

Fu Wenzhao's spirits lifted, and he immediately suppressed all inappropriate thoughts, saying seriously, "You're right!"

Jiang Sese didn't stand on ceremony with Fu Wenzhao; they were all in the same boat.

"Brother, I need you to find some people to secretly keep an eye on those who first started spreading the nursery rhymes. Find out their backgrounds: where are they from? What do they do for a living? Who are their family members? Have they been in contact with any suspicious people recently? Especially those who have suddenly become rich!"

"Secondly, those nursery rhymes are catchy and have extremely sinister intentions; they could not have been made up by a rough, uncouth person. You can look for clues by looking at scholars, Taoist priests, monks, or storytellers."

Fu Wenzhao quietly looked at Jiang Sese. She and Xie Jue did indeed have similarities.

One was a man, the other a woman; one a powerful minister in the cabinet, the other a young woman confined to her boudoir.

Yet they remained calm and composed in all situations.

Fu Wenzhao suddenly understood why he had done it...

"I understand." Fu Wenzhao agreed without hesitation. "Don't worry, Se Se, I'll arrange for people to come and find that scoundrel hiding in the gutter!"

Jiang Sese felt a warmth in her heart and sincerely thanked him, "Thank you, brother!"