With legs weak, the sickly stable boy became a mad regent.

When Shen Nannan returned to her room,

The soles of my feet were sore from being pressed against something.

Qiu Yun came forward, carrying a large stack of account books. Just as she was about to speak, her gaze swept downwards.

"Miss, where are your shoes?"

Shen Nannan looked down at her foot, which was now only wearing one stocking.

Her stockings were worn out long ago, her toes sticking out, covered in mud and grass clippings, making her look utterly wretched.

"I ran in such a hurry that I don't know where I lost it."

She gave a perfunctory reply, plopped down on the soft couch, and tucked her dirty foot under her skirt, not wanting to look at it a second time.

Qiu Yun slammed the account book on the table. "Miss, you're really not taking good care of yourself. What if you prick your foot? I'll have someone go find one right away—"

"Alright, alright, let's get down to business." Shen Nannan interrupted her, her gaze falling on the stack of account books on the table. "You brought them all back? So little?"

Qiu Yun said with difficulty,

"The accounting department absolutely refuses to give it to us. They say the Second Madam instructed that the household accounts cannot be accessed casually unless there is a handwritten note from the Master. I pleaded and begged, but Old Tong, the accountant, just wouldn't open the storeroom door. These—"

She pointed to the stack of account books, "I asked the accountant, Xiao Fuzi, to take them secretly. He said these were last year's old accounts, and the Second Madam told him to move them to the side room. Before they could be put into storage, he just... took them out."

Shen Nannan gave a cold laugh.

In her past life, she didn't understand anything, only that her second aunt treated her politely and kindly, and always granted her requests.

And this Lao Tong is a relative from her maternal family!

Looking back now, it's clear that the Shen family's money was gradually emptied out.

"This further confirms that there's something fishy going on in the accounts."

She opened an account book. "What's ingested, you think you can get it back so easily?"

Qiu Yun said worriedly, "What do we do now? These account books are from last year; this year's are still locked in the storeroom. What if Old Tong alerts the Second Madam..."

"Put it down for now, I have a plan."

Although Shen Nannan said that, she wasn't really sure herself.

In her previous life, during her three years at the Regent's Palace, Xiao Yunzhao did teach her how to read accounts—no, it wasn't really teaching. She was serving him while he reviewed memorials, and he casually remarked a few things, which she remembered.

But now—

Looking at the accounts before her, she realized for the first time that the things she had been forced to learn in her previous life had actually come in handy.

The more he flipped through the pages, the more his brow furrowed.

The accounts were even more chaotic than she had imagined.

The money embezzled by the second wife was ostensibly recorded as "legitimate expenses." However, upon closer inspection, every single transaction was inconsistent.

Last year alone, there was a total discrepancy of 300,000 taels.

Three hundred thousand taels.

Shen Nannan's hands were trembling as she held the account book.

How long can 300,000 taels of silver feed the soldiers on the border?

How many suits of armor could be exchanged for the soldiers under my father's command?

She gritted her teeth and continued flipping through the pages, but stopped abruptly when she reached the last page.

This debt...

She stared at the line of text for a long time, and something suddenly exploded in her mind.

"300,000 taels of silver were transferred to the Beijing-based trading company 'Futailong'."

Futailong Trading Company?

That name looks so familiar!

She remembered something from her past life.

At that time, she was already imprisoned in the Regent's Palace. Once, Xiao Yunzhao came back with a hairpin in his hand. He inserted it into her hair and said in a rare gentle tone, "It looks better on Nannan."

She recognized the hairpin. It was hers, but her cousin from the second wife's side "borrowed" it and never returned it.

She asked, "How did this end up in the prince's hands?"

Xiao Yunzhao didn't answer, but just glanced at her, a look she still remembers to this day—like he was looking at a complete idiot.

She later learned that he was purging the remnants of the Crown Prince's faction at that time.

Prince.

Second wife.

Three hundred thousand taels.

Shen Nannan slammed the account book shut, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

The second wife had long ago betrayed her father and sided with the Crown Prince.

With military power in their hands, the Shen family had been loyal ministers for generations.

But that silver became a pledge of allegiance to the Crown Prince!

Meanwhile, the father, the loyal general who fought desperately on the frontier, was unaware that his most trusted younger brother had already stabbed him in the back.

She leaned against the soft couch, looking at the pile of account books, and her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

hatred!

I hate myself for being so stupid in my past life, knowing nothing.

He hated those people who did things behind the scenes, causing his father and brother to lose their lives in vain.

I'm also afraid.

In the imperial court, people's hearts are treacherous.

She simply has an extra memory.

But she was ultimately just a woman confined to her household, with limited influence at her disposal.

She needs help.

A ruthless and strong enough helper to help her withstand all of this.

She suddenly remembered A-Chao.

The scene from earlier today flashed before my eyes again—he was kneeling on the ground, his eyes downcast, his whole body taut like a fully drawn bow.

If she hadn't arrived in time, the stick would have fallen and his fingers would have...

She opened her eyes and looked at the flickering candlelight.

In her past life, she could never understand why Xiao Yunzhao had gone mad like that.

He kills without blinking an eye, his methods are ruthless, and he is hostile to everyone.

Even if she showed the slightest resistance in bed, he could keep her up for three days straight.

But today she suddenly understood something.

She didn't know what he had been through in the past.

But if a person is constantly trampled on, humiliated, and hurt by everyone—

He was forced to kneel on the ground.

He was pointed at and called a "lowly slave" to his face.

Fingers crushed, treated like trash to be discarded at will.

What will he look like?

Wolf cubs aren't impossible to train.

She stared at the candlelight and suddenly smiled.

This is the price—her body, her heart, and perhaps even another irreversible catastrophe…

A soft knocking sounded at the door.

Shen Nannan's heart skipped a beat: "Who?"

"Miss, this is your servant, A-Chao."

A deep voice came from outside the door, "Sister Qiuyu sent me to deliver bird's nest."

Shen Nannan was stunned.

She glanced out the window; it was already completely dark, past midnight at the earliest.

At this time, is it appropriate to send bird's nest?

She looked down at herself—her outer garment was loosely draped over her shoulders, the collar slightly open as if she were feeling hot. Her hair was uncombed and fell loosely over her shoulders.

She instinctively tried to tidy up, but stopped halfway through raising her hand.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Ah Chao walked in carrying a tray.

My gaze first fell on her face, and then—

He paused for a moment.

Just a moment.

Then he lowered his eyes, walked in respectfully, and placed the tray on the table.

In the candlelight, Shen Nannan saw that he was wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt for night duty, with the cuffs rolled up, revealing a section of his thin forearm.

Her fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles, and she carried the tray with a steady and graceful movement.

But those fingers...

Her gaze fell on his right index finger, and her heart skipped a beat again.

Thankfully, it's still there.

His gaze swept across the table full of account books, but only for a moment before he looked away.

I didn't ask anything.

He walked up to her and placed the tray on the small table. "Miss, the bird's nest is still warm."

"Just leave it here, you can go now." Shen Nannan rubbed her throbbing temples.

He didn't move.