If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Xi Rui wasn't worried about what those people in Jiankang would do; at worst, they could rebel.

Xi Jian did not think that having an army to rely on was a good idea. Even Wang Zhang of the Langya Wang clan did not gain any advantage back then, let alone them.

Even if the emperor is a puppet, he still symbolizes the legitimacy of the court and the country. It is acceptable to purge the emperor's corrupt advisors or to share the emperor's burdens. However, rebellion will leave a lasting stain on one's reputation and make one a target of universal condemnation.

Yu Liang had precisely grasped this fatal flaw of the aristocratic families: they didn't want the imperial title, they only wanted power; since they wanted power below the emperor, they couldn't be associated with treason or rebellion.

"Father, Yu Liang has joined forces with various factions in the court to suppress you. I think this guy is not only after Jiangzhou, but he also clearly covets the military power of my Xi family."

"Yu Liang only rose to power and enjoyed a few years of glory by relying on his maternal relatives. This man is ambitious and no less so than Wang Zhang back then. The power in the central government is just icing on the cake; what he really wants is the military power in the garrisons."

Xi Rui thought this man had a huge appetite. "He dares? What ability could he possibly have? He can't rebel, but if he pushes me too far, I'll cleanse the court of corrupt officials and slaughter the entire Yu family!"

"If you do that, you'll be playing right into their hands; Yu Liang's attack with the Yu family and Xi Hui and Xi Yao is clearly an attempt to gain the upper hand on moral grounds, leaving us with no excuse to retaliate; he's made a huge fuss about this, so if you attack Jiankang at this time, who will believe you're here to purge the court of corrupt officials?"

"This won't work, that won't work, so what do you suggest, Father?"

Xi Jian naturally had a plan, but he didn't want to make a move so soon.

He wanted Yu Liang to be more impatient and put in more effort to come up with a few more moves.

Yu Liang wanted to eliminate the Xi family, but he also longed to eliminate the Yu family.

There are too many monks and not enough porridge; the central government's power resources are limited, and everyone wants more.

Xi Rui knew that his father was the type who would never use his ultimate move until the very last moment, so he didn't ask any more questions.

The next day, the messenger brought another message: Princess Nankang and the eldest daughter of the Xie family had gone to Jiangzhou!

Xi Rui cursed, "What kind of dirty trick is this now? What are you trying to do? A honey trap?"

Xi Jian also felt something was wrong, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Princess Nankang's fleet docked, and Xie Wanyi was doing her makeup in front of the mirror in her cabin.

The face reflected in the mirror was like a lotus flower, beautiful and charming, with willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and slightly upturned red lips.

She touched up her lip rouge in front of the mirror, then thought it was too red, so she gently wiped off a layer with a handkerchief before she was satisfied.

"Cousin," she murmured, a soft smile spreading across her eyes.

In order to come to Jiangzhou, she knelt in front of her father's study for two hours, until her knees were bruised.

Her father scolded her for being shameless, but her mother was of one mind with her. This rich husband would never come again for many years to come, so they absolutely could not give up on him.

Finally, it was Wang's aunt who spoke up: "Let her go, and take care of Qingyu for me."

She had no way out; she was determined to block all her escape routes.

The gamble was that Wang Jue felt a pang of pity for her.

She knew that Princess Nankang had come to Jiangzhou for two reasons: first, she was still determined to win over Wang Jue; second, Xi Jian was now being condemned by everyone, and Princess Nankang would not let go of Xi Lingxian, this thorn in her side. How could she not vent her anger by personally humiliating her?

In a way, she and the princess were kindred spirits; they shared a common enemy.

The main hall of the governor's mansion.

Princess Nankang sat in the main seat, Wang Jue sat in the guest seat, and Xie Wanyi sat next to Wang Jue.

Princess Nankang picked up her teacup and casually asked, "Where is Xi Lingxian?"

Wang Jue's expression turned slightly cold. "Is the princess here deliberately to cause trouble?"

Princess Nankang scoffed, "Brother Qingyu, do you know what Xi Jian is like in Jiankang right now, ruined by ginseng? He poisoned his wife, abused his own children, and is utterly ruthless and unjust, causing an uproar throughout the court."

"What kind of good girl do you think a daughter raised by someone like that could be?"

Wang Jue's eyes flashed sharply. "Your Highness, please watch your words. This is not the princess's back garden."

Princess Nankang stared at him, and during the tense standoff, the back door of the main hall was pushed open from the outside.

Xi Lingxian stood at the door, dressed in plain clothes, her black hair adorned only with a jade hairpin, her face clean and tidy.

Her gaze fell directly on Princess Nankang, and she slightly curtsied, performing a respectful but not servile gesture.

"Your Highness has come all this way just to speak with me? I find that quite an honor."

Princess Nankang sized her up, her gaze critical and sharp: "Your father is being condemned by everyone, and you're still sitting still?"

"Princess," Xi Lingxian raised her head, a hint of disdain flashing across her pretty face, "whether my father poisoned my stepmother or abused my stepbrother and stepsisters is a matter for the Three Judicial Offices to investigate. If the Princess has conclusive evidence, she may submit it to the Ministry of Justice and have them added it to the case file. If not—"

"So today's incident wasn't about seeking justice for the court, it was about venting my own anger."

Princess Nankang's expression changed. "How long are you going to keep being stubborn?"

"What benefits did Yu Liang give you? Why did you travel all this way to be his pawn?" Xi Lingxian showed no mercy. After all, she had experienced life and death before, so there was nothing left to fear.

Princess Nankang was immediately enraged: "How dare you disrespect my uncle? What word did my uncle say that wronged your father?"

"My aunt married into your family with unwavering devotion, managing your father's business and bearing his children. She deserves credit for her hard work, even if she hasn't achieved anything significant. Yet your father is so ruthless, not even sparing his own wife! How can such a vicious person be worthy of a high position and serving as a role model for the people!"

Xi Lingxian sneered: "It was a well-thought-out plan for the Yu family to marry into our family. She did it willingly, so don't act like she suffered some great injustice."

"My father was deeply in love with my mother. If the Yu family hadn't acted first and informed me later, my father would never have had any intention of remarrying. It was the Yu family who forced him into marriage first, and then tricked him into consummating the marriage and having a child with filthy drugs. Oh, by the way, the Yu family is no kind person. They bribed my wet nurse to drug me, and then tried to ruin my younger brother by using appeasement tactics. I have evidence of everything they did. Do you want it?"

Princess Nankang was already pale with fright. "You, you're talking nonsense! You're spouting lies! Do you think you can just take whatever you say as fact?"

"So I asked, do you want evidence? If so, I can give it to you anytime."

Princess Nankang gritted her teeth: "Even so, the grievances should be settled by the perpetrators, and Xi Hui and Xi Yao are innocent. Even tigers don't eat their cubs, how could your father do that?"

Xi Lingxian suddenly laughed, her whole body radiating a chilling aura, her eyes cold and indifferent.

Xie Wanyi raised her head, and for a moment, she saw her cousin's shadow in Xi Lingxian.

"My father doesn't even acknowledge Yu as his wife, so how could he possibly consider her child as his own?"

"She made my father's promise to my mother a complete lie. My father wanted nothing more than to skin her alive, and she actually thought he would develop feelings for her over time? What a joke!"

Wang Jue stood to the side, her fingers hanging by her side curling slightly.

Princess Nankang choked for a moment, and the expression on her face changed several times.

After a moment, she laughed instead: "No matter what you say, Xi Jian is in deep trouble now, and the good days of your Xi family are over."

She turned and left.

Wang Jue suddenly stopped them, saying, "My temple here is too small; Princess, you should stay at the post station."

Princess Nankang stared wide-eyed at Wang Jue in disbelief, "Brother Qingyu..."

"Your Majesty, I am terrified. Please address me by my name. I do not recall having any sibling relationship with you."

Xie Wanyi's face changed instantly, and she looked at Wang Jue timidly, "My, cousin..."

Wang Jue's voice was cold. "It's not a good place for a young lady like you to stay for long. I will send someone to take you back to Jiankang in three days."

"No, I'm not leaving!"

"Cousin, I want to go with you. I'm not going anywhere else."

Xie Wanyi almost collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

Xi Lingxian watched coldly. What used to be an eyesore to her now made her genuinely admire Xie Wanyi.

If you really have to compare, she felt that Xie Wanyi's love for Wang Jue was something she couldn't match.

This kind of dedication and devotion is truly rare.