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

Wang Jue had his own plans, and Xi Rui couldn't reason with him, so he simply let him be.

In terms of reputation, Lady Xi was not as good as Lady Wang, but she was not so incompetent as to be unable to protect her own daughter.

Unless Fanfan cries and begs to get married, her father and he will never agree.

Wang Jue saw through his meaning and felt immediately annoyed.

The two failed to reach an agreement.

Granny Zhou has been feeling uneasy these past few days, especially after learning that Xi Lingxian had not done anything disrespectful at Old Madam Wang's birthday banquet.

The medicine powder was clearly added, and she even watched her drink the sweet soup.

The dosage she administered, even just a single sip, was enough to disturb Xi Lingxian's peace of mind.

Where exactly did things go wrong?

Having not slept all night, I heard noises coming from the upper room as soon as it was light in the morning, so I got up and dressed.

Granny Zhou used to think that the young lady was simple-minded and naive, and that she trusted and relied on her extremely, so she was not an easy person to manipulate. Completing the mission assigned by the madam would be a piece of cake.

But since the Dragon Boat Festival, many things have changed; the girl seems to have become a different person, driving away Cai Ling and no longer treating her as before.

This unease reached its peak after Wang's birthday banquet.

After getting dressed, Granny Zhou left the room, intending to go and curry favor with the old lady before the other masters went to Shou'an Hall, and then take the opportunity to propose retiring due to old age.

She didn't want money or land anymore; saving her life was the most important thing.

"Granny Zhou."

A dark figure leaped down from the roof beam, landing lightly in front of Granny Zhou.

When Granny Zhou saw the person who came, her legs went weak and she almost fell over.

"The master requests your presence; Granny Zhou, please come with me."

Granny Zhou felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Xi Mansion Study

Xi Jian sat in a rosewood armchair, while Granny Zhou gazed at the man's cold and aloof figure, feeling an overwhelming sense of despair.

She stood quietly with her eyes lowered, waiting for her master to speak.

"You've served Fanfan since she was born, a mistress and servant for many years. Fanfan and I have never mistreated you, yet you harbor such wicked intentions!"

Granny Zhou's legs went weak, and her forehead touched the ground. "Master, I am innocent! I treat the young lady as my own daughter and wish I could give her my whole heart. How could I do anything to hurt her... Someone must have framed me."

The servant was difficult to deal with, and Xi Jian, busy with countless affairs of state, did not want to waste time with a wet nurse.

"Zhao Wu, drag her away and interrogate her until she tells the truth."

"Yes."

Granny Zhou's face was completely drained of color. Zhao Wu was the head of the household's confidant, and his interrogation methods were well-known throughout the mansion. If she were dragged out like this, she would have no chance of survival.

"Master, I am truly innocent. Please forgive me for the years I have served you, my lady. I have worked hard for you, even if I have not done anything great."

Xi Jian's face remained expressionless as he stared intently at the servant on the ground, who was crying his heart out in a disheveled state.

Having been immersed in the imperial court for many years, he asked himself if he had seen the darkest side of human nature, but he still felt that there should always be a minimum bottom line.

I never expected that such a scourge would appear in my daughter's life.

Xi Jian was suddenly filled with lingering fear.

She gave Zhao Wu a meaningful look, and Zhao Wu understood immediately. After leaving, Granny Zhou never returned.

Zhao Wu was a prudent man; he disguised Granny Zhou's fall into the water as an accident, and only a coroner with sufficient experience could have detected the abnormality.

After cleaning up the mess, they thoroughly investigated Zhou Mama's son, Tian Dong, and made sure he was unaware that Zhou Mama had betrayed her and framed the young lady before notifying him to come to the mansion to collect the body.

Upon returning to the mansion, Xi Rui learned from the gatekeeper that Granny Zhou had drowned. He didn't say much, but simply instructed the steward to give her a few more taels of silver to appease her.

That was her younger sister's wet nurse. Betrayed by the wet nurse she trusted and was close to, Xi Rui was afraid that her younger sister would be sad, so she took two boxes of pastries and went to Qiluan Pavilion.

He bumped right into Xi Song in front of the courtyard gate.

When Xi Song saw his older brother, he turned and tried to run away like a mouse seeing a cat, but Xi Rui grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him back.

The two of them bickered and made a racket, which brought a lively atmosphere to Qiluan Pavilion as soon as they arrived.

"Fanfan, Granny Zhou betrayed her master and was ungrateful. She deserved this fate. Don't be sad because of her."

Xi Lingxian wasn't exactly sad.

Her father's cooking was too straightforward; if it were her, she would definitely question him.

Ask her why she betrayed him and why she conspired with outsiders to harm him.

She still remembers the days after her mother passed away when she was a child. She cried every night until her tears were swollen. It was Granny Zhou who held her and comforted her all night long, murmuring, "Don't be afraid. Even if you lose your mother, you still have your wet nurse."

After Madam Yu entered the household, Granny Zhou was always very nervous for a while. When asked why, she said that she didn't know what kind of temper the second wife would have, and she was afraid that the young lady would suffer.

Looking back now, Lingxian can't quite tell how much of what she said back then was true and how much was false.

Human hearts are fickle and change too quickly; slow-witted people don't have time to react to when they were abandoned.

However, since he was just a servant, Xi Rui didn't want his younger sister to worry, so he took the opportunity to bring up the long speech that Wang Jue had given him after the court session.

"So, he didn't save my sister not because Xie Wanyi was more important, but because he knew my sister could swim?"

Xi Rui: "That's what he said, but who knows if it's true or false?"

"The second brother of the Wang family is very famous in Jiankang. Many spoiled young men genuinely respect him, so what he says is probably true."

Xi Rui glared at him. "Whose side are you? Are you siding with outsiders?"

"No! I just felt that my sister's flamboyant and bold behavior before might have caught the second brother of the Wang family off guard; eldest brother, think about it, the Wang family's daughter is always aloof and arrogant, and the women she meets are all gentle and polite, she has never seen my sister like this before..."

Under Xi Lingxian's cold gaze, Xi Song paused, then changed her words, "Where have I ever seen a woman as flamboyant, radiant, and unconventional as you, elder sister?"

Xi Rui: "This man is indeed shrewd and unfathomable. When it comes to fighting and conquering enemies, my father and I are second to none; but when it comes to family heritage and court intrigue, the Langya Wang clan is the best."

Xi Lingxian cleared her mind of all distractions. "I think our family is just fine as it is. We have power and influence that no one dares to offend, but we're not so outstanding that we attract envy and resentment."

"Fanfan, tell your older brother the truth, do you really not like Wang Jue anymore?"

Although he was away from home, he had heard that his younger sister had taken a liking to the eldest son of the Wang family as soon as she returned to Jiankang. At first, he just thought to himself that this girl had a sharp eye. But the next moment, news spread that his sister was chasing after a man all over the capital.

If he weren't tied up with military duties, he would have loved to go back and knock her head out immediately.

Xi Lingxian lowered her eyes, her expression neither warm nor cold: "I don't like it anymore."

"But from what he said today, I can tell that the Wang family is interested in a marriage alliance with my Xi family."

Two years ago, Wang Zhang of the Langya Wang clan rebelled, attempting to overthrow the dynasty and establish himself. Although the rebellion was quelled and the Langya Wang clan was not affected, their military power was greatly weakened.

Although they retained control of the central government, without military power, their backbone was ultimately not strong enough.

The Wang and Xie families were on good terms, but now the Wang family has abandoned the Xie family and switched to the Xi family, precisely because they have their eyes on the Jingkou soldiers in the Xi family's hands.

The Xi family rose to prominence by virtue of the military strength of the leader of the displaced people, but it was not something that could be accomplished overnight for the family to move from a military powerhouse to a cultural gentry.

A marriage alliance?

Xi Lingxian's mind was in a daze, and she felt as if she had been punched in the chest.

In both his past and present lives, he has consistently treated her as a tool for career advancement and for securing benefits for his family.