After getting married, she spent every night alone in her room; when she asked for a divorce, he kne

She looked up at the plaque of the Prime Minister's residence, quickly composed herself, and walked towards the gate.

Han Bin released Ying'er, bowed slightly to Liu Yuansheng, and said, "Third Miss, you're finally back. Master has been waiting for you for a long time."

"I heard the Prime Minister is ill. What illness?" Liu Yuansheng asked.

Hearing Liu Yuansheng coldly address Liu Jingyuan as Prime Minister, Han Bin was slightly taken aback, then lowered his head and said, "At first, I was not feeling well, and then I started having headaches. I took a lot of medicine but it didn't help. I've been getting acupuncture these past few days."

Headache?

Yes, it's a headache. With so many messy things happening at home, anyone would have a headache.

"I'll go check on him."

Liu Yuansheng lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped up the stairs, walking slowly and unhurriedly to Shenzhi Hall.

Upon entering, Liu Yuansheng saw Liu Jingyuan lying on the bed, with silver needles stuck in his head, groaning in pain with his eyes closed.

He looked worried and much older, no longer the refined and noble man he once was. Liu Yuansheng couldn't help but recall the first time Liu Jingyuan saw her. At that time, she had just been kicked out of her home by He Manniang and was homeless. It was Abbess Jing'an who found her and took her back to Shuiyue Nunnery.

She met Jiang Zhihuan at Shuiyue Nunnery, and the two spent a warm and happy time together. Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long, and soon Jiang Zhihuan left her.

Confused and lost, she drifted through her days in a daze, unsure of which path to take in the future. It was at this time that she reunited with her biological father, Liu Jingyuan.

Liu Jingyuan came to Yuxu Temple to offer incense and stopped by Shuiyue Nunnery on the way. That's when he met her, who was going down the mountain to fetch water.

Even now, she can't describe the expression on Liu Jingyuan's face when he saw her.

There was shock, confusion, bewilderment, nostalgia, and a trace of inexplicable hatred in his eyes.

hatred?

Why would there be hatred?

Perhaps it was because of this hatred that she didn't understand that he was so indifferent to her, his own daughter.

Actually, she also longed for her father's love.

but……

Liu Yuansheng twitched the corners of her mouth, concealed all her emotions, and walked towards Liu Jingyuan.

Her footsteps were very light, so even though she had already entered the room, Liu Jingyuan still didn't notice her.

Su Tinglan, who was serving him, sighed, "How could Yuan Sheng be so cruel? You are her biological father, and Nianxi is her sister..."

"Hasn't she arrived yet?" Liu Jingyuan asked with his eyes closed. "If she doesn't come soon, then..."

"What about my mother?"

Liu Yuansheng lifted the beaded curtain, and the crisp sound of the curtain striking against the ground brought the two of them back to their senses, and they looked at Liu Yuansheng standing in front of the beaded curtain.

Su Tinglan's eyes darkened, but she put on a smile and stood up. "Yuan Sheng is back? I was just talking to your father about you, and here you are. What a coincidence."

"What were you talking about just now?" Liu Yuansheng asked. "What happened to my mother?"

"Hmph, if you don't come back, I'll have someone bring your mother's plaque to invite you back!" Liu Jingyuan said defiantly.

Liu Yuansheng stared at Liu Jingyuan expressionlessly, secretly swallowing a breath.

"Why did you call me back?" Liu Yuansheng asked as she walked in.

Liu Jingyuan raised his head slightly, his neck stiff, and stared at Liu Yuansheng with a stern face, saying, "Will you not come back until I breathe my last?"

Liu Yuansheng stood in front of Liu Jingyuan's bed, expressionless, and said, "You should have called a doctor when you were sick, not come to me. There's no need for you to talk to me about whether you're going to die or not."

Liu Jingyuan was taken aback upon hearing this.

Previously, no matter how much he scolded Liu Yuansheng, Liu Yuansheng mostly remained silent and rarely disobeyed him.

Even if they don't listen to him and argue back, they will fall silent again and let him do as he pleases.

But now Liu Yuansheng seems to be covered in thorns, making him difficult to handle.

Liu Jingyuan knew where the thorns on her body came from.

It was Xiao Jinghan.

It was Xiao Jinghan who gave her confidence, making her the arrogant person she is today.

Thinking of the hardships Xiao Jinghan had brought him, Liu Jingyuan was furious. "Fine, now that you have a powerful backer, you're even less respectful of your father! Don't forget, I was the one who arranged your marriage. Now, the two of you are turning around and tormenting me, making me suffer."

"Your Highness, he was originally your son-in-law."

Upon hearing Liu Jingyuan's complaint, Liu Yuansheng calmly replied.

Liu Jingyuan, who had just been putting on airs and throwing a tantrum at Liu Yuansheng, was stunned.

Yes, Xiao Jinghan was originally his son-in-law. He arranged the marriage between Liu Yuansheng and Xiao Jinghan in order to get in touch with Xiao Jinghan's connections. After the marriage, Liu Yuansheng and Xiao Jinghan got along well. In fact, it could be said that Xiao Jinghan was very protective of Liu Yuansheng and favored her. So why didn't he, as the father-in-law, gain any benefit? Instead, he was targeted by Xiao Jinghan at every turn and almost ended up with his family destroyed.

Liu Jingyuan looked at Liu Yuansheng again, and looking into her eyes, which were devoid of any emotion when she looked at him, he suddenly understood everything.

He was not good to Liu Yuansheng.

He was not a competent father at all in front of Liu Yuansheng.

He owes this daughter something.

So when Liu Yuansheng found a powerful backer, his first instinct wasn't to be filial to his father, but to seek revenge.

revenge?

Liu Jingyuan's forehead twitched, and he said, "I am your father! The one who gave you life. No matter how wrong I am, you should be understanding! How can you be so petty?"

Liu Jingyuan's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, and veins bulged on his forehead, as if they were about to snap the silver needles in his hair. Seeing this, Su Tinglan quickly massaged his shoulders to comfort him, "Alright, Master, don't be angry. It's good that Yuansheng is willing to come. Let me talk to her properly. We are family, and Yuansheng will definitely not ignore us."

Liu Jingyuan, panting heavily, blinked slightly, looking like Mo Yang about to be driven mad by Liu Yuansheng. Su Tinglan smiled wryly at Liu Yuansheng and said, "Yuansheng, we really had no other choice but to call you back. Your sister was originally going to marry Young Master Wang, but for some reason, she suddenly started making a scene and refused to marry. She even threatened to kill herself, locking herself in her room for three days and three nights without food or water. If she keeps going like this, something bad will happen to her."

Liu Yuansheng stared at Su Tinglan indifferently.

Looking at her father's second wife.

She had heard Ying'er mention that Su Tinglan and her mother were very close friends, having known each other since childhood. After her mother entered the Imperial Medical Bureau, she married Liu Jingyuan. When Su Tinglan arrived in the capital, she had nowhere to live, so her mother took her in and let her stay in the Prime Minister's residence. From then on, Su Tinglan began to seduce Liu Jingyuan.

No one knows exactly when the two of them started dating. In any case, less than a year after her mother died, Liu Jingyuan took Su Tinglan as a concubine, and three years later she was promoted to the rank of wife.

Her mother, Bai Yinzhu, did not come from a high social class. Her father was an itinerant doctor, and her mother only knew how to farm. However, Bai Yinzhu was naturally beautiful and skilled in traditional Chinese medicine. She was able to enter the Imperial Medical Bureau and marry Liu Jingyuan.

Su Tinglan's background was not much better than Bai Yinzhu's.

However, the Su family members are all scheming. Su Tinglan's older sister married Lord Wang of the Ministry of Justice because of her beauty. Therefore, Lord Wang's illegitimate son would call Su Tinglan "Aunt" when he saw her.

This is also why she was able to instruct Wang Hanxuan.

How could Liu Nianxi accept being forced to marry her own sister's illegitimate son? It would lower her own status as well.

Compared to Liu Yuansheng, Liu Nianxi was even more upset and couldn't eat.

"Nianxi's marriage is your father's biggest worry. Once Nianxi's marriage is resolved satisfactorily, your father's illness will naturally be cured."

Su Tinglan said to Liu Yuansheng with a gloomy smile, "So Yuansheng, even for the sake of your father's good health, you have to help him with this."

"Liu Nianxi is not my sister. Besides, what does it matter to me whether she gets married or not, or whether she eats or not?" Liu Yuansheng said.

Su Tinglan's eyes widened. "Yuan Sheng, you're being too cold-hearted. She grew up in the Prime Minister's mansion and is a young lady there. Of course, she's your sister."

Liu Yuansheng frowned slightly, his expression full of disapproval of Su Tinglan's words.

After resting for a moment, Liu Jingyuan let out a long breath and said, "I know you don't acknowledge her, but I do. I say she's your sister, and she is your sister!"

Liu Jingyuan helped Su Tinglan sit up, looking at Liu Yuansheng with displeasure, "Now that your sister is in trouble, you, as her older sister, should help her."

Liu Yuansheng: "You keep telling me to help her? How can I help?"

Thinking that Liu Yuansheng was about to confess, Su Tinglan quickly said, "It's simple. Your sister had an accident at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion that day. Have the heir appear on her behalf and say that what happened that day was a misunderstanding. Someone else was the one who misbehaved with Wang Hanxuan while drunk. Arrange for a woman to marry into that mansion and completely cover it up. That's all."

"What did you say?" Liu Yuansheng was so angry at Su Tinglan's shameless behavior that she almost fainted. She refused coldly, "I will not let the young master do this."

"You!" Su Tinglan was stunned for a moment, not expecting Liu Yuansheng to refuse so ruthlessly. It took her a while to come back to her senses and say, "You just refused without even thinking about it? For the young master, this is easier than stepping on an ant."

"I said no, and that means no," Liu Yuansheng said firmly. "Even if the young master agrees, I will not agree."

"You, you, you, you!" Su Tinglan's face turned pale with anger at Liu Yuansheng. She took a step forward and stared intently into Liu Yuansheng's eyes, saying, "Yuansheng, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but you're too selfish. Besides, Nianxi's accident happened at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, so you also bear some responsibility!"

"I'm responsible? Then let me ask you, what did you do when I had the incident at the Princess's residence? And why did the incident happen there? Did you investigate?"

These words left Su Tinglan speechless.

She stared at Liu Yuansheng in astonishment, never expecting that Liu Yuansheng's return today would also be to collect a debt for her.

Su Tinglan, who was originally confident, now felt very guilty. After all, Liu Jingyuan and Xiao Jinghan did not know what she had done to Liu Yuansheng.

If they found out, she didn't know what would happen to her.

"You, why are you still bringing up what happened before? Didn't you become a blessing in disguise by marrying the prince? What else are you dissatisfied with?" Su Tinglan argued forcefully. "Nianxi has been infatuated with the prince for many years, you know that. To fulfill your wish, your father disregarded Nianxi's heartbreak and made you marry the prince. Do you know how heartbroken Nianxi was afterward?"

"You're twisting the truth, I can't argue with you, and I don't want to hear you say any more." Liu Yuansheng had already said a lot today, and she was exhausted. She didn't want to waste any more time with these two people. "I'm tired, I'm going back. Don't come to me with this kind of thing again."

After saying that, he slowly turned around and was about to leave.

Upon seeing this, Liu Jingyuan shouted, "Guards, stop the Third Miss!"

Immediately, servants rushed in, forming a human wall in front of Liu Yuansheng.

Ying'er fearfully clung to Liu Yuansheng's arm, but Liu Yuansheng, without turning his head, asked, "What do you want to do?"

Liu Jingyuan coughed twice and said, "If you don't agree, you won't be leaving the Prime Minister's residence today!"

Liu Yuansheng stood there, stunned.

I was stunned for a very long time.

He was right.

Her father is such a scoundrel; in order to force her to submit, he actually tried to detain her.

She looked up at the setting sun and thought that since she was already there, she might as well make the best of it. After all, Xiao Jinghan had said that if she didn't go back before sunset, he would come to pick her up.

"You won't let me leave? Fine, then I won't leave." She said, "Ying'er, come back to my room with me."

After saying this, he ignored the servants and left Liu Jingyuan's bedroom, returning to the courtyard where he had previously lived in the Prime Minister's residence.

This small courtyard was very remote, and everything inside was neither new nor old, not much better than the servants' quarters.

After Ying'er came in, she tidied up inside and out, while Liu Yuansheng sat on the bed, recalling the bits and pieces of his experience at the Prime Minister's residence.

There seems to be no happiness.

Not a single one.

"Miss, I asked my father. Fourth Miss didn't go on a hunger strike at all. Aunt Su is bringing her good food and drink every day. The two of them are putting on an act for the Prime Minister, but the Prime Minister is blind and just can't see it."

After cleaning the house, Ying'er approached Liu Yuansheng and said.

Liu Yuansheng remained silent, thinking that Liu Jingyuan probably knew all along, but was simply willing to cooperate with them in their act.

After all, given Liu Jingyuan's opportunistic nature, how could he possibly look favorably upon a son of a concubine?

Su Tinglan said something quite right.

Liu Nianxi was raised in the Prime Minister's mansion since childhood. She was cherished by Liu Jingyuan and raised like a daughter. Although she was not his biological daughter, she was treated better than his own.

I'm afraid that Liu Jingyuan's ideal son-in-law is still someone like Xiao Jinghan.

"Miss, the sun is about to set. Do you think the young master will come to pick us up?"

Seeing that Liu Yuansheng was silent, Ying'er looked out the window and asked.

"Yes, I will." This time, Liu Yuansheng answered Ying'er's question without hesitation, "I definitely will."

-

As the sun was about to set, Xiao Jinghan, who had just woken up, leisurely summoned the guards who had been waiting outside for a long time.

The guard bowed to Xiao Jinghan and said, "Your Highness, a messenger from below has reported that Abbess Jingxuan could not endure the hardship and committed suicide by jumping into a well."

Xiao Jinghan took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and said, "It's only been a few days, and you couldn't hold on and died?"