CHAPTER 230: CHAPTER 227 IT’S TIME TO TEACH HER A LESSON!

The carriage quietly slipped out of the alley, and halfway through, Fu Zhen switched to the Pei family’s carriage at one of her shops, leaving no trace when returning to the Pei Mansion.

Zhe Yu’s side didn’t proceed as expected. Fu Zhen was momentarily frustrated and, seeing it was still early, asked someone to find out where Pei Zhan was dining so she could pick him up.

Just as she sent the person off, they quickly rushed back, and upon boarding the carriage, whispered, "Someone’s tailing us!"

Fu Zhen paused, then lifted a slit of the curtain to look outside. There were still a few people walking on the street, so the figures hiding behind the stone lions not far behind the carriage didn’t stand out.

"Ignore them. We’ll follow the route back to the mansion."

Zhang Cheng said, "How about I stay behind and watch?"

"No need!" Fu Zhen glanced at him, "Who knows if this is a ploy to lure us away? If you leave now, it will give them a chance."

Zhang Cheng suddenly understood and promptly instructed the driver to hasten the horses.

After traveling half a mile to a relatively crowded area, Fu Zhen signaled to Guo Song.

Guo Song and another guard dismounted from the carriage in opposite directions and soon vanished into the crowd.

Fu Zhen ordered the coachman to slow down, finishing the main street while watching the crowd thin out again, and Guo Song and the others returned.

"Who are they?"

"A few martial artists! We captured two and fought them; they don’t seem to be guards from a proper household but were indeed targeting the Young Madam."

Fu Zhen’s gaze turned cold, "Did they say under whose orders they came?"

"They wouldn’t say, alive or dead. I was concerned about the Young Madam’s safety, so I didn’t press further, dislocated their arms, and came back."

Fu Zhen nodded, "Our Ning Family has an old saying: ’Hesitating gets you nowhere!’ Go back and make an example of those people! If they still won’t reveal their backer, break their leg bones!"

She’s not afraid of an ambush. Beneath the emperor’s feet, to make a move against her now requires some calculation, but she can’t let any word slip about the setup she has with Zhe Yu.

Since they’ve already stepped on her tail, if she doesn’t retaliate fiercely, wouldn’t anyone think they can just come and take advantage of her?

...

Pei Zhan seldom accepts invitations to banquets, but today he did because He Huan invited him, and he gave him this face.

It was only after he arrived that he realized Xu Yin was there too, and immediately guessed that He Huan arranged this to mediate the conflict between the Pei family and Prince Rong’s Mansion from the other day. Even this meal was likely Xu Yin’s idea.

He usually spoke little, and spoke nonchalantly of affairs, both official and unofficial. When He Huan mentioned Prince Rong’s Mansion again, Pei Zhan merely curled his lips and drank a few cups with him.

Upon returning to the mansion, he went straight to Fu Zhen’s room. Fu Zhen hadn’t changed clothes yet, appearing to be waiting for him. He leaned his face closer, "Why are you upset?"

Fu Zhen sighed, "Zhe Yu doesn’t believe Xu Yin is the murderer. He practically worships Yongping as a Buddha! And Yongping’s husband, well, he’s the arhat under the Buddha!"

She then recounted her visit to the Zhe family to him.

Then she forlornly crossed her arms, "Do you think Liang Ning was as blind as Zhe Yu back then?"

Pei Zhan looked at her for a moment, reached out, and gently patted her head, "Not blind. She was sincere."

...

Yongping was listening with indignation while someone reported to her below when Xu Yin returned.

She quickly adjusted her expression and greeted him, "Did you drink? I prepared some hangover soup for you."

"No need."

Xu Yin dropped two words and then turned to change clothes and went to the study.

Yongping bit her lower lip and called back the person she had just waved off, "Continue talking!"

The servant, trembling, said, "We followed them the whole way, waiting for an opportunity, but never found one. Instead, the Pei family’s guards beat us up!

"Because I didn’t tell them it was the Commandery Princess’s order, they couldn’t name the person behind it, so they were all crippled!

"They also said, the General’s wife left a message to be conveyed to the mastermind, if there’s a next time, she’ll personally act and drag the mastermind out to be chopped and fed to dogs!"

Yongping trembled with rage, "She dared to act so ruthlessly? A mere merchant’s daughter, how dare she have such audacity?!

"Just for tailing her, she broke their leg bones!

"So cruel and vicious, she doesn’t deserve to be a first-rank General’s wife! She is utterly disgracing us imperial decree holders!"

After cursing, she glared, "Useless! Where did you find such a bunch of useless people?!"

The servant’s voice grew quieter, "The Commandery Princess instructed beforehand not to reveal they were from Xu Mansion, so I had to find a few from outside temporarily..."

"Get out!"

Yongping cursed the servant away and began pacing the room angrily.

Seeing Xu Yin’s clothes that he changed out of, she remembered how cold he was when he returned. He wasn’t like this not long ago; back then, as long as she was unhappy, Xu Yin would do everything to please her until she was satisfied!

But now, not only does he ignore her mood, but he also scolds her harshly from time to time!

Isn’t it obvious that he’s tired of her?

Yongping felt a chill in her heart, turned around, and headed straight to Xu Yin’s study!

She must ask him directly, what exactly is his attitude towards Fu Zhen?

...

Xu Yin had just entered the study and hadn’t even sent for Lian Rong when Lian Rong hurriedly arrived.

"Master, there was almost a mishap!"

"What now?" Xu Yin pinched his brow.

Lian Rong placed the damaged scrolls in front of him, "All the portraits you painted, Master, were seen by the Commandery Princess!"

Xu Yin’s eyes suddenly opened, revealing a glint, and he looked from Lian Rong’s face to the paintings, "How did she find them?"

"It should have been an accident."

Xu Yin’s face darkened. After looking at the damaged portraits for a while, he put them down, "What did she do?"

"I arrived just in time, Master, to save the paintings before the Commandery Princess got angry. But she suspects you are enchanted by Fu Zhen and is very resentful. I had no choice but to shift the blame onto Fu Zhen."

Xu Yin furrowed his brows, "That’s ridiculous of you! I just had He Huan arrange this meeting to ease the tensions with Pei Zhan, and you fanning the flames will have her go directly for Fu Zhen? If Pei Zhan finds out, won’t he come straight to me?"

"I know, but it was really urgent and unavoidable, so I had to take this last resort. Otherwise, if the Commandery Princess attacked you directly, it would have been even more troublesome."

Xu Yin furrowed his brows, pursing his lips tightly.

"Master," Lian Rong observed his expression, "no matter how much General Pei values Fu Zhen, they’ve only known each other for three or four months. How deep could their feelings be? Why would he be willing to repeatedly offend the court’s dignitaries for her and jeopardize the Pei family’s hard-earned merits and career? Isn’t the pursuit of wealth and honor more important than a woman?

"Besides, this Fu Zhen is troublesome; she’s always causing issues and deserves a lesson. Taking this opportunity to let the Commandery Princess deal with her is just right, isn’t it?"