Helping Out

Lin Yunwan handed the dregs of the medicine to Qi Lingheng and said, "If I'm not mistaken, this should be poisonous."

Qi Lingheng sniffed it, frowned, and said, "It smells like almonds..."

Lin Yunwan reminded him, "Please stay away."

A Fu was terrified and rushed over, saying, "Your Prince, give this to me."

It might be poisoned, poisoning the Prince!

Lin Yunwan said, "It's okay to smell it."

In her previous life, she wasn't poisoned to death instantly; she died slowly after taking medication for two years. Because she died so slowly, she didn't even realize she had been poisoned!

A Fu wouldn't dare joke about his master's life.

He carefully accepted the medicine, forcing a smile as he said, "This servant should keep it."

Qi Lingheng's gentle eyes gradually turned cold.

He asked Lin Yunwan, "Did the Lu family give you this medicine?"

This is what happened in my previous life.

However, in this life, the Lu family hasn't had a chance to feed her yet.

But knowing the Lu family as she did, she knew that no matter what she tried, Lu family would never let her go. They would give her the medicine sooner or later!

Lin Yunwan clutched her handkerchief, remaining silent.

Qi Lingheng pressed further, his usually gentle expression now carrying a hint of coldness. He said softly, "Is there anything I can do to help you, Madam?"

He knew that Lin Yunwan very smart and wouldn't show him something so important for no reason.

Lin Yunwan pursed her lips and said shamelessly, "... I really do need your help with something."

Qi Lingheng readily agreed, "Please speak freely, Madam."

Lin Yunwan stared into his eyes for a long while.

The two maids were getting impatient. Their Young Madam had been out for a while, and Madam Lin, who had been napping, was likely to wake up soon. If she came looking for them with her men, it would be troublesome.

Ping Ye walked over a few steps and came into Lin Yunwan's sight.

Upon seeing the maid, Lin Yunwan knew it was getting late. After speaking, she stood up and said, "This matter is of great importance, Your Prince... you don't need to force yourself."

Qi Lingheng smiled and said, "There's no problem. However... if I want to ask Madam for help, I might have to ask her for a little something."

"How can I help Your Prince?"

Lin Yunwan was very puzzled, but she couldn't be happier. It would be best if they could reciprocate each other's kindness, and she wouldn't have to keep owing Prince Huan.

Qi Lingheng didn't say what it was about, only saying, "It's too early to talk about it now, let's talk about it later. It's getting late, Madam, please go back."

He didn't say anything, and Lin Yunwan didn't want to press him for details. She nodded gently and left with her two maids.

Qi Lingheng's expression gradually turned cold. He instructed A Fu, "Go and check if there's any poison in this dregs, and if so, what kind."

"Yes."

After A Fu left, Qi Lingheng didn't rush back.

Lin Yunwan was sitting here just now, not drinking much tea. The fire in the stove was still burning brightly, and the water was boiling, making a bubbling sound.

He sat in the side hall and patiently drank another cup of tea.

The Lu family is incredibly audacious.

Disregarding all propriety and law, the daughter of the prince's tutor was killed at will; what ruthless methods!

Qi Lingheng went out wearing the cloak that A Fu had brought; the wind and snow outside were still very heavy.

He walked with a very relaxed gait, and his silhouette seemed somewhat different from when he was standing by the fence earlier.

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After offering incense with her mother, Lin Yunwan went down the mountain with her mother and returned home.

Madam Lin said happily, "It's been so long since we've gone out together."

She sat in the carriage, holding her daughter's hand the whole time.

The thought of parting again soon made her feel sad, and she choked up as she said, "Yun Wan, your mother is really useless..." If her daughter were doing well in the Lu family, she wouldn't be afraid of parting.

The thought of personally sending his daughter back to the Lu family is like a knife to his heart.

Lin Yunwan suddenly said, "Mother, even if I can live a good life, it's because you won't be able to see me anymore..."

"I only want you to be happy!"

Madam Lin gripped the reins tighter, her voice like that of a madwoman. "Yun Wan, I don't care what others say—as long as you're doing well, I'd be willing to never see you again!"

Lin Yunwan wiped away her mother's tears and said gently, "I misspoke, please don't overthink it..."

After returning from Red Elephant Temple, Lin Yunwan first escorted her mother back to the Lin Residence before returning to the Wuding Marquis Residence.

Upon arriving at the Drooping Silk Hall, I found the Courtyard in complete disarray.

"What are you doing in my Courtyard?"

Lin Yunwan walked in with two maids, and Lu Zhengliu and Nanny Yan turned around to look at her.

Nanny Yan said awkwardly, "Young Madam, you're back so soon..."

Lu Zhengliu also pursed his lips.

Lin Yunwan sneered, "If I hadn't come back, would you have dug up my dowry too?"

Both Nanny Yan and Lu Zhengliu's expressions changed.

What respectable family would use a woman's dowry? If word got out, the Lu family would lose even more face!

Nanny Yan quickly said, "Young Madam, please don't speak nonsense. This old servant is merely accompanying Master to find an important lost item..."

The maidservant ran out and knelt down, crying, "Young Madam, Nanny Yan is talking nonsense! She searched the entire main room, and if we hadn't stopped her, she would have searched your dowry in the storeroom!"

"You silly girl, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Nanny Yan glared at her.

Lin Yunwan said to the maid, "Get up and speak."

The maid stood up and hid behind Lin Yunwan.

Lin Yunwan instructed Ping Ye, "Bring me the key to my storeroom."

Ping Ye carried it with her, took it out, and handed it to Lin Yunwan. Lin Yunwan threw it at Lu Zhengliu and said coldly, "Didn't you want to search? Go ahead and search now. If you don't find what you want, feel free to call the people from Shuntian Prefecture in to search together. See if the 'important' things are in my dowry."

Mother Yan's old face turned bright red with embarrassment.

Lu Zhengliu also walked away with his head down.

"Young Madam, this old servant will go back now."

Nanny Yan fled in panic.

Once they left, Drooping Silk Hall finally returned to its usual quiet state, and Lin Yunwan seemed to hear the maids breathe a sigh of relief.

"Give them all some silver ingots."

Once inside, Lin Yunwan continued, "Let's prepare a feast for them tonight to calm their nerves."

Tao Ye said, "This servant will go right away."

Ping Ye said with a sour face, "You want the Jade Pendant you have? We won't give it to them!"

Lin Yunwan took out the Jade Pendant, a mocking smile on her face.

He says he values her, but he's really hoping the Duke Xingguo's Residence will recognize Ge Bao'er back.

This is the Lu family.

Back at the Hall of Longevity, when Old Madam Lu heard that Nanny Yan and Lu Zhengliu there together but hadn't found the Jade Pendant, she was so angry that she pounded her legs.

She couldn't scold Lu Zhengliu, so she could only rebuke Nanny Yan: "You can't even handle this simple matter!"

Nanny Yan's face burned. "... This old servant can't really go and search through Young Madam's dowry."

Old Madam Lu knew perfectly well that it was wrong, but she was still angry.

Lu Zhengliu angrily retorted, "Grandmother, I've already said I don't need the support of the Duke Xingguo's Residence!"

He stormed off in anger.

He would never again accompany the Old Madam in doing such shameful things; the Lin Yunwan looked at him just now... made him unable to lift his head.

After the incident of searching the Courtyard, the Lu family remained calm for a while.

As the year drew to a close, Lin Yunwan received a purse from her younger brother, which contained dregs of medicine.

It was in the purse she gave to Prince Huan that there was a piece of paper inside, on which she wrote down what kind of poison was in the medicine, what its toxicity was, and the symptoms of poisoning.

"It really is poisonous..."

Her tragic past life was exactly as described on the paper.

"Ping Ye, go and check on Concubine Zhu Qing, and call Xiliu over from beside her."

She can't be the only one who knows the truth; Ge Bao'er also needs to know how ruthless Old Madam Lu is!

She wants to let them fight like dogs.