Chapter 78

Yang Yanzong was right. Indeed, the Kun family had no time to worry about him and Ji Yuanhao. Their attention was highly focused on someone else, namely Prince Qian. To be precise, it was Prince Qian and the young emperor.

Although the young emperor hadn’t been raised by his father, the bond between the father and son, who looked alike, was very strong. Despite the luxurious life in the palace, it wasn’t a very good place. After the birth of Prince Zhao, the young emperor had been in a very awkward position for years. Although Empress Dowager Kun treated him well and tried to be gentle, she wasn’t his biological parent and had a strong personality. Her care was more than her closeness, so the young emperor eagerly awaited his parents’ monthly visits, especially his father’s.

Prince Qian truly loved his child. His remarriage to the Kun family member was an imperial decree, not his own choice. The subsequent situation was beyond his control. All he could do was frequently visit his younger son with his eldest son, providing warmth, care, and fatherly love, assuring him that he was not alone. The bond between father and son was exceptionally strong.

“Mother, Mother, can I talk to Father today?” This was the question Empress Dowager Kun heard most often in recent months. For the young emperor, the best thing about ascending the throne was being able to see his father frequently. Prince Qian also missed him and visited the palace almost daily to spend time with his son.

Empress Dowager Kun smiled, “Of course, Your Majesty, go ahead.”

The young emperor broke free from Empress Dowager Kun’s hand and, for once, didn’t act like a little adult. He joyfully ran back to the Shangyang Hall.

The Shangyang Hall, now completely refurbished with no trace of its previous owner, was not the young emperor’s permanent residence, but its warm pavilion was his favorite place. It was where he did his homework and often met with his father.

“Father! Guess what? Today I finished writing thirty large characters, and yesterday, I caught a bug in the imperial garden. Xiao Mingzi said it’s a watermelon bug. What does a watermelon bug do?…”

Empress Dowager Kun didn’t leave. She stood there, watching through the beaded curtain. She could see the young emperor snuggling affectionately in Prince Qian’s arms, his hands around his father’s neck. Prince Qian squatted down, holding the young emperor on his knee, smiling as he listened to his son’s chatter. “Min’er, you’re amazing!”

“A watermelon bug?…” The father and son embraced warmly, creating an impenetrable atmosphere.

Empress Dowager Kun watched expressionlessly for a while before silently leaving.

The bond between Prince Qian and the young emperor was too strong!

The young emperor trusted and relied on Prince Qian immensely, which Empress Dowager Kun didn’t find entirely pleasing. The young emperor was too important to her and the Kun family!

Empress Dowager Kun wished the young emperor would only trust and rely on her, but clearly, reality didn’t align with her wishes. As the young emperor’s behavior and daily interactions showed, this silent rift was deepening. It was just waiting for a trigger.

---

Su Ci had no idea what was happening in the palace. She was busy. After several days at the hot spring villa in Changyi, the couple returned home. Yang Yanzong handed over all his private accounts to her. He had wanted to do this before, but Su Ci refused. After dragging it out for half a year, she finally took on the task.

The private accounts, one by one, contained staggering amounts that shocked Su Ci. Where did he get so much money?!

After reviewing the old accounts, she found the pattern. Yang Yanzong had regular large deposits, some with odd amounts. When she asked him, he casually said, “I have several merchant caravans.”

Some operated domestically, but most traded with Northern Rong, Annam, and Western regions. Cross-border trade, where rarity increased value, was highly profitable.

Even with such a large business income, it wasn’t enough to cover the enormous expenses. Another notable part of the accounts had very neat, large sums, with the largest deposit reaching a million. Su Ci was stunned and whispered, “Did you find a silver mine?”

Yang Yanzong couldn’t help but laugh, kissing her heavily and straightforwardly telling her, “Yes! Do you remember Liu Ying’s brothers?”

Su Ci blinked, and Yang Yanzong whispered, “Liu Ying’s brothers also have a pair of illegitimate children.”

The Liu brothers were involved in a business that could cost their lives, so they had some concerns. These children were their last resort to prevent their lineage from ending if something happened.

When the Liu brothers fell into Yang Yanzong’s hands and were transferred back to Suiping, it took seven or eight days, which was enough time for Yang Yanzong. The Liu brothers were indeed capable. They discovered more than one mining site. Besides the large silver mine in Shang County, they found traces of ore deposits in two other places in the southwest. However, mining silver was not easy. One large mine in Shang County was already enough to keep them busy, so they didn’t touch the other two sites.

Su Ci’s eyes widened, her heart trembling as she listened. She didn’t dare speak for a while. “You have a lot of guts!”

So much had happened for that large silver mine in Shang County, and so many people had died, especially the Liu brothers, who were at the center of the storm and were eventually executed by slow slicing. What if…

Yang Yanzong glanced at her and said calmly, “Doing nothing doesn’t necessarily lead to a good end.” He was long past the age of youthful recklessness.

No matter what you do, you need money. Without capital, you’ll eventually end up at the mercy of others. With silver, it depends on whether you dare to act.

Yang Yanzong dared.

He gently reassured her, “Don’t worry, they’re not big mines. We’ve almost finished mining them and can seal them off next year.” He touched her face, “Rest assured, I will protect you.” He wouldn’t let this girl suffer because of him.

What else could Su Ci do? She carefully helped him organize the accounts. As she reviewed the ledgers, she saw large expenditures flowing to the southwest and northwest over the years. She didn’t ask, as long as he knew what he was doing. Her current task was to calculate the compensation and allocate the silver quickly.

Sometimes, it was no wonder Yang Yanzong was so bold. At his level, the expenses were enormous. Just the compensation and long-term living allowances for the injured and disabled from the coup were his responsibility. Compared to these accumulating numbers, the gold, silver, and treasures given by Empress Dowager Kun and the Kun family were far from enough.

There was also another ledger, the one from A Kang’s family, listing the elderly, the lonely, orphans, and widows. Some children were on the verge of being mistreated by relatives. These people needed to be taken care of, helped to establish a livelihood, and get through life. No wonder Yang Yanzong’s personal soldiers are so loyal to him; there are reasons for that. But let’s not dwell on that. Back to Su Ci’s work, especially the last two tasks. If she makes a mistake in her calculations or lacks consideration in her arrangements, it would have a huge impact on the people below. So, she carefully and meticulously scrutinizes every line, aiming for no errors.

She worked late into the night, which Yang Yanzong couldn’t tolerate. He had already come home late, and she was busier than him?

On the third day, he pushed the door open and entered the room, but she didn’t react, completely absorbed in her work. He went over, took the account book from her, and lifted the bewildered Su Ci into his arms. He said angrily, “I didn’t give you this to burn the midnight oil!”

He turned to A Zheng and instructed, “She can only work during the day, three to four hours a day, no more! Keep an eye on her.”

“But isn’t the compensation still pending?”

He was annoyed, “What are the people below doing? They will handle it. A few days won’t make a difference!”

Yang Yanzong glared at her, and Su Ci had no choice but to raise her hands in surrender, “Alright, alright, I’ll listen to you.”

Only then was Yang Yanzong satisfied. They cuddled and rolled into bed, playing and being affectionate for a while. Su Ci wrapped her arms around his neck and asked, “Have you eaten?”

“I have, at the camp.”

Since the incident a few days ago, Yang Yanzong had automatically formed the habit of reporting, afraid that Su Ci might misunderstand him. He kissed her hard and asked, “What about you? Do you like me a bit more today?”

He had taken off his hair crown, his long hair loose and slightly messy in the bed. His sharp, dark eyes looked bright as he kissed her chest and asked.

Su Ci: “…”

Yang Yanzong was very concerned about this question, asking about the progress almost every two days.

One might think he was working on a project. It was really stressful.

She could only nod randomly and say, “Mm, mm, mm,” to get through it, quickly kissing him back to shut him up.

Yang Yanzong was successfully distracted. He sighed, reluctant to let go, and after a moment of kissing, he couldn’t wait to press her down again!

Soon, the tent was filled with heavy breathing and gasps.

---

While Su Ci was busy with the accounts, the conflict between Prince Qian and the Kun family quietly reached its peak. The incident started with the selection of a tutor for the young emperor.

The young emperor was only nine years old this year, still a nominal age. The importance of education was self-evident. After the old emperor was buried, the selection of the imperial tutor was put on the agenda.

Finally, Empress Dowager Kun and the Kun family selected several high-ranking officials and scholars, including the Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, Chen Wenru, and others.

The lineup was impressive, and their knowledge was profound. However, these people had one thing in common: they were generally older, held moderate positions, and mostly came from humble backgrounds with no significant family connections.

The young emperor needed to study, but was the focus on studying? Of course not. What he learned today was to prepare him for ruling in the future and to govern the empire. The focus was not on studying but on learning the art of emperorship.

Clearly, this group of moderate scholars from humble backgrounds wouldn’t do. First, they wouldn’t dare to teach the young emperor the skills to rule independently under the watchful eyes of the Kun family. Secondly, their competence was also questionable.

Moreover, the young emperor wouldn’t get any substantial support from this group of tutors.

Indeed, Empress Dowager Kun and the Kun family didn’t intend to return power to the young emperor. They didn’t want the young emperor to grow too strong and potentially turn against them in the future.

When Prince Qian saw the lineup of tutors, he was furious. He could compromise on other matters, but not this one. Even a mediocre lineup would be better than this. How could this be acceptable?!

He threw the list of tutors aside. This usually gentle and refined man slammed the table in anger for the first time, firmly expressing his disagreement. He insisted that the imperial tutor must include at least one person from each of the six ministries’ ministers or vice ministers to teach the young emperor about the various departments. Additionally, the Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, Left Chancellor Grand Tutor Feng, must be included!

Although Grand Tutor Feng usually appeared indifferent, like an unmovable old man, he understood everything and was wise. If persuaded to teach the young emperor genuinely, he alone could rival the entire luxurious tutor group.

Naturally, Empress Dowager Kun disagreed. The siblings repeatedly clashed with Prince Qian, making some concessions, but this time, Prince Qian wouldn’t budge an inch, as it concerned the young emperor’s future, which infuriated them.

Empress Dowager Kun said coldly, “Brother, we can’t continue like this.”

Initially, their arguments were kept from the young emperor, with neither side showing discord in his presence. However, as the tug-of-war dragged on, the young emperor noticed the delay in appointing tutors and began to ask questions.

“Prince Qian’s influence on the emperor is too great, which is not a good thing,” Empress Dowager Kun said calmly. She didn’t need, nor did the Kun family need, the young emperor to have another “imperial father”!

The young emperor was still young now, but he would eventually grow up.

Imperial Uncle Kun’s eyes flashed with malice, “If he doesn’t drink the toast, then let him drink the penalty wine!”

The siblings exchanged a glance, their murderous intent clear. It wasn’t that they were ruthless, but Prince Qian was too uncooperative. If they were to eliminate him, it had to be done early!

In June, continuous rain caused flooding along the southern bank of the Great River. Prince Qian, along with the Minister of Works, Liao Guitang, and several officials, inspected the dikes and water conditions in Min, Ping, and other counties north of Yangdu, as well as in Quzhou and Liangzhou. During the inspection, an old dike collapsed, and Prince Qian, who was standing on the platform, fell into the river and went missing.

When the news reached Yangdu, the young emperor was practicing calligraphy. The child was just finishing his last character of the day when hurried footsteps splashed through the rain and rushed in!

“Your Majesty, there’s terrible news! The riverbank in Ping County suddenly collapsed, and Prince Qian fell into the water and is missing!!”

The young emperor, entirely focused on his calligraphy, abruptly slashed the last stroke. “What did you say?!” He stood up abruptly, his face pale.

---

The news of Prince Qian’s disappearance wasn’t considered a major event in the court. Although he was the emperor’s father, he held no significant position in the court, only a minor role in the Ministry of Works.

However, Su Ci immediately sensed something was wrong. She didn’t have time to lament the loss of the poetic and elegant prince. Her first thought was, “Wow, Empress Dowager Kun and Imperial Uncle Kun are ruthless!”

If they had dealt with Prince Qian, wouldn’t Yang Yanzong and his allies be next?

She guessed correctly!

Sure enough, Su Ci and Mrs. Ren noticed subtle changes during their next visit to the palace. They were in the palace for a banquet hosted by Empress Dowager Kun.

The men had their own banquet hosted by Imperial Uncle Kun, while the women were mostly in the palace. Although Empress Dowager Kun was regent, she couldn’t frequently invite a large group of civil and military officials to the palace for banquets. So, Imperial Uncle Kun handled the men’s banquet while she hosted various small gatherings in the inner palace, inviting women from the royal family and new and old noble families for tea and conversation.

Mrs. Ren and Su Ci had attended these royal tea parties several times over the past month. Empress Dowager Kun was usually kind and pleasant, and the palace staff were attentive and considerate. Although the tea parties were a bit boring, they weren’t difficult to endure.

But today, as soon as they entered the Changqiu Palace, Su Ci noticed a change. The maid leading them was replaced by Bai Mei, a second-class maid from Empress Dowager Kun’s side, whose smile seemed more formal. After seating Su Ci and Mrs. Ren, Bai Mei bowed slightly and left.

Su Ci took the tea offered by a young maid and glanced at Mrs. Ren, and both immediately became highly alert.

Just a few days ago, Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao had refused to leave the capital to become regional governors. The relationship between them and the Kun family had suddenly become delicate.

Su Ci was worried she might become a pawn in a larger scheme, but she couldn’t refuse the empress dowager’s summons.

Despite their caution, some things couldn’t be avoided.

After the small banquet, Empress Dowager Kun took the crying young Kun girl into the inner hall for comfort. The other women rose to leave, and as Su Ci and Mrs. Ren were about to slip away, Bai Mei came out of the inner hall and bowed, “Ladies, please stay. The empress dowager wishes to speak with you.”

Su Ci: “…” What else could Su Ci do but stay?

They stood for about a quarter of an hour. The others had long gone, leaving the hall empty except for the cups and tables. Bai Mei returned and said, “Ladies, please sit. The empress dowager may take some time with the princess.” She signaled the young maid to serve Su Ci and Mrs. Ren fresh tea.

Su Ci and Mrs. Ren had no choice but to sit back down.

Little did they know, this would lead to a major event!

Su Ci and Ren were seated together in a small palace, their seats close to the rear hall door. They carefully checked the floor and bench before sitting down, but they felt something behind them as soon as they moved.

“Crash!” A porcelain vase shattered loudly.

Su Ci and Mrs. Ren quickly turned around. When did these people sneak in behind them?

Indeed, as they carefully lifted their skirts to sit, two young eunuchs carrying a table entered from the rear hall, placing a delicate blue and white porcelain vase over a foot tall on it. The vase had a slender base and a long, elegant neck. When bumped, it fell and shattered into pieces!

Everyone was shocked, and Bai Shuang, a first-class maid beside Empress Dowager Kun, exclaimed, “This was a gift from the late emperor to the grand empress dowager, who then gave it to our empress dowager before her death!!”

A gift from the late emperor! Given to the previous Empress Dowager Kun and then to the current Empress Dowager!

Damn, this was a serious accusation!

Su Ci’s heart sank. She gritted her teeth and knelt on the cold, hard, polished golden bricks with Mrs. Ren.

They knelt for half an hour without seeing Empress Dowager Kun. It was said she was furious, and only after Aunt Liang’s persuasion did she come out to reprimand them before allowing them to leave.

Damn, it hurt so much!

Su Ci had never suffered such a silent loss in her life. She was furious, her legs aching and numb, with a large bruise. Unfortunately, Yang Yanzong wasn’t home. The recent intimidation wasn’t just aimed at her; Imperial Uncle Kun had started to gradually reduce Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao’s military power, keeping him in the camp for the past two days.

A Zheng and Nanny Zhang suggested sending a message to Yang Yanzong, but Su Ci shook her head. “No need for now.” He was busy, and the vase incident was real. As a subordinate, she had to swallow this small loss. She ordered hot and cold water, alternately applied compresses, and rubbed medicinal wine on the bruise before going to bed.

But Su Ci didn’t expect it to happen again in just two days!

This time, it was for “misspeaking.”

Heaven knows that she and Mrs. Ren barely spoke, only cautiously answering when Empress Dowager Kun asked their opinions. Suddenly, Empress Dowager Kun turned on them and punished them again.

Others were called in for reprimands and left, but Su Ci and Mrs. Ren had to kneel.

No matter what they said, the empress dowager was just looking for trouble. If it wasn’t this, it would be something else. After all, she was the empress dowager, the mother of the nation!

After being summoned to the palace twice in a row, Su Ci was physically and mentally exhausted. As she was helped into the carriage, she told Mrs. Ren, “I can’t do this anymore. I’m not coming next time.”

Frequent invitations to the palace banquets might seem like a favor, but Yan had already made several snide remarks. She should be the one kneeling!

Damn it, Su Ci swore she wouldn’t go again!

“What about you, Sister Ren?”

Mrs. Ren rubbed her knees and smiled gently at Su Ci but shook her head. “You can claim your old injury has flared up, but what about me?”

Everyone knew about Su Ci’s severe injury last year, but Mrs. Ren didn’t have that excuse. “Besides, my husband is already struggling against the Kun family. I can’t help him much, but at least I shouldn’t cause more trouble.”

The most Empress Dowager Kun could do was make them kneel. Nothing more. After returning home, Mrs. Ren endured the pain and applied hot compresses for a long time, finally feeling a bit better. Ji Zimu was very worried and wanted to complain to his father, but she sent him away.

Ji Yuanhao was also extremely busy. His power was not much less than Yang Yanzong’s, but he became independent later. Handling the Kun family’s tricks and his affairs kept him busy until midnight.

Mrs. Ren left a lamp on for him, prepared hot water in the kitchen, and made a bowl of hot noodles. Eating it made him feel much better.

Ji Yuanhao held Mrs. Ren’s hand and asked concernedly, “What happened in the palace today? Did the empress dowager trouble you?”

Mrs. Ren smiled gently, “Nothing serious, just a bit of scolding. Don’t worry about it.” She touched the dark circles under his eyes with concern. “You should rest. You have to get up early tomorrow.”

Ji Yuanhao was indeed very tired. Hearing this, he believed her. But he couldn’t rest yet; he had some secret matters to handle. He patted Mrs. Ren’s hand, “You go to sleep. I’ll go to the study and sleep there tonight. Don’t wait up.”

With that, he got up and left.

Mrs. Ren took a lamp and walked him to the door, her eyes following his figure into the darkness. After a long time, she returned to the bed, carefully lying down with the help of a maid.

---

Mrs. Ren chose to endure silently and support her husband, never dragging Ji Yuanhao down, preferring to suffer in silence.

But Su Ci wasn’t like that!

She wouldn’t hold back. Whether she suffered a loss or achieved something, she had to tell the person involved immediately. Otherwise, who would know?!

Not long after returning home, Yang Yanzong came back. She immediately showed him her legs and complained, “It hurts so much! I knelt for almost an hour. I won’t go again, even if you kill me!”

Yang Yanzong lifted her legs, seeing two large, obvious bruises on her porcelain-white skin. The old ones hadn’t faded, and new ones had appeared, blue and purple, covering her entire knee and extending to her thigh and calf.

Yang Yanzong’s face darkened, looking like it was about to drip water. He was furious, “Damn Kun family!!!” He spat out the words through gritted teeth, feeling murderous.

Without Su Ci saying a word, he coldly said, “You won’t go again. Next time, claim you’re sick. Say your old injury has flared up.” Yang Yanzong was extremely angry, laughing coldly. He would never allow Su Ci to enter the palace again. As for the conflict between him and the Kun family, it was bound to erupt sooner or later, and the timing didn’t make much difference.

He personally applied medicinal oil to her bruises, massaging them until she fell asleep. Then he got out of bed and angrily scolded A Zheng, Nanny Zhang, and the others.

“Why didn’t you inform me the first time?! What are you all doing?! Do you want to lose your jobs?!”

A Zheng stammered, “…Madam ordered us not to.”

Su Ci’s strict orders to those around her were a good thing, and Yang Yanzong didn’t want to undermine her authority. In the end, he ordered A Zheng and the other personal soldiers to each receive twenty lashes.

From then on, Su Ci began to feign illness and refused to go to the palace. When summoned, she would lie down and pretend to be sick. The eunuchs couldn’t force her to go, and after a while, they stopped coming. After a few visits, they stopped altogether.

Su Ci became happy again. Her knees hurt, so she sat while doing the accounts and working on allicin.

Allicin was relatively easy to prepare, with readily available raw materials, making it a rare and suitable antibacterial medicine for promotion. She was thinking of trying it out, and she had recently worked on standardizing the preparation steps and drafting a promotion plan. She wasn’t in a hurry initially, but seeing so many soldiers and their families struggling due to inadequate post-injury treatment, her sense of urgency grew.

During this time, Mrs. Ren visited her.

Mrs. Ren’s knees were already swollen, and she needed help getting in and out of the carriage. She pleaded with Su Ci not to tell Ji Yuanhao.

Mrs. Ren smiled bitterly, “What good would it do to tell him, Sister Ci? Our family is part of the royal clan.”

Su Ci was speechless.

Realistically, Su Ci was the wife of an external minister, which provided some distance. She could claim illness and refuse to enter the palace, and Empress Dowager Kun couldn’t do much about it. But Mrs. Ren was different. Ji Yuanhao was part of the royal family, and as a royal wife, Empress Dowager Kun could summon Mrs. Ren to the palace at any time without any reason! She could scold and punish Mrs. Ren, and if Mrs. Ren didn’t go, she could send a nanny to the residence to reprimand her, forcing Mrs. Ren to kneel and listen.

Mrs. Ren’s situation was actually more difficult than Su Ci’s. Even if she told Ji Yuanhao, he could only be angry and couldn’t do much else for now. Just like Yang Yanzong, who was furious but constrained by his position, he could only have Su Ci feign illness to avoid the conflict.

Ji Yuanhao was already busy and exhausted. Most importantly, Mrs. Ren understood from his words that he didn’t plan to confront the Kun family head-on for now. She didn’t want to add psychological pressure or drag him down.

Mrs. Ren pleaded with Su Ci, “Please don’t tell him, Sister Ci. I’m begging you.”

What else could Su Ci do but nod and agree?

She gave Mrs. Ren several bottles of medicinal ointment, all carefully selected by Yang Yanzong. Mrs. Ren wasn’t one to show off; she probably didn’t have any good medicine herself.

Su Ci hesitantly asked Yang Yanzong, “Sister Ren asked me not to tell Ji Yuanhao. What do you think?”

Yang Yanzong was indifferent. “It’s their couple’s matter. Why do you care so much?” He skillfully rolled up Su Ci’s pants and saw that the bruises had faded and her knees were fair and clean. Very satisfied, he leaned down and kissed her, smiling, “You should care more about your man!”

He missed her and took time out of his busy schedule to come home to see her, not to listen to the troubles between Mrs. Ren and Ji Yuanhao.

Yang Yanzong held her close, leaned in to kiss her, and sucked on her lips for a while. “Wait until tomorrow, then you go to Changyi and stay at the hot spring villa for a while.”

The two were affectionate for quite a while. Yang Yanzong squinted his eyes; the conflict between him and Kun was about to escalate. Before that, he had to send his wife away to avoid Kun coming to trouble her again. Thinking of this, his brows furrowed.

Su Ci agreed but was a bit worried, “Are you afraid?” She was referring to the Kun family.

Yang Yanzong patted her back to reassure her, “Don’t worry about it. The most important thing is to take care of your health.”

After discussing serious matters, he leaned in to kiss her. Su Ci quickly pushed his face away, “Go, hurry up and wash!” She found his sweaty smell unpleasant.

Su Ci waved her hand, playfully wrinkling her nose. Yang Yanzong pretended to be angry, “Oh, you little girl dare to dislike me!” He lunged at her and hugged her tightly, rubbing his head against her chest, “Let’s wash together!”

“No way! You wish!” Su Ci held onto the bedpost tightly. She had just taken a full bath in the afternoon and wasn’t going to do it again. Yang Yanzong tugged at her a couple of times but couldn’t move her. She laughed and kicked him a few times. He grabbed her feet and tickled her, making her almost laugh to the point of tears.

After some playful banter, Yang Yanzong, seeing that she was really unwilling, pinched her nose and went to wash himself.

…

Su Ci lay on the bed with her feet up, listening to the sound of water in the bathroom, and laughed for a while.

The room was quiet, with distant maids, servants, and guards moving around and whispering. After staying alone for a while, she couldn’t help but think of Mrs. Ren.

Thinking of Mrs. Ren, she thought of herself.

Mrs. Ren was the typical good wife and wise mother of today, wasn’t she?

Su Ci roughly understood Mrs. Ren’s thoughts and difficulties. Since there was no way out, why let her husband know and worry? He was already busy and had enough difficulties. It was said that Mrs. Ren was the daughter of a servant of Ji Yuanhao’s family.

A love of sacrifice, a complete devotion.

Su Ci couldn’t help but shake her head. She couldn’t understand this mindset and was afraid she could never do it in this lifetime!

Impossible! She wasn’t that kind of person.

Actually, using Mrs. Ren as a mirror, Su Ci had already clarified her thoughts. She had made up her mind!

Yang Yanzong was truly good to her now, so she would reciprocate with all her heart, striving to be a good wife, giving back to him and not letting him down, with a clear conscience. As for other things, she wouldn’t force them. She wouldn’t make things difficult for herself. Men in ancient times had too many conveniences, so let him be a little wronged!

Just treat it as a test.

If he genuinely loves her, then he probably won’t be able to bear the separation. If not, then it’s better to end it!

If he remains unchanged, then… maybe in the future, she might really fall in love with him. Anyway, stop forcing herself. Be a little kinder to herself! The living conditions for women in this damn ancient era are already not great.

After thinking it through, Su Ci decided to follow her heart and be a little kinder to him and herself. She felt at ease once she figured it out; the guilt disappeared, and her heart relaxed.

She smiled happily.