Ouyang Zhi held the small portrait in his hand, pushed open the door, and strode out. These past few days, Concubine Zhou had been basking in the joy of her rising fortune, thinking that her hardships had finally come to an end. Never did she expect to be slapped out of nowhere. She stood there in a daze for a long moment, thinking to herself that this must be a nightmare! How could that small portrait end up in her room?

Ouyang Zhi left the room and headed straight for Furui Courtyard. Lin Wanru was not resting. She was sitting upright by the silver lamp, her face glowing with delight as she greeted him with a smile. Ouyang Zhi, his face filled with fury, threw the small portrait onto the table. Lin Wanru feigned curiosity, picked it up, and examined it briefly before asking in mock surprise, “Master, what brings you here at this hour? And what is this?”

Seething with anger, Ouyang Zhi recounted the events that had just transpired. Lin Wanru gasped in shock. “Oh dear, Master, did you truly catch her in the act?! Sigh, you mustn’t let your anger ruin your health. I had my suspicions about this matter before, but without evidence, there was nothing I could do.”

Ouyang Zhi snapped, “If you knew, why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

Lin Wanru smiled softly. “Master, Concubine Zhou was a gift from the minister of personnel. How could I act without proof? I have long suspected that the child’s origins were dubious, but alas, you and Mother always dismissed my concerns as mere jealousy. Now you finally see that my worries were justified.”

Ouyang Zhi had long been accustomed to relying on Lin Wanru. At this moment, his fury clouded his judgment, and he instinctively believed that the child was not his. In that case, even if Lin Wanru had harmed the child, it would have been justifiable. Forgetting that he had placed her under house arrest, he asked directly, “What should be done now?”

“This is not difficult.” Lin Wanru replied calmly. “If Master wants her dead, then grant her a rope. If you wish to spare her life, send her back to where she came from. Keeping her here will only invite disaster. But you must act quickly. I’m afraid that if you see her tomorrow, your heart will soften again, and then things will become troublesome. Moreover, Mother already knows about this matter and believes the child is truly yours. If you accuse Concubine Zhou of adultery, Mother might think I am the one sowing discord out of resentment.”

Ouyang Zhi gritted his teeth in hatred. “If I weren’t afraid of causing a scandal, I would have beaten her to death just now! The more I think about it, the angrier I get. I won’t be at peace until that wretched woman is dead!”

Consumed by rage, Ouyang Zhi led his men toward Concubine Zhou’s Hexiang Courtyard. However, in the garden, he unexpectedly ran into Ouyang Nuan, who had just returned from Shou’an Hall, accompanied by Li Yue’e walking half a step behind her. Li Yue’e hastily bowed upon seeing Ouyang Zhi, but when she caught sight of the woman standing beside him, she was taken aback and blurted out, “Madam?”

Realizing her slip, she instinctively glanced at Ouyang Nuan, yet the eldest miss remained composed, without so much as a furrow in her brow. Instead, she stepped forward cheerfully and curtsied. “Father, Mother, where are you going?”

Ouyang Zhi, still fuming, merely let out a cold snort and continued on his way. Lin Wanru, however, smiled faintly at Ouyang Nuan and said, “Nuan’er, Concubine Zhou has committed a disgraceful act, and your father is going to punish her. I have tried to persuade him for a long time, but he refuses to listen!”

“How could this be?” Li Yue’e’s face turned pale. In the deep recesses of the rear courtyard, ‘disgraceful acts’ could only mean adultery. If that were true, then all their efforts at Shou’an Hall had been for nothing! Her heart sank, and her expression grew even darker.

Ouyang Nuan, however, smiled. “Mother has always been kind-hearted. Compared to Concubine Zhou, Father’s health is far more important. If he falls ill from anger, it would not be worth it. You should hurry and check on him. Don’t let Concubine Zhou’s sobbing soften his heart.”

Lin Wanru was momentarily stunned, realizing that this girl had a mind far deeper than she had expected. However, it was futile— Concubine Zhou would never have the chance to plead her case. Thinking of this, Lin Wanru sneered coldly and turned to leave. Li Yue’e watched her departing figure, her face growing even more ashen, and unconsciously turned to Ouyang Nuan. “Eldest Miss……”

Ouyang Nuan smiled slightly. “If Concubine Li has time to worry, why not go and see for yourself?”

Li Yue’e’s heart pounded with unease. She hesitated before cautiously suggesting, “Eldest Miss, why don’t we go together?”

Ouyang Nuan’s gaze flickered as if she had already seen through Li Yue’e’s thoughts. She replied indifferently, “By right, I should not meddle in my father’s affairs, but since Concubine Zhou was a gift from his superior, I fear that in his moment of rage, he might make a hasty decision. Very well, I shall accompany you.”

Nanny Fang and Hongyu exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing— their young miss truly understood the madam too well. She had anticipated her schemes all along. But this was a tricky situation. If Concubine Zhou was found guilty of adultery, then no matter how she was punished, Lin Wanru’s authority would be restored.

────ρя


When Ouyang Zhi arrived at Hexiang Courtyard, he found the doors tightly shut. His calls for entry went unanswered, further stoking his anger. He ordered his men to kick the doors open. Stepping inside, he immediately saw Concubine Zhou’s pale, lifeless face. She had hanged herself with a long silk handkerchief from the bedpost.

Ouyang Zhi froze in shock and hurriedly ordered his men to take her down. They carried her to the bed, but her body was already ice-cold. She was long dead.

The onlookers, who had been ready to witness a severe punishment, were now panicked. Someone stepped forward, intending to inform the old madam, but Lin Wanru quickly signaled to Nanny Wang to stop them. Her expression was icy as she said, “This is clearly a case of suicide out of guilt. A mere concubine daring to end her life in our household— such disrespect! Arrange a simple funeral and be done with it.”

The words ‘suicide out of guilt’ struck Ouyang Zhi like a hammer. His face turned from pale to livid, yet with no one left to take his anger out on, he could only suppress his fury.

Just then, Ouyang Nuan and Li Yue’e entered. Seeing the scene, they immediately understood what had happened. Ouyang Nuan, upon hearing the words ‘suicide out of guilt’, sneered inwardly. Concubine Zhou had not even been given a chance to defend herself before she died. This was undoubtedly Lin Wanru’s doing. To further her own interests, she had ruthlessly taken two lives. Truly, a heart as vicious as a wolf!

Ouyang Nuan whispered to Li Yue’e, “Concubine Li, you were always close to Concubine Zhou. Now that she has died unjustly, shouldn’t you mourn for her?”

Li Yue’e had been stunned by the sight, but upon hearing that, she looked up at Ouyang Nuan. The young lady’s expression was calm, yet her eyes held a chilling coldness. A shiver ran down Li Yue’e’s spine. No— she could not let Lin Wanru cement Concubine Zhou’s guilt!

Steeling herself, Li Yue’e stepped forward and, through sobs, wailed, “Concubine Zhou, you were the cleverest among us. If you truly did this, then close your eyes. But if you were falsely accused, show us a sign— Master will seek justice for you!”

Concubine Zhou’s eyes remained wide open in death, filled with silent rage and injustice. Li Yue’e stomped her foot and wailed even louder.

Lin Wanru, fully aware of the underlying implications in Li Yue’e’s words, merely smiled coldly and said, “What nonsense is Concubine Li speaking? You make it sound as if she was wrongfully accused. If she had conducted herself properly, why would Master have seen her cousin, Steward Zhang, leaving her room? And why would she take her own life in fear of punishment before Master could even deal with her?”

Li Yue’e ignored Lin Wanru and continued wailing, “Oh, Concubine Zhou, Concubine Zhou! You were too kind-hearted. You were just a concubine, how could you dare to help your own relative secure a position? And now, look at the slander you have suffered! If you had any difficulties, you could have come to me. Perhaps I could have helped you find a way out. Why did you choose death to prove your innocence? Who will ever understand your pain now?”

Lin Wanru would never allow Li Yue’e to twist the narrative and turn a suicide out of guilt into a noble sacrifice. Her brows shot up as she sternly rebuked, “Concubine Li, what nonsense are you spouting here? Who do you think Master is? Would he ever falsely accuse her?”