Bai Ruzhu sat coldly in her seat.

Even though she knew it was all an act, seeing her husband standing side by side with that beautiful woman still made her feel a pang of discomfort.

Thinking further—how the marquis must have made physical contact to coax this woman into willingly coming to the marquis’ residence—those imagined scenes only made Bai Ruzhu’s expression grow colder.

She held a tea cup in her hand and took a few sips.

“Madam, please let us be,” Li Suiwen, standing nearby, said, “It’s perfectly normal for a man to take a concubine. You should be more magnanimous.”

Though he maintained a calm facade, he was inwardly delighted.

He had done so much just to trick this top courtesan into coming home—surely his wife would see his efforts.

But Bai Ruzhu found his words deeply offensive.

Unable to restrain herself, she flung the tea in her hand right into Li Suiwen’s face.

He wiped the tea from his face.

She was acting too well.

The spy would surely believe it.

He shouted angrily, “Such a narrow-minded woman! If you keep acting jealous like this, I’ll divorce you!”

With a dramatic sweep of his sleeve, he stormed off.

Furong was left standing there.

Head lowered, she said softly, “As long as Madam allows me to stay, I’ll do whatever you wish.”

Bai Ruzhu responded coolly, “If the ancestors of the Li family can accept a woman from the brothel as one of their own, I’ll gladly drink the tea you offer.”

Furong nodded. “I’m willing to kneel in the ancestral hall to beg for their approval.”

“You’re not worthy to step into the ancestral hall!” Bai Ruzhu stood up coldly. “Kneel right here. If your sincerity is real, the ancestors will feel it.”

Furong knelt immediately.

She appeared utterly submissive, but her lowered eyes were filled with ridicule and contempt.

Look at this so-called Marquise of Wei—her entire mind focused on petty household tricks and bullying weak women.

And this Wei Kingdom—why should it deserve the richest lands of the Central Plains?

She was willing to humble herself as a concubine only to acquire critical intel. If successful, she would be honored by Yue’s court as a female general.

Her battlefield was the frontlines.

But the battlefield of Wei’s women was this pitiful little inner courtyard.

How pathetic.

The sneer nearly spilled from her lips.

Bai Ruzhu didn’t know what Furong was thinking.

She quickly left the courtyard and spotted Li Zhiyue, her daughter, watching the drama unfold from the gate.

Grabbing her daughter’s hand, she whispered nervously, “I was so afraid she’d kill me in a rage. That was close.”

Keeping her voice low, she asked, “Yue’er, how much longer until your father returns?”

Li Zhiyue estimated. “About half an hour.”

“So long?” Bai Ruzhu was anxious. “What if she figures something out? Quick, have all the servants surround the main courtyard. If she tries to escape, they can stop her.”

Li Zhiyue chuckled helplessly. “If we cause such a commotion, she’ll definitely get suspicious. Just stay calm.”

Half an hour later, a servant who had been keeping watch rushed back: “The marquis is on his way with men—he’s already on Yongning Street, almost home!”

Footsteps approached the front gate of the marquis’ residence.

Furong, kneeling on the ground, had keen hearing.

She assumed the Marquis of Xiangyang had come to rescue her from punishment.

She wasn’t about to let her half-hour of kneeling go to waste.

As the footsteps reached the courtyard gate, she closed her eyes and fainted dramatically.

She expected the marquis to pity her and lift her into his arms.

But instead, she felt a wave of murderous intent.

Eyes snapping open, she saw the courtyard full of soldiers holding long blades.

This wasn’t what she imagined.

“Commander Qiu, it’s her!” Li Suiwen shouted. “She’s the spy from Yue! Arrest her!”

Furong’s mind exploded.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a petty household rivalry?

Why were the Wei soldiers here?

Had the Marquis of Xiangyang known her identity all along—was this a trap?

She had been set up?

A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, but she fluttered her lashes, eyes filled with disbelief.

She said weakly, “What are you talking about, Marquis? I don’t understand. I’m just a girl from Drunken Flower House. The marquis said he fell for me at first sight, paid to free me, and wanted to take me as a concubine. That’s why I’m here… You can’t accuse me of being a spy just because your wife objects…”

Tears streamed from her big eyes.

She turned to Commander Qiu and pleaded, “Sir, I’m innocent…”

Commander Qiu looked at her delicate waist and fragile neck and found it hard to believe she was a spy.

Would the Yue court really send such a frail woman?

“Marquis of Xiangyang, could there be a mistake?” Qiu chuckled. “I see nothing suspicious. Since your wife disapproves of a concubine, perhaps let it go. You’re a well-known couple in the capital—let me take this woman away.”

Li Zhiyue: “……”

People say men think with their lower half—she now believed it.

From her sleeve, she took out a letter and handed it over. “We found this among her belongings. Please take a look before making your decision.”

Furong’s mind buzzed again.

This was the letter she had sewn into her clothes with seven layers of stitches—how had it been found?

Li Zhiyue smiled.

Earlier, she had all the maids and matrons search Furong’s few belongings at once, with a reward of ten silver taels for anything useful.

The women had gone wild—ripping up clothes, smashing hairpins, even tearing apart shoes.

Naturally, the letter had been uncovered.

Commander Qiu frowned and opened the letter.

It was written in Yue’s script.

He couldn’t read it, but it was proof enough.

He said coldly, “How can I be sure this letter was really found among her belongings? What if it’s slander? We might be arresting an innocent woman.”

Furong smiled as if seeing hope.

Men of Wei truly were useless wine sacks, willing to defend her despite clear evidence?

The heavens were helping her.

She had to seize the moment.

Delicately, she collapsed toward Commander Qiu. “Sir, I’ve truly been wronged…”

Commander Qiu’s heart melted—he wanted to take her straight to bed and console her.

Li Suiwen regretted it bitterly.

He should never have gone to the capital’s military command.

He should’ve taken her to the Shuntian Prefecture or the Dali Temple—anywhere but to this lecherous mutt!

A golden opportunity for merit was slipping away!

Li Zhiyue chuckled and said, “Letters can be forged. But can the calluses on a spy’s palms be?”