He remarried after his mother's death, seized power over the world, and slept on the emperor�

It turned out to be the case.

Jiang Bingning's eyes flickered slightly.

She was Aunt Zhao, who served Consort Lin.

The one who gave her a hard time was Consort Lin.

Jiang Bingning's lips curled into a cold smile.

The Lin family.

Of course she remembered this woman.

According to Jiang Yuerong, after her mother entered the mansion, this Lin woman went mad and opposed her mother at every turn.

The mother was gentle and disliked fighting, but she was forced to retreat step by step by the woman, and eventually died of exhaustion and depression.

However, Lin's triumph didn't last long.

Less than six months after her mother's death, Prince Xin, Ji Yunhan, dismissed her from the house with a letter of divorce, citing her "moral failings, jealousy, and lack of compassion."

The Lin family was a prominent clan in the Northern Di, how could they tolerate such a humiliating disgrace?

The court immediately launched a barrage of criticism against Prince Xin.

Prince Xin gritted his teeth and endured it all, then got into disputes with each of the court officials who slandered him.

The emperor was helpless against the completely irrational Prince Xin, and the powerful clans, led by the Lin family, were not giving an inch, so the emperor could only turn a blind eye.

From then on, a rift developed between the royal family and the aristocratic families, and the Northern Di court was thrown into chaos.

It was that internal strife that gave Jiang Bingning an opportunity.

She deployed troops at the border to exert pressure, and the Great Zhou cavalry knocked on the gates. The Northern Di were preoccupied with internal and external troubles and had no time to spare. In addition, Ji Ling did not have the trust of the Northern Di emperor, which allowed her to succeed in one strike and ultimately forced the Northern Di to sign a treaty of surrender, ceding territory and paying reparations.

The fates of the Zhou Dynasty and the Northern Di were thus reversed.

Jiang Bingning slowly exhaled.

In this life, she only imposed a minor punishment in front of the mansion gate, yet it provoked Lin Shi to act so hastily.

Yeah.

To save her the trouble of figuring out a way to deal with it, since Consort Lin made the first move, she shouldn't blame me for being impolite.

"I see."

She pulled herself out of her thoughts and looked at Chuntao, who was still uneasy in front of her.

"Don't get involved in this matter anymore, and don't mention it to anyone."

Chuntao nodded quickly, like a chick pecking at rice.

"This servant understands! This servant knows nothing!"

Jiang Bingning softened her tone.

"As for this hundred taels of silver, you can keep it without worry."

"Besides paying for your mother's medical treatment, use the rest of the money to buy some things."

"Buy some high-quality silver charcoal, some rice, flour, and cooking oil, and a few yards of cloth, and make us both decent clothes."

She paused.

"From now on, we, master and servant, must not live in such poverty."

"yes!"

Chun Tao's eyes reddened again, but this time it wasn't because of feeling wronged, but because of being moved and hopeful.

"Don't worry, young lady! I will handle things perfectly!"

Jiang Bingning nodded in satisfaction. She was about to offer a few more words of praise.

"Bang--!"

With a loud bang, the gate of Jinse Courtyard was violently kicked open from the outside!

Jiang Bingning's eyes suddenly turned cold.

What audacity!

These servants usually deduct from our allowances and make sarcastic remarks, which is one thing.

They actually dared to kick down her door today!

This is trampling on her dignity, the dignity of the Dowager Empress!

A sharp killing intent emanated from her body.

She wanted to see which blind fool was in such a hurry to be reborn!

The newcomer was dressed in a black brocade robe, with a tall and handsome figure, but his eyes held an unyielding air of ferocity.

Who else could it be but Ji Chengyun, the heir apparent of Prince Xin?

Ji Chengyun kicked the door open, his anger about to erupt.

"Jiang Bingning, you—"

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Chun Tao standing next to Jiang Bingning.

His words abruptly stopped, and his expression instantly turned even more unpleasant.

"You, get out."

Chun Tao was so frightened by his appearance that her legs went weak and she almost knelt down.

She subconsciously looked at Jiang Bingning.

Jiang Bingning nodded slightly to her.

Chun Tao felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and she ran out as fast as she could, not daring to look back.

Ji Chengyun took in all of this.

Only after Chun Tao's figure disappeared into the courtyard did he let out a cold laugh full of sarcasm.

"Oh."

"She really knows how to use tricks."

"In just a few days, you've already acquired such a loyal maid."

"They don't even listen to me anymore, they have to watch your every move first."

Jiang Bingning's expression remained unchanged, but her voice was even colder than his.

"What brings you here, Your Highness?"

She couldn't be bothered to argue with him.

Ji Chengyun was thoroughly enraged by her unyielding attitude.

"You've done something good, and now you're asking me about it?"

He stepped forward, his eyes blazing with anger.

Jiang Bingning frowned slightly, looking completely bewildered.

"What did I do?"

"You dare ask that?!"

Just as Ji Chengyun was about to lash out, his nose suddenly twitched twice.

He frowned and looked around the room with disgust.

"What filthy things did you cook in this house?"

"The stench is giving this young master a headache!"

"This was my mother's favorite courtyard; how could you defile it like this!"

Jiang Bingning followed his gaze and turned to the charcoal brazier in the corner, which was emitting black smoke, her expression calm.

"Your Highness, we were just burning charcoal for warmth."

"Charcoal burning?"

Ji Chengyun seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world.

"Wasn't the silver wire charcoal provided to you by the manor the finest?"

"Silver thread charcoal is smokeless and odorless, so it definitely can't have this pungent, sour smell!"

Jiang Bingning didn't say anything, but silently walked to the charcoal brazier, picked up a piece of wet charcoal that was still emitting black smoke with fire tongs, and handed it to him.

"Please take a look, Your Highness."

Ji Chengyun's gaze fell on the fire tongs.

It was a piece of dark charcoal with a loose texture.

It still had obvious water stains on it, and was sizzling with thick smoke, emitting a nauseating smell.

This is clearly cheap, low-quality charcoal used for cooking in the kitchen, and it's even damp!

Ji Chengyun's face froze instantly.

His gaze shifted from the damp charcoal to the table.

There were three dishes and a soup on the table.

A plate of stir-fried vegetables whose original color was no longer discernible, a bowl of meat soup thick with white oil, a stack of coarse flatbreads of unknown origin, and half a bowl of rice that had gone completely cold.

After a long while, Ji Chengyun finally found his voice.

"You...you only eat this?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Bingning actually smiled.

She pointed to the food on the table, her tone relaxed.

"The food arrived relatively quickly today, and it was still somewhat warm."

"If Your Highness doesn't mind, why don't you use some as well?"

She made a gesture as if to get the bowl and chopsticks, but then seemed to suddenly remember something and sighed.

"However, I had no idea that the Prince's mansion was in such dire straits."

"I heard that the allowance will be reduced again in a few days."

She paused, a hint of melancholy and indignation flashing in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a sensible obedience.

She looked at Ji Chengyun and curtsied slightly.

"Although Bingning was brought into the mansion by the Dowager Consort, she still knows the rules."

"Your Highness, rest assured, Bingning will never cause trouble for the Prince's Mansion over such trivial matters."