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

The words in the memorial were even more offensive than those in Lin Wei's letter!

"Wang failed in her duty to educate her son, allowing him to publicly insult her filial daughter, thus violating moral principles and ethics. This is her first crime!"

"Afterwards, he showed no remorse, showed no intention of apologizing, and instead abused his power to bully others, disregarding the law of the land. This is his second crime!"

A memorial to the throne struck Minister Wang squarely on the head.

What's even more damning is that it was followed by a joint testimony from more than a dozen scholars and literati who were in the tavern at the time!

The witnesses and physical evidence are all there!

This time, they turned the tables on them!

Didn't you say that Jiang Bingning "misled the public with filial piety"?

OK!

Let's discuss whose fault it is to publicly insult a well-known filial daughter in the street!

Lin Wei's offensive was effortlessly neutralized by Ji Ling, who subtly and quietly turned the tables on her.

-----------------

The Great Zhou Embassy.

"Snapped!"

Another precious celadon teacup was shattered to pieces in Jiang Chengxuan's hands.

"waste!"

His face was contorted with rage as he stared intently at the servant kneeling on the ground who had delivered the message.

"A bunch of useless trash!"

"Impeaching someone didn't do anything to her; instead, it got us implicated!"

"Ji Ling! It's Ji Ling again!"

Jiang Chengxuan gritted his teeth as he muttered the name. The net he and the Imperial Censor Bei Di had meticulously set up had been easily torn open by the other party.

"Father, please calm down."

Jiang Luwei, who was standing to the side, slowly spoke.

"We lost this round."

"But the game has only just begun."

"Just because we can't touch her in the imperial court doesn't mean we can't touch her elsewhere."

His gaze drifted wistfully toward the Lin residence.

"It should be time for Yue Rong to make a move."

Lin House.

The night was as dark as ink. Jiang Yuerong carried a bowl of ginseng soup into Lin Wenbo's study.

The soup bowl contained top-quality ginseng, simmered over a low flame for a full three hours, resulting in a rich aroma.

Hidden between her fingertips was a small paper package.

Upon opening the paper packet, the colorless and odorless powder dissolved instantly when poured into the soup.

Her hands trembled like fallen leaves in the autumn wind.

But her eyes were cold and ruthless.

This is the medicine Jiang Luwei gave her. She should take one qian (approximately 3 grams) of the medicine daily and mix it into her food. After three months, she will experience palpitations and shortness of breath, eventually dying from exhaustion, looking like she died suddenly from an illness.

"What are you doing? Stop dawdling!"

Lin Wenbo's impatient voice came from the inner room.

Jiang Yuerong took a deep breath, calmed herself, and carried the soup bowl inside.

"Sir, the ginseng soup is ready. Please drink it while it's hot."

Lin Wenbo snatched the soup bowl, didn't even glance at her, and tilted his head back to gulp it down.

Recently, his father Lin Wei suffered a setback in the imperial court, which led to him being restrained at every turn, and he had been harboring a deep resentment in his heart.

After finishing his soup, he stared intently at Jiang Yuerong with his scarlet eyes.

"come over!"

Jiang Yuerong's heart tightened, and she subconsciously took half a step back.

This half-step completely ignited Lin Wenbo's anger.

"You bitch! You think you're so great?!"

He suddenly stood up, rushed forward, grabbed Jiang Yuerong by the hair, and slammed her to the ground.

"Rip—"

The sound of clothes tearing was jarring and filled with despair.

"Your dear sister is living a life of luxury in the Prince Xin's mansion, while you, on the other hand, have become a jinx to my Lin family!"

"Master...no..."

"Don't want to?" Lin Wenbo grinned maliciously, his actions becoming increasingly violent.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Wenbo finally got up and tidied his disheveled clothes.

He took a silver ingot out of his purse and casually tossed it onto Jiang Yuerong's bare shoulder; the cold touch sent a shiver down her spine.

"Here's a reward for you."

He uttered three words with disdain, as if he were giving alms to a beggar on the roadside.

The door was slammed shut.

After a long while, Jiang Yuerong slowly raised her hand and grabbed the silver ingot on her shoulder.

"what!"

She sat up abruptly and slammed the silver ingot against the wall!

The next day, Jiang Luwei's message was quietly delivered.

The letter contained not only banknotes but also a mention of a person.

Su Wanqing, the newly arrived cousin of Prince Xin's mansion.

Jiang Yuerong looked at the name, a wicked glint in her eyes.

That night, contrary to her usual behavior, she took the initiative to prepare wine and dishes for Lin Wenbo when he returned.

Seeing her in her new clothes, with a spring-like look in her eyes, Lin Wenbo had some doubts but was happy to enjoy it nonetheless.

After a few rounds of drinks, Jiang Yuerong leaned in softly, her breath sweet as orchids.

"My lord, I have heard an interesting rumor these past few days."

"Speak," Lin Wenbo said, squinting as he gripped his wine glass.

"You know that Miss Su who recently arrived at the Prince Xin's residence, right? I heard she seems to have quite a thing for Ji Chengyun, the heir of the Ji family."

Lin Wenbo paused, then looked up at her.

"Oh? You're quite well-informed."

Jiang Yuerong giggled, drawing circles on his chest with her finger. "Master, just think about it, if Su Wanqing really manages to climb up to Ji Chengyun, then the backyard of the Prince Xin's mansion will be quite a show."

"Neither Jiang Bingning nor Su Wanqing are easy to deal with. If they were to fight..."

She didn't say anything more, but just looked at Lin Wenbo with her captivating eyes.

Lin Wenbo's eyes were filled with a mixture of desire and calculation as he pulled Jiang Yuerong into his arms.

"Excellent! What a brilliant honey trap!"

"Don't worry, I'll have someone spread the word throughout the capital!"

-----------------

Xinwangfu.

During the time Su Wanqing had lived there, she appeared gentle and respectful, paying her respects to the Dowager Consort morning and evening, and treating the servants with kindness and gentleness. She seemed impeccable.

But the fire of jealousy in her heart burned ever brighter.

On what grounds?

Why is it that Jiang Bingning, a daughter of an enemy country, is so favored by the imperial concubine?

Why is it that a single sentence from her can cause such a stir in the imperial court?

Why is it that Ji Chengyun saved her, yet his gaze keeps drifting towards her unintentionally?

She is not reconciled.

That day, the kitchen prepared a stew of the finest bird's nest, intending to send it to the Dowager Consort and Jiang Bingning.

Su Wanqing found an excuse to send everyone else away and called over a maid who had received small favors from her.

"I'll secretly slip this bit of croton powder into the bowl for Miss Jiang later."

She took a small paper packet from her sleeve, her voice extremely low.

"The amount isn't large, but it's meant to embarrass her and make her lose face in front of the Empress Dowager."

The maidservant turned pale with fright. "Miss, this..."

"What are you afraid of?" Su Wanqing glared at her. "If it's done, this hairpin is yours. If something goes wrong, it won't implicate you at all."

Tempted by the hairpin, the maid gritted her teeth and accepted the medicine packet.

Unbeknownst to her, her actions had already been observed by another pair of eyes.

Chun Tao came out of the kitchen carrying a tray, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the maid shaking something into the bird's nest soup bowl.

She remained expressionless.

Reaching a secluded corner, Chuntao quickly lifted the lids of the two bowls and then swapped them back on.

A simple bowl of bird's nest was delivered to Jiang Bingning's room.

The bowl with added ingredients was carried to Su Wanqing's courtyard by another maid.

"Miss, this is a gift from the Dowager Consort."

Su Wanqing was secretly pleased, but on the surface she looked flattered and surprised, "Thank you for your trouble, Aunt. The Empress Dowager still remembers me."

She gracefully savored the bowl of bird's nest.