The young lady is delicate and soft, yet she criticizes the powerful minister for bowing and scrapin

The Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) headquarters.

Fu Chong dispatched his subordinates early in the morning, instructing them to investigate the clues in the Empress Dowager's case.

When he returned to the Commander's Office, he saw a man sitting at his desk.

The man was dignified and showed no remorse for taking over someone else's place.

"It's been so many days, why haven't you gone back to the Marquis's residence yet?"

"Your old lady has practically turned the capital upside down, sending people to search the streets and alleys every day, seriously affecting the Imperial Guards' ability to handle cases."

Fu Chong sighed and looked at him with some resentment.

Wei Jun slowly raised his eyes. "This government office isn't exactly comfortable, but it's quiet. You should be glad I'm here."

Fu Chong laughed, but seeing that his good brother had a home he didn't want to go back to, he felt a little sorry for him.

"If all else fails, you can stay with your cousin. Having a beauty by your side is better than staying here."

Wei Jun remained silent.

"What? You haven't won her heart yet?"

"She is no ordinary woman."

Fu Chong's laughter echoed around the Jinyiwei headquarters.

"Nian'an, Nian'an, in this respect, you cannot compare to Shi Qing. He is like a lotus rising from the mud, untainted by its filth, passing through countless thickets without a single petal clinging to him!"

Wei Jun casually flipped through a file, "He's fallen in love with my third sister, and he's been waiting for me at the Ministry of Revenue every day."

"You guys!..." Fu Chong shook his head.

"No wonder, no wonder, they say even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman."

A member of the Imperial Guard reported at the gate: The Marquis of Dingyuan's residence has withdrawn all its patrols and guards from the capital; they must have found the Marquis's heir.

After his men retreated, Fu Chong raised an eyebrow. "You heard that? The old lady is very stubborn. I'm afraid you won't be able to go back."

Wei Jun put down the file. "No, quite the opposite. My grandmother has backed down. She's waiting for me to go back and negotiate with her."

Before leaving, Wei Jun dusted himself off.

Fu Chong gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do.

Sometimes he was glad they were allies; if they were enemies, Wei Jun would have thrown dirty water on them without hesitation.

Wei Jun was never a good person.

The Marquis of Dingyuan's Residence.

The peonies in the back garden are in full bloom, their petals layered together.

Qin Xue, dressed in a green dress, stayed by the old lady's side and personally took the tea from the nanny and poured tea for the old lady.

"Grandmother, this is fresh tea from Jiangnan. Please see if it suits your taste."

She has been staying by the old lady's side for half a month.

Ever since the incident involving the masked woman on the street, she came to the Marquis's residence seeking comfort, which enraged the old lady on the spot.

This attitude made Qin Xue even more certain that the old lady would not tolerate a mistress ruining her reputation.

Qi Yunli will never be able to enter the Marquis's mansion.

Qin Xue regretted that she was too soft-hearted at the time and failed to see through Qi Yunli's seduction of Brother Jun at a glance.

"It's delicious. Xue'er is so thoughtful."

The old lady had no interest in appreciating the flowers and hesitated to speak.

The butler rushed in from the front hall, his face beaming with undisguised joy.

"Madam! Young Master, the Young Master is back!"

The old lady quickly put down her teacup, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

"Come on, Grandmother, Brother Nian'an is back. He couldn't bear to let you worry."

Qin Xue's face was full of joy.

It was definitely the right thing to keep bothering the old lady.

Qi Yunli, look, no matter how much you seduce a man's heart for a moment, you still can't compete with a proper fiancée who has been betrothed three times.

Just as they helped the old lady out of the pavilion, they saw a dark figure not far away.

Despite not having returned home for half a month, Wei Jun showed no signs of haggardness, and his brows still exuded the imposing presence befitting a prince.

Qin Xue's heart was pounding.

"Brother Jun..."

A mist rose in her eyes, making her look pitiful.

"Don't worry, I've been spending a lot of time with Grandma while you were away."

The old lady stopped in her tracks, her eyes deep and thoughtful.

Wei Jun bypassed the two men and sat down directly on a bench in the pavilion.

The servants poured him tea and water, which he drank slowly, his gaze towards the two men cold and indifferent.

Qin Xue froze on the spot.

Jun-gege is showing off to her.

It's alright, the old lady is there to support her.

"Brother Jun, Grandma is so worried about you. She can't eat or drink. Don't let her worry!"

Qin Xue helped the old lady sit down, her demeanor full of fragility.

In the past, Qin Xue would never have acted like this. But her parents said that Wei Jun was a favorite of the emperor and was very likely to become a minister who would assist the new emperor in the future.

We must keep our eyes on Wei Jun.

Even for an unfavored lady.

Wei Jun did not respond to her.

The atmosphere inside the pavilion froze.

The old lady finally let out a heavy sigh, breaking the silence. She turned her head and said:

"Miss Qin."

"Grandmother?" Qin Xue's delicate expression turned into a question.

Why did the way we address each other suddenly become so unfamiliar?

The old lady lacked her usual gentleness:

"You should break off the engagement. It is the Marquis's family that has wronged you. The Marquis's family will return double all the betrothal gifts and dowry to you."

"Grandmother, what did you say? Annul the engagement?"

Qin Xue almost stopped breathing. "It's okay if Brother Jun doesn't like me. After I enter the family, Brother Jun can take as many concubines as he wants..."

The old lady avoided her gaze: "Xue'er..."

"No! Why should I? Everyone in the capital knows our families were engaged. If we break off the engagement now, how am I supposed to face anyone after this?"

Qin Xue bit her lower lip, looking pitiful.

"If word gets out that you disfigured Su Shuran, you'll be unable to live a respectable life either," Wei Jun said calmly.

Qin Xue shuddered, and all the color drained from her face.

"Grandmother was just giving you a way out and didn't expose you earlier."

Qin Xue's lips trembled.

The Rong Prince's family has fallen into decline, and Su Shuran is no longer in the capital. How did Wei Jun know about this?

Even if she did it, so what?

"Prince Rong deserves to die for embezzling military funds, and Su Shuran is already guilty of a crime. What crime have I committed?"

Qin Xue calmed herself down a little.

She admitted that she had misjudged Wei Jun's sweetheart at the time, and in a moment of panic, she tried to ruin Su Shuran.

At first, she felt a little guilty when she realized she had guessed the wrong person, but later, when the Rong Prince's family fell into a quagmire, no one spoke up for her anymore.

Wei Jun smiled and said, "Before Prince Rong was convicted, Su Shuran was still Prince Rong's daughter and a princess."

"You are jealous and vicious, and you are no good mistress of the Marquis's mansion. I have already written to the Duke of Qi. If you do not take the initiative to annul the engagement, then don't blame me for turning my back on you without mercy."

Qin Xue fell to the ground in a panic, pleading:

"Brother Jun, this feud between our two families will do no good for the Marquis's mansion. Why do it...?"

"You're wrong." Wei Jun put down his teacup, the bottom of which made a soft sound as it hit the stone table.

"The Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion does not need to rely on marriage alliances to solidify its position."

Qin Xue got up from the ground, crying. Her skirt was covered in mud and she looked disheveled. Her eyes were red and swollen. She approached Wei Jun step by step.

"You call me malicious? Wei Jun, you didn't tell me the truth from the beginning, and you got engaged to me in a short time, making me mistakenly believe that you liked me."

"You clearly have someone in your heart! It's Qi Yunli! You forced me to transform from a kind person into a ruthless one!"

"My lord's legitimate daughter, who wouldn't marry her? It's you who ruined my life!"

Having said that, she thrust the hairpin in her hand toward Wei Jun's neck.

Wei Jun's eyes caught sight of the hairpin, and he suddenly remembered what Qi Yunli had said:

In a man's world, no matter how much you struggle, it's just a matter of moving from one bed to another.

That's it.

She let the hairpin pierce her palm.