My lord, spare his life!

Zhang Yang was shocked.

"Even worse than the Eight Winds?"

It's not that Zhang Yang doesn't favor his adopted daughter, but honestly, Lu Yuan's reputation is truly utterly ruined, practically a wasteland! If Sun Zhao wants to make her reputation even worse than ruins, she'll need some real skill! How did she manage that?

This was the only thought in Zhang Yang's mind.

How did Sun Zhaoruo manage to do that?

Chao Tan: "Lord Boyuan, do not trust those two. Although Sun Zhaoruo is Lord Boyuan's enemy, with Lord Boyuan's abilities, it is only a matter of time before you defeat her. There is no need to resort to means that damage your reputation."

When did Sun Ban's reputation become bad?

That's utterly alarmist!

Chao spoke with absolute certainty.

Zhang Yang glanced at the three people, unsure which one to believe.

How can people have such vastly different reputations and public perceptions?

What was considered rotten by Lü Yuanzhe Meng was considered excellent by Chao Tan. She couldn't help but look at Han Wo, who remained silent throughout. Since Lie Xing Jiang Li changed into a woman, Han Wo's attire had also been slightly adjusted. She wore her hair in a simple and elegant bun, her face bare of makeup, yet with her naturally good looks, even just sitting there silently, she still gave people a refreshing feeling.

Only when the flower is extremely pale do we realize how beautiful it truly is.

Given Hanwo's personality, she didn't want to get involved in this kind of topic.

But Sun Zhaoruo is an exception.

Han Wo: "Sun Ban is no good person."

That's three votes to one.

Chao Tan opened his mouth, but swallowed back what he wanted to say.

She spent most of her time in the Imperial City and rarely went out, so the information she gathered was all that could be circulated outside. This information was inherently delayed and had been deliberately filtered. Unlike Lu Yuan and the other two, who all unanimously said that Sun Ban had a bad reputation, it seemed they knew some secrets that hadn't been revealed. Zhang Yang's curiosity was also fully piqued: "Tell me quickly, what's going on with Sun Zhaoruo?"

Lu Yuan hesitated and stammered.

Therefore, it can be inferred that Sun Ban and she fell into the same trap.

Zhe Meng glanced at Lu Yuan's face and immediately felt much better: "Godmother, you don't know, but this Sun Zhaoruo is indeed a respectable person to outsiders, impeccable. She studies under famous teachers, befriends renowned scholars, and is very courteous to those of talent. A few years ago, a young man wanted to become her retainer, but he contracted a terrible disease somewhere. Before he died, he was delirious and called out 'Mother' several times. This young man had lost both his parents at a young age. When Sun Zhaoruo learned of this, she went to visit him in his illness, felt pity for him, held him in her arms, called him 'son,' and saw him off."

Zhang Yang said, "It sounds quite heartwarming."

Even if it's a show, it's a show with warmth.

Adding a sentence or two of condolence would make it a news report.

"She's done plenty of things like this over the years," Zhe Meng said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Actually, if I didn't know the inside story, I would admire her too. Whether she's sincere or not, her years of generous giving and pity for the weak and orphaned—if she can keep up the act forever, even a lie becomes real. But the problem is, the truth is a bit disgusting… Is your godmother sure she wants to hear it?"

"I'm not a child, what can't I listen to?"

Zhe Meng said, "Then let's take that young man with the terrible disease as an example. Can your godmother guess where he contracted the disease?"

Ordinary illnesses are merely minor ailments that heal themselves without medicine for those possessing the power of celestial beings or whose bodies have been strengthened by stellar energy. That young man wasn't an ordinary person; how could he simply die from an illness? Zhang Yang guessed, "So… the illness wasn't serious, he was poisoned? Was it Sun Zhaoruo who poisoned him?"

Zhe Meng shook his head.

Zhang Yang's guess is a world away from the truth.

Zhe Meng shook his head: "Oh, no, his illness was contracted in a brothel, and the symptoms worsened there."

Zhang Yang: "...Can you really blame Sun Zhaoruo for this?"

Zhe Meng said, "This brings us to the young man's practice of 'Star-Descending Demons.' There are many kinds of Star-Descending Demons in the world. Those related to men and women are not only lustful ghosts, but also other demons. If lustful ghosts are prone to dying from excessive indulgence, then those are prone to dying from illness. Minor illnesses become major illnesses, and major illnesses become terminal illnesses. Even those that can be cured without medicine will be aggravated and deepened by Star-Descending Demons until they die."

Without exception, they all had venereal diseases.

This disease may not have come from the prostitutes in brothels; it is very likely from a vengeful spirit within the body.

Zhang Yang vaguely guessed what Zhe Meng wanted to say.

However, her guesses were still far from the truth.

"The reason Sun Zhaoruo's reputation is worse than Bafeng's is because at least Bafeng can openly admit that she is a womanizer." Zhe Meng was glared at by Lu Yuan after saying this, but she was not afraid at all. "Sun Zhaoruo is different. She loves her reputation. She likes to pretend to be affectionate and says in various ways how much she respects her husband. Over the years, she has only taken two concubines given to her by her husband. Three years ago, her husband died, and she even observed three years of mourning for him."

Zhang Yang: "And then?"

"Sun Zhaoruo secretly hunted for many women, and she had a strange hobby: she would use it to amuse herself whenever she was in a bad mood. People said she wasn't interested in beautiful women, and she truly wasn't. But she liked the unusual, the more unusual, the better—like those who were aloof, optimistic, and kind… The young man who wanted to become her retainer was known for his stubbornness. He was fearless of authority, and had made a name for himself in the village by suing a corrupt official three times to seek justice for his father. His 'fierce and wicked' nature was a kind of lecherous demon with a tainted disease; if he remained chaste and virtuous, he would be safe. But Sun Zhaoruo set her sights on him, and he was in deep trouble…"

Zhang Yang: "Seizing by trickery or force?"

Zhe Meng: "Sun Zhaoruo has always disdained cunning and force. She prefers subtle and gentle methods, and enjoys playing the gentle card. With her power and influence, others have always been the ones to curry favor with her; she doesn't need to force anyone. Even when hunting, she makes sure her prey willingly submits. She holds a high position, is composed, treats people with gentleness and humility, and is particularly willing to mentor others, often praising and taking care of them. Who wouldn't think she's an incredibly kind person, a rare and enlightened ruler? Such subtle warmth is naturally hard to resist for those with lofty ambitions and little worldly experience, easily drawing them in. Especially since this young man has some ideals."

Zhang Yang: "Ideals?"

"Sun Zhaoruo made the younger generation believe that their ideals were embodied in her."

Zhang Yang: "...Indeed insidious."

The observed samples said that if you're dating someone simply because they're attracted to their looks, family background, or status, that's fine. Once the glamour fades, you can get over the heartbreak. But if you're dating someone because you're "like-minded," then your life is over.

Most likely, they'll stick to one path to the bitter end.

Lu Yuan and others disliked Sun Zhaoruo because the latter liked to use mental control to destroy what the other person was proud of. He would crush the noble, make the cheerful gloomy, make the honest greedy, and the kind cruel... driving people to their deaths.

"She found the young man's temperament dull and, having had her fill of playing around, stopped pretending. Taking advantage of his dazed and dejected state, she instructed a few disreputable playboys to half-bewitch and half-force him to seek pleasure in brothels, as a test. The young man thought this would stir up Sun Zhaoruo's resentment and win her back. As it turned out, he did see Sun Zhaoruo as he wished, but she told him to turn around and take a good look at the lustful demon within him..."

Being burdened with the wrath of the stars, he was already mentally unstable.

The ensuing emotional blows were devastating.

"When she's in a bad mood, she has to have her fun. She's satisfied once she sees someone completely ruined," Lu Yuan said helplessly. "Nobody knows what she's done. Even if they sense something's wrong, they just assume she's mentoring a junior who has chosen to degenerate."

Zhang Yang: "How did you know?"

Lu Yuan wanted to roll her eyes: "She considers me one of her kind."

Having found a suitable target, she generously invited Lü Yuan to join her. She remembered that the twins were great admirers of hers; if it weren't for Sun Zhaoruo's compassion for her people, their family wouldn't have survived. Lü Yuan felt he was merely charming and not vulgar, so he made an excuse to decline. But as the saying goes, "He who walks by the river will eventually get his feet wet." Few outsiders knew of Sun Zhaoruo's eccentricities, but Lü Yuan and his companions were well-informed.

Zhang Yang: "..."

The person who was most affected was Chao Tan.

She forgot to blink.

It took her a long time to react, and she was so angry that her face turned red: "How could this person do such a thing? Killing someone is just a matter of a head falling to the ground. Whether she wants to kill or be a womanizer, she can't do this..."

She can accept murder and scumbags, but she cannot accept deliberately destroying a person's will and then leading them to their own death.

"So she's two-faced," Lu Yuan shrugged. "Even if the adopted son she sent really was Diao Chan, I couldn't accept him. Who knows what kind of trap lies hidden here?"

Not to mention that there's He Feiye, that gloomy ghost, by his side.

Lu Yuan wanted to live for another two years.

"Since all three of you knew, it's clear she didn't keep her actions very well hidden. People in the same circle have also heard about it?"

Lu Yuan: "But not everyone dislikes it."

A small group of people didn't think Sun Zhaoruo's behavior was anything to criticize. Isn't it natural for those in positions of power to manipulate those in lower positions for their own amusement? Sun Zhaoruo wasn't the first to do this, nor will she be the last. At least she cared about her reputation, so she did it discreetly, while some people do it openly and honestly. They just pick a target when they're in a bad mood; there's even a slang term for it within the industry.

This target is called "straw".

Playing games that completely destroy a person is called "burning straw".

A successful hunt is one where everything is burned to the ground.

Zhang Yang pursed her lips tightly.

"It's really upsetting to hear." She thought she understood humanity, but she was still shocked time and time again.

Lu Yuan secretly glared at Zhe Meng, scolding him for bringing up such a sensitive topic. Whether Sun Zhaoruo's reputation was good or bad didn't matter, so why bring it up and upset his adoptive mother? What a nuisance!

"Besides that, there are other problems." As Lu Yuan spoke, he frantically searched for other crimes committed by Sun Zhaoruo. "Actually, the largest horse farm in the mountains wasn't originally hers. In order to obtain this horse farm, she didn't hesitate to kill many people. Also... there were actually two major disasters under her rule, but she deliberately suppressed them, cooperating with several powerful local clans to seize all the land and property she could get her hands on before slowly going to provide relief. Faced with public resentment, she relied on personally digging through the soil to save people and caring for the wounded until she fell ill, in order to appease the people's hearts..."

Natural disasters are sent down by heaven.

As the ruler of Dou County, she had done everything she could. Born into nobility, she personally dug through the mud to rescue people and cared for those common folk day after day. What more could she possibly ask for? Didn't she provide disaster relief? Didn't she send anyone? Didn't she keep these people in her heart?

Natural disasters always result in death.

Unfortunately, it was their loved ones who died.

However, this was not something that Sun Zhaoruo could decide.

She wept openly, filled with remorse, which moved everyone who heard it. The biggest victims not only couldn't hold her accountable for her inaction, but also had to comfort her to prevent her from truly becoming disheartened. After all, life under her rule was indeed far better than in other war-torn regions. Sun Jun had already devoted herself tirelessly to them; how could they possibly let her down?

Zhe Meng asked in surprise, "She's done all that before?"

Lu Yuan kicked Zhe Meng, annoyed: "I personally went to borrow people from Che Sijun back then, how could I not know?"

Zhe Meng's suspicious look in his eyes infuriated Lu Yuan, making him want to hit someone.

Whether it's true or false, your adoptive mother will find out later. Why would she lie? Is Sun Zhaoruo's popularity in Dou County due to her good performance? It's only because there are others who are even more inhuman to make her stand out! Once your adoptive mother takes control of Dou County, the difference in their status will be immediately apparent.

Zhe Meng: "...Now that you mention it, I have one too!"

The two of them took turns digging up dirt on Sun Zhaoruo.

The more Chao Tan listened, the more he felt that hearsay was unreliable.

Han Wo frowned: "You two are quite concerned about this."

Ritsumoto: "..."

Zhe Meng: "..."

Their first reaction was that Han Wo was trying to sow discord between their adoptive mother and his wife. What did they mean by being so concerned about this? It just meant they were neglecting their duties. What a cunning strategist Han Fulong!

Zhang Yang pressed his temple.

What should be done with Sun Zhaoruo's adopted son?

Zhe Meng suggested, "Let's kill them, and that will end it all."

No matter what kind of trap the other party has, what tricks can they play once the person is dead? Lu Yuan remained silent and agreed with her.

Han Wo said, "I would like to trouble Bafeng to send someone back with the head."

Lu Yuan glanced at her.

Han Wo chuckled and said, "This is also a good opportunity for Ba Feng to show his loyalty to his lord and sever all ties with Sun Zhaoruo."

Lu Yuan slammed his fist on the table in anger: "Do you think I wouldn't dare?"

What's with the sarcastic tone?

Having said that, he clasped his hands and asked Zhang Yang for permission to take the head of Sun Zhaoruo's adopted son. Lü Yuan didn't want to be ridiculed by Han Wo.

Zhang Yang looked at the three of them.

If she remembered correctly, Lu Yuan, Zhe Meng, and Han Wo knew each other in private, right? They were friends, weren't they? Why did they seem so hostile towards each other now? She pondered the key to this, but Lu Yuan thought she was still hesitating and had doubts about something.

"Stepmother—"

Zhang Yang was startled awake by her loud voice: "Go ahead."

She had only seen Sun Zhaoruo's adopted son once; the blood bar above his head was a hostile crimson. Since that was the case, killing him was fine; she could use this as an excuse to force Sun Zhaoruo to make the first move. Zhang Yang raised her hand to calculate how many days had passed since the Xuanwu Token was issued.

She murmured, "...Time is still a bit tight."

If others heard her say this, they would surely say she was ungrateful.

Isn't this speed fast enough?

Tianyue County, the county seat.

All matters, large and small, within the prefecture were to be decided by Du Guan and Puyang Kui.

Only those cases that could not be decided were sent to Zhang Yang in the mountains.

Right now, they are facing a difficult problem.

? ?|??w?`)