The Dark Moonlight returns to the capital, and the mad prince is accused of forcing love.

The Duke's face stiffened for a moment, then he chuckled awkwardly, "That's true."

Fu couldn't swallow this insult.

If it hadn't been mentioned when she visited the Wei State Palace this morning, she wouldn't have known that Xu Qianhui had already moved in.

More importantly, no one informed her about this.

She, the dignified Duchess of the State, who was in charge of the entire household, had actually become blind in her own home!

"Mother, you can't say that," Madam Fu said, her face grim. "Although the Lin family no longer commands troops, it is still a hereditary marquisate. Zhiwei has admired Aqing since childhood, and she's been watched grow up by your daughter-in-law. How is she supposed to face the world after this?"

The old lady glanced sideways at Madam Fu: "If she can't even tolerate Xu Qianhui, how can she be the wife of the heir apparent?"

The room was quiet for a while.

Madam Fu turned to Lin Zuoqing: "Aqing, what do you have to say about this?"

It was Lin Zuoqing who insisted on driving Xu Qianhui away in the first place, and now Madam Fu must get him on her side.

Lin Zuoqing casually rubbed his fingertips together.

"casual."

Fu choked, "What did you say?"

Lin Zuoqing said calmly, "Grandmother is not in good health, and I dare not disobey her."

"Ah Qing!"

"Alright, that's settled then." The old lady interrupted the nearly frantic Fu Shi: "You two shouldn't bother me anymore. I want to live a few more years."

She patted the armrest of the seat, then suddenly realized she had been talking for quite a while, and coughed twice as if to make a mock cough.

Granny Fang hurried inside to serve tea.

Before Madam Fu could say anything more, Lin Rulan gently tugged at her sleeve.

"Mother, Grandmother's health is important."

Fu almost gritted her teeth before swallowing her words.

A short while later, the group emerged from Ci'an Hall.

Xu Qianhui stepped aside and bowed.

"Ah Hui greets her aunt and the Duke."

Fu stopped, his gaze sweeping over her face before he let out a cold snort.

"Xu Qianhui, you're quite something, managing to win over my mother like this."

Xu Qianhui lowered her eyes and said, "Aunt, you are too kind. It is our blessing that the old lady likes to see us younger generation."

"Very well, very well indeed." Madam Fu laughed angrily, "Now that you're in the manor, you'd better stay put and don't get any ideas out of line."

After saying that, Madam Fu pulled Lin Rulan away quickly.

Lin Zuoqing pushed the Duke and followed.

As they passed each other, Lin Zuoqing's sleeve brushed against the edge of her cloak.

Xu Qianhui smelled a faint medicinal scent.

She didn't look up.

Lin Zuoqing didn't stop either.

After the others had walked away, Xu Qianhui went inside to pay her respects.

"Greetings, Madam."

The old lady leaned back on the soft pillows: "You've seen him?"

"I've seen her." Xu Qianhui sat down on a small stool by the tatami mat. "My aunt doesn't look well."

The old lady snorted, "This old woman is useless now. I've tried to get someone to come and live in the house, but they always find fault with this or that."

Xu Qianhui smiled.

The old lady used to think that the couple were good to each other, except that they had no conflict of interest.

Now that he knows they have ulterior motives and are plotting against him, things are naturally not going well for him.

Now, even a sneeze from them would be considered a sin in the old lady's eyes.

However, the reason why Madam Fu contradicted the old lady was solely because she was targeting herself.

"Getting angry is bad for your health. You need to take good care of your health to live a long and healthy life," Xu Qianhui said.

"The polo match is in two days," the old lady said, looking at her. "Are you aware of that?"

"Don't worry, Madam."

......

As soon as they left Ci'an Hall, Granny Liu had been waiting for them for quite some time.

"Miss Xu, Madam requests your presence."

Xu Qianhui knew what he meant.

Just now in Ci'an Hall, Madam Fu couldn't lash out. It would have been strange if she hadn't sent someone to wait for her.

Following Granny Liu to the main courtyard, all the servants had already been dismissed.

Fu sat at the head of the table, not drinking tea, but watching Xu Qianhui bow, her eyes full of contempt.

As before, there is no difference.

In her eyes, Xu Qianhui's mother was just a distant cousin.

Not only did she die young, but after her husband remarried, he was so destitute that he had to force his daughter into the Duke's mansion to secure her future.

Although she found such people annoying, she didn't take them too seriously.

If it weren't for Xu Qianhui involving her son, she would find even a glance at him annoying.

"When you took the money and left Beijing, have you completely forgotten the oath you swore?"

Fu's words were sharp and cutting, clearly indicating that he was no longer willing to engage in superficial pleasantries.

Xu Qianhui shook her head, her tone sincere yet helpless: "Ahui promises not to bother the Duke's mansion again, but the old lady has given an order, and Ahui dares not disobey. I hope Aunt will understand."

Upon hearing the word "aunt," Madam Fu's brow twitched violently.

She steadied herself before asking, "What did you say to Mother when you came to the manor last time?"

That wasn't "last time," it was the time before that!

Xu Qianhui smiled and said calmly, "I am ill, how could I, Ahui, dare to say anything more? It was just a greeting."

"Do you think I'd believe that? If you hadn't been scheming, why would Mother have let you participate in the polo match and come to the mansion?"

"Aunt, that's not right." Xu Qianhui looked at her, her eyes clear. "I arrived in the capital a month ago. If I were really as scheming as you say, I would have visited you on the second day after I arrived. Besides, Aunt seems to have forgotten that it was you who asked me to come to the mansion to pay my respects to the old lady."

Only then did Madam Fu remember why she had invited Xu Qianhui to the State Palace that day.

She wanted her to be humiliated and ridiculed at the banquet, so that she would leave the capital and never have the thought of returning.

She was stunned for only a moment before asking, "If that's the case, why did Mother bring you into the manor?"

This made Xu Qianhui laugh.

Then, she actually covered her mouth and laughed.

"What else could it be? It's just that I was wronged in the manor, and she feels that her time is coming to an end. She can't get over that hurdle in her heart, so she wants to bring me back to make amends."

Fu's expression suddenly darkened.

She stared intently at Xu Qianhui: "Back then, your relationship with Aqing was consensual. You've received countless benefits in the manor; the Duke's manor has never wronged you!"

"But what if I told Lin Zuoqing that the child was real?"

Xu Qianhui tilted her head and smiled brightly.

"Auntie, don't forget, you paid for my medical treatment."

The autumn wind blew in through the window, almost causing Mrs. Fu to fall off her chair.

She knew Lin Zuoqing all too well.

If he knew about this, knew that Xu Qianhui was driven out of the mansion while pregnant with his child and was even forced to jump into the river, he would definitely regret it.

He would even break off the marriage with the Marquis of Wu'an for Xu Qianhui!

Xu Qianhui was also aware of this outcome.

Lin Zuoqing always thought he didn't owe her anything, and always thought he was right.

But they've already gotten so entangled, how could they possibly clear their names?

What the Duke's mansion owes her, she will get back little by little.

A hundred years from now, she won't regret having lived a life of utter incompetence.

"Oh, right."

Xu Qianhui picked up the tea that Fu had not yet drunk and took a sip.

Only after the aroma of tea filled the entire mouth did he continue:

"I heard that my cousin and that Miss Lin have a very good relationship."

"I'm really curious to know just how good they are."