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

Xu Qianhui pushed open the door and then closed it behind her.

"Hasn't your aunt already known the answer after waiting so long alone?"

Fu walked quickly and urgently to Xu Qianhui.

"She's been acting strangely lately, and people below are saying that Mother killed Granny Fang. If that's true, then her purpose was to silence her!"

"If she just wanted to manipulate me, why drag Ah Qing into this? He's her own grandson!"

Xu Qianhui walked to the table, neither confirming nor denying the matter.

"If the old lady really did this, it must be to protect some secret."

Madam Fu grabbed Xu Qianhui's wrist: "What secret? What is she hiding?"

"My aunt has been forced to kneel for the past two weeks, suffering endless humiliation." Xu Qianhui looked up at Madam Fu. "Didn't you consult the Duke about a solution? Are you just letting her torment you like this?"

Fu's face darkened, and her fingers clenched her sleeves.

Since the Duke was injured and unable to walk, he has been confined to his study every day and has no interest in the well-being of the women in the inner quarters.

If she complains, she'll only get a "please be understanding" response.

"If Aunt really wants an explanation, she can go directly to the Duke and ask him for clarification. Then she will know everything."

Xu Qianhui sat down on the round stool, her expression indifferent, and quietly watched Fu Shi pace back and forth in the small room.

Finally, she stopped and looked in the direction of the main building of Ci'an Hall.

"I made concessions and swallowed my anger, all for A-Qing's future."

"But the way she's acting now clearly shows that she's not leaving the eldest son's family any room for maneuver. Since she can't tolerate me, I don't need to treat her with any more respect as an elder."

Fu walked up to Xu Qianhui. Fu stared intently at Xu Qianhui and softened her tone.

"You are my own niece, blood is thicker than water. We should be on the same side."

"Once you get rid of her, I'll be in charge of this Duke's mansion. I'll grant you whatever you want. Whether you want to stay in the mansion and enjoy a life of luxury, or you want a large sum of money to leave the capital and live a peaceful life, I'll have no objections."

Xu Qianhui couldn't help but laugh out loud at these empty promises.

"Killing someone is very easy." Xu Qianhui straightened her clothes. "The difficult part is, after the person dies, will my aunt think I know too much and turn around and see me as a threat that needs to be eliminated?"

Madam Fu's face turned pale, and she hurriedly made a promise.

"Absolutely impossible! How could I do something like that—use someone and then discard them?"

"Alright, let's get down to business." Xu Qianhui stood up and looked Fu Shi in the eye. "Tomorrow morning, Aunt will personally go to the Marquis of Wu'an's residence to cancel my cousin's engagement with Lin Zhiwei."

"How can this be! This marriage was arranged a long time ago. How can it be canceled so easily? If we abruptly cancel the engagement, where will A-Qing put her face?"

Xu Qianhui looked at Fu Shi's timid and hesitant appearance with a chilling gaze.

She rose and approached Madam Fu step by step. "Aunt, the princess's seal is missing. It was stolen by the heir apparent of Prince An. Don't panic, let me finish. The Marquis of Wu'an's mansion is already entangled with Prince An's mansion. If this marriage agreement continues, what will my cousin use to extricate himself if something happens to Prince An's mansion in the future? If you truly care about him, Aunt, you should act decisively and eliminate this hidden danger first. As a mother, if you don't take responsibility now, when will you?"

Upon hearing this, Fu broke out in a cold sweat and her breathing became rapid.

"Auntie, just go and cancel the engagement. Say it's the old lady's wish. Even if the Marquis of Wu'an's family is angry, can they really storm into the Duke's mansion and drag out a terminally ill old woman for a confrontation?"

Fu fell into a long silence.

She was weighing the pros and cons.

After a long silence, she gritted her teeth and said, "Fine. I'll go to the Marquis of Wu'an's residence tomorrow to annul the engagement. But you can't go back on your promise; you must immediately come up with a way to deal with the old lady."

Xu Qianhui approached Madam Fu, raised her hand and gently tidied her hair by running her hand through the loose strands of hair at Madam Fu's temples.

As her fingertips brushed against the Roland gold hairpin inlaid with green jade on Fu's hair bun, she deftly flipped her wrist.

The gold hairpin slid down and disappeared into the wide sleeve.

The entire movement was fluid and effortless. Fu felt a slight relaxation on her scalp but did not notice anything amiss.

"Auntie, please put your mind at ease." Xu Qianhui withdrew her hand, her voice carrying a hint of seduction, "Since I have agreed to cooperate with you, I will definitely do a good job."

Fu did not linger any longer and left hastily after receiving the assurance.

Xu Qianhui walked to the window and watched Fu Shi's figure disappear into the night in a hurry.

She opened her palm.

The gold hairpin inlaid with green jade gleamed with a cold, eerie luster under the moonlight.

There is no such thing as trust in this Duke's mansion.

Fu wouldn't believe her, and she certainly wouldn't believe Fu.

If you want to use her as a weapon, you have to leave some handle that you can control.

......

The next morning.

The autumn rain, mixed with a cold wind, lashed against the stone steps.

The doors and windows of Ci'an Hall were tightly closed, and not even a bit of fresh air could get in.

The old lady leaned against the carved canopy bed, her face ashen, her breathing heavy as if she were working a bellows.

She had just taken a bowl of bitter medicine and was still feeling weak, but she stubbornly refused to lie down.

A series of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard, breaking up the puddles on the ground.

Lin Zuoqing strode across the threshold and entered Ci'an Hall, his face displeased.

The old lady frowned deeply when she saw her grandson's appearance.

Lin Zuoqing neither bowed nor inquired about the patient's condition.

He stood a few steps away from the bed, staring at the person on the bed.

"On the day my grandfather had his accident three years ago...did you send Xu Qianhui out of the manor?"

The old lady was taken aback and frowned as she looked at him.

"It's been three years, why are you asking about such old, trivial matters?"

Lin Zuoqing took a step forward, looking down at the old lady, "Grandmother, you only need to answer yes or no."

His tone was flat, yet it exuded a chilling aura of authority.

The room was eerily quiet.

The sand in the water clock fell little by little, crashing into the emptiness.

The old lady avoided his gaze, and after a long while, let out a dry, unpleasant sneer.

"I sent her. Your grandfather is so old, yet he's still doing those shameless and sordid things. Why can't I send someone to investigate him?"

So, everything Xu Qianhui said was... true?

Lin Zuoqing felt like he couldn't breathe.

He staggered back half a step, his back slamming heavily against the round table beside him.

At this moment, his pride in reason completely crumbled.

Not her.

Her appearance on the road where her grandfather's carriage had the accident that day was not of her own volition.

She was just an orphan girl living under someone else's roof, forced by her mistress to do those shady things.

What did she do wrong?

"So, she wasn't there because she wanted to go, but because she swallowed sand..." Lin Zuoqing's voice was hoarse.

"He brought this upon himself; death will cleanse him."

The old lady didn't care about a human life, let alone the innocence of a young maid.

"What does this have to do with anyone else?"

Lin Zuoqing's Adam's apple bobbed as memories from three years ago flooded his mind like a tidal wave.

That rainy night, the thunder was very loud.

She stood by the rushing river, soaked to the bone, and turned to look at him with despair.

What did he do at that time?

He stood on the shore with an umbrella, convinced that she was the murderer who killed his grandfather, and felt that she deserved to die.

He watched her jump.

Watching the water engulf her frail body.

They didn't even issue an order to send people to salvage it.

"For all these years, I've always believed that she was the one who harmed my grandfather."

"I was wrong, I was terribly wrong!"

It was he who personally drove the girl who loved him so much to her death.

Immense regret tore at his flesh.

He turned around and stumbled out of Ci'an Hall.

He was going to find her; he wanted to repay her for everything he owed her...