After being forced into a marriage with a wealthy family, the virtuous wife caused a huge uproar.

"Madam, I was terrified, but I couldn't disobey the Emperor's decree. After receiving it, I attempted suicide by poisoning myself, but thankfully I was saved in time. Otherwise, my family would have been punished by the Emperor and imprisoned." Rong Yingluo also shed tears.

If she hadn't returned in time, the Emperor would have definitely imprisoned the entire Rong family on the grounds of disobeying the imperial decree.

The marriage was bestowed by the Emperor, and the eldest sister's suicide was a sign of dissatisfaction with the imperial decree; even in death, she would still be punished.

"Oh, it's all my fault for neglecting the family and letting you down," the old lady said remorsefully. "Have you consummated your marriage?"

"Not...not yet." When asked this question, Rong Yingluo couldn't help but feel shy and lowered her head slightly.

"Whose daughter are you?" the old lady asked again.

She is the daughter of the Rong family, a wealthy merchant family in the capital.

"No wonder the Su family dared to request the imperial decree without consulting the Rong family; they are taking advantage of your powerlessness." The old lady's face suddenly turned angry.

"Grandmother!" Rong Yingluo was moved. There was still a reasonable person in the Gu family, which warmed her heart.

"Ah Ce is useless too, he can't even beat his stepmother. Su's image as a kind mother is all an act, yet he still respects her." The old lady complained about Gu Ce.

"By the way, did the Su family make things difficult for you?" The old lady looked Rong Yingluo up and down, trying to tell if she had been wronged.

"I don't think so. It's just that last night I had to kneel in the ancestral hall all night because the master said it was unsuitable for the wedding night. This morning, when we were serving tea, he even gave my granddaughter-in-law a beautiful bracelet as a gift." Rong Yingluo was new to the household and couldn't show her dissatisfaction with her mother-in-law in front of the old lady.

The old lady looked at Rong Yingluo with pity. This child had walked into a wolf's den without realizing it. Fine, she would end this farce.

The old lady shakily pulled a thin rope from around her neck, with a small key tied to it.

"Good child, bring out an iron box from under the bed and use this key to open it." The old lady placed the key in Rong Yingluo's hand.

Rong Yingluo did as she was told, thinking that the old lady was going to give her a gift.

But when she pulled out the box and opened it, she couldn't believe that what she saw was actually a treasure from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

"Madam, this..." She was shocked, her eyes wide open. She had only just met the old lady, so why was the old lady letting her see something so important?

"This is the imperial edict bestowed upon the Gu family ancestor, who is also my old woman's father-in-law, after he defeated the Beicang Kingdom."

My Zhenguo Duke's Mansion has always been loyal to the emperor and patriotic, so there's no need for that.

I'll write you a divorce agreement on behalf of A-Ce. Take the divorce agreement and the iron certificate home with you, and don't lose your life in the Gu family.

"If the Emperor blames you, produce the imperial edict; it will surely protect your Rong family from punishment. Find your mother a good new family to marry into; do it quickly." The old lady, tears streaming down her face, solemnly instructed.

Rong Yingluo was deeply moved by the old lady's words.

What a kind and benevolent old man.

It's so rare to find a noblewoman with such a kind heart.

She had accompanied her master to many high-ranking households, but she had never seen such a kind and virtuous noblewoman.

Perhaps the old lady has experienced too much to be like this, but it is truly admirable.

"Grandmother, the first Duke Zhenguo was the guardian deity of our Southern Xia Kingdom, a hero in the hearts of countless people. I respect and love him, and I have decided to stay. Based on your affection today, I will help you purge the evil spirits from the Duke Zhenguo's mansion." Rong Yingluo feared neither heaven nor earth, so why would she be afraid of a woman from the inner quarters?

So what if it's the Su family? If they want her dead, they'll have to see if the Su family has the ability. They'll see who kills whom first.

She was also embarrassed to use the imperial edict, which her ancestors had risked their lives for, for a marriage. Besides, this was only the old lady's wish, and the Duke was the one who truly made the decisions in this family; she couldn't accept that.

"My dear child, I'm only thinking of you. You're just a young girl from a merchant family; you can't compete with them," the old lady advised.

"Grandmother, don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Rong Yingluo said confidently.

She closed the box, locked it, pushed it back into place, and hung the key back around the old lady's neck.

"Oh, what a naive young man!" the old lady sighed.

Rong Yingluo sat down by the bed, took the old lady's hand, and quietly took her pulse.

This was quite a surprise.

That's incredibly audacious.

The old lady had actually been poisoned, not to kill her, but to make her weak and lethargic.

That's a brilliant tactic.

Madam Su doesn't want any powerful figures to hold her back. By preventing the old lady from managing affairs and with the Duke of Zhenguo absent, she can gain full control of the entire Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

The old lady, being shrewd and experienced, had already discerned that Rong Yingluo was taking her pulse, and a look of shock appeared in her eyes.

This granddaughter-in-law actually knows medicine.

Women who understand medicine are extremely rare.

Rong Yingluo leaned forward and whispered in the old lady's ear: "Grandmother, you've been poisoned. That's why you're confined to bed all day."

The old lady stiffened: "Really?"

She always thought she was getting old and her health was failing, getting worse day by day, and she was just waiting for the day when she couldn't catch her breath anymore.

Rong Yingluo nodded firmly: "It's true."

"What a tragedy!" the old lady pounded her chest.

"Grandmother, the person who poisoned you didn't kill you, but only made you weak and lacking energy. I have a way to save you." Seeing that the old lady was so sincere, Rong Yingluo couldn't keep anything to herself. In any case, she had already shown Gu Ce a lot of skills since she entered the manor yesterday.

Her purpose, of course, was to retaliate against Gu Ce's remark, "Let's see what she's capable of."

Gu Ce and the Su family were irreconcilable enemies, so he couldn't possibly tell the Su family what he had seen.

She has no feelings for Gu Ce, and she still wants to achieve her goal of divorce. The old lady is a powerful stepping stone for her. If the old lady goes to the emperor to ask for help, she will definitely be able to achieve her goal of divorce.

"That's wonderful! Once Grandma gets better, she'll definitely protect you. Your name is Liuli, right? Come visit Grandma often when you have time." The old lady immediately became determined.

Before the old Duke passed away, he entrusted the Duke's mansion to her, instructing her to take good care of it, but she disappointed him.

"Grandmother, I can't come often. Tonight, please send the night watchmen away and leave only the person you trust most by your side. I will secretly give you the antidote." Rong Yingluo didn't want to alert the enemy.

"Okay." The old lady smiled with satisfaction.

After the two reached an agreement, Rong Yingluo took her leave and departed from Shousong Courtyard.

She hadn't gone far when she saw Gu Qingya approaching her with four maids.

As expected of the Duke's mansion, the young lady has four maids following her around; she is truly pampered.

Rong Yingluo neither dodged nor evaded, and her walking speed remained unchanged.

However, she only had Yinghong, her maid, by her side, which made her somewhat outnumbered.

"Rong Liuli, how dare you trip me up and make me fall on the prayer mat, injuring me. Today I'm going to teach you a lesson. Don't think that just because you married into the Duke's mansion you're really the heir's wife. Don't you know your place?" Gu Qingya shouted arrogantly.

"Sister, what are you saying? Falling on the prayer mat shouldn't have been a problem, but I didn't expect there to be pebbles under it. I suspect you're trying to intimidate me by having Granny Zhao tamper with the prayer mat."

Rong Yingluo thought about Su Shi's methods. This kind of childish thing couldn't have been done by her. So the only one who could be it was Gu Qingya, who looked down on her.