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

On a dark and windy night, Rong Yingluo arrived at the old lady's Shousong Courtyard as promised.

The old lady had someone leave the door open for her, but to avoid trouble, she didn't go through the main entrance. Instead, she tiptoed over the wall and came to the back window of the old lady's bedroom.

After a few light knocks, the window was opened from the inside.

It was the same Granny Ye I had seen during the day.

Neither of them spoke, and Rong Yingluo climbed into the house.

When the old lady saw her coming, she smiled and waved to her.

"Greetings, Grandmother. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Rong Yingluo stepped forward, took the old lady's hand, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"It's alright, Grandma has been lying in bed all day and has had enough sleep."

The old lady was in even better spirits than when I saw her during the day.

When hope is there, one's spirit naturally changes.

"Grandmother, I'll first use acupuncture to force the poison to your wrist, then I'll bleed you. That will be faster. If you rely solely on oral medication, it will take at least six months to cure the poison." Rong Yingluo explained her treatment method clearly so that the old lady would have a clear understanding of the situation.

"Okay, whatever you say." The old lady was relieved to see a turning point in her life.

Rong Yingluo didn't waste any words. She took out her needle case and asked Granny Ye to move the two candles closer.

Then, Granny Ye was instructed to help the old lady undress.

She took out silver needles of suitable thickness, heated them over a candle flame, and then deftly inserted them, each needle inserted without hesitation.

Granny Ye had accompanied the old lady for many years. During that time, the old lady had fallen ill and was in danger several times. When the imperial physicians were called, Granny Ye noticed that they were very careful when administering acupuncture, but the young lady of the house was so skillful. This showed that the physicians were quite good.

As the needles fell one by one, when the time was almost up, Rong Yingluo took out a small dagger and deftly made a cut on the old lady's wrist.

Blood gushed out instantly, but Granny Ye acted swiftly, catching it with a spittoon and not letting a single drop spill on the ground.

Rong Yingluo observed the color of the blood, and when it turned bright red, she immediately sealed the acupoints with silver needles and then bandaged it.

"Madam, this blood has a foul odor," Granny Ye exclaimed in shock.

"That's right. This poison constantly depletes a person's vital energy, which is why it has an unusual odor when it accumulates in the body. If one day the old lady's vital energy is insufficient to replenish what has been depleted, she will be beyond saving," Rong Yingluo explained.

This poison kills silently, and most doctors wouldn't even notice it. They would just assume that the old lady was old and frail, and that she would slowly die over time.

"This old servant thanks the young master's wife very much," said Granny Ye solemnly.

It's all her fault. She didn't take good care of the old lady and didn't even know she'd been poisoned. She betrayed the old lady's trust of so many years.

"Granny Ye, there's no need for that. It's impossible to guard against someone who's not paying attention. From now on, you must pay attention to Grandmother's diet, or cook for her separately in this courtyard instead of getting food from the main kitchen," Rong Yingluo suggested. She didn't want to be poisoned again after just being cured.

There must be a master poisoner around the Su family, otherwise how could they have so many poisons to use against her?

She must find this person.

"This old servant has remembered."

"Grandmother, this treatment will need to be repeated three more times. I'll come back in ten days." Rong Yingluo estimated that the wound would heal in ten days, allowing for the second treatment.

"Granny Ye, please keep this bottle of medicine. Just give Grandmother two pills every day." She then took out a porcelain bottle from her bosom and handed it to Granny Ye.

"This old servant will certainly administer it to the old lady on time."

Rong Yingluo gave a few more instructions on how to take good care of the old lady before leaving.

But when she returned to Silver Willow Courtyard and climbed into the inner room through the back window, she sensed someone on the bed before she even reached it.

Besides Gu Ce, no one else can sleep in the bed.

He found out she wasn't in her room at night. What should she do?

"Where did you go?" The voice was faint and devoid of emotion.

Sure enough it was him.

Rong Yingluo's tense body relaxed.

"I went to my grandmother's." Rong Yingluo generously explained her destination.

"Why did you go at night?" Gu Ce was also taken aback, thinking that she had gone to cause trouble for Su Shi, but it turned out that she went to her grandmother's place.

"My grandmother told me to go at night."

"Oh? What did Grandmother say to you?" Gu Ce asked, puzzled.

"She's going to write me a divorce agreement so I can leave the Gu family." Rong Yingluo used the old lady's words from earlier that day to deal with the situation.

"You're lying." Gu Ce sat up abruptly and pulled back the bed curtains.

"Believe it or not, it's up to you." Rong Yingluo pouted, took another set of bedding from the cabinet, spread it out on the small couch, and lay down.

Gu Ce noticed that she wasn't going to bed with him, which meant she didn't want to share a bed with him.

It seems she doesn't want to consummate the marriage; she's planning to divorce him.

She said the same thing last night, asking him to write a divorce agreement.

"What the old lady wrote doesn't count, you idiot." Gu Ce lay down again.

"I know, it requires the Emperor's approval. The old lady has already promised me that she will ask the Emperor for help," Rong Yingluo told a little lie.

She believed that, given the old lady's life-saving grace, she would agree; the old lady was even willing to offer a certificate of merit, so this request shouldn't be a problem.

Startled by these words, Gu Ce sat up, then lay back down after a moment's thought.

Given his grandmother's opposition to his marriage, she really could say such a thing.

But it doesn't matter, as long as one less person dies, that's fine.

Even if Rong Yingluo has some ability, she is still too green to fight against the Su family, who controls the entire Duke's Mansion.

He lived in this mansion for twenty-three years, but he could never defeat Madam Su and could only manage to save his life.

The methods of women are vastly different from those of officials. He lost his birth mother when he was just over two years old, and no one taught him the methods of women. His grandmother had to manage the entire Duke's mansion and didn't have much time to take care of him, which is why he has been so passive all these years.

Silent all night.

The next day was the day for the bride to return to her parents' home.

Rong Yingluo went to bed late last night and didn't get up until the hour of Chen (7-9 AM).

Looking at the bed again, Gu Ce was no longer there.

Madam Su sent someone to inform her that she did not need to pay her respects, as a homecoming gift had already been prepared for her and was placed in the carriage.

She is truly a kind and benevolent mother-in-law, handling everything flawlessly.

After having breakfast, Rong Yingluo and Yinghong boarded the carriage.

She didn't expect Gu Ce to accompany her on her homecoming visit, nor did she want him to.

With him around, it's actually harder to spend time with family and friends.

On her wedding day, she returned home in a hurry and didn't even have a proper chat with her parents and older brother.

Today she wants to relieve the pain of longing.

In the study.

Gu Ce was busy reviewing documents, while also waiting for Rong Yingluo to send someone to call him back to his parents' home together.

He was willing to give them that much face, after all, it was an imperial decree bestowing the marriage upon them.

The first four were not arranged by imperial decree.

"Your Highness, Your Highness's wife has gone back to her parents' home alone in a carriage," Zhong Sheng hurriedly reported.

Gu Ce paused, his hand holding the folding book faltering, his expression quite interesting. They hadn't even considered having him accompany them on their homecoming visit.

"Young Master, should we go after the Young Master's wife?" Zhong Sheng asked, seeing his master lost in thought.

"No need." Gu Ce continued looking at the folded paper.

Fifteen minutes passed, and he still hadn't changed the folding book in his hand.

"Young Master, how about we go and take a look at the Rong family?" Zhong Sheng poured tea, noticing that his master was still holding the same folded book as before, and offered his master a way out.

"You want to go?" Gu Ce tossed the folding book aside.

"How could it be that I wanted to go? That's not my father-in-law's house." Zhong Sheng felt like he was caught in the middle and muttered to himself, but his voice was so loud that Gu Ce heard every word.

"You stay and help me with official documents." Gu Ce said this before getting up and striding away.

Zhong Sheng worked hard without complaint.