Your Highness, your wife has had her virginity mark applied and married someone else.

Zhang Yu always thought he had been fighting with Madam Wei his whole life, but in fact, Madam Wei had only ever helped Wei Congyu protect the Wei family.

How could Madam Wei not resent it as well?

She resented Wei Congyu for being selfish, leaving her with a mess first, and she also resented her descendants for being misled by love, watching helplessly as the Wei family declined to this state...

She resented the Wei family so much that she once wanted to drag them down to the underworld so she could apologize to the Wei family ancestors and continue to protect them.

Fortunately, Heaven spared Weijia's life.

She still had time to clear obstacles for her two great-grandchildren before they were born.

Wei Ziye felt nothing but emptiness and a deeper sense of bewilderment as she held his thin, withered hand tightly.

"Grandmother, why did you agree to Wei Yuan and Shen Mingshu's marriage? You knew perfectly well that she and I—"

"Ah."

Old Madam Wei interrupted Wei Ziye, her brows already showing signs of weariness: "How can someone destined for greatness be troubled by petty matters?"

"If you still like her, once the Wei family has settled down, you can let her go with your two brothers."

"Large gates and courtyards, locked inside the mansions—that's how every family has gone through it."

"In the end, she is just a concubine. If she gets pregnant, she will give birth and be raised under the names of your two legal wives. She will also be a member of the Wei family."

When Old Madam Wei spoke of ethical transgressions so casually and coldly, Wei Ziye felt a chill run down his spine.

He felt the oppressive desolation around him, his Adam's apple bobbing wildly. After a long pause, he finally asked only one question.

"Did Wei Yuan accept it?"

"..."

Old Madam Wei's vision was clouded. She turned to Wei Ziye with a faint smile, nodded, and then closed her eyes again.

Wei Ziye suppressed the coldness in his heart, put down Old Madam Wei's hand, and got up to leave.

Before long, an old woman whispered in Madam Wei's ear, "Madam, they're here."

When Madam Wei opened her eyes again, there was no trace of weariness in them.

"Okay, it's arranged."

"Yes."

……

The day went by quickly.

Shen Mingshu sat by the window, her wet fingertips tracing patterns on the rocks.

As the sun gradually slanted westward, teacups were changed again and again, and finally, a sound came from Madam Wei's chrysanthemum garden.

Shen Mingshu paused, then looked up.

Wei Yuan stood at the courtyard gate, staring intently at her.

He didn't go in, and Shen Mingshu didn't come out either.

At this point, some grudges should be put to rest. Wei Yuan needed this day, and so did Wei Ziye.

She alone no longer needs it.

……

Wei Yuan left; he went to collect his debts.

Shen Mingshu stood quietly for a long time before sitting down again.

She wet her fingertips and began to rehearse.

The final conclusion was that the Zhang family would not fall apart, and Zhang Yu would not die.

Madam Wei's purpose was:

Let Wei Ziye see Zhang Yu clearly, and together with Wei Yuan, let him focus on making the Wei family great and prosperous.

Let Wei Yuan receive compensation from the Wei family, completely sever ties with the past, strengthen himself, and give back to the Wei family.

To ensure that the babies in Shen Mingshu and Lu Youyou's wombs can be born in a safer environment.

All this does not require Zhang Yu to die; it only requires the Zhang family to abandon Zhang Yu and completely turn him into a pawn for the Wei family to use in the future court.

……

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

When the emperor was assassinated in the palace, he was in grave danger. Wei Ziye, the former commander of the Imperial Guards, stepped forward to protect him and conducted a thorough investigation, eventually discovering that the mastermind was his own uncle, Zhang Songping.

He did not show favoritism to relatives and eliminated all hidden dangers in the palace. His integrity was commendable. He was promoted to Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and awarded 100 bolts of brocade, 1,000 acres of fertile land, and 50 yi of gold. He was also granted the hereditary title of Marquis.

Wei Yuan, the second son of the Wei family, is awaiting the imperial examination. He holds no official position, but he is devoted to national affairs, investigates crimes, and is loyal, upright, and talented.

I hereby bestow upon you this special favor: an imperial seal made for the Emperor, and a set of books for the Hanlin Academy. I also grant Lu Xun's daughter, Lu Youyou, a good match, and order the Ministry of Rites to select an auspicious day to oversee the wedding ceremony. I also bestow upon you a generous sum of money to settle down.

The two men were instructed to uphold their principles, fulfill their duties, remain loyal and upright, and support the government.

So be it.

Since the incident in the backyard, Wei Xu has still not figured out what exactly happened.

With the death of Zhang Yu's only brother, Zhang Songping, the eldest branch of the Zhang family has completely fallen into decline.

Wei Ziye, who always favored his mother, remained expressionless and simply accepted the order respectfully.

"Your subject Wei Ziye thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness. I will certainly abide by the law, uphold justice and judge punishments, and devote myself wholeheartedly to the well-being of the nation."

Wei Yuan paused for a long time because of the arranged marriage, but when he met Wei Xu's gaze, he still bowed down to follow Wei Xu.

"Your Majesty, we, the entire Wei family, accept this decree and thank Your Majesty for your great favor!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

……

When the news reached Shen Mingshu, she finally saw through Old Madam Wei's scheme.

One can't help but admire Madam Wei's audacity—she dared to use the emperor's safety as a strategic move, leading the two Wei brothers step by step to meet again and get back on track.

Wei Ziye thus seized power through official positions and held prestigious titles, achieving his goal in one fell swoop and re-establishing the prestige of the Wei family in the capital.

Wei Yuan, having been personally bestowed a literary title by the emperor, has firmly established his reputation as a scholar of integrity. Furthermore, his alliance with the Lu family has given him the potential to reach the pinnacle of his future.

With one move, two tigers were raised, shaking the mountains and forests, and the "malignant tumor" of the Zhang family was precisely eradicated.

A chill ran down Shen Mingshu's spine, and her hand unconsciously touched her upper abdomen—if it weren't for it, Shen Mingshu would have had absolutely no chance of winning against Old Madam Wei.

Fortunately, everything went relatively smoothly.

……

Plum Garden eventually became Zhang Yu's quiet place.

Everything was treated the same, or even better, but the place was covered in dust all day long and had no vitality left.

Wei Xu arrived here, standing outside the courtyard, gazing at the deathly silent inner courtyard, his eyes filled with complex emotions, yet he did not enter at all.

He turned and left.

Looking at his current indifference, Shen Mingshu couldn't help but recall three years ago, when Zhang Yu would only show a slightly kinder attitude towards Old Madam Wei whenever Wei Xu was around.

It wasn't that she hid her anger towards Old Madam Wei, but rather that Wei Xu caught her resentment and soothed her anger, either resolving it or diverting it.

At that time, Zhang Yu was merely aloof, not mean-spirited.

Three years have passed. Although Shen Mingshu doesn't know exactly what Zhang Yu went through, she knows that Zhang Yu's current state is due to Wei Xu's change.

Shen Mingshu couldn't figure out right from wrong, so she could only use this as a warning to herself—don't lose yourself because of others.

"Ta-da!"

There was a knock on the door.

Shen Mingshu called softly, "Auntie."

"..."

There was no movement inside the room. Shen Mingshu didn't think Zhang Yu was the type to commit suicide, but she still pushed open the door anyway.

The silence inside was eerily profound, broken only by a long, drawn-out breath.

Zhang Yu lay on the bed with her eyes open, her eyes churning with despair, hopelessness, and resentment, but her face was deathly still, without any tear stains, only a layer of lingering grayness covering her eyes.

Shen Mingshu lowered her eyes, took out the ointment from her bosom, knelt by her bedside, and as always, gently pried open her fingers and applied the ointment to her palm.

Zhang Yu's eyelashes trembled slightly. She turned her head and looked at Shen Mingshu's submissive appearance again. She was no longer aloof, and her voice was hoarse.

"You look just like your mother."