"My lord, I am your lawfully wedded wife. What is the difference between this and house arrest?" Jiang Xinqin called out from behind Li Chenxuan.
Li Chenxuan stopped at the doorway and turned back, saying coldly, "If you were not my wife, I would have sold you off. Jiang Qin, be fortunate for that!"
Jiang Qinqin trembled all over, disbelief etched on her face, "My lord, you..."
Li Chenxuan walked out the door and instructed the maids on either side, "Do not allow Madam to leave this courtyard. Otherwise, I will hold you accountable."
"Li Chenxuan, you dare imprison your own wife! You are not human..."
Li Chenxuan left without looking back.
Jiang Qinqin collapsed onto the ground, tears streaming down her face. What had she done wrong? Why was she being treated this way?
"Hate him. If not for Xue Zining, you and Li Chenxuan would not have reached this point."
Jiang Qinqin looked up and saw Nangong Yue. She bit her lip, "I agree with everything you say. I just want Xue Zining to die a miserable death."
"Your goal and mine are the same. However, for now, you need to gain Li Chenxuan's trust."
Jiang Qinqin started, then shook her head, "It's impossible. My lord will not trust me anymore."
"Why not? It's all about effort. Or does Madam not want to vent her anger?"
"How could I not want to?" Jiang Qinqin said anxiously.
"Then Madam has a way to get out," Nangong Yue said.
Jiang Qinqin gritted her teeth, "Alright, I'll try."
"Madam, you will succeed." Nangong Yue left.
After leaving the Li residence, Nangong Yue entered the carriage waiting outside the backstage.
"Is the matter handled?"
Nangong Yue replied respectfully, "Yes, Master. However, there is something I do not understand."
"Speak..."
"Jiang Qinqin is a person who can be discarded at any time. Why is Master putting so much effort into her?" Nangong Yue asked, looking up.
"Nangong Yue, only Jiang Qinqin can completely alienate Li Chenxuan and Xue Zining. I simply want to let her taste the feeling of betrayal by everyone."
Unbeknownst to her, Nangong Yue felt a chill she had never felt before.
"Master, someone is approaching outside," a voice whispered from outside the carriage.
Xue Zining looked at the carriage. Xue Yan beside her said coldly, "Come out..."
Soon, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a woman emerged.
"Xue Zining, long time no see!"
"Nangong Yue, indeed, long time no see!"
Xue Zining looked at Nangong Yue and said faintly.
Nangong Yue chuckled softly, "I didn't expect you to find this place so quickly."
"If you want no one to know, you must not do it," Xue Zining said with a cold expression.
"A'ning, I simply don't want to return to Zhaoping. You know, the Shen family hates me to the bone. Returning would be like seeking death. A'ning, for the sake of our past friendship, can you spare my life?" Nangong Yue suddenly knelt and looked up at her with pitiful eyes.
Xue Zining stepped forward and helped her up, "No."
Nangong Yue trembled all over, tears falling, "A'ning, you cannot be so heartless."
Xue Zining released Nangong Yue and said coldly, "You incited Jiang Qinqin to resent me and drive a wedge between me and Li Chenxuan. Is this not true?"
Nangong Yue took a step back and fell to the ground, "A'ning, I just... I was just unwilling..."
Xue Zining looked into the distance, "Unwilling that I sit in this position?"
"A'ning, how close were we once? Why have we come to this point?"
"I also want to know, Nangong Yue. I believe I treated you fairly. Why?"
"A'ning, I..."
"What happened in the past is in the past. From now on, take care of yourself."
"A'ning..."
"Escort her out..."
"A'ning, don't..." Nangong Yue lunged forward, tightly grasping her hand.
"Nangong Yue, you must bear the consequences of your actions..."
Xue Zining turned her head away. Nangong Yue was on her own.
Suddenly, a gaze fell upon her. She turned and saw the maidservant who had been standing beside Nangong Yue.
The maidservant's legs went weak with fear, "Your Majesty, spare me!"
"You may go..." Xue Zining said.
After kowtowing, the maidservant left. Turning around, she revealed a sinister smile.
Xue Zining watched the maidservant's retreating figure, feeling a strange sensation in her heart. However, she dismissed it, thinking a mere maidservant was not a threat.
On the outskirts of the capital, Nangong Yue looked at the woman before her and knelt on one knee, "Master, you have finally arrived."
The woman flexed her wrists and looked at the corpses lying on the ground, smiling coldly, "A few insignificant people can do nothing to me?"
"Master, since Xue Zining discovered my whereabouts, should we postpone the plan?"
"No need. Continue with the plan as scheduled. However, Nangong Yue, you can no longer appear in this identity."
"Master, what do you need me to do?" Nangong Yue asked.
The woman smiled, revealing a sinister grin, "Xue Ling, the palace maid beside Xue Zining, has left the palace. You will impersonate her and return to Xue Zining's side. You know Xue Zining's temperament and habits. This task is meant for you."
"Master, won't this alert Xue Zining?" Nangong Yue asked.
The woman clapped her hands, and an identical Nangong Yue appeared beside her, along with those who had been escorting her and whom the woman had just killed.
Nangong Yue trembled, looking up at the woman. She knew this woman's current appearance was definitely not her original one. Who was this person? Where did she come from? She had no idea.
The only thing she knew was that this person understood Xue Zining very well.
"What is it? Do you find me frightening?" the woman asked, as if she could read her thoughts.
"I dare not!" Nangong Yue replied.
The woman smiled, "It's nothing. I am a person who crawled out of hell."
Xue Yan saw Xue Ling walking towards her with red eyes and couldn't help but ask, "Xue Ling, what's wrong?"
Xue Ling shook her head, her voice choked, "It's nothing."
"You should go and rest. I will attend to His Majesty."
"Thank you, Sister Xue Yan." Xue Ling left without hesitation.
Xue Yan sighed and told Xue Zining about the matter in the evening.
Xue Zining asked Feng Wu to send someone to inquire about Xue Ling.
In the evening, Xue Zining received news from Feng Wu that Xue Ling's father had passed away after a serious illness.
Xue Ling's mother had passed away when she was young, and her father had raised her alone. Her father was both her mother and father. Now that both her parents were gone, she must be heartbroken.
Li Residence
Li Chenxuan returned from the imperial court. Xiu'er stepped forward and said, "My lord, Madam requests your presence."
Li Chenxuan replied without looking back, "From now on, do not mention Madam's affairs to me again."
In the middle of the night, Li Chenxuan was woken by urgent voices. He got up and asked, "What is it?"
The servant's face was pale as he said, "My lord, Madam has hanged herself."
Li Chenxuan trembled all over, "Lead the way."
Upon arriving at Xin Yuan, Li Chenxuan entered the room. The woman on the bed lay motionless.
Her face was pale and emaciated beyond recognition.
"Have you sent for a doctor?" Li Chenxuan asked with a cold expression.
"The doctor has arrived," a voice came from outside.
Soon, the doctor walked in. As he was about to bow to Li Chenxuan, Li Chenxuan quickly said, "Hurry and examine Madam."