"Shuang'er, Shixuan was drowned that day because of this Miss Liu. Now that her father is making trouble, he has no choice but to marry her for the sake of Shixuan's career."

"Then, can I participate then?" Zou Shuang'er asked timidly.

The Marquis of Zhenbei remained silent.

When the legitimate son gets married, the concubines are not entitled to attend, especially since she was originally an outsider and is now a lowly concubine.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Zou Shuang'er became anxious.

"My lord, I must attend my son's wedding."

"Shuang'er, we still don't know if it will work out. Even the betrothal gifts are a problem."

"Doesn't Ye Lanyin have a lot of money? Let her pay."

“She donated all her money to Chanfeng Temple, and now she refuses to give out her dowry, saying it’s for her daughter. What can I do? I can’t just take it away,” sighed the Marquis of Zhenbei.

"Shuang'er, why don't you sell your house outside? That way, Shixuan will have money for his wedding."

Lin Shixuan thought about how he had married the daughter of a second-rank official, and how he usually boasted about how rich he was in front of his friends. He didn't want anyone to see his shabby side.

"Mother, why don't you just sell her? If your son can't afford to marry her, General Liu will break off the engagement. Then he'll report your slander of her daughter to the Emperor. Even if you pass the imperial examination, the officials will talk about it. What if you miss out on becoming the top scholar?"

"You wouldn't want this to happen, would you?"

Zou Shuang'er had a cold face.

Ye Lanyin is really playing her cards well. On one hand, she says she loves her son, but on the other hand, she refuses to spend money on his marriage.

What kind of nonsense is this?

Her second son still considers her a good mother, his own flesh and blood.

“Master, this is the only courtyard I own. If I sell it, what will happen to Wanqing in the future? She won’t even have a dowry.”

Shixuan and Shiming have Ye Lanyin to look after them, but Wanqing only has her as her mother.

"How about, sir, we liquidate the Marquis's estate and use some of it to help Shixuan get married?"

"No." These properties are the last lifeline of the Marquis's mansion. They should not be taken out unless absolutely necessary. Moreover, they can still make some money. If they are sold, the expenses of the Marquis's mansion will really become a problem.

“Those properties are the pride of the Marquis’s mansion and must not be sold.”

"Shuang'er, don't worry. Wanqing is still so young. There's no need to worry about her dowry. Aren't there Shixuan and Shiming? They're promising. Why would they worry about their sister not being able to get married?"

Zou Shuang'er pursed her lips and remained silent.

"Mother, please help your son! If I don't do well, my future will be ruined."

Zou Wanqing walked to Zou Shuang'er's side and tugged at her skirt. "Mother, let's sell the courtyard. My future is tied to my brothers. When I'm listed in the Marquis's family genealogy, I'll be the legitimate daughter, and my brothers will be able to help me legitimately."

Zou Shuang'er wanted the same thing.

"In that case, Your Excellency must grant me one request."

"you say."

“Once Shixuan finishes the imperial examination, we must get rid of Ye Lanyin. I’m afraid it will be even more difficult when Shixuan’s examination results come out.”

Marquis Zhenbei snorted coldly, "Of course. She refuses to give her dowry to Shixuan now, so why would I keep her?"

"Once Shixuan finishes the imperial examination, that will be the time for our Marquis's mansion to finally hold its head high."

He would not retire until Shixuan was assigned an official position.

He didn't say that.

"good."

Zou Shuang'er walked into the house and handed the only land deed to the Marquis of Zhenbei, saying, "My lord, here you go."

When Lin Shixuan saw that she had finally taken it out, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was finally at ease.

He clenched his fists, remembering how Ye Lanyin had treated him.

Wait!

He was determined to make her regret her decision today.

He turned and left.

Zou Shuang'er held onto the Marquis of Zhenbei, preventing him from leaving.

That night.

The Marquis of Zhenbei rested at the residence of his lowly concubine, which made the other concubines grit their teeth in hatred.

The next day, Lingwei led Shuxue and the others directly to the scene.

Hua Xin was so happy she couldn't stop smiling as she walked in through the door.

"Madam, yesterday the master stayed at my humble abode. Guess what happened?"

Ye Lanyin ate her breakfast and asked, looking down, "What's wrong?"

"Hey, those concubines were really good. They went over there this morning. When I came back from the gate, I went around to that side and heard pigs squealing inside."

Lingwei was a fallen noblewoman, fiercely competitive, and naturally couldn't stand a mistress.

Lin Wanwan sat on the dining chair that Ye Zhennan had made for her before he went to war, her little feet swinging back and forth, and she took the opportunity to grab a handful of peanuts in front of her.

Ye Lanyin was so frightened that her face turned pale.

"Wanwan, you can't eat this."

Lin Wanwan clenched her little fists tightly, looking as if she were ready to die to protect her food.

Hua Xin hurriedly picked up Lin Wanwan, "Little Miss, shall I take you to get some beef jerky?"

Lin Wanwan's eyes blinked, then lit up, and she nodded vigorously, pecking at the rice.

"Alright, alright, Aunt Huaxin, we're leaving now."

No, no, those broken peanuts...

Ye Lanyin smiled and shook her head. These two maids were extremely protective of Wanwan.

Snacks were hidden everywhere in the small kitchen, all secretly made for her by the two maids.

"Let's go, let's ride the flying car..."

After finishing her meal, Ye Lanyin got up and walked towards the inner room. Suddenly, her gaze fell on the swaying curtain on the bronze mirror.

Suddenly stunned.

"who?"

Ye Lanyin walked step by step toward the curtain, her heart pounding in her throat.

Hua Mei went out to run errands, and Hua Xin took Wan Wan to the small kitchen.

Chang'an and Rui'an went to school.

The maids at the door were not allowed to enter without her permission.

Her steps felt like they weighed a ton, and she pulled the hairpin from her hair.

She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and suddenly pulled open the curtain.

Bloodstains were visible on the ground, and a staggering man leaned against the wardrobe, his clothes still dripping blood.

Ye Lanyin took a step back in fright, "Who are you?"

The man covered his arm, which had been stabbed by swords, with his right hand and said in a low voice, "Madam, don't be afraid, I... I'll leave immediately."

"Who are you, and why have you entered my courtyard?"

Ye Lanyin's voice carried a hint of sternness. In the brief pause between words, she had already reached the wardrobe. Just as her hairpin was about to pierce the man's neck, her gaze fell upon the familiar pattern on the clothes.

Her hand holding the hairpin paused slightly.

Suddenly, a strong beam of light shone down, and she instinctively squinted, trying to look up.

At the same time, a strong killing intent emanated from overhead.

The man by the wardrobe felt the sharp chill and without hesitation pulled Ye Lanyin into his arms.

As their lips met, Ye Lanyin's eyes widened, a strange panic welling up inside her. She reached out her hands, trying to push him away.

"Mmm..." Her voice was tightly sealed by the man, and she could only make weak protest sounds.

The person in charge snorted coldly and then left.

The man immediately released her. He looked down at her face, which was flushed with fright, and felt a pang of guilt.

"I'm sorry, Madam, I was being chased by assassins just now, that's why... I'm truly sorry."