Nanny Zhou's shrill cries, like a sharp blast of wind, instantly shattered the tranquility of the front courtyard of the Prime Minister's residence. At that moment, Prime Minister Su sat leisurely in his study, stroking his beard, savoring his fragrant tea, immersed in the tranquility. The sudden cry startled the teacup in his hand, causing it to tremble slightly, nearly spilling. With a chill in his heart, he quickly set down the cup and scurried toward the source of the sound.

When Prime Minister Su hurried over, the scene before him horrified him. Su Jinli's face was wrathful, her eyes burning with rage. With a snap, she fiercely threw a blood-stained silver hairpin in front of Liu. The hairpin fell to the ground with a crisp sound, echoing in the silent air like the voice of fate's judgment. Su Jinli's voice was icy, like a sharp blade, piercing Liu: "My stepmother gave my mother this hairpin. I'm afraid it was already dipped in poison, right?"

Liu, dressed in plain, everyday clothes, looked frail and helpless. She clutched a string of Buddhist beads in her hand, attempting to project a compassionate and pious demeanor. However, upon hearing Su Jinli's question, her hand trembled, and the beads scattered like beads from a broken string, rolling across the floor with a chaotic clatter, a reflection of her current panic. Her eyes widened, an expression of disbelief on her face, and she trembled in her voice, "Jinli, what nonsense are you talking about! I've always respected my sister, how could she possibly do such a heinous thing!"

"Respect?" Su Jinli's lips curled into a sneer, a smile filled with disdain and anger. She reached out, flipped open the account book, and swung it hard at Liu's face. The book arced through the air and hit Liu's cheek hard. Su Jinli glared at her, speaking word by word, "On the sixth day of the third month, I sent her a tranquilizing decoction using oleander leaves. On the eighth day of the third month, my mother passed away from an 'acute illness'. You really calculated the time perfectly! What do you have to argue about all this?"

Nanny Zhou collapsed to the ground, like a puddle of mud, her former spirit long gone. She was so frightened that her face turned pale as paper, her body trembling constantly, and she kowtowed like crazy, mumbling incoherently, "It was Madam who ordered this! She said Madam was blocking her path, and if Madam left, the Prime Minister's Mansion would be hers and the young master's... Madam told me to do this, and I had no choice!"

Upon hearing this, Liu's face instantly turned pale. Screaming like a madman, she lunged at Madam Zhou, attempting to gag her and stop her from spilling more secrets. However, before she could move, Young Marquis Su quickly shoved her away. The young man's face was etched with rage, his face flushed crimson like an angry lion cub. He held the wooden sword in his hand, blocking Su Jinli like a barrier, and roared at Liu, "How dare you harm my mother! I'll chop you down!" His childish yet furious voice echoed through the air, exuding an air of untouchability.

"Enough!" Su Xiang slammed his hand on the table. The sound was like thunder, causing the teacups on the table to jump violently, as if they were also shocked by this sudden change. Su Xiang's face was as gloomy as the sky before a storm. His gaze lingered on Liu's pale face for a moment, then slowly moved to the silver hairpin in Su Jinli's hand. In a trance, he seemed to see the cloudy and painful eyes of his deceased wife before her death. The vague doubts he had harbored in his heart all those years now seemed to be confirmed and stung his heart. It turned out that his so-called "negligence" all those years was actually the result of someone secretly plotting against him.

"Take Liu to the ancestral hall," Su Xiang's voice was as cold as ice, revealing an unquestionable majesty. "No one is allowed to visit without my order."

Liu continued to cry out in defense, her voice piercing the air, but her voice was quickly drowned out by the footsteps of the servants carrying her away. Her figure gradually receded, leaving behind only a string of desperate and helpless cries. Su Jinli looked at her father's slightly trembling back, feeling a pang of pain in her heart. Suddenly, she noticed that his temples had grown a few strands of white hair, which were particularly glaring in the sunlight.

"Dad..." Su Jinli called softly, with a hint of worry and heartache in her voice.

"Stop talking." Su Xiang waved his hand wearily, as if he had aged a lot in an instant. He turned around and walked towards the study with heavy steps, his back revealing endless loneliness and fatigue. "Let me be quiet for a while."

As night slowly descended like a sheet of black silk, enveloping the entire Prime Minister's residence, the day's bustle gradually quieted. Yet, Su Jinli's heart was roiling like a raging sea, unable to find peace. She sat alone on the porch, letting the cold night wind slice across her face like a knife, trying to cool the rage burning within her.

At this moment, a figure, as light as a ghost, climbed over the wall and quietly landed in the courtyard. It was Jiang Yan, dressed in black, and under the cover of the night, he almost blended into the darkness. He looked at Su Jinli sitting in the corridor. Her thin figure looked so lonely and helpless in the cold wind, and his heart ached. He walked quickly to Su Jinli's side, gently draped the cloak in his hand over her shoulders, and asked gently, "Have you heard?"

Su Jinli nodded slightly, the moonlight casting a shadow on her face, illuminating her haggard yet resolute features. Her fingertips tightly grasped the silver hairpin, as if it held a connection to her past pain and a symbol of her resolve to seek justice for her biological mother. She spoke in a low voice, "So, my mother's death in my previous life wasn't an accident."

Jiang Yan gently grasped her hands, which trembled slightly with anger and cold. He wrapped his warm palms around hers and said softly, "It's all over. With me here, no one will dare to hurt you again." He paused, as if remembering something, and pulled a small cloth bag from his sleeve pocket, handing it to Su Jinli. "This is the account book from Liu's family that I asked someone to check. Half of the money her brother embezzled in Jiangnan ended up in Minister Lin's pocket. It seems there's a much wider story behind this."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!