Lu Ziqian's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly pulled the person into his arms.

Su Yujiao resisted with all her might, struggling weakly: "Get away, don't touch me."

"Stop messing around!" he roared.

Just as Lu Ziqian was about to carry the person away, Butler Lu suddenly appeared, followed by several other people.

"Miss?" Xiao Tao screamed in terror when she saw the woman covered in blood.

Butler Lu was also a little confused; he had been looking for people outside for the past few days.

On their way back, they met Imperial Censor Liu and learned that the young mistress had not eloped but had been captured by bandits and had even rescued Imperial Censor Liu's child. They had come specifically to express their gratitude.

Steward Lu then hurriedly led his men back to the mansion.

It was too late, though. Judging from the young mistress's miserable state, she had clearly been tortured!

What should we do? The young mistress's heart has been completely broken by the general.

Xiao Tao ran over crying and shoved Lu Ziqian with a hateful look on her face: "Get out of my way! My young lady must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to marry you."

"It is said that the General's Mansion is a kind and virtuous family, and it is a blessing for a woman to marry into the General's Mansion after several lifetimes of good deeds."

"In my opinion, goodness is bullshit, good fortune is bullshit, it's nothing but a pit of fire."

Bang!

"You lowly servant, how dare you!"

As soon as Xiaotao finished speaking, Mohua kicked her hard, and her small body flew out like a rag.

"Xiao Tao!!!"

"Mo Hua, if you dare touch her again, I'll make you pay with your life!"

Su Yujiao's eyes were bloodshot with rage, and for the first time, she felt an urge to kill.

"Hmph!" Mo Hua snorted disdainfully.

But when he saw Lu Ziqian's warning look, he immediately suppressed his arrogant attitude.

Liu, the Imperial Censor, was furious and about to start cursing when his wife tugged at his sleeve.

Madam Liu helped Xiao Tao up and asked Lu Ziqian with feigned surprise, "General Lu, you wouldn't have believed the rumors on the street, would you?"

"Rumors, all of them are just rumors!!"

"You've misunderstood Madam Su. Madam Su was captured by bandits from Guanyin Mountain."

"Lady Su outwitted and outmaneuvered the thieves, ultimately escaping death and even saving my son in the process."

"My husband and I have come here today to express our gratitude to Madam Su for saving our lives."

"I never expected you would misunderstand Madam Su and beat her up like this..."

Lu Ziqian suddenly looked down at the woman in his arms in disbelief. So... so what she said was true.

She was actually captured by bandits and barely escaped with her life.

Upon returning, instead of receiving a single word of comfort, he faced humiliation, questioning, insults, and beatings...

And he was the one who started all of this. If he hadn't abandoned her in her time of crisis, she wouldn't have suffered like this.

At this moment, Lu Ziqian's feelings were indescribably complicated...

In the past, he felt no guilt or remorse for being heartless or indifferent towards Su Yujiao.

Because Su Yujiao schemed against him, it was her own fault.

Even though he enjoys her gentleness, flattery, and meticulous care, he feels no guilt whatsoever.

But now, he actually felt a little guilty towards her.

Lu Ziqian stared at the woman's beautiful face for a long while, his lips trembling before he finally spoke: "You... how did you get arrested?"

Su Yujiao turned her face away, letting her tears of grievance overwhelm her. What good did it do to know the truth? She had already hit him and scolded him; there was no going back.

Lu Ziqian realized what was happening and suddenly looked up at the ink painting, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if he could slowly torture someone to death.

"What happened?"

When Mo Hua met Lu Ziqian's terrifying gaze, it was as if he saw that ruthless, violent, and bloodthirsty Yama on the battlefield.

Mo Hua turned deathly pale with fright, unable to meet his gaze. She lowered her head guiltily and whispered, "You...you didn't order her to be saved. I...I thought you wanted...wanted her..."

Before he could utter the last word, "death," Mo Hua was sent flying by a palm strike from Lu Ziqian.

The man was horrified; he was afraid... he was afraid that Mo Hua would utter that word.

He never intended for her to die!

Even if he didn't like Su Yujiao, she was still the woman who had shared his bed for three years.

How could he possibly have the intention to kill her?

Why would Mo Hua think that way? Did Su Yujiao also think he wanted to kill her?

Does he appear to outsiders to be so cold-blooded and heartless towards her?

When Lu Ziqian looked at the woman in his arms again, her face seemed even paler, and her body was trembling uncontrollably.

Judging from her reaction, she must have misunderstood as well.

A flicker of panic crossed the man's mind, and he explained stiffly, "I didn't mean that."

"It was the ink painting that acted on its own initiative."

"Her martial arts skills are not weak..."

This was the first time Su Yujiao had heard his explanation, and in the past she would have been very happy.

His willingness to explain shows that he cares about her feelings and is willing to take care of her emotions.

But now, she felt no joy whatsoever, only a sense of pathetic misery.

"What's the point of saying all this now? Wasn't it you who indulged her in making decisions on her own?"

"You assume she can disrespect me, that's why she dares to stand by and watch me die."

“Lu Ziqian, if you have any conscience at all, write me a divorce agreement so we can part ways amicably.”

Looking at her serious expression, which didn't seem like she was sulking, the man felt inexplicably irritated.

This was the first time she had spoken to him in such a forceful tone; in the past, she had always been very docile.

Before Lu Ziqian could speak, Madam Zhu spoke again: "Pah, you filthy, worthless slut who's been played with and ruined, how dare you ask for a divorce?"

"If I were you, I would have died out there. Why would I come back? To embarrass my husband's family?"

Madam Zhu covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief and said with disgust, "Yes, a woman who has lost her chastity deserves to die. How dare you come back and cause trouble?"

These vicious words were practically driving Su Yujiao to her death.

Even with Madam Liu's smooth-talking nature, she couldn't suppress her anger at this moment: "Madam, please watch your words!"

"Madam Su has not lost her chastity. Are you trying to take a life by making such indiscriminate slanders?"

Zhu snorted coldly: "Hmph, how could someone who falls into a place like that possibly come out innocent?"

“Even if she saved your son, you can’t lie in public.”

"Unless you can produce evidence!"

Madam Zhu looked smug; she simply didn't believe that Madam Liu could actually produce any evidence.

After all, Su Yujiao was no longer a virgin; who can say for sure about such things?

Suppressing her anger, Madam Liu gracefully smoothed her hair and spoke with poise and composure: "I do have evidence."

"I heard from my son that in order to preserve her innocence, Lady Su deliberately took poison, causing pustules similar to syphilis to grow on her body."

“When those people saw the festering sores on Su Niangzi’s arm, they naturally didn’t dare to touch her.”

"If the general does not believe me, he can examine the wound on Lady Su's arm."

Madam Liu deliberately didn't mention the wooden bead bracelet, as it was Su Niangzi's life-saving charm.

The general's mansion is not a place for the faint of heart. If she lets these people know that Su Niangzi's life-saving charm is that inconspicuous string of wooden beads, they might come up with some bad ideas.