After reviewing what had happened since returning home, Xiang Wan felt that there was something she had overlooked. However, when she tried to recall it carefully, she couldn't remember it. So she simply stopped thinking about it. After washing up in her courtyard and eating something, she told Xiao Zhu to go and rest, and then she lay down on the bed herself.

"Master, you just let that girl go like that?" Yuan Yi asked his master, puzzled. Since he had accompanied the prince on his errands, this was the first time he had seen his master laugh heartily at a woman's antics. Given his master's usual temperament, the girl wouldn't have been kept, but she certainly wouldn't have been let go so easily. The fact that his master was now leisurely painting, and painting the very girl he had rescued that morning, left him utterly perplexed.

"That's interesting."

The man put down his brush and ink, picked up the painting he had just finished, blew on it, and then hung it behind the screen.

It turned out that this man was none other than Yuan Feng, the only son of the Yuan Dynasty king, whom the original owner of this body had never met before her death and the husband Qin Rong was to marry. The initial Yuan Dynasty ruler, a military general who quelled the rebellion, was enthroned and, breaking with the previous dynasty's system of three palaces and six courtyards, made his wife the sole mother of the nation. He also single-handedly implemented monogamy throughout the country, overcoming numerous objections. Initially, there was considerable opposition, mostly from the nobles and princes of the previous dynasty. The first ruler targeted several high-ranking officials as examples, instilling fear in the others, which allowed the system to be implemented smoothly. Later, he changed the lowly status of servants in the Yuan Dynasty, implementing a contract system where contracts could be negotiated. This indirectly provided ordinary people with a means of livelihood, and even those who had been enslaved for life could secure a better future for their children. Most people were delighted with the system, and some powerful families, in order to retain trusted servants, significantly improved their treatment. This led to the situation where Lady Li, after being released, became a tutor in the Qin family.

The Yuan family has a long line of rulers, almost every one of whom is a devoted lover. Their wives are chosen through mutual affection and voluntary marriage. Strangely, however, the Yuan family has few heirs; each generation has only one son. The current ruler, Yuan Yunlie, is over forty years old. His temper, like his name, is unpredictable and fiery. After the death of his first wife, he became even more unrestrained. Seeing that his only son had been an adult for two or three years but showed no interest in marriage, he banished him from the palace and sent a group of guards to accompany him on a journey throughout the country to resolve injustices and, at the same time, to see if he could find a suitable woman to settle his life's affairs.

Before leaving the palace, the king had given Yuan Yi and the other guards many instructions. Besides protecting the prince's safety, their only request was that if they saw a girl who captivated the prince, they must bring her to the palace by any means necessary.

Before reaching Anyang City, they had already traveled to many places, but His Highness seemed solely focused on handling affairs, not even glancing at the other women. Seeing the prince now drawing portraits of another girl in his study, Yuan Yi desperately wanted to bring Xiang Wan back to the palace immediately to report, but his master didn't seem to intend to abduct her. Although he longed for the prince to be with the woman he loved as soon as possible, he couldn't disobey his master's wishes and act on his own. He was deeply conflicted, his brows furrowed in distress.

"When fishing, the more impatient you are, the less likely you are to get a bite."

Yuan Feng tossed out a sentence, then turned and left in a good mood. Yuan Yi glanced at the portrait, then thought about what his master had said, shook his head, and looked conflicted. What did finding a wife have to do with fishing? He couldn't figure it out and planned to discuss it with a few of his men. Of course, he wouldn't admit he didn't know. If his men were right, beat them! They had time to think about this, so they must not have been trained enough? If his men were wrong, beat them! They couldn't even understand such a simple principle; they deserved to be taught a lesson! Yuan Yi relaxed his brow and went out with a smile.

After being flogged, Xiaolan was locked up alone in the woodshed. At first, she hoped her young mistress would come to see her; even out of consideration for their childhood bond, she couldn't abandon her. But she remained there until nightfall without Qin Rong appearing, not even a word of comfort. Only a maidservant brought her food and water regularly. Initially, she made excuses for her mistress, but as time passed, her hopes dwindled, and her heart grew cold.

After Qin Rong returned to her courtyard, it wasn't that she didn't want to go see Xiao Lan; after all, Xiao Lan knew everything about her. However, since being confined to the courtyard by the Queen Mother, most of the familiar maids had been replaced. Even if she wanted to take the opportunity to deliver something to Xiao Lan, some people advised her that a servant using her mistress as a shield deserved punishment. Besides, she had been confined under the pretext of missing her deceased mother, so she couldn't find an excuse to go out. She had no way to express her suffering, let alone care for Xiao Lan.

By using this tactic, the Queen Mother legitimately replaced all the maids and servants familiar with Qin Rong, and placed key figures under her watchful eye. This prevented Qin Rong from colluding with Xiao Lan again and also cut off Xiao Lan's access to information, making her believe that she had been abandoned by her mistress. Even if she couldn't betray her immediately, she believed that over time, their affection would eventually be worn away. Then, she could find a way to pry open Xiao Lan's mouth. Even if Master Qin returned, he would surely punish Qin Rong severely, since murder was a serious crime in any dynasty.

However, the punishment for Qin Rong cannot be decided by the Queen Mother. Even if the evidence is conclusive, people will still criticize her for abusing her stepdaughter, which led her to want to harm her stepsister. Besides, there is currently no strong evidence. The best course of action is to let it slide for now, keep it under control, and let her think that the matter has not been exposed. She will surely make another move, and then we can catch her in one fell swoop, casting a long line to catch a big fish.

After her two daughters had rested and eaten dinner together, the Queen Mother called them to her bedroom, dismissed everyone else, and had a heart-to-heart talk with them.

Xiang Xiazong didn't believe Qin Rong was so malicious, and she trusted her mother's judgment. In any case, she was finally on guard.

Xiang Wan was surprised by the Queen Mother's profound foresight, admiring her shrewdness and feeling saddened by her own lack of intelligence. After this contest with Qin Rong, she felt that although she was on the right track, she always felt somewhat powerless, as if something flashed through her mind but she could never quite grasp it.

Through this conversation, she understood the Queen Mother's love for her daughters. Instead of dwelling on Xiang Wan's suspicions about Qin Rong, she planned her next move, preparing for any eventuality. From what had happened so far, aside from the initial shock, everything seemed to be in the best interests of the mother and her two daughters. However, although she hadn't found a weakness in Qin Rong, given the Queen Mother's temperament—her two children had almost been abducted—she certainly wouldn't let her off easily. The Queen Mother didn't tell the sisters this until a month later when Xiang Wan saw Qin Rong again. Only then did she understand that the harshest punishment was being unable to express her suffering and having to be grateful to the one who inflicted it. Looking at Qin Rong's haggard, restrained, and resentful expression, Xiang Wan wondered if this was still the same delicate, seemingly innocent young lady she once knew.