Lu Zhixing didn't know how he got back.

Upon seeing Jiang Tian, ​​his mind went completely blank.

Jiang Tian clearly didn't interact with him at all.

In other people's eyes, she was just a dutiful concubine.

If the Crown Prince hadn't asked her to preside over this literary gathering, Jiang Tian might not have even shown up.

However, the current dynasty does not impose such heavy restrictions on women, and Jiang Tian's appearance actually shows how much the Crown Prince values ​​them.

Lu Zhixing was completely unaware of what the meeting had discussed.

This literary gathering alone shattered some of his illusions.

Jiang Tian is that Jiang Tian, ​​and there is absolutely no other than her.

The moment their eyes met, his heart sank.

When he returned to the Duke's mansion, everyone was waiting for him.

Everyone knows what it means for Lu Zhixing to go to the Crown Prince.

Lu Zhixing's face turned pale: "Father, we can no longer rely on the Crown Prince. Jiang Tian will definitely not let me go."

That smile terrified him.

Lu Zhixing never truly knew what kind of person his wife was.

For him, finding a wife to bear his children was something he absolutely had to accomplish.

If this woman were a good match for him in terms of social standing, that would be an even greater surprise.

As his wife, Jiang Tian never made a mistake and managed the Duke's mansion in an orderly manner, which was enough to show her ability.

Lu Zhixing didn't have deep feelings for her.

His ambitions lay in the imperial court and his official position. How could he possibly have any designs on a woman in the inner quarters?

It's enough that Jiang Tian doesn't cause him any trouble.

But... there was nothing he could do.

Jiang Tian's uncle committed treason, and during that time, rumors circulated in the capital that he would be executed by slow slicing.

The Duke's mansion was already unstable. If they were to get involved with Zhao Zhen, would the emperor still let them off the hook?

All they could do was distance themselves from Zhao Zhen.

Therefore, Jiang Tian had to die, and even her father thought so.

With her dead, Lu Zhixing will treat their child even better. With her son's bright future, Jiang Tian can surely die in peace.

But strangely enough, she didn't die.

She's back.

Her smile and her every move made Lu Zhixing feel completely unfamiliar.

They were once husband and wife, but now they have become enemies.

Lu Zhixing sensed the hatred in Jiang Tian's eyes.

He knew then that his entire plan had failed.

Assassinating Jiang Tian is completely impossible.

Now that she's back and has even managed to get close to the Crown Prince, the Lu family will surely have to pay for their blood debt.

This woman abandoned her husband and children without ever revealing her relationship with him. Even after returning for so long, she has never mentioned wanting to see her children. Lu Zhixing had long had a general idea of ​​her ruthlessness.

Since that's the case, they can't just sit and wait to die.

"They sought refuge with Grand Tutor Chen."

Lu Zhixing gritted his teeth and made a decisive change of choice.

He could no longer waste time. Yuan Ye was still unable to turn the tide under the oppression of the imperial power. If they went to seek refuge with Grand Tutor Chen, they might still have a chance to fight back.

After all, Grand Tutor Chen had already amassed considerable power, and the Duke's mansion would surely fare well if it followed suit—that was all he could think.

Following the Crown Prince will only lead to certain death.

After hearing Lu Zhixing's description, the Duke's face turned ashen.

He hunted all year round, but his eye was pecked out by an eagle.

Jiang Tian's appearance ruined their entire plan.

"……good."

This is the only option.

Since the path of supporting the crown prince is blocked, they have no choice but to support the other side.

That very night, Lord Jiang went to the Duke's mansion.

After they exchanged messages, Lord Jiang's expression was unusually unpleasant.

He wasn't actually very familiar with his own daughter.

After all, his goal was to marry Jiang Tian off and gain some benefits.

He never inquired about his daughter's specific personality.

She was just a pawn; who would care about the life or death of a pawn?

Jiang Tian's appearance did indeed throw him off balance.

Zhao Zhen had already alarmed him in the early stages, and Jiang Tian went even further, delivering a heavy blow to him.

If someone were to harm him and want to kill him, wouldn't he seek revenge?

Trying to talk to Jiang Tian about family ties is practically a pipe dream.

Therefore, Lord Jiang also made a decisive decision to join Grand Tutor Chen along with the Duke's Mansion.

Grand Tutor Chen is the Emperor's favorite, and he is quite intelligent. He might just be the winner.

The two sides reached an agreement and plotted for a long time before dispersing.

It was already late at night when Lu Zhixing returned to the backyard.

Jiang Ruoqing was still awake.

From the moment she met her elder sister, she vaguely realized that her fate had taken a turn for the worse in some ways.

When she saw her husband return, Jiang Ruoqing tried her best to curve the corners of her mouth, but she still couldn't manage a proper smile.

"Have you finished talking with your father?"

Upon seeing his wife, a hint of coldness flashed in Lu Zhixing's eyes.

He knew perfectly well that he shouldn't have taken his anger out on others.

But Jiang Ruoqing... also has the surname Jiang.

Even though she and Jiang Tian share the same father, her mental maturity is far inferior to Jiang Tian's.

"Your sister won't stop smiling over something so small."

His words made Jiang Ruoqing's face turn pale instantly.

Jiang Ruoqing opened her mouth, then revealed a smile that was even uglier than a cry: "Husband, if you are tired of me, just say so."

Lu Zhixing took a deep breath and shook his head: "I'm not tired of you, I'm just a little disappointed in you. I've always been very indulgent towards you, considering your young age, but things are different now. Today I met Jiang Tian, ​​and she seems to have been reborn. Even in front of the Crown Prince, she didn't lose her composure."

"Ruoqing, you are far inferior to her. I will be traveling a lot in the future, and you will need to take care of the family. Don't let me down."

Lu Zhixing was clearly looking for someone to vent his anger on.

In the study were his biological father and his father-in-law. As a junior, how could Lu Zhixing dare to say a single wrong word?

In their eyes, Lu Zhixing was the one they could vent their frustrations on.

If Lu Zhixing hadn't turned a blind eye to their plot to poison Jiang Tian, ​​had stopped them, and had waited a while until Zhao Zhen was exonerated, wouldn't everything have been peaceful?

The two families are probably still living in harmony, and neither of them is facing any major disaster.

Hindsight is always 20/20.

One wrong step and he would be on the edge of a cliff. Only Lu Zhixing knew the extent of the pressure he was under.

As Jiang Ruoqing listened to her loving and considerate husband criticizing her in a harsh tone, she suddenly felt a little lost.

In modern times, even though she is a corporate slave and faces great pressure in life, earning only enough to cover her own expenses and sometimes living paycheck to paycheck, at least no one would really treat her like a slave.

She is perfectly entitled to talk back when others reprimand her.

Instead of what she can do now, where she can only bow her head and respectfully listen to her husband's lectures—because in ancient times, the husband was the master.