Meng Zhuo was about to lean in, but Li Shiyue kicked out, causing Meng Zhuo to wince in pain. Seizing the opportunity, Li Shiyue lifted her skirt and ran away.

Unexpectedly, she bumped into a warm embrace as soon as she turned the corner. Li Shiyue instinctively wanted to run away, but when she looked up, she was stunned.

Her almond-shaped eyes reddened and gradually became moist. She was unaware of the disarray in her hair and clothes, the white collar revealing her collarbone, and her tearful appearance made her look like a frightened fawn, which was heartbreaking.

"Cousin..."

The newcomer was none other than Xu Yunci, the heir of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion. In her previous life, Li Shiyue was not familiar with him. But now, upon seeing him, she clung to Xu Yunci's sleeve as if she were a drowning person grasping at a lifeline, refusing to let go.

"You little slut, when I catch you, I'll strip you naked..."

Meng Zhuo's insults followed closely behind, and he awkwardly strode after them. Upon seeing Li Shiyue in the arms of his unfamiliar husband, he made no attempt to hide his ugly expression.

"Do you know who you're holding? It's my wife! I'm a distinguished guest of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion in the capital. Are you scared now? Get out of here!"

Xu Yunci remained unmoved, his phoenix eyes scoffing as he uttered two words: "Is that so?"

He helped Li Shiyue up, took off his red and gray velvet cloak, and covered Li Shiyue up completely.

Meng Zhuo was furious and unaware that the man in front of him was the future master of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion he had mentioned. He saw Xu Yunci protecting Li Shiyue behind him.

Clutching the silver hairpin that Li Shiyue had just given her, she aimed straight for Xu Yunci's chest.

"ah--!"

Xu Yunci's phoenix eyes revealed a mocking expression. He stood tall in place, as if he were not the one who had just kicked Meng Zhuo away. His robes remained impeccably clean.

Meng Zhuo crashed to the ground. Before he could even clutch his chest, he was pinned to the ground by the servant behind Xu Yunci and couldn't break free.

The servant was so strong it seemed he could twist his body apart. Meng Zhuo tried to resist, but the servant pressed him down to face the ground, leaving him with his face pressed against the floor, blushing as he looked at the two cousins ​​in front of him.

"You slut! You slut! Do you even know who I am? How dare you help her? Let me tell you, my aunt is the most favored lady of the Yunyang Marquis's mansion. Do you know who the Yunyang Marquis is? My uncle-in-law is the Marquis!"

"I'm here today to escort my cousin to the capital. Even the Rongguo Duke's mansion has to give me some face. You dare to disrespect me? I'll make you pay once we get to the capital. The Rongguo Duke's heir is also the Vice Magistrate of the Capital Prefecture. He has to be polite to me too. Be careful or I'll have you thrown in jail!"

Li Shiyue could not hide the disgust in her eyes. She looked around, raised one of the celadon jade bottles, her eyes brimming with tears, and her face flushed red. She was clearly furious.

Xu Yunci looked over coldly with his phoenix eyes, pretending to protect Li Shiyue behind him. He glanced at Meng Zhuo lying on the ground with an arrogant expression: "I don't know when I became entangled with someone like you."

Meng Zhuo paused, suddenly remembering that when he chased after her earlier, he vaguely heard Li Shiyue call out "cousin." Could it be that she wasn't calling him?

No, Li Shiyue always called him Meng Langjun.

Meng Zhuo's face instantly turned ugly, and he dared not resist any longer, only saying, "It's a misunderstanding, it's a misunderstanding."

"Now that you know that I am the Junior Magistrate of the Capital Prefecture, and that you have broken the law, I will deal with you myself."

Xu Yunci stood in front of him with his hands behind his back.

Li Shiyue relaxed, stepped forward and knelt down, saying, "Please investigate, cousin. Meng Zhuo injured my maid, who is still unconscious."

“Under the emperor’s very nose, to commit violence and injure people shows a complete disregard for the law. I beg my cousin to do me justice.”

Xu Yunci stood with his hands behind his back, his left hand stroking the patterns on the jade thumb ring, his eyes instantly turning cold.

"Cousin, Cousin Yue, it's me, it wasn't me, help me, help me..."

Li Shiyue looked down and realized that Meng Zhuo had grabbed her skirt at some point, and now he was holding on to it like a lifeline.

His eyes were filled with unease and fear as he kept begging for mercy.

Li Shiyue forcefully pulled her skirt back, fighting back tears that streamed down her face.

Who is your cousin?

“My cousin is the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Yunyang and a cousin of the Duke of Rongguo. How dare you, a mere nephew of a concubine in the Marquis’s household, presume to call yourself my cousin? You are ignorant of etiquette, have offended a noble lady, and should not be let off lightly.”

The fierce look on Xu Yunci's face flashed by, but with a wave of his hand, Meng Zhuo was suppressed by the servant.

Li Shiyue, wrapped in a cloak, her hair loose, tears streaming down her face, looked utterly pitiful. Seeing Meng Zhuo being forced down, she couldn't suppress her inner elation.

·

Xu Yunci's bedroom was next door. He was wearing the light gray, ink-bamboo patterned robe with Suzhou embroidery that he wore during the day. He stood with his hands behind his back and could not hide his surprise when he saw Li Shiyue coming over.

Li Shiyue changed her clothes and only then could she see her cousin, the young master, clearly. He was tall and slender, with phoenix eyes that held no extra emotion, making him seem unapproachable.

She didn't really know much about it; they hadn't had much contact in her past life, just occasional encounters.

She slightly bent her knees and curtsied, saying, "I am grateful to my cousin for arriving in time today. I thank you for your great kindness."

Xu Yunci was not surprised that she came over. He simply saw her curtsy, stepped aside, and reached out to help her up.

"I came here to escort you to the capital; how can you speak of such a great favor?"

Li Shiyue lowered her eyes, seemingly lost in thought, and said in a muffled voice, "I came to ask my cousin for a favor."

"you say."

Li Shiyue raised her eyes, her almond-shaped eyes filled with bitterness: "Since Mother passed away, Father has not remarried, but he has been supporting the concubines of the Earl's Mansion. Meng Zhuo is the nephew of Concubine Meng, who is Father's favorite in the inner quarters of the Earl's Mansion."

"When my grandmother was alive, she could protect me to some extent. After she passed away, the Meng family wanted to use my marriage to elevate their status. Fortunately, my grandmother and maternal grandmother had arranged a marriage for me, and the three-year mourning period was not over yet, so I thought we could live in peace."

"I just don't know what method Meng used to fool my father into agreeing to let Meng Zhuo escort me to the capital. I haven't dared to let my guard down for the past two weeks on the ship. If he succeeds today, I will really have no way to survive."

As she spoke, her body trembled. Recalling what had just happened, the sixteen-year-old girl was terrified.

"My cousin must have already had my belongings inventoried, including my sixty-four loads of dowry chests. However, comparing this with the dowry list, this dowry does not include the one hundred and twenty-eight loads my mother used to bring when she got married."

Xu Yunci nodded: "Since your aunt passed away, her dowry should naturally belong entirely to you. The items did not come to the capital with you; they should have been left in Yunzhong County."

Li Shiyue lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly: "As a daughter, I shouldn't interfere in my elders' private affairs, but my cousin saw it too. Father was bewitched by my aunt, allowing Meng Zhuo to do evil and even falsely accuse the Duke's mansion."

"The Duke's mansion sent a letter, and Father didn't even ask who the betrothed was or what his character was like. He just sent the dowry and his own daughter out of the house. I don't believe there was no one stirring up trouble here."

"The Earl of Yunyang has guarded Yunzhong County for generations. Father, as the head of the Earl's Mansion, favors his concubine over his wife and indulges her audacity. If this is reported to the authorities, a reprimand will be enough. Between the Earl's title and a concubine, which is more important, I'm sure Father will be able to make a good choice."

“A concubine who has lost her protection will naturally not have a good ending.”