This person said those words again.

Li Shiyue didn't look up, lowering her eyelids to hide the smile in her eyes, but she couldn't hide the upturned corners of her mouth.

Say some nice things, and even though I didn't do them well, she still liked hearing them.

Seeing that the gate of Shousong Hall was just ahead, Li Shiyue stopped and lowered her voice.

"Actually, what I didn't tell my aunt in the carriage was who spread the rumor. Or perhaps it shouldn't be called a rumor, but I heard it from the eleventh daughter of the Yang family. She said it was Sister Fu."

As she lowered her voice, Xu Yunci unconsciously took a step closer and heard what Li Shiyue said next. Remembering what the Prince of Zhao had said that day, a surge of emotion welled up in his eyes.

Li Shiyue didn't notice and looked at him thoughtfully: "Besides the Changping Earl's Mansion that I know of, are there any other families in the capital with the surname Fu?"

If she remembered correctly, the Fu family of the Marquis of Changping was not very large, so the Fu family had few members. Including Pixiang Palace, she only knew of five people, all of whom were from the Marquis of Changping.

"Why didn't you think of that Fu lady who lived in the Consort's Fragrant Palace?" Xu Yunci asked, somewhat puzzled. In fact, if he hadn't remembered what Prince Zhao had said that day, he wouldn't have been able to connect it to Consort Fu's niece, who was once Princess Chunhui's closest confidante.

"I have thought about it, but I feel it shouldn't be her."

Li Shiyue thought about it seriously for a moment, and seeing the surprise in Xu Yunci's eyes, she explained, "I heard Ayin and Awan say that since Qin Ying, the commoner, was deposed, the Changping Marquis's family has not been as prosperous as before."

"Therefore, the Marquis of Changping attempted to use Miss Fu's marriage to seek benefits for the Marquis of Changping's family. It is said that Consort Fu favors Prince Zhao and has not given up on requesting an official title for Fu Yun Ning."

"I also heard that the Earl of Changping even wanted to send Miss Fu into the palace to keep the Imperial Concubine company, or even to the Eastern Palace. Even if it was just the lowest-ranking concubine, the Earl of Changping would be more than willing to do it."

As she spoke, Li Shiyue lowered her eyes, her brows and tone revealing an undisguised sense of loneliness.

"Don't you think she's a lot like me back then? I lost my mother, my father did nothing, and even tried to profit from his own flesh and blood, disregarding their lives."

“You have the Xu family, and now you have me. You are different from her. Didn’t you say that being too kind would make you bullied? Are you pitying her?”

Xu Yunci stood with his hands behind his back, unconsciously rubbing the cold jade thumb ring with his fingertips. Whenever Li Shiyue looked up at this moment, she would see the gloomy look churning in Xu Yunci's eyes.

Li Shiyue didn't look up, but shook her head: "It's not pity, it's heartache."

Xu Yunci looked at her with some confusion: "Why would it be heartache?"

“Being too kind can lead to being bullied; I’ve experienced that firsthand. I used to think that taking a step back would open up a whole new world, and things would gradually get better. But people don’t see it that way. They just think, ‘Look how easy she is to bully. I’ll bully her again next time.’”

Li Shiyue raised her head and continued, "I don't pity her. It's just that as a mother myself, I have similar experiences, so I feel sorry for her. My cousin is right. I now have the Rongguo Duke's Xu family behind me, and I have a very excellent son-in-law. My uncle and aunt are also enlightened people, so I don't have to worry about being blamed by my husband's family in the future."

"The Marquis of Changping behind Miss Fu can't help her much; even her blood relatives are full of calculations for their own interests. If it weren't for the Noble Consort of Pixiang Palace, Miss Fu would probably have suffered even more grievances."

"Although there is the Pixiang Palace, it seems that way, but in reality she has not escaped the Changping Marquis's Mansion and is still struggling. I feel sorry for her not only because I am a mother myself and can empathize with her, but also because we have similar experiences, but have taken different paths."

"It's true that kind people are often bullied, but I'm not a weakling anymore. If anyone bullies me, I'll just bully them back in the same way. I'll treat them the way they treat me."

"If similar experiences don't make me empathize, then wouldn't I be someone who only knows evil and not good?"

Xu Yunci remained silent for a long time, so long that Li Shiyue thought he wouldn't speak again. She took the first step towards the gate of Shousong Hall, but then heard Xu Yunci's voice behind her.

"It's good to have good intentions, but some people are not worth having good intentions towards."

Xu Yunci strode up and followed: "It's my fault. My words brought up your painful memories. I know about these things and I have no intention of ignoring them. Don't overthink it, and don't get involved in these matters. It's best to protect yourself."

“I know that I don’t have the ability to be compassionate and merciful. If I rashly intervene, not only will I not be able to help, but I will also cause trouble for myself and the Duke’s mansion.” Li Shiyue looked at him, thinking that he was worried that she would help people indiscriminately.

Xu Yunci didn't explain further. Well, it's better not to tell her about the dirty secrets of the previous dynasty, or she'll be frightened.

The two tacitly refrained from mentioning the matter again upon entering the Shousong Hall courtyard. Frost had settled on the chairs under the eaves, and a row of large red lanterns hung there.

At first glance, the row of bright red flowers is neat and orderly, with the red tassels below swaying in the cold wind from time to time, as if showing off their splendor.

The heavy curtain was lifted, and Lianchun came out with a maid. She was surprised to see Li Shiyue and Xu Yunci standing at the courtyard gate.

She quickly stepped forward to greet them, curtsied, and said, "Young Master and Miss, why are you standing here? It's windy right here. The Old Madam just went inside and was talking about the Young Master and Miss when you two came over."

After saying that, Lianchun pretended to lead the two of them into the house.

"Grandma, have you been outside for so long? Are you feeling unwell? Did you catch a chill in the wind?"

After Li Shiyue finished speaking, she also walked to the corridor, and through the heavy curtain, she could vaguely hear laughter coming from inside.

"Grandmother seems to be in a good mood." Xu Yunci was also a little surprised and took the lead in lifting the curtain and stepping inside. He didn't go in first and ignore Li Shiyue behind him. He stood inside holding up the curtain and only lowered it after everyone had come in.

"The old lady said the sun was shining brightly today, so Granny Chang and Chunling accompanied her for a walk near Shousong Hall. Chang Shun is a lively person and made the old lady very happy. She looked very energetic."

As Lianchun spoke, she couldn't hide the joy in her voice. She and Liandong had entered the mansion at a young age and were assigned to Shousong Hall. When they were young, the old lady had Chang Mama take care of them personally.

They didn't suffer much hardship at home, and they learned things quickly. Besides Granny Chang, they were the two most trusted maids of Old Madam Xu.

As soon as Lian Chun finished speaking, Li Shiyue and Xu Yunci had already walked to the screen. Chang Shun was hiding behind something, fiddling with something in his hands.