She was flustered, trying to recall when he had arrived and how much he had overheard. How could she defend herself?

"My husband..."

Fu Ling, with all her might, said in a weak but firm voice, "Gu Qinlian poisoned the old lady. The evidence is in that clump of grass. Please, you must seek justice for the old lady and for me..."

Before she could finish speaking, Fuling breathed her last.

Gu Qinlian vehemently denied it, frantically trying to clear her name: "No, my husband, this vile woman is framing me! You know she's always held a grudge against me. She's trying to frame me. She even killed Yingxiang, yes, Yingxiang. It was all her idea. She did this because she hated the old lady for always bullying her. Fuling wants to use this to frame me, to kill me..."

She was desperate to extricate herself from this mess.

However, Ji Yinli was no fool. He interrupted sharply, "Enough! Gu Qinlian! Yingxiang is your personal maid. If you hadn't instructed her, how could she dare to do such a shocking thing! Your dissatisfaction with Mother has been going on for a long time. Do you think I can't see that?"

"You just wait, I'll report you to the authorities right now! My Ji family will never allow a vicious woman like you to exist! I will avenge my mother!"

Ji Yinli was terrified at the thought that such a venomous woman was hiding by his side.

He was determined to send Gu Qinlian to prison.

Otherwise, he wouldn't know when he would die.

Gu Qinlian scrambled toward Ji Yinli in a panic, hugged his leg, and pleaded, "Husband, please don't report me. I really know I was wrong. I never wanted to kill Mother, really. I was just tired of her endless scheming and wanted to add some trouble to her life. Mother's death was truly an accident. Please believe me."

Ji Yinli tried to break free from her entanglement.

Gu Qinlian refused to let go. She lunged at him again, clinging tightly to him: "Husband, don't do this. Listen to me, I can help you rise to the top, I can help you pass the imperial examination with flying colors, I can even help you stand at the pinnacle of the court. Really, believe me. I have been reborn, I know all the variables of the future!"

Ji Yinli scoffed at this, his face full of disdain: "You're talking nonsense! I'm of sound mind, how could I be deceived by your absurd words! The blood feud is etched into my bones!"

He held Gu Qinlian's hand tightly and dragged her down the mountain without saying a word.

Gu Qinlian struggled desperately, trying to explain: "What I said is not nonsense! My love, have you ever thought about why I abandoned the prestigious Duan Prince's Mansion and would rather follow you, who is penniless?"

Ji Yinli's expression grew increasingly gloomy. No man wants his achievements to be questioned, especially by his wife!

Gu Qinlian continued, "Husband, I don't mean to look down on you; I'm just stating the facts. Although you're currently at your lowest point, by the next autumn imperial examination, you will surely rise to the top and become the runner-up. Please believe me!"

Ji Yinli slowed his pace, a hint of doubt in his eyes: "Is everything you've said true?"

Gu Qinlian nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with sincerity: "It's absolutely true, these are all things that happened in my previous life. When I passed away, you had already risen to the rank of a third-grade official, and at that time, you were only thirty-five years old."

A gleam of wild joy flashed in Ji Yinli's eyes: "Is that really so?"

Gu Qinlian knew Ji Yinli's temperament well, and felt somewhat comforted: "What you said is true."

However, Ji Yinli suddenly sneered: "Even if everything you say is true, what does it have to do with you? What I was able to achieve in my past life, I can achieve in this life as well."

As he spoke, his gaze sharpened, and he looked at Gu Qinlian with suspicion: "Could it be that you are so eager to marry me because you foresee that I will have a bright future?"

Ji Yinli's mind immediately went into overdrive.

Looking back, Gu Qinlian went to great lengths to win his favor before she married him.

He once thought she was attracted by his talent and appearance, but now it seems that she was clearly after his future success!

Ji Yinli's face turned ashen, and he slapped Gu Qinlian hard across the face.

"You viperous woman, you almost ruined my reputation!"

He recalled the scandal with Gu Qinlian at the bookstore years ago. It turned out that all of this was a rumor she deliberately created to ensure that she could marry him!

Back then, he was ridiculed by his classmates, and people would always point and whisper about him when he walked down the street.

Gu Qinlian was dizzy from the beating, but dared not resist. With tears in her eyes, she pleaded, "My husband, you've misunderstood me. We were husband and wife in our past life, and I even bore you your eldest son. In our previous life, Gu Qinlan interfered, causing us to miss each other for more than ten years before we could reunite. I didn't want the tragedy to repeat itself, so I resorted to some means. But all of this is because of my deep love for you!"

“I know I still have shortcomings, but my heart for you has always been the same and unwavering. My husband, although you are exceptionally talented, you also went through many hardships in your previous life to reach that position. It must be that Heaven took pity on our suffering in our past lives, which is why I was reborn to continue our relationship and to help you on your journey.”

"Don't you want to smoothly ascend to the pinnacle of power, becoming second only to the emperor and above all others?"

Ji Yinli's hands trembled with excitement, and his voice trembled slightly: "Can...can I really do it?"

Gu Qinlian nodded firmly: "Of course! Husband, would you like to know the questions for the next autumn imperial examination? In the last life, you were only the second-place scholar, but in this life, you will become the top scholar! I want to make you the most dazzling star, so that everyone will look up to you!"

Ji Yinli gripped Gu Qinlian's clothes tightly, his eyes gleaming with eagerness: "You really haven't hidden anything from me?"

Gu Qinlian had overcome her fear, her eyes gleaming with a fanatical light as she excitedly replied, "Why would I deceive you? I abandoned the prestigious Duanwang Mansion and chose you. You should understand that what I say is true. My love, as long as we are of one mind, and as long as you have unwavering faith in me, I am confident that I can make you famous and become the most trusted minister of the next emperor."

Ji Yinli was extremely excited, his breathing was rapid, his nostrils flared, and he looked somewhat comical: "Okay, my love, I will do my best to make you a top scholar's wife."

Gu Qinlian's smug laughter echoed in the air: "That's just the beginning. My goal is to become a noble lady of the highest rank. With a little more effort, becoming a princess is not impossible."

Ji Yinli's eyes widened in shock. He quickly helped Gu Qinlian up from her kneeling position and carefully brushed the dust off her body.

Gu Qinlian felt extremely pleased with Ji Yinli's actions.

Since marrying into the Ji family more than half a year ago, she has suffered countless grievances.

If she had known that Ji Yinli would care for her so much, she should have told him the truth long ago.

Unfortunately, she suffered for nothing for more than half a year.