Madam Su suddenly understood what her daughter wanted to do and nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll write a letter to your eldest uncle right now and ask him to copy over a list of my dowry from back then. Also, I'll have him go to the Earl's Mansion in Dingzhou to check the dowry and pull out the dowry that's still there and move it back to the Su Mansion."

After the mother and daughter talked about these things, they suddenly had a common goal for their future life: to live well, and preferably to be able to hang around in front of that adulterous couple every day, to make them either angry or tormented to death.

Xiao Youran suddenly asked, "Mother, today I heard that little girl crying, it was very loud, but it didn't sound like she was born prematurely at all. I've inquired, their wedding was last July, but the baby was born this March. Is it possible that the baby wasn't premature at all, but was born full-term?"

After carefully recalling what happened in April and May of last year, Madam Su's heart was as calm as still water. "For a while, your scumbag father did not come home to spend the night often. If you got pregnant in April or May, it would be understandable if he was in such a hurry to divorce me."

Xiao Youran suddenly remembered the opera troupe leader she had glanced at before leaving the house, and another idea came to her.

...

Previously, in the princess's mansion, Jiang Mingyi's cry of "There's an assassin!" alarmed everyone inside and outside the mansion.

The guards arrived and quickly subdued the man in black. The man in black did not resist and obediently surrendered.

Jiang Mingyi demanded sternly, "Who are you? How dare you break into my Princess's residence and plot something sinister?"

The man in black smiled bitterly and looked towards the entrance of the flower hall, without saying a word.

Princess Qingping rushed out, "Anwu, what happened to you...?"

Jiang Mingyi's face was very ugly. "Does the princess recognize her?"

"He is my secret guard!"

Jiang Mingyi's expression turned even uglier. He recognized the three bodyguards who were by the princess's side.

The princess never mentioned this secret guard, though.

What does this mean?

Moreover, not only is this bodyguard handsome, but what kind of mournful look is he giving his wife now?

Is this the look a bodyguard should have?

His heart was filled with doubt.

Princess Qingping reached out and pulled the man in black up. "Anwu, get up quickly, let's go back!"

"Yes!" Anwu bowed, glanced at Jiang Mingyi, and then disappeared again.

Jiang Mingyi wanted to ask something more, but Princess Qingping preemptively said, "Today is Xiaoyun'er's 100-day celebration! Let's not let anything else go wrong!"

Jiang Mingyi immediately thought of Xiao Youran's commotion earlier and shut up.

It wasn't until evening, after the banquet had ended, that Jiang Mingyi felt the disdainful, inquisitive, or contemptuous gazes that had been surrounding him finally disappear.

He knew that soon another rumor would spread in the capital that Jiang Mingyi not only used the princess's backing to help his elder brother get the position of Minister of Revenue, but also seized his ex-wife's huge dowry.

As for the two sentences his mother said, no one should take them seriously. After all, women often say things that are not meant to be offensive when they quarrel.

He returned to his room exhausted, only to be met with his wife's stern questioning: "Why are those two still in Kyoto? Weren't arrangements made for their journey back to the capital?"

She was naturally referring to the assassination attempt by Jiang Quan.

Jiang Mingyi also seemed anxious. "We haven't heard anything from Jiang Quan, so I assumed he was lying low and hadn't even entered the capital yet. Who knew they'd managed to slip away? Perhaps it's because Jiang Quan was focused on finding the mother and her two children, but only the mother and daughter came to the capital, so he missed them. I've already sent people to find Jiang Quan and ask him what happened, but..."

There was a hint of hesitation in his tone, "I heard that the county princess's mansion is protected by the Xuan King's men... I'm afraid it's not a good time to make a move now."

"When did that brat get made a county princess? We didn't hear a thing!" Princess Qingping paced back and forth angrily. "Useless thing! She can't even handle three unarmed old women and children! Tell me, what else can she do?"

Jiang Mingyi, who usually tolerated this princess who was born into wealth and privilege, could not bear to hear her speak so disrespectfully. "If you think I, Jiang Er, am incapable of accomplishing anything, why did you come to me in the first place?"

“You…” Princess Qingping pointed at her finger, her hand trembling slightly.

"Alright, alright, I'll figure out a way to deal with the mother and her two children." Jiang Mingyi stepped forward, grabbed her fingers, and pulled her into his arms. "Today is Xiaoyun'er's special day, so let's not argue about this little unpleasant thing anymore."

Princess Qingping felt a little better and nestled into his arms.

But out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of that handsome face flashing past the window, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

Jiang Mingyi moved down to his wife's lips, cuddling them tenderly for a moment before asking, "What's the deal with that Dark Five? Why haven't I heard you mention him before?"

Princess Qingping poked his chest. "She's a bodyguard my father sent me. You have a problem with that?"

“I have no objections, it’s just… I always feel like we’re being watched, and I’m not comfortable doing anything…” she whispered in her ear, her hand slipping inside her clothes.

Princess Qingping smiled smugly, "Fool! They're just outside, they can't see!"

Actually, no, but she loved watching them fight over her.

...

However, after three days, Jiang Mingyi's heart grew increasingly anxious.

Because Jiang Quan was nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead.

He only regretted that he had been too soft-hearted that day. He saw that the Su family mother and her two children had left Dingzhou and then heard that they had gone to Taizhou. He didn't take immediate action, thinking that it would be better if they didn't come back and went far away.

After all, she was the talented woman he admired back then, and her son and daughter were his own flesh and blood.

So first, he had Jiang Quan guard Dingzhou, instructing him to wait until the mother and her two children returned to Dingzhou before taking action. Later, when his family arrived in the capital, he had Jiang Quan guard the official road from Taizhou to the capital, and to take action immediately if he discovered the whereabouts of the mother and her two children.

He knew that the Su family loved to ride in that extra-long, extra-wide, and extra-large Su family's signature carriage, and Jiang Quan would never miss it.

He must have already taken action, but failed?

Now they're nowhere to be found, neither alive nor dead... I'm afraid they've already fallen into the hands of the guards of the Xuanwang Mansion.

Two weeks later, Jiang Mingyi became even more anxious.

Because a novel opera troupe appeared in Kyoto, and the actors were not only women, but also girls and boys under the age of ten who performed on the same stage.

This opera troupe actually arrived in Jindu City a month ago. They were quickly noticed by the noble families who were tired of traditional plays and performances by only male actors. They were often invited to perform for everyone's amusement.

If you were to ask what's most abundant in Kyoto, it would undoubtedly be the powerful and wealthy.