Xiao Youran understood; it must be Wen Yuanbai's intention.

After all, the Yu-character Xuan Yu Team is the personal guard of the Xuan King's Mansion, and who knows when they might suddenly withdraw.

Perhaps there is a more important mission, or perhaps the mission to protect the mother and daughter conflicts with other missions?

She nodded. "If the four brothers agree, that would be a good thing."

Yu Shier nodded and walked toward the four Song brothers.

A moment later, the four Song brothers danced with joy, clearly happy to agree.

This is a completely different future!

From a distance, the four brothers bowed to Xiao Youran again.

At this moment, Yu Shiqi walked over and whispered a few words in Xiao Youran's ear.

Xiao Youran's eyes widened. "Jiang Mingli was arrested by the Dali Temple? Because of that box of mooncakes that the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion sent to the Princess?"

Yu Shiqi quickly made a "shh" gesture.

Xiao Youran waved her hand, raising her voice slightly, "What's there to hide? Isn't it common knowledge throughout the capital that the Yong'an Marquis's mansion is about to suffer a great misfortune?"

Madam Su looked over curiously, "What bad luck has befallen the Earl's mansion this time?"

For over a month, news of misfortunes befell the Earl's household kept reaching the mother and daughter's ears: people buying rice only to find weevils, servants getting fine after eating it but masters constantly needing to use the restroom, and Jiang Yong even losing his job as an imperial bodyguard because of it, and so on.

So when she heard the word "bad luck," Su asked the question.

Xiao Youran said with a grin, "Lord Jiang Mingli, I heard that he was arrested and thrown into the Dali Temple prison for sending a box of mooncakes to the Princess's residence!"

"What? Mooncakes? Could it be that he poisoned the mooncakes?" Madam Su exclaimed in surprise.

Xiao Youran shrugged. "Maybe he hid a small razor blade in the mooncake, trying to make the princess swallow it while eating it...hehehe."

Mrs. Su quickly covered her mouth: ...

The following day, rumors spread throughout the capital that the newly appointed Minister of Revenue, Jiang Mingli, had poisoned and put razor blades in mooncakes.

Early in the morning, Xiaoyouran dragged her mother to the most bustling teahouse in Kyoto—Qingfeng Teahouse.

Several children, in their childish voices, performed the children's play "The Execution of Chen Shimei" on the central stage.

Several ladies and young women listened with great interest, repeatedly exclaiming, "So cute! So adorable!"

"These kids are really putting on a good show! It's hilarious!"

"Fun! Fun!"

"Huh, why did they add a scene to today's show? Usually, it ends after Chen Shimei is beheaded?"

"There's an extra scene, just take a look."

As a result, the extra scene tells the story of how, after Chen Shijiang's death, the Chen family members were driven out of the princess's mansion and ended up on the streets, suffering all sorts of misfortunes.

It's so satisfying to watch!

"Exactly! One person commits a sin, and thinks death is the end of it? Won't that bring misfortune to their parents and relatives?"

"So, what goes around comes around. Heaven is watching what people do. Every sin you commit is recorded by God!"

"Sigh, tell me, the Chen family is really having a run of bad luck. Doesn't it just look more and more like the Jiang family? I've heard that the Jiang family of the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion has been having a lot of bad luck lately!"

"That's right! I heard yesterday that the eldest son of the Jiang family, the one who was the Minister of Revenue, was also arrested and taken to the Dali Temple!"

"I know that. I heard they poisoned the mooncakes they sent to the Princess!"

"What I heard was that they hid razor blades in the mooncakes? They wanted to harm the Princess?"

"I think the Jiang family isn't far from ending up on the streets. I heard they've been selling their jewelry to the old lady, and then to her daughters-in-law..."

When Jiang Mingyi entered, he heard various voices discussing the matter.

With a dark expression, he asked the waiter about the private room where Huihe Yiren was, then went straight up and pushed the door open.

Little Youran was happily talking to her mother, "Mom, why am I so happy to see them suffer?"

Jiang Mingyi: ...

When you say "they," do you mean the people in the Yong'an Marquis's mansion or the Chen family members in the theatrical performance?

The two men turned to look when they heard someone enter.

Xiao Youran waved to him happily, "Daddy's here? Talk about the devil and he appears."

Jiang Mingyi: ...

He understood now; the person Xiaoyou Ran had mentioned earlier was from the Yong'an Marquis's mansion.

Su gave him a cold look. "So it's Jiang Duwei. I'm sorry for not greeting you sooner."

Little Youran still smiled and said, "Scumbag Dad, why do you have panda eyes? Have you been having nightmares lately because of a guilty conscience?"

Jiang Mingyi didn't know what she meant by "panda eyes," but he guessed it meant the dark circles under his eyes.

He approached the two women and prepared to sit down, but Madam Su picked up the teapot and blocked his way, saying, "I'm sorry, we have an appointment, there's no seat for you here."

Jiang Mingyi suppressed his anger. "It's alright. I found out you were here because I wanted to ask if my brother's imprisonment was related to the Court of Recruitment?"

Su glanced at him and said, "I have nothing to say about matters of the court."

Jiang Mingyi gritted his teeth, "Ya Rong, I'm sorry for what happened between us. But you shouldn't take your anger out on the Marquis's family. Your elder brother didn't do anything to wrong you, and neither did anyone else in the Marquis's family."

Madam Su looked at him in surprise, "Jiang Mingyi, are you saying that what you did to wrong me has nothing to do with the Earl's Mansion? Wasn't it because of the lives of hundreds of people in the Earl's Mansion that you divorced me and even tried to kill them all?"

Jiang Mingyi was shocked. "You... what do you know?"

Madam Su smiled faintly, a smile that Jiang Mingyi knew well—a smile of breathtaking beauty, yet devoid of any warmth. "Jiang Mingyi, you're the one who made us irreconcilable enemies. You even dared to lay a hand on Chen-ge'er and Xiao Youran, your own flesh and blood! No matter the reason, you've driven us, mother and son, to this point. Do you still expect me to let your Earl's Mansion off the hook?"

Jiang Mingyi staggered back a step.

The woman in front of him had become completely unfamiliar.

For the previous ten years, he had known, loved, and stayed with this woman, witnessing countless expressions of joy, sorrow, forbearance, and delight, each one breathtakingly beautiful and irresistible to him. Yet, he had never seen this expression before.

Right now, her eyes are filled with deep-seated hatred, and the corners of her mouth are curved in a cold smile.

He will never have the chance to hug her and say "I'm sorry" again, nor will he ever be able to get her forgiveness.

She was once the woman he deeply loved. Why, why did fate force them to this point of no return?!

Seeing that her mother was in a bad mood, Xiao Youran quickly hugged her and then waved to Jiang Mingyi, "Goodbye, you scumbag dad."

Jiang Mingyi: ...

He turned and left.

As I went downstairs, I saw a man knocking on the door of the private room.

His pupils suddenly contracted.

This man is the leader of the Golden Jade Troupe, which has recently become a sensation throughout Kyoto.

The children who were performing in the center of the hall just now were from the Golden Jade Troupe.

So... this "The Execution of Chen Shimei" was actually a script provided by the Su family?!