She recalled Minister Zheng's usual integrity, and looking at the greasy man in front of her, she felt nauseous.

Now that things have come to this, she can only rely on Sanlang to help her transfer her valuables and, incidentally... gather some information. No matter what, she's just a concubine in the Minister's household; once Minister Zheng truly passes away, she's already considered her own fate.

Yes, she is very likely to be kicked out by Zheng Yu. The main reason is that she often instigates Zheng Yutang to deal with Zheng Heyi. Although she has been tormenting Zheng Heyi for more than a year, she has not been able to do anything to her.

But after all... after all, the hatred between them was already set in stone. Thinking of this, Lin understood even more the necessity of leaving quickly, lest she end up losing both her money and her life, ending up homeless.

The two argued inside the house for half an hour before Lin hurriedly left.

She ran all the way back to the Minister's residence without taking anyone with her. But even though she did everything perfectly, she still made a mistake. Lin never dreamed that she would run into He Yi as soon as she entered the back gate.

In fact, He Yi had noticed something was wrong with Lin Shi earlier, and now she was going out to find another doctor to take a look at her father.

Secondly, it was truly a case of waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump. During the waiting period, He Yi didn't expect Lin Shi to return, but little did she know that they would bump into each other like this.

What surprised He Yi even more was that Lin was usually quite particular about appearances and always talked about the rules. Although she was not the official wife of the Minister's mansion, she considered herself a wife.

In other words, she would never go out alone, but tonight, she left alone furtively and returned mysteriously.

Upon seeing He Yi, Lin stepped back.

"Heyi?!" She was clearly startled, instinctively hiding the empty package behind her back, and then forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet? Master... Master had such an accident today, I wonder if he's feeling better. I'll go check on him."

He Yi glanced at Lin's disheveled hair and the undisguised confusion in her eyes, and her doubts grew even stronger.

“Now that Father is seriously ill, I can’t sleep at all, so I came out for a walk.” He Yi said calmly, but her gaze fell on the bundle behind Aunt Lin. “Aunt, what’s this…”

Aunt Lin's face paled, and she hurriedly said, "Oh...this is...this is an old garment that I had someone repair a few days ago, and I just picked it up..."

Honestly, this excuse was utterly absurd. She even opened the package to show He Yi, and sure enough, it contained a few old clothes. It was clear that Aunt Lin had made substantial preparations to ensure safety.

He Yi glanced briefly at the few faded old clothes and said nothing more.

Aunt Lin is usually very extravagant and a complete spendthrift, which is completely out of character for her. "It's late, Aunt, you should rest early."

Zheng Heyi nodded slightly, not in a hurry to go out, and returned to her own courtyard.

[Hey, why isn't the villainous female supporting character asking any more questions? Aunt Lin's excuse is so lame!]

[Why do I need to pick up my old clothes in the middle of the night? And so sneakily? Something's definitely up!]

[Aunt Lin's acting is superb! She deserves an Oscar!]

Did the villainous female supporting character discover something? Her eyes seem off.

He Yi returned to the courtyard, her mind in turmoil. Lin's unusual behavior, her father's impeachment case, and her brother Zheng Yu's unpredictable attitude were all tangled in her mind like a thousand threads.

He Yi thought about it and felt a splitting headache. The reason she had gone out earlier was to see the old doctor in the city, hoping that he might be able to wake her father up, but now she had completely lost that desire.

He Yi walked to the window, looking at the dark night outside, and felt a little uneasy.

When she returned from Aunt Lin's place, she felt like someone was following her, but when she turned around, there was nothing there. Was she being too sensitive?

Just now, in the shadows not far away, a pair of eyes were watching He Yi's every move intently.

[Warning: Someone is really stalking my villainous female supporting character?]

Who is it? Gu Minghe? Or the one who impeached Minister Zheng?

[Run, you vicious female supporting character! Danger!]

He Yi returned to her courtyard, still lost in thought.

"Princess, you're back. You looked quite unwell just now. Are you alright?" He Yi took the fruit tea that Hong Yu brought her, took a sip, and gently held the warm teacup in her hand, feeling the warmth spreading from her fingertips to her palm.

But this tiny bit of warmth could not dispel the sudden chill that welled up in her heart. Zheng Heyi looked up at Hongyu, the candlelight flickering in Hongyu's eyes.

Hongyu was also an "old-timer" in the Minister's Mansion, and she knew that Zheng Heyi should have some explanations at this moment. She looked at Zheng Heyi earnestly and sincerely.

Sure enough, just as expected.

He Yi: "Hongyu, remember this: from today onwards, keep an eye on Aunt Lin's every move. Especially the accounts in her room, and the servants who come and go."

Hongyu looked at Heyi in astonishment and whispered, "Yes! When I went to the storeroom to get the medicinal herbs just now, I overheard some maids talking about how Aunt Lin has been sending things out of the city with her trusted servants lately, but I don't know what they are."

"Delivering something?" Is that even possible?

He Yi frowned, her hand unconsciously stroking the Jianzhan teacup, her eyes deep. "What could a concubine living deep within the inner courtyard possibly need to be sent out of the city? Have you inquired about it?"

"I only overheard a little. Such matters can only be investigated in secret. I didn't inquire further, but don't worry, with me here, I'll find out the truth sooner or later."

Seeing Hongyu say this, Zheng Heyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As the two were talking, footsteps suddenly came from outside the window.

He Yi and Hong Yu exchanged a glance, both holding their breath. Hong Yu silently crept to the window, only to see a dark figure dart up the house like a cat and disappear into the backyard in an instant.

"Yes, yes, the person who was following you just now?" Hongyu's voice trembled.

He Yi put down her teacup and walked to the window. "Whoever it is, since they dare to spy in the Minister's mansion, they must be involved in Father's affairs."

She seemed to be deep in thought, and finally said to Hongyu, "Go to the Princess's residence tomorrow and fetch the copy of 'Compendium of Materia Medica' that I often read. Tell her I need it for my father to refer to when he's preparing his medicine." Although Hongyu was a little puzzled, she still respectfully agreed.

He Yi watched her retreating figure, but her mind was preoccupied with other matters.

[Holy crap! Was that shadowy figure an assassin? Villainous female supporting character, run!]

[Don't panic, upstairs. Judging from their posture, they don't seem like assassins, but more like spies.]

Are the Lin family colluding with people outside the city? This matter is becoming increasingly complicated.