"Your Majesty, Zhong Qi'er has arrived."

Inside Zhaoning Palace, Jiang Yu put down her brush. Gu Lin exchanged a glance with Jiang Yu and then went into the inner room, leaving Jiang Yu alone in the room.

"Bring it in."

"This humble woman pays her respects to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." As she knelt on the ground, Zhong Qi'er could clearly hear her own heartbeat.

"Raise your head and let me see you."

After Zhong Qier raised her head, Jiang Yu could clearly see that Zhong Qier had lost a lot of weight, and the contours of her chin were clearly visible.

"It looks like you've suffered a lot during this period."

"With Your Majesty's protection, I haven't suffered much physically." Zhong Qi'er gave a bitter laugh. "I've just seen many things clearly. Now, the temple is an extremely peaceful place for me."

"Then you might not have any peace and quiet in the future."

Jiang Yu looked at Zhong Qi'er and said, "I have something to entrust to you, but you cannot do it in Zhong Qi'er's capacity. If you agree, Zhong Qi'er will disappear from the world."

"Disappear from the world?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Zhong Qi'er's eyes, "What does the Empress Dowager mean...?"

"If you agree to my request, your house will catch fire tonight."

"I agree."

Looking at Zhong Qi'er's expression, Jiang Yu couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You agreed to do something before even asking me what I want you to do. Aren't you afraid I'll sell you off?"

"Your Majesty, my life is now yours. I thought that the mistakes I had made were enough to take my life, but Your Majesty only put me in the temple. I am so grateful."

"Alright, what I asked you to do wasn't anything as dangerous as going through fire and water."

Seeing Zhong Qi'er's alarmed expression, Jiang Yu spoke again, "I want to give you a real chance to atone for your sins."

"A true chance for redemption..."

When Zhong Qi'er walked out of Zhaoning Palace, her eyes were red, and she had an inexplicable urge to burst into tears.

Recalling what Jiang Yu had said in Zhaoning Palace, Zhong Qi'er felt her blood boiling.

"Back then, because of Kui Ruo, or because of others, how many women did you speak inappropriately to, or even harm?"

"Now you have changed your appearance and become my eyes, to seek justice for the women in this world who have been wronged."

"You're willing too?"

She was willing, she was a million times willing.

"From today onwards, your name will be... Ahui."

As Zhong Qi'er was leaving the palace, she happened to run into Wei Ruo, who was on his way to discuss court affairs. A gentle breeze blew open the carriage window, and Wei Ruo saw Zhong Qi'er's face.

Zhong Qi'er simply nodded slightly to Wei Ruo, and when they met again, she would address him as Minister Wei.

From then on, Zhong Qi'er ceased to exist in the world; only A Hui remained, the eyes of the Empress Dowager.

That evening, a fire broke out in the temple, but only Zhong Qi'er's room was destroyed.

A charred corpse was carried out of the house, and only Kui Ruo came to identify it.

"The sky is high and the sea is wide; go and cultivate yourself."

Kui Ruo murmured softly towards the direction outside the capital.

......

Inside another hall in the palace, Sun Shu's face was flushed red from the fever.

"Sister Shu, you should take some medicine. The Empress Dowager is determined not to see us. If you continue to be so stubborn, you might lose your life here, which would be truly not worth it."

Qin Ke'er wiped away her tears, and Sun Shu's lips trembled slightly upon hearing this.

"Ke'er, something must have happened again. The aristocratic families may have lost again... again."

The thought made Sun Shu tremble. The Qin family lost last time, so would the Sun family lose this time...?

Otherwise, Jiang Yu wouldn't have been so adamant about not seeing her.

"I want...I want to take my medicine."

Sun Shu struggled to get up, but in the end, she still drank the bitter medicine in one gulp.

"Sister Shu, do you think it was the right decision for us to come to Dayu?" Qin Ke'er cried by Sun Shu's bedside. "The Emperor of Yu is handsome and dashing, and he is indeed a husband of one in a million. But Dayu has no intention of forming a marriage alliance with the aristocratic families. From the very beginning, we were the sacrifices."

"It's ridiculous that we thought that things could be changed by human effort."

Qin Ke'er was truly in despair. Her brother had also been captured and brought to Dayu. She couldn't imagine how heartbroken her father must be. Was Dayu really that powerful?

"It's...it's beyond our control now..."

Sun Shu spoke with some difficulty, "Our only option is... to save our lives."

She hoped her father and brothers would act cautiously; only in this way could she have a glimmer of hope.

However, the Sun family was destined to dash Sun Shu's hopes. After the Qin family failed twice in a row, the Sun family finally couldn't sit still any longer.

“Father, if we let Dayu continue like this, the prestige of the aristocratic families will be greatly diminished.” Sun Cai’s eyes were full of dark circles. “Uncle Qin is also unconscious now. Relying on that Second Master Qin, the Qin family is doomed.”

Upon hearing this, the head of the Sun family sighed. Who could have imagined that at this crucial moment, the head of the Qin family would fall into a coma? It was truly... a cruel twist of fate.

"Qin Zheng, the young master of a prestigious family has been reduced to a prisoner. Child, the world is really about to change."

If they don't take action soon, the aristocratic families may truly be doomed.

“We need to mobilize our troops. The Sun family’s forces are not as strong as the Qin family’s, so we can only launch a surprise attack.” The head of the Sun family said softly, “Let’s first ask the Gong family if they are willing to join forces to attack Chongqing.”

The messenger rushed to the Gong family residence, where an eerie atmosphere permeated the place.

After returning from the Yun family, Yun Wei went to pay her respects to Old Madam Gong every day.

"Wei'er, you come to this old woman's house every day. Your filial piety is unparalleled in the Gong family." Old Madam Gong looked at Yun Wei, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes.

"My granddaughter-in-law feels ashamed. My second sister is now in charge of the Yun family, and she has done something that goes against our ancestors' wishes. I have tried to persuade her many times, but to no avail. It's truly..."

"Now that you've married into our Gong family, you have nothing to do with the Yun family anymore, Wei girl, don't overthink it."

Yunwei nodded upon hearing this. "Grandmother, I am grateful that the Gong family is willing to take me in. Only by serving you more can I ease the guilt in my heart. Please let your granddaughter-in-law do more to show her filial piety."

"If you really want to fulfill your filial duty, then give your grandmother a big, healthy son as soon as possible."

They both laughed as they talked. Yunwei smiled shyly, but her heart felt cold.

Just then, a servant rushed over and said, "Madam, people from the Sun family have arrived."

Yunwei immediately stood up. "Grandmother, then your granddaughter-in-law will take her leave now."

As she stepped out of the house, the cold air made Yunwei shiver involuntarily. Her filial piety was that the Gong family should be like the Yun family.