Lady Hou's pupils contracted.

The visitor was her stepson, Xie Tingzhou, the heir of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion. He had always been against her since childhood and would never even call her "mother."

He was an absolute ruthless devil, and later joined the army, where he did not return for many years.

Why are you back?

The Marquis's letter did not mention that the evil spirit was returning to the capital.

She thought he would be stationed at the border.

Xie Tingzhou strolled leisurely to Lady Hou and said with a smile, "The war is over, so naturally I have to come back."

"If they hadn't come back, how could they have witnessed today's spectacle?"

Lady Hou, as if remembering something, hurriedly asked, "When did you return?"

"What does Lady Hou mean by this?"

Xie Tingzhou narrowed his eyes. "Are you going to accuse me of killing Xie Yunzhou again?"

He scoffed, "If I wanted to kill him, I wouldn't need to go through all this trouble. He's not old enough to get married anyway."

The phrase "marry a wife" carries a rather ironic connotation.

Lady Hou was furious.

She did indeed suspect that Xie Tingzhou had helped Ye Zhen.

But then I thought that although Xie Tingzhou was arrogant and domineering, he was also upright and had never really harmed Yunzhou.

They would never use such a method that would damage the reputation of the Marquis's mansion.

And he is very difficult to deal with.

Lady Hou, not wanting to cause any further trouble, revealed a sorrowful expression.

"Tingzhou, you've misunderstood. I just want to know when your father will return."

“Your brother was murdered and smeared. I was at a loss for what to do. I hope he can come back soon to take charge.”

Xie Tingzhou seemed not to hear, and continued to play with the whip in his hand.

Ye Zhen understood the man's identity and was slightly surprised.

In her past life, the heir of the Marquis of Zhongyong never returned to the capital. Could it be that her rebirth has changed things in this life?

Ye Zhen had no time to ponder the connection between the two.

Ignored by her stepson, Lady Hou wiped her eyes and said to Old Madam Wang, "I'm sorry you had to see this. I need to take care of some family matters first, and I'll come to apologize another day."

The intention to evict them is obvious.

Old Mrs. Wang, being of advanced age, didn't want to be at her mercy.

But the Marquis of Zhongyong had called her aunt for many years, and she regarded Xie Tingzhou as her own grandson. The military achievements and power of the Marquis's mansion were earned by the father and son with their lives, and they could not be ruined by Liu.

Xie Tingzhou is already of marriageable age, and if the Marquis's mansion has a mother-in-law who harms her daughter-in-law, it will inevitably affect Xie Tingzhou's marriage prospects.

She grasped Lady Hou's hand, "I understand how you feel about the Second Young Master's accident. Please accept my condolences."

"However, this matter involves multiple lives, and Madam Ye is the young mistress of the Marquis's mansion, so it's not a good look for her to be in this situation."

"Tingzhou has already sent a message to the Marquis, requesting his immediate return. Why don't we wait for the Marquis to arrive and let him make the decision? What do you think?"

Lady Hou withdrew her hand.

It's not that great.

Yunzhou's fondness for men must not be known to the Marquis, and she is even more worried that the Marquis will discover other things because of this.

She had to bring this matter to a conclusion before the Marquis arrived.

“Managing the inner quarters is the duty of the mistress of the house. The Marquis is devoted to serving the court, so how can I let the mundane affairs of the inner quarters distract him?”

She insisted that this was a matter within the Marquis's household and reminded the old lady not to meddle.

Ye Zhen understood the Lady Hou's thoughts and immediately asked, "Mother just said that my daughter-in-law is colluding with outsiders. May I ask who those outsiders are?"

Lady Hou's eyes darkened; she could no longer publicly frame the magistrate.

He then grabbed Ye Zhen's arm forcefully, saying, "You have been uneducated and unruly since childhood, and your behavior is improper."

Now that you have made such a big mistake, although your mother hates you, I also bear the responsibility for failing to properly guide you.

I will not send you to the authorities to pay with your life, but you must henceforth worship Buddha and repent in the Buddhist hall.

She consciously took a step back and first lured the person into the house.

Ye Zhen remained completely still.

"If Mother can't say, then there's no such person, right?"

"When you went to the Ye family to propose marriage, you praised Ye Zhen for her good conduct and virtuous character, saying she was the best candidate for a daughter-in-law."

Lady Hou arranged a marriage for Xie Yunzhou to conceal his peculiarities, and therefore needed to find someone easy to control, which is why she chose the daughter of a minor official of the fifth rank from the Ye family.

They are not a good match.

To avoid arousing suspicion, Lady Hou personally went to propose marriage, demonstrating that she did not value social status but rather the girl herself, and praised Ye Zhen in many good ways.

Lady Hou herself gained much fame as a result, and her reputation was widely praised.

He was so eager to prove Ye Zhen wrong that he said those things in a fit of anger, but he didn't expect to be publicly humiliated by Ye Zhen.

The onlookers were abuzz with discussion.

Lady Hou's face was very unpleasant. Just as she was about to reprimand Ye Zhen, she saw Ye Zhen's hairpin pressed against her neck again, and she said in a clear voice, "Although Ye Zhen grew up in the countryside, she also knows that a woman should not lose her integrity."

Ye Zhen's mother insisted that he was impure, and Ye Zhen was willing to die to prove it.

After I die, the Marquis's mansion can take my body to the government office for examination. Whether I am innocent or not will be clear for all to see. It's also a good opportunity to have the coroner examine the cause of my husband's death."

Xie Yunzhou had an affair with Chi Heng before his death, and once the coroner examines the body, nothing can be hidden.

Even though Lady Hou didn't see the body, she only heard the report from her servants and knew what good things her son and Chi Heng had done. How could she dare to let the coroner examine it?

Unable to move Ye Zhen, she asked her men for help, but as soon as they got involved, Xie Tingzhou's whip lashed out.

Lady Hou was furious. "Tingzhou, I am your mother. This poisonous woman harmed your brother. How can you side with outsiders?"

"You could never have given birth to a son as righteous and outstanding as me."

Xie Tingzhou's eyes were reserved as he said calmly, "The Marquis of Zhongyong's residence is not a den of bandits."

Xie Yunzhou was the old man's own son; his death is hardly a trivial matter within the household. Just wait and see.

Such blatant oppression makes it seem as if the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion has absolute power.

wrong!

Lady Liu is no fool; she can completely bewitch the old man. Yet, what she did today was utterly foolish.

Could there be more to this story?

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!