The person was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a jade hairpin tucked diagonally into her dark hair. Her features were delicate and refined.

Although dressed as a man, his Tsinghua University background was undeniable.

Among the many beautiful women in Xiaoxiang Pavilion, she stood out like a breath of fresh air.

He Xingyun found it unbelievable.

"Jiang Wan?"

What is a high-society lady like her doing in a place like this?

Xiaoxiang Pavilion often receives officials and dignitaries. Every family in a grand mansion has its secrets. Even if the owner could recognize a woman dressed as a man, he would cleverly pretend not to see her.

They are business people, and as long as they don't cause trouble, they are happy to make a fortune.

Jiang Wan tipped the doorman some money and was able to enter smoothly.

Pei Xuanyi frowned slightly.

He saw Shen Ci behind Jiang Wan, dressed as a young master, whispered a few words in her ear, and led her upstairs in a mysterious manner, walking through the rooms as if looking for someone.

He Xingyun suddenly turned his head and looked at Pei Xuan thoughtfully.

"They came to see you?" he asked.

He had long suspected that the relationship between the two was not normal.

Pei Xuan gave him a cold glance: "You really should get your head checked." He got up and pushed open the door.

He had long suspected that Jiang Wan had a secret.

He was more interested in the former than the owner of the Treasure Pavilion.

Before He Xingyun could speak, Pei Xuan disappeared through the doorway.

At this moment, Jiang Wan had already met Zi Que in a side room.

She had a cut on her forehead and was shivering in the corner. It was clear that her old wound had not healed and that she had suffered a new one at Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Zi Que's face was no longer as spirited as before; her eyes were filled with terror, as if she had suffered a great shock.

"I don't have much time, speak quickly." Jiang Wan lifted the corner of her robe and sat down.

Zi Que scrambled over, crying, "Madam Jiang, please, please save me!"

"It's not difficult to redeem you from your servitude."

Jiang Wan spoke in a cold, indifferent voice.

"But I am not a good person, and there is no such thing as a good thing without a reason."

Zi Que slumped her shoulders, a hint of determination shining through her despairing eyes.

She knew that Jiang Wan was only there to use her to deal with Gu Yurong.

But so what?

This place... is hell!

Those courtesans with a good reputation would be treated better, but a slave like her, with a scarred face and sold here, is simply... not even human.

After being beaten, scolded, and disciplined, she was forced to accept the lowest-class male customers: sweaty laborers, bald old men over fifty, and even psychologically disturbed eunuchs and castrated men.

Although Zi Que was a maid, she had lived a comfortable life in the general's mansion all these years and had never suffered such humiliation.

When I'm desperate, I just want to kill myself.

But she harbored hatred in her heart.

He had served Gu Yurong wholeheartedly for years, and even when he was wronged and beaten, he never thought of betraying her.

Why would Gu Yurong be so cruel as to make her suffer unbearable pain and turn her into this inhuman and ghostly state?

And Song Lin… that beast in human form, she wished she could tear him to pieces!

Zi Que gritted her teeth and said, "As long as I can leave this place, I'm willing to do anything!"

Seeing the determination in her gaze, Jiang Wan nodded to herself.

“I will redeem you from your servitude and find you a house in the outskirts of Beijing. You can stay there temporarily and serve me.”

Zique nodded in agreement.

"There's something I need to know." Jiang Wan glanced at her and asked, "What happened between Bi Yuan and Gu Yurong?"

Zi Que knew that Jiang Wan was testing her sincerity, so she took a deep breath and told her everything she knew.

“Bi Yuan was Gu’s cousin, and the two were very close. Madam Gu had wanted to marry her to Bi Yuan, and the betrothal gifts were all prepared. However, there was a great flood in Yuzhou that year, and the messenger said that Bi Yuan had died in the flood. The marriage had to be called off.”

"A few months later, Bi Yuan returned. It turned out that the news at the time was a mistake. However, by then, Gu had already reunited with General Song, who had come to provide disaster relief. The two were very close. Bi Yuan was devastated and went to do business in a foreign land. There has been no news of him since then."

Jiang Wan asked, "And then?"

"After the disaster relief was completed, General Song was ordered to go elsewhere and temporarily settled Gu in Yuzhou until... until you fell off the cliff, he brought her to the capital and married her in a proper ceremony."

Jiang Wan later learned what happened.

Her eyes flickered slightly, and she tapped her fingers lightly on the table: "Is Gu Yurong willing to wait in Yuzhou for three years?"

Zi Que glanced at Jiang Wan and whispered, "She...she was pregnant with General Song's child and stayed in Yuzhou to give birth, but the child died a few days after birth."

Jiang Wan frowned.

Gu Yurong and Song Ziyu actually had a child together?

Come to think of it, the child was born in the same year she married into the general's mansion.

No wonder Song Ziyu has always resented herself for this marriage.

If it weren't for the late emperor's bestowal of marriage, he could have rightfully married Gu Yurong.

So in his past life, he kept saying that he had broken up his good marriage, and only when he saw himself drink poison and die could he relieve his anger.

Jiang Wan's gaze turned cold.

But she was also ignorant and naive back then.

If she had known earlier that Song Ziyu had someone else in his heart, she would never have interfered and married into the Song family.

Before and after their marriage, Song Ziyu never told her the truth. While enjoying her sacrifices, he was also planning to marry Gu Yurong.

They are truly insatiable.

Jiang Wan's smile was cold and indifferent.

She handed the purse to Shen Ci, instructing him to redeem Zi Que from her servitude, and then said, "Go back and recover from your injuries. I'll contact you if I need anything."

Zique was overjoyed and wept, knelt down and kowtowed several times, leaving with profuse thanks.

Jiang Wan whispered to Biluo, "Investigate Gu Yurong's deceased child."

If that child were still alive, he would be about the same age as Song Lin.

Given the Song family's favoritism towards Song Lin, she didn't think it was a coincidence.

Biluo asked in surprise, "Does Madam suspect that Zique is lying to you?"

Jiang Wan shook her head: "It's not necessarily that she's lying. She was young back then, so it's normal that she couldn't access the core secrets of the Gu family."

"So... Song Lin is General Song's biological son?" Biluo exclaimed.

Jiang Wan curled her lips into a sneer, her eyes filled with mockery: "Not necessarily."

Less than a month after receiving news of her fiancé's death, Gu Yurong hurriedly got involved with another man, which was something that would have been considered shameful at the time.

She was willing to do this regardless of her reputation, unless... she was already pregnant at the time.

Song Lin is very likely a descendant of Bi Yuan.

Jiang Wan thought for a moment, then said in a low voice, "The Gu family will definitely handle this discreetly. You should have Shi Xu..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Ci shouted from the doorway, "Who goes there?"