"What a beast did?" Zhou Wanning felt as if his heart was pierced by a sharp arrow. Everything he saw was unbelievable and even his voice was shaking.

She couldn't believe it and trembled as she continued, "How could you, how could you say that? Yes, yes, yes, I get it, because you don't know how deep our feelings were in our last life, that's why you said that."

"We have been in love since we got married. Although my grandmother, mother, and even Yingzhi have always been prejudiced against me, you have always stood by me no matter what happened."

"Even after Yingzhi died unexpectedly, you didn't blame me for my second brother's mistake. You treated me with the same care and consideration as before. When my mother repeatedly troubled me, you always protected me. Even when Murong Tao kidnapped me later..."

"Shut up, don't say anymore! What about last life and this life? You are just talking nonsense!" Wei Chenglin interrupted her angrily, not daring to listen any further.

"Why can't I say it? What I said is the truth! In your last life, you have always been dissatisfied with Yingzhi's stubbornness and willfulness, dissatisfied with your mother's desire for you to marry Shen Huiran, dissatisfied with..." Zhou Wanning's voice has become a little sharp.

Wei Chenglin's disbelief seemed to have pierced the most painful part of her heart. She couldn't believe that the most beautiful memories that she had always treasured in her heart could not be recognized by the person she had always thought about.

Not only did he think that what she said was nonsense, he even thought that his defense of himself in his previous life was the behavior of a beast.

How could she accept this!

"Enough!" Wei Chenglin's face turned pale. Just by hearing what she said, he felt that his cognition had been greatly challenged.

If there really was a previous life, and if he was just like what she said in his previous life, then it would really be in line with his father's words of "disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust", how could he deal with it? !

"Although Ying'er has a somewhat spoiled personality, she has never been a person who is unreasonable and willful, and she has nothing to do with being 'stubborn and willful'."

"If she really died at the hands of your brother, even if he didn't do it out of his own will, I would never let him off lightly, and I would never pretend that nothing had happened and love you for the rest of your life without any grudges."

"My mother is kind and gentle, considerate and respectful to the younger generation. Even if she likes my cousin Huiran's elegant and gentle personality and wants to marry her, she would never do anything that is difficult for others. If she really experienced the pain of losing her daughter and her behavior was abnormal, it is understandable. As a son, how can I ignore the grief of my biological mother and blame her for not understanding me?!"

"The 'me in my previous life' that you mentioned can't even be described as a beast. His actions, words and deeds are clearly worse than those of a beast!"

"You don't remember the grace of giving birth and raising me, you don't care about the affection between brothers, you are unworthy of being a son, unworthy of being a brother, how can you stand in the bright and clear world?! You are unfaithful, unfilial, unkind and unrighteous, how dare you call yourself a descendant of the Wei family?!"

Zhou Wanning's face turned pale. Every accusation Wei Chenglin made against 'him in the previous life' was like a knife stabbing into her heart, each one more vicious than the last. In a moment, she felt that her heart was already riddled with holes.

It turned out that all the beautiful things she had always treasured were so unbearable and unacceptable to him in this life!

"No, it's not what you said... We were really, really good to each other in our last life..." She covered her mouth tightly, and tears rolled down quickly like beads from a broken string.

"What does it mean to be very, very good? My sister died because of my uncle, and I sent my biological mother away from me. Even if I have a beloved wife by my side, in this life, as long as I have a conscience, I am afraid I will be unable to sleep or eat well for the rest of my life, and I will be filled with guilt. How can it be very, very good?" Wei Chenglin took a deep breath, calmed his inner excitement, and said slowly.

"This is not a place to stay for long. You pack up first and I will have someone escort you back to Beijing." The next moment, he felt that he was so angry that he refuted the other party's nonsense one by one. This was really childish. He cleared his throat and said calmly.

Zhou Wanning felt that all his persistence collapsed in an instant, and everything he had done became ridiculous.

In order to see him, to recall the beauty and happiness between them in the previous life, she even gave up everything, used herself as bait, and allowed Murong Tao to capture her and bring her to this wilderness.

But what did she get in the end? He said, "Worse than an animal."

In an instant, she didn't know why she had persisted for so long. She didn't even hear clearly what Wei Chenglin said to her. She just tried hard to open her misty eyes, wanting to see clearly this indifferent person.

Seeing that she was just crying and not moving, Wei Chenglin felt a headache and was helpless. He tried to soften his tone: "Don't cry. There are people around here. It would be bad if they saw you."

"Why should I be afraid of being seen? I'm afraid that after I return to Beijing, I don't know how many people will point fingers at me behind my back..." Zhou Wanning said while crying.

Even though she said this, she still took out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

Wei Chenglin was silent for a moment.

After all, he was the first one to let her down in this life.

Seeing that he remained silent, Zhou Wanning felt even more hopeless.

Since their marriage, the Third Prince has been considerate of her in everything, but she always can't help comparing him with her husband in her previous life. The more she compares, the more unbalanced she becomes.

In particular, not long after the marriage, the third prince was involved in the dispute between the crown prince and the second prince, and was later imprisoned in the clan residence.

She just felt that this husband was not as courageous, considerate, or talented as Brother Wei...

There are indeed too many things about him that are not as good as Wei Chenglin.

In the end, Wei Chenglin still dispatched most of his personal guards to personally escort Zhou Wanning back to Beijing.

Seeing that he simply handed himself over to the guards and even refused to send him back personally, Zhou Wanning finally lost all hope.

This Brother Wei is not the Brother Wei in her heart, nor is he the husband who always put her first in her previous life!

She felt a little bewildered again, thinking that the world was so big, but she couldn't find a place for herself.

What was she going to do when she returned to the capital? Would she continue to be the prince's consort? But would the Third Prince still be able to tolerate her?

I felt disheartened and even thought of dying. But in the end, I couldn't bear to do it.

I can’t bear to leave my loving parents and friendly brothers at home.

The mountain breeze blew towards her, bringing with it a hint of coolness, blowing her clothes up into the air, making her already frail figure look even more pitiful.

Seeing her bewildered expression, Wei Chenglin sighed softly and said, "I'll take you to the town ahead and make arrangements for you. Don't worry, I will have them send you back to the capital safely, back to the Third Prince."

Send him back to the Third Prince? Zhou Wanning lowered his eyes for a while, then returned to the carriage without saying a word.

Yes, the only place she can go in this life is the Third Prince’s Mansion.

The car curtain dropped, hiding her figure behind it.

Wei Chenglin pursed his lips, turned around and waved to the guards who had hidden far away, then ordered one of the guards to drive the car. He then climbed on his horse, led his guard team, and personally escorted Zhou Wanning to the nearest town.

He found an inn and asked the innkeeper to buy some more clothes for Zhou Wanning. It was getting late. After hesitating for a moment, he finally walked up to Zhou Wanning, who looked dazed, and said, "Be careful on the road. I just got news that the third prince is bringing people to pick you up. I'll let them take you to meet the third prince. From now on..."

After a pause, he finally said nothing more. He turned around, gave the guards a few instructions, and left without looking back with the remaining two guards.

Zhou Wanning opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out.

She thought, maybe it was just a dream of hers, a dream that only she thought was beautiful.

"…Even if my beloved wife is by my side, in this life, as long as I still have a conscience, I'm afraid I will be unable to sleep or eat for the rest of my life, and I will be filled with guilt. How can I be very good?" Wei Chenglin's words suddenly echoed in her ears again. She bit her lips lightly, her face expressionless.

If he really thought so, even though the scenes he saw in his dream were indeed things from his previous life, what about later? After Wei Yingzhi and the Duke's wife passed away one after another, did she and her husband really live a happy and peaceful life from then on?

It was also at this time that she suddenly realized that her dream had actually ended after the Duke's wife passed away.

She suddenly felt cold all over.

What happened next? What happened to them? She was in a state of panic. She didn't even dare to think about it or seek the answer.

After Wei Chenglin left, he rode as fast as he could to meet up with Ling Fu. He was delayed on the road for quite a while, and he was even more worried about delaying military intelligence.

The thumping sound of horse hooves echoed on the silent road, raising a cloud of dust.

When he took a short break, he took out some dry food from his bag, sat down on the spot, drank a few sips of water, and chewed two white flour buns that had become a little hard.

After eating and drinking his fill, he leaned against a huge bluestone and closed his eyes to rest. Unconsciously, Zhou Wanning's earlier "nonsense" about his previous life echoed in his ears again.

Even though he had heard it once before, he still couldn't help but shudder when he heard it again.

It's impossible, it's impossible. Even if there really is a past life and this life, even if the so-called past life and this life are the same, how could he do such a thing.

He didn't dare to think about it anymore and tried hard to get rid of all the distracting thoughts in his mind. When he felt refreshed again, he got on his horse and continued on his way, striving to meet up with Pingfu as soon as possible.

Wei Junhang, who was far away on the front line, soon learned of his eldest son's decision. He slowly folded the letter in his hand and put it back into the envelope. After a long time, he let out a long sigh.

This time, his eldest son did not disappoint him and did not live up to his grandfather's many years of teachings. Faced with the interests of the country and the people, he finally made the right choice.

As for Murong Tao... he shook his head, feeling a sense of regret.

It seems that women's intuition is still quite accurate after all. If his wife had not reminded him to pay attention to Murong Tao that day, he would not have asked people to keep an eye on his movements, and naturally he would not have known that he was so bold as to return to the capital secretly and abduct the third prince's wife.

This is not simply a case of being blinded by lust! His loved ones were fighting on the front lines for the court and the people, but in his heart he was only thinking about the love affair between a man and a woman.

He could already imagine what kind of uproar would arise in the Zhenguo General's Mansion, and he could also understand the pain and disappointment that General Murong would feel after learning the truth.

After all, he had experienced the same heartache and disappointment before.

However, Shen Xinyan learned from the guards that Zhou Wanning had returned safely to the capital, and she felt grateful for a moment.

Sure enough, Zhou Wanning's fate destined her to turn misfortune into fortune no matter what. But this time, she made a big fuss. Although there was no evidence, the rumor that she was kidnapped by thieves had already spread among the inner houses of many families in the capital.

The scariest thing about rumors is that they don't need any evidence at all. As long as enough people spread them, even if they are false, they will become true.

What's more, those are not rumors, but real things that happened.

The Third Prince was not her eldest son in her previous life, and Zhou Wanning was not in Murong Tao's hands for only a few days as in her previous life. In this life, she had been missing for nearly two months, which was enough for those "rumors" to spread rapidly.

Then there are Emperor Yuanyou and Concubine Li in the palace. If they knew that Zhou Wanning had been abducted and there was a "stain" on their chastity, they would not easily expose it.

The royal family has always been the most respectable, so how could they allow an unfaithful daughter-in-law to be in the royal family?

She felt that the challenges faced by Zhou Wanning and Zhou Mao this time were much greater than those they faced in their previous life.

After all, her eldest son in her previous life had already completely controlled the Duke's Mansion when Zhou Wanning was captured. No one dared to question any of his decisions. As long as he protected her, no one could hurt Zhou Wanning.

But as the third prince of this life, he had to shut up Shu Shu and face the supreme ruler of the palace.

A few days later, news came from the front that General Murong was injured in the battlefield. Duke Ying and his son were ordered to lead the army to attack Rongdi territory.

In an instant, the eyes of the court and the public were all on the Duke of England's Mansion, which was still closed to visitors.

I once secretly made fun of the old Duke for having a great reputation but raising a dandy boy. Now I just felt a little embarrassed.

How can this be called a dandy? If this is considered a dandy, then we should have more of them in our house!

"General Murong was not injured by the enemy on the battlefield. He was clearly angered by Murong Tao. He was lucky to have such a son and he didn't die of anger." Qiao Liu curled his lips when Emperor Yuanyou closed the secret letter.

Emperor Yuanyou shook his head, then sighed, his tone unable to conceal his regret: "The reputation of the Zhenguo General's Office has been completely ruined by this unworthy son."

Seeing that the prestige of the Zhenguo General's Mansion in the army was about to surpass that of the Duke of England's Mansion, he would have thought that at this critical moment, the heir who had been carefully cultivated in his own mansion would hold back.

"Has it been confirmed that Zhou fell into Murong Tao's hands during the months she was missing?" Emperor Yuanyou asked again with a frown.

"It has been confirmed. It was Prince Wei and Murong Jue who went to rescue her." Qiao Liu nodded in response.

"How could Murong Tao take her away for no reason? It can be seen that she has been restless while still in the palace, and she may have been involved with Murong Tao. I was wrong. I should not have arranged this marriage for the third prince that day." Emperor Yuanyou looked indifferent.

At that time, he was only concerned with taking care of his loyal followers and did not investigate the woman's character too much, which led to the current situation.

Qiao Liu touched the tip of his nose and didn't know how to respond to him.

Although he has been closer to Wei Junhang in recent years, he has also collaborated with Zhou Mao several times and their impression of each other is not bad.

"Think of a way to cover up the rumors about Zhou that are spreading outside." Emperor Yuanyou ordered again.

Qiao Liu was somewhat embarrassed: "Your Majesty, these are just the women in the inner chambers spreading the rumors. How can I think of a way to cover it up?"

Emperor Yuanyou frowned even more and asked again, "This rumor is so convincing that it must have originated from either the Zhou residence or the Third Prince's residence."

"The Third Prince's residence has been under surveillance by many parties for some time, so the possibility that these words came from his residence can basically be ruled out. Therefore, these words are most likely from the Zhou residence."

"Who is in charge of the Zhou Mansion's financial support now?"

Qiao Liulue thought for a moment and said, "If I remember correctly, it should be the lady from the fifth room."

"Not Madam Zhou Mao?" Emperor Yuanyou was a little surprised.

"No." Qiao Liu shook his head.

Emperor Yuanyou looked unhappy, but he didn't say anything else.

"Let's put Zhou's matter aside for now and deal with it after the matter is settled. Also, who put forward this Qi Liuxiu in the Ministry of Personnel? Have you found out?" He said after a long while.

"I found out that Qi Liuxiu was originally a Bachelor of the Hanlin Academy. He made some mistakes while on duty a few years ago and was demoted. He has been depressed ever since. Your Majesty may not know that this Lord Qi is the Duke of England's brother-in-law." Qiao Liu smiled when he said the latter part.

"Oh?" Emperor Yuanyou raised his eyebrows. "He is also Junhang's brother-in-law. It seems that the relationship between these two wives is not very good."

"I don't know much about this, but I only know that when Madam Qiao and the Duke's wife were still in the palace, they were closer than other sisters. It wasn't until a few years ago that I don't know what happened and they stopped communicating."

Qiao Liu swallowed his saliva and continued, "This Madam Qiao has been close to the Fifth Madam of the Zhou Mansion in recent years. The two of them have made a lot of ill-gotten gains together. However, Madam Qiao is less courageous than Madam Zhou Wu."

"Qiao Liuxiu entered the Ministry of Personnel through Mrs. Zhou Wu's connections."

"If it hadn't been for this incident, I wouldn't have known it was so easy to get into the Ministry of Personnel." Emperor Yuanyou sneered.

That person's hand has already extended to the Ministry of Personnel and even to the palace. If he is not caught, he will not be able to sit firmly on the throne.

There were frequent reports of victory from the front lines, and the army was gradually approaching the Rongdi imperial court. The Rongdi royal family sent envoys to negotiate peace with the court. The court officials were all waiting for Emperor Yuanyou to mention this matter in the court, but after waiting for a long time, they received the news that His Majesty was ill and would be away from court for three days.

Without receiving the order from the palace, the army continued to advance. In less than a month, the Rongdi palace was breached and all the Rongdi royal family members were captured.

"That's great! The war is finally over. Dad and big brother can return to the capital now!" Wei Yingzhi said excitedly in the Funing Courtyard.

"It's a pity that Pingfu couldn't come back before you gave birth." Shen Xinyan gently stroked her daughter's belly, feeling a little regretful.

Wei Yingzhi was due in these few days. Unless a pair of wings grew from Lin Fu's ribs, it would be impossible for her to see the birth of the child with her own eyes.

Wei Yingzhi was naturally disappointed, but she felt at ease because her closest relatives were by her side.

"By the way, mother, is the Royal Concubine really okay?" Thinking of the news from the palace a few days ago, she asked worriedly.

"It's okay. Your Majesty is getting better and he will naturally be able to tell good from bad. Even though the Empress only holds a nominal position, the affection between the Imperial Concubine and Your Majesty for so many years cannot be compared to her." Shen Xinyan comforted.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and the Third Prince were cleared of suspicion, and the house arrest orders on Concubine Rui and Concubine Li were naturally lifted. Queen Zhou's restoration of favor was sudden, but Concubine Rui was not someone who could be easily dealt with. After a few rounds, Queen Zhou was already being forced to retreat.

The control of the harem fell back into the hands of Concubine Rui.

Wei Yingzhi started having contractions on a day when it was raining heavily. The Duke's Mansion had already made sufficient preparations and had been waiting for her to make her move, so although there was a moment of panic at first, under Shen Xinya's command, they soon became busy and orderly.

Knowing that her daughter was scared, Shen Xinyan sat with her in the delivery room, holding her hand tightly and talking to her in a low voice from time to time to distract her.

Later, the contractions became more frequent and more intense, and Wei Yingzhi almost didn't have the strength to speak.

Shen Xinyan kept encouraging her in her ear, and the eldest princess, who had come in from outside at some point, also shouted a few words of comfort from time to time, and even Yang was the same.

At light time the next day, after more than ten hours of pain, the cry of a baby was finally heard in the Duke of England's mansion.

"Congratulations, ma'am. Congratulations, ma'am, it's a little boy!" The grandmother held the little baby and congratulated with a smile.

"Hurry, hurry, let me hug you!" The eldest princess, who had been unable to contain herself and walked in, said hurriedly.

Shen Xinyan smiled and carefully handed the child in her arms to her. Her eyes suddenly lit up and then became misty.

"Looking like Lingfu, she must be a blessed child." After a moment, the Grand Princess returned the child to her, wiped the tears from her eyes, and said with a smile.

Shen Xinyan seemed not to notice her tears and smiled, "Yes, this child must be a blessed one."

After handing the child to the wet nurse, Shen Xinyan went back into the inner room to check on her sleeping daughter. Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, tears welled up in her eyes unconsciously.

When she became a grandmother...she knew that everything in this life would be different and her daughter would definitely have a happy life.

Walking out of the house and looking at the candlelight burning in the house, a faint smile appeared on her face.

Now, I just have to wait for my husband and eldest son to return...

"Madam, something terrible has happened. A group of soldiers have come outside the door and have surrounded our house!" Zi Yan came trotting over to report, panting.

Just as Shen Xinyan was about to ask what was going on, the housekeeper in the mansion came hurriedly and said, "There are traitors who are trying to start a coup in the palace. Madam, don't panic. Just close the door and wait quietly."