Perhaps it was Li Yiniang's desperate vow to exchange her life for another that moved the heavens, for a strange figure descended from the sky, and before anyone could react, the guards who were to carry out the execution had already been thrown out.
In her despair, Aunt Li suddenly found boundless strength and scrambled over to embrace Fu Qichen.
Madam Cheng stood up in utter shock, pointing at the unfamiliar man whose face was covered by a black cloth, and shouted in a mixture of shock and anger, "Who are you? This is the Minister's residence! Who gave you permission to come in? Get out!"
The guard said expressionlessly, "You want to kill them? My lord forbids it!"
In one sentence, he revealed all the darkness and taboos in Cheng's heart.
She stared at the guards with a dark expression and said hatefully, "As the mistress of the Minister's mansion, what's wrong with me disciplining the concubine and the illegitimate son who tried to poison the Minister's son? If Master insists on condoning this mother and son to harm my Yuan'er, I will give up my life today to get rid of them for my Yuan'er!"
Without waiting for a reply, he picked up a wooden stick and swung it at Fu Qichen's head.
Fu Qichen neither dodged nor flinched, but Aunt Li, who was protecting him, fiercely snatched the other end of the wooden stick and wrestled with Cheng Shi.
The secret guards didn't move, and neither did the other guards.
Granny Cheng couldn't bear to watch any longer. She stomped her foot and rushed forward to help Madam Cheng pull Aunt Li away. Madam Cheng was so angry that she turned around, picked up a stick, and hit Aunt Li hard on the forehead.
Aunt Li's eyes rolled back and she collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from her head.
Fu Qichen reacted a beat too late, angrily snatching the wooden stick from Cheng's hand, his eyes instantly filled with murderous intent.
When Cheng was stared at by Fu Qichen's wolf-like eyes, she couldn't help but take two steps back and shrink back to hug Cheng Mama.
The bodyguard moved in silently, blocking Fu Qichen's murderous gaze.
"Quickly, summon a doctor!"
When Fu Ting returned, the farce in the courtyard had not yet ended.
Aunt Li lay dying in Fu Qichen's arms, her forehead wrapped in gauze. Fu Qichen knelt on the ground, his eyes as dark and unfathomable as a deep, cold pool, half-holding Aunt Li without moving.
The servants huddled in inconspicuous places, no one daring to take a step forward, and the guards were nowhere to be found.
Cheng sat upright in her chair, her expression unreadable. Upon seeing Fu Ting, a strange emotion finally surfaced on her face.
Fu Ting walked up to Madam Cheng with a cold face, glanced at Fu Qichen and Aunt Li, and said calmly, "Help your aunt back to her room to rest!"
Fu Qichen remained motionless, like a statue.
Madam Cheng sneered, "My lord, won't you even ask me why I tortured them?"
Fu Ting met Cheng's eyes and asked calmly, "Why?"
Madam Cheng slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her eyes blazing with fury. "That mother and son plotted to harm Yuan'er! Your precious illegitimate son even secretly drugged Yuan'er while he was out. He wants Yuan'er to die without an heir!"
"Really? Where's the evidence?" Fu Ting still spoke in that nonchalant tone.
Cheng was furious. "If I had evidence, I would have beaten them to death long ago. Why would I have waited until today? Fu Zhi served Yuan'er closely, and you don't believe what he says?"
Fu Ting curled his lips into a smile, and his handsome face suddenly became much more lively. He walked up to Fu Qichen with his hands behind his back, and reached out to help him up. At the same time, Aunt Li opened her eyes and looked at him pitifully.
“Stand up and speak.” Fu Ting’s voice was not loud, but it was impossible to refuse.
Fu Qichen helped Aunt Li to her feet, but he never looked up.
"Do you have anything to say?" Fu Ting's gaze fell on the illegitimate son, his eyes devoid of joy or sorrow, yet seemingly seeing through all the secrets and underhanded schemes.
Fu Qichen paused for a moment, then knelt down again, lifting his robe, and said in a deep voice, "Your son knows his mistake, please punish me, Father!"
Aunt Li was shocked. She tugged at her son's sleeve, wanting to explain something to Fu Ting, but his cold gaze made her shudder.
Immediately, she knelt down beside her son, tears streaming down her face, and said, "My lord, I am guilty. It was all my idea. I instigated the second young master to poison the eldest young master. I deserve to die. Please, my lord, spare the second young master. I am willing to atone for my sins with my death!"
Fu Qichen's expression finally changed. He looked sadly at his birth mother, who was kneeling on the ground and crying uncontrollably, and smiled bitterly. "Aunt, a mistake is a mistake. My sins cannot be atoned for by your death! I sent someone to poison my elder brother, hoping to make him lose his offspring and perhaps ruin his reputation in the future."
"No! Master, it's not like that! I bought the medicine from a merchant through someone. The second young master knew nothing about it. I forced him to poison the eldest young master. I deserve to die! The second young master... the second young master holds an official position. You can't ruin him! Master, please spare the second young master. He is your son too!" Aunt Li cried out pitifully, clinging to Fu Qichen's legs.
Fu Ting looked down at the woman kneeling at his feet, a hint of pity in his eyes, and said, "Yun'er, do you still remember what you told me before you entered the Minister's mansion? If you have forgotten, I can remind you again."
Aunt Li's crying stopped abruptly. She stared blankly at Fu Ting, slowly loosening her fingers from his leg, as if her soul had been ripped away.
What did she say? She said that even if she had to be a slave, she would go to the Minister's mansion to seek justice for Sister Mei, and she would never let Cheng Lan have her way in this life. Because of this, Fu Ting, the former Vice Minister of Works, agreed to let her enter the mansion, helping her escape the dark and oppressive cage of the Qingyang Marquis's mansion.
However, she gradually forgot her original intention when she entered the Minister's Mansion. Her heart and eyes were filled with her son's future and prospects. She naturally used the sordid and despicable methods she had become accustomed to in the Marquis's Mansion to deal with the head mistress, Madam Cheng. She enjoyed the servants' growing respect for her while trying to please the master, until the true future heir of the Minister's Mansion appeared out of nowhere.
Aunt Li's hands trembled violently, and she slowly slumped back to the ground.
Madam Cheng glanced at Aunt Li with disdain, her hatred still burning: "So you're admitting you tried to poison my son? My lord, I know you never believe what I say. Now that they've confessed to trying to harm Yuan'er, are you still going to cover for them?"
Fu Ting casually flicked non-existent dust off the hem of his robe and said, "The two men that I sent out are dead, and there's no way to verify their identities. As for Fu Zhi, should I send someone else to kill him to silence him? He served Yuan'er for a while, so why not let Yuan'er make the decision himself? Your son's servants, your son's revenge—how you avenge them is up to you!"
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