“Young miss, the eldest princess has been put under house arrest for a year, and her salary is fined for three years,” Lan Qu reported to Lan You Nian who was lying in a daze on the soft couch.

“It seems this time both Prime Minister An and Empress completely lost face.  In the future, I’m afraid our days won’t be peaceful!” Lan Wu sat next to Lan You Nian’s couch, her hands continuing to pare fruits for her young miss.

“The Empress’s faction already had their eyes on Lan manor a long time ago,” Lan You Nian said with closed eyes.  Lan Jian Jun and Lan Mo Xian followed Feng Yi Xuan on the battlefield for so many years, in the Empress’s factions eyes, they were already one of fourth wangye’s people.  Now that she schemed against An manor’s eldest legitimate son in An manor, and is also quite close to Feng Xia Qi and Feng Yi Xuan, the Empress must consider Lan manor as a thorn in her eyes.

“Young miss is supporting the fourth wangye?” Lan Wu asked in confusion.  After all with young miss’s identity, she did not like to participate in the battle between father and son of the imperial family, but now young miss seemed to have already joined in after what she did.

“Although this person Feng Xia Qi is very cunning, his heart is honorable and a rare, outstanding ruler.  Since I am Lan manor’s young miss, how can I not do something?  If I let it be, not only will it harm older brother, it will probably even affect grandfather’s family!” Lan You Nian said indifferently.  She was not greedy for power, but if someone dared to provoke her and the people she cared for, she would definitely unsettle the entire court.

“Why doesn’t young miss think it is Ming wang who wants to fight for the throne?” Lan Wu asked in confusion.  After all, in their eyes, Ming wang whether it is temperament or ability was better than fourth wangye and even has many military achievements.  If Ming wang fought for the throne, it would be easier.

“That kind of man looks down on that position.  Others consider the throne to be a position of supreme power, but it is also a symbol of loneliness paid with the price of the loss of one’s freedom!” Lan You Nian smiled.  That man’s character will make sure he won’t become the emperor.  Although it was suitable, at the same time, it wasn’t suitable.  What was suitable was Feng Yi Xuan’s ability and means.  What wasn’t suitable was Feng Yi Xuan’s unrestrained temper and ruthlessness.

“Young miss always sees farther than other people.  In this world, how many people can be like young miss who can see so thoroughly?” Lan Qu gazed with worship at her family’s young miss.

“Hehe, honestly this is really simple.  People of the world are simply blinded by power and money!” Lan You Nian didn’t think much of it.  Although she longed for her forces to be strong, she was not greedy for these.  Only this way can she live with less stress.

“Young miss, tomorrow is when eldest young master An brings Lan Zhi back!” Lan Qu informed Lan You Nian of the news that Zhang Lin had found out.

“Oh? Lan Zhi didn’t die yet?  Very tenacious indeed.  Since this is the case…” Lan You Nian’s voice drifted off, seemingly to have fallen asleep, but Lan Qu and Lan Wu knew young miss was not sleeping.  She was only thinking.

This morning, Lan manor received An Ping news of bringing back Lan Zhi.  As a matter of fact, for concubines, there was no such treatment, so An Ping’s actions made everyone think Lan Zhi was very favored by An Ping for him to do this but was it really so?

Although Lan Jian Jun was aware that today was the day that his second daughter will return home, but Lan Jian Jun still went to the military camps to handle military affairs as usual.  He only left Lan MO Xian to stay behind to handle affairs.  Their thought was that the people of An family have come to bully Lan You Nian again.  Currently, Lan Jian Jun was very worried about Lan You Nian.

An manor’s carriage stopped outside the doors of Lan manor.  Waiting in the doorway was An yiniang who was anxiously fixated on An manor’s carriage.  Ever since her second daughter was carried into An manor, she tried to find a way to inquire after her.  She wanted to see if her second daughter lived well.  But An yiniang didn’t expect that in her maiden home even she cannot find out about her daughter’s current situation.  Because of not knowing, An yiniang was even more worried.  Now that she has received news that her daughter was coming back, An yiniang breathed a sigh of relief.

Lan Zhi wearing a pink ruqun helped An Ping down the carriage.  Seeing that only her mother stood in Lan manor’s doorway, her heart was unbearably sour.  The tears in her eyes spread, but An Ping’s threatening voice rang in Lan Zhi’s ears, “Behave yourself.  Give me a smile!”

So many days of torture has made Lan Zhi afraid of An Ping.  Hearing An Ping’s threat, Lan Zhi’s tears that were able to fall down were forced back in, then she revealed a gentle smile as if she has been living very happily.

At this moment, An Ping felt wronged inside.  Ever since he knew there was a cure to his illness, An Ping tried many different ways to make Wu Qing Medical hall treat him, but Wu Qing Medical Hall not only ignored him, he could not shake Wu Qing Medical Hall.  At last, after tormenting Lan Zhi, he learned that it was An yiniang who begged medicine from Wu Qing Medical Hall, and used that medicine to cure Lan Zhi.  At this time An Ping was at the point of desperation to bring Lan Zhi back to Lan manor to make An yiniang who was his aunt go ask Wu Qing Medical Hall for medicine.

“Mother” Lan Zhi’s voice carried traces of emotional excitement.  Although the experience of these last few days of torture made her aware that this mother of hers was not reliable but after seeing her mother, Lan Zhi couldn’t help but want to cry.

“Mother,” An Ping courteously followed Lan Zhi in calling An yiniang.  He now must depend on An yiniang to beg for medicine, so naturally, he was more well-behaved.

“Good you’ve come back.  Come, let’s go in!” An yiniang tugged Lan Zhi’s hands and walked into Lan manor.  Entering the large reception hall, they noticed Lan Mo Xian sat at the very front, sitting below him was Lan You Nian, then it was Lan Yin and Lan Ya.  After An Ping and the others entered, they greeted everyone and sat at the very bottom.

Lan You Nian observed Lan Zhi who just sat there without any of her previous arrogance.  It has only ten or so days without seeing her, Lan Zhi already lost a lot of weight.  That frail color of her face couldn’t be hidden even with the use of the best rouge.  Noticing the slight frown as Lan Zhi sat, Lan You Nian can be sure that there must be a lot of wounds on Lan Zhi’s body.

“Eldest young master An, did you come here today come to Lann manor to stay for a couple of days or are you going back today?” Lan Mo Xian was straightforward, just because An Ping married Lan Zhi, it didn’t change the relationship between their two manors.

“I accompanied Lan Zhi back to her maiden home to take a look around, of course, it is to stay for a few days!” What a joke!  He had to get the medicine so how can he leave?

Lan Mo Xian disliked the people of An manor in their Lan manor so straightaway he opened his mouth to say something to make An Ping leave but didn’t expect his little sister to shoot him a look.  Lan Mo Xian instantly understood that little sister had her own plans, “Since it’s like that, Uncle Lan, take them back to second sister’s previous courtyard!”

Done, Lan Mo Xian left with Lan You Nian with no intention of exchanging pleasantries causing An Ping to glare resentfully at Lan Zhi.  Lan Zhi knew that once they return, An Ping will definitely vent his anger on her.  Her entire body was already carpeted with a variety of scars.

As soon as An yiniang brought An Ping and Lan Zhi to her courtyard, An Ping directly demanded, “Please ask Mother to save Ping’er!”

An yiniang glanced in confusion at her second daughter.  She really couldn’t understand what was going on.  Lan Zhi saw her mother’s confusion and explained, “Mother, cousin-brother contracted the same illness as me.  He went to Wu Qing Medical Hall but couldn’t attain the medicine, so we came back to Lan manor to ask Mother to help us!”

“This…” An yiniang hesitated.  She still remembered when she obtained the medicine, Wu Qing Pavilion’s steward told her that the medicine she asked for was too rare; there was only this one time.  If she came again, she would pay with her life.  At first, she didn’t overthink.  She only wanted her daughter to marry into An manor so she would have a future.  Thus she agreed.  She didn’t expect…

“Aunt is unwilling?” An Ping said sinisterly, already changed from mother to aunt.  It can be seen that An Ping was already starting to get angry.

How can An yiniang not understand An Ping’s meaning?  She did not conceal and told this matter to An Ping and Lan Zhi.  However, she didn’t expect that after explaining, An Ping still did not dispel the idea, “Aunt, Ping’er’s only hope is now on Aunt.  Is Aunt not willing to save Ping’er?”

“Ping’er, it isn’t that Aunt is unwilling to save you, only that aunt can’t do anything!” Although An yiniang loved her daughter, although she came out from An manor, she cherished her life even more.

The group talked for a long time, but An yiniang did not agree to help An Ping seek medicine.

“Slut!” As soon as he returned to their room, An Ping gave Lan Zhi a slap, “Your mother actually just watches me have this disease yet is not willing to help me.  If it wasn’t for you people, how can I contract this disease?  Speak!  Speak!” An Ping picked up the things on the table and threw them on Lan Zhi’s body.  Lan Zhi did not dare to make a sound.  She knew if this were discovered by others, she would end up even worse.

“Cousin-brother, cousin-brother spare me!  This really has nothing to do with me!” Lan Zhi laid on the ground as she pled with An Ping.

“Has nothing to do with you?  Ha!  Let me tell you Lan Zhi, if I can’t live a good life, then you won’t be living well either!” An Ping dragged Lan Zhi over and pressed her onto the dressing table.   He patted her cheeks, “Hurry and clean up.  No matter what method you use, you must make your mother agree to ask medicine for me.  As long as your mother asks the medicine for me, in the future, I will not torture you.  I will even raise you to side-wife!”

“Madame, second miss is here!” Qiu’er said to An yiniang.

An yiniang looked at her eldest daughter and sighed, “Let her come in!”  No matter what, she was still a piece of meat that fell from her body.  An yiniang still has some love.

“Mother!” As soon as Lan Zhi came in, she saw her mother and sister.  But now she was no longer that Lan Zhi who would act spoiled with her mother and sister.

“Zhi’er, what’s your intention?” An yiniang lifted up Lan Zhi, lovingly and helped wipe away Lan Zhi’s tears.

“Mother, please help cousin-brother!” Lan Zhi pleaded.  As soon as An yiniangheard her daughter asks for this matter, she let go of her hand and ignored Lan Zhi.

“Second sister why are you so muddle-headed?  You want Mother to help cousin-brother?  Do you know that will make Mother lose her life?  Don’t you know what kind of place Wu Qing Pavilion is?” Lan Ya hardened her face as she chastised Lan Zhi.  Lan Zhi heard her own sister words that did not possess any feelings or any regard for the affection between sisters.  It gave birth to hate instantly.

“Muddle-headed? Haha, older sister talks about your younger sister like this?  It really is once people leave, the tea gets cold.  Little sister-I haven’t left yet!” Lan Zhi sneered.

“Zhi’er, how can you talk to your sister like this?” An yiniang scolded.  Currently, she has focused all of her attention on this eldest daughter and son.

Lan Zhi did not refute.  Instead, she took off her clothes.  An yiniang and Lan Ya got a look at the skin that was maintained to be supple and smooth in the past has now been covered with bruises and whip marks.  Some of them due to not being treated in time started to fester with pus.  In such a short amount of time of not seeing Lan Zhi, her body was already as thin as firewood.  An yiniangcarefully studied Lan Zhi only to see that Lan Zhi’s face had traces of being slapped.

“How could this be?  Who did this!” Even if An yiniang had an answer in her heart, she still asked.

“Who else can do this?  Of course, it’s cousin-brother.  Mother, if you don’t help cousin-brother ask for medicine, cousin-brother will beat me to death!” Lan Zhi pled, crying piteously.

Just moments before An yiniang was unbelievably distressed now was suddenly muted, with some hesitation, “Zhi’er, it isn’t that mother isn’t willing to help you.  It’s just that Mother is powerless ah.  How about this?  Mother will go ask your father to make Ping’er treat you well!”

Lan Zhi looked at such a hypocritical mother and older sister who pretends she doesn’t even exist.  Her heart was sour.  She deliberately showed her mother the scars on her body to her mother in hopes that she can get sympathy from her mother and sister so they will go ask for medicine to save her.  She didn’t expect that her mother and sister who usually said nice things didn’t care about her life or death.  They only cared about wealth and rank and their own safety.

Lan Zhi picked up the scissors on the table and stabbed it at Lan Ya‘s body.  Since they didn’t care about her, if she can’t live, then they don’t even need to think about living!  Doesn’t mother care about eldest sister?  She will destroy eldest sister!  Doesn’t eldest sister want to become wangfei?  She will make her beautiful dream disappear!

“Ah!”