Now that you're reborn, who would still keep a mistress for their scumbag husband?

Dou Jinzhao walked out of the pavilion. Ling Jinglan hurried over and grabbed her wrist. The warmth from her palm penetrated her skin through her sleeve. Dou Jinzhao raised her wrist and her eyes slowly climbed up his arm to his face.

The mask with green face and fangs made his skin look even colder and whiter. His jaw was as sharp as a knife, his thin lips were tightly pursed, his peach blossom eyes were wide open, his eyelashes were thick and long, and the tails of his eyes were wide open into a fan shape, curled upwards. When he gazed at people, it gave people the illusion of deep affection.

A seductive male vixen.

"Jin Zhao, don't let him know your identity. No matter what, you can't reveal your identity." Ling Jinglan slowly let go of his hand.

Dou Jinzhao stopped her panicked heart and turned to look at the lake. The light from the lantern was jumping out of the lake in bright spots, and the wind was rippling the surface of the lake, just like her mood at the moment.

"No." Dou Jinzhao said instinctively.

"Spread the news about Hong Ran to confuse him temporarily. If necessary, you might as well take action once to get the divorce done first. There will be opportunities to deal with other things later." Ling Jinglan's tone was unprecedentedly strong.

Dou Jinzhao nodded, "Yeah."

She was unexpectedly submissive, unlike before when she always wanted to compete with him.

Ling Jinglan stood with his hands behind his back in front of the railing of the pavilion in the middle of the lake, watching Dou Jinzhao's back disappear into the night. He shook his hand lightly, and slid the tip of his thumb across the rest of his fingertips, feeling the warmth and delicate softness left on them.

Dou Jinzhao sneaked in through the window of the small room like a feline stalking in the dark. After changing his clothes, he came out and saw Lu Changyuan pinching Luoxia's shoulders and questioning her.

She was wearing a snow-white middle-length dress, a cloak on the outside, and thin slippers on her feet. She came out with sleepy eyes, and when she saw Lu Changyuan, she seemed to be awakened. "My Lord, what are you doing?"

Lu Changyuan looked at Dou Jinzhao in confusion, but her acting was so perfect that the more so, the more suspicious people became.

"Were you sleeping in there just now?" Lu Changyuan let go of Luoxia's shoulders.

Luoxia quickly jumped two steps to the side, putting some distance between herself and Lu Changyuan.

"My Lord, does the Duke want to talk to me about something?" Dou Jinzhao stood in the middle of the side room, talking to Lu Changyuan through a door. He showed fear, restraint, and disgust, and did not conceal his various emotions.

Lu Changyuan was furious, "My mother asked me to consummate my marriage with you tonight."

"It's late, Your Majesty, go back to bed early!" Dou Jinzhao said calmly, as if he had just heard some nonsense.

Go back to sleep, you can dream about anything.

Lu Changyuan was furious and stepped in. He flashed in front of Dou Jinzhao like a shadow, grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, "Dou Jinzhao, don't forget, you and I are husband and wife, it is only natural for you to serve me."

Dou Jinzhao lowered her eyes, her long black eyelashes drooping like butterfly wings, not trembling at all, as if no matter whether Lu Changyuan was happy or angry, it did not affect her at all.

They have become people from two different worlds.

"Lu Changyuan, my last name is not Dou, but Xie. I am a bastard whose identity is unknown and whose origins are a mystery. The one who is engaged to you and your perfect match is Dou Miaojin, not me!"

She twitched her hand, but Lu Changyuan's grip became tighter. Dou Jinzhao felt a little pain, so she simply stopped moving. She raised her eyes and sneered, "What did you tell me when you went to war a year ago? A year later, how did you treat me after my life experience was exposed?"

"Lu Changyuan, who are you going to marry, a wife who is worthy of your love, or the eldest daughter of the Dou family?" She pulled her arm back abruptly, "Think it over, who should you consummate your marriage with?"

When Lu Changyuan's hands felt empty, his heart felt empty as well.

He tried to catch Dou Jinzhao again, but Dou Jinzhao had already turned away.

"Today, Duke Dingguo's Mansion has offended all the nobles and powerful officials in the court. Will the Duke need to rely on the Minister of Rites for help at the morning court tomorrow?" Dou Jinzhao said with a smile, "Shouldn't the Duke go and comfort Sister Miaojin tonight?"

Lu Changyuan looked at her back and squinted his eyes. "Xie Jinzhao, what is your relationship with Rouge Sword?"

Dou Jinzhao's body froze. For a moment, she thought Lu Changyuan had really seen something. She turned around slowly, her eyes full of confusion, "Duke, what did you say?"

"Rouge Sword, what is your relationship with Rouge Sword?" Lu Changyuan pressed.

Dou Jinzhao tilted his head. "Rouge Sword, what is it? A sword?"

Lu Changyuan breathed a sigh of relief. He was really crazy. He actually thought that Dou Jinzhao had something to do with the Rouge Sword. How could she, a woman in the harem, know about the Rouge Sword?

It's he who thinks too much.

After Lu Changyuan left, Dou Jinzhao breathed a sigh of relief. Luoxia knelt down in front of her and apologized, "I deserve to die. I was exposed. Please punish me, Master!"

Dou Jinzhao pulled her up and said, "It's only a matter of time. Let Hongran know the news tonight and have her prepare the pills. Sell three pills to Dou Miaojin for one thousand taels of silver. One pill will cover her and Lu Changyuan for one night!"

Luoxia asked a few more details, and after Dou Jinzhao gave them, she hurried away overnight.

Lu Changting sat stupidly in the new room all night. The next morning, she heard noises outside. Shuangxi came in and said that Guo Xiao had gone to court. She burst into tears and ordered, "Prepare the car. I want to go back to the Duke's Mansion!"

In the middle of the night, news came from outside that a horse plague had broken out at Xiaomatan Horse Farm, and more than ten horses had died overnight.

In order to go to war in the southwestern Shu area, he had already married a wife. As a result, when he was about to go to the war, such a thing happened. Even though he had three days of leave as a newlywed, how could Guo Xiao still stay at home?

At the court meeting, the ministers were already arguing. When Guo Xiao appeared, Emperor Yongjia's eyes lit up, "Guo Xiao, didn't I give you three days off? Why are you still attending court today?"

Guo Xiao hurriedly said, "In reply to the emperor, the border is in danger. Family matters are small, but national matters are big. I am willing to lead the troops to attack Southern Shu, but the war horses have problems, and I am really uneasy."

Yang Lian, the official in charge of the Imperial Court, stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, Xiaomatan Horse Farm was originally fine. The horse plague first broke out when Duke Dingguo transported the 500 horses to Xiaomatan Horse Farm. I think Duke Dingguo intentionally sent horses infected with horse plague to Xiaomatan Horse Farm. He deserves death!"

Lu Changyuan's eyes were red, his hands were clenched into fists, and his whole body was shaking. He ignored the etiquette of the court and cursed, "Yang Lian, you are simply slandering me!"

Yang Lian didn't even talk to him, "Your Majesty, I have already investigated clearly. Lu Changyuan gave 500 Xiliang horses to Weizhou Xin's. There was horse plague in Xin's horse farm, but Lu Changyuan still exchanged 500 local horses from Weizhou Xin's and transported them to Xiaomatan Horse Farm.

Five hundred Xiliang horses have disappeared. I believe that Lu Changyuan sent five hundred horses infected with horse plague to Xiaomatan Horse Farm with some ulterior motive. It is clear that he was plotting rebellion!"

Guo Xiao couldn't help but wonder, the timing was too good, "If the five hundred Xiliang horses were not in the Weizhou Xin family, where did they go?"

Yang Lian sneered, "Then I have to ask Duke Dingguo! If it is you who slandered Duke Dingguo, then Duke Dingguo, can you explain why only the 500 Xiliang stallions were isolated?"