That night, Yun Xi stayed at the Zhen Mansion. Through her patient persuasion, during dinner, Zhen Bao not only ate three more bowls of rice but also stopped crying and shouting about wanting to die.
Because Zhen Bao had decided to follow Yun Xi's advice of "feigning resistance while secretly complying" and "rescuing the country by indirect means"!
Since she couldn't go against the Empress Dowager's imperial edict, she might as well pour all her energy into causing trouble for others and making them suffer.
Maybe she could even carve out a glimmer of hope!
With her mind made up, Zhen Bao was no longer lost. Early the next morning, under the watchful eyes of Mrs. Zhen and Yun Xi, she set off from the Zhen Mansion like a fearless female warrior, full of pride.
Watching her daughter's departing carriage, Mrs. Zhen couldn't help but secretly wipe away a tear and worried,
"Liu'er is always so impulsive. I don't know if she can turn this crisis around this time."
Knowing that Mrs. Zhen was just too worried, Yun Xi was quite optimistic and said with a smile,
"Mrs. Zhen, there's no need to worry. It's precisely because of Zhen Bao's personality that she'll be more at ease doing this and won't arouse suspicion."
Anticipating that the Li Mansion might soon be turned upside down and in chaos, Yun Xi couldn't help but feel a tinge of excitement,
"Let's just wait and see. We'll just wait for Zhen Bao's good news.
Anyway, the current situation is like this. It's better to take a risk. No matter what the outcome is, the Zhen family won't suffer any losses.
Maybe, with Zhen Bao's 'talents', she might even defeat the master with random punches!"
Half an hour later, the Zhen family's carriage stopped in front of the Mansion of the Duke of Merit. Zhen Bao got off the carriage, looked up at the plaque in front of the mansion, took a deep breath, and said to the maid beside her,
"Knock on the door."
After the guard reported her arrival, before long, Mrs. Yang, the wife of the Minister of Revenue and Li Ji's stepmother, came out to greet her in person. The moment she saw Zhen Bao, her always gloomy face still showed no kindness. She stepped forward and questioned,
"What are you doing here? Isn't it too late to apologize now?"
Although the Empress Dowager had personally issued an imperial edict to bestow the marriage and the Li family had agreed, just thinking about her precious son being beaten into a cripple by this girl in front of her made Mrs. Yang burn with anger.
Not directly driving her away was already giving face to the Empress Dowager and the Zhen family!
When this girl married into the Li family, then she'd really have it coming!
If it were on a normal day, if someone spoke to her in such a sarcastic way and looked at her with such disdain, Zhen Bao would have been furious and rolled up her sleeves to fight!
However, at this moment, she firmly remembered Yun Xi's words. She endured it, quickly wiped two drops of saliva on the corners of her eyes, and looked at Mrs. Yang with a remorseful face,
"Madam, I, Zhen Bao, know that I've committed a heinous crime and deeply hurt your son! My evil deeds are so despicable that I'm worthy of being spurned and not worthy of forgiveness!"
"But afterwards, I've deeply regretted it! I'm so ashamed that I can't eat or sleep well! So, after much thought, I've decided to come in person to atone for my sins. I hope madam will show mercy!"
After saying that, Zhen Bao actually knelt down straight!
Because Yun Xi had said, "A real man can bend and stretch, and a little woman can too." She was going to do great things in the future, so she couldn't be constrained by trivial matters.
Seeing this scene, Mrs. Yang was stunned and couldn't help but gasp.
This was in front of the Mansion of the Duke of Merit, and there were many outsiders watching!
She originally wanted to continue to make things difficult for Zhen Bao, but she didn't expect the other party to lower her status so humbly. If she was too harsh, it would make her seem unreasonable.
Although she always felt that there was something strange about this girl's actions, like a cat crying over a mouse, she thought of her husband's repeated exhortations. So, Mrs. Yang had to hold back her anger and quickly stepped forward to help Zhen Bao up.
"Since you sincerely admit your mistakes, I definitely have no reason to blame you anymore.
"Go back first. There's no need to atone for your sins. Just do your duty as a daughter-in-law of the Li family after you marry Ji'er."
Although Mrs. Yang was still angry, she didn't intend to let Zhen Bao enter the mansion.
Seeing that the other party was eager to see her off, Zhen Bao tightly grabbed the other's arm and hurriedly said,
"Madam, I'm here sincerely to atone for my sins. Before I came, I begged my mother for permission. I won't leave until I take care of your son and he recovers!"
Zhen Bao's grip was so strong that Mrs. Yang couldn't break free. She frowned and looked at Zhen Bao suspiciously.
"Do you really think so?"
Zhen Bao nodded, raised three fingers to the sky, and said sincerely,
"I, Zhen Bao, dare not tell a single lie!"
Mrs. Yang hesitated. Thinking that her son had been throwing tantrums recently because of his serious injury, almost everyone in the yard was trembling with fear, and even she was extremely headache. She had even grown a few more gray hairs in recent days.
If this girl served him personally, maybe her son could find an outlet to vent his anger and his mood would improve a lot!
Thinking of this, Mrs. Yang couldn't help but sneer inwardly and pretended to be in a difficult situation,
"Since you've said so, if I stop you, it will only make you feel uneasy. From now on, I'll have to trouble you."
Anyway, it was this dead girl who came to their door on her own! Even if she was beaten, scolded, and insulted by her son in the future, she'd have to bear it!
Hearing Mrs. Yang's words, Zhen Bao was overjoyed,
"Thank you, madam, for your kindness! I hope you can arrange a room for me so that I can take care of your son conveniently."
"That's natural."
Mrs. Yang nodded and immediately instructed the maid beside her.
Seeing this, Zhen Bao's lips curled up. She changed her sad expression and said boldly to the servants who had followed her,
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and carry all my things in!"
"Yes!"
So, under Mrs. Yang's stunned gaze, the things on Zhen Bao's carriage were successively carried into the Li Mansion. There were daily necessities such as bedding and blankets. Then, there were swords, spears, and halberds, which made Mrs. Yang feel shocked. Finally, when the servants carried out several black jars, Mrs. Yang finally couldn't help but frown and ask,
"What are these?"
Zhen Bao had been directing the servants to carry things and telling them to be careful with her treasures. Hearing Mrs. Yang's words, she suddenly smiled brightly,
"These are all the ancestral medicinal herbs of our Zhen family. They're specially used to treat injuries from falls and blows, activate blood circulation, and replenish qi. They'll definitely play a good role in your son's recovery!"
Mrs. Yang scoffed inwardly but still nodded,
It's good that the Zhen family still has a bit of conscience. I hope these things will be useful!
However, Mrs. Yang only thought like this for a short time, and that night, she regretted it so much that her intestines turned green!
For her act of "letting the wolf into the house" today and harming her son and herself, she wished she could turn back time half a day ago. Even if that dead girl pleaded her case in front of her and knelt until her knees were broken, she would never, ever let the other party step into her mansion.
Nor would it have ended up like this, where "it's easy to invite the god but hard to send it away", making their entire Duke's Mansion in a complete mess and hard to clean up!