Chapter 17: Don’t Trust Him!

Amid Nan Yanyun’s fierce shout, the enemy’s spears thrust forward with deadly speed, nearly piercing her chest. Nan Yan screamed—

“Father! Brother—”

A long sword swiftly deflected the spear just in time, sparing Nan Yan’s life.

Suddenly, a group of black-clad, masked warriors emerged amidst the battle, their martial skills formidable and their numbers considerable.

With their arrival, the enemy forces were driven into retreat step by step. Nan Yanyun, carrying Nan Yang on her back, quickly fled under the protection of these black-clad fighters.

“Father, father—”

Nan Yan chased desperately, but no matter how hard she pursued, they only grew farther away.

Suddenly, everything before her eyes began to distort, and in the blink of an eye, the battlefield transformed into the Meng family estate.

Nan Yan heard Meng Boji’s gentle and soft words. Her father and brother were wronged, yet here he was, cozying up to Xia Qingfei!

Anger surged uncontrollably. She turned sharply, only to see the person beside Meng Boji was herself—

“The divorce letter is truly a last resort. If I don’t write it, your father and brother’s matter will surely implicate the entire Meng family—”

“If the Meng family is set aside, at least at court, I can still speak up for this matter, can’t I?”

A divorce letter?! Meng Boji was going to divorce her?!

Nan Yan saw her own tear-streaked face, despair filling her eyes as she looked at Meng Boji.

Don’t believe it—these are nothing but sweet words, all lies—

She lunged forward but passed right through her own and Meng Boji’s bodies, like a ghost, unable to change anything.

She could only watch helplessly as she was once again deceived by Meng Boji, still placing her hope in him.

“Do you truly… intend to plead for my father and brother before the emperor?”

“Of course—I consider them my father and my brother after all!”

From a bystander’s perspective, Nan Yan clearly saw the heavy calculation lurking in Meng Boji’s eyes.

“Stay in the village outside the city for a while. Once the situation calms, I will surely bring you back!”

“To save your father and brother, money is indispensable. I’m afraid it will require your dowry and the lands and estates of the Duke’s mansion…”

“But rest assured! I won’t touch the Duke’s silver unless absolutely necessary—at worst, we’ll sacrifice the Meng family’s grand residence!”

Meng Boji’s hypocritical pretense… he intended to swallow her dowry and, under the guise of saving them, seize the lands and estates of the Duke’s mansion?!

Nan Yan trembled with fury, her teeth clenched so tightly they ached.

Yet the self before Meng Boji seemed blinded by his honeyed words, believing every lie!

“Even sacrificing the Meng family estate probably won’t be enough to bribe all the officials…”

“Besides, if we lose this estate, where will you live? Where will the entire Meng family reside?”

“I will give you the list of my dowry and the land deeds of the Duke’s mansion. No matter what, we must save my father and brother—”

Meng Boji was overjoyed, pulling her into his arms: “Rest assured, I will do my utmost!”

Behind her unseen, Meng Boji smiled with triumph.

Nan Yan saw it all clearly.

“No, don’t trust him! Don’t trust him—”

“Nan Yan, wake up—Meng Boji has been deceiving you! He has been scheming against you for three years—he’s been lying all along—”

Still, no one could hear or see her.

Nan Yan watched helplessly as she was deceived and used by Meng Boji, her fury boiling over.

“Meng Boji, you are heartless and unfaithful, treacherous and disloyal—you are no human—”

“My father and brother are wronged and humiliated, yet you take this chance to seize my dowry and the lands and estates of the Duke’s mansion…”

It was all her fault for naively agreeing to marry into the Meng family. Nan Yan knelt helplessly, tears streaming like a fountain.

If only her father and brother were still alive, they would never let Meng Boji treat her so cruelly!

“Brother… Father…”

Tears fell drop by drop, and everything before her began to shift again.

Nan Yan no longer cared.

Her most beloved father and brother—they… would never return.

She seemed to see her father carrying her brother, swiftly engulfed by raging flames…

A fresh scent of bamboo brushed past her nose, followed by a sudden thunderclap. Nan Yan abruptly opened her eyes.

Once again, it was Jiang Li’s excessively clean face.

Nan Yan paused, then quickly sat up in bed. Biezhi and Nurse Su hurried over, tears of joy streaming down their faces.

“My lady! You’ve finally woken!”

“You scared us so badly—”

Another dream!

Looking at Jiang Li and them, Nan Yan’s thoughts gradually returned to reality. She grabbed Biezhi’s hand.

“Father and brother—did something really happen to them?”

Biezhi was stunned, then silently lowered her head, unable to speak.

Nan Yan then grasped Nurse Su’s sleeve tightly and pulled hard: “Tell me! Answer me—”

Nurse Su had no choice but to speak carefully.

“My lady, you must listen carefully and not rush. Take care of yourself first…”

“Speak—”

Nan Yan’s sharp command cut through the air, her eyes already red.

Who in such a situation could stay calm and listen carefully?

Nurse Su revealed everything.

“It’s true… the entire capital is abuzz. This morning at court, the emperor was furious over the matter.”

“The general and his son led the Nan family troops in treason and collusion with the enemy. All the Nan troops are guilty; a few escaped while protecting the general…”

“The young master… was executed on the spot! The emperor ordered that whether alive or dead, the general must be found and punished!”

Upon hearing this, all color drained from Nan Yan’s face.

Jiang Li quickly took her hand and inserted a silver needle into the web between her thumb and index finger.

The prickling pain kept Nan Yan conscious. Jiang Li also advised, “Now is not the time to grieve.”

Nan Yan slowly turned to look at him, tears shimmering like stars in her eyes, as if asking what else she could do.

Jiang Li gently withdrew the needle and squeezed her hand firmly.

“Don’t easily believe what you haven’t seen with your own eyes. Even what you see and hear with your own senses may not be true.”

Another thunderclap sounded outside the window. Nan Yan was struck as if by a sudden awakening, her mind cleared.

Without seeing her father’s and brother’s bodies with her own eyes, there was still hope they survived.

Even if she had seen the bodies, it might not truly be them.

Just as Meng Boji once swore by heaven and earth and promised solemnly—wasn’t that all a lie?

Yes, now was definitely not the time to grieve.

She absolutely refused to believe her father and brother were traitors. Such a sudden turn of events must be a sinister plot!

Her father and brother’s glorious military achievements and imperial favor had long made them envied and targeted. She had to find out who was behind their downfall!

And the Meng family…

If her dreams were to come true, Meng Boji not only wanted to divorce her but also intended to seize the Duke’s family estate by this scheme!

He wouldn’t get away with it! This time, no matter what, she would not let her dreams become reality!

The Meng family—with all their people and schemes—would be hers to deal with!

Nan Yan’s gaze grew resolute, and a trace of relief appeared in Jiang Li’s eyes.

“Nurse Su.”

Hearing her call, Nurse Su promptly replied, “Yes! I’m here!”

“Have Uncle Zhong continue to inquire about my father and brother’s whereabouts, and send someone to the Duke’s mansion to see if my grandfather is all right.”