lmed down.She reached out and hugged Zongyu, feeling the man trembling slightly."Don't be afraid, I'm fine." She knew she was okay, but she didn't expect to scare Zongyu like this.Zongping Kang fell t...Fang Jinshi nodded, letting Yulian and Xiaoyue take the grandmother back to rest first. The ancestor worship must be done, and the celebrations must also happen. Such a big happy event, of course, should be celebrated properly.

She took Pan Zhi'an alone to the side room.

"Does Zong Bai have any other messages"

Pan Zhi'an looked at her in surprise, "Miss Zong is still as ever, frighteningly intelligent."

Fang Jinshi didn't become complacent because of Pan Zhian's praise, instead, her brows furrowed, a sense of foreboding washing over her.

"Is this about my stepfather, Zong Pingchuan"

Pan Zhi'an nearly choked on his tea. It seemed he didn't need to say anything; Fang Jinxiu could see everything just from his expression

When did his cunning disappear

"Ahem!"

Pan Zhi'an decided to just tell Fang Jinshu himself. Letting her keep guessing would be too embarrassing for him.

"Yes, Zong Bai sent an official messenger back with a letter."

"Everything you want to know is in this letter."

He slipped the letter from his sleeve to Fang Jinshu.

Pan Zhi'an didn't open the letter, but he guessed what was inside.

Over these past three years, he has benefited from Fang Jinshui's fortune. Xizhou has fallen into ruin due to natural and man-made disasters, leaving it in this desolate state. Nearly half the population of Luoshui City has fled. In this situation, it was Fang Jinshui who led people in repairing farmland and distributing seeds for free to the people.

Gradually, people were called back, and Luoshui regained its former prosperity.

Her splendid manor house, the Jinxiu Mountain Villa, has also saved countless people. It gave shelter to those who were displaced and homeless.

Therefore, Pan Zhi'an's achievements as magistrate surpassed even those of officials in the prosperous Jiangnan region. Having completed his three-year term, he was summoned back to the capital to report on his duties.

This return to Beijing, I should be promoted and remain in the capital for my post.

So during this time, he corresponded closely with people in the capital. After all, since he was going back, it was essential to understand what the current court situation was like.

After learning more, he also discovered the secrets of the family.

Fang Jinshi hesitated for a moment, clutching the letter in her hand before finally opening it.

After she finished reading, her face didn't look good, but it wasn't to the point of being furious either. Pan Zhi-an looked at her, as if she had expected this all along.

"It seems that Madam Zong was not surprised by this outcome."

Zong Bai's letter was extremely short, only five sentences.

That child usually talks so much, but his message of good news is written like this. It's easy to imagine what kind of complex emotions he was feeling as he wrote this message and sent it back home.

"There are many doubts about the circumstances surrounding my stepfather's death. At the time, things were handled hastily, and what's more, we were thousands of miles apart. No one was able to go and verify the truth of the news."

"The fact that there was no body brought back alone is enough to raise suspicion."

"I just didn't expect him to be such a mama's boy!"

Fāng Jǐnxiù's voice wasn't particularly high-pitched, but every word she spoke carried a bone-chilling coldness.

Zong Pingchuan, her stepfather, is now the son-in-law of the current chief minister, an official of the third rank, and the Minister of Revenue.

He married the prime minister's daughter eighteen years ago and they have two sons and one daughter. They are considered an enviable and model couple in the capital city.

Eighteen years of marriage, isn't that saying that he didn't die back then Not only did he not die, but he also achieved fame and honor after graduating.

After achieving fame and fortune, he abandoned his wife who had been with him through thick and thin and directly married the daughter of a high official. From then on, his career flourished and he rose rapidly in the ranks.

The more Fang Jinshu thought about it, the gloomier her face became. That Zong Pingchuan, he wasn't unlike his old man in blood—he didn't deserve for his grandmother to have cherished him so much for all these years!

"Chen Shimei"

"Who is this"

Pan Zhi'an hadn't heard the story of a heartless and cold-hearted man, so Fang Jinyu waved her hand.

"A goddamn animal, that's all he is."

Pan Zhi'an wisely didn't press further. Fang Jinxiu's expression was already very off.

"Grandmother, your father-in-law."

Pan Zhi'an carefully considered his words. Seeing her glare, he hastily changed his address, "Lord Zong is now in a high position of power. Even if you have a terrible grievance, you cannot act rashly."

Otherwise, Zong Bai's career will be ruined, and your family will face a catastrophe.

"For old times' sake," Pan Zhian reminded kindly.

"Do you know what prime minister means"

He is truly the one below all, yet above all.

If you expose this beforehand, the prime minister can completely bypass His Majesty's ears and eyes, and get rid of you without anyone knowing.

"Including Zong Bai, the newly crowned champion who has a thousand ways to make you disappear without a trace." gone!"Fang Mingxia is now a concubine of a wealthy merchant. She relies on her youth and beauty to be very favored, and she goes out in a carriage.That saved Fang Jinshi a lot of trouble.Nomura is a...