The legitimate daughter was reborn, and the emperor’s little Jiaojiao went crazy.

Chapter 1096 A gentleman does not stand behind a dangerous wall

Anxia flicked her sleeves, and the pile of storybooks on the table scatter to the floor. On the open page of one of the books, a fairy with three heads and six arms was drawn.

"'Records of the Netherworld' says I understand yin and yang. 'Chronicles of the Thunder Ancestor' says I can summon thunderstorms with a wave of my hand. 'The First Phoenix Girl' describes me being reborn in the winter of my fourteenth year, and from then on, I set things right and slaughtered the land. 'The Legend of Narcissus' describes me flooding Baoguo Temple just to fall in love with a general... Master Du, you're really good at picking and choosing, and you chose the one that's most advantageous to you."

Her eyes, like the moon reflected in a cold pond, cast a cold, clear glare upon Du Hui. "Mr. Du, I owe you nothing. Now that we've met today, I'd like to explain everything clearly." Her fingertips traced the condensed water droplets on the edge of the lamp. "Since you believed the storybook 'The First Phoenix Girl,' you should know that even if the woman in the storybook were reborn, she wouldn't be able to save your wife. Besides, a storybook is just a storybook; it can't be taken seriously. So, let me tell you the reality."

Du Hui sat on the ground with his head lowered.

Princess Haiyan said, "When I was investigating my brother's background, I followed the clues and found out what happened to your wife."

Du Hui shuddered, his knuckles clenched until they turned white. The pain that had been buried for so many years was now revealed in a few words, bloody and exposed before his eyes.

The pain spreads throughout the body.

He heard an almost inaudible sigh of pity from the distinguished woman across from him. "Your wife was very pitiful, but she is gone now. I can do nothing for her. All I could do was to send those four scoundrels who participated in the evil deeds to prison under other pretexts many years ago. Either they were beheaded or exiled. I'm sure you've heard all about it over the years."

Du Hui suddenly raised his head, his Adam's apple rolling violently, but he couldn't make a sound. For many years, he had always believed that it was retribution for the cycle of karma, but he didn't know...

"I don't need your gratitude, so I never thought of telling you." Shi Anxia's gaze passed through the rain outside the window and fell on a distant place. "In my actions, I only hope that this world will have more righteousness and less corruption. That's all."

The sound of raindrops hitting the window frame was very similar to the sound of blood dripping on the bluestone slabs in the prison cell.

Du Hui's face turned pale, and his body swayed. He suddenly realized that his calculations on Shi Anrou had become a new filth in this world.

He kowtowed heavily, his forehead touching the ground, and a tear fell, as if putting an end to the sad past.

He stood up and said goodbye, stumbling into the rain.

Nan Yan prepared an umbrella and called him.

He turned a deaf ear. His gaunt figure was gradually swallowed up by the rain and fog, like an ink painting blurred by water.

Shi Anxia shouted to the inner room, "Come out."

Shi Anrou came out with red eyes from crying and sat on the chair next to Shi Anxia.

Shi Anxia asked calmly, "Why is it that not being able to marry him makes you so miserable?"

Shi Anrou waved her hands and sniffed, "No, I was crying for his wife's pity, and also for my own stupidity. Counting the days, I will be able to save his wife when I am reborn."

"Don't blame yourself. Do as much as you can. You've messed up yourself, so how can you care about other people's affairs?"

Shi Anrou thought, yes, I am living such a miserable life myself, who else can I care about?

She was soon comforted.

Shi Anxia raised her eyes amidst the aroma of tea. "There's a saying, 'A gentleman doesn't stand under a dangerous wall.' Do you think I avenged him without telling him, that I'm really doing good deeds without leaving a name?"

"Ah? Isn't that right?" Shi Anrou was just praising his noble character in her heart. If she had accomplished this, it would have been spread all over the street.

"Nan Yan," Shi Anxia suddenly called out, "You go ahead and tell me."

Nan Yan, standing by, filled the teapot with tea and replied, "Didn't the princess just say that a gentleman shouldn't stand under a dangerous wall?" She poured the tea into the cup, the water gurgling. "If Master Du knew about this, he wouldn't doubt that the princess was doing this to cover up some shameful act. Or maybe she was worried he'd spread the news and tarnish the reputation of the Marquisate, so she could silence him."

Shi Anrou opened her mouth slightly, and the tea in the cup reflected her astonished brows and eyes, "Is that so?"

What surprised her was not the matter itself, but how Nan Yan, who had always been honest and straightforward, could have such a subtle mind?

After all, the princess kept many people around her, each one of them smarter than a monkey. In the end, she was the only one who was the most stupid.

After Nan Yan picked up all the notebooks on the ground and placed them on the table before leaving, Shi Anxia nodded slightly. "That's right. Du Hui isn't ungrateful. After learning that the culprits had been brought to justice, he had already given up on the idea of revenge. And after learning about the various methods I used to deal with Shi Yunxing, he stopped taking his anger out on others. I guess it was this book..."

She picked out "The First Phoenix Girl" from a pile of storybooks. "He took it seriously. He felt that I had defied fate and changed my life, but I hadn't saved his wife. So his desire for revenge was rekindled. You see, any little rumor can rekindle an old story."

Shi Anrou recalled what Du Hui had just said to Shi Anxia, "You've been reborn, but why won't you save my poor wife?"

Then she knew that Shi Anxia's inference must be correct, because Du Hui appeared in her life shortly after this storybook was published.

Shi Anxia added, "And you are Shi Yunxing's biological sister, and the only person he can control."

If he doesn't seek revenge on you, who else can he turn to? As long as you're married to him, it's fine if he cripples or kills you. What's scary is that if he does something to his wife, he'll want to pay you back tenfold or a hundredfold.

Shi Anrou also thought of this, and she gasped, clasping her hands together and shaking, "Fortunately, fortunately, Empress Dowager Huizheng blesses me, and good luck!"

Shi Anxia: "..."

Shi Anrou came to her senses with a smile on her face, "Hey, Xia'er, don't blame me, I'm used to it."

Shi Anxia reached out and poked her forehead, "Use your brain more before you act."

"I did!" Shi Anrou said flatteringly, "My brain told me to consult with you, Xia'er, before I do anything."

Shi Anxia thought about it, feeling uneasy, and warned her, "Also, don't tell anyone our secret. People's hearts are unpredictable."

"I know, I know. I have... an idea in my mind." Shi Anrou suddenly remembered what she said when she visited Huang Xingyue that year, and she felt a little guilty.

When Shi Anxia saw her like that, she knew what she was talking about. "Who were you chatting with?"

"I'm not kidding," Shi Anrou lowered her head, her voice buzzing, "When this book was first published, I learned that the Star-Moon Warlock was Mr. Huang, and in a fit of rage I went to his house to ask if he was the same person as us..."

Shi Anxia felt a lump in her chest. "What did he say?"

"He...he..." Shi Anrou was a little flustered, "He said 'hmm'."

"and then?"

"Then I was afraid that he would say something careless, so I specifically told him, 'Empress Dowager Huizheng is a person of great merit. I hope Lord Huang will be careful with his words and actions and not bring trouble to her.'" Shi Anrou's voice became thinner and thinner.

Shi Anxia was truly enraged. What kind of idiot was this?! She couldn't hit him, couldn't scold him, and she still had to take care of her little bit of self-esteem.

After a while, he sighed, "Does that mean I still have to praise you a few more times?"