I will definitely not let you off.

Since they wanted to harm her, in this lifetime, she would not be so foolish as to fall for their tricks again.

She instructed Ma Liu, "Liuzi, go right now and buy a large iron padlock. Remember, once you're back, no matter how early or late it is, do not return to my quarters."

Ma Liu asked in confusion, "Why is that, My Lady?"

"Don't ask so many whys. Just remember one thing: absolutely do not come back here. Go on, hurry," Jiang Shuwang urged after giving her instructions.

Though full of doubts and not daring to ask further, Ma Liu stepped outside.

"Wait a moment."

Suddenly, Jiang Shuwang called him back.

Ma Liu turned around, "My Lady, what is it?"

Jiang Shuwang leaned in and whispered a few words to him.

Ma Liu's face went pale with shock, "My Lady, do you mean to say... they are planning to burn you to death?"

Realizing the audacity of what he had just uttered, Ma Liu hurriedly clapped a hand over his mouth and glanced at Jiang Shuwang. Seeing that she was not angry, he let out a sigh of relief.

"It is entirely possible. Just do as I say."

"Understood, this servant will handle it impeccably." With a solemn expression, Ma Liu agreed and strode away.

"My Lady, what should we do then?" Liu Su asked, her brows furrowing.

Her face was etched with deep worry. She had never imagined that these people harbored such hatred for her mistress as to plot her murder.

"Should we report this matter to the Old Madame?" Liu Su asked, on the verge of tears from anxiety.

"Do you think she would help me?" Jiang Shuwang said coldly.

Recalling the Jiang family's attitude toward Jiang Shuwang, Liu Su realized she had asked a foolish question and shook her head.

"Don't worry, we are going to roast a suckling pig tonight," Jiang Shuwang said, word by word.

Her gaze was sharp and piercing.

"Ah?" Liu Su was extremely surprised.

"No more talk, let us go," Jiang Shuwang said as she stood up.

"Where are we going?" Liu Su looked bewildered.

"Follow me, and you will understand when the time comes," Jiang Shuwang said with a mysterious air.

***

"Young Master, this servant just saw the Eldest Young Miss go out," a young page said mysteriously as he approached Jiang Rui.

"Are you certain?" Jiang Rui stood up, excitement flashing across his face.

The page nodded, "Yes, and she even told this servant that she would have her evening meal outside before returning to the estate."

Jiang Rui clapped his hands in delight. "That is truly wonderful! Heaven is helping me. We shall make our move right now."

With that, he strode outside.

The page followed closely behind him.

They stopped at a secluded, empty storehouse, inside of which sat several large wooden barrels.

Jiang Rui instructed the few burly men behind him, "Move all of these to the Yulan Courtyard."

Though the page had no idea what was inside the barrels, he and the others obeyed Jiang Rui's orders.

Their movements were rather conspicuous. No sooner had the items been moved to the Yulan Courtyard than Lady Li sent someone to summon him.

Jiang Rui left behind a trusted confidant and secretly instructed him to sprinkle the kerosene all over the Yulan Courtyard before going to see Lady Li.

Upon entering, he found Lady Li pacing back and forth in the parlor.

Jiang Rui stepped forward, "Mother, you were looking for me?"

Catching sight of him, Lady Li grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the table. "Rui'er, are you trying to get yourself killed? Moving such things in broad daylight and causing such a commotion—are you afraid someone might miss it?"

Just moments ago, after finishing her evening meal, she had received a report from a servant detailing everything Jiang Rui had been doing. It had scared her so badly that she lost her appetite entirely.

Thinking she was angry over some trivial matter, Jiang Rui tried to comfort her, "Mother, don't worry. Even if someone knows, they wouldn't dare speak a word of it. If anyone dares to gossip, I'll beat them to death."

Jiang Rui's expression turned vicious.

"You can silence the servants, but if your father and your grandmother find out, they will certainly not let you off."

While Lady Li had spent years managing the household and possessed the means to keep the servants from talking, she neither dared to provoke nor could she control Jiang Xuannian and the Old Madame Jiang.

"Father and Grandmother dote on me so much; even if they found out, they wouldn't say anything. Besides, haven't Grandmother and Father always disliked Jiang Shuwang? This time, I'm simply helping them out."

Reflecting on how the Old Madame Jiang and Jiang Xuannian had truly treated Jiang Shuwang as a thorn in their side lately, Lady Li felt her anxiety ease slightly.

"If that is the case, then have it your way. But didn't we agree to wait until tomorrow night to make a move? Why are you acting now?"

"Jiang Shuwang went out tonight; this is our last and best opportunity."

Jiang Rui briefly recounted what the page had told him about Jiang Shuwang going out.

Lady Li slapped her thigh, a smile blooming across her face. "Heaven truly favors us! Go ahead and do it. I will back you up and handle everything from behind the scenes; no one will give you any trouble."

"Thank you, Mother," Jiang Rui said with a smile.

"Go on then."

"Understood."

After Jiang Rui left, Lady Li's face settled into a cold sneer.

Jiang Shuwang, tonight shall be your day of reckoning.

By the time Jiang Rui returned to the Yulan Courtyard, night had already fallen. Because Jiang Shuwang was away from the estate, there were very few servants in the courtyard, and they had long since retired to their quarters to sleep.

When Jiang Rui arrived, only his personal guard was waiting for him.

"Young Master, the kerosene has been completely sprinkled," the guard reported.

"Very well, I don't need you anymore. You may leave."

He wanted to be alone to witness Jiang Shuwang's demise with his own eyes.

"Yes, sir," the guard retreated.

He glanced around. The sprawling Yulan Courtyard carried no other scents, save for the faint, pervasive odor of kerosene hanging in the air.

In the past, he might have found it unpleasant, but now, the smell seemed intoxicatingly sweet to him.

He walked along the bluestone path toward Jiang Shuwang's main parlor. The furnishings inside were far superior to those in his own courtyard.

The mere thought that Jiang Shuwang had lived better than him filled his heart with bitter resentment.

Why should he, the only son of the Jiang family, be denied the finest quarters while Jiang Shuwang lived in luxury?

Because of this, he had harbored an intense hatred for Jiang Shuwang since childhood.

Thinking that soon Jiang Shuwang would be dead and everything would belong to him—that after a simple remodeling, he could move into this premier courtyard—a triumphant smile curled the corners of his lips.

*Thud.*

Suddenly, a sound echoed from outside the doorway. He turned his head and saw the heavy doors being slammed shut, followed by the clanking sound of a latch sliding into place.

"Who's there?" He strode toward the entrance and reached to pull the door open, but it didn't budge an inch.

Panic instantly gripped him. He beat frantically against the doors. "Who is out there? Open the door at once! Do you know who I am? If I find out who locked me in here, I will never let you go!"

Silence greeted him from the outside, with no response whatsoever.

Fear welled up in Jiang Rui's eyes, and he hammered on the wood with redoubled force. "Open the door!"

Abruptly, the sharp scent of lamp oil hit his nostrils. The temperature of the door began to rise rapidly, accompanied by the distinct crackling sound of flames from outside.

"Th-this is the sound of a fire!" Terrified and stammering, Jiang Rui slumped to the floor.