Nan Shuyun nodded, looking at Su Ran with some surprise, but then thought it was perfectly natural. Xiao Ran had more well-informed sources than she did, and given the situation, she was likely to investigate CE.


    Just mentioning ine made Nan Shuyun''s expression grow solemn.


    "I once heard people from the Nan family mention this Countess ine. She is different from thedies of the Chu family and the Yang family; she inherently carries ambition. The three sisters were born in the slums, and anyone who has heard the name knows it''s not a good ce. The slums are located at the border of our country, gued by constant warfare, a grey area that no jurisdiction governs, infested with all sorts of demons and monsters.


    There, it is extremely poor yet exceedingly wealthy. The people inside are either unbelievably wealthy, controlling the economic lifelines of many foreign countries, or extremely powerful, overseeing the military weapons of war-ridden countries in Europe and America, or fiercely evil, controlling the underground forces of the slums. The slums are ranked by force, and the higher the power, the higher the status. Although there are ordinary people in there, they are as lowly as ants.


    The words ''corpses strewn across the fields'' and ''blood flowing like rivers'' might be things we''ve only seen on television or books, but that was the most real state of the slums until a mysterious big shot appeared, taking control of all forces within them, and only then did things begin to improve."


    Zhou Ziyi looked at the person speaking confidently in front of him in shock. Nan Shuyun had always left him with the impression of being a shy, introverted girl who knew little of the world.


    Seeing her nowposed, unhurried appearance was indeed an impression he rarely had.


    But then he thought, she was after all the legitimatedy of the Nan family, which was a renowned family in Yong City. No matter how inexperienced she was, she couldn''t possibly be aplete rookie.


    Moreover, those secretive yet legendary stories were the kind of real inside news that only these big families could grasp.


    Zhou Ziyi watched Nan Shuyun and listened as she continued:


    "So, people whoe out of the slums generally are avoided by everyone, yet these three sisters, one married into the Yang family, one into the Chu family, and another married into the royal family of country A, bing the now famous Countess."


    "Was there no opposition?" Zhou Ziyi asked.


    "Of course there was. Country A ces great importance on lineage and race. However, there have been instances of Chinese marrying into country A''s royal family. Many former Queens and Princess Consorts in the royal family Yekaterinest were overseas Chinese, including Duke ire''s grandmother and histe wife. But Ruan Peiyu was different; her origin destined her to face many obstacles. It''s heard that when she married Austin ire, who was not yet a count, she faced opposition from the entire nobility of country A.


    But that woman was very capable. She quickly subdued those opposing voices and truly established her foothold in the noble circles of country A. Later, she started her own business, leveraging the power and status of the ire''s premier nobility, founding her own fashion brand, naming it CE after ire and her English name. Since then, CE has be the first choice brand for the elite women, nobledies, and even the royal dukes of country A.


    She also orchestrated her husband''s younger sister to marry the youngest son of the Martin family, hence Josie Martin is the union of the ire and Martin families. Although the Martin family has been somewhat declining in recent years, it''s still one of the Five Great Nobles of country A, with its camel still stronger than a horse. Ruan Peiyu used her financial power and extensive,plex marital ties to support her husband''s sessful elevation to a third-ss count, making him one of the main contenders for the next Duke ire."


    Listening to Nan Shuyun, Zhou Ziyi felt heavy andplex.


    He had heard of Countess ine of country A, but never thought... she was so formidable.


    How much courage and skill must a woman have to reverse her destiny while supporting her husband to the top?


    However...


    Are all the women nowadays this capable? President Su, the eldest miss of the Chu family, Josie Martin, Ruan Peiyu, even Nan Shuyun who always seemed like a good girl has hidden depths.


    When the women are so formidable, it makes the men seem particrly useless.


    The pressure is immense!


    Hearing this, Su Ran raised her eyebrows meaningfully; indeed, Ruan Peiyu''s ambition wasn''t ordinary.


    The Chu family, Yang family, Martin family, and Austin ire, rather than saying they are inws, it''s more urate to say they are mutually supportive.


    Ruan Peiyu helped Ruan Peishan and Ruan Peihong marry into the Chu and Yang families, seemingly out of deep sisterly affection and significant merit, but she herself holds her current status partly due to help from these two families.


    Note, in such a lineage-focused country, in the face of absolute hierarchy and power, sometimes abilities and methods be worthless.


    The Martin family''s decision to ally with Austin''s sister for marriage was also for this reason; they need to quickly escape the current predicament of the Martin family, while Austin simrly needs the Martin family''s mighty albeit fallen support.


    The four familiesplement and support each other, united to elevate a third-ss count, giving Austin a qualification topete for the position of the next first-ss duke.


    Perhaps Ruan Peiyu still has ns for the Fu family. If Chu Xiyao sessfully marries Fu Qiyuan and bes the matriarch of the household, then by that time, Hua Country''s two most powerful top families will be their greatest support.


    And Austin will be the most promising candidate for Duke ire''s sessor, without a doubt.


    Otherwise, given Duke ire''s children and descendants, why should Austin, this nephew, be one of the most powerful contenders for the title?


    Perhaps Ruan Peiyu had this plot from the start, which is why she helped Ruan Peishan marry into the Chu family, attempting to use Chu Xiyao to pin down Fu Qiyuan. From the series of events that urred, she was quite confident that Chu Xiyao could capture Fu Qiyuan''s heart, firm in her belief that the Fu family would be their backing.


    And Old Master Fu, probably also due to Austin''s current power, was vigorously trying to match Fu Qiyuan and Chu Xiyao.


    Unfortunately, man''s ns don''t always go as intended, out of the blue she became the unexpected spoiler, and Chu Xiyao never got close to Fu Qiyuan nor captured his heart. In Chu Xiyao''s mind, she and Fu Qiyuan grew up together, childhood friends, and they were destined to marry each other. They were the most suitable for each other. However, in Fu Qiyuan''s mind, they were merely neighbors with some family ties, this ''neighbor'' was due to the rtionship between the Fu and Chu families.


    Now Fu Qiyuan is married to her, which undoubtedly stabbed a knife into Chu Xiyao''s heart, truncating Ruan Peiyu''s ambitious map in half, especially since Queen has now be CE''s biggestpetitor, steadily overtaking CE.


    Thus, they will definitely not spare her; if anything, they probably even harbor murderous intentions, no wonder Nan Shuyun was worried.


    But don''t worry, because...


    She won''t spare them either!