Dingguo Duke's Mansion remained exactly as she remembered it.
Solemn and restrained, yet exuding authority from every corner.
Not like the flamboyant, opulent yet lacking in dignity and solemnity that the second branch had transformed it into after their renovations.
In her previous life, after her eldest brother and father met with misfortune one after another, the title was inherited by the second branch. Once they took over the dukedom, they boldly and extensively renovated the mansion. Before Madam Yun passed away, Shen Wan returned to the mansion to see her one last time. By then, the mansion had already changed drastically, and she never returned again.
Walking past Qingyi Yuan, a cold glint flashed in Shen Wan's eyes.
This was originally the courtyard where she lived. After her second uncle brought Ye Caiwei back to the mansion, Ye Caiwei, afraid of loneliness, insisted on living with her.
They lived together for a year and a half, sharing meals and rooms as cousins, confiding in each other about everything. But as her elder sister got married, it suddenly became inconvenient, and they needed to live separately.
They used her uncle's life-saving favor towards her father to pressure her into giving up Qingyi Yuan. Though unwilling in her heart, she still moved to her elder sister's Mingyue Yuan. Over the years, most of the fine things given by the duke's mansion and sent by the Yun Family were left behind in Qingyi Yuan. Whenever she wanted to retrieve them, they would say, "Her father is already gone, why must you fight with Ye Caiwei over such worldly possessions?"
Clearly, they coveted her belongings, yet they turned the tables, accusing her of being intolerant of Ye Caiwei, an orphan.
She would reclaim everything that belonged to her, not a single item missing!
She would put Ye Caiwei back in her rightful place!
Qingyi Yuan was ideally located, convenient whether going to the front courtyard, paying respects to her parents, or visiting the matriarch. Mingyue Yuan, on the other hand, was more remote, requiring an extra half-cup of tea's worth of walking.
Inside Mingyue Yuan, several maids were whispering among themselves, discussing Shen Wan's decision to send Bao Cui to the estate for a comfortable retirement.
They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice Shen Wan's return. One of the maids spoke up in defense of Bao Cui, "Isn't it only those who make mistakes who get sent to the estate? Sister Bao Cui helped the young lady avoid a bloody disaster, so why was she sent away too? Doesn't the young lady worry that people at the estate might bully Sister Bao Cui?"
Shen Wan walked over. "It seems I overlooked that. You can go and serve Bao Cui."
Her sudden voice startled the huddled maids, and they quickly knelt.
That maid turned deathly pale, repeatedly apologizing, "This servant spoke out of turn. Please calm your anger, young lady."
"Send her to the estate."
With those words, Shen Wan strode straight into the room.
This maid was named Zi Yuan, currently only a second-class maid. In her previous life, two months later, when Bao Cui was beaten to death with sticks for carrying an illegitimate child, she had promoted Zi Yuan to head maid.
When the Kang Wangfu's dowager celebrated her birthday, Shen Wan had taken Zi Yuan with her. When she was poisoned and lost her senses, Zi Yuan had helped her find Xiao Yun.
She had no memory of what happened that day, but before she fainted, she had indeed seen Xiao Yun walking toward her from afar. Afterward, Shen Wu and Ye Caiwei deceived her, saying Xiao Yun had saved her. Zi Yuan also claimed the same, so she had no reason to doubt it.
She would no longer keep these disloyal maids by her side, planting hidden dangers for herself.
Inside the room, Shan Hu, Shen Wan's other head maid, was dusting the antique shelf. Shan Hu was diligent and spoke little. It was because she spoke too much once that she lost her life.
In her previous life, when Xiao Yun was injured saving her, her parents disagreed with her marrying him. Bao Cui encouraged her to sneak out to Cheng Wangfu for a secret meeting with Xiao Yun. Shan Hu advised her not to go, warning that the Duke and Madam would be displeased if they found out. The advice worked, and she didn't dare to go.
Shan Hu died that very evening, drowning in the lotus pond.
Shan Hu poured tea for Shen Wan. "Young lady, have a sip of tea to soothe your throat."
Shen Wan sat down and casually asked, "I remember you mentioned having a fellow villager in the mansion. What's her name?"
She had only mentioned this to the young lady once, never expecting her to remember. Shan Hu hurriedly replied, "Her name is Yin Chuan. She tends to the flowers and plants in the garden."
"Bring her to see me."
After enjoying a comfortable hot bath and finishing her grooming, Yin Chuan was ushered in.
Uncertain why Shen Wan had summoned her, the young maid was somewhat trembling with nervousness.
Naturally, Shen Wan hadn't remembered this maid just because of Shan Hu's mention. In her previous life, after Shan Hu drowned, Yin Chuan was caught by her mother burning paper offerings at the spot where Shan Hu died.
Only then did she learn that Yin Chuan and Shan Hu were fellow villagers who had entered the mansion together. Yin Chuan had once lent Shan Hu a tael of silver, and with Shan Hu gone, there was no chance to repay it. So, Yin Chuan bought paper money and secretly burned it at night for Shan Hu, hoping she would have some financial ease in the afterlife.
Madam Yun thought Yin Chuan was a loyal and righteous maid and promoted her to serve in her own courtyard. By the time Madam Yun passed away, Yin Chuan had already become her first-class senior maid. Later, for reasons unknown, Yin Chuan took her own life by piercing her throat with a silver hairpin.
The current Yin Chuan was still very young, but with proper training, she would excel at managing accounts.
Shen Wan asked, "Would you be willing to serve me from now on?"
Yin Chuan was taken aback at first, then nodded repeatedly. "This servant is willing."
When Shan Hu had mentioned Yin Chuan before, she had also hoped to arrange for her fellow villager to come to Mingyue Yuan so they could look out for each other. However, Shan Hu hadn't dared to say it outright, and Shen Wan hadn't thought of it either, so the matter had been left unresolved.
Shen Wan didn't dare to easily trust the people in this courtyard, but she felt reassured by those who had passed her mother's scrutiny.
Shen Wan said, "Go back and pack your things, then move in to live with Shan Hu."
Yin Chuan nodded eagerly.
Outside the beaded curtain, a young maid entered and announced, "Young Lady, the Shizi has arrived."
Shen Wan hurried out to greet him and saw her elder brother, Shen Li, walking over majestically under the sunlight.
A pang of sorrow struck Shen Wan, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
Seeing this, Shen Li asked, "Why are you crying?"
"Who's crying? I just got sand in my eyes from the wind."
But there was no wind.
Shen Li found it very strange. "Does little sister have some urgent matter to discuss with your elder brother?"
Shen Wan wiped away her tears and pulled Shen Li aside. After making sure no one was around, she said, "Elder Brother, I don't want to marry the Zhengguo Gong Shizi. Help me ruin this marriage arrangement."
Ruining it would be easy, and he also had a more suitable candidate in mind for his sister's husband, but he didn't dare. "Father and Mother have both agreed…"
Shen Wan replied, "If Elder Brother won't help me, I'll tell Father and Mother that you have a beloved."
Shen Li's face flushed red. "Don't… don't talk nonsense. How could your elder brother have a beloved?"
If he had no beloved, why was his face red and his speech stammering?
As his younger sister, how could she not know her own elder brother?
Shen Wan said, "If you have no beloved, then why did you secretly hide someone's portrait, and even leave the face unpainted?"
Shen Li, "…"
No way.
How did his sister know about this?
Now it was Shen Li who was afraid of being overheard.
Shen Wan pressed, "So, will Elder Brother help me or not?"
"I'll help, I'll help."
He looked like someone who had been caught by the throat and dared not refuse.
Shen Wan felt like laughing, but even more like crying.
In her previous life, her elder brother had not married the girl he loved. With their father holding military power and the Yun Family's wealth rivaling that of the nation, not only were her and her elder sister's marriages schemed against, but her elder brother had also been unable to escape the same fate.
The eldest brother was forced to marry his wife, and the two of them maintained a facade of harmony while being estranged at heart. The wife discovered a portrait with no face from a hidden compartment in the eldest brother's study and pressed him about who it depicted. Only then did they learn that the eldest brother had a girl he loved in his heart, but no matter how they pressured him, he refused to say who it was.
Shen Wan asked, "Since Eldest Brother likes her, why didn't he propose to her family?"
Shen Li's eyes dimmed for a moment before he smiled and tapped Shen Wan's head. "I rushed over in a hurry because I heard you had something urgent to discuss, and now you're threatening me instead."
Shen Li awkwardly changed the subject, and Shen Wan didn't press further.
She would find out eventually.
If Eldest Brother had hidden the portrait for so many years, he must have loved her deeply. In this lifetime, she would not let him be schemed against and live with regret for the rest of his life.