After seeing her mother and elder brother, Shen Wan was eager to see her father, Shen Ji.
Unfortunately, wishes were useless. Military affairs kept Shen Ji busy, and he did not return to the mansion until dusk. Shen Wan went to the front courtyard twice but failed to see him, so she had no choice but to give up.
That night, she retired early. Now that she had returned, her life naturally resumed that of a young lady in the inner chambers.
The next day, after breakfast, Shen Wan took Shan Hu to Shou'an Hall to pay respects to the elderly madam.
Before even entering the room, she could hear laughter coming from inside.
The elderly madam sat upright on the luohan bed, her temples slightly gray but meticulously combed, a kind and gentle smile on her face. Anyone who saw her would think she was a benevolent grandmother.
But how could someone who raised the ambitious wolves of the second and fourth branches be truly kind-hearted?
In her previous life, when her elder brother met with misfortune on the battlefield, her father was overwhelmed with grief. Within a few days, he was beheaded by enemy forces, and the military prestige he had built over more than a decade vanished completely. The Dingguo Duke's Mansion was on the verge of collapse. At this critical moment, her second uncle, Shen Gu, was entrusted with the responsibility of taking over her father's position. In less than a month, he avenged her father by capturing the enemy general who had beheaded him.
Shen Gu built his reputation on her father's bones, and his prestige even surpassed that of her father when he was alive. At that time, she was kept in the dark and felt nothing but gratitude toward Shen Gu.
It was only after her death that she learned of the conspiracies and schemes behind it all. Her father's head had been offered to Nanliang by Shen Gu, and capturing the enemy general to boost his reputation was Nanliang's gift in return!
After her father and Jingbei Wang died one after another on the battlefield, Shen Gu almost monopolized military power. He was stubborn, appointed only his own people, and his soldiers grew lax. Otherwise, when Xie Jingyu rebelled, he would not have gained so many supporters, nor would he have marched into the capital in just three years, causing them to fall from the clouds into the mud, doomed forever.
Shen Wan respectfully addressed the elderly madam as "Grandmother," but she was not her biological grandmother—she was the younger sister of the late madam, born of the same mother.
The late madam had died from postpartum hemorrhage while giving birth to Ye Caiwei's mother. Fearing that her grandfather would remarry and that a stepmother would mistreat her two children, she arranged for a younger sister from her maternal family to marry into the household. In the end, the one who married in was the current elderly madam, who had broken off her previous engagement to marry her grandfather.
The elderly madam bore her grandfather two sons and a daughter. While her grandfather was alive, he treated her with great respect. After her father inherited the title, the elderly madam became even more authoritative in the mansion.
The Dingguo Duke's Mansion had four branches. Madam Yun, the second madam, the third madam, and the fourth madam were all present, filling the hall.
"Grandmother."
Shen Wan stepped forward and curtsied obediently.
The elderly madam smiled warmly, though her expression faded slightly when her gaze fell on Shen Wan's face, still maintaining a gentle demeanor.
First, she asked how Shen Wan had slept the previous night, then said, "Since Bao Cui was publicly rescued by Prince Cheng, it's understandable that you have reservations and no longer dare to treat her as an ordinary maid. Sending her to the estate for a comfortable retirement is not unreasonable. With one less senior maid by your side, I'll have Bi Po take care of you from now on."
Bi Po was a second-tier maid serving the elderly madam.
In her previous life, after Shan Hu drowned, the elderly madam had also bestowed Bi Po upon her.
Even with Bao Cui by her side, they still insisted on sending Bi Po to her. Now that Bao Cui had been dismissed, they wanted only their own people around her, making it easier to tightly control her every word and action.
Shen Wu feigned jealousy, saying, "Grandmother truly dotes on Second Sister the most. As soon as she loses a maid, you immediately send a replacement, afraid she won't be taken care of properly."
Shen Wan had been waiting for these very words. She stepped forward and sat down close to the old madam, coquettishly saying, "I know Grandmother loves me the most, but could you love me just a little more? I don’t want Bi Po—her temperament is too similar to Shan Hu’s. I prefer Hong Xiu. Could you bear to part with her and give her to me?"
Hong Xiu was the head maid serving the old madam.
When an elder bestows something, one cannot refuse. Since the old madam insisted on assigning a maid to her, Shen Wan could not decline, but she could at least choose one she wanted. Of course, her choice was not made lightly.
In her previous life, Hong Xiu, the old madam’s head maid, had been secretly executed not long after. Shen Wan had heard a rumor—whether true or not, she wasn’t sure—and by bringing the maid to her side, she could uncover the hidden truth.
Madam Yun gently scolded, "Hong Xiu is someone the old madam is accustomed to. How can she be given to you? Mother will give you Dong Mei instead."
Upon hearing this, the old madam said, "It’s rare for her to like Hong Xiu so much. How could I, as her grandmother, be unwilling to part with a mere maid?"
"Thank you, Grandmother."
Shen Wan looked affectionate, then turned to Shen Wu and Ye Caiwei. "Thanks to the Taoist priest who helped me avert disaster yesterday, I didn’t properly thank him. I plan to go to Huguo Temple again today. Will you come with me?"
Huguo Temple was located outside the city, far and difficult to reach. Having just been there yesterday, neither Shen Wu nor Ye Caiwei wanted to go again.
Shen Wu said, "I need to practice the qin, so I won’t accompany you."
Ye Caiwei said, "I also need to practice dancing."
With neither of them willing to go, Shen Wan glanced at Shen Yin from the third branch and Shen Yao from the fourth branch, but no one agreed to accompany her.
These people usually revolved around Shen Wu, only clinging to Shen Wan when it came to spending money.
Madam Yun said, "If it’s just to express gratitude, you can send a steward. There’s no need for you to go personally."
Although Shen Wan had not encountered any mishap the day before, Madam Yun still felt a lingering fear and dared not let Shen Wan go to Huguo Temple alone.
But Shen Wan insisted on going personally. "If you’re worried, Mother, you can accompany me."
"Alright, I’ll go with you."
However, in the end, Shen Wan set out alone. As she was leaving the mansion, Madam of Duke Zheng arrived.
She had come so quickly. Shen Wan wasn’t sure if it was to return the betrothal card and call off the marriage.
With Madam Yun occupied entertaining Madam of Duke Zheng and unable to spare the time, and Shen Wan unwilling to postpone her trip to Huguo Temple, she had no choice but to go alone.
As soon as the carriage left Dingguo Duke’s Mansion, Shen Wan instructed the coachman:
"To the Yun Family."