Xingchen Courtyard.
Shen Nanxing was already lying on his stomach on the bed, having applied medicine to his wounds. Su Yunyan sat beside him, her eyes filled with worry.
"Brother, it must hurt terribly, doesn’t it? It’s all my fault—I’ve caused you to suffer such a severe punishment."
As she spoke, Su Yunyan wiped away tears, her tearful eyes brimming with heartache and self-blame.
Shen Nanxing forced a faint smile to comfort her.
"Yunyan, don’t cry. I’m fine. As long as you and the child are safe, what does it matter if I suffer a little?"
Lady Shen, seated nearby, spoke up.
"What does it matter? Xing’er, do you realize your injuries will take half a month to heal? Haven’t I always warned you both to be careful? Why has this matter now become known to everyone? With such an incident, how will the Shen Family maintain its standing in the imperial capital from now on?"
Hearing this, a flash of resentment crossed Shen Nanxing’s eyes.
"Mother, this is all Jiang Jinshu’s fault. She clearly has Princess Chang’s protection. If she had just taken responsibility for the incident of the heir apparent falling into the water, the Yongning Marquisate, out of respect for Princess Chang, would have let the matter pass lightly. But she refused to listen and even allowed the marquisate’s heir apparent to accuse Yunyan."
Su Yunyan dabbed her tears with a handkerchief and said:
"Mother, I’m the one who has implicated Brother in this matter. But at the time, the young heir of the marquisate bumped into my stomach. I was worried about the Shen Family’s heir, so in my panic, I pushed him away."
"Originally, Sister and I were wearing similar clothes today. If Sister had just helped with this, everything could have been settled. Who would have thought Sister would suddenly seem like a different person, completely disregarding Brother’s dignity and the Shen Family’s reputation?"
Upon hearing this, Lady Shen furrowed her brows, her gaze shifting between Shen Nanxing and Su Yunyan.
"You both know she has Princess Chang’s protection behind her. Judging by her attitude today, Xing’er, she must be extremely angry. When she comes to see you, be more polite and coax her a little, so that Princess Chang doesn’t hold any more grudges against the Shen Family."
Su Yunyan naturally resented the idea of Shen Nanxing coaxing Jiang Jinshu. Clutching her handkerchief, she said:
"Mother, today Sister repeatedly pushed Brother and me into the spotlight. Could it be that she did it intentionally to mock the Shen Family, to ruin our reputation?"
Shen Nanxing also added:
"Mother, Jiang Jinshu’s attitude today was completely different from before. She never dared to speak to us like that in the past."
Lady Shen fell into thought upon hearing this. Recalling how Jiang Jinshu had dared to talk back to her at the mansion’s entrance earlier that day, and how she hadn’t even bothered to step out of the carriage despite Shen Nanxing’s severe injuries, she frowned and said:
"Perhaps she’s jealous after learning about Yunyan’s pregnancy. But as the Shen Family’s daughter-in-law, she should prioritize the family’s reputation. How can she throw a tantrum out of jealousy and disregard the bigger picture? Tomorrow, when she comes to pay her respects, I’ll teach her some proper manners."
A night passed.
To assert her authority as a mother-in-law, Lady Shen dressed in lavish attire early in the morning and waited in the main hall of Chang’an Courtyard for Jiang Jinshu to come and attend to her.
"When she arrives later, tell her I stayed up too late last night worrying about Xing’er’s injuries and haven’t gotten up yet. As the young mistress of the Shen Family, she failed to take good care of her own husband. Let her kneel in the courtyard for an hour to reflect on her actions."
Nanny Qiu listened and replied.
"Madam, isn't an hour too long? After all, the young mistress is probably still upset about the matter between the young master and Miss Yunyan!"
Lady Shen calmly picked up her tea and took a sip.
"What is there to fear? Even if she's angry with Xing'er, would she dare defy me, her mother-in-law? Defiance is a grave offense."
"Besides, she's just an orphan girl with no parents. At most, she dares to give Xing'er a cold shoulder, then hides in her room to cry for a while. In the end, she'll still have to fulfill her duties as the young mistress of the Shen Family, taking care of Xing'er and the household."
However, as time passed minute by minute, sunlight gradually filled the entire courtyard, yet Jiang Jinshu remained nowhere in sight.
The smile on Lady Shen's face slowly faded, and her brows furrowed tighter. Nanny Feng, standing beside her, noticed this and softly reminded her.
"Madam, perhaps this servant should go to the Starry Courtyard to see if the young mistress has risen?"
Lady Shen waved her hand dismissively, her tone tinged with displeasure.
"No need. If she has any sense of propriety, she will come on her own. If she doesn't show up today, it will be a good opportunity for me to establish some discipline."
Yet, even as the sun climbed high in the sky, Jiang Jinshu still did not appear. Lady Shen could no longer contain her anger. She stood up, ready to go to the Starry Courtyard herself to demand an explanation.
"That little wretch truly knows no bounds. How dare she show such disrespect to her mother-in-law!"
Suddenly, a figure walked in.
"Mother, what has made you so furious?"
Lady Shen looked up and saw that her daughter, Shen Nanyue, had returned. She immediately spoke with resentment.
"It's all because of Jiang Jinshu. She's becoming more and more outrageous. Now she won't even come to pay her respects."
Shen Nanyue hurriedly supported Lady Shen.
"What? She dares not come to pay her respects to you? She truly has no sense of propriety left. She really is a little wretch raised without a mother's guidance—so ill-mannered. Only our Shen Family would tolerate her. Mother, let Xing'er give her the cold shoulder for a while. She'll soon realize her mistake."
Lady Shen nodded in agreement.
"You're right. Let Xing'er ignore her for a while. She cares so much about him that she'll eventually come crawling back to apologize."
"Today, I originally thought that since she lacks a mother's guidance, I, as her mother-in-law, should properly teach her some manners. I never expected her to be so rude now."
Shen Nanyue added fuel to the fire.
"Mother, you are too kind-hearted, which is why she acts so arrogantly. In my opinion, she should be severely punished to make her understand that if she wants to survive in the Shen Family, she must please every one of us."
Then she helped Lady Shen sit down.
She turned to the maid Bin'er beside her and said.
"Go to the young mistress's courtyard and tell her that Mother is feeling unwell, so she should come to attend to her."
Then she addressed Lady Shen.
"Mother, you are her mother-in-law. How can you go to her courtyard to see her? Naturally, she should come to you. When she arrives, I will teach her a proper lesson on your behalf and help you vent your anger."
Lady Shen listened, took the tea handed by Nanny Qiu, and took a small sip.
"You're right. Today, that little wretch has made me so angry I've lost my senses."
Shen Nanyue then remembered the main reason she had returned to her maiden home.
"Mother, what is going on between Xing'er and Yunyan? Why is everyone outside now gossiping about the Shen siblings… Mother, I was scolded by my mother-in-law first thing this morning. The Shen Family's reputation has plummeted, and I can hardly show my face in my husband's family anymore."
Lady Shen's face flushed with anger upon hearing this.
"It's all Jiang Jinshu's fault. As the young mistress of the Shen Family, she doesn't know how to consider the bigger picture. I already questioned Xing'er yesterday…"
She then recounted the events of the previous day.
Shen Nanyue listened, growing increasingly furious.
"She truly is becoming more and more petty and unfit for proper society. Even if Yunyan is carrying Xing'er's child, for the sake of the Shen Family's lineage, she should have stepped forward to cover this up. Not only did she make it known to everyone, but she also caused Xing'er to be beaten with the board."
As she spoke, she stood up.
"No, Mother, I can't hold back any longer. I must go and teach her a proper lesson. All she does is cause trouble for our Shen Family."
Just as she was about to leave, she saw Bin'er returning.
Shen Nanyue quickly asked, "Where is Jiang Jinshu? Why hasn't she come?"
Seeing Shen Nanyue's furious expression, Bin'er replied, "Miss, please calm down first. The young maid in the young mistress's courtyard said that the young mistress left early in the morning."