Agarwood Pavilion, inner room.
Su Jin sat there gnawing on a fruit.
Xie Jingchen was drinking tea.
Xingxing brought in so pastries and said, "Miss, just now the maids in the yard said that the Old Madam gave Nanny Chen, who was in charge of incense, thirty lashes and handed the embroidery room over to the Third Madam."
Su Jin’s lips curled slightly.
"And then?" she asked.
"And then there was no more," Xingxing replied.
"....."
Su Jin frowned and didn’t speak for a long while.
Xie Jingchen looked at her and said, "Why aren’t you saying anything?"
"Don’t disturb while I reflect on myself," Su Jin replied.
"....."
Could she really reflect on herself?
Has the sun risen from the south?
Xingxing curiously asked, "Miss, you didn’t do anything wrong, what are you reflecting on?"
Su Jin said ruefully, "I’m still too soft-hearted. The Old Madam’s temper and endurance are much better than I thought."
Xie Jingchen, "....."
It turned out she was reflecting on being too soft-hearted, taking action too lightly, and not achieving the desired effect.
Xie Jingchen rubbed his forehead and said, "It’s not that the Old Madam has a good temper, but that she has a good relationship with the Empress Dowager. For her to hand over the embroidery room to the Third Aunt, the Old Madam must really be angry this ti."
Su Jin picked up a pastry and started biting into it, saying, "The Emperor trusts the Old Duke, but the Old Madam has a good relationship with the Empress Dowager. Yet the Old Duke and the Old Madam have been deeply in love all their lives. I’m really curious how the Old Duke and the Old Madam get along."
Xingxing nodded and said, "The Marquis and Madam like the sa people and dislike the sa ones. There’s never been a situation where one likes soone and the other dislikes them."
Outside, a little maid ca in and said, "Eldest Young Madam, Mrs. Wang is here."
Xingxing looked at Su Jin and said, "Why is Mrs. Wang here? Didn’t she no longer have to knead shoulders and backs?"
"Let her in," Su Jin replied.
Just as she finished a piece of pastry, Mrs. Wang ca in.
She passed through the bead curtain, greeting Xie Jingchen and Su Jin.
Su Jin smiled and asked, "Is there sothing Mrs. Wang needs from ?"
Mrs. Wang thanked her and said, "This servant ca to thank the Eldest Young Madam. The dicine Xingxing brought has cured my longstanding ailnt."
"As long as the dicine works," Su Jin smiled.
Mrs. Wang hesitated to speak.
Xingxing said, "Mrs. Wang, if you have sothing to say, just say it."
Mrs. Wang looked at Su Jin and said, "The Old Madam often suffers from insomnia at night, and recently her temper has been irritable, making it even harder for her to sleep. The pills Eldest Young Madam gave worked extrely well. I would like to ask for a few more for the Old Madam to try."
To Su Jin, a few pills were nothing at all.
But the Old Madam aided and abetted wrongdoings, and Su Jin didn’t like her.
However, after spending days with Mrs. Wang, Su Jin had a good impression of her.
If possible, Su Jin hoped to win Mrs. Wang over to her side.
Su Jin instructed Xingxing, "Go get ten pills."
Xingxing went to the backyard to get the dicine.
Su Jin invited Mrs. Wang to sit and chatted, "How many years has Mrs. Wang been serving the Old Madam?"
"Counting it, it’s been thirty-six years," Mrs. Wang said.
"So long?" Su Jin was surprised.
"It doesn’t feel long because the ti has gone by too quickly. When I first followed the Old Madam, she had just been pregnant with the Eldest Master. Now, her grandchildren are almost giving her great-grandchildren," Mrs. Wang laughed.
Laughing was one thing, but Mrs. Wang even glanced at Su Jin’s belly, wishing there were a little child there.
Su Jin, "....."
She was covered in black lines.
She was just chatting a little, and she got urged to have a child.
Outside, Xingxing hurried in with the dicine bottle, panting, "The dicine is here."
Su Jin rubbed her forehead.
This silly girl.
Why rush so much and not give her a chance to probe Mrs. Wang further?
Mrs. Wang got up and accepted the dicine bottle, saying to Su Jin, "The Old Madam is unwell, and I feel more at ease watching over her, so I’ll go back first."
Peony Garden.
Princess Nanzhang sat there with a cold look in her eyes.
A maid ca forward to report, "Commandery Princess, the Third Madam had the second-class manager Mrs. Qian, who is close to her, take over Nanny Chen’s position."
Princess Nanzhang sneered, "She’s really impatient. Does she think that by inserting her trusted person, she can manage the embroidery room forever?"
She wanted to take back the managent rights of the embroidery room, wondering if the Old Madam could stop her!
Xie Jinyu then said, "Mother, didn’t Nanny Chen suspect that the eldest sister-in-law tampered with the Old Madam’s incense?"
"I have the sa suspicion, but without evidence, I can’t do anything," Princess Nanzhang said coldly.
Xie Jinyu frowned slightly, "Can’t we get the evidence?"
Mrs. Zhao sighed, "It’s not easy. The Eldest Young Madam only allows her personal maids to serve in the room, and the backyard is guarded by maids, allowing no one in."
"What’s there in a backyard that can’t be entered? Keeping it so secretive, there must be sothing shady!" Xie Jinyu asserted.
Isn’t it just evidence?
She will definitely get it!
Outside, a maid ran in and said, "Commandery Princess, soone from Duke Chong’s Mansion arrived."
"Please bring them in," Mrs. Zhao quickly said.
The person who entered was the chief steward of Duke Chong’s Mansion.
Whenever he ca, it was usually sothing significant.
Princess Nanzhang felt her heart tighten and asked, "Has sothing happened?"
The steward took a letter from his bosom and said, "A letter from the border was sent; the Duke asked to deliver it specifically to the Commandery Princess."
Mrs. Zhao received the letter and handed it to Princess Nanzhang.
Princess Nanzhang opened the letter and, after just a glance, her face changed dramatically, "How could this be?!"
Mrs. Zhao was puzzled and asked, "Why would the Duke send this letter for the Commandery Princess to see?"
The steward said, "It shouldn’t have been sent to cause the Commandery Princess concern, but this news will only be delivered to the capital tomorrow; the Duke wants the Commandery Princess to make good use of it."
Mrs. Zhao didn’t imdiately grasp what Duke Chong ant by these words.
But Princess Nanzhang already understood and said, "I see."
Princess Nanzhang handed the letter back to the steward.
The steward took his leave.
After the steward left, Mrs. Zhao looked at Princess Nanzhang and saw her face full of worry and urgency. She called, "Commandery Princess?"
Princess Nanzhang signaled her to co closer and whispered a few words.
Mrs. Zhao smiled and said, "This ti, let’s see how she escapes."
"Go ahead," Princess Nanzhang said.
After Mrs. Zhao left, Princess Nanzhang drank half a cup of tea, pressing down her worry.
She put down the tea cup and then stood up.
Xie Jinyu saw this and asked, "Mother, where are you going?"
"To see the Old Madam."
Agarwood Pavilion, at the back door.
Xingxing was waiting there.
A little maid ca over with two baskets of cactuses, and Xingxing’s eyes lit up when she saw them.
The little maid’s mouth twitched.
This was already the twelfth basket of cactuses she had brought for the Eldest Young Madam’s maid.
Was the Eldest Young Madam planning to plant the entire backyard with cactuses?
Xingxing picked up the cactuses eagerly and went to plant them by the wall.
Su Jin was helping Xie Jingchen with acupuncture, holding his arm and sighing.
The Hidden Guard’s heart tensed up, "Eldest Young Madam, what’s wrong with the Young Master Xie?"
Su Jin said ruefully, "Nothing, except I can no longer describe your Young Master Xie as having delicate skin."
The Hidden Guard, "....."
Xie Jingchen, "....."
Su Jin poked a few more tis and said, "Look at how tough this skin is. It’s harder to pierce the silver needle than before. Why don’t you beat up your Young Master Xie and see the effect?"
The Hidden Guard, "....."
Xie Jingchen, "....."
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