In the evening, the Moon-Lanyue Pavilion in the Marquis' Mansion was shrouded in the afterglow of the setting sun, appearing peaceful and warm.

Jiang Shuxiu took off her going-out dress, and her maid Lai Xi skillfully changed her into a small apricot-yellow satin jacket. The delicate and soft wool material gleamed in the sunlight.

Under the small jacket, the emerald green gauze skirt with scattered flowers is light and flowing, just like a willow branch in early spring.

"Is the prince not back from the polo club yet?" Jiang Shuxiu asked Lai Xi with a hint of anticipation in his tone.

"The prince sent someone back to the palace this afternoon to tell him that he and the son-in-law of the loyal and brave general and the son of the Marquis of Jingxiang were staying in a villa outside the city for two days."

Lai Xi replied while tidying up the clothes that Jiang Shuxiu had changed out of.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuxiu could only nod helplessly, feeling a sense of inexplicable loss in her heart.

She was about to ask the maid Bingqiao to go to the kitchen to tell them to prepare dinner, but she saw Hanqiao, the maid beside the old lady Hong Yingrong, come in and bow to her respectfully.

"Young Madam, I hope you are doing well. The old lady asked me to ask you, if the meal has not been set yet, please go to Banluo Hall to have dinner with the old lady." Hanqiao's voice was crisp and pleasant, conveying the old lady's invitation.

Jiang Shuxiu was slightly startled, then she straightened her messy hair in front of the bronze mirror and smiled gently, "Fifth sister, are you coming over to eat with us?"

"The Fifth Miss is staying at Fanghua Garden for dinner today and won't be going over," Hanqiao replied. "A new maid has arrived in her courtyard today. The Fifth Miss is very fond of her and is currently chatting with her privately."

After hearing this, Jiang Shuxiu exclaimed "Oh" in surprise. There had been no new people in the mansion recently, and the sudden appearance of this little maid made her feel a little curious.

However, she did not ask in detail, but just asked Lai Xi to send a few bags of candied fruits bought from Liuxinzhai to Fanghuayuan, and told Ruier to bring the Yanjin crabapple fruits bought for the old lady, and then went to Banluotang to have dinner with the old lady.

Hong Yingrong is now old and her eating habits tend to be lighter. She is no longer interested in greasy food.

Jiang Shuxiu was having dinner with her, so she specially added a few fresh spring dishes.

Qingyuan tofu, five-treasure fresh vegetables, water chestnut orchid, cherry meat yam, crystal clear crystal shrimp, delicate silver sprout chicken shreds, and refreshing chrysanthemum brain soup. The dessert is soft and delicate almond tofu.

Jiang Shuxiu looked at these dishes, which were all her favorites. In fact, her taste was similar to Hong Yingrong's, but Xue Yuanchu liked to eat meat, so the food in Lanyue Pavilion was mainly to cater to Xue Yuanchu's taste.

She asked Rui'er to hand the Yanjin crabapple fruit that Hong Yingrong had specially asked her to buy to Zhao Ma.

Hong Yingrong said with a smile: "It is very pleasant to eat one of these fruits in my spare time."

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were talking and laughing at the dining table, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

Hong Yingrong was talking about some interesting things happening in the West Market, and then casually asked, "Did you find any porcelain you liked at Zhenbaozhai?"

Jiang Shuxiu smiled slightly and said softly, "The shop wasn't open when I went there. I don't know why. Mother Zhou asked the owner of the neighboring shop and learned that Zhenbaozhai had been closed for two days."

Hong Yingrong pondered for a moment after hearing this. She remembered that Zhao Bai had seen that young servant working odd jobs in the store a few days ago. How come the store closed down in just a few days?

Jiang Shuxiu didn't notice her mother-in-law's deep thoughts, but asked curiously, "I heard that Fifth Sister has a new maid, and they get along very well. Was that maid transferred from another courtyard in our mansion?"

While serving food to Hong Yingrong, Nanny Zhao briefly recounted how Zhou Jin and Xiaohe, mother and daughter, had come to the Marquis' Mansion to seek help today.

After hearing this, Jiang Shuxiu frowned slightly, obviously surprised by what happened on the marquis's farm.

"I've only heard of such cases of unscrupulous wealth in other mansions in the capital, but it ultimately stems from the master's lax management. If someone dies as a result, it will certainly damage the reputation of the mansion."

Hong Yingrong nodded in agreement. "That's right. Now that your father-in-law is gone, and Yuanchu hasn't officially inherited the title of Marquis, you naturally have to be careful about everything you do, so as not to give others something to talk about."

After dinner, Hong Yingrong and Jiang Shuxiu leisurely sipped tea in the tea room. Hong Yingrong held a Yanjin crabapple in her mouth, and the unique salty and sweet taste left her with an endless aftertaste.

The topic gradually turned to the matter that Hong Yingrong was most concerned about today. "When Zhou Jin left, she mentioned that someone in the village had reportedly made a windfall of three thousand taels of silver..."

"Three thousand taels?" Jiang Shuxiu was shocked. She had personally checked all the accounts for the spring of this year. If someone had tampered with such a huge amount of money, there would definitely be traces in the accounts, which would definitely not escape her eyes.

She had been in charge of household affairs in the mansion for many years, and Jiang Shuxiu knew the deep meaning of her mother-in-law's question. She was doubting the authenticity of the matter, or suspected that she was the one who was interfering.

Jiang Shuxiu immediately stood up from her chair and knelt in front of Hong Yingrong.

"Mother, I've checked the accounts several times this year, and all the cash and banknotes are securely locked in the vault. If you have any questions, you can always send someone to check."

"Child, you misunderstood." Hong Yingrong quickly stepped forward to help Jiang Shuxiu up, and Nanny Zhao also hurried over to help.

"Young Madam, you misunderstood what the old lady meant. It was precisely because the old lady felt that this matter was suspicious, and the accounts were exactly the same, with the income only more or less, that she was unable to distinguish the truth from the falsehood."

Jiang Shuxiu sat back in her chair with the help of Nanny Zhao. She pondered for a moment and finally shook her head helplessly.

"My daughter-in-law is completely baffled. If someone could have concealed such a large sum of money from the estate... then there must have been years of accumulated accounting irregularities, collusion between superiors and subordinates, and perhaps even involvement from the master's family..."

Having said this, Jiang Shuxiu's voice involuntarily became lower.

She was suddenly startled and realized that if there was really someone who could hide the truth in the entire Marquis' Mansion quietly, then this person was most likely her husband Xue Yuanchu.

Hong Yingrong noticed the hesitation and uneasiness in Jiang Shuxiu's heart, so she gently patted the back of her hand to comfort her.

"Xue Zhong is responsible for escorting Zhou Jin back to the farm today. I have instructed him to thoroughly investigate the situation there. Let's wait patiently for his news."

After Hong Yingrong finished speaking, she asked Jiang Shuxiu to go back to Lanyue Pavilion and have a good rest.

Jiang Shuxiu was just about to bow and leave when she saw a maid from the outer courtyard hurried in and reported that the steward Xue Zhong had returned.

Jiang Shuxiu was also curious about the situation at the farm, so she turned around and stood quietly beside Hong Yingrong.

Xue Zhong rushed into the yard with an anxious look on his face. His robe was covered in dust and even had a few obvious stains, as if he had been in a fight with someone.

"Madam, be well!" He saluted breathlessly. "Madam, this is an emergency. We need to immediately dispatch guards from the Marquis' Mansion to guard the two estates to the west and south of the city."

"There's a big mess on our farm!"