"Why is she mobilizing troops? She's a woman confined to the inner quarters, she doesn't fight, what's the point of keeping a private army? Is she planning a rebellion?"

"Don't worry about Third Aunt's affairs, and don't worry about Qingpu Courtyard either," Gu Chengyan yawned, feeling increasingly terrified these past few days. "Yingying, do you still have that panacea? Yesterday at court, the Crown Prince asked me for it."

He was forced to take the Panacea pill from the first day of the Lunar New Year, one pill a day, and he couldn't escape it no matter how hard he tried.

He was forced to take the medicine for three or four days. Although he hated the person who gave him the medicine, he actually began to look forward to it.

By the tenth day, he was filled with anticipation.

But the tenth one is gone!

He anxiously awaited the man in black from midnight onwards, but from midnight to dawn, hour after hour passed, and there was no man in black!

He even ran out into the street and wandered around in deserted corners, saying, "Come on, no one can see me now, come and feed me the medicine, I'm waiting with my mouth open."

No, no one came to give him his medicine anymore.

I am so upset and anxious, it's like my heart is being scratched by a hundred claws.

Guan Yingying said, "Why don't you go and fetch all those things from the teahouse yourself? No, how about I go out with you?"

"You don't need to go, I'll go get it."

"Weren't you going to court?"

"The Crown Prince's affairs are important," Gu Chengyan said guiltily.

He had been dismissed from all his official posts and would never have the chance to enter officialdom again, but he didn't want Yingying to know.

He shifted the blame to the Crown Prince, saying he hadn't taken the Panacea for over a day and was getting impatient.

But Guan Yingying wasn't in a hurry.

"I'd like to look around the manor, Chengyan. Would you please show me around?"

“Yingying, things are different inside the manor than outside. If I accompany you for a walk, my mother and grandmother will scold me.”

Why curse?

“Yingying, these are the rules! You’re so smart, there’s no need to upset your elders. If they treat you better, you’ll be much more comfortable at home. I can’t stay home with you all the time.”

"Sigh, more rules. You ancient people are so boring! I'll have Yan Ke and Nian Ke keep me company."

"Let Peony and Poria show you around."

Peony and White Poria are the head maids who serve Gu Chengyan in his daily life; they are very clever.

Seeing that Gu Chengyan liked Guan Yingying, the two maids were very polite and said, "Master, let us show you around."

Because Guan Yingying disliked the title "concubine," the maids and servants in the courtyard felt that calling her "Madam" was inappropriate, and calling her "Miss" was also not acceptable. In the end, they agreed to call her "Master."

Gu Chengyan ordered Ping An to drive him to the teahouse to get the Panacea from Wei Bufan.

The teahouse deed was given to Xie Xiangxiang, and she had someone go to the government office to change the owner, but she hasn't changed the key to the door yet.

Guan Yingying, accompanied by four maids, wandered around the mansion.

It was only after the New Year, and it was still very cold outside. Guan Yingying and Yan Kenian were wearing cotton-padded clothes and shoes, walking along the slightly damp brick road, taking in the sights.

Walking past Lotus Lake and looking at the pond covered in ice and snow, Yan Ke exclaimed excitedly, "Madam, look how beautiful it is! If it were summer and there were lotus flowers here, how beautiful it would be!"

Peony and Poria immediately chimed in: "Yes, in summer, there are lotus flowers and water chestnuts in this lake, and there are even fish at the bottom! In the places where there are no lotus flowers, the water is very clear, and you can swim there."

Guan Yingying wasn't particularly interested in the scenery of the mansion. In her previous life, she had already visited the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the ancient capital of six dynasties.

She was already accustomed to filming locations in Hengdian and Xiangshan, and having seen many ancient courtyards, she underestimated the environment of the Marquis's mansion from the bottom of her heart.

"Take a look around the courtyards."

Actually, she just wanted to go and see Xie Zhaozhao's courtyard.

So what if the two sisters are a former fiancée and a current wife?

The man is mine!!

The group walked slowly, looking at each courtyard one by one. Peony and Bailing introduced each one to her: "This is the Second Master's courtyard, this is the Second Mistress's courtyard, this is Aunt Wang's courtyard..."

In the northwest corner of Fanghua Garden, there is a small courtyard filled with mulberry trees, and outside the courtyard is a vegetable garden.

“Master, this is the mulberry garden,” Peony said cleverly. “This courtyard is also very nice. Look, these mulberry trees will be full of sweet mulberries in early summer.”

Because there were more than a dozen mulberry trees in the yard, it was called Mulberry Garden. It was the yard that Xie Xiangxiang arranged for Guan Yingying.

Guan Yingying felt a strong aversion to this courtyard because it was not only smaller than Fanghua Garden, but also more remote.

She glanced at Bai Ling's expression and said, "You like it very much?"

Bai Ling hurriedly denied it: "This servant would never have such thoughts. This is Master's courtyard."

As they walked and talked, they came across a courtyard in the distance.

High walls and green tiles, with a gate in the wall, forming a courtyard on its own, where no one goes near.

Whose yard is this?

"This is the Qingpu Courtyard where the Grand Secretary and his wife reside."

"They live together?"

"Yes, the Grand Secretary treats the Third Madam exceptionally well; the two of them don't even live in separate courtyards." Peony and Bai Ling were practically green with envy!

Gu Shaoyu, Xie Zhaozhao!

At the entrance of Qingpu Courtyard stands a carved screen wall, making it impossible to see anything inside the courtyard.

She tried to approach, but Bei Chen blocked her way.

Bei Chen was very difficult to recognize; she seemed to see him, but his features were blurry.

"What? Can't I even look? Is this a den of dragons and tigers?" she said bluntly.

Peony and Bai Ling immediately advised, "The Grand Secretary has always disliked being disturbed, Master, let's go quickly."

"Just because he holds a high position and wields great power, does that mean he can monopolize the best resources?"

Bei Chen's icy gaze swept over her. Should he kill this woman?

"Tch, what's with the pretentious act?" she thought angrily, letting out a short "humph" through her nose.

But then a commotion was heard at the door, and someone said, "Madam, be careful."

She turned her head and saw Xie Zhaozhao coming out of the courtyard.

Wearing a phoenix and floral embroidered cotton robe, a feather satin cloak, and a jeweled necklace, she looked both wealthy and youthful.

Especially her maids, Yuan Yuan and Man, were both exceptionally beautiful and dressed in a way that was even more luxurious than that of the daughters of ordinary officials.

Four women in armor followed behind, looking very imposing.

Guan Yingying looked at her, her resentment and contempt were overwhelming, and she was naturally not used to bowing.

Bai Ling and Shao Yao immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Third Madam!"

Yan Ke and Nian Ke followed Bai Ling and Shao Yao's example and bowed to Xie Zhaozhao to greet her.

Only Guan Yingying stared blankly at Xie Zhaozhao.

Xie Zhaozhao looked at her, who was wearing a pink cotton robe, with her hair styled in a lady's bun and adorned with a begonia pearl hairpin.

Nowadays, when women stand, they put their feet together and cross their hands in front of their chests, but Guan Yingying stands like a man, with her feet apart, arms crossed in front of her chest, and staring straight at people.

He looks unruly and acts without any rules.

She looked at Xie Zhaozhao with an arrogant and disdainful expression, and said, "Aren't you tired of putting on such a show every day?"

Yuanyuan immediately retorted angrily, "How dare you! Who taught you to speak to the lady like that?"