Shen Wan put down her teacup and said expressionlessly, "There's no need to send someone to look for me. My elder brother promised me he would return to the capital within three months."

Shen Ying said, "It's not safe for my elder brother to be all alone out there. If something were to happen to him, wouldn't my second branch of the family feel guilty for the rest of our lives?"

Is that possible?

She probably doesn't even believe that herself.

Shen Wan didn't reply. Shen Ying looked at her and said, "A few days ago, the Emperor bestowed many things upon my eldest sister, including a scar-removing ointment. My third aunt's face was scratched, and the doctor said it might leave a scar. My grandmother knew that my eldest sister had the ointment, so she asked me to ask my eldest sister to get a box to take back to my third aunt."

Take one box from her and give it to the third wife...

Shen Wan laughed when she heard this. Those who didn't know better would think that the old lady had left it with her for safekeeping and that she could take it whenever she wanted.

The second and third wives conspired against her. She had finally managed to sow discord between them and cause them to fall out. Now they wanted to use her ointment to ease their tensions and then continue to work together against the eldest son's family. Was the old lady dreaming in broad daylight?!

A maid brought over some pastries, and Shen Wan said, "These pastries were made by the imperial chef. They taste quite good. Second sister, please try some."

*Smack*

Another slap.

Shen Ying was so angry that she gritted her teeth.

Standing beside Shen Wan, Yin Shuang felt for the first time that her princess was really something else. Her second aunt had tried to cook like the princess, which made her and Prince Jin sick, but she didn't get to be a royal chef like the princess. Not only did she suffer for nothing, but she also became a laughing stock in the capital. The princess even made her taste the pastries made by the royal chef. This was really infuriating for her second aunt.

Having been repeatedly humiliated, Shen Ying barely managed to suppress her anger. She tried her best to maintain a smile on her face and repeated in a louder voice, "Grandmother asked me to get the ointment from you."

Shen Wan looked displeased. "Just because Grandmother told you to come and get it, does that mean I have to give it to you?"

Shen Ying frowned and said, "You dare disobey your grandmother?"

Shen Wan laughed. As a married daughter, her father could no longer interfere with her, so how could the old lady be allowed to boss her around? "If Second Aunt and Third Aunt had listened to Grandmother, things wouldn't have escalated to the point of a fight and scratching faces."

Shen Ying looked at Shen Wan and said, "So you're not going to give it to me?"

"I can't give it to you."

The voice was firm and unequivocal, leaving no room for negotiation.

Even if she did have some scar-removing ointment, she wouldn't give it to me.

She doesn't owe them anything.

The Emperor bestowed something upon her, and first Empress Song summoned her to the palace, openly and secretly trying to get her to give it to Princess Shouchun. Now Shen Ying is eyeing her ointment. They never think of her when there are good things to do, but they never stop taking advantage of her.

Seeing Shen Wan's unmoved expression, Shen Ying gritted her teeth and said, "Your third aunt loves you so much, yet you can't even spare a little ointment and just watch her get disfigured."

These words disgusted Shen Wan. She sneered, "I have a bad memory. Second sister, tell me in detail how Third Aunt has always doted on me?"

Shen Ying said this to put pressure on Shen Wan and morally blackmail her, but she didn't expect Shen Wan to hold onto it so firmly. When asked how the Third Madam had always treated her, Shen Ying couldn't remember for a moment.

Seeing that Shen Wan really didn't know how to apply the ointment, Shen Ying was too lazy to argue with her anymore. She stood up and said, "If you refuse to apply the ointment, I will tell Grandmother the truth."

After saying that, Shen Ying left with her head held high.

Seeing that made Yinshuang furious, she thought, "It's a good thing the Princess gave the ointment to Miss Biao, otherwise they would have really gotten it for free."

She would rather throw it away than give it to them.

But Shen Wan knew that it was no use getting rid of Shen Ying; the old lady would still come looking for her.

Just as Shen Wan had expected, less than half an hour after Shen Ying left, the Pingyang Marquis's residence sent someone to tell her that the old lady wanted her to go back.

When the maidservant informed Shen Wan, Shen Wan was just about to have lunch with Xie Jingyan. Yin Shuang said, "The old lady must be looking for the Princess Consort for the ointment. I sent someone back to say that the Princess Consort is too busy to go back today?"

Shen Wan said, "I'll go back after lunch."

Yinshuang looked at Shenwan with a puzzled expression.

Xie Jingyan said, "If you don't want to go back, you don't have to force yourself."

She didn't want to force herself, but the person looking for her was the old lady. Shen Ying had just met her. She wasn't sick or in pain. Even if she could find an excuse not to go back today, she would still have to go back tomorrow or the day after. Why do something that would give people something to talk about? Anyway, she had no more ointment, so looking for her was useless.

Furthermore—

Shen Wan smiled and said, "I have something to do and need to go back."