In the early morning, sunlight filters through layers of leaves, casting dappled gold across the window.

Shen Wan woke up from her deep sleep and sat on the bed, stretching.

Yinshuang and Haitang brought in a copper basin to help Shenwan get up. The two maids pushed each other.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wan asked, "Is there anything you wish to report, or are you afraid to speak?"

Yinshuang said, "This morning, a servant from the Marquis's residence brought news that the old lady was furious when she learned that the eldest son and the prince had helped her husband get into trouble. She demanded that the princess return to the manor. Fearing that the princess would not return, she asked Princess Huai'an to send someone to invite the princess back. Princess Huai'an refused, saying that the princess did not know about matters of the court and that if anyone should be asked, it should be the prince. The old lady could not bear Princess Huai'an's disobedience and became ill from anger..."

Shen Wan's good mood vanished instantly.

She had guessed that the old lady would cause her trouble, but she never expected that the first one to suffer this undeserved disaster would be the Princess of Huai'an.

Would the old lady get sick from anger?

Don't pretend to be sick again!

These days, the old lady and the second branch of the family have been behaving themselves. Shen Wan thought that reflecting on her actions in the Buddhist hall for so many days had been very effective. But she was wrong.

Having moved back to Qinghui Courtyard, the old lady has probably forgotten what it felt like to reflect in the Buddhist hall.

Shen Wan threw off the covers and got out of bed, saying, "Have someone prepare a carriage. We'll return to the Marquis's residence after dinner."

Yinshuang asked, "What is the Princess going back for?"

Neither Silver Frost nor Begonia agreed.

Those people are so infuriating! The princess is pregnant and can't stand being treated like that.

Shen Wan didn't want to go back either, but if she didn't, it would put Princess Huai'an in a difficult position. Didn't the old lady insist on seeing her? She would show the old lady what it meant to invite a god in but send him away.

Shen Wan insisted on going back, and the two maids couldn't persuade her otherwise, so they could only place their hopes on Xie Jingyan.

Xie Jingyan knew that Shen Wan was determined to go back, and he couldn't stop her. He said, "I'll go back with you."

Shen Wan refused, saying, "I don't need you to come with me. I can go back by myself."

Xie Jingyan is busy now, so how can she ask him to accompany her every time she goes out? It's better not to trouble him with things she can handle herself.

Shen Wan insisted on not letting Xie Jingyan accompany her, and Xie Jingyan couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he could only arrange for more guards to follow her to ensure that Shen Wan was not in danger.

After breakfast, Shen Wan took Yinshuang and Haitang out of Moyuxuan. When they arrived at the main gate of the Prince's Mansion, the servant was already waiting there with a carriage.

After Shen Wan and her maid got into the carriage, the servant drove the carriage straight to the Pingyang Marquis's residence.

Shen Wan leaned against the carriage, closing her eyes to rest, while Yin Shuang and Hai Tang lifted the carriage curtain to look outside.

As the carriage entered the alley where the Marquis of Pingyang's residence was located, Yinshuang suddenly exclaimed, "Your Highness, it seems our Marquis's residence is on fire!"

Shen Wan opened her eyes, and Yin Shuang lifted the carriage curtain high, revealing thick smoke billowing above the Prince's Mansion.

That direction...

It was not just a marquis's residence, but also resembled a Buddhist temple.

Shen Wan's face darkened.

Upon arriving at the Marquis's residence and inquiring, it was indeed discovered that the Buddhist hall had caught fire.

Shen Wan's anger surged to the top of her head.

The old lady knew that if she pretended to be sick, her father would send her back to the Buddhist hall to "rest quietly." To prevent this possibility, she simply burned down the Buddhist hall.

She still chants sutras and recites Buddhist prayers every day, and even burns down the Buddhist hall whenever she wants. She has no reverence for Buddha and Bodhisattvas whatsoever. Shen Wan has no idea what the old lady is pretending to do with the string of Buddhist beads for more than ten years. Maybe she did something wrong and is using the Buddhist beads to protect herself.

When the servants of the Marquis's mansion saw Shen Wan return, their lips twitched.

The Crown Prince's wife refused to listen to the old lady and call the Princess back. The old lady was so angry that she fell ill. In the end, the Princess returned on her own without the Princess of Huai'an having to send anyone to deliver the message. What a fuss!

The Buddhist hall caught fire, and apart from the two gatekeepers, everyone else in the outer courtyard went to help put out the fire.

After entering the second gate, Shen Wan went directly to Qinghui Courtyard, where the old lady lived.

Shen Wan knew that Shen Ying had returned, but she did not expect that Princess Huai'an and the Fourth Madam were also in Qinghui Courtyard, right in front of the old lady's sickbed.

Shen Wan stepped into the room, and before she even reached the screen, she heard Shen Ying scolding Princess Huai'an, "Sister-in-law, really! Grandmother asked you to send someone to look for eldest sister. You should listen to Grandmother. Whether eldest sister comes back or not is her business. Grandmother is an elder, and you won't even do such a small thing for me. Look how angry you've made Grandmother..."

Shen Wan returned in a bad mood, and Shen Ying's words made her unable to bear it any longer.

Princess Huai'an, even if she had made a mistake, it wouldn't be up to Shen Ying to teach her a lesson.

Shen Wan walked over and scolded Shen Ying, "Say it again, who made Grandmother sick?!"

Shen Wan's voice was icy, and Shen Ying felt a momentary chill, but quickly regained her composure, "My sister-in-law manages the household affairs of the Marquis's mansion. When Grandmother asks her to do some things, she ignores it all. She's the one who made Grandmother sick..."

*Smack*

Shen Ying hadn't finished speaking.

Shen Wan slapped her across the face.

The slap stunned everyone in the room.

The old lady, who had been leaning against the large bolster, suddenly frowned and scolded, "Insolence!"

Shen Ying covered her face and said, "You dare hit me?!"

Shen Wan said, "This isn't the first time I've hit you."

“This is the Pingyang Marquis’s residence, not the Jin Prince’s residence, where you can run wild. How dare you arbitrarily label others and lecture your sister-in-law?”

"Who is Grandmother? My sister-in-law pities me because I am pregnant and is afraid that I will be assassinated on my way back to the manor. She dares not send anyone to tell me. There are hundreds of people in the Marquis's manor. Does Grandmother think that there is no one else besides my sister-in-law to serve her? Is it only my sister-in-law who can serve her?!"

"My uncle colluded with officials and merchants to seek personal gain, violating the laws of the court. My grandmother was extremely disappointed in her nephew from her own family and was afraid that he would implicate my father and second uncle, which is why she fell ill. Yet you made my grandmother sick by pressing her down on my sister-in-law."

"What? In your eyes, the capital crime committed by my uncle is not as infuriating to Grandmother as my sister-in-law's unwillingness to pass on a message?!"

Chen Wan's voice grew increasingly stern with each word.

Shen Ying stared intently at Shen Wan, but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

Compared to the offense committed by the old master, the fact that Princess Huai'an was unwilling to bring Shen Wan back to the mansion was a trivial matter.

Shen Ying had no rebuttal, but she was unwilling to be slapped by Shen Wan. She said angrily, "Since you knew that Grandmother was worried about Master Biao, why didn't you stop Prince Ling from investigating Master Biao?"

These words made Shen Wan laugh. Why would she stop her?

Even if she had known about this earlier, let alone only finding out yesterday, she would still be focused on getting Xie Jingyan investigated as quickly as possible.

Shen Wan looked at Shen Ying and said, word by word, "You mean, Prince Ling shouldn't have investigated Master Biao?"

Shen Ying felt uneasy under Shen Wan's gaze. She felt this way in her heart, but she couldn't admit it aloud. She said, "You knew that Prince Ling was investigating this matter, but you didn't even tell your grandmother!"

Shen Wan sneered, "So you're going to tell Grandmother, then tip off Master Biao and destroy the evidence?"

Unable to out-argue Shen Wan, Shen Ying retorted angrily, "I've figured it out! You just want Master Biao dead!"

——

PS: The incident involving the maternal nephew will reveal the story of how the old lady married the old master, and the old lady is not far from her demise.