Although Shen Wan knew she would be scolded when she returned, why should the old lady reprimand them? Wasn't marrying Xie Jingyin what she and the second wife had been hoping for? This life was just an earlier one.

Poor Shen Wei came to the peony banquet, but Shen Ying had an accident right at the beginning of the banquet. She couldn't go back with them, and she couldn't sit there and watch the young ladies and young masters of noble families perform their talents. Now that she had found Shen Wan, she had to go back to the mansion.

Led by a maid from the Changshan Prince's Mansion, Shen Wan and Shen Wei left the mansion, boarded a carriage, and headed straight back to the Pingyang Marquis's Mansion.

Inside the carriage, Shen Wei couldn't contain her curiosity and asked, "After something like this, will Prince Jin marry my second sister as his princess?"

There is no doubt that Shen Ying will marry Xie Jingyin, but it is uncertain what her status will be.

In her previous life, Xie Jingyin brought Shen Ying into the palace under the guise of doing what was best for her. At that time, the Second Master had already seized the military power from Shen Jing and inherited the entire Pingyang Marquis's Mansion. Now, the Fourth Master was only a fourth-rank official. Shen Ying was Xie Jingyin's principal wife, so her status was much lower.

Therefore, it remains to be seen whether Xie Jingyin will grant Shen Ying the position of principal wife or concubine.

The carriage traveled smoothly until it stopped in front of the gate of the Marquis of Pingyang's residence.

Shen Wei got off the carriage first, then helped Shen Wan down. As the two stepped into the mansion, a maidservant came forward and said, "The old lady wants the eldest young lady to go to Qinghui Courtyard immediately after returning to the mansion."

The moment these words reached her ears, the old lady's stern, almost ferocious face, usually so sharp when scolding someone, flashed into her mind. Shen Wei felt a pang of fear. "Big sister..."

Shen Wan shook her head. "It's alright."

Shen Ying's accident wasn't their fault, so they can't be blamed.

The two went to Qinghui Courtyard, walked around the screen and entered the room. Shen Wan saw the old lady's cold and sharp gaze sweep over her, which could make a person feel cold from the top of their head to the soles of their feet.

Shen Wan calmly walked in, and the old lady slammed her hand on the table angrily, saying, "You still know how to come back? Kneel down!"

kneel?

That's impossible.

Shen Wan straightened her back and looked directly at the old lady. "What mistake have I made that requires me to kneel down and admit my error?"

The old lady was shocked that Shen Wan dared to question her. Her face turned ashen. Shen Rong, who was standing to the side, said, "Eldest sister still doesn't know what mistake she made? You went to see Prince Ling, and Second Sister went to find you, only to be tricked and lose her virginity to Prince Jin!"

"They really know how to pin this on you," Shen Wan said, glancing at Shen Rong. "The Changshan Prince's Mansion told me that a maidservant had told my second sister to go see the Prince of Jin. She had just gotten into trouble. How come my third sister is saying she went to see me?"

"I'd like to know if you're lying, or if the Changshan Prince's Mansion is deceiving me!"

As she spoke, Shen Wan looked at the old lady and said, "Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; listen to only one side and you will be misled. If you want to punish me, Grandmother, you must first find out who my second sister went to before this happened. I will ask Father to go to the Prince of Changshan and ask him for a clear answer."

Shen Rong and the servants of the Changshan Prince's Mansion gave conflicting accounts. If the old lady were to punish Shen Rong based solely on her own opinion, it would be an unfair punishment.

Shen Rong hadn't expected the Changshan Prince's Mansion to tell Shen Wan about this. Having lied, she felt a little flustered, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, "Whether to go see the Prince of Jin or go to you, no one knows better than Second Sister."

Shen Wan said, "You mean that Second Sister and Princess Changshan lied?"

Shen Rong's face stiffened.

Shen Wan continued, "I advise Third Sister to think things through before speaking. Second Sister and Prince Jin disrupted the peony banquet at Changshan Prince's Mansion, which has already displeased Princess Changshan. If word gets out that she lied to Princess Changshan, she should stop going to Changshan Prince's Mansion altogether."

Shen Rong's throat seemed to be choked, and she couldn't utter another word.

The maids and servants in the room could guess what had happened just by looking at Shen Rong's expression.

The old lady sat on the daybed, already unhappy because Shen Ying had lost her virginity to Prince Jin. Shen Rong was also rendered speechless by Shen Wan's pressure. She attacked Shen Wan without understanding the situation, which also caused her to lose her dignity.

The old lady was even more furious because she had lost face, but Shen Wan had no intention of letting it go so easily. She said, "I have a marriage contract with the royal family. My father does not allow me to get too close to Prince Jin. My grandmother also tells me to listen to my father. When my grandmother reprimanded me, my second and third younger sisters were both present, but she went to meet Prince Jin. What could she possibly have to talk to Prince Jin about? If something happens, she will try to frame me and incite my grandmother to punish me!"

"His Majesty has already bestowed a marriage upon me and Prince Ling, and even set a wedding date. We'll be getting married next month. What's wrong with me going to see Prince Ling and accompanying him to enjoy the peony banquet for a while?!"

The more Shen Wan spoke, the louder her voice became, and the more aggrieved she seemed.

Shen Jing and Shen Du entered just in time to hear this, their faces falling long. "What exactly happened?!"

His gaze swept towards Shen Rong.

Shen Jing held military power, and his prestige, honed through battlefield experience, was enough to intimidate most ministers. Shen Rong, however, was no match for him. She turned pale with fright and could not even speak clearly.

The third wife, feeling sorry for her daughter, quickly stood up and said, "My lord, please calm down. Rong'er is timid; please don't frighten her..."

Shen Jing swept his gaze toward the Third Madam, "Cowardly? She's so young, yet she dared to deceive even the Old Madam. How can that be called cowardly? Is this how you and your third brother discipline your daughter?!"

As he finished speaking, Chen Jing's voice turned deep, and the Third Madam's knees went weak; she almost knelt down in fright.

The old lady, her face full of anger, scolded Shen Rong, "You reported to me without even understanding the matter! Go to the Buddhist hall and kneel down to reflect on your actions!"

Shen Rong didn't dare beg for mercy and fled to the Buddhist hall to reflect on her actions.

The old lady swept her gaze over the third wife, "You can't even discipline your daughter properly, you should go and reflect on your actions too."

The third wife's face was extremely ugly, but she dared not refute it and curtsied before leaving.

After the old lady punished Shen Rong and the third wife, Shen Jing's anger subsided. He rarely interfered in the affairs of the inner courtyard, but this time he had been caught in the crossfire. The matter between Shen Ying and Prince Jin was no small matter, and he could not ignore it.

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