Although her voice was gentle, there was a hint of urgency in her tone.

Nanny Mei responded and started to make arrangements.

She knew it was inappropriate to ask any more questions at this time, so she quickly left the room, leaving the room in silence.

After a while, the little maid returned, panting, obviously having run for a distance.

Nanny Mei walked to the door and listened to the report. The expression on her face gradually became gloomy, and she seemed dissatisfied with the news she heard.

"Amei, what happened?"

The Duke's wife noticed something was wrong and asked with concern.

There was a hint of worry in her voice, and her eyes were fixed on Aunt Mei's face, hoping to get some comfort.

"Madam, the Duke is now well. Madam Liu hired a chef to prepare a lunch of trouser belt noodles, fried black sausage, stir-fried vegetables with jelly, and a bowl of seafood porridge for the Duke."

Aunt Mei replied.

But her tone was low as she spoke, as if there was something else she hadn't said.

There was suddenly a hint of coldness in the Duke's wife's eyes, and she glanced at Su Qiulu inconspicuously.

Faced with such a situation, how could Su Qiulu dare to look up and look directly at her mother-in-law?

Her heart was filled with shame and embarrassment, and she even wished she could find a hole to crawl into and disappear from this embarrassing situation.

"I'm feeling a little tired too, so I won't keep you all chatting any longer. You can all go back and rest now."

The Duke's wife seemed a little listless after saying this, then she stood up and slowly walked into the inner room with the careful support of Nanny Mei.

After seeing this situation, Fu Yu immediately turned to look in the direction of Wen Zhu. Then the two nodded in understanding and left Xuanheyuan, a place with a tense atmosphere.

At this moment, when Su Qiulu wanted to get up and leave, she suddenly felt a strong sense of dizziness.

Originally, she wanted to please the two elders through her actions today, but she didn't expect that the development of the matter was completely beyond her expectations, and ended up putting herself in an even bigger predicament!

After returning to Qifangyuan, where she lived, Su Qiulu, feeling extremely depressed, collapsed on the couch. She turned to the servant girl Liuyan and asked, "Tell me, is Wen Zhu really that skilled? Am I really that far inferior to her?"

"Young Madam, please don't be so self-pitying! In my humble opinion, how can Wen Zhu possibly compare to you? He just seems to know how to read other people's minds better on the surface. In the future, we just need to be more careful with our words and actions."

Liuyan hurried forward to comfort her and handed Su Qiulu a cup of freshly brewed hot tea to show her concern.

Even though she was holding the warm little cup in her hand, Su Qiulu still felt herself shivering from the cold. Her tone was a bit fragile and helpless. "Liuyan, was it right or wrong to let Wen Zhu go and serve the prince?"

"In my opinion, this is absolutely not a mistake. No matter how glorious Wen Zhu may seem to others, she will always remember the kindness of this mentor. If she can truly serve the prince to his satisfaction, he will surely be filled with gratitude, and no one else can accuse you, young lady, of being jealous or breaking your promise."

Liuyan tried hard to provide some spiritual comfort to his master in this way, although the effect did not sound very obvious.

"Hey, look at the prince's performance today. Where does he look like he still has any nostalgia?"

When Su Qiulu said this, tears welled up in her eyes involuntarily, and tears were already welling up in her eyes.

"Young Madam still has to put on an appearance, even if she's unhappy inside, she has to behave respectably. As for handling Wen Zhu's matter, it must be done discreetly and secretly, without letting anyone else discover any clues."

Liuyan lowered his voice and suggested in a cautious and serious tone.

"Alas," Su Qiulu sighed, her eyes filled with helplessness, "It's precisely because I'm usually too straightforward and lack thorough consideration that I've ended up in this awkward situation."

She clenched her teeth and tightly grasped the soft silk handkerchief in her hand, as if she could even tear the fragile silk.

After a brief moment of thought, as if she had suddenly thought of something important, Su Qiulu turned to look at the maid beside her and asked with concern, "How is the current situation of that small tailor shop we had our eye on before?"

"The specific details are still unknown, but I suspect it will remain the same."

Liuyan let out a faint sneer. "How could someone as clueless as Wen Zhu possibly understand the knowledge required to run a business? In my opinion, it won't be long before they're forced to close down due to poor management."

After hearing this, Su Qiulu was silent for a moment before whispering, "Don't take this matter lightly. Go to the tailor shop yourself and try to give Manager Lin some money. Then tell her to find a suitable time to come and see me secretly."

However, Liu Yan seemed to have some concerns about this arrangement and spoke hesitantly, "But...isn't Shopkeeper Lin now under Wen Zhu's jurisdiction? Is this a safe approach?"

Facing the question, Su Qiulu's eyes were firm, and her words were filled with unquestionable power: "Remember one thing - Shopkeeper Lin's indenture is still preserved in our Duke's Mansion. As the current mistress of the Duke's Mansion, I naturally have absolute authority over her orders. In comparison, Wen Zhu is just an ordinary servant. If Shopkeeper Lin is rational, he should know who is the true master worthy of following."

A few days later, when the sun was shining brightly on the long street, Su Qiulu rode in an exquisite and gorgeous carriage and slowly approached an elegant teahouse near the Shangshu Mansion, where she stopped for a while.

Then, under the guidance of the servant, she went straight to the reserved box on the second floor, where a woman with a dignified face and calm temperament had been waiting quietly for a long time - this was the person she wanted to meet privately.

"You don't need to feel overly anxious or nervous. I invited you here simply to learn about the recent developments of the tailor shop."

Su Qiulu wore a simple osmanthus-colored short jacket and a dark brown skirt embroidered with intricate patterns. She behaved in a gentle and calm manner.

"Young Madam, please allow me to be frank: ever since Wen Zhu took over the shop, it has been a complete mess."

Shopkeeper Lin smiled bitterly and shook his head, his words revealing a deep sense of powerlessness.

"What exactly went wrong?"

Even though he tried hard to remain calm on the surface, a closer look revealed the eagerness and interest in Su Qiulu's eyes that were difficult to conceal.

"Please tell me in detail."