Pei Jing and Jin Jiaoniang had been fighting for so many years, and this was the first time he had the upper hand. The Duchess was furious, and even the young master's intercession was to no avail.

Pei Jing was overjoyed. She didn't miss the chance to ridicule Jin Jiaoniang. She was too lazy to even see Jiang Shuwan off when she returned to the mansion. After lunch, she went to Jin Jiaoniang's courtyard to watch the fun.

At the entrance of the Duke's Mansion.

While waiting for the coachman to arrive, Pei Shushu excitedly grabbed Jiang Shuwan's sleeve.

"Sister-in-law of the young master is really powerful. She made Jin Jiaoniang cry out in anger with just one move. I heard from Pei Jing's maid that when the order was delivered to Jin Jiaoniang's courtyard, Jin Jiaoniang was completely dumbfounded. After all, the Duchess has always treated her well over the years. I didn't expect that the first time she was punished, she would be sent to the estate."

"Putting everything else aside, she won't be able to return to the manor for at least a month. No wonder Sister Pei Jing is so happy. Without her, isn't Sister Pei Jing the one who calls the shots in the Duke's manor?"

"You're so good at flattering people. Actually, I didn't do anything. It was just that Jin Jiaoniang was arrogant and made a mistake that I caught."

"Your Highness's sister-in-law is too modest."

Pei Shushu stared at Jiang Shuwan with admiration.

“During the banquet at the Duke’s mansion, you said that the Duchess was faking illness. I secretly thought to myself, the Duke’s mansion is far from the Marquis’s mansion and close to the Jin mansion. Jin Jiaoniang broke the rule of the fifteenth day, and the Duchess even used the trick of faking illness for her. With the mother-in-law doting on her and the young master loving her, how can we stand up for Sister Pei Jing?”

"My heart sank. I never expected that my sister-in-law would enrage the Duchess with just a few words and make her deal with Jin Jiaoniang."

“That’s not something that can be said in just a few words,” Jiang Yao, who had been silent until now, couldn’t help but say.

As she spoke, she glanced at Jiang Shuwan, her eyes filled with an unprecedented fear.

They were clearly stunned by Jiang Shuwan's actions today.

"The Duke's Mansion is biased towards Jin Jiaoniang and doesn't want to stand up for Pei Jing. This is a dead end. If we keep asking the Duchess to make the decision and punish Jin Jiaoniang, it will only make the Duchess hate us."

"The eldest sister's silence on the matter was already a very clever move. Afterwards, she reprimanded Pei Jing for not having the demeanor of a principal wife, which made the Duchess lower her guard. Finally, she steered the conversation to Jin Jiaoniang's control over the young master and her disrespect for her mother-in-law."

"How could the Duchess not be furious!"

"In the end, the fight between Pei Jing and Jin Jiaoniang is nothing more than a battle for favor among women in the inner quarters. Who wins or loses has nothing to do with the Duchess."

"But if she controls her son and can make decisions for him in everything, that would be the Duchess's Achilles' heel."

"Women are like clothes. How can mere clothes be valued by the young master more than a mother like her?"

"What! There's so much to say in just a few words."

After listening to Jiang Yao's analysis, Pei Shushu was completely shocked.

She had always thought those few sentences were just a veiled criticism of Jin Jiaoniang's disrespect for the Duchess, but she never expected there to be other meanings behind them.

Pei Shushu looked at Jiang Yao in surprise.

"Sister-in-law, I never expected you to see through such a thing so quietly. You are truly amazing."

"..."

Jiang Yao's face showed a look of disgust, as if she had swallowed a fly.

She wasn't clever; she only figured this out after being tormented by the aunt for half a year.

Why does Madam Bo dislike her so much? In the end, it's because Yulang disobeyed Madam Bo for her sake...

Mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law have always been natural enemies.

Besides vying for the right to speak and make decisions at home, they also fought for their place in their son's heart...

Madam Bo would never allow her to surpass Yulang's position in his heart as his mother.

Just as the Duchess wouldn't allow Jin Jiaoniang to control the young master...

The fact that Lady Bo bought Lianxiang and Lianyu to share her favor is just like how the Duchess sent Jin Jiaoniang away. Without their exclusive favor in the Empress's quarters, these mothers-in-law would have a superior status in the mansion.

Thinking about this made Jiang Yao feel extremely sad.

She knew that as long as she remained favored, the aunt would dislike her and constantly cause her trouble.

And Yulang too...

He wasn't firm at all. He loved her so much back then, and then he just took her in without a second thought.

The vows we made back then are still vivid in my mind, but people have changed.

Fortunately, Jiang Shuwan was also disliked by the Crown Prince.

She didn't lose.

"Sister-in-law of the young master, what are you thinking about, sister-in-law of the young master? Your expression changes so quickly, one moment you look pained and the next you look happy."

"Who knows..."

Jiang Shuwan glanced lazily at Jiang Yao, then crossed her arms without any emotion.

Jiang Yao has a narrow mind; she can only see a tiny patch of ground.

She wasn't thinking about the Earl's mansion; she was just cursing her in her heart.

She could guess it without even thinking.

"Miss, the carriage has arrived."

The group boarded the carriage. The weather in mid-July was extremely hot, and the lack of air circulation inside the carriage made it even more uncomfortable.

In order to get the masters back to their residences to rest as soon as possible, the coachman urged them to speed up. Halfway there, a muffled sound suddenly came from the sky.

"What happened?"

Jiang Shuwan lifted the curtain and looked outside. She saw that the sky was covered with dark clouds, the clouds were pressing down on the city, and there was a rumble of thunder, as if a storm was about to break.

Sudden changes in temperature can easily lead to illness.

"Hurry up and send Madam back to her residence first."

"yes."

The coachman responded and sped up again, but after dropping Jiang Yao off, he was still a step too slow.

The rain was pouring down, the streets were deserted, and the sky was as dark as midnight.

Amidst the booming thunder, lightning flashed like a serpent across the sky, finally exploding with a deafening roar in my ears. For a moment, I was terrified that it might strike the carriage.

"Sister-in-law of the Crown Prince."

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid."

Seeing Pei Shushu cowering in the corner of the carriage in fear, Jiang Shuwan quickly grabbed her hand. When they arrived at the entrance of the Marquis's residence, servants came to greet them with umbrellas.

"The wind and rain are strong, so everyone should have an umbrella. Please be careful and don't get wet and catch a cold."

Seeing that the maid holding the umbrella had gotten half of her body wet in an instant, Jiang Shuwan quickly gave instructions.

"All the maids and servants at the gate of the mansion, go to the kitchen later and get a bowl of ginger soup. Just say it's a gift from me."

"Thank you, young mistress."

The servants were all overjoyed, but then their faces fell as they thought of something.

What happened?

Something's not right about her emotions.

Jiang Shuwan looked up in confusion. She carefully observed the maids' expressions. Ever since the Fang family became role models, these maids had been particularly fond of showing off in front of her.

When it comes to jobs like picking someone up or delivering an umbrella, people would scramble to get in front of her, sometimes even getting into fights. But today she's been unusually quiet.

The mansion was also unusually quiet...

It was completely silent, like a graveyard.

A large family of over a thousand people, yet there wasn't a single sound...

With a furrowed brow, Jiang Shuwan turned and glanced outside.

She noticed it as soon as she got out of the car: a luxurious carriage embroidered with gold thread was parked in front of the mansion.

It's strange, really, that someone would come to visit the Marquis's residence in such heavy rain.