Looking at the people filling the room, Zhao couldn't help but smile, feeling quite pleased.

"Sister-in-law looks absolutely radiant today, it's truly enviable!"

The speaker was Shen Pinzhen. Since the passing of Old Madam Shen, she had become closer to her maternal family. Zhao felt that she hadn't lost anything back then, so there was no need to fall out with Shen Pinzhen. Moreover, now that her fourth aunt's husband, Hu Minchen, had become the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, there was even less need to fall out with her.

Zhao was naturally pleased to be praised, and she smiled modestly and said, "You all look radiant, and I feel ashamed of myself in comparison. Don't try to flatter me!"

The group chatted animatedly, one after another, until Shen Mingxi and Shen Mingshu entered the house one after the other, at which point the noise inside immediately subsided.

Shen Pinzhen rolled her eyes and sneered at her daughter, saying, "I have to say, your family really has no manners. Sometimes, as the eldest daughter-in-law, you should learn from your eldest aunt. Look at your eldest aunt's house, so proper and orderly. That's what you call proper manners. I've never heard of someone who's a concubine going out and about. If it were me, to save face for our ancestors, I'd stay hidden in my room! I wouldn't go around being a nuisance!"

The barrage of veiled insults made Shen Mingxi's face flash with embarrassment. However, she was not someone who had never seen the world before, and this was not the first time she had experienced such a scene. But since she had made up her mind to become Wen Hanping's wife, she was prepared for the endless gossip that would follow.

Haven't she heard enough hurtful things? If she were weak and frail, she wouldn't have persisted in her own way.

She and Shen Pinzhen were practically aunt and niece, yet she showed her no respect whatsoever. As Shen Mingxi thought about this, a thought flashed through her mind.

She looked at Shen Pinzhen and chuckled, but did not speak to Shen Pinzhen immediately. Instead, she slowly shifted her gaze from Shen Pinzhen and walked towards Zhao Shi. She then bowed to Zhao Shi in a generous manner. Zhao Shi nodded with a forced smile and told her to sit down.

Shen Mingxi did not comply, but smiled and lowered her head slightly, saying to Zhao Shi, "Aunt, Mingxi has embroidered a screen with the double happiness of longevity for you."

As Shen Mingxi spoke, she raised an eyebrow and gave Hu Xianglian a very provocative look, then instructed the maid, "Cui'er, bring over the birthday gift I prepared for the First Madam."

Zhao didn't care for the folding screen with auspicious symbols of fortune, longevity, and happiness. Ever since Lin held a knife to her neck, she had no good feelings towards the third branch of the family. Whenever she saw them, she would think of what Lin had done and feel utterly disgusted.

She had thought she would never have to see Lin again, but she never expected Lin to come back. This made her sleep poorly last night, and she almost kicked the quilt to pieces.

She didn't want to see Lin Shi at all, but since Princess Jiayuan had taken the lead in this matter, it was a done deal, something that even her husband couldn't stop.

She's already planned it all out; she'll find a pretext to divide the family property.

The three branches of the family are all born out of wedlock. When the old lady was still alive, things were fine, but now they each do their own thing. They are called a family, but when something happens, they all look after themselves. Wouldn't it be better to just separate the branches and let each of them go out and buy their own property?

But her husband refused, saying that the third wife had produced an empress. "Do you know how difficult it is for a family to produce an empress? Others would try to find a connection, but you're so eager to sever ties. You're short-sighted!"

Zhao felt a pang of heartache whenever she thought about it; she was dissatisfied but powerless to do anything about it.

Why didn't she have a daughter who became empress? It's true, if she could have adopted Shen Mingshu under the second branch of the family back then, why didn't she adopt Shen Mingzhuang under her? If she had done that back then, she wouldn't have had to put up with the third branch's attitude!

But these are just thoughts, after all, there's no going back in life. Who could have imagined that a lowly life could become an empress?

Cui'er carried the screen forward. The screen was exquisitely embroidered, but it seemed a bit lacking in the eyes of the First Madam. Everyone looked at each other, whispered among themselves, and occasionally let out a few giggles, making the atmosphere in the room very subtle.

Shen Mingxi blushed slightly, barely managing to keep herself from losing composure. She feigned generosity and asked Zhao Shi, "I wonder if Auntie likes it?"

Zhao's expression froze slightly. How could anyone ask someone about their preferences for a gift in front of everyone? Even if they didn't like it, they would still say they did to save face. What was Shen Mingxi trying to do?

Shen Mingxi felt truly wronged this time. She genuinely wanted to please Zhao Shi, who was the matriarch of the Shen family. Even with Lin Shi's return, she dared not act presumptuously in front of Zhao Shi. If Lin Shi wanted to suppress her, she was hoping that Zhao Shi could help her. That's why she made the rare effort to please Zhao Shi. However, she didn't expect the effect to be so poor.

"Not bad." To maintain the overall situation, Madam Zhao said indifferently, then said to Granny An beside her, "Put it away."

A simple sentence brought another round of laughter from those around her, and Shen Mingxi wished she could dig a hole in the ground and disappear into it.

However, she maintained a faint smile, trying her best to appear poised and natural.

Seeing that Shen Mingxi hadn't gotten any benefit, Shen Pinzhen felt a surge of satisfaction. When she saw Shen Mingrong and Madam Gu, she pulled her daughter Hu Xianglian over.

"Wow, it's only been a few days, and our Yan'er has grown even more beautiful!"

Shen Pinzhen reached out and gently patted Lu Yan's head. Then, she casually took a gold and jade bracelet from her wrist and put it on Lu Yan's wrist. However, Lu Yan's wrist was too small, and the bracelet slipped down. If the little maid hadn't been quick-witted, the bracelet would have fallen to the ground and broken into several pieces.

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