Man Huan noticed something was off.

These days, the young lady has treated the servants very well. Today, Ruyi was beaten for protecting her mistress, but instead of being rewarded, she was scolded and not even allowed to get medicine to apply to her face. This is really quite unusual.

Just as he was pondering his master's thoughts, he heard Mingzhuang say, "Go and find out what happened today, and report back to me once you've found out."

Man Huan respectfully agreed and withdrew, somewhat confused.

There are six or seven maids and servants in Cuixuan Residence. Four serve her personally, and three do odd jobs outside. Mingzhuang is thinking that if she wants to escape Jiang Wang's control, she will have to work on these people.

This Ruyi was a talkative girl, a third-class maid in the manor, and somewhat unruly. Madam Lin had originally planned to send her away, but now that she had returned, Madam Lin changed her mind and sent her to her side to annoy her.

Mingzhuang knew perfectly well whether these people were good or bad, but this game had to be played step by step; there was no such thing as instant success.

Seeing that it was about time, Mingzhuang got up to go to the old lady's place.

She is now the ninth young lady of the Shen family, and she still has to pay her respects to the old lady. Otherwise, wouldn't people think that a mere concubine's daughter is trying to get ahead of herself?

Ruyi was beaten and has injuries on her face, so she can't serve anyone for the time being. Manhuan went to inquire about the situation, so the only ones available in the room are Xue Rong and Qiu Tang.

"Miss, watch your step. It rained yesterday, and the ground is slippery." Qiu Tang helped her up, while Xue Rong led the way, carefully reminding Ming Zhuang.

The Shen family has been based in Kyoto for many years, and their residence has expanded from a small three-courtyard house to what it is today. Although it is not as spacious as the Grand Tutor's Mansion, it is still considered a large and influential family in Kyoto.

Scholarly families valued the cultural significance of their residences, with every plant and tree having a unique purpose and not being placed haphazardly. Now that the old lady was no longer in charge of the household and preferred tranquility, the three Shen brothers built a courtyard for her near the back garden. Because the emperor had personally inscribed the words "May you live a long and healthy life," the entire residence was called Meishou Hall.

Shen Mingzhuang arrived at Meishou Hall neither too early nor too late. The First Madam and the Second Madam had already arrived, so Mingzhuang's arrival was not considered early. However, no one from the Third Branch had arrived yet, so it was not considered late either.

She arrived precisely on time, and naturally guessed that the third branch of the family had not yet arrived. Not vying for the first place and not falling behind has always been Shen Mingzhuang's way of life.

It's been raining for the past few days, and the old lady is complaining of leg pain. She hasn't gotten up yet. The eldest and second wives are sitting in the hall chatting idly, while the girls are playing shuttlecock or jumping rope in the courtyard and corridors. Their clear, melodious laughter adds a lively touch to the spacious Meishou Hall.

"Oh, it's Ninth Sister! I heard that Lord Wen's residence sent some things over again today?"

It was the first wife, Madam Zhao, who spoke.

She was in her thirties, with an oval face, small eyes, and long, thin willow-leaf eyebrows. She had thin lips and small eyes, and while she looked decent on her own, when put together, she seemed a bit mean. As soon as she opened her mouth, she started asking all sorts of questions.

Mingzhuang smiled and lowered her head. Her every smile and frown was so charming that it made the sisters standing next to the First Madam a little jealous.

"At Lord Wen's residence?" Mingzhuang chuckled to herself. What Lord Wen? That was just an excuse from Jiang Wang. In order to send her things, the Wen family came up with the idea, saying that their family members had also returned from Jiangzhou and had received Mingzhuang's help on the way, which was why they sent things over from time to time.

Mingzhuang listened, unsure whether to agree or disagree. All this scheming was just for her benefit!

"Yes." Ming Zhuang smiled gently and generously. "Lord Wen is grateful, but I can't just keep accepting his gifts. I'll have to return the favor tomorrow."

His words were so precise and flawless that Zhao could not find a single fault with them.

Zhao chuckled twice and took a sip of tea.

That's quite interesting. What does it mean to remember a favor and return a gift? They all accepted things from Shen Mingzhuang, so shouldn't they return the favor? Zhao Shi doesn't like a concubine's daughter being so arrogant. She doesn't know why the old lady spoils her!

What secrets could be hidden in this mansion? The commotion that Third Sister caused this morning was over in no time, and everyone in the mansion knew about it. Zhao was just trying to test Mingzhuang's intentions, but she didn't expect to hit a brick wall and get slapped in the face instead. She immediately felt uncomfortable.

"Mingzhuang is indeed a child who grew up in Jiangnan. Look at his appearance. It's true that the environment shapes a person. He's been back at the manor for more than half a month now, but every time I see him, I can't help but want to say a few words of praise!"

Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, the second wife, Madam Gu, smiled and made a joke.

She held a blue handkerchief, her almond-shaped eyes looked very gentle, and with her round face, she looked much more approachable than the First Madam Zhao.

"Second Aunt is too kind. The sisters are just as good."

Hearing this made Madam Gu feel good, so she smiled and said to the First Madam, "Look at this girl, doesn't she look just like our Fourth Aunt? Especially when she smiles, her eyes and eyebrows are so beautiful."