Once the details of the matter were cleared up, Shen Mingzhuang breathed a sigh of relief. This incident wouldn't have much of an impact on her; no one, not even the Old Madam Shen, would dare to touch her unless Jiang Wang passed away.

However, this matter did not have no impact on her at all. If the Rongguo Duke's Mansion could not be properly dealt with this time, Jiang Wang would have no grounds to ask the Shen family to continue to keep the secret. Once his own affairs were exposed, everything he had done would be meaningless, and she would be manipulated by Jiang Wang's enemies and become a weapon to attack Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang's obsession with her left her with no doubt that if things at the Rongguo Duke's mansion worsened, Jiang Wang would definitely bring her into the palace or hide her somewhere else as soon as possible.

The thought of such a possibility sent chills down her spine. The stories of keeping mistresses in gilded cages in novels were mostly romantic and idyllic, but the thought of struggling in the endless vortex of imperial power made her want to escape far away.

She planned to secretly exchange all the gold and silver in her private treasury for silver notes so that she could easily carry them with her when she left.

Originally, I planned to take the opportunity of accompanying Aunt Liu to Daci Temple to offer incense to go out, but after seeing what happened at Biyue Tower, I knew that this plan would not work.

Or should I say I'm going to Daci Temple to donate incense money? No, there's a fixed amount to donate every year, and it's only the head lady or the mistress who goes when she goes to offer incense.

After thinking for a long time, Shen Mingzhuang still couldn't come up with a suitable excuse. The cicadas chirping outside the window annoyed her to no end, as if someone was holding a suona and blowing high notes into her ear, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

She grabbed a large pillow and covered her ears, finally getting some peace and quiet. No, she had to go out for a walk, or she'd go crazy.

He instructed Qiutang to inform Meishoutang, and then left with Manhuan and Xuerong.

She only said she was going out to choose two boxes of rouge, without mentioning anything else.

I rarely go out for a stroll, and when I do, I feel that the summer heat has lessened considerably.

Upon learning that Shen Mingzhuang had left, Old Madam Shen's expression turned cold, her already unpleasant complexion worsening.

There's chaos outside right now. Refugees from Huainan are already heading towards the capital. If they encounter something while out, who will explain it to Jiang Wang? Meanwhile, his daughter, Shen Pinzhen, is still making a fuss about leaving. She's already sent people to pack her things. She's already in a bad mood; one problem hasn't been solved and now there's another one causing trouble!

"Have Steward Zhou send a few more people to follow them from a distance. We absolutely cannot allow anything to happen!"

The cuckoo flew away in response.

Kyoto today doesn't seem very lively, it's even a bit... desolate.

Shen Mingzhuang frowned. Wasn't the capital of Tianzhong Kingdom very prosperous? Even if it fell, it would be several years later. Could it be that it was already showing signs of decline now?

In the past, one could hear the sounds of vendors hawking their wares along the street from the second gate, but today there were no vendors or laborers to be seen. It was no surprise that the capital city had also been affected by the Huainan floods.

Upon arriving at the Shuntian Prefecture government office and looking at the notice posted in the official gazette, Shen Mingzhuang's guess was confirmed by the news written in the gazette.

A group of refugees from Huainan have now flooded into Kyoto. These refugees are fleeing in all directions, and the official gazette has warned the people of Kyoto to keep their doors and windows tightly closed and to be careful to prevent theft and attacks by the refugees.

Man Huan quickly finished reading the official gazette, a hint of panic showing on her face. She said, "Miss, let's go back quickly. What if we really encounter those vicious vagrants and they hurt you?"