After Steward Zhang left, Qiao Jiaojiao immediately began to complain to Granny Li with dissatisfaction:
"Mom, how could you just accept that? That country woman from the countryside is clearly disrespectful to you!"
Granny Li's face was very unpleasant. She glared at her daughter before replying:
"This woman is not simple; she's intelligent and cunning. We need to plan this carefully."
"What abilities could she possibly have, a country bumpkin who's never seen the world? I've heard she's not even good-looking. Isn't she just relying on her status as the general's wife?"
As Qiao Jiaojiao spoke, a look of resentment and malice appeared on her face. She gritted her teeth and tore at the embroidered handkerchief in her hand, saying fiercely:
"People are starving to death outside every day, how come she didn't die out there? What bad luck!"
"Shut up!"
Granny Li quickly covered Qiao Jiaojiao's mouth with her hand. After glancing outside and confirming that there was no noise, she whispered a reprimand:
"Walls have ears. It's fine if you say this to me, but if it gets back to the general, you'll be in big trouble."
Qiao Jiaojiao knew she had spoken too bluntly, but she was still furious. She had never suffered such humiliation since coming to the General's Mansion.
"Mom, what are we going to do now? That village woman clearly doesn't take us seriously."
The servants who returned earlier said that the general is quite fond of her. When will I ever be able to enter the general's harem? I'm already 16; I can't afford to delay any longer.”
"Don't panic!"
Granny Li waved her hand slightly, slowly sat down at the table, and after thinking for a while, continued:
"You're too young and don't understand men at all. The general is treating her well now, probably because she took care of his sister; it's unlikely he really likes her."
Otherwise, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and how could a normal, strong young man like the general bear to leave his wife and return to the barracks after being separated from her for so long?
Qiao Jiaojiao was still just an unmarried girl, and she blushed slightly after hearing her mother's rather blunt words, but she felt much more at ease.
Then, Li Mama sighed and continued:
“I made a mistake this time. I originally intended to give that village woman a hard time, but it turned out like this.”
Qiao Jiaojiao was also somewhat discouraged, and felt even more uneasy:
"Mother, what are we going to do in the future? She is, after all, the general's wife, and she's so difficult to deal with. Even if I successfully marry into the Shen family, won't I still have to live under her thumb?"
Granny Li had also thought of this. If the mistress of the house was a simpleton and easy to control, that would be fine, but if she was shrewd, how could her daughter have a good life?
She frowned and pondered for a moment, then suddenly had an idea:
"I'm getting senile, how could I forget that little girl?"
"Mother, who is it?"
"General Shen's sister, Shen Qiyue! She was General Shen's last remaining relative, so their bond was extraordinary."
"As long as you win her over and make her one of ours, we'll extend that favor to everything she does. Then, you'll have no shortage of a place in the General's Mansion!"
The more Granny Li talked, the more feasible it seemed: "That little girl is young and hasn't seen much of the world. If you coax her and take her to play with some new things, it won't be long before she becomes close to you."
After listening to Li Mama's analysis, Qiao Jiaojiao's face lit up with joy, and she felt that this method was feasible.
The two then began to discuss the details of the project based on this idea.
Meanwhile, Zhao Qian, after completing Yan Xiao's instructions, led Liu Xiangu straight to the military camp.
As soon as he arrived at the entrance of the military camp, someone was waiting for him there.
The man said it was General Shen who gave the order.
Since it was Shen Muzhi's order, he didn't dare to ask any more questions and directly led Liu Xiangu into a tent with that person.
"The general has some matters to attend to at the moment, but he will be here shortly. Guard Zhao, please wait here for a while."
"good."
Before Zhao Qian could wait long, Shen Muzhi led Wei Wuxiu into the camp.
Upon seeing them enter, Zhao Qian quickly bowed to the two men, then pointed to the bound Liu Xiangu and reported:
"General, this person is a Miao ethnic minority, and she has appeared in Jiangbei City. She..."
Zhao Qian was about to give Shen Muzhi a detailed account of what had happened when Shen Muzhi raised his hand to stop him.
"I know everything that happened."
Shen Muzhi's tone was indifferent, revealing no emotion. After speaking, he asked:
"Have all the arrangements been made for Madam and Miss's food, clothing, and lodging? Are they satisfied?"
Zhao Qian was taken aback for a moment, but considering Shen Muzhi's control over Jiangbei and the time he had spent at the General's Mansion, it was not surprising that news of Liu Xiangu had reached Shen Muzhi.
But when it came to his wife, he was at a loss for words and could only give a hesitant, uncertain reply:
"Madam and Miss have made all the arrangements, and they should be quite satisfied!"
"Okay, that's good."
Shen Muzhi didn't detect the reluctance in Zhao Qian's words. After nodding in satisfaction, he turned his gaze to Liu Xiangu, whose mouth was gagged.
"Just leave the person here, I'll handle it. You should go back to the city and stay with Madam to protect her and Miss's safety."
"yes!"
Zhao Qian quickly accepted the order, but showed no intention of leaving. Instead, he looked at Shen Muzhi with some hesitation, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
Shen Muzhi raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is there anything else?"
"Your subordinate has something to say about the lady, and would like to ask the general for his decision."
"lady?"
Shen Muzhi knew about Liu Xiangu's affair because it happened in Jiangbei City, within the scope of his people's surveillance.
Since everyone in the General's Mansion was his man, there was no need for him to specifically monitor them. Therefore, he was unaware of what was happening at the General's Mansion at this time.
Upon hearing Zhao Qian's words, Shen Muzhi immediately became interested and wanted to know what other surprises Yan Xiao had in store for him besides exposing the Miao people's scam on the street.
"What is it, Madam? Tell me."
Zhao Qian didn't dare to hide anything and told Shen Muzhi everything that happened at the General's Mansion, down to the smallest detail.
This included moving his mother out to deal with Granny Li, wanting to change the house in the general's mansion to open a clinic, and saying that the feng shui of his main courtyard was bad and would bring her bad luck, so he moved to live in Shen Qiyue's courtyard.
When Zhao Qian said these things, even though Shen Muzhi tried very hard to restrain himself, a crack still appeared on his face.
He was stunned, especially when Yan Xiao said that the feng shui of his yard was bad.
Wei Wuxiu was in a lot of pain, his face was cramping from trying to suppress his laughter, and his hands were red from pinching himself, but he stubbornly endured it for the sake of his brother's face.
As Zhao Qian spoke, his head drooped lower and lower until he finished speaking, his gaze was fixed on his toes.
When he finally finished his report and thought he could finally be free, the tent fell into complete silence, a silence that sent shivers down his spine.
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