Inside the hall
Chen had just changed her clothes and was discussing countermeasures with Song Yuxiu and others when Song Ruoying cried, "Mother, how did things turn out like this? What are we going to do now?"
If the regent is not present, the matter can be covered up within the Marquis's residence.
Unfortunately, this god of death stumbled upon it!
Then she definitely won't be able to become the regent's wife in the future.
If word gets out...
She may never get married in her entire life.
"Stop crying, your crying is getting on my nerves!"
“Mother—what will you do if Grandmother and Father find out about this? I’ve heard…”
Women who do not uphold traditional virtues will be drowned in pig cages or ponds.
"It's just an accident, I'm not dead, so stop crying!"
Madam Chen was the most furious, having her innocence ruined by a filthy servant. She feared the Marquis would beat her to death upon his return. Fortunately, the matter had not yet spread, and everything was still under control.
“Mother…” Song Ruoying’s hands trembled.
Only two words were on her mind:
It’s over!
Chen was already annoyed, and gritted her teeth. Suddenly, she looked at Lin Yaoyao with eyes full of resentment and venom: "Didn't you arrange this? You bought the sleeping pills too. How did things turn out like this?"
"I...I don't know either."
Lin Yaoyao was still in shock, having been slapped several times by the Regent's men, and her face was still burning with pain.
She almost instinctively hid behind Song Yuxiu.
Her eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face.
"Your Highness, I made all the arrangements. I really don't know what happened." Lin Yaoyao looked at her mother-in-law with a pitiful expression. "Are you... really sure that Shen Zhiyi drank that bowl of medicine? You couldn't have made a mistake and accidentally drank the medicine yourself, could you?"
"Yes, Mother, you must be mistaken." Song Yuxiu also looked suspicious.
Looking at Lin Yaoyao's swollen face, he was filled with heartache. "Yaoyao, how's your face? Does it hurt?"
"It hurts so much."
Her voice trembled, sounding utterly pitiful.
"I..." Upon hearing this, Chen felt dizzy.
She rushed over and pulled Lin Yaoyao, who was hiding behind her son, towards her.
He aimed for her face and delivered two resounding slaps.
"You little slut, I may be old, but I'm not stupid. How could I make a mistake? You were the one who came up with this plan, but in the end, I'm the one who has to take all the blame, and you're still complaining!"
"You should have listened to me back then and let Yu Xiu and Shen Zhiyi consummate their marriage. This whole mess wouldn't have happened today."
"I shouldn't have listened to you in the first place. Ever since you came into the manor, everything has gone wrong. I think you're a jinx!"
Mrs. Chen was furious.
She unleashed all the anger she had been holding in on Lin Yaoyao.
Completely unlike her usual dignified and noble demeanor as a lady of the house, she acted like a shrew, her resentment turning into rage, tearing her clothes to shreds.
Lin Yaoyao dared not resist and struggled desperately!
But then her hair was grabbed.
"Ah—Your Highness, save me!" Lin Yaoyao cried out in pain, her eyes filled with tears.
Song Ruoying was so frightened by her mother's erratic behavior that she dared not breathe.
Song Yuxiu tried to stop her, but his mother pushed him away.
They beat Lin Yaoyao until she screamed in agony.
"Mother, you can't fight anymore." Finally, Song Yuxiu pulled the two apart. "It didn't happen on Yaoyao's part!"
"Fool, is all you can think about is love and romance?" Chen was so angry that her body trembled slightly. "What I'm most worried about now is whether what happened today was an accident or whether Shen Zhiyi deliberately did it to take advantage of the situation."
“Mother, you mean…” Song Yuxiu’s face turned deathly pale instantly.
"I always felt something was off about the situation."
Lin Yaoyao quickly chimed in, "Yes, that undergarment was clearly stolen from her by Cuilan under the pretense of delivering medicine, how could it have become Ruoying's?"
“Mother, Cuilan is your person. If you don’t trust me, you should at least trust her. I really don’t know why this matter has developed like this.”
"Yaoyao is right. She gave me a son and a daughter. Don't you believe her?"
Lin Yaoyao bit her lip and tentatively asked, "Mother, could it be... that Cuilan betrayed you?"
At that moment, Cui Lan was outside the window, and upon hearing these words, her face turned pale.
Chen seemed to be deep in thought.
She kept thinking about where things went wrong. Shen Zhiyi was stupid, yet she loved her son deeply. If she had sensed something, she wouldn't have been so calm.
Could it be...?
"What do we do now?" Song Yuxiu was so anxious he was pacing back and forth.
As they were talking, footsteps came from outside, and Shen Zhiyi had already entered the hall.
Looking at Lin Yaoyao's delicate little face, it was once again bruised and swollen.
“Miss Lin, you…” Shen Zhiyi frowned, “How did you get injured like this?”
"I accidentally fell just now." Lin Yaoyao lowered her head slightly, her hatred for Shen Zhiyi running high.
"How could you be so careless?"
"Zhiyi, why did the Regent suddenly come to the mansion today?" Song Yuxiu asked nervously.
"I was entrusted by the Empress Dowager to deliver the invitation to the Pear Orchid Gathering to me. He said it was strange that the Marquis's residence didn't even have a gatekeeper, so he came in without being announced."
A hint of guilt and embarrassment flashed across everyone's eyes.
The fewer people who know about the slander against Shen Zhiyi, the better, so all the servants in the household were sent away.
If there are too many people, and Shen Zhiyi's secret is leaked, they will be unable to control her.
They had considered countless possibilities of failure, but they never expected the regent to appear. This variable disrupted everything.
"The servants in the house are getting lazier and lazier, they're even slacking off," Shen Zhiyi said, feigning anger.
"How could we trouble him with just an invitation?" Song Yuxiu changed the subject with a suspicious look. "Is it really just to deliver an invitation?"
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