The slap in the face came too fast, like a tornado.
The room fell silent instantly, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The maids and servants felt embarrassed for the old lady, and then they scolded the eldest daughter-in-law, saying that she had falsely accused the second daughter-in-law without any evidence, only to be proven wrong. Then there was the third wife, who had just stated unequivocally that no one had sent her any ointment, but then she developed a rash, exactly as the eldest daughter-in-law had said...
The old lady sat stiffly on the daybed, her face alternating between red, blue, and purple. As if she hadn't lost enough face, Shen Wan added, "It's probably just a coincidence."
This is definitely something the old lady wanted to say, but dared not say.
Shen Wan was very filial and spoke up for her.
The old lady's face turned even uglier.
Not everything can be dismissed as a coincidence.
The Third Madam needed a tribute ointment to ensure that the scratches would not leave scars. She also asked Shen Wan to go to the Yun family to get half a box of ointment for the Third Madam to use. The Yun family mistakenly gave her half a box of ointment that caused red rashes on the face. The Third Madam's face then broke out in a red rash. Can this be dismissed as a mere coincidence?
The old lady had never encountered a situation like today where she couldn't open her mouth to speak.
Shen Jing's face was gloomy, his expression like the sky before a storm, making the whole room feel oppressive.
The old lady, holding her Buddhist prayer beads, said, "Someone, bring the Third Madam here."
The maidservant quickly went to deliver the message.
Before she had even finished her tea, the third wife arrived. She had scratches on her face and a rash. She was wearing a veil, but the rash was clearly visible on her forehead.
The third wife already knew that the ointment had poisoned her. As soon as she came in, she reached out to Shen Wan, "Quickly give me the antidote."
Would Shen Wan easily give her the antidote?
When the maid went to ask, the third wife denied it very readily.
Shen Wan said, "Until it is confirmed that the rash on Third Aunt's face is caused by the Yun family's ointment, I cannot give you this antidote. If it causes any problems, I cannot bear the responsibility."
Desperate to find a cure, the third wife truthfully replied, "The ointment I used was given to me by Ying'er."
Shen Wan said, "Then even Third Aunt can't be sure that the ointment Second Sister gave you came from the Yun family."
The third wife said, "If it wasn't taken from the Yun family, where else could the ointment have come from?!"
Although Shen Wan thought so too, and it was even true, she had just been reprimanded by the old lady, so how could she not learn from the lesson?
Shen Wan said, "Second Sister is now the Princess Consort of Jin. The Empress must have the tribute ointment. Even if she doesn't, she can ask the Emperor for it. Without solid evidence, Third Aunt is so sure it's Second Sister. Be careful, Grandmother will scold you for falsely accusing Second Sister."
*Smack*
Another slap.
It hit the old lady squarely in the face.
The old lady was so angry that her lips turned purple, and her mouth tasted as if it were filled with the metallic taste of blood.
Fourth Madam and Shen Wei also arrived. The atmosphere in the room was tense. They didn't go forward, but quietly found a place far away to sit down and watch the show.
Hearing Shen Wan's words, the Fourth Madam's lips curled up slightly, and Shen Wei's shoulders almost dislocated from shaking. After her eldest sister married Prince Ling, she had really changed a lot. No one in this mansion had ever made the old lady so angry. However, her second sister was really too much. Her eldest sister had clearly refused to ask the Yun family for ointment, but she still used her eldest sister's name to ask for it. This behavior was even more infuriating than stealing.
Shen Wan was adamant that she would not hand over the antidote unless Shen Ying confessed that she had sent someone to the Yun family to get the ointment.
In front of Shen Jing, no one dared to put pressure on Shen Wan. The Third Madam was furious, but could only look to the Old Madam.
The old lady had no choice but to send someone to Prince Jin's residence to find Shen Ying.
After giving her instructions, the old lady looked at Chen Jing and said, "We still don't know when Ying'er will be back. The Marquis is busy with military affairs, so how can we let you bother with these trivial matters of the inner quarters and handle them personally..."
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Shen Wan could tell that the old lady was scolding her for bothering her father with such a trivial matter and causing him worry.
With her father gone, does that mean the old lady can mold her into whatever she wants?
Shen Wan smiled sarcastically to herself, but remained outwardly calm as she said, "If this were just about my second sister and me, Grandmother would have let it go. But now that the Yun family is involved, if Father doesn't intervene, will Grandmother have to personally apologize to the Yun family when the truth comes out?"
The old lady's face turned as long as a horse's.
Shen Wan wouldn't indulge her. The old lady would never go to the Yun family to humble herself and explain, nor would she let Shen Ying go to the Yun family and lose face. In the end, it would only be her father who would go.
Now they won't let their father handle things, but later they expect him to clean up the mess. Their skin is probably thicker than a city wall.
Shen Jing said with a stern face, "Today is a day off, there is no urgent military business to handle."
That means he will see this matter through to the end.
The old lady pursed her lips, her expression growing increasingly cold.
Shen Wan sat patiently, not afraid that Shen Ying would dare to find an excuse not to come back. She could hide for a while, but she couldn't hide forever. It was the Third Madam who was worried, not her.
Shen Ying returned as expected, her face grim as she entered the room, clearly having learned what had happened from the maid.
After entering the room, Shen Ying first bowed to the old lady, and then gritted her teeth and said, "I went to the Yun family to get the ointment in my elder sister's name!"
His voice, filled with anger, showed absolutely no remorse.
Chen Jing's face grew even colder and more somber.
Shen Wan's clear gaze fell on Shen Ying's face, and she said, "So you admit it? Your grandmother firmly believes that you would not do such a thing, and that I am framing you."
The old lady's face turned a deep purple, like an eggplant color.
Shen Ying looked at the old lady with a wronged expression and said, "I had someone go to the Yun family to get the ointment under the guise of my eldest sister. I only did this because I saw that my eldest sister wanted to help my third aunt, but was afraid of hurting the Yun family's feelings. My eldest sister is not grateful, and she even blames me..."
Bang!
Chen Jing slammed his hand on the small table beside him.
The whole room, including Shen Wan, was startled, especially Shen Ying, whose face turned pale with fright.
Shen Jing coldly said, "Is this how the Pingyang Marquis's mansion disciplines you? You make a mistake and refuse to admit it, and you even try to make excuses!"
When the second wife learned that her daughter had been found and brought back to the mansion, she rushed to Qinghui Courtyard and overheard this conversation as she entered the room.
The second wife looked displeased. She herself wouldn't say a harsh word to her daughter, so how could she allow Chen Jing to scold her?
The second wife went in and said, "Ying'er is already married and is the Princess Consort of Jin. It is disrespectful to the royal family that the Marquis is criticizing her so harshly."
This is also the source of Shen Ying's confidence.
Now that she is the Princess Consort of Jin, in terms of status, even Shen Jing has to bow to her, let alone punish her.
She was fearless and emboldened.
Shen Wan laughed. She was just a Princess Consort of Jin, yet she really thought she was something special. "I only asked Father to intervene in this matter to save face for my second sister. If my second aunt thinks Father is not qualified to intervene, then I will go to the palace to ask the Emperor to intervene."
They won't listen to reason, but insist on taking the punishment. How could she not grant their wish?
With that, Shen Wan suddenly stood up and walked away.
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