Upon hearing this, Pei Jing's eyes widened in surprise. "Is Madam confused? Madam, do you know what you're saying?"
"She's just a lowly wretch! Why be so careful, Madam? You are the lady of a first-rank marquis's mansion. What is she? She's just the daughter of a mere fifth-rank official. It's a blessing she's earned through countless lifetimes that you're willing to show her mercy and teach her a lesson. Others would beg for that kind of blessing!"
Pei Jing sneered and said confidently, "So what if I hit her? I don't believe she'll dare to tell anyone!"
“That’s not necessarily true, my child,” Wen said, wiping away her tears and her eyes filled with hatred. “That bitch Jiang is different from others. As soon as she entered the manor, she spread rumors everywhere that the old lady loves her and the young master loves her. There is no one in the entire capital who is better at spreading rumors than her. She makes outsiders think that she is the apple of our eye. If I dare to hit her today, she will dare to tell the whole world tomorrow. She has no shame, but I still have a face!”
As she spoke, she became emotional, and tears streamed down her face. "Reputation is built up little by little. Do you think it was easy for me to spend twenty years eating vegetarian food and chanting Buddhist scriptures?"
"After years of hard work, we've finally earned the respect of those noble ladies from aristocratic families in the capital. How can we let it all be ruined by that little bitch Jiang!"
Wen shook her head resolutely, refusing to agree and forbidding Pei Jing from calling Jiang Shuwan over.
"What? She's that good? I'll have to meet her then!"
Wen's strong opposition only made Pei Jing more interested.
She frowned and thought for a moment, but couldn't recall what Jiang Shuwan looked like.
"I vaguely remember seeing her at the New Year's Eve dinner, and I think I ran into her again just now when I came to the lady's courtyard!"
"If Madam hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known that this vile woman, Jiang, was so arrogant. The two times I met her in the manor before, she always bowed respectfully to me. I never imagined that she would bully Madam to such an extent behind my back!"
"I'll see today if I hit her and she dares to ruin your reputation!"
As she spoke, she held onto Wen's hand with a pained expression.
"Madam, you've suffered so much!"
Pei Jing felt heartbroken. She knew that the Wen family was a level below the noble ladies of the capital because of their status as imperial merchants. For the sake of their reputation, they had been very careful all these years and dared not make any mistakes.
Moreover, even after she married into the Liu family, her sisters-in-law often made veiled sarcasm about Wen's status. It was only because of her generous dowry that she felt much more confident.
"Don't worry, Madam. If she dares to ruin your reputation, not only you, but I won't let her get away with it either!"
"A vile woman from a lowly family! Not only does she disrespect her mother-in-law, but she also dares to sow discord between her parents-in-law and try to seize control of the household. She's an unfilial and despicable woman! She's utterly outrageous and audacious!"
"If we don't teach her a lesson, she'll really think she's in charge of the Marquis's mansion!"
"Guards, bring that vile woman Jiang here to see me!" Pei Jing walked a few steps to the armchair next to him, sat down, slammed his hand on the table, and looked imposing.
Seeing her so confident, Madam Wen hesitated. "My child, are you really capable? You must be careful. Your second brother is not married yet, and I have to think about him. He can't inherit the title, and if my reputation is ruined, who will dare to marry him? Moreover, Madam Jiang is eyeing the power of the household. If I make any mistakes, I'm afraid the old lady will immediately hand over the power of managing the household to her."
Pei Jing felt a growing impatience as she continued repeating the same things.
"Don't worry, Madam. She's a lowly woman. How could she not deal with her? Besides, her mother-in-law is seriously ill, and instead of coming to take care of her, she's hiding in the house enjoying herself. Even if we bring this up in front of the old lady, she'll still be considered unreasonable."
"I refuse to believe it. Even if the old lady spoils her, does she think she can be allowed to disregard human ethics and filial piety?"
"Our Marquis's residence is not a place where there are no rules!"
Pei Jing spoke confidently and decisively. Seeing that Wen's maid hadn't moved after hearing the order, she shot her icy gaze at her, "What, does my word not carry any weight? Hurry up and bring that slut here!"
"Please forgive me, madam. I will go and fetch the young mistress immediately."
Pei Jing spoke sharply and arrogantly, and the maid dared not be negligent, so she hurriedly ran out in fear.
However, she ran out and then ran back.
"Grandma, the young mistress has arrived."
"The young mistress said she came to visit because she heard that the madam was seriously ill."
"She arrived so quickly?"
"You didn't tip her off, did you?"
Pei Jing was taken aback, then glanced at the maids and servants around him who were now silent as cicadas in fear. The maids and servants knelt down with a "plop".
“My lady, you are wise! We servants were born to be Madam’s servants, and we will be Madam’s servants even in death. How dare we betray Madam?”
"Hmph! I bet you wouldn't dare!"
Pei Jing snorted coldly. Jiang Shuwan's arrival was sudden, but she remained calm and composed, maintaining her noble status.
"Bring Jiang Shi in here!"
As she spoke, she raised her hand high, about to slam her hand on the table and give Jiang Shuwan a slap, when a young girl came running in, sobbing and covering her face with a handkerchief.
She cried so bitterly and movingly, as if she were heartbroken to the extreme, her eyes red and swollen from crying.
She entered the room without looking at anyone else and ran straight to Wen's side. She rushed to Wen's bedside in a few steps, her expression anxious and worried, and tears kept falling.
"Madam, are you alright?"
"Waaaaah, Madam, you absolutely mustn't be hurt. Wanwan rushed here as soon as she heard you were seriously ill. It's all Wanwan's fault for being so unfilial; she didn't even know you were sick."
“Wanwan deserves to die…”
"Waaah, Madam, please take care of yourself. If anything happens to you, your daughter-in-law doesn't want to live anymore..."
She patted the bed and wept bitterly, overwhelmed with grief.
For a moment, everyone in the room was dumbfounded.
What, what, what's going on?
Why is the young mistress suddenly crying?
Moreover, she was crying so bitterly that it didn't sound like Wen was sick, but rather like she was about to die.
Madam Wen sat up in bed angrily, "Who's seriously ill? Don't curse me. The imperial physician said I'll get better as long as I take good care of myself."
"That's good, that's good." The girl nodded with delight.
"Miss, please get up quickly. Look how messy your hairpins are from running around. People will say you have no manners if they see this," Qingxing said from behind her, stepping forward to help her straighten the disheveled hairpins.
Jiang Shuwan was wearing a long pearl tassel boudoir today, and it got tangled together with any big movements. Normally, people would say she was reckless and unruly.
"What do rules matter? Rules are nothing compared to my wife's safety. I only regret that I was too slow and didn't have time to be by my wife's side the first time," Jiang Shuwan said, sobbing.
As she spoke, she glanced outside while wiping away her tears, noticing a shadow on the window frame in the corner.
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