The Female Cannon Fodder With Boundless Merits
Chapter 286 - 290: The Struggle of the Inner House (16)

Chapter 286: Chapter 290: The Struggle of the Inner House (16)

Murong An blinked his eyes, and when he looked again, a gracefully erect and beautiful girl was already sitting opposite the little old man, holding the tea that had been passed to her and taking a delicate sip.

"Delicious, isn’t it? This tea is a tribute; the whole country only produces such a small jar each year, and it’s all here. You can’t find this outside."

The little old man proudly poured another cup for Su Li.

"Blood Mist Tea, is this thing really that rare? I’m already tired of it."

Little old man: "...."

Murong An: "...." The bastards below him, he knew they were only fooling those above.

The little old man smiled again and said, "Then take a look here, is there anything that catches your eye? Feel free to take it with you."

Murong An also looked over with bright, interested eyes.

The treasures of the world all converged in the Imperial Palace; he, as the Emperor, could say that his palace was the place with the most and the finest rarities under heaven.

Su Li curled her lip, "No, too common."

That evening, Murong An found himself speechless more than ever before.

He had wanted to sway her with gold and silver jewelry, rare treasures, and even promises of his own.

However, despite her youth, this girl’s cunning could match that of a fox spirit.

He laid all he could offer on the line, and after going around in circles, he still couldn’t grasp the girl’s thoughts.

That night, the lights in the Imperial Study Room remained on for the entire half of the night.

No one knew what was discussed inside, but the following day, decrees and rewards from the Imperial Palace started flowing endlessly towards the Ancient Mansion.

Yes, the Ancient Mansion.

The General Gu who had died in the battlefield left behind only a daughter. Remembering his loyal and unmatched valor, the Holy Emperor specially conferred upon his daughter, Gai Yinyin, the title of Dowager An, granting her a thousand acres of fertile land, ten thousand gold, and ten boxes of jewels.

Su Li rejected the Holy Emperor’s idea of bestowing her a mansion, only taking the imperial plaque home to hang outside her nameless residence.

Dreamily propping up her cheeks, Gai Yinyin asked Su Li, "So, does this mean I am now the Dowager An, with a rank higher than a current Prince?"

In truth, it was more about the prestige of the title rather than actual power, but Gai Yinyin wasn’t wrong. At least when she went out, aside from the Imperial Relatives, everyone else would have to kneel and salute her.

With the Holy Emperor’s decree, many people in the Capital were left scratching their heads.

It had been over a decade since General Gu had passed away – it seemed unusual to bestow such rewards after so much time.

But those in the know kept silent.

At the same time, as Gai Yinyin’s status soared, the scandal concerning the Duke Ying Mansion also surfaced.

Just the day before, Old Madam had led people to the door of the Ancient Mansion seeking trouble with Dowager An – a scene witnessed by many.

The Old Madam herself had admitted at the scene, to the cold-hearted deeds the Duke Ying, Su Shi, had committed against Dowager An.

Old Madam, lying in bed recuperating: "...." I didn’t, I haven’t, don’t talk nonsense, I never admitted anything.

According to others’ views, while she might not have admitted it, she didn’t refute it either, which was practically confirmation of the truth.

Some also speculated on the Emperor’s intentions – could this be a sign of his displeasure and disdain towards Duke Ying, Su Shi?

In any event, the prevailing winds in the Capital suddenly changed, becoming extremely unfriendly to the Duke Ying Mansion.

Recently, the atmosphere in the Duke Ying Mansion was oppressively low, with the servants tiptoeing around, fearful of provoking their already agitated masters.

Su Shi and Old Madam were infuriated by the rumors spreading outside.

Su Shi no longer wished to venture outside, for he certainly knew why the Emperor would act so. In the end, all this was initiated by his own hands.

It was almost like lifting a rock only to drop it on one’s own foot. It was the strange and contemptuous looks from his colleagues at court that he couldn’t bear, leading to his furious outbursts each time he returned home.

Recently, he had taken leave from the Emperor under the pretext of illness, staying at home and finally finding peace for a few days, pretending not to hear the increasingly unbearable rumors spreading outside.

Zhu Liusha had been at odds with Su Shi for these days, taking the younger children with her to live in the suburban villa for several days, completely unaware of what had been happening in the Capital.

In the villa, apart from the carefree dragon and phoenix twins, both Su Ying and Zhu Liusha were having a hard time.

Su Ying had been worrying about her marriage prospects. At the villa, she received a letter from the Second Prince, Murong Ya, joyfully informing her that he would soon visit her mansion to propose marriage, and told her not to be troubled by the gossip in the Capital.

Su Ying’s face changed drastically, gossip in the Capital? About them?

She had known nothing about it.

Gathering her skirts, she ran quickly towards her mother’s location.

Zhu Liusha stood by the window, murmuring to a potted orchid on the windowsill.

Her expression revealed sadness and unresolved worries, her thoughts had long since flown back to the mansion.

For several days now, she had heard nothing from the Duke Mansion, wondering what Lord was busy with and why he hadn’t come to make amends.

"Mother, haven’t you been in touch with the mansion since coming here?" Su Ying rushed in, urgent.

Zhu Liusha was still lost in her own world, taking a moment to snap back to reality, "What...?"

Su Ying quickly repeated herself. After hearing her daughter’s words, Zhu Liusha began to realize the problem.

Indeed, even before she had left the mansion with the children, there were signs—the unnatural expressions between the Old Madam and the Lord, the disheveled state of the Old Madam returning from outside the mansion...

She had been too self-pitying, neglecting so much.

Zhu Liusha: "Call your brother and sister back. We will pack up and return to the mansion."

As soon as they entered the city, Zhu Liusha sent a maid to the streets to inquire about the latest interesting events.

Before long, the maid returned, her expression hesitant, seeming very odd.

Su Ying was now much more impatient than usual, pressing her, "Speak quickly."

The little maid shrank back, braving the courage to say: "The rumors spreading in the city are all about our Duke Ying Mansion..."

Having spoken, the maid quickly retreated to the shadows in the corner, praying that both the madam and young lady would overlook her.

They say that Miss Su Ying is the Capital’s most beautiful woman, but now her complexion looked terrifying.

And Madam, always so gentle and tender, also looked frightening.

Zhu Liusha sat in the carriage, silent for a long time, before she instructed the coachman to hasten back to the mansion.

Back at home, Su Ying locked herself in her room and cried her heart out.

Zhu Liusha, however, wanted to find Su Shi.

But the Old Madam by now harbored venomous hatred for Zhu Liusha.

Today, her boudoir friend, the old lady from Prince Xue Mansion, had invited several close sisters to visit.

As a result, she waited a long time at home but did not receive an invitation from them.

She sat until late afternoon, having sent servants to inquire, only for the response to be direct: the old lady from the Prince Manor never intended to invite anyone from the Duke Ying Mansion.

Considering the rumors outside, what was there the Old Madam couldn’t understand?