Shen Miao returned to the Shen Mansion after finishing her studies at the academy, and the sky had already grown somewhat late.
Shen Yue and Shen Qing still hadn’t accompanied her, but Shen Miao couldn’t be bothered to argue with them. Since Old Madam Shen had already retired for the night, she headed straight to the West Courtyard.
Just as she stepped into the West Courtyard, she heard an overly enthusiastic voice call out, “Ah, the young miss has finally returned! This old servant was so worried after hearing you fell into the water. Now that I see you’re well, my heart can finally settle.”
Turning her head, she saw a middle-aged woman approaching. The woman appeared to be in her forties, slightly plump, with a darker complexion, dressed in a plain blue jacket. Though the style was ordinary, the fabric was of decent quality. A heavy silver bracelet adorned her wrist, and her face was all smiles.
“Granny Gui,” Shen Miao replied indifferently.
The woman didn’t seem to notice anything amiss and continued eagerly, “This old servant had wanted to come earlier, but Ran’er has been ill and hasn’t recovered. He’s been fussing back and forth, and I had no choice but to leave him with his mother and return to the mansion first. Only after seeing the young miss safe and sound could I feel at ease.”
Her words were carefully crafted to imply that Shen Miao was even more important to her than her own grandson. In the past, Shen Miao would have been deeply moved by such words, offering comforting reassurances and even giving Granny Gui some silver to take back for her grandson’s treatment.
But now, reborn into this life, Shen Miao could only inwardly mock herself—how had she ever been so blind as to believe this woman was a loyal servant?
After giving birth to Shen Miao, Lady Shen had been forced to leave her behind in the Shen Mansion when Shen Xin was called away to war. Shen Miao was still too young to endure the hardships of travel, and Lady Shen had no choice but to endure the pain of separation. Old Madam Shen had then hired a wet nurse for Shen Miao—the very same Granny Gui.
Granny Gui had originally been a peasant from the Manor. Lady Shen had chosen her for her diligence and honesty, and later, seeing how well Granny Gui cared for Shen Miao, she entrusted her to stay by Shen Miao’s side as her governess.
But in this world, people change.
The West Courtyard of the Shen Mansion had always been sparsely populated, with the real authority lying in the East Courtyard’s two branches and Old Madam Shen. At first, Granny Gui had dutifully looked after Shen Miao, but as time passed, she saw the shifting tides of power and wasted no time in defecting to Old Madam Shen’s side.
Granny Gui was naturally sycophantic. Back when Shen Miao had stubbornly insisted on marrying Fu Xiuyi, Granny Gui had played no small part in fanning the flames.
But what was most unforgivable was when Old Madam Shen had brought her distant niece to seek refuge with the Shen family. That niece had later claimed that Shen Qiu had taken her virtue and demanded he take responsibility, eventually becoming Shen Miao’s sister-in-law and turning Shen Qiu’s household into a complete mess. And the witness who testified that Shen Qiu had violated her? That had been Granny Gui.
Looking back now, it had all been such a clumsy farce.
Betrayal once, and you’ll never be trusted again. And for someone like Granny Gui, who had betrayed her a hundred times over, Shen Miao naturally had to teach her a proper lesson. A dog that kept running away was better off beaten to death than kept.
Granny Gui had waited for a long time, but Shen Miao showed no sign of offering any reward. The affectionate expression she had been maintaining began to stiffen. Unable to help herself, she looked up at Shen Miao—only to find the girl gazing back at her with an indifferent, unreadable expression.
Her heart gave an uneasy thump. For some reason, she suddenly felt a pang of guilt.The next moment, Shen Miao's indifferent reply was heard: "Oh, that must have been quite troublesome for you, Granny."
Gu Yu gave a soft snort, casting a somewhat mocking glance at Granny Gui. She had always despised Granny Gui's fawning and sycophantic demeanor, how she acted domineeringly in the West Courtyard just because she was the young lady's wet nurse. What was worse, their young lady had previously been completely under Granny Gui's thumb, believing many of her slanders, which caused a rift with the original servants of the West Courtyard.
But now, ever since the young lady woke up from her fall into the water, it seemed she had gained clarity on many matters. Her current lukewarm attitude toward Granny Gui truly gave Gu Yu a great sense of satisfaction.
Granny Gui gave an awkward smile, unable to fathom why Shen Miao was treating her so coldly today. Thinking that perhaps Shen Miao was in a bad mood because of the incident with the water, she smiled and advised, "This old servant would advise the young lady not to be too upset and to take care of her health. A delicate flower like the young lady is surely cherished by Prince Ding in his heart. One day..." She had always been good at saying pleasing words, usually picking those Shen Miao liked to hear, which most delighted her. But today, as soon as these words left her mouth, she saw Shen Miao's expression darken.
"Granny, speaking like this—are you trying to tarnish my reputation?" Shen Miao said coldly. "Though my father and mother are not currently in the general's residence, I am still the legitimate daughter of the general's household and the mistress of the West Courtyard. Even ordinary families value their reputation for purity. How could you say such things, unless you deliberately wish to throw me into the fire?"
Granny Gui was taken aback and instinctively replied, "How could the young lady say such a thing? This old servant only has your best interests at heart..."
"So it's my fault, then?" Shen Miao let out a cold laugh. "Very well. Why don't we go ask the old madame to clarify—has the reputation of the general's daughters become as cheap as cabbages? Even cabbages are worth a few copper coins. Granny Gui, you speak so grandly, but I can't help but wonder if it's because I lack propriety."
Perhaps unprepared for Shen Miao's sudden shift in tone—even if she was in a bad mood, she shouldn't take it out on her—Granny Gui, who had long been accustomed to throwing her weight around in the West Courtyard and had always handled Shen Miao well, now found herself humiliated in front of Gu Yu and Jing Zhe. Feeling a surge of anger, she couldn't help but retort, "Young lady, your words are too harsh. This old servant has been by your side for over a decade. How could you think I would deliberately harm you?"
"Outrageous!" Jing Zhe raised her voice. "The young lady is your mistress. How dare you speak to her like this, Granny Gui?"
Granny Gui was startled, immediately regretting her earlier outburst. But words once spoken could not be taken back, and there were many servants gathered around watching the spectacle. Still thinking Shen Miao was the same easily manipulated young girl, she quickly softened her tone and said, "Young lady, this old servant truly cares for you. Having served you for so many years, I’ve long regarded you as my own child. My words earlier were wrong. Please don’t be angry, young lady. Take care not to harm your health with anger."Treat her as her own child? Shen Miao sneered inwardly, thinking Granny Gui was quite the character. She had received plenty of silver from her over the years, yet treated the East Courtyard as her true masters. In the end, she even caused her elder brother to suffer such a great loss. In her past life, had such a treacherous servant appeared in the imperial harem, she would have long issued an edict to have them beaten to death and discarded. But now... Since Granny Gui was so devoted to the East Courtyard, why not use her to make them suffer a loss?
She raised an eyebrow, her tone indifferent. "Since Granny Gui admits her mistake, she shall only forfeit three months' wages."
Granny Gui stiffened, while Shen Miao's lips curved slightly.
What would a silverless Granny Gui do?
Naturally, she would go to the East Courtyard to prove her loyalty.
...
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