0p0 Chapter 39 Planning
Chapter 39 Planning
Qin listened to Madam Zeng's analysis and thought with her eyes narrowed.
Suddenly, she raised her eyes, as if she had thought of something. Su Wan had often gone to Mingxiangxuan for tea before. Could she have some connection with this shop? Then she remembered that she had heard that Su Wan was very cold towards Zheng Yanchen, a stark contrast to her attitude before they got married. This was too abnormal!
Now, connecting the dots, Qin's eyes flashed as if she had discovered some earth-shattering secret. Great, so this bitch's mind had already wandered somewhere else! Qin sneered, her eyes revealing both anticipation and murderous intent.
How could the Duke's Mansion keep such a shameless woman!
"Tell that maid to come to me. I have something to ask her."
"Yes."
Su Wan didn't know what Qin was thinking, but she felt a certain sadness about the current state of the Duke's Mansion. To destroy her newly established authority within the mansion, Qin had dismissed many of the elders in her own name, even those close to the deceased Duke. She had crushed the prestige that Wen had built up over the years. It had to be said that Su Wan had made the right choice in choosing Qin.
The man named Zheng Yi was a favored member of the old Duke's family, but Qin first used sweet words to destroy Wen's good impression of Zheng Yi, and then mercilessly sent the man, who was over 60 years old, to do hard labor on the stakes. For this, Zheng Yi even made a scene, calling them all ungrateful people.
Su Wan sneered in her heart, these people’s hearts were inherently cold.
However, the most important thing right now was to prepare for the Spring Festival Banquet in ten days. In her previous life, despite the Wen family's growing dislike for her under Qin's instigation, she had yet to take action. Qin was anxious, and she wanted to use this banquet to completely discredit her and drive her out of the house, leaving her with a reputation for bad behavior.
However, for some reason, Zheng Yanchen at the time kept Su Wan's whereabouts under very strict control, even refusing to let her attend the banquet that day. In this life, he had taken over the reins of the household, and after all this turmoil, the Duke's Mansion had suffered severe losses, yet they had the audacity to target him.
Okay, then let’s give it a try and pay off the debts of past and present lives bit by bit.
Su Wan walked over to the table and looked at her dowry list. Most of the valuables had been converted into cash, and she had asked Manager Liu to keep it. She could hold off for a while, but she was afraid Qin Shi would have to take action. Su Wan's eyelashes lifted, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly. It seemed the people in Haitang Garden had reached their limits.
"Young Madam, as you instructed, the doctor from the pharmacy has already gone to Madam Zhou's house and given her twenty taels of silver from your private vault. Madam Zhou is very touched."
Nanny Zhou was the kitchen manager, and on weekdays she was in charge of the dishes, accounts, and portions of food for each courtyard. However, Nanny Sun was now using Qin's influence to suppress her, leaving Nanny Zhou in a dilemma. Now her child was sick and she had no money to treat him.
Su Wan sighed, "When people are at their most desperate, even the smallest kindness will be remembered for the rest of their lives. Did she tell me about what happened to Madam Sun recently?"
"I've already said that Madam Zeng has abused her power for her own selfish ends. She's even become more and more rampant, even wanting to replace Madam Zhou. Madam Zhou naturally hates her to the core."
Liuyan said disdainfully, "This nanny really has no sense of propriety. It's already this late, and she still doesn't know how to restrain herself."
When Qin married into the family, Madam Zeng had won the favor of the Wen family with her good mouth and some connections, and she also took on the task of managing the servants. Now that Qin had made a mistake, she was still trying to make money, probably because she was afraid that Qin would really fall out of favor, so she left some way out for herself.
Su Wan laughed out loud, "Silly girl, if she doesn't restrain herself, we will have a chance."
As she spoke, Liuyan handed Su Wan a slightly longer sandalwood box, "Young Madam, this was sent from outside."
Su Wan took it with a smile, opened it, looked at it, and said with a smile: "He is always attentive to his work."
"What has my husband been doing these days? Is he still going to the restaurant to drink?"
"I heard that Erlangjun has been dragged to Qianweilou by that young master from the Zhang family for drinks these past few days. Madam Jiang and Madam Liu also go to Qianweilou from time to time."
Su Wan's face lit up when she heard this. Liu Yi, the head of the Liu family, was the Minister of War and held considerable power. However, in terms of family power, he was not as powerful as the century-old families of Su and Zheng. This was also the reason why the Wen family looked down on Liu Yurong.
Liu Yurong and Jiang Yun had been close friends since childhood, yet both shared a deep admiration for Zheng Yanchen. When Su Wan pursued Zheng Yanchen, she frequently counseled Jiang Yun, using the opportunity to spread rumors about herself, earning her a reputation as a notorious boor in the capital.
"Let our people not be careless. With Madam Liu's help, our plan will go smoothly."
"Yes."
After Liuyan left, Su Wan finished the work in her hands and looked at the bastard beside the table. Its pair of grape-like eyes stared at her, making her heart soften.
"Meow--"
Su Wan picked up the idiot and petted him. The day before yesterday, the idiot had suddenly developed a toxic reaction, convulsing non-stop for a while, shocking everyone in the courtyard. Fortunately, the veterinarian at the mansion was able to suppress the toxicity, but they couldn't completely eradicate it. The veterinarian said the idiot was carrying a strange poison, untreatable. Su Wan showed the veterinarian the medicine she had prepared before giving it to the idiot. Fortunately, the idiot's condition had improved over the past few days.
"Your master is so powerful, why did he let you be poisoned like this?" Su Wan was puzzled. Could it be that he was the one who poisoned you?
"I don't know when my father will write to me." I had mentioned the poison in a letter to my father before, and I didn't know if Uncle Long would be willing to give me a prescription.
……
There are people coming and going upstairs in Qianwei Building, and it is very lively.
It was dusk when Zheng Yanchen returned from his post. As soon as he disembarked from his carriage, Liu Yuting, the second son of the Liu family, pulled him out for a drink. His injuries had healed, but the anger within him remained. Su Wan was always busy with her own affairs, ignoring him. He hated Su Wan's apathetic, condescending demeanor. Who did she think she was? She didn't even realize how she had achieved her current position.
Zheng Yanchen wanted Su Wan to return to her previous state, but he couldn't bring himself to go to Tingyuxuan again, so he felt very depressed.
On the other side of the screen, Jiang Yun and Liu Yurong looked across at a group of young men gathered for a drink and a good time, their voices bouncing and clamoring. Among them, Zheng Yanchen, dressed in a cyan official uniform, sat upright, standing out like a crane among chickens. The sight of him brought a blush to the two young women.
"Are you telling the truth?" Liu Yurong asked, "Zheng Yanchen and your sister are not getting along?"
Jiang Yun's face was filled with worry. "How could it be fake? I saw it with my own eyes. It's also because my elder sister is weak and can't handle it. Plus, she's not very good-looking. I guess she never caught Zheng Erlang's eye."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but sigh, "Ah, to be honest, my sister is also pitiful. Although she has no opinions of her own and can't manage the household well, she has a kind heart after all. How could she end up like this?"
Liu Yurong sneered, "Why should you pity her? Don't forget, she brought this upon herself. She knew she was ugly and had bad manners, yet she still clung to Zheng Erlang, bringing shame to your Su family throughout the capital. If it were you, I would have drawn a line in the sand with this sister long ago."
Jiang Yun's expression changed slightly when she heard this. "She is my sister. Even if you are my friend, I don't allow you to say that about her."