Inside the inner room, Nanny Wang gently patted Lady Li on the back, trying to calm her down.
"It's just some rumors. Why take them to heart, Lady?"
Although she was consoling Lady Li, Nanny Wang herself couldn't hide her displeasure.
It was supposed to be a happy thing to have a connection with the wife of the duke.
But as soon as they arrived, they noticed that some ladies were looking at them strangely. Even the duke's wife, who had invited them to the banquet, was cold and distant, not as enthusiastic as before.
Nanny Wang tried to find out the reason but got nothing.
Helpless, Lady Li had to force a smile and stay for half of the banquet. Then she found an excuse to leave.
The duke's wife didn't even pretend to persuade her to stay and immediately sent a servant to escort them out of the mansion.
Lady Li was extremely angry. As soon as they left the duke's mansion, she ordered someone to find out the reason for their being ostracized.
It turned out that Zhao Bing, the right vice - minister of the Ministry of Rites, had been impeached for dereliction of duty, embezzlement and lining his own pockets. The evidence was conclusive, and he was demoted three ranks by the emperor.
Lady Li was completely confused. What did the demotion of the right vice - minister have to do with her?
After further inquiry, Lady Li was so angry that she almost fainted.
It turned out that the reason Zhao Bing was impeached was because his daughter, Zhao Qingyi, had a dispute with Su Hele over a treasure.
Spending more than three hundred taels of silver just to buy a bottle of perfume was really a prodigal act.
Such extravagant behavior naturally attracted people's attention. So, He Xun impeached Zhao Bing.
This should have been the fault of the Zhao family for being careless. But somehow, the rumor spread and it became Su Hele's fault.
People said that the whole thing was caused by her, that she was unlucky, and anyone who had anything to do with her would be in trouble.
The rumor gradually spread, and the ladies actually believed it.
"Zhao Qingyi had a feud with Su Hele. It's obvious that the rumor was spread by Zhao Qingyi. These ladies are usually so shrewd and smooth. How could they believe her nonsense!"
Lady Li felt a tightness in her chest and a sense of helplessness as if she had nowhere to complain.
Nanny Wang just silently patted Lady Li on the back. This was really an unjust disaster.
"And that He Xun. It was he who impeached Zhao Bing. Why isn't anyone saying he's unlucky?"
Lady Li slapped the table so hard that it trembled, but the anger in her heart just wouldn't go away.
Since she couldn't do anything to others, Lady Li could only blame Su Hele:
"Su Hele, that unlucky star. Didn't she always claim to be noble and indifferent to fame and wealth? But at this time, she had to fight with others. I said she would cause trouble sooner or later!
First, it was Minister Cao, and now it's the right vice - minister. And that wife of the duke. I finally managed to establish a connection with her, but now it's all ruined by Su Hele. How many people does she have to offend before she's satisfied!"
As she got more and more excited, Lady Li gasped for breath. Her face turned blue from the lack of oxygen.
"Someone, go and call the doctor from the Liu Mansion quickly!"
Amid the sound of breaking porcelain and Nanny Wang's low cries, there was another commotion in Yurong Courtyard.
...
By the time the noble ladies had left, it was already getting late.
"Is Su Hele still here?"
After getting an affirmative answer, Chen Wanrong couldn't help but snort:
"It's really hard for her to wait for me while being ill. Bring her here."
While waiting, Chen Wanrong frowned, wondering why Su Hele had come this time. She hoped it wasn't about Nan Sheng again.
Since Su Nansheng took over the management of the household, she had taken care of the accounts, shops, properties and fields in an orderly manner, saving Chen Wanrong a lot of trouble.
So these days, Chen Wanrong either spent time in the waterside pavilion to avoid the heat or attended banquets at various mansions. Her life had been so leisurely. But...
"Greetings to Mother."
Su Hele curtsied.
Chen Wanrong sighed. There was always someone who didn't want her to have a peaceful life.
"What's the matter?"
Although reluctant, Chen Wanrong still showed a gentle smile on her face.
"Mother, is there any difficulty in the mansion recently? If it's really hard, I'm willing to take out my dowry to help out."
Chen Wanrong, who had been looking lazy, was stunned. What was this all about?
"Why do you say that?"
Chen Wanrong looked at Su Hele with a drooping mouth.
"I was ordered by you to manage the household, but when I went to the accounting room today, I couldn't even get three hundred taels of silver. They said that Lady Su had set a limit and it couldn't be exceeded.
I thought the mansion was in trouble, but I saw that Lady Su's Bitao Courtyard was even more luxurious than before. So I came here to ask you for clarification."
Although she had been waiting for so long that her back ached, Su Hele still stood straight with her chin slightly raised, looking rather haughty.
It was no wonder that a vulgar person like Su Nansheng, who was so greedy for money, would embezzle when managing the accounts.
Since Chen Wanrong was too stupid to see clearly, she would give her a reminder.
Su Hele rambled on for a long time, but Chen Wanrong only noticed one sentence:
"What do you need the silver for again?"
The hundreds of sets of servant girl clothes that Su Hele had made last time were still lying in the warehouse, and no one knew what to do with them. And the hundreds of sets of writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones were enough for the accountants to use for a lifetime.
Seeing that Chen Wanrong didn't understand her hint, Su Hele frowned slightly:
"I want to improve the scenery of the garden and repair it by the way."
She didn't want to tell Chen Wanrong about building the thatched cottage in advance. When the cottage was built, Chen Wanrong would surely be surprised.
Hearing this, Chen Wanrong secretly let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it wasn't something else to buy.
"The garden is quite large. Whether it's redecorating or repairing, it will surely be hard work. You have a kind heart."
Chen Wanrong resumed her smile. Just repairing the garden shouldn't cause any trouble, right?
"I've been enjoying the scenery and painting since I was a child. After more than ten years of practice, I'm sure I can transform the scenery in the garden into something elegant and unique. But it will cost a lot of silver. If the mansion is in difficulty, we can just take the money from my dowry."
Seeing that Chen Wanrong didn't mention the silver at all, Su Hele reminded her again.
But Chen Wanrong just gave a faint smile:
"Since the silver that can be taken out this month has exceeded the limit, just wait until next month. There's no need to be in such a hurry. Moreover, the silver that you can take from Bitao Courtyard is as much as four hundred taels. It should be enough. You know, that's the expense of an ordinary family for ten years."
Su Hele's expression darkened. Was she saying that she was extravagant?
"But I'm doing this for the public affairs, for the Anshun Marquis Mansion."
Chen Wanrong looked at Su Hele deeply and then said:
"That's why the silver you spent before wasn't deducted from your monthly allowance. It seems that Mrs. Su didn't set any rules for you when you were in your boudoir. You should know that even for public affairs, the silver from the public treasury can't be taken out at will."
"But..."
Su Hele wanted to argue, but was interrupted by Chen Wanrong:
"Also, don't always say that you want to subsidize with your dowry. People who don't know might think that our Anshun Marquis Mansion is so useless that we're eyeing your little dowry."