"Madam, it's just that they refused to leave! I didn't even know if she was your real granddaughter..."
"So you just drove her away without even asking me? Is this how you manage the Hua Mansion when I entrusted it to you? Let me tell you today, she is my real granddaughter!"
These words hit the First Lady like a thunderbolt. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. She never expected... the most unlikely possibility had come true.
Suddenly, the First Lady seemed to think of something. She knelt in front of the old madam. "I was wrong, truly. Forgive me. I was just too impulsive this time. I've managed the Hua Mansion for all these years. Even if I don't have merits, I've put in a lot of hard work!"
The eldest young master had died in an accident while fighting on the battlefield early on and left no offspring. The First Lady had been a widow ever since. Alone in the Hua Mansion, it was the old madam's kindness that had given her the right to manage the mansion.
The old madam closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You've really let me down. I loved your son so much back then. Now, hand over the stewardship first and go to the ancestral shrine to reflect for a while."
Let her down? The First Lady's eyes lost their sparkle instantly. When she looked up again, her face was twisted. "Do you think the Hua Mansion has treated me well? I became a widow as soon as I entered this family. How old was I then? Only fifteen! Did any of you ever consider my feelings?"
"I've managed the entire Hua Mansion day and night, but now you just take away my stewardship like that. I think everyone in the Hua Mansion is heartless!"
As she spoke, her head jerked violently, and her neatly coiled hair came loose. She looked disheveled and crazy as she slumped on the ground.
The old madam was so angry that she was gasping for breath. Back then, she had arranged this marriage to help the First Lady's family when it was in decline. And her son had really liked her. Her son's death on the battlefield was an accident, not like she was brought in for some bad luck.
The old madam was too angry to speak. She trembled and pointed to the door. "Get out..."
The First Lady just sneered and stormed out. Her maid asked doubtfully, "Madam, it might not be a good idea to anger the old madam like this."
The First Lady just gave her a disdainful look. "I don't want to kneel in the ancestral shrine. I'll just go back to my mother's house for a few days. She'll come and pick me up. I don't believe that there's anyone else in this big Hua Mansion who can manage it better than me. The stewardship will still be mine in the end."
As she said this, the First Lady couldn't help but show a sad smile. It seemed that since he left, her heart had been empty, and she no longer knew what she really wanted.
Shen Li was also quite shocked by this scene. She quickly comforted the old madam and shouted to the servant beside her, "Hurry! Go and call the doctor!"
But the old madam held her hand. It was warm. Gasping for breath, she said, "I'm fine. Just help me to the chair over there to rest."
After sitting down, an old servant handed the old madam some pills. After taking them with tea, the old madam felt much better.
The old servant couldn't help but complain, "The First Lady is such an ungrateful person! She's emptied the Hua Mansion, transferred the property to her own name, and even taken it to her natal family. How can she be so selfish? The old madam has just turned a blind eye all these years..."
The old madam's hand holding the teacup trembled so much that she simply put it down. Her eyes were a bit moist, and she sighed. "Alas... You've seen the current situation of the Hua Mansion. I used to be kind to her and let her do whatever she wanted. But now you can see that she's just an ungrateful person!"
Perhaps getting a bit too emotional, the old madam couldn't stop coughing. The old servant quickly handed her the tea again.
"I can't let the entire Hua Mansion be destroyed on my watch. Fortunately, you've come to see me now. Grandmother's health is getting worse. I don't know when..."
Hearing this, Shen Li quickly held the old madam's hand. Although she hadn't lived with the old madam for a long time, the family bond was a wonderful thing that made her care deeply.
Her eyes filled with tears. "Grandmother, don't say that. You'll surely live a long and healthy life."
The old madam knew her own health situation very well. She choked up a bit.
"Forget about these things. I still need to go on. I want you to manage the mansion."
"Manage the mansion?" Shen Li blurted out in shock. She hesitated and said, "I understand the current situation, but I've just arrived at the Hua Mansion..."
The old madam took out a letter from her bosom and slowly unfolded it. It was clearly in Shen Li's handwriting.
"I'm sure you've noticed that the letter that should have arrived long ago only reached me today. The Hua Mansion has been meddled with by others. So we can't let the First Lady manage it like this anymore."
The situation suddenly became very serious. Shen Li never expected that the Hua Mansion would be in such a difficult situation. As a prestigious military family, the royal family would always be wary and try to weaken or even destroy it.
Thinking of this, Shen Li tightly clenched her hands. When she was a child, her grandmother was in poor health but still prepared birthday gifts for her. The Hua Mansion had truly treated her well. She would never let the Hua Mansion be destroyed.
When she looked up again, her face was full of determination. "Grandmother, don't worry. I'll definitely manage this family well. I won't let the Hua Mansion be destroyed on our watch."
The two held hands tightly, feeling each other's body temperature.
Now the steward followed Shen Li closely. Whenever Shen Li had a question, he would immediately step forward to answer. Shen Li sat at the table and carefully flipped through each ledger.
"You inform all the stewards of the fields and shops to come and see me tomorrow afternoon. If any of them is busy, let someone else come on their behalf. You need to be efficient. Do you understand?"
The steward constantly wiped the sweat off his forehead. Since Miss Shen took over the management of the mansion, his pressure had increased. So he nodded repeatedly and took the opportunity to go and inform the stewards while Shen Li was checking the accounts.
As the sun was setting, Jiao Yue fetched a basin of water for Shen Li to wash her hands. Then the two went to the dining hall. As soon as they stepped in, they heard a warm voice, "So this is my cousin! I've finally got to meet you!"
Looking up, they saw a young master who looked very smart but had a simple and honest smile on his face. He was wearing a tight white robe that showed his muscular figure.