"A Shen, the flowers in the courtyard are blooming beautifully today. How about we have dinner in the garden pavilion tonight?" Wen Yu suggested, her eyes full of anticipation. Seeing her like this, how could Pei Shen have the heart to refuse? He immediately nodded and then asked, "Sister-in-law, can you really endure the Third Prince for my sake?"
"I never lie to you." Wen Yu replied with a gentle smile.
Hearing this, Pei Shen couldn't help but feel relieved.
These days, out of concern for Wen Yu, he had repeatedly obstructed Ji Yunqing. He had even proposed to find a few stunning beauties for Ji Yunqing and send them to his mansion, but Ji Yunqing had refused each time. As a result, the two of them had been on bad terms.
Currently, Pei Shen still needed to rely on Ji Yunqing's influence to rise to power. If he really offended Ji Yunqing to the core, it would be a great loss.
It was true that he cared about Wen Yu. However, Wen Yu had already been with Ji Yunqing many times. If he failed at this critical moment, all his previous sacrifices would be in vain.
Fortunately, she had come to her senses. Otherwise, he would have to think of ways to push things forward.
"Sister-in-law, once I achieve success and fame in the future, I will surely live up to your sincere love."
As Pei Shen said this, his face showed a relaxed expression filled with genuine emotion.
This look seemed extremely ironic to Wen Yu.
She knew that Pei Shen must have reached his limit after enduring the pressure for several days. That was why he had come to talk about this matter today.
Since she couldn't avoid what was to come in any case, it would be better for her to bring it up herself.
At least in this way, she could plant another thorn in Pei Shen's heart.
Wen Yu didn't respond. She just gave him a gentle smile silently.
After leaving Pei Shen's study, Wen Yu tidied up her clothes and let the hickey show faintly. Then she applied some rouge on her face, making herself look flushed and with moist eyes.
After completing all these preparations, she headed towards the garden.
Since the servants in her and Pei Shen's courtyard had been dismissed by Pei Shen, most of the servants in the Pei Mansion were now concentrated in the garden.
Among them were a few gossiping old women who were born into the Pei Mansion and were extremely talkative.
"I'm going to have dinner with the young master in the garden pavilion today. Remember to clean it up." As soon as Wen Yu approached, she ordered Granny Xu.
Her tone was arrogant, and her posture was extremely overbearing.
These old women considered themselves old-timers in the Pei Mansion and were extremely proud.
The more arrogant she was, the more resentful they felt.
When they were unhappy, they would slack off on the tasks assigned by their master and even gossip behind their backs.
"The eldest young master is no longer here. Who is the madam going to have dinner with?" Granny Xu looked Wen Yu up and down with a raised eyebrow. Suddenly, her eyes locked on Wen Yu's neck. Her eyes flashed, and she let out a cold snort, with a hint of contempt on her face.
Wen Yu pretended not to notice and pretended to be displeased. "It's naturally the second young master. How dare you talk to me like this as a servant? Are you questioning me?"
"Look at what the madam said. How dare this old servant question the madam? I'm just asking so that I can make arrangements according to the madam's requirements." Granny Xu said respectfully on the surface, but her tone was tinged with a bit of harshness.
As she spoke, she couldn't help but look Wen Yu up and down.
The more she looked, the more her mouth drooped. In the end, her eyes seemed to want to strip Wen Yu naked.
She clicked her tongue twice and gave Wen Yu a meaningful look. "Alright, does the madam have any other instructions? This old servant still has other tasks to do. If the madam has no more instructions, this old servant will go to work."
"Do you know who you're talking to? Is this how you talk to your master?" Wen Yu retorted angrily.
She didn't hold back her voice, which attracted the attention of the other servants in the garden.
Wen Yu didn't have the power to manage the Pei Mansion.
Back then, Pei Qing had married her in order to frame the Wen family. After she got married, he had treated her like a mere decoration.
Pei Shen had always claimed to love her but had refused to let her manage the household on the pretext of not wanting her to be overworked.
Therefore, the Pei Mansion had always been managed by the steward, which had led to the servants in the mansion having no respect for Wen Yu.
After all, she had been an unfavored wife back then, and now she was a widow.
Their gazes were undisguised, and they looked at Wen Yu as if they were watching a joke.
There was more harshness in Granny Xu's eyes. She couldn't help but roll her eyes and slightly curtsied to Wen Yu. "It's this old servant's bad attitude. I hope the madam will forgive me."
After saying that, Granny Xu didn't care about Wen Yu's reaction and immediately turned around and left.
The rest of the people were not surprised at all.
To them, Granny Xu was a servant born into the Pei Mansion and had worked in the mansion for most of her life. Her daughter had even fallen in love with the son of the steward.
Among the servants in the Pei Mansion, Granny Xu's status was extremely high.
On the other hand, Wen Yu was just a widow. She might be taken back by her natal family and remarried at any time.
No one was willing to offend Granny Xu, who really had power, for the sake of such a nominal master.
Wen Yu was so angry that she was trembling. She glared at the onlookers and roared, "What are you all doing? Don't you have anything to do? If so, it would be better to sell you all out. It's better than you just eating and doing nothing here!"
"What the madam said is a bit harsh. Although we are servants, we are also servants of the Pei Mansion. If we have done something wrong, it's up to the steward to decide how to punish us. Moreover, what have we done wrong?" Someone in the crowd replied coldly, with a provocative attitude.
Wen Yu was so angry that her whole body was shaking. She pointed at these people and said, "What? I'm the wife of the Pei family and the daughter of the Wen family. Can't I deal with you lowly people?"
Wife of the Pei family and daughter of the Wen family.
Many people rolled their eyes.
Not to mention that Pei Qing was already dead, so she wasn't even a wife in the true sense. As for the Wen family, it was a well-known saying that a married daughter was like spilled water. Even they, as servants, understood this truth. Didn't the master of the Wen family understand?
Moreover, even if the Wen family recognized her as their daughter, it was probably just to remarry her and get some betrothal gifts for the family.
Yet she was putting on airs in front of them.
She had been married into the Pei Mansion for so long but still hadn't had a child. Now she had even caused the death of the eldest young master.
In their opinion, such a woman should be drowned in the pond.
"Madam, did you come to the garden today to give any instructions?" The steward rushed over in a hurry, with a smooth smile on his face, but his eyes were full of shrewd calculation.
When Wen Yu saw him, she immediately pointed at those gossiping people again. "These people have been rude to me. How do you think they should be punished, steward?"
The steward's eyes rolled around. He pretended to put on a serious face and scolded the servants, "Hurry up and apologize to the madam, and then get out of here. Don't you know your own status? Do you want to dirty the madam's eyes?"
After saying that, he looked at Wen Yu obsequiously and flattered her, "Madam, do you think this is okay? After all, these people have worked in the Pei Mansion for their whole lives. It's not good to really punish them too harshly."
"Otherwise, if word gets out, won't outsiders think that our Pei Mansion is too strict with its servants?"
"Since the madam has married into the Pei Mansion, you should also consider the reputation of the Pei Mansion. What's your opinion, madam?"
Although the steward seemed to be asking Wen Yu for her opinion, his attitude was actually clearly unnegotiable.
Wen Yu rolled her eyes and let out a cold snort. "You just wait. I'll ask the second young master to deal with you!"
After saying that, she turned around and left angrily.
As soon as she returned to the courtyard, Xun Ying appeared with a stunned expression. "Why did you act like that just now..."
"I did it on purpose." Wen Yu casually removed the rouge from her face and sneered. "If I don't use some tricks, how can I make him willingly hand over the management of the household to me?"
"Without power in my hands, it's extremely difficult to do anything."
Hearing this, Xun Ying suddenly understood. She hesitated and said, "You acted so real just now. I almost thought that was really your personality."
"Arrogant? What's wrong with that?" Wen Yu didn't care. There was a hint of regret in her eyes. "If I had pretended to be such a rude and unreasonable person before, maybe things wouldn't have turned out so badly today."
Hearing Wen Yu's words, Xun Ying firmly shook her head. "It's not Miss Wen's fault. They are the ones who are wrong. Miss Wen is the only innocent person and shouldn't blame herself."