Hidden by the screen, the room was wide and seemingly gorgeous, but it was also scattered about in a mess. There were always worn-out tables and chairs everywhere, either showing the wooden inside because of breakage or having many cuts on them. Even the cups of tea served were also broken.

After Shao Wanru moved in, Old Madam had never come to see her. When Madam of Duke Xing had arranged it in the past, she had come to see this room and felt satisfied to let her eldest grandson use it as his matrimonial home.

But now, everything in front of her eyes made her feel unreal. Was this really the Piaoyun Courtyard? How could it be so dilapidated? It was so dilapidated that it made her feel ashamed!

Her face flushed red, partly because she was angry, and partly because she felt ashamed.

“Grandmother, this is the courtyard that Second Madam arranges for me. Do you think it can be the evidence that Second Madam hates me? Is there any courtyard in the whole Duke Xing’s Mansion that is as dilapidated as mine? Even the decoration of the place where the concubine lives in the mansion is better than mine?”

There was no anger but calmness in Shao Wanru’s cold eyes as if she was not talking about the unfair things that Duke Xing’s Mansion had done to her.

“I’ll ask someone to change it for you when I go back!” Old Madam gritted her teeth and said angrily.

“Thank you, grandmother. Big Sister has come here before, but she has said nothing after that!” Shao Wanru said. She had made up her mind to make use of such an opportunity to settle the matter.

Old Madam of Duke Xing’s Mansion was not Shao Yanru. Shao Yanru could say that she was not able to solve that because of lacking in time to persuade Second Madam for that moment, but Old Madam of Duke Xing’s Mansion could not refuse her in such a tone.

“I’ll change it for you later!” Old Madam of Duke Xing’s Mansion almost squeezed out these words through gritted teeth.

“Old Madam, is this Madam of Duke Xing really from a noble family? How could she treat the daughter of lineal descent from the eldest branch with such contempt? Actually, the daughter of lineal descent of the eldest branch is the real daughter of lineal descent, isn’t it? What’s more, the Fifth Miss is the saver of our Prince. If it weren’t for the Fifth Miss, our prince would really have had an accident that time. Does your mansion treat the Fifth Miss like this on purpose to please anyone by disgracing our prince?”

Xiao Xuanzi said with a smile. His words were neither serious nor casual, and his voice sounded neither loud nor low. But in Madam Dowager’s ears, it sounded like thunder.

Old Madam’s face changed greatly. She almost fainted and Nanny Yu quickly held her up.

No one dared to disgrace Prince Chen, and no one wanted to lose their lives to do so desperately. Although everyone knew that he would not live long, he had survived and lived a colorful life. With the protection of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, no one could look down on him, even though he had a special identity.

And there were only a few people who could disgrace Prince Chen!

Moreover, the meaning behind his words was not just about who made him lose his face.

“It’s all Wanyan’s fault. When she comes out later, I’ll make her apologize to Wanru. Such a thing will never happen again!” Old Madam had to promise.

Madam of Duke Xing’s own name was Wanyan. Old Madam was so angry that she directly called her name.

“In this case, that’s the best. These are originally given to Fifth Miss by the Empress Dowager and Prince Chen. I will put them down now and we’re still going to report to the Empress Dowager and Prince Chen!” The old Nanny in the palace stood up and looked at Old Madam with some thoughts.

“Thank you, Nanny!” Old Madam lowered her head and blushed because she noticed a hint of warning in her words.

As a first-class Royal Mandate Madam, she was even warned by the people sent to give awards by the Empress Dowager in her mansion. Thinking about what had happened in her mansion today, she knew that nothing couldn’t be concealed. Thus, she was ashamed and angry and secretly hated that her daughter-in-law was really ignorant. Even though she didn’t want Shao Wanru to live in this courtyard that had originally been prepared for Shao Hua’an, she couldn’t fool people with such pieces of shabby furniture.

Old Madam of course didn’t know that actually the furniture had still seemed to be usable when being sent in. The damaged parts were mostly behind some corners and basically wouldn’t be seen. After Shao Wanru had moved in, she had cut the broken parts bigger on the original ones and cut them to the surface. Thus, even at a casual glance, one could know that all the furniture in this house couldn’t be used.

Now the Empress Dowager knew about this matter. How could Old Madam save her face?

“Shall we left, Eunuch Xiao Xuanzi?” The Nanny of the Empress Dowager asked politely. Everyone knew that Xiao Xuanzi was the most useful person around Prince Chen, thus his status was different from others. Even the servants around Empress Dowager didn’t dare to offend him casually.

“Nanny, please wait for a moment!” Xiao Xuanzi cupped his hands and said politely. Then he walked to Old Madam in a few steps with smiles and also cupped his hands to Old Madam. Then he took out a snow-white cat from a delicate basket with a lid held by a palace maid behind him.

It had long snow-white fur and a pair of blue eyes that were almost like a colored glaze. It was so plump and adorable that anyone would like it.

“Old Madam, this is a gift from our prince to Fifth Miss. If it dies in the hands of other masters in your mansion in the future, our Prince will not tolerate her. This cat is very sensible and basically will not scratch people. But if someone deliberately provokes it, it will not be polite!”

Xiao Xuanzi said with a smile. He held the cat and showed it to Old Madam deliberately.

Old Madam also liked this cat, but when she heard Xiao Xuanzi’s words, her face became cold. “Since this cat may hurt people, please take it back. There are many girls in our mansion. If anyone accidentally provokes this cat, we will be in trouble for we don’t dare to deal with it!” said Old Madam.

According to his words, the cat seemingly could not be touched. How could Old Madam want such a cat Highness?

“Old Madam, you’re wrong. Sending this cat is both our Prince’s and Empress Dowager’s idea. How can Empress Dowager’s awards be returned?” Xiao Xuanzi raised his eyebrows calmly and looked at the palace maids with gifts.

Shao Wanru almost couldn’t control her smile on her face. Of course, she knew this cat. It had been raised in Qin’s Mansion for a period of time, but later it had been returned to Prince Chen’s Mansion. Unexpectedly, it was sent here again and was especially given as an award by the Empress Dowager.

Of course, no one could refuse the Empress Dowager’s award. Both criticism and awards were the grace of Empress Dowager. How could one refuse it as he wanted?

At this time, Xiao Xuanzi deliberately took the cat out to show it to Old Madam. The cat had been shown openly. If there was anything in the future, he could naturally hold Old Madam accountable.

Although Old Madam was very angry, she had to let Shao Wanru accept gifts. And now they could only be sent to Shao Wanru, and couldn’t be divided to others like the last time.

“How is it going?” In the Palace of Benevolent Peace, Chu Liuchen lazily asked Xiao Xuanzi, who had just come back.

“Your Highness, Fifth Miss is so pitiful. Ah!” Xiao Xuanzi was so angry that he wanted to say something but stopped on second thought.

The Empress Dowager frowned and looked at her grandson. Seeing that his handsome eyebrows were also furrowed, she was unhappy and turned to the Nanny she sent, “Did you see anything?”

“Duke Xing’s Mansion is indeed terrible and does not treat Fifth Miss well…” In Duke Xing’s Mansion, although this nanny had not said much, she had been observing and seen Shao Wanru’s current situation. She indeed felt that Fifth Miss Shao was pitiful. Thinking about the Madam of Duke Xing’s angry scolding that she heard when she first went to Madam of Duke Xing’s courtyard, the Nanny had more and more pity on Fifth Miss Shao.

She told the Empress Dowager what she had observed and heard in Duke Xing’s Mansion. The more the Empress Dowager listened, the angrier she became.

Seeing her grandson’s frowning eyebrows and pale handsome face, she couldn’t help feeling a little annoyed with Old Madam of Duke Xing’s Mansion.

“Did she say that the Fifth Miss and the little boy are not the children of the former Heir of Duke Xing?” Empress Dowager said coldly, “Come on, send a ruler for discipline and a book Woman Precepts to Madam of Duke Xing so that she can develop more women’s virtues in the future and accumulate merits for her offsprings!”

“Yes, I’ll prepare it right away!” The Nanny answered and went to prepare.

Awarding a ruler and Woman Precepts meant her dissatisfaction with Madam of Duke Xing. Being awarded by the Empress Dowager Queen added another effect on them. It was impossible for Old Madam of Duke Xing to suppress this matter as she wanted. Since Empress Dowager was angry, she couldn’t just punish Madam of Duke Xing by kneeling in the ancestral hall to suppress this matter.

“Chen’er, don’t be angry. Imperial Grandmother will always help her!” After the Nanny left, the Empress Dowager comforted her grandson who was obviously angry.

“Imperial Grandmother, I am useless. I can’t even protect my chosen wife!” Chu Liuchen lowered his head and said slowly. His handsome face was full of bitterness.

“Chen’er, don’t say that. You are getting well now. After she marries into your mansion, your life will naturally get better. If you want to protect her, you should pay more attention to your own health. Don’t let your hard work go in vain!” Empress Dowager comforted him softly.

“Imperial Grandmother, she is living a really difficult life in Duke Xing’s Mansion. Can you let her enter Prince Chen’s Mansion earlier?” Chu Liuchen raised his head with a pair of clear and bright eyes, which made Empress Dowager worried.

“You have to wait until the open selection. Chen’er, don’t worry. After the selection, your mansion will be lively. You can not only have an official wife but also consorts and concubines. Your health is getting much better, so it’s a good thing to get a blessing in disguise this time.” Empress Dowager said.

Originally, it was against the rules, because Chu Liuchen ranked third in princes. At the moment, looking at his grandson’s decadent look, how could Madam Dowager not approve his request?

Chu Liuchen shook his head and said with a bitter smile, “Imperial Grandmother, even if I am getting much better, I don’t need so many people to enter the mansion. If so many people come in but do not take care of me, I’m afraid they will kill me. I just want to protect the girl I like. Does Imperial Grandmother think I can survive in such poor health if many women around me want to kill me?”

After saying that, Chu Liuchen turned his head aside and coughed in a low voice. Xiao Xuanzi hurriedly patted his back to ease it.

Seeing her grandson coughing so hard, Empress Dowager thought that so many women in the palace caused troubles every day. They were all women’s business. Chen’er, who was still in poor health, could not deal with so many women. She had to discuss this idea with the emperor that he would only choose the Fifth Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion this time.

They could discuss the rest later.

When Chu Liuchen turned around and wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, Empress Dowager hurriedly said, “It’s all up to you. It’s up to you. You need to take good care of yourself!”

“My body has been terrible for too long. I’m afraid that I can’t recover!” Chu Liuchen said with a smile. He was gentle and handsome, but his words made people want to cry.

“Why do you think so? You can even remove the chronic disease, so why are you worried about your recovery? Just take good care of yourself… Imperial Grandmother is still waiting to see my great-grandchild!” The Empress Dowager comforted him and almost said in a cracking voice because of feeling sad!