Qin Shuying spoke her words extremely quickly, leaving no opportunity for anyone to interrupt.

Therefore, Liang Yunshan heard every single word clearly.

Finally, Qin Shuying curved her lips in a smile, “Father, your daughter-in-law sees that our Pingxi Marquis Manor is so lacking in proper etiquette, so devoid of rules, yet dares not speak directly, and can only take a roundabout approach by serving mountain yam soup to Old Madam. Father, your daughter-in-law’s painstaking efforts are all for the sake of the thousands of people in the manor, for the tens of thousands in the Liang clan. I hope Father will see clearly!”

Liang Zhe’s tightly clenched fists gradually loosened. Taking advantage of the moment when Liang Yunshan was frowning in contemplation and everyone else was stunned, he spoke at the right time: “Father, such lack of rules in the manor—since Father has returned, I hope Father will properly rectify things. Father has been far away at the frontier, and with people deceiving and concealing from above, you probably know nothing about affairs in the capital. Now, everyone in the capital knows that among all the noble families in the city, the Pingxi Marquis Manor is the most ill-mannered, not even comparable to an ordinary official’s household! Father, whether my words are alarmist or not, Father will be staying in the capital for several months—if Father goes out and inquires for yourself, naturally you’ll understand everything.”

Qin Shuying’s words were logically clear, involved court matters, and were backed by solid evidence that brooked no refutation, leaving people mentally overwhelmed.

Not to mention that Luo Meixiang immediately froze and forgot to rebut, even Old Madam Liang was stunned for a while.

After Liang Zhe finished speaking, Luo Meixiang finally regained her wits and almost shrieked: “Liang Zhe, who are you saying lacks manners?!”

Liang Zhe looked at her leisurely, “Madam, after Father returned, haven’t you been calling me ‘Ziyu this’ and ‘Ziyu that’ quite well every day? How is it that now your true nature is revealed?”

Luo Meixiang was startled, and Liang Yunshan’s gaze swept over.

Liang Yunshan wasn’t focusing on the matter of Luo Meixiang’s form of address to Liang Zhe, but rather Qin Shuying’s words had caught his attention. He said in a heavy voice: “Meixiang, you didn’t know about Her Majesty the Empress observing a vegetarian diet for one hundred days?”

What did Her Majesty the Empress matter? She hadn’t left the palace in hundreds of years, and all harem affairs were in Noble Consort De’s hands. Which of the court ladies remembered this figure of Her Majesty the Empress?

Moreover, Empress Wen’s vegetarian observance didn’t start with the great earthquake, nor did her donations to commoners begin with the great earthquake. Empress Wen observed vegetarian diets for some period every year, and donated wealth every year. Did she, Luo Meixiang, need to treat this as a sacred edict at all times?

Saying that all the noble ladies in the capital were observing vegetarian diets—bah, how was that possible?

Everyone was pretending to observe vegetarian diets, but who knew what they were secretly eating. Besides, every household had skilled cooks who could easily make meat dishes look like vegetarian ones.

These were things noble people tacitly understood. Only Qin Shuying, that fool, actually took it seriously and could even connect it to the fall of previous dynasties.

Of course, Luo Meixiang couldn’t say this aloud, only replying: “My lord, of course I knew. It’s just that you, A Yuan, and A Ning have been eating coarsely and simply at the frontier. I felt sorry for you and the children, so I made these for you to try. But my sincere intentions have been made to sound so terrible by Shuying. I’m truly ashamed—in the end, it’s all because I was thoughtless…”

Her eyes brimmed with tears, and paired with her absolutely beautiful features, it was impossible not to be moved.

Qin Shuying was in no hurry to argue back. She smiled gracefully, keeping her spine straight, her gaze meeting Liang Yunshan’s openly.

Liang Zhe was the same, a smile playing at his lips, completely composed and unperturbed.

He had once held hope for Liang Yunshan, but just now when Liang Yunshan scolded Qin Shuying, Liang Zhe’s heart had died.

Shuying was right—at any time, one must not directly confront Liang Yunshan. Otherwise, things would only get worse.

Well then, since it required a battle of wits, so be it.

Using tactics meant for enemies against his own father—Liang Zhe had thought about this before marriage. But when it came to actually employing them, he still felt disheartened.

He would rather that father and son would quarrel upon meeting, come to blows upon meeting.

At least that would prove that he, Liang Zhe, still yearned for Liang Yunshan’s paternal love in his heart, yearned for Liang Yunshan to face him properly, yearned to resolve misunderstandings and restore harmony.

Now, Liang Zhe had completely given up hope.

Old Madam Liang’s single light remark could kindle Liang Yunshan’s blazing anger.

Although Liang Zhe still hadn’t figured out what was key about Old Madam Liang’s words, how they could make Liang Yunshan, who had originally changed his mind, become completely enraged.

No rush—there would be plenty of time to expose this old hypocrite’s schemes.

Luo Meixiang’s words were very moving. When Liang Yunshan saw her tearful expression, his angry emotions softened by thirty percent. He looked at Nanny Liao standing to the side: “What are you all doing? When Madam had such sincere intentions and you knew about it, you should have arranged things properly. How could you deliberately put Madam in such an awkward position? Quickly, remove all these things—they cannot appear for a hundred days!”

Nanny Liao was also one of Old Madam Liang’s right-hand people, specifically managing the inner courtyard’s food and daily necessities.

Nanny Liao quickly admitted fault: “My lord, please calm your anger. This old servant was blind, only thinking of the lord and young master and little miss coming to dine, excitedly making such arrangements. It’s all this old servant’s poor consideration. Quickly, quickly, quickly, clean this up immediately.”

Speaking thus, Nanny Liao directed several maids and matrons to busily clear away the table full of delicacies, leaving only two or three truly vegetarian dishes—mountain yam soup, stir-fried vegetables, and mushrooms—only these three items remained.

Everyone in the room stared dumbfounded. Eat just this?

Liang Yunshan also noticed the awkwardness of the situation, but having already spoken, and since Qin Shuying’s words weren’t without reason, he naturally couldn’t go back on his word.

Nanny Liao was tactful, smiling as she said: “My lord, Old Madam, please eat first. There’s still white fungus stewing in the kitchen that will be served shortly. In autumn and winter, white fungus is most nourishing.”

As she spoke, a tactful matron brought up the white fungus soup. Old Madam Liang laughed cheerfully: “You understand me best, knowing I love this. Come, come, everyone try some. This is white fungus soup made personally by Nanny Liao—sweet but not cloying, yet soft and glutinous, with excellent flavor.”

With Old Madam Liang’s words, everyone flatteringly went to ladle soup, and the whole table became lively again, as if the earlier storm had never happened at all.

Qin Shuying ladled a bowl of soup for Old Madam Liang, then sat down herself, also ladling a bowl for herself, and began her breakfast amid the others’ forced conviviality over their soup.

Liang Yunshan watched silently without speaking.

Thus, whether Qin Shuying still needed to stand and serve Old Madam Liang became an unresolved matter.

Qin Shuying noticed that A Yuan and A Ning, the siblings, had maintained curiosity and silence throughout this storm, seemingly unafraid of Liang Yunshan’s repeated outbursts.

They remained completely quiet, either looking up at the adults or looking down to eat their own meals.

Old Madam Liang hadn’t lied—this white fungus soup truly tasted excellent.

As Qin Shuying drank her soup, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat curious about that Yue Yaoniang.