Jiang Shi softly called out “Shuangjiang,” with a hint of reproach in her tone, yet her eyes were fixed on Gu Chaobei.

Although Shen Guiyan was the legitimate wife, this legitimate wife was far too easy to bully. Since she was so easy to bully, naturally those beneath her grew bolder, all wanting to share in the favor.

“Do you need me to keep you company?” Gu Chaobei looked at Jiang Shi and asked.

Jiang Biyue’s face flushed slightly. “If Master is willing…”

Shuangjiang had been scrutinizing Shen Guiyan, who stood at the doorway. They, these several concubines, had already spoken so explicitly, competing for favor right in front of her, the legitimate wife, yet she still showed no reaction.

Shen Guiyan was smiling. She had never done anything to establish authority in this household, so it was only natural she had none. There were more important matters to attend to tomorrow—she didn’t particularly care about this competition for favor.

“There’s nothing about being willing or unwilling.” Gu Chaobei chuckled lightly and looked toward Shen Guiyan. The latter stood at the doorway with her head lowered, the earlier romantic atmosphere having long since vanished. She hadn’t said a word to compete for him, nor did she show the slightest sign of displeasure.

She wasn’t displeased, which made Gu Chaobei displeased. Not competing or fighting back? He rather wanted to see whether she would remain so calm after being bullied by these maidservants and concubines.

“Since Master has said so, this servant will go prepare Concubine Jiang’s bed.” Shuangjiang happily said this and went to tidy up the inner chamber. Gu Chaobei didn’t stop her, turning his head to say to Shen Guiyan, “Then you may return to rest as well. It’s getting late.”

“Very well.” Shen Guiyan nodded and left with Baoshan.

Coquettish laughter came from behind. Baoshan frowned slightly. “Miss.”

“Don’t forget about tomorrow’s matter,” Shen Guiyan said. “Don’t worry about other things.”

“…Yes.” Baoshan sighed.

Gu Chaobei truly did stay with Jiang Shi that night. Shen Guiyan returned to her room and sat in a daze for a while, then shook her head and decided to sleep early and rise early.

The next morning, the Shen residence erupted in chaos—servants discovered that Concubine Qin’s spirit tablet had gone missing.

Lady Shen turned the entire residence upside down but couldn’t find it. A thief had entered last night and could only have stolen it.

“Who would steal a spirit tablet for no reason?” Concubine Ding sneered. “I’d say Third Miss was the one who made off with it.”

Lady Shen slammed the table in fury. “Absolutely outrageous! Stealing a spirit tablet? You’ll all come with me to the Gu residence to confront Guiyan. Does she think that by hiding in the Prime Minister’s residence, I can do nothing to her?”

Concubine Ding and Concubine Fang exchanged glances. “Madam intends to go to the Prime Minister’s residence?”

“Why not? Ya’er is the eldest daughter-in-law of the Prime Minister’s residence. Can’t I, as her mother, go visit?” Lady Shen rose, supporting herself on a maid’s hand as she walked out. “Prepare the carriage!”

“Yes.” Xiurong responded. The two concubines, wearing expressions of anticipation for the spectacle, followed her out.

Shen Guiyan rose very early that day. After washing up, she went out to distribute porridge.

“Good morning, Fourth Young Madam.” The refugees all greeted her. “You’ve come even earlier today.”

Shen Guiyan smiled slightly. “Yesterday I dreamed that my late mother appeared in my dreams, saying she was doing well in the ancestral hall. I was relieved, so I slept well and thus rose earlier.”

“Good people receive good fortune,” the refugees all said.

Lady Shen went to the Prime Minister’s residence but couldn’t find anyone. However, Shen Guiya knew where Shen Guiyan usually distributed porridge and led Lady Shen there.

“The crime of theft—one would be imprisoned for a year for that, wouldn’t they?” Shen Guiya laughed softly. “Trading a broken wooden plaque for a year of her confinement in prison—that’s quite a bargain.”

Lady Shen held Shen Guiya’s hand. “As long as your life goes well, that’s what matters. If she displeases you, naturally your mother will help you get satisfaction.”

Shen Guiya smiled slightly, lifting the curtain to look at the road outside.

They had arrived near the porridge station. The carriage stopped, and Lady Shen wasted no words. “Bring the Fourth Young Madam back to the Prime Minister’s residence.”

“Yes!” The family guards Shen Guiya had brought numbered six or seven. They all stepped forward and surrounded Shen Guiyan.

“What are you doing?” Baoshan shouted. “Don’t you dare touch my miss!”

Shen Guiyan was still distributing porridge when she was suddenly surrounded tightly by a group of guards. She looked up, frowning. “What’s this about?”

“Lady Shen requests that you return to the Prime Minister’s residence,” the guard said with a rigid face.

Shen Guiyan smiled and asked, “What have I done wrong?”

“The Fourth Young Madam has been distributing porridge for us all along. Why are people suddenly coming to arrest her?” The refugees receiving porridge all crowded around, surrounding those six or seven guards completely.

The guards, who had been acting intimidating at first, saw so many people and softened their tone. “It’s not an arrest, it’s a request. Lady Shen is the Fourth Young Madam’s family from her natal home and has business with her.”

“It’s not a very serious matter, is it?” Shen Guiyan said with a smile. “Then wait until I finish distributing the porridge here before going back.”

Cold sweat appeared on the guard’s forehead. Surrounded by a large crowd of refugees, he could only look toward the carriage for help.

Lady Shen pulled aside the carriage curtain to look at the situation outside and couldn’t help but curse. “Useless things! Is it so difficult to bring one person back?”

The crowd of refugees all looked toward the carriage. Lady Shen was startled and shrank back, though her voice remained stern. “Shen Guiyan, you stole Concubine Qin’s spirit tablet! Come back with me at once to confess your crime!”

“Stole the spirit tablet?” Baoshan’s eyes widened. “Concubine Qin’s spirit tablet is perfectly fine in the ancestral hall. How could my miss have stolen it?”

Shen Guiyan looked up, her expression unpleasant. “Concubine Qin’s spirit tablet is missing?”

Lady Shen frowned. “Stop pretending. The spirit tablet must have been stolen by you. Come back with me to the Prime Minister’s residence now and let your parents-in-law decide!”

“This woman is truly vicious,” someone among the refugees said indignantly. “The Fourth Young Madam was fortunate that her birth mother could enter the ancestral hall, and she even specially distributed porridge to accumulate virtue. Now the spirit tablet is missing, and she dares to frame the Fourth Young Madam?”

“Exactly! And she wants to arrest people randomly.”

Once a few refugees spoke up, the refugees who had always been cared for by Shen Guiyan all crowded toward the carriage, looking at Lady Shen and Shen Guiya with great hostility.

“What do you rabble think you’re doing?” Lady Shen’s face turned pale with fright. Shen Guiya’s expression was also ugly. She quickly ordered the coachman, “Hurry, turn around and return to the Prime Minister’s residence!”

The carriage was already surrounded and couldn’t move an inch. Many refugees even spat at them, their fine embroidered clothes becoming stained with filth. Both women’s faces turned green.

Shen Guiyan calmly finished ladling out bowl after bowl of porridge, then walked toward the carriage.

The refugees all made way, and she stood before Lady Shen.

“I’ll go back with you,” Shen Guiyan said. “I did not steal Concubine Qin’s spirit tablet. If you cannot find my birth mother’s spirit tablet, I will never let this matter rest!”

Lady Shen was stunned, so angry her body trembled. “Go back! Go back! I will certainly seek justice from the Prime Minister. You actually dared to incite refugees to insult Ya’er and me!”

She then looked at the refugees outside. “These filthy creatures who should have died long ago will certainly pay the price for today’s actions!”

“Ptui!” A refugee spat at her again. “Our bodies may be dirty, but our hearts are far cleaner than yours!”

Lady Bao was so angry she couldn’t speak, pointing at Shen Guiyan. “Get in the carriage!”

Shen Guiyan nodded and boarded the carriage. The carriage headed toward the Prime Minister’s residence, and the refugees actually all followed behind.

An extraordinary scene appeared in the capital—an official’s carriage passed through the streets with many, many refugees following behind. Passersby all inquired about what was happening, and the matter of Concubine Qin’s stolen spirit tablet became known to everyone.

“How ridiculous. Having a spirit tablet enter the ancestral hall is a wonderful thing. How could her own daughter possibly steal it? This Lady Shen is truly harsh.”

“Exactly. Come on, let’s go watch the excitement!”

The plainclothes gentleman was out strolling today and heard just such talk.

“Let’s go have a look as well.”

The servant with his orchid fingers raised responded with an “Ai” and quickly followed.

When the carriage arrived at the Prime Minister’s residence, Lady Bao stepped down to see the spectacle behind the carriage—quite a crowd had actually gathered at the entrance of the Prime Minister’s residence.

“You’re rather clever,” Shen Guiya looked at Shen Guiyan. “You know how to use the power of the common people to create public opinion?”

“Guiyan doesn’t understand what Elder Sister means,” Shen Guiyan said mildly. “Elder Sister should worry about your own mother instead.”

Shen Guiya frowned, but Shen Guiyan had already stepped toward the residence.

“What’s going on?” Prime Minister Gu had also risen and was sitting in the main hall asking.

Lady Shen stepped forward and immediately knelt. “Prime Minister, someone has incited the common people and surrounded the Prime Minister’s residence!”

Lady Gu was shocked. “What about the guards?”

“They cannot enter,” Shen Guiyan knelt properly, saying calmly, “Early this morning, Yan’er was distributing porridge to refugees when Mother came with Elder Sister, saying that Yan’er had stolen Concubine Qin’s spirit tablet and demanding that Yan’er return to explain.”

“Concubine Qin’s spirit tablet?” Prime Minister Gu frowned. “Didn’t I see you send gifts of gratitude to the Shen residence some time ago precisely because Concubine Qin’s spirit tablet was able to enter the ancestral hall?”

Shen Guiyan smiled bitterly. “Indeed. That’s why when Mother said today that Yan’er stole the spirit tablet, Yan’er truly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.”

Now the entire capital knew that the Shen family’s Third Miss was extremely filial. Because her birth mother’s spirit tablet could enter the ancestral hall, she not only sent gifts back to thank her mother but also used her dowry money to provide relief to refugees. Her good reputation had spread far and wide.

Now that Concubine Qin’s spirit tablet had gone missing from the ancestral hall, no matter how one looked at it, Shen Guiyan couldn’t possibly have done it.

Lady Shen frowned. “Who else would be interested in a spirit tablet? Besides Guiyan, who would take the spirit tablet?”

Shen Guiyan turned her head to look at her. “Since Concubine Qin’s spirit tablet being in the ancestral hall is the best possible outcome, why would Yan’er remove it?”

“You…” Lady Bao was at a loss for words. She could hardly say in front of so many people that the spirit tablet was meant to threaten her, could she?

Now this was perfect—the spirit tablet was missing, and she couldn’t even accuse Shen Guiyan anymore? Lady Shen looked angrily toward the Prime Minister. “I ask my in-law to decide! Not only does Guiyan disrespect her elders and constantly contradict them, but now she’s even crying thief to catch the thief, trying to frame me!”

Shen Guiyan lowered her head without speaking, only sighing softly.

Prime Minister Gu frowned. “Has my in-law been too harsh on Yan’er? Yan’er follows all the rules in the residence and is filial and generous. She has never been contradictory.”