The next morning, Wei Changying was woken up by Mrs. Huang and was surprised that the sun was already high up in the sky. She then felt relieved that she didn't need to greet Madam Su, for she was not in the mansion.

Mrs. Huang helped Wei Changying dress up and said, "Although the eldest young madam didn't say when you should visit her, it's better to get up early since it is your first time visiting the eldest branch."

"Did he go to the palace?" Wei Changying asked as she combed her hair. Shen Cangfeng had told her that his holiday ended today, so he had to return to the palace and thank His Majesty for offering him the holiday.

Mrs. Huang smiled and said, "Look at you, young madam. You have already got married for several days, why do you still call the young master "he"? Before he left, the young master has told us to let you sleep longer!"

"Bring my dress here. We should set off as soon as possible, or else my first sister-in-law will be impatient." Wei Changying said as she pretended that she didn't hear Mrs. Huang's words.

After dressing up and having breakfast hurriedly, Wei Changying rushed out to visit the eldest branch.

As same as the Jintong Courtyard, the Xinyi Court was also an independent courtyard, but it had one more room. It was not only because that Shen Cangli was the lineal eldest son, but also because the eldest branch now had both lineal daughter and son. Therefore, they needed more room than the third branch.

The ten-year-old first granddaughter Shen Shujing was following her mother to learn about the rules of treating people properly. Therefore, Wei Changying's visit was a good opportunity for Shen Shujing to practice. Mrs. Liu asked Shen Shujing to welcome her aunt Wei Changying outside the door and then accompany her back to Jintong Courtyard after she finished visiting the first branch.

Shen Shujing was polite and calm, and her manners were proper as well. Seeing this, Wei Changying thought, "She's just like Song Zaishui when she was ten years old." We could know how well Shen Shujing was cultivated since she could be compared to Song Zaishui.

After she had gone through two doors, Wei Changying entered the living room, where Mrs. Liu was sitting. Wei Changying found that besides the servants and her, there was a woman in the room. The woman was in a dark purple dress embroidered with gynostemma flower, and her hair was made into a bun, decorated with two gold hair clasps. She was sitting next to Mrs. Liu, looking serious.

The woman was about thirty years old, and her eyes were beautiful. As soon as she saw Wei Changying, she squinted and stood up before Mrs. Liu spoke. She said, "So you are the third young madam? Very beautiful indeed. You and our third young master are a perfect match."

Wei Changying looked at her with doubt. This woman had stood up, but she didn't mean to make a curtsey.... She didn't sound like a servant, either. Who was she?

Fortunately, Mrs. Liu said immediately, "Changying, since you have just come to Shen Family, I guess that you haven't seen Aunt Guo before."

She was Shen Xuan's concubine!

Wei Changying understood. However, a concubine was half a servant. Even if she was doted by Shen Xuan, her status would never exceed Mrs. Liu's. Apparently, she knew Shen Xuan doted her. Although Aunt Guo was not imperious, Wei Changying could feel from her words and behaviors that she regarded herself as Wei Changying's elder.

Mrs. Liu and Wei Changying were both born in a distinguished family, and they knew the order of people's status, so they didn't like Aunt Guo. However, although Aunt Guo meant to regard herself as an elder, she didn't speak out, so they couldn’t do anything. Therefore, Wei Changying said coldly. "So you are Aunt Guo. I'm a newcomer, so I don't know you."

Seeing that Wei Changying was cold to her, Aunt Guo said, "I know that third young madam has just got married, and I really don't want to bother you at this time. But the second young master has lost his precious son.... The drugs that induce abortion were found in the tea which Lvqiao, used to drink. It was.... What's worse, the second young madam is not here, so I would like to ask Mrs. Liu to investigate this case. However, she dare not make decisions all by herself on this, so she insisted on letting you help...."

Mrs. Liu coughed and said, "This is my second brother's affair. Although they have gone to the Su Family with our mother, they will come back after all. As the eldest sister, I have the responsibility to take care of their daughters, but I dare not take charge as to his son's case. What's more, I'm not familiar with the people in Wuhua Courtyard, except for my second brother and sister-in-law."

Wei Changying held her handkerchief tightly and thought, "It seems that Mrs. Liu doesn't want to take charge of this case. So she called me here to help her cope with Aunt Guo? According to Mrs. Huang's analysis, Lvqiao was schemed to abortion, and the one who has schemed her was probably Mrs. Duanmu. But it seems that Mrs. Liu is happy about this. After all, the second branch can never become powerful without a son."

As to exposing Mrs. Duanmu's crime.... At present, Shen Cangfeng was appointed to be the next Family Head instead of Shen Lianshi, so Mrs. Liu was an ally of Mrs. Duanmu. Before they overthrow the third branch, they would never fight against each other.

Although Mrs. Liu didn't want to expose Mrs. Duanmu, Shen Lianshi's natural mother—Mrs. Guo—wouldn't do nothing and let things be. No matter who was the child's mother, the heir of the second branch would always be Aunt Guo and Shen Lianshi's descendant. Now that others had schemed the concubine of Shen Lianshi's lineal son with the drug that induced abortion, Aunt Guo, who was also a concubine, would be determined to investigate, because she always hoped that her son could have more children.

But now that Mrs. Duanmu and Madam Su were at the Su Family, Mrs. Liu and Wei Changying should help her instead of taking charge of her rear courtyard. Therefore, no matter what Aunt Guo would say, Mrs. Liu wouldn't investigate the case, same as Wei Changying.

After all, Aunt Guo was just a concubine, not Madam Su. If Madam Su asked Mrs. Liu and Wei Changying to investigate who had murdered Shen Lianshi's son, it would be proper for them to do so.

Therefore, Mrs. Liu emphasized, "This is the second branch's affair. Without a word from my mother or my second brother and sister-in-law, I dare not say anything."

Aunt Guo said, "I know you are in a dilemma, but it seems that Old Madam Deng is seriously ill. Or else, why hasn't Mrs. Duanmu come back yet? Even the eldest young master has visited her, and he said that the Su Family had asked the Eighth Miss of the Duanmu Family to diagnose Old Madam Deng.... Madam Duanmu must be sad and worried by now, so I don't want her to worry about this case. As to the second young madam, she has to serve for Madam Duanmu, so she can't come back either. Before they come back, the murderer will definitely destroy all the evidence! How can the second young madam investigate after she comes back?"

She then began to sob and said, "Poor second young master, he eventually has a son, but now his son was gone without seeing his father! If it were because of Lvqiao, that would be better. But Lvqiao was schemed by others! If we don't investigate the case this time, those who are and will be pregnant will feel unsafe!"

She turned to Wei Changying and said, "Third young madam, you have just come to the Shen Family. Tell me, will you be scared when you know that a pregnant concubine was harmed by others, but the perpetrator has remained unknown?"

Wei Changying was unsatisfied that Aunt Guo compared her pregnancy with a concubine, so she replied coldly, "Don't be sad, Aunt Guo. It's not good for your health. Besides, the second brother will worry about you."

Mrs. Liu was vexed and said, "Mrs. Guo, I am also sad for my second brother. But look, our mother is not here, so I have to take charge of everything in the mansion. His three daughters are still young, and I have promised to look after the girls, so I have to be responsible for taking care of them. Therefore, I really don't have time to take charge of the case.... I have already locked the Lvqiao's servants up and asked some servants to give them food every day. After my second brother and sister-in-law come back, they will deal with them, won't they?"

Aunt Guo looked at Wei Changying, which made her alert. Mrs. Liu had made an excuse that she was too busy, so Wei Changying had to avoid Aunt Guo from persuading her to investigate the case. She said, "I've just come here, so I'm not familiar with the people here. But I think my second sister-in-law knows the second branch best. Now that she is accompanying her mother in the Su Family, why not write her a letter and ask how she thinks? After all, it's the second branch's case, so she should be in charge of it."

Aunt Guo said resignedly, "I'm afraid that second young madam has no time because she is accompanying Mrs. Duanmu...."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Guo." Mrs. Liu said immediately, "Our mother also hopes that my second brother can have a son as soon as possible. If she knows this case, she will definitely let them come back!"

"But Madam Su is taking care of Old Madam Deng now. We shouldn't let her worry about the case in our mansion...." Aunt Guo bit her lips as she said.

Mrs. Liu smiled and said, "Don't worry. My second brother's son was also my mother's grandson, so she will definitely care about this case."

Hearing this, Aunt Guo became speechless. She sighed and re-emphasized something about the case, then left with disappointment.

After she had gone, Mrs. Liu made a wry smile and said to Wei Changying, "Sorry about that. I shouldn't involve you into this since you have just come to the Shen Family."

"It's nothing." Wei Changying immediately replied, "I was feeling guilty that I can't help you anything. You are already busy managing the whole family and teaching Shujing and Shuming, and now you also have to take care of Shurou and the other two girls. I was really...."

Mrs. Liu waved her hand and said, "It is because I don't want to take charge of the second branch's affair that I said such words deliberately. Although my nieces are young, they are well behaved, so I needn't spend too much time on them. What's more, Ruoyu can help me out. As to the things in the family, they are already well arranged by my mother, so I only need to keep an eye on them."

Wei Changying sighed and said, "I didn't expect that such a big case would happen in the second branch when Mrs. Duanmu and Madam Su were at the Su Family. Yesterday, when my...my husband heard of it, he was also worried!"

"No one expected this." Obviously, Mrs. Liu didn't want to continue the topic of Lvqiao. She then said, "It's noon. If you like, you can have lunch here with me."

Wei Changying agreed to have lunch with Mrs. Liu after saying some polite words.

Wei Changying and Mrs. Liu chatted for a while before the servants finished preparing the dining room. While they were both trying to let each other enter first, they found some people already waiting in the dining room.

Besides Shen Shujing and other children, there was a girl standing with her back to the door. She was cleaning Shen Shuyan's face, the youngest daughter in the Shen Family. She was wearing a light green colored cross-collar upper shirt embroidered with plum blossoms and a white dress, with colorful silk strings tied to her waist. Her hair was made into two buns, decorated with a pair of crystal hair clasp, which looked colorful under the sunlight.

Hearing that Shen Shujing and other children were greeting, the girl turned over immediately and did curtsey as she said, "Seventh sister!"

Mrs. Liu said gently, "There's no need to make a curtsey." She then introduced the girl to Wei Changying as she said, "This is Ruoyu, the eldest lineal daughter of my fifth uncle."

Then she introduced Wei Changying to Ruoyu and said, "This is your sister Miss Wei."

Wei Changying looked at Liu Ruoyu carefully. Liu Ruoyu had almond-shaped eyes and a pointy nose on her white, oval face. Her mouth was small, and her lips were naturally red. She looked beautiful when she smiled. However, her face was pale, and her figure was thin. Her face was shrouded in melancholy as if she had been bullied.

Mrs. Wan had already told Wei Changying that Liu Ruoyu was maltreated by her stepmother after her mother died. She didn't have lineal brothers to help her, and only when Mrs. Liu invited her to the Shen Family could she feel better. Her life in the Liu Family was far worse than that in the Shen Family. Seeing that Liu Ruoyu was prudent in every aspect, Wei Changying felt pity for her. She smiled and said, "I've heard from Mrs. Liu that you are also here. I wanted to meet you, but I was too busy since I have come here, and I didn't see you until now. I have been wondering why Mrs. Liu likes you so much among so many sisters, and now I understand.... If I had such an outstanding sister like you, I would also invite her frequently."