Wei Changying thought for a while and asked, "Have my husband and they had dinner yet?"

"I don't know about the fourth young master. But when the young master invited Mr. Nian over, he hasn't had dinner yet. After the fourth young master came, they kept talking till now and haven't asked us to send them the meal yet."

Wei Changying's face was even gloomier, "It's already so late, and the dinner time is about to pass. Why don't you guys remind them? Even if my husband is magnanimous, Mr. Nian is still the guest. If he and the fourth younger brother are hungry in Jintong Courtyard, people who know it will gossip our negligence. How stupid you are!" According to common sense, as Shen Cangfeng’s assistants, it was impossible for Nian Shengyao to delay Shen Cangfeng’s dinner. And since Nian Shengyao was invited over, even if they couldn't finish talking before dinner, they could still talk at night after dinner. If it’s too late, it's not that Nian Shengyao hasn't lived in Jintong Courtyard before.

They haven't had dinner till now, and it was only because of Shen Canghui.

Wei Changying thought that her husband already hosted Zhang Pingxu and also discussed important matters with her father-in-law, Shen Xuan, and now he called Nian Shengyao to make plans. He was already so busy, but the fourth branch was still so troublesome. Wei Changying was tired of this dull brother-in-law in her heart.

Her words would sound like Wei Changying was scolding the servants, but she was actually making oblique accusations about Shen Canghui.

The servant argued, "I dare not hide from young madam. Granny Wan has asked them twice, but she had been sent back each time."

Mrs. Wan was Shen Cangfeng's wet nurse. In Jintong Courtyard, except Wei Changying and her husband, she was the most honorable. Even Mrs. Huang, who was actually in charge, was also kind to Mrs. Wan. If it was still useless even if she went to ask them out, no other servants should be blamed.

Wei Changying frowned and said to Mrs. Huang, "You go in again and tell them that it’s getting late. If there is something that is so important that it cannot finish today, they can continue to talk about it tomorrow. If they still don’t come to have dinner, I can’t afford the trouble to starve Mr. Nian and the fourth younger brother. I'll go to change clothes first. If it still doesn’t work after you go and talk to them, I will go personally after changing clothes."

Mrs. Huang nodded and said, "Yes."

After returning to the back of the hall, Wei Changying changed her dress and pushed the hairpin which had been a little loosened. She was about to go to the front, and Shen Cangfeng came in first. He looked very tired and had no intention of teasing Wei Changying. He said, "You haven’t had dinner as well? Let's have it together."

"What's the matter that the fourth younger brother came over to talk that you don't even have dinner?" Wei Changying saw that his neckline was wet. It was late at this time so that even it was in midsummer, there was a bit of chill in the evening. The utensils containing ice must have been put in the front hall. Normally, Shen Cangfeng would not sweat so much. She thought it must be caused by the unsmooth conversation and Shen Cangfeng was irritated or worried. So she stepped forward and handed him a veil to wipe it off, and then complained, "It's so late. Is there anything that he can't discuss with you tomorrow?"

Shen Cangfeng did not respond right away. He wiped the sweat off on his forehead, took a sip of the hot tea offered by Jiaoge, and then said, "He worried his wife couldn't get along well with our big family, so he'd like to leave and seek for an opportunity to be a local official. Thus, he came specifically to consult me about this."

"What?" Wei Changying was astounded. Pei Meiniang provoked her husband's aunt and elder sister into flaring rage, and this wasn’t over yet! However, Shen Canghui has already planned to get away together with her to live their carefree life?

Needless to say, it must be Pei Meiniang who urged him to do this!

Now Wei Changying really could not decide whether she should disgust or admire her sister-in-law. This little girl has just joined the big family less than a month, and she already managed to have her husband defend her all the time, even to the extent that he obeyed her in every way. Judging from this, if she was not a virtuous wife, her action really could not simply be explained by just being vicious! Shen Canghui was just an ordinary son of gentlefolks. If he was somehow of royal descendants, Pei Meiniang might as well resemble Daij and Pan Fei!

After a moment of silence, Wei Changying asked, "Then how did you respond?"

"He's the eldest son of Count Xiangning. The second uncle is still alive, his eldest sister is widowed, and his third younger sister and seventh younger brother have not yet married. As the eldest son, soon he will have to take charge of every household affair of his big family, and that's for sure." Shen Cangfeng put down his teacup, showing up a frozen look on his face. He said, "I've told him not to dream about it, just behave and stay in the capital city. He should be filial to the second uncle, support his eldest sister, third younger sister, and seventh younger brother! I'm going to break his leg if he dares to leave his father for his wife! Let's see if he can still get away from here!"

Wei Changying agreed with him from the bottom of her heart, "That should be it! People always say while his parents are living, a son should not go far abroad, not to mention that he is the lineal eldest son of our second uncle. Besides, it's obvious that the fourth sister-in-law was at fault today and he still defended her, what would mother think? That would put the second uncle in a difficult position too!"

Shen Cangfeng sighed and said, “Canghui is quite simple-minded. Today, I scolded him for a long time. If you hadn’t come back and sent someone to ask us to have dinner, I might still be giving him a lesson by now. Our fourth sister-in-law just moved into his household after marriage. The Pei Family's status is inferior to ours indeed. It is not strange for her to overthink sometimes. It’s all about family stuff, anyway. Our fourth younger brother has become a little sober now. Let’s see what he is about to do next... Did you just send Uncle Jiang to Miracle Doctor Ji? How’s it going?”

There was a lot of stuff going on around the family. Wei Changying was in no mood to tell her husband that Ji Qubing was hard to please, so she simply said, “It was OK. He let Uncle Jiang stay. He charged us a little more money for the consultation, but I didn’t want to argue with him.”

Shen Cangfeng nodded and said, “Was Zhu Lei there as well?”

“Yes.” Wei Changying asked in surprise, “What’s up?”

“Send two people to keep an eye on him. Don’t let him startle the Yu Family,” said Shen Cangfeng.

Wei Changying asked with incomprehension, “Why did you just let Zhang Pingxu investigate for the Yu Family background? Though Zhang Pingxu made other excuses to do the investigation, it may not be able to hide the real purpose from the Empress's detective.” The Crown Prince thought he only vented his anger so that he beat Jiang Zheng so seriously. What was more, he specially made up a reason to support such a thing, and beat Jiang Zheng in the place two blocks away from the Anshun Inn but did not kill him on the spot. Having done such a thing, the prince thought he had given enough respect to Wei Changying and Shen Cangfeng.

But the Empress Gu was not muddled, and she must know Shen Cangfeng, as well as other aristocratic families, would not think that this was only a matter of venting the anger. It showed that the Crown Prince was holding grudges against gentlefolks, especially the Shen Family.

In Spring Grass Lake, a dozen lotus-picking girls’ faces were hurt just because of disturbing Shen Cangfeng and his wife. It’s surely normal that the Crown Prince got angry. But if the Crown Prince had denounced Shen Cangfeng directly, it would be easy to solve this matter when Shen Cangfeng made an apology or compensation. At present, without any notice, the Crown Prince directly took action against Wei Changying’s dowries... Why did he do this?

It’s obvious that Empress Gu suppressed the Crown Prince to hide the truth and pretend that he had nothing to do with the assault. When Madam Su publicly reported this event to the Empress Gu, she said she suspected there was someone slandering the reputation of the Crown Prince. Actually, such behavior was to help the Crown Prince!

After all, he was the Crown Prince. He kept a group of lotus-picking girls to domineer around the Furong Islet. These women seduced handsome men like prostitutes in the brothel and lured them to a secluded place to have sexual behavior, while the Crown Prince hid away to watch and enjoy himself. What a ridiculous and obscene thing! Not to mention being the Crown Prince, even if he had already been on the throne, he would still be judged as “lascivious” in the historical records!

The Empress understood, but the Crown Prince did not! Not only did the Crown Prince not understand, but he pretended to tolerant the behavior of the Shen Family under the pressure of the Empress and inwardly bore them a grudge!

In the future, it would be the Crown Prince, not the Empress, who would be the Emperor...

Before ascending to the throne, the Crown Prince was so dissatisfied with the Shen Family that he had fabricated charges and beaten a Dowry of the daughter-in-law of the Shen Family on the street. Once he was enthroned, how could the Shen Family still have a good life?

As Shen Cangfeng said, he was still the Crown Prince. If they did not confront him now, how could they wait till Shen Xun became the Emperor and punished the Shen Family, or taking the blame for killing the Emperor at that time?

After the Crown Prince made his servants injure Jiang Zheng, he might not take it to heart. But once the shrewd Empress Gu knew about it, she would consider it for sure. Even if Zhang Pingxu tried to survey the details of the Yu Family with hundreds of excuses, the Empress would not be blinded by him.

That's why Wei Changying was surprised that Shen Cangfeng asked Zhang Pingxu to inquiry about the background of the Yu Family. Given that they were going to plan such a major event as replacing the Crown Prince, wouldn’t investigating the Yu family right now be tantamount to telling the Empress that the Shen Family had no intention of letting it go? Otherwise, it was such an apparent thing that the Shen Family should have pretended to be muddled and not investigated!

"We needn’t outwit those who spy on information for Empress Gu." Shen Cangfeng said calmly, "I'm just worried that other families will think we asked Zhu Lei to cause trouble to the Yu Family."

Wei Chang was stunned. After thinking for a moment, she understood, "You... You are going to do that along with other families?"

"It is closely related to the six families." Shen Cangfeng looked a little tired and said, "Why should it be shouldered all by my family? My father has..." He stopped, put the wet handkerchief on the case, glimpsed at the copper water clock at the corner of the room, and said, "It's getting late. Ask them to bring up the supper."

"I will ask someone to go to the Ji Family to keep an eye on Zhu Lei." Wei Changying bit her lip and said.

She sent Jiaoge and Han'ge to go to the Ji Family overnight. Both maidservants had a background of "Biwu". Although it was already under curfew at that moment, they had their own way to sneak into the east part of the city. They needed to keep a close watch on Zhu Lei so that what Shen Cangfeng was going to do would not be disrupted.

In a second, some persons hurried in from the corner gate, talking fast all the way, but no one could hear what they were talking about. Wei Changying thought Qin'ge and Yan'ge might come back. So she stopped walking and wanted to ask what Mrs. Liu and Mrs. Duanmu had said. But when they came close, she saw Man Lou came in, surrounded by Zhu Lan and some others.

With a look of anxiety all over the face, Man Lou hurriedly greeted Wei Changying and said, "Third young madam, I was troubled by the fourth young madam and missed my business. Madam just remembered just now, that didn't your dowry collide with the ceremonial match of the Crown Prince? Madam asks you to go to the palace tomorrow to plead guilty to the Empress!"

Wei Changying was stunned and said, "This..."

"Originally, Madam should have personally taken third young madam into the palace to plead guilty, but the instructions for permission to enter the palace did not come down until today. Madam should take you there tomorrow, but she is not feeling well now. So it turns out that the third madam of the Su Family was the one that can accompany you into the palace." Man Lou explained, "Before third young madam came back, Madam had already sent Man Ting to the Su Mansion to talk to the third madam Su. Madam asked you, third young madam, not to go to her room to greet her after getting up tomorrow, but to go directly to the Su Mansion!"

"I understand." Wei Changying sighed and said.

Even though the Shen Family was already started to plan for replacing the Crown Prince with someone else at this moment, the etiquette between the Emperor and ministers should not be abolished as long as the Empress Gu and the Crown Prince were still in their power.

But the things continued to happen in the Shen Family, and Shen Cangfeng thought to nullify the Crown Prince just because of Jiang Zheng. Wei Changying worried about many things but she forgot that Jiang Zheng was wounded because he committed the crime of “bumping into the guard of honor of Crown Prince”. In this case, Wei Changying of course had to go to the palace to plead guilty since she was the master.

Apart from that, for this trip into the palace, Madame Su still entrusted Wei Zhengyin to keep her company... She felt not quite well, and it was a disease which could hardly be cured without considerable cost from Pei Meiniang.

It's not peaceful at home or outside the house. Wei Changying combed her hair which was blown by the night wind and lazily walked back to the room. She thought secretly: Oh well, things had to be handled one by one. It’s no use getting into a flap...