After Rebirth, the Green Tea Illegitimate Daughter Became a Master of Schemes

Chapter 120 - The Incident

The Duchess slowly began to understand what was happening. The difficulty faced by the new daughter-in-law was clearly the work of the two wives stirring up trouble.

Looking back, the duchess realized she had been too easily influenced by others. She had listened to their warnings, "That girl from the Ruan family comes from a low background, born to a concubine. For the heir to be so adamant about marrying her, she must have some hidden schemes. Madam, you should be cautious of her."

But now, it became clear... the real schemers were the two daughters-in-law.

Before Yuluan left, she heard the duchess sigh softly, then say in a calm tone, "You are the Heir's wife, and Xu'er will inherit the title in the future. It's best you become familiar with managing the household, so that you won't be left in the dark."

These words were the duchess' way of passing the household management duties to her. The young girl's brow twitched slightly. She had heard from Yin Xu earlier that the duchess currently held all the major decision-making power in the house.

However, the detailed day-to-day affairs were managed by her two sisters-in-law together. Among them, Yang Shi held the most power, far surpassing Second Sister-in-law Chen Shi.

If Yuluan wanted to gain influence, her main opponent would be the eldest sister-in-law, who had been entrenched in the household for years.

The young girl hid her thoughts, lowered her lashes, and quietly responded, "Yes."

Today's bold confrontation had yielded benefits—not only had she gained her mother-in-law's support, but she had also secured the household management rights.

That afternoon, Lin Momo had no choice but to send the tearful Yin Zhu to the Second Young Master's Qingfeng Courtyard.

"Old servant greets Second Madam. This is Yin Zhu," Lin Momo smiled as she greeted Second Madam Chen. "The Duchess said that Yin Zhu will now serve the Second Young Master, and she is to learn how to care for him under your guidance."

Chen Shi was already seething with anger. Clearly, this girl was supposed to be sent to Third Young Master's courtyard, but because of a few tears from that Ruan girl, she ended up right in front of her, causing even more frustration!

Looking at Yin Zhu, who still seemed reluctant, her red, swollen eyes like walnuts—indeed a beauty like a tearful Xi Shi—Chen Shi's chest tightened, and she let out a cold sneer.

"My third sister-in-law is truly skilled... Just a few tears, and she managed to solve such a troublesome problem!"

Her words carried a veiled dissatisfaction toward the Duchess, and Lin Momo dared not respond, keeping her eyes lowered.

Even though Chen Shi was unwilling, she had no choice but to accept Yin Zhu. Before Lin Momo left, Yin Zhu quickly grabbed her sleeve.

"Mother, help me! You promised to help me become the Heir's concubine! What is this?"

Lin Momo had no solution. She had hoped to control others, but unexpectedly, she was the one being bitten!

Resolving herself, she left, leaving the still weeping Yin Zhu behind. Chen Shi, frustrated by the noise, coldly ordered, "You're still crying? I should be the one crying!"

She signaled to a maid, who immediately stepped forward and began slapping Yin Zhu's face repeatedly.

"How dare you cry in front of the madam? Do you think you have the right to refuse?"

After more than ten slaps, Chen Shi calmly instructed, "Take her away and lock her up. Make sure she's fed well. Don't let her get thin, or people might think I mistreat her."

"Yes." Two maids responded and dragged the devastated Yin Zhu away.

In Chunxia Courtyard, inside the flower hall, a loud crash echoed as a vase shattered on the ground. The maid entering with a tea tray saw the shards of porcelain scattered across the floor and didn't dare to breathe too loudly.

She cautiously approached, offering the tea, and sneaked a glance at the young woman inside. Yang Shi's face was dark, her chest heaving in anger, her expression fierce.

"Madam, have some tea to calm down..." The maid softly advised, but before she could finish, Yang Shi forcefully waved her hand, knocking the tea aside. Her voice seethed with suppressed fury.

"That Ruan girl is nothing more than the daughter of a low-ranking concubine from a modest official family. In my mother's house, she would barely be fit to be a concubine! And now, she dares to compete with me for control of the household? She should look in the mirror and see if she's even worthy!"

As she spoke, something seemed to cross her mind, and her eyes flashed with a cold glint. A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she gave a chilling order.

"...Bring Liu Chen's wife to me."

The next morning, the young girl summoned two steward momos in charge of household goods and finances to the flower hall. As she reviewed the inventory and accounts, she took the opportunity to ask questions for clarification.

As Yuluan flipped through the inventory of silverware, she immediately noticed two discrepancies.

She pointed her pale finger at one entry in the book and read it aloud, "In the spring of the thirteenth year, the first branch borrowed a carved sandalwood screen inlaid with jade and Eight Immortals motifs, but there's no record of it being returned."

She continued, "In the summer of the fourteenth year, the first branch borrowed a potted jade narcissus, a purple sandalwood couch, and four purple jade vases with lady motifs, and these also have no return record."

The girl furrowed her brows slightly and looked up at the two women. In a calm tone, she asked, "These items are quite valuable. Were they returned and not recorded, or have they not been returned at all?"

One of the steward momos, Zhang Bao's wife, shook her head and answered honestly, "These were mostly taken by Madam Yang herself, to display when receiving guests. But they were never returned, and we dared not ask for them."

Her explanation was reasonable. The girl then turned her gaze to the other woman, Liu Chen's wife. "And you didn't dare to ask either?"

Liu Chen's wife laughed and responded smoothly, "Madam Yang's status is much higher than ours. When she asks, we can only give."

She added with a grin, "And really, what's the harm? Madam Yang is part of the family. She only borrows the items to make the house look grander when entertaining guests. Is that so terrible?"

Though she spoke casually, if Yuluan hadn't reviewed the accounts today, no one would have noticed these missing items. It was clear Yang Shi would eventually cover her tracks with false records.

The young girl's thoughts churned, but outwardly, she calmly closed the account book, her fingers gently brushing its cover. With a light smile, she said cheerfully, "Thank you both for your efforts today. Managing the household is overwhelming, and I'm still figuring things out. Let's leave it for now."

Her casual tone, as if she hadn't noticed the irregularities, was followed by a smiling command to her maid, "Qiuxiu, see these two ladies out."

Qiuxiu, smiling as well, stepped forward. Yuluan keenly noticed that when she said, "We won't investigate further," a flash of satisfaction crossed Liu Chen's wife's face, while Zhang Bao's wife remained impassive.

After the two women left, the girl sipped her tea and asked in a low voice, "So, what did they say?"

"Zhang Bao's wife accepted two taels of silver and expressed her gratitude. But Liu Chen's wife refused any reward, saying that delivering Madam's message was part of her duty."