After giving her contraceptives, she went mad, criticizing the prince for turning white-haired overn

As she spoke, Madam Shen bowed and led the Princess of Huainan to the seat of honor.

When her gaze swept over Lady Wang, who was standing beside the Princess of Huainan, a hint of coldness flashed across her face.

But she quickly suppressed it and put on a proper smile without making a sound.

Everyone took their seats in turn, and the maids and servants entered quietly.

They respectfully served tea to the Princess Consort of Huainan and Lady Wang.

After Shen Ning and Shen Wan paid their respects to the Princess Consort of Huainan, they carefully sat down next to each other on the chairs.

Yu was somewhat helpless in the face of this sudden turn of events and could only barely maintain her composure.

Shen Ning quietly raised her eyes and looked at the Princess of Huainan in the main seat.

Despite her advanced age, the Princess of Huainan is well-maintained and has delicate skin.

Her every gesture exudes an air of elegance and grace.

It's clear she must have been an outstanding beauty in her youth.

She couldn't help but think of Xiao Ce, the heir apparent of the Prince of Huainan.

Xiao Ce was handsome, inheriting his mother's beauty and his father's bravery, which is why he was so good-looking.

With his exceptional talent, it's no wonder that so many noble ladies in Yanjing City longed to enter the gates of the Prince of Huainan's mansion.

A slight thought stirred within her. From her memories of her past life, she knew that her aunt, Madam Wang, and the Princess of Huainan were once close friends.

They came together today, presumably anticipating that the Shen family might obstruct them, and therefore specially invited the princess to oversee things.

Seated, the Princess of Huainan slowly put down her teacup.

His gaze swept lightly over Shen Ning and Shen Wan, who sat to the left.

Shen Wan kept her head down, her lips pressed tightly together.

His clothes were pitifully thin, his hands were red from the cold, and his fingertips were even a little swollen.

Although Shen Ning was slightly better, the fabric of her clothes was clearly old.

Not only is the color dull, but the size is also somewhat unsuitable.

With just one glance, the Princess of Huainan understood everything.

These two girls did not have a good life in the Shen family.

Her tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Madam, if I remember correctly, General Shen's annual salary and the rewards from His Majesty should be quite generous."

"It's freezing cold today, why are the young ladies of your household dressed so lightly?"

She paused, her gaze falling on Shen Wan's hand.

"Especially Miss Shen, who is engaged to our Huainan Prince's Mansion, is now in poor health and has even developed chilblains on her hands..."

"When Madam Ye heard yesterday that she was seriously ill, she specially brought a doctor to treat her."

After the Princess of Huainan finished speaking, she glanced at Lady Wang beside her.

Wang understood and spoke.

"Madam Shen, I am here today on the orders of my grandmother to visit my nieces."

"I hope the old lady won't mind?"

Madam Shen forced a smile: "Of course not."

"That's good then." Madam Wang smiled slightly, but her tone was frighteningly cold.

"The three sisters, Shen Ning, Shen Rou, and Shen Wan, ultimately have half the blood of the Ye family flowing in their veins."

"If the Ye family comes to visit, and Old Madam Shen insists on stopping them, it will likely damage the Shen family's reputation."

Her gaze swept over Shen Ning and Shen Wan, and her tone softened.

"Moreover, I've noticed that the young ladies don't seem to be having a good time in the manor."

Her words were so blunt that they almost tore off the mask of civility.

When Madam Ye was alive, none of the girls had ever suffered such injustice.

The clothes were the latest styles from Yuheng Pavilion.

The headdress is made of exquisite jewelry from the Treasure Pavilion.

But since Ye left, they haven't even had a decent winter coat in all these years.

The youngest, Shen Wan, had a cloak that was too short to keep out the cold.

The chilblains on her hands were quite glaring; she hardly looked like a legitimate daughter of a general's mansion.

Madam Yu's face flushed red, and she couldn't help but argue back.

"What do you mean by that, Madam Ye? When has the Shen family ever lacked their food, clothing, or other necessities?"

Wang chuckled softly, her gaze sharp as a knife.

"Mrs. Shen, why don't you take a look for yourself? Do these two children seem to be doing well?"

"Do you even believe what you're saying?"

Her tone turned cold. "I think the Second Madam's own daughter is dressed at least ten times better than these two girls."

"Is General Shen's salary and military merits all being used to support his second and third wives?"

"Madam Ye, watch your words!" Old Madam Shen's chest heaved with anger, and she slammed her teacup down heavily.

Wang, however, paid no attention.

"Never mind, I was just stating what I saw."

She turned to Shen Ning and Shen Wan, her tone softening.

"Hearing that Wan'er was seriously ill, I specially brought a doctor to treat her."

"In addition, I was also instructed by the old lady to send some things over to the young ladies."

As soon as she finished speaking, five or six maids behind her came forward with trays and placed the items on the octagonal table.

The tray contained hairpins and jewelry, as well as two thick, warm mink cloaks.

"The spring hunt is the day after tomorrow. This is a small token of your maternal grandmother's appreciation."

Shen Ning stood up and bowed, saying softly, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt and Grandmother."

"Right now, the most important thing is my sister's health."

Madam Wang nodded with a smile: "It's alright, Aunt has brought a doctor with her."

She gestured to the elderly doctor who was waiting nearby.

The doctor stepped forward and respectfully spoke to Shen Wan.

"Third Miss, please allow me to take your pulse."

Shen Wan timidly extended her hand.

The doctor examined the patient intently for a moment.

"The young lady fell into the water and the cold pathogen entered her body. It was not expelled in time, and this has caused her to develop a chronic illness."

"Then, is it possible to remove the root cause of this illness?" Shen Wan asked softly.

"It can be cured naturally," the doctor affirmed.

"It's just a prescription that addresses the symptoms; it's not a serious illness."

"With proper care, there will be no problem."

"Not a serious illness?" The Princess Consort of Huainan frowned slightly.

She looked at Shen Wan.

"But nowadays, people in Yanjing are saying that Miss Shen is weak and frail, and that she may have difficulty conceiving in the future."

"Where do you even begin to explain this!" The doctor shook his head repeatedly.

"The young lady is merely suffering from stagnant cold and a weak constitution. When did such absurd rumors begin to circulate?"

"I just examined her pulse carefully, and the young lady's uterus is fine. She will definitely be able to bear children in the future."

Upon hearing this, the Princess of Huainan relaxed and nodded slightly.

She came with Wang today to verify the truth of this rumor.

Shen Ning watched coldly from the sidelines, noticing that Old Madam Shen and Madam Yu's faces were stiff.

She couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

"Just now, my grandmother and second aunt said that my sister's illness was incurable and that it would be a waste of time to invite a doctor."

"Now it seems either the doctors the household hired are incompetent, or someone simply doesn't want to properly treat my sister!"

These words were like a needle, making Old Madam Shen and Madam Yu's faces even more unpleasant.

All of this was observed by the Princess Consort of Huainan.

She said in a calm tone, "It seems someone deliberately spread rumors in my ear."

"It's ironic that the Ye family can cure the illness that the Shen family can't."

The atmosphere in the front hall froze for a moment.

Madam Shen and Madam Yu looked at each other, speechless for a long time.

Finally, Madam Yu forced a smile and spoke.

"We...we did indeed call a doctor for Wan'er."

"Mrs. Shen, there's no need for further words," Madam Wang interrupted directly.

"From this day forward, Wan'er's illness will be taken care of by the doctor hired by the Ye family."

Her gaze swept over the shabby clothes worn by Shen Ning and Shen Wan.

"My two nieces are living such a hard life in the Shen family. My Ye family will not stand idly by."

"Perhaps we should ask His Majesty to decide on the future rewards for General Shen..."

"Should the money be used directly on the children, or should it continue to be managed by the second wife?"

She paused, then called out to those behind her, "Ziyu, Ziyuan, come here."

As soon as he finished speaking, two maids, who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, came out in response.

The two women were composed, with short blades at their waists. Although they were dressed as maids, there was a hint of heroism in their eyes.

One look at him and you know he's skilled in martial arts.

"From now on, Ziyu will follow Wan'er, and Ziyuan will serve Ning'er."

"With them around, I feel more at ease."