The young lady is delicate and soft, yet she criticizes the powerful minister for bowing and scrapin

Just a few days after Wei Jun left, the rumors quickly spread to the point that everyone knew about them.

Without any formal marriage ceremony or proper introductions, Qi Yunli moved into the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence and began to call herself the Marquis's wife.

She became the laughingstock of the prominent families in the capital, and even the servants in her household whispered among themselves, showing contempt and gloating over her misfortune.

"Does a pheasant think it can transform into a phoenix? Just because it lives in Jingchen Courtyard, does it think its status has changed?"

"That's right. The Marquis has never acknowledged her as his wife. He only used her to keep the household quiet and ward off evil spirits before he went to war. Who knows what he will do to her when he returns?"

"The old lady values ​​rules the most. I'm afraid no one else needs to say anything. Once the Marquis is far away, the old lady will naturally kick the person out."

These words, like the wind, kept drifting into my ears.

Before Wei Jun went to war, he repeatedly instructed him to guard Jingchen Courtyard as if he were still there.

The master has only been gone a few days, and those servants are already gossiping about the lady!

Ru Feng couldn't listen any longer. "Madam, if they dare to say anything more, we'll punish them!"

"What's the point of punishing them? If it's just one or two people gossiping, it might scare others, but everyone in the manor thinks that way. We can't punish everyone."

Qi Yunli didn't care much. "It's because the people's hearts are not united. Punishing them won't help. The most important thing is to live your own lives well."

That sounded reasonable, but Ru Feng's anger surged, and he couldn't help but continue:

"But what they said was so awful, it was simply outrageous. I'm just worried that once you leave, they'll take advantage of you and trample on you."

Besides, the master said to protect the lady. If he returns and finds out that the lady has been wronged, will he make a big fuss about it?

The view outside the window was bare, and Qi Yunli's thoughts had already drifted to planting flowers and trees.

She came to her senses and smiled, "I live in Jingchen Courtyard to protect myself, not to argue with others. If I really get angry over these gossips and punish this person or that person, I will only make myself look bad. They will think that I am really guilty and unworthy of the position of Lady."

Ru Feng felt as if a soft, fluffy flower had been stuffed into his heart.

The lady's voice was as refreshing and pleasant as a spring breeze, and her words soothed his anger.

"Jingchen Courtyard is a large place, but it has no flowers and looks bare, which is a real pity. Before Third Sister gets married, it would be great to ask her to come and plant roses and peonies together." Qi Yunli's eyes showed some hope.

Ru Feng understood: "Yes, I will immediately set about it and buy different varieties of flower seeds so that Madam can choose which ones to plant."

Qi Yunli nodded.

As expected of Wei Jun's capable subordinate, he is meticulous in his work and also considerate of people's feelings.

She now visits the old lady's courtyard more often to pay her respects than when she was a cousin.

He would regularly pay his respects to his ancestors morning and evening, and would always go to greet them.

Occasionally, he would visit the small kitchen in Jingchen Courtyard, carrying a food box filled with pastries to pay his respects.

The old lady never made things difficult for her, and always had a smile on her face.

However, none of the food that Qi Yunli mentioned was ever seen being eaten.

Qi Yunli didn't care much. She had done her duty as a daughter-in-law. As for whether the old lady ate or not, that was none of her business.

However, today, the old lady unexpectedly invited her to have dinner in the courtyard.

The dinner was exquisite and plentiful, filling the table to the brim. The old lady's expression was gentle.

"Ah Li, try the fish. It's steamed. The kitchen made it so tender and fresh. They even specially invited a chef from Jiangnan to teach them how to make it."

Qi Yunli picked up a piece of fish and savored it carefully; the texture was indeed smooth and tender.

"Thank you, Madam."

Qi Yunli was a little overwhelmed by the old lady's sudden enthusiasm, wondering what her intentions were.

Was the old lady very satisfied with her? Definitely not.

As people age, their thinking tends to become stubborn and difficult to change. With Wei Jun not at home, the old lady is the most powerful person and will definitely try every means to make Qi Yunli leave in secret.

After they had almost finished eating, the old lady slowly began to speak:

"Your third sister's engagement is coming soon, a joyous occasion. I'm thinking of taking this opportunity to invite a few familiar ladies from prominent families to come and witness it together."

Qi Yunli paused, her chopsticks still in her hand, and understood.

"The old lady is absolutely right. Firstly, we need to support our third sister, and secondly, we need to find an opportunity for her to appear in front of the noble families in the capital."

The old lady hadn't expected Qi Yunli to understand her true meaning, and a hint of approval flashed in her eyes.

"It's good that you understand. You should also attend the event. These ladies are all well-known in the capital, and you'll inevitably have to interact with them in the future, so it's good to get to know each other."

Recently, rumors have been circulating, and the old lady, living deep within the inner quarters, has many eyes and ears who know everything.

To make the fire burn even bigger, the old lady quietly added two more bundles of firewood.

Those ladies from noble families all come from prestigious backgrounds. When they come to the mansion and meet Qi Yunli, they will inevitably test and ridicule her.

Thinking of this, the old lady hoped that Qi Yunli would finally show some fear.

Qi Yunli nodded emphatically: "I will definitely treat them well and make sure the ladies don't feel uncomfortable in the slightest."

He accepted the task with neither servility nor arrogance, completely exceeding the old lady's expectations.

The old lady looked at her face, which was open and honest, and her expression became complicated.

Like the ladies of noble families, she was arrogant and haughty. She outwardly agreed with her grandson, but inwardly she looked down on Qi Yunli.

But Qi Yunli was resolute.

This girl is more composed than she imagined.

"That's good then." The old lady skillfully concealed her true thoughts. "You'll have to take better care of the reputation of the Marquis's mansion."

"My granddaughter-in-law will certainly live up to your expectations," Qi Yunli said, rising to thank her.

After returning to Jingchen Courtyard, Qi Yunli told Rufeng about it.

Ru Feng had already bought flower seedlings and arranged various roses and peonies neatly in the yard.

Upon hearing this, he immediately became anxious:

"The old lady is clearly trying to make things difficult for you, Madam. You rarely attend banquets, let alone arrange one! And this is the engagement banquet for the Third Miss!"

Ru Feng loudly concluded, "No, there's a trick involved. Madam cannot agree to this."

Seeing his genuine nature, Qi Yunli couldn't help but think of Tingyue, who was still in Suzhou.

"I've already agreed."

"Madam!" Ru Feng howled, "Why didn't you discuss this with me, Madam! You're so naive, you don't understand that the old lady is a cunning old fox! Even the Marquis has to navigate this situation carefully."

When I get anxious, I blurt out whatever comes to mind, like spitting out beans.

Qi Yunli was amused, and laughed like a child:

"There's no escaping it."

She bent down and squatted down, lovingly touching the flower seedlings. "If I can dodge this time, there will be a next time. Even if I become the lady of the Marquis's mansion, I can't just stay in the courtyard every day and not go out to see people."

"Besides, the old lady thinks I can't handle things and has set a trap for me. So I'll just play along, do things well, and leave the old lady with nothing to say."

The old man was stubborn, but not unreasonable. All the servants and maids in the mansion had been ordered to cooperate with Qi Yunli in preparing the banquet.

Anyone who dares to disobey will be held responsible.

Qi Yunli can boldly command them.

The female merchants never shied away from showing their faces in public. They went out everywhere to manage their businesses, and it was common for them to prepare banquets and make friends with local dignitaries.

They assumed she came from a poor, remote area and didn't understand the banquets of the powerful and wealthy.

This is perfect; it gives Qi Yunli a chance to really shine.

Most importantly, does the old lady approve? As for what others think—

No matter how well she does, there will always be someone to find fault with her.

However, the old lady not only wanted her granddaughter-in-law to come from a prestigious family, but also hoped that she would be dignified and generous, bringing honor to the Marquis's mansion.

Qi Yunli stood up. "You need to do another thing for me."

"What is it?"

"Let's bring Tingyue back; I miss her."