"I... " Wei Yan was instantly speechless at Wei Yuewu"s question. She had rushed out only because she was so exasperated that she lost control of herself.

"Yuewu, Wei Yan was just expressing her concern about you. She"s worrying about your marriage. After all, your engagement was a favor done at the request by your mother. It"s a pity to cancel it in such a casual way."

Lady Li hurriedly offered an explanation for Wei Yan. She forced a smile on her stiff face and appeared to be sincerely considering what"s good for Wei Yuewu.

However, according to previous arguments, her such an explanation only made a great sarcasm in the eyes of the audience.

"I... I... I just wanted you to think about it."

As much as Wei Yan longed to scratch Wei Yuewu"s beautiful face, she recognized that she must follow Lady Li"s logic at this moment.

Wei Yan almost crumpled the handkerchief in her hand into a tattered ball, but under the Madam Dowager"s ice-cold and sharp gaze, she didn"t dare to speak another rash word. Her heart swelled with venomous resentment. Remorse was surging in her heart for failing to killing Wei Yuewu and letting this b.i.t.c.h escape!

"Second Elder Sister, you seem to be so concerned about me and my marriage. You even asked Shuiyun to dress up as a man and follow Marquis Jing Yuan to pick me up! Second Elder Sister, do you think I"m really that stupid?"

Wei Yuewu took a step forward, her dark and bright eyes fixed at Wei Yan.

Under such a steady stare, Wei Yan somehow felt her heart thumping and a chill diffusing over her body. She was too afraid to look directly into Wei Yuewu"s penetrating eyes. She swallowed her saliva out of nervousness and subconsciously stepped back, but immediately perceived herself to be showing the white feather.

Provoked by Wei Yuewu"s words, Wei Yan raised her head and was just about to speak when she was interrupted by the cold voice of the Madam Dowager. "Fine. We can use the reason of Yuewu being untalented and not good-looking!"

The Madam Dowager replied to Lady Tu with a blink of her shrewd eyes. By choosing this excuse, she was both making a concession and uncompromising. Saving Wei Yan"s reputation was her bottom line. As for whether Mo Huating would become a joke, it was not her business.

Now that the Madam Dowager had made a decision, it was not appropriate for Wei Yuewu to continue pressing Wei Yan. She retreated quietly behind Lady Tu and calmly nodded to her. In the meantime, she stealthily pointed at Lady Li, indicating Lady Tu to target her attack at Lady Li.

Lady Tu had come to back up Wei Yuewu. When she noticed Wei Yuewu"s expression out of the corner of her eye, she readily agreed with alacrity.

"All right, let"s do as Your Ladyship has said."

After a short pause, Lady Tu wiped the corners of his lips with her handkerchief and changed the subject.

"Madam Dowager, let"s put aside the marriage engagement for the moment. It"s circulated in the whole capital that Yuewu is neither talented nor good-looking. I can"t help wondering. Even if Yuewu was really neither talented nor good-looking, isn"t it a private matter of the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang? How come it is known among all people in the capital city?"

Lady Tu"s words suggested that she could let go of the affair between Wei Yan and Mo Huating but must investigate the rumor spread around the whole capital that slandered Wei Yuewu as being untalented and ordinary-looking. As this question was above the bottom line of the Madam Dowager, Lady Tu believed that the Madam Dowager would not make objection.

Lady Tu put her words in a so clever way that Wei Yuewu applauded her awesome eldest aunt in her heart. If she wanted to fight against Lady Li and Wei Yan in the backyard of this mansion that had been controlled by Lady Li for so many years, it was imperative for her to get rid of some of Lady Li"s a.s.sociates. Otherwise, she would encounter immense difficulties in the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang...

But that was not enough. Wei Yuewu had judged from this first meeting that the Madam Dowager was the kind of person who would not take actions unless she had a clear target. That being the case, Wei Yuewu might as well give the Madam Dowager another push to force her to take a stand!

"Grandmother, is that how I am rumored to be outside?"

Wei Yuewu lifted her bright eyes, looking surprised. She turned her eyes to Wei Yan standing on the other side and asked, "Second Elder Sister, do you know about that?"

She asked Wei Yan, which meant that she thought that all rumors about her might originate from Lady Li and Wei Yan. The Madam Dowager must show her sincerity by diminishing Wei Yuewu"s resentment if she wanted to protect Wei Yan.

"Go find out who in the mansion said the Sixth Young Lady was neither talented nor good-looking. Whoever they are, drive them and their family out of the mansion. We don"t need this kind of servants who dare to gossip about their mistresses and spread rumors about their mistresses" personal affairs."

The Madam Dowager"s face became stern as she made the decision in her heart. She turned her sharp eyes at Lady Zhang.

"Yes, mother. I will investigate it right away."

Overjoyed, Lady Zhang answered in a crisp voice. When she noticed that the Madam Dowager directed the question at her instead of Lady Li, she understood that the Madam Dowager had a.s.signed the task to her. This was quite out of her expectation.

Those who had sent things to Wei Yuewu in the past years were all Lady Li"s most trusted servants. Lady Zhang happened to be worried that with no servants of hers taking important positions in the mansion, few people would obey her orders, despite the fact that she was ordered by the Madam Dowager to run the backyard together with Lady Li.

She would plunge into trouble if Lady Li secretly created difficulties for her. How would she not be exhilarated at the opportunity given by the Madam Dowager to get rid of Lady Li"s a.s.sociates? Lady Zhang became radiant with high spirits in the blink of the eye. She took on a more sincere smile on her face when she looked at Wei Yuewu. No matter what, the appearance of this niece changed the situation in which Lady Li alone controlled the whole backyard. That would bring huge benefits to her.

Lady Zhang thought to herself: Niece, I would have pushed for your coming back to the mansion earlier anyway if I had known that you are so beneficial to me.

Hearing Lady Zhang receive the order to deal with her servants, Lady Li grew so anxious that her face turned pale. Those people were all her most trusted servants. But under the sharp cold stare of the Madam Dowager, she was forced to lower her head, clenching her teeth in hatred and not daring to utter another word.

Wei Yuewu witnessed the scene of the Madam Dowager reducing Lady Li"s power as she stood aside with her head bowed, a.s.suming an obedient look. Only she herself knew that her eyes were full of ridicule.

It was ridiculous for the Madam Dowager to take such a long time to decide to punish Lady Li"s servants under pressure from Lady Tu and her. After all, this was a matter related to her life.

Fortunately, she had already worked out the situation. Although she seemed to have suffered a lot and made a big concession on the surface, but in the absence of substantial evidence, she could only make the Madam Dowager compromise that much. And most importantly, she must live in the mansion of Marquis Hua Yang after all.

No matter how good her maternal grandparents" family was, there was no reason for them to keep her when the family of Marquis Hua Yang wanted to take her back!

As for certain things, she could take time for the moment. She believed that she could make some people more fidgeted than they were now...

After a few more ceremonial talk, the Madam Dowager and Lady Tu understood that they had reached a tacit agreement. Wei Yuewu courtesied to the Madam Dowager and then took Lady Tu to Lotus Courtyard that was prepared for her in the mansion.

Looking in the direction in which Wei Yuewu and Lady Tu were leaving, Wei Yan held Lady Li"s hand with hatred and asked anxiously in a low voice, "Mother, are you really going to let her live in Lotus Courtyard?"

Lotus Courtyard was the best residence in the whole mansion except the Madam Dowager"s courtyard. Wei Yan had already set her eyes on it but had been refused by her mother. Lady Li said that ceremonies must be observed at least on the surface. Therefore, she ordered servants to clean up the place for Wei Yuewu when she was on the way to the capital. Wei Yan had agreed, thinking it impossible for Wei Yuewu to move in and they did so only for the sake of ceremonies.

However, she had never expected that Wei Yuewu actually came to the capital alive.

"Shut up!"

Lady Li quickly scolded Wei Yan in a low voice when she noticed that the Madam Dowager turned her eyes toward them. She winked at Wei Yan and turned to the Madam Dowager with a forced smile. It was obviously unwise to make the Madam Dowager angry again because of a yard at this point.

Wei Yuewu was nothing but a little girl who had just came to the capital. She didn"t believe that she couldn"t beat a naïve little girl who did not yet have her hair fully grown. Lady Tu seemed to be tough, but no matter how tough she was, it was impossible for her to live in the mansion all the time. There were plenty of opportunities to deal with this little girl in future.

Besides, that yard was not so easy for Wei Yan to live in...

"Yan"er, kneel down with your mother."

The Madam Dowager retorted sharply when she saw Lady Tu and Wei Yuewu were away. Slamming her palm heavily on the table, she looked at them with a sullen face.

Wei Yan hated being scolded in front of the servants. She had no choice but to kneel down with Lady Li, though she was extremely unwilling to do so...

Greater resentment toward Wei Yuewu filled her heart. She grew up under the care of the Madam Dowager and was most loved by her grandmother. Her wishes and orders were always fulfilled in the mansion, and she had never been so humiliated. She had never thought that she would lose face like this in front of so many people because of a cheap girl from the countryside.

She would by no means allow that cheap girl to live peacefully in her Lotus Courtyard. Just wait until the cheap girl found it impossible to live there any longer and asked to move out.

In the Lotus Courtyard.

The residence was very clean and everything was placed in an orderly manner. Several maids and old maidservants looked at each other when they saw the legendary Sixth Young Lady walking in. Although they didn"t say anything, the surprise in their eyes was obvious.

The courtyard was originally prepared by the Second Lady for the Second Young Lady. However, it turned out that the Sixth Young Lady, who had just entered the mansion a short while ago, moved in. This was indeed surprising.

Wei Yuewu seemed to overlook the shocked eyes of the maids and old maidservants in the yard. She led Lady Tu directly into the house and Jin Ling had already ordered a little girl outside to send tea.

Lady Tu received the tea and had a sip. She then looked closely at Wei Yuewu"s delicate eyebrows and eyes. She was speechless for a moment.

Eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as such were almost matchless. Even girls from the Tu family, which was known for producing beauties, could hardly compete with this niece. Could such beauty be hidden for a lifetime? For a while, Lady Tu couldn"t help but feel a mixture of emotions crowding into her heart!

No wonder Wei Yuewu"s deceased mother, her sister-in-law, could win Marquis Hua Yang over from that person. However, she wasn"t sure whether that victory was a blessing or a curse if she thought thoroughly about it. After all, her sister-in-law also died in the marriage. Somehow, Lady Tu sighed in her heart and looked at Wei Yuewu more gently.

"Eldest Aunt, granny said that it was a blessing to live an ordinary life in peace. But when it"s useless to do that, just fight back."

Wei Yuewu said softly with a smile as she inferred what Lady Tu was thinking about.

Now that she had chosen this path, she would not hide it from Lady Tu. And judging from the fact that Lady Tu had come to her rescue this time, she knew she had the support of her granny.

"Your granny was doing these out of concern for you."

Lady Tu nodded. It was not hard to guess her mother-in-law"s mind. If her sister-in-law had not been so beautiful, she would never have been involved in so much trouble. For this reason, her sister-in-law lost her life at a young age, leaving Wei Yuewu, an unloved girl, who had to be sent to her granny"s home and raised up there.

Lady Tu reached out to take a package from an old maidservant standing behind her and pushed the package to Wei Yuewu." Yuewu, your granny prepared this for you. You came to the capital because you had no alternative, but you almost died on the way. She was really painful. She thought for a long time and asked me to give this to you. It might help you."

Lady Tu sighed at the thought of her sister-in-law who died so young. Although this gentle and tender sister-in-law married Marquis Hua Yang no more than two years after she was married, in her memory, this sister-in-law had always been a lovely woman with a sincere heart. Unfortunately, such a good woman died so young.

When she was married with Marquis Hua Yang, a young man highly valued by the emperor, she was the object of envy for all other girls. But who would have expected...

Wei Yuewu slowly opened the package. She saw a dark gold box.

"Eldest Aunt, what is..." Shocked, Wei Yue looked up in amazement.

Though this kind of dark gold was not really golden, the color was absolutely not accessible to ordinary families. In fact, only big families that had connections with the royal family might be able to use it. Although her maternal grandparents" family was a local n.o.ble family, it was really only moderately wealthy and powerful compared with those well-known families in the capital that had a history of hundreds of years.

How could her maternal grandparents own such a box?