After becoming pregnant, the cold-hearted nobles all went mad.

The old lady looked at Shen Lingyi as if she had been slapped several times: "How dare you be so arrogant, showing no respect for your grandmother at all?"

Shen Lingyi simply smiled and said, "Grandmother's words are too much for me to bear. I was just punishing an old woman; how could I have been disrespectful to you, Grandmother?"

"Am I, as the second young lady of this household, not even allowed to decide the coming and going of a servant?"

The old lady glanced at Wei Chengrui, still wary of him after all. Although she had caught him red-handed tonight, there were outsiders present, so she couldn't show too much favoritism.

She wanted to drive the man away, but seeing that he was still blocking the old women, she suppressed her anger and said, "This is a family matter of the General's Mansion. Please, Young Master, do not interfere."

Wei Chengrui glanced at Shaoyao, who was half-beaten to death, then looked at Shen Lingyi, and finally sneered, "Now I know the upbringing of the General's Mansion."

He added, "You don't discipline your eldest daughter who's been entangled with the Crown Prince, and I kindly sent your granddaughter back to her home, yet you blame me instead."

Shen Tingjiao paused, a hint of grievance in her eyes.

The old lady immediately shielded the person behind her.

"Calling you Prince Wei is an act of respect for the old prince. If you dare to slander my granddaughter's innocence again, my General's Mansion is not to be trifled with."

This isn't the first time something like this has happened.

Before Shen Tingjiao could say a word, the old lady protected her like a mother protecting her own child.

She had been hurt before. They were both granddaughters, born of the same mother, so why was her grandmother so biased? Was the concept of fate really that important?

Now Shen Lingyi understands that it was all for the sake of the plot.

She was a puppet on a string, all her glory was used to highlight others.

But Shen Lingyi was really tired.

She kicked the old woman in the knee, and the woman cried out in pain and fell to her knees. Then Shen Lingyi immediately ordered someone to fetch a whip.

The servants of Qixiang Courtyard watched as Shaoyao was beaten, and many felt indignant on her behalf, but as servants, they dared not disobey their masters.

Now, if Shen Lingyi calls out, the whip will be handed to her as quickly as possible.

Shen Lingyi gripped the fine riding whip, gave it a flick, and, finding it still as good as ever, said, "Grandmother is old and her eyesight is failing, so I will punish this insolent servant who dares to disobey her superiors."

The old lady roared, "I'd like to see you dare!"

As she spoke, the sound of a whip lashing flesh followed. Shen Lingyi proved with her actions that there was nothing she wouldn't dare to do.

Peony was able to leave the Imperial Prison unscathed after being imprisoned, but she was beaten like this in her own home. If she, as the young lady, doesn't seek justice for her, wouldn't she become a soft persimmon to be manipulated by others?

Since it was the old lady who ordered the beating, she slapped the old lady in the face, it was that simple.

He lashed her with the whip, and the old woman screamed and cursed wildly.

When the second lash came down, he was already begging the old lady to save him, and he fainted on the third lash.

Shen Lingyi tossed aside the blood-stained riding whip and said with disgust, "This old woman is all looks and no substance. When Grandmother chooses people to work for her in the future, she should choose loyal ones, just like her granddaughter. Don't keep useless people around."

He added, "Otherwise, if something happens to someone so spineless, they'll probably be the first to implicate their grandmother."

As already stated, the last thing the old woman said before she fainted was that the old lady had instructed her to do it.

After being pointed at by Shen Lingyi, the old lady's face turned extremely ugly, and her hand holding the Buddhist beads trembled slightly.

She intended to call Shen Su out to discipline this scoundrel, but then she remembered that he had been urgently summoned to the palace tonight. Otherwise, the old lady would not have brought so many people to block Shen Lingyi.

If she had known this would happen, she should have beaten that wretched maid to death.

Wei Chengrui's casual remark became the last straw that broke the old lady's back: "Speaking of which, Madam Shen is also a second-rank official."

The title of Second Rank Imperial Consort appears to be one rank higher than that of County Princess of the Second Rank, but this is not the case. The former is a nominal title obtained through her husband's or meritorious sons' requests, while the latter has a real fief.

Shen Lingyi's fiefdom, Pingyang County, was located more than 200 li (approximately 100 kilometers) east of the capital.

The old lady felt a tightness in her chest, a metallic taste rose in her throat, and her vision suddenly went black as she fell backward. Shen Tingjiao hurriedly caught her, saying, "Grandmother, what's wrong...?"

Madam Jiang had someone carefully lift up the peony. Upon hearing the sound, she merely glanced at it coldly and said, "Madam, you've exhausted too much energy tonight. Have someone take her back to rest."

Shen Tingjiao glanced at Shen Lingyi resentfully, biting her lip.

She was unwilling to let Shen Lingyi go like that.

Before she could look away, she saw Wei Chengrui squat down, his hands lazily resting on his knees, his eyes full of malice: "Trying to scheme against me, huh?"

"I'll keep this in mind for now, but don't let me catch you doing this, or I'll skin you alive."

Shen Tingjiao was terrified and dared not look at her again, fearing that she would be retaliated against by Wei Chengrui if she stayed. So she helped the old lady back.

Madam Jiang looked at Wei Chengrui, harboring some resentment towards him, so her attitude wasn't very good: "Young Master, it's time for you to return. I'll have someone escort you."

"No need, I can go back by myself."

Wei Chengrui glanced at Shen Lingyi, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally. She carefully draped a cloak over her maid, her face glowing with a soft light, her eyes filled with genuine worry.

So it turns out she can worry about others too.

He had thought Shen Lingyi was just heartless, but now it seems she was just indifferent to him.

The physician examined the injured peony and sighed, "The wound was splashed with water. Luckily, it was treated in time, otherwise it would have become infected and dangerous. If you don't want any scars on your skin, you'll have to take good care of it."

Shen Lingyi's brows furrowed, realizing that she had let the old woman and Shen Tingjiao off too easily.

Upon hearing what the physician said, Shen Lingyi told him, "You must not let her have any scars."

Peony is also a young woman; she will have to get married someday.

Shen Lingyi's dowry has been prepared for her. Once this girl takes a fancy to someone, she can be married off in a grand and dignified manner, and she will definitely be able to live a respectable life as a wife.

It wouldn't be good if she got a scar because of it.

Peony shook her head and told the physician, "No need, just heal my wounds."

The physician didn't understand what she was thinking, but prescribed a medicine as instructed.

Jiang did not come in, leaving the master and servant to chat privately.

After the physician left, Shen Lingyi asked, "Why don't you remove the scar?"

Peony said to her, "Miss, I want to keep this scar because my memory isn't very good, and I want to keep it to remember this experience."

Shen Lingyi was taken aback.

She understood what Shaoyao was thinking. Just like her master, she was vindictive, and so was Shaoyao.

Keeping scars is to constantly remind yourself that the humiliation you suffer today will be repaid tenfold in the future.

But she still tapped Peony on the head, and the latter cried out in pain before she slowly withdrew her hand: "Now that you know it hurts, don't be silly and just keep quiet next time. It's better to find an excuse to delay for a while."

Peony covered her head, chuckled foolishly, and didn't try to explain. She was clumsy with words and all she could do was vow to serve her master to the death.