Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Madam Liang trembled at the harsh tone of Madam Pei, and any lingering hope in her heart was completely shattered.

Madam Pei believed it was her negligence that led to Ye Ge'er's near-death experience.

If it were an ordinary family, they would probably have been dragged out and beaten to death long ago.

But she was not a servant; she was the wife of the Duke's elder brother, and her husband also held an official position.

If she were truly accused of a crime today, not only would her own reputation be ruined, but her husband's future, and even the reputation of that branch of the clan in Jiangnan, would be completely destroyed.

Even if she did it on purpose, Madam Pei has no evidence, and she would never admit it!

Having made up her mind, Madam Liang straightened her back. "Sister-in-law, do you not believe me? I am, after all, a member of the Pei family, a noblewoman. How could I possibly harm a junior?"

Madam Pei retorted sarcastically, "Ha, how come you can't?"

As if her thoughts had been exposed, Liang was suddenly provoked to a desperate act of defiance.

"If today, due to some accident, you were to suspect me in the hall without any evidence, and this were to spread, it would not be good for the reputation of the Pei family, nor for the official reputation of my nephews Dingxuan and Zeyu. Sister-in-law, you should think this through."

Madam Pei's eyes suddenly darkened, clearly she was quite angry.

She could act impulsively, but as the other party said, without any evidence, making a big fuss would not benefit the eldest branch, Pei Dingxuan, or Pei Zeyu.

Scandals involving internal family infighting are something that any prominent family would strive to avoid.

Liu Wenying stood behind Wen Jingshu, observing everything.

The conflict between Madam Liang and Madam Pei was, in essence, a contest between clan power.

She was nothing more than a wet nurse who depended on others for her life; what right did she have to voice her opinions?

They could only lower their heads and be submissive, hoping not to be affected.

Unexpectedly, after hearing what Madam Liang said, the angry Madam Pei actually let her go. Madam Liang then left Hechun Hall with her family intact and moved into the Duke's Mansion.

The tense atmosphere inside the room eased after Liang and the others left.

Ye Ge'er cried himself to sleep and lay quietly in Wen Jingshu's arms.

Only now did Wen Jingshu's anxious heart finally settle down.

She looked at Liu Wenying diagonally behind her and said, "I really owe you a lot today, otherwise I don't know what I would have done."

By the time the imperial physician arrives, it will probably be too late.

Madam Pei looked over as well, her anger subsiding. "You have done a good job protecting your master today and deserve a reward. Go and fetch my pair of red gold and pearl-inlaid bracelets to give to Madam Liu. Also, double your monthly allowance."

Liu Wenying respectfully accepted the reward and expressed her gratitude.

The Heimlich maneuver may seem rough, but it is actually effective.

If she were useless, she would probably lose her life. These rewards were earned with her life and she deserves them.

Back at Tinglan Courtyard, Liu Wenying fed the young master the calming medicine prescribed by the imperial physician and soothed him until he slowly fell asleep.

Zizhu entered the inner room and said that the First Madam had summoned her, so Liu Wenying turned and left.

Wen Jingshu sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) by the window in the outer room. The room was quiet for a moment, with only the soft crackling of the charcoal fire.

She put down the ginseng tea she had just taken a sip of, her brows furrowed with weariness.

"You saw what happened today; the Liang family... is ultimately unwilling to accept this."

Liu Wenying stood with her hands at her sides, vaguely sensing that the First Madam was about to give her some pointers, but she dared not guess further.

"This servant is foolish and only knows how to protect the young master's safety. I dare not speculate on other matters."

Wen Jingshu gently shook her head. "You're a smart person. If I hadn't brought you along today, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Let you know some things so that you'll have a better understanding when you're working in the manor in the future."

Liu Wenying listened attentively, and Wen Jingshu, having gathered her thoughts, began to speak in detail.

"Our Duke Yu's mansion appears splendid and prestigious. However, there are some long-standing entanglements within. The current Duke is not the son of the former Duke's first wife."

The first wife of the old Duke was of noble birth but had little fortune. She died shortly after giving birth to her eldest son, who was the husband of the Liang family who came today, Pei Chenghan.

In terms of lineage, Pei Chenghan is the legitimate eldest son.

Later, the old Duke remarried, marrying the current old lady, who gave birth to the Duke.

Both Duke Pei Hongtai and Pei Chenghan were born of the same mother and were not too far apart in age.

As the old Duke of Yu grew older, there was some debate within the clan about who should inherit his title.

According to seniority, it seems that the eldest legitimate wife should be the one in charge.

However, Pei Chenghan made some minor mistakes in his official career and was impeached by the censor. Although it did not seriously damage his career, he was still reprimanded by the late emperor and was later transferred to a prefecture or county, which is Jiangnan.

In this way, the title naturally fell to the second son, who had grown up in the capital and was steadily advancing in the court, and who is now the Duke.

After the family split up, the branch of the original wife became a collateral branch. Although they also bore the surname Pei and enjoyed the family's blessings, they were ultimately separated by a layer and gradually drifted apart.

Wen Jingshu's lips curled into a helpless smile.

"Pei Chenghan's family still harbored resentment about this matter. They always felt that there might have been something fishy about the mistake in the officialdom back then, and that the current Duke had used some means to take away the title and glory that should have belonged to them."

Therefore, although they outwardly maintained kinship etiquette, the resentment and bitterness in their hearts had been brewing for years and were difficult to eradicate.

Liu Wenying listened quietly, a sudden realization dawning on her mind.

It turned out to be the case.

No wonder Madam Liang was able to speak words that were both soft and firm despite Madam Pei's anger.

No wonder that although Madam Pei hated it to the extreme, in the end she could only raise it high and then put it down gently.

So...

Wen Jingshu looked at Liu Wenying, her tone gentle and solemn.

"Mrs. Liang may have been negligent in what happened today, or she may have had some other unspeakable thoughts. But in any case, as long as Ye'er is safe, these accounts can only be temporarily recorded."

You did a great job today. I'm relieved to have Ye'er in your care.

Liu Wenying knew perfectly well that this was to warn her to be careful of Liang Shi from doing anything underhanded that could harm the young master's life.

"This servant will remember and will certainly take good care of the young mistress and the first mistress."

Wen Jingshu nodded, her weariness barely concealed. "It's good that you understand. It's almost time. You can go now."

"Yes, this servant will take her leave."

When Liu Wenying returned to her residence, the charcoal fire inside, though not as warm as in Tinglan Courtyard, still exuded a cozy warmth.

She first fed Luoluo milk, then coaxed her to drink the medicine.

The medicine contained sedative ingredients, and the little guy blinked and fell asleep after taking it. His face was rosy, and he no longer looked sickly.

You'll be fine after taking the medicine for another day.

With nothing else to do, Liu Wenying told Xiaozhu to go back and rest.

The room fell completely silent. Liu Wenying sat at the table, and the chaotic scenes from the daytime flooded her mind uncontrollably.

The clearest example is inside Hechun Hall, where she treated the young master, and everyone around her questioned her, doubted her, and even became furious and rebuked her.

Only the First Madam gave her complete trust.

The feeling of being completely trusted is so wonderful.

It was so good that even now, when she thinks back on it, a warm and comforting feeling still rises in her heart.