Young widow in her boudoir

Xie Rutang bent down and picked up a shard of glass.

She was not yet fully recovered, and her face was as pale as paper, making her look even more frail and sickly.

Jin Yue snapped out of her daze and blocked their way. "What are you doing?! Do you suspect my mistress is a thief?!"

"The master died on the battlefield, and the lady is keeping vigil in the manor. Is this how you wicked servants bully the master's widow!"

The old women hesitated for a moment, exchanged glances, and some were hesitant to continue the search.

But Tao Lu was not intimidated by her at all. "Why does Madam have to make things difficult for us servants? We need to search every room and courtyard. It's not meant to target Madam."

Xie Rutang stood before the green gauze screen, her exquisite face, as if painted with meticulous brushstrokes, was as pure as jade and as bright as a flower, much like a beautiful and delicate white porcelain vase. "You are following the rules and will not stop me from searching as ordered. However, many of the calligraphy, paintings and antiques in the room are my beloved possessions. I hope you will show mercy."

Tao Lü didn't listen to any of it and just gave a perfunctory reply.

"Keep searching! Don't miss a single spot!"

In the blink of an eye, the chests and trunks were overturned, and many of Xie Rutang's literary and artistic treasures were swept to the ground, leaving a mess. A painting of red plum blossoms in the snow that Xie Rutang had framed was even stepped on by the rough maid.

Xie Rutang was so angry that she trembled all over. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and coughed uncontrollably. Jin Yue helped her sit on a brocade stool to the side.

She looked up at the portrait of Shen Yuan hanging on the wall, and angrily turned away to wipe her tears with a handkerchief, trying to suppress her sobs. She was subservient to everyone in the mansion, abstinent and celibate like a nun, but that wasn't enough; the Shen family still wanted to humiliate her.

She desperately wished that Yuanlang could come back to life from his coffin, so he could open his eyes and see how the Shen family had humiliated his widow!

Smash it all, smash it all. If she can't survive in this mansion, she can just hang herself with a white silk ribbon and go down to join Yuan Lang...

Anyway, her life was like a stagnant pool, devoid of any hope.

While the search was underway, Tao Lü gave a wink to an old woman with slanted eyebrows. The old woman then emerged from a gauze-covered cabinet carrying a lacquered wooden box inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Tao Lü took out a three-colored jade pendant symbolizing fortune, prosperity, and longevity. "Madam, look at this!"

"This jade bracelet with auspicious symbols of fortune, prosperity, and longevity was secretly kept by the old lady in the storeroom as a gift for the Empress's birthday banquet next month. It is a valuable tribute and should have been locked in the inner treasury. Why did it end up in Madam Shen's Cuiwu Courtyard?"

Xie Rutang stared intently at the bracelet, her heart sinking. She had never seen this before; someone must have deliberately planted it.

She slightly furrowed her brows. "I've never seen this bracelet before."

Green Bush immediately sneered, "Madam, you make it sound so easy! The bracelet was found in your room, witnessed by all the maids. Are you suggesting we fabricated this to slander you?"

"Guards, take the First Madam to Shou'an Hall and let the Old Madam decide her fate."

Xie Rutang felt a tightness in her chest; the combined stress of the past few days and the shock caused her to feel dizzy. She realized that after being exposed to the scorching sun on the day she distributed porridge, she had suffered heatstroke and developed a chronic condition.

But the old woman didn't care whether she was still sick or not, and was about to forcibly take her away.

Just then, an old woman entered her bedroom and began searching. Suddenly, her expression changed, as if she had discovered some secret of the inner quarters. In the blink of an eye, she couldn't hide her excitement and presented the clothes she had found to Tao Lu. "Miss Tao Lu, look what this is!"

Tao Lü was sitting on the daybed, gently waving a crimson flower and bird fan. Upon hearing this, she lowered her eyes impatiently, and her expression changed drastically the next moment.

The old woman brought over a man's outer robe!

It was found in a widow's house!

Tao Lü has a sharp eye and examined it carefully.

This is a light blue outer robe, embroidered with a subtle cloud pattern in silver thread. It is both noble and understated, and the fabric is the precious Jiangning tribute satin, a piece that would cost a hundred gold pieces.

Tao Lü was Ye Wanyu's capable maid. What good things hadn't she seen? Even the rewards from the palace had to be inspected and counted by her before being put into storage.

She knew that her clansman Shen Shuming was from a poor family, and this silk fabric... did not look like something Shen Shuming would own.

Xie Rutang, who was not far away, watched as Pei Zhiheng's clothes were searched and found. She felt both ashamed and embarrassed, and her red lips gradually lost their warmth and color.

After being refused entry to Su Xue Ju last time, she originally intended to dispose of the Second Master's outer robe by cutting it up with scissors and throwing away the shredded fabric. However, she forgot about it after returning and left it in her wardrobe.

Who would have thought that an old woman would find out about it today!

Xie Rutang was so ashamed that she wished she could just commit suicide.

Her fingertips trembled uncontrollably, and she almost fainted.

It's over.

Women value their reputation above all else, especially a woman like her who is trying to preserve her chastity. If the news gets out, the Shen family, in order to maintain their family's dignity and protect Shen Yuan's posthumous reputation, might very well be ruthless and give her a cup of poison to end the trouble.

Tao Lu glanced at them, not wanting to alert them, and said, "You take the First Madam to Shou'an Hall first, I'll go back to Yunyue Courtyard first."

She had to immediately report to her wife the shocking news that Xie Rutang had cheated on her during her period of chastity!

……

When Tao Lu arrived, Ye Wanyu was in the room blending incense. She was wearing an autumn-colored jacket with a front opening, and a plain blue brocade skirt with floral patterns. A string of tourmaline beads hung on her wrist, and her fingers were as smooth as cream. At this moment, she added a note of white sandalwood to the incense box.

Upon seeing Tao Lü, Ye Wanyu finally put down the exquisite silver shovel.

Since Shen Yuan's death, the old lady has put her in charge of the household affairs. She has been secretly cutting back on Xie Rutang's expenses. Knowing that Xie Rutang is frail and sickly, she has been secretly reducing her medicine supplies.

Every month, any good medicinal herbs and meals from the manor would be sent to her Yunyue Courtyard as soon as possible.

After Xie Rutang lost her husband, she had no one to rely on in the mansion, so she had no choice but to swallow her anger. Ye Wanyu usually loved to see her come to her in a low voice and beg for a few ounces of medicinal herbs, trying to make a living by watching her expression.

Her unrequited love for Shen Yuan was vented on his delicate widow; she resented Shen Yuan calling her "sister-in-law" repeatedly.

Ye Wanyu washed her hands in the copper basin, then dried them with a silk handkerchief, exuding a languid and alluring air of nobility. "Did you get it done?"

"It's done." Tao Lu, unable to contain her excitement, stepped forward. "Master, guess what I found in Xie Rutang's room?"

Ye Wanyu glared at her playfully, "You little hussy, stop keeping me in suspense."

Her eyes were cold and indifferent. She had found out that Xie Rutang had sold off her dowry. If Xie Rutang didn't die this time, she would skin her alive.

Therefore, last time she had Tao Lü follow Jin Yue, and after Jin Yue came out of Cheng Yu Pawnshop, Tao Lü went in and bribed the shopkeeper.

Tao Lü, using Jin Yue's name, secretly pawned the jewelry in the Shen family's storeroom to Cheng Yu Pawnshop.

"Master, a man's clothing was found in the First Madam's room!"

"I just sent someone to arrest Shen Shuming and interrogate him thoroughly. Shen Shuming said in his own words that this outer robe is not his, which means that Xie Rutang is a widow and secretly..." Tao Lu whispered to her.

Ye Wanyu was stunned for a long time by this explosive scandal, then looked at her with a deep gaze, "Is what you're saying true?"

"Okay, okay..."

Ye Wanyu was so excited that her face, which was covered in makeup, gradually became rosy and glowed.

She was just racking her brains trying to find a foolproof way to completely bring Xie Rutang down when she was surprised to find that Xie Rutang had cheated on her with another man!

Although it was the old lady's idea to have Xie Rutang borrow a seed from her clan, she was very intolerant of any impropriety and was always wary of Xie Rutang.

The old lady was most disgusted by Xie Rutang's infidelity while widowed in the mansion, as she considered her own son to be her lifeblood.

Even though Shen Yuan had passed away, the old lady still wouldn't allow anyone to tarnish his reputation after his death.

Ye Wanyu couldn't hide her schadenfreude. "Quickly, help me change my clothes and come with me to the old lady's courtyard."

She has to make this scandal known to everyone!