A grandmother and granddaughter swap souls, causing chaos throughout the entire court.

"Chunmei!" Zhao Lihua's expression changed drastically.

The most capable head maid was thrown into such a state in front of everyone, and she felt as if her face had been rubbed hard on the ground.

Those gentle almond-shaped eyes were now completely replaced by a sinister look.

She stared intently at the four servants on the steps, then looked at Granny Wu and Granny Zhou inside the door, her sharp fingernails digging deep into her palms.

it is good!

very good!

Today, she will not let any of the lowly slaves in Songhe Hall go!

When Granny Wu saw that the servants were indeed obediently blocking the steps at the old lady's command, without even giving the mistress of the house any face, she finally relaxed a little.

She grabbed Zhou Mama, who was still trembling beside her, and turned to shout at Wang Da and his men.

"Hurry up and close and lock the gate! It's so noisy outside. If it disturbs the old lady and the first madam's pregnancy, do you even want to live anymore?!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Da and the others shuddered violently.

Who among those who work at Songhe Hall hasn't experienced the old lady's methods?

That's not something that ordinary wealthy families can resolve by simply giving someone a beating or deducting two months' wages.

The old lady knew those secret methods that made people wish they were dead.

Last time, a gossipy old woman in the backyard stole a pastry from the small kitchen. When the old lady found out, she tormented her for three whole days with some unknown method, until her body was covered in festering sores. She howled like a ghost at night and finally died from the pain.

That kind of method is enough to give you nightmares for half your life if you see it once. Anyone who dares to try it a second time is definitely out of their mind!

"Quick! Close the door! Lock the bolt!"

Ignoring the fact that he might offend the livid-faced Lady Hou below the steps, Wang Da waved to his three brothers beside him.

The four of them retreated to the inside of the gate in unison, quickly closing the gate and locking it with the bolt.

This scene looks like a direct slap in Zhao Lihua's face.

An eerie silence instantly fell outside the door.

Zhang Xuerong was completely dumbfounded.

This servant of Songhe Hall dares to give even the mistress the cold shoulder!

A strange, indescribable sense of exhilaration suddenly welled up inside me.

Her eyes darted around, and she secretly glanced at Zhao Lihua beside her.

The sister-in-law, who usually wore a dignified smile, now had a bluish tinge to her face, her chest heaving so much that even the tiny pearls strung with gold thread around her collar trembled, and her eyes were so sinister that she looked like she wanted to devour someone.

Zhang Xuerong felt a chill run down her neck, fearing that her third sister-in-law would take out her pent-up anger on her. She quickly clutched her handkerchief and subtly shrank back half a body.

The head maid, Chunmei, was so frightened she nearly jumped out of her skin.

Ignoring the pain, she scrambled to her feet and knelt heavily at Zhao Lihua's feet with a thud, her forehead hitting the cold stone slab with a dull thud.

"Madam, spare me! I'm incompetent! I failed to do my job well for you..." Chunmei trembled with fear.

She knew all too well the methods of her master, who was all talk and no action. Today, she had caused her mistress to lose face in public. If she didn't bleed him dry, her whole family might lose their lives.

Zhao Lihua lowered her eyes and coldly swept her gaze over the maid kneeling at her feet, begging for mercy.

There was not a trace of master-servant affection in his eyes, only the disgust one would show to a dead object.

She, the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue and the Princess of Anyi County bestowed by the court, has been married into the Yongning Marquis's mansion for five years and has wielded power inside and outside the household as firmly as an iron barrel.

Even the old lady usually has to give him some face.

Today, I was actually turned away at the door by a few lowly gatekeepers!

Did they lead a group to break down the door and force their way in?

Zhao Lihua's fingernails dug deeply into her palms, the excruciating pain forcing her to remain conscious.

No.

It's inevitable that there are spies from other families infiltrating the Marquis's mansion. If she brings guards and forces her way into her mother-in-law's residence...

I reckon rumors will start circulating tomorrow, and those dogs in the Censorate who smell the scent will impeach her father for not managing his household properly, which will further ruin her reputation for virtue that she has painstakingly cultivated over the years.

Zhao Lihua stared intently at the tightly closed vermilion gate, spitting out a curse in her heart.

Old hag!

He's really getting senile!

Why did they have to change their attitude and accept that disabled and useless eldest son's wife, causing such a ridiculous mess!

Oh well.

As a woman confined to her quarters, she couldn't directly resort to force, but she could simply wait for the Marquis to return...

Given the Marquis's temperament, upon hearing that he had suffered such an injustice, let alone this gate, even if he tore down the entire wall of Songhe Hall, who would dare to utter a single word of doubt?

When the time comes, will that biased old hag really turn against her most beloved son for the sake of the crippled eldest son?

"Get up, you useless thing, what kind of behavior is this, crying and wailing?"

Zhao Lihua's voice was soft, yet it carried a chilling undertone.

She turned around without even glancing at Zhang Xuerong behind her.

"Back to the courtyard."

The maids and servants who had come with them dared not utter a sound. Supporting Chunmei, they quickly escorted Zhao Lihua away from this place of trouble.

Zhang Xuerong stood there, watching Zhao Lihua and her group walk away, then looked at the locked gate in front of her. She felt bored and frightened. She stamped her foot and left with her maid.

The noise outside finally subsided completely.

West side room.

The smoke from the calming incense drifted slowly within the beam of light.

Zhong Tingyuan sat in his wheelchair, looking out into the distance.

He had been watching the scene outside the whole time, and his heart was in his throat.

I really didn't expect that.

These two old women, Zhou and Wu, who usually didn't dare to breathe too loudly in front of the third branch of the family, actually dared to keep the rightful mistress of the Marquis's mansion out of the door today because of the old lady's instructions.

Zhong Tingyuan slowly turned his head and looked at the bed.

Beneath the brocade quilt, Wen Jingxian slept soundly, her breathing even and fine.

Although they didn't know how long they could hold out, at least for this moment, the eldest son's family had escaped another calamity.

Granny Zhou and Granny Wu returned to the west side room.

Both old women had beads of cold sweat on their temples, but when they entered the room and saw Zhong Tingyuan, they quickly straightened their backs and stepped forward to greet him.

"Master, please don't worry." Granny Zhou lowered her hands and reported the situation outside in a low voice. "This old servant and Old Wu have already ordered the gate to be bolted. No matter how much trouble the Madam and the Second Madam cause, they won't be able to get into Songhe Hall now."

Granny Wu chimed in, "Even if it's evening and the Marquis wants to force himself on us when he returns, we two old servants would risk our lives to block the main house door and ensure that no one disturbs the peace of the master and mistress. Everything... we'll discuss it after the old lady wakes up!"

Zhong Tingyuan listened quietly to the two old women's replies.

He looked at the two deeply lined old faces.

In the past, the maids, servants and servants in the Songhe Hall of this Marquis's mansion, relying on their mother's power, often bullied and tormented the people of the main branch of the family.

Every time the eldest son's wife suffered misfortune, these two would stand by and watch coldly, and even lead the way in bullying her.

Zhong Tingyuan knew in his heart that the servants in the Marquis's mansion always obeyed their masters.

They're just serving their own masters.