It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

Su Wanyu gently sprinkled water on the pruned branches, her eyes flashing with a calm and resolute light, "Men's words are the most frivolous and untrustworthy.

Later, you will quietly hand over Le Yao's indenture contract to her and help her escape from the cage that imprisons her."

Yun Yi heard this and turned around suddenly, her eyes full of worry: "Miss, if a woman with a ruined reputation leaves here, I'm afraid the outside world..."

Su Wanyu paused for a moment, deep thought flashing across her eyes, "Then let her go to Liu'er and help me run the teahouse.

What about physical injuries?

The real culprit is Zheng Chengyan, not her.

"In my teahouse, as long as they are willing to work hard, it is not difficult to be self-reliant. They don't have to rely on any man. As long as my Su family survives, they will have a place to stay!"

Yun Yi looked at his young lady, admiration gradually rising in his eyes, and responded firmly: "Yes, young lady!"

Su Wanyu wiped the water off her hands, turned around and walked into the house. The maid Siqi followed closely behind her and whispered, "Miss, I heard that the second young master invited Mr. Fang to the mansion last night. I'm afraid things have become complicated."

Hearing this, Su Wanyu's lips curled up into a faint smile, and she casually threw away the handkerchief in her hand, "That's even better, let's see how long he can be so arrogant and complacent."

As the imperial examination, which is held every three years, draws near, everyone in the Zheng family seems to be preoccupied with preparing a birthday banquet for Old Madam Zheng before the exam. They are confident that Zheng Chengyan will pass the exam, and few people delve into the possible crisis hidden in it.

Old Madam Zheng specifically instructed her personal maid to carefully seal the warm chicken soup in an exquisite porcelain jar. Every drop of it contained her deep care and expectations for her grandson Zheng Chengyan.

Behind this concern is the family rift caused by the Jiang Yingying incident. Although time has passed, the invisible barrier is still looming, reminding every member of the family of their past unhappiness.

Now, Mrs. Zheng's attention slowly shifted to little Guo's bulging belly, where the hope for the family's future was nurtured.

She secretly made up her mind that this time, she would raise the child herself to make up for past regrets and open a new chapter for the Zheng family.

There is still more than a month before Xiao Guo's due date, and this precious time is regarded as a critical period for layout.

The upcoming birthday banquet becomes a perfect opportunity for the Zheng family to get closer to the emperor who holds the power of the world - Emperor Xuan.

They hoped that through this feast, the female bloodline of the family, the young girl who was ignorant of the world, would have the opportunity to approach the pinnacle of power.

In the seemingly prosperous Zheng Mansion, the luxurious decorations could not cover up the corruption at the bottom, just like the walls that appeared mottled in the sun and the peeling parts were covered with dirt.

The maids were like busy birds, their figures quickly shuttling between the corridors and courtyards, preparing for this important birthday banquet, not missing a single detail. From the choice of gorgeous costumes to the equipment of travel vehicles, all of them reflected an almost demanding rigor.

The most crucial birthday gift, Madam Zheng had already been planning for a long time.

She specially invited the famous Lingnan painter Jing, who used his exquisite skills to imitate the ink-splashing landscapes of Master Song Yuling and created a masterpiece that was almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

The scroll was carefully hidden until the moment of the birthday banquet, when the old lady ordered someone to take it out, with such caution, as if it were a rare treasure.

"Go, ask Miss Five to come see me."

Madam Zheng was already very dignified today, and the luxurious dress she wore made her look even more majestic and energetic. Her previous frail appearance seemed to be completely replaced by this extraordinary aura.

"Yes, old lady."

The maidservant obeyed the order respectfully, and soon brought in a young girl with a face as beautiful as a blooming peach blossom.

This is the illegitimate daughter of the former Marquis Zheng. She was officially welcomed back to the Zheng Mansion a few years ago and was raised by the old lady herself.

Her original intention was just to have a companion in her old age, but she didn't expect that today, she has become a key chess piece in the family's layout.

The Fifth Miss is a few years younger than Zheng Yinyin, and is only a short distance away from the age of marriage. However, her graceful figure is not inferior to Zheng Yinyin when standing side by side, showing an extraordinary temperament.

Born as a concubine, she was accustomed to the intrigues and deceptions in the palace, and every step she took was like walking on thin ice.

Although she did not have extraordinary talent and failed to win her father's favor, she had a gentle temperament and always obeyed the old lady's orders and never disobeyed them.

When Madam Zheng gently unfolded the precious scroll and handed it to Miss Five, her voice was gentle but powerful enough to not allow for rebuttal: "I hope you can present this painting to His Majesty on my behalf at today's birthday banquet."

The fifth young lady slowly knelt down, took the scroll with both hands, her eyes full of determination: "Yes, old lady."

Seeing that the Fifth Miss behaved properly, Madam Zheng's eyes showed satisfaction and deep meaning: "My child, although your status is not prominent, if you want to achieve something in this world, you must not miss today's opportunity."

"If you can win the favor of the princess, even if you are just a beauty in the palace, it is a way to climb up."

"My granddaughter understands and will not disappoint the old lady."

The fifth young lady held the scroll and bowed deeply, her eyes sparkling with ambition and determination unknown to outsiders.

Her appearance may not be stunningly beautiful, but her eyes are as clear as dewdrops in the morning light, and her waist is slender, as if it can fill the palm of your hand with a light squeeze. Compared with many beauties in the palace, she has a unique charm. As Madam Zheng often said, she is like water, gentle yet tough, which is exactly what men love.

Holding the scroll tightly, the fifth young lady stood up, her eyes sparkling with ambition.

Different from Zheng Yinyin's lively and cheerful personality, the fifth lady Zheng Luoxi is introverted and steady in her work, which is somewhat similar to Su Wanyu in her performance in the back house.

However, if she has bad intentions, her methods may be even more ruthless than Zheng Yinyin's, making it difficult for people to resist.

In the memory of the previous life, before Jiang Yingying entered the family, Su Wanyu admired this well-educated and well-mannered young lady very much, and even suggested to match her with her cousin from the Luo family.

Although Luo Wenxuan was just a scholar at that time, he had a prominent family background and it was a good marriage.

However, Mrs. Zheng did not agree, and the matter ended there.

Little did he know that it was this unintentional proposal that sowed the seeds of resentment in Zheng Luoxi's heart.

She looked down on the Luo family, thinking that they were of merchant origin and of low status; at the same time, she firmly believed that Su Wanyu's proposal of marriage had ulterior motives and was a disdain and insult to her status as the daughter of a concubine.

Therefore, she was dissatisfied with Su Wanyu, and looked for opportunities to vent her anger many times when the latter was trapped in the woodshed.

After her rebirth, Su Wanyu finally realized that it was just because of her careless words that the other party bore such a grudge against her.

Whenever she thought of this, she couldn't help but smile bitterly at herself.