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In the afternoon, sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows in the room. Old Madam Sheng had just woken from her afternoon nap. Minglan was worried about Aunt Kang's gossipy mouth and feared that she might spread rumors in front of others and cause unnecessary trouble, so she decided to take her leave as soon as possible.

However, just as she was about to bid farewell to everyone, Sheng Hong suddenly appeared out of nowhere and launched into a tirade of scolding against Minglan. Sheng Hong's face was gloomy, his eyes filled with anger, and he pointed at Minglan's nose, saying, "Look at you! Now that you've married into a high-ranking family, you've actually learned to put on airs! On such an important occasion as your homecoming, you don't even know how to restrain yourself!" Minglan was caught off guard by this sudden scolding, feeling extremely wronged, yet unable to defend herself.

As they embarked on their journey back to the manor, Minglan remained sullen and downcast, her usually bright eyes now dull and lifeless. Gu Tingye keenly noticed her unusual state and felt a surge of concern. Seeing Danju and Xiaotao still in the carriage, he gave them a look and had them get out. Only the two of them remained inside. Gu Tingye softly inquired, but Minglan simply shook her head and remained silent. Frustrated, Gu Tingye feigned anger, half-jokingly and half-threateningly saying, "My wife, if you don't tell me the truth, I'll have to come up with some ways to 'punish' you."

After much coaxing and pleading from Gu Tingye, Minglan finally spoke. It turned out that Sheng Hong had scolded her for being too ostentatious about her return to her parents' home, completely disregarding the Sheng family's reputation. He also accused her of failing to advise her husband to be more discreet, even as Gu Tingye's wife. Minglan felt deeply wronged, believing she had done her best but had been unjustly reprimanded.

Upon hearing this, Gu Tingye initially thought it wasn't a big deal; a slightly more elaborate return visit was only natural. However, after Minglan explained the reasons and pros and cons in detail, and considering the complexities and intricacies of officialdom, he found Minglan's words quite reasonable. He gently took Minglan's hand and said tenderly, "Don't worry, my wife, it was my oversight. From now on, we will definitely keep a low profile and avoid giving others cause for criticism." Minglan looked up at Gu Tingye, her eyes glistening with tears, a slight smile playing on her lips. The grievances in her heart gradually dissipated with Gu Tingye's understanding and promise.

Back at the Gu residence, night had already fallen, and candlelight flickered throughout the house. Gu Tingye and Minglan sat facing each other in the room. Gu Tingye seemed to have some unresolved questions and couldn't help but ask Minglan, "That day, when Madam Qin tried to place Hongxiao by my side, were you truly indifferent, or were you merely trying to appear virtuous and gentle in front of others?" He looked intently at Minglan, trying to discern her true thoughts from her expression.

Minglan slightly raised her eyes, a sincere look in them, and said softly, "You disregarded the Emperor's decree that our family should be reunited and resolutely chose to move out, even sending Hongxiao away. This means a lot to me. I am truly grateful to you; you and He Hongwen are completely different." In her words, her eyes showed both approval of Gu Tingye and deep affection.

Having made the decision, Gu Tingye and Minglan immediately began making arrangements for the move. The entire household was bustling with activity, and the sounds of moving items filled the air.

Meanwhile, upon hearing of their actions, Madam Qin suddenly realized that Minglan was not the weak woman who could be easily manipulated, nor was she spineless. A thought flashed through her mind, and she secretly began to plot. She instructed her subordinates to carefully select some worldly-wise old women, intending to send them to Sheng Minglan at an opportune moment. She anticipated that the fourth and fifth branches of the family would cause trouble once they learned of this, and she would simply observe from the sidelines, reaping the benefits and waiting to see the show unfold.

After finally finishing all the moving arrangements, Minglan felt completely drained, collapsing limply onto the bed like a lump of mud. Seeing this, Gu Tingye felt a pang of heartache and quickly sat down beside her, gently massaging her muscles as he spoke softly, "My wife, you must be exhausted. I know a new restaurant has opened in the city; their food is extremely delicious. I'll take you out for a good meal as a reward."

At this moment, Minglan was overwhelmed by drowsiness. Her eyes seemed glued shut, and she couldn't open them no matter what she did. Her voice was heavy with weariness: "I'm not going. I'm too tired. I just want to sleep..." Seeing that her gentle persuasion wasn't working, Gu Tingye thought for a moment, then turned around and fetched the account book, waving it in front of Minglan: "My wife, there are some things about the household accounts that I need to explain to you." Minglan frowned slightly, feeling a sharp pain in her head. She weakly cried out, "Oh dear, my head hurts..."

But Gu Tingye didn't stop there. He continued, "Most of the servants in our household were bestowed by the Prince. My lady, take a look. Keep those who are useful, and sell those who are not. But you should be careful with those few people that the Gu family specially sent over."

Upon hearing this, Minglan instantly sobered up a bit and thought to herself: When she left the manor, no one informed her of this matter. It seems that they intend to send these people in first and then inform her later. She knew in her heart that these people sent by the Gu family would not be easily dismissed, but at this moment she was so tired that she didn't even have the strength to eat, so she could only weakly respond.

Seeing Minglan's state, Gu Tingye knew he couldn't force her, so he sighed helplessly and lay down beside her. This action startled Minglan, who sat up abruptly, her eyes filled with panic, muttering, "I...I'll go eat fish..." as if the words "eat fish" could dispel her weariness and turmoil.

The next morning, the dawn light streamed gently through the window lattice, illuminating the courtyard of the Gu residence. Gu Tingye stepped out of the door and saw Danju waiting beside him. He gently instructed, "From now on, there's no need to wake Madam Minglan so early. Let her sleep a little longer." His words were full of tenderness for Minglan.

However, Minglan was gently awakened by Cui Mama. Cui Mama, looking anxious, leaned close to Minglan's ear and whispered, "Miss, something bad has happened! Your fifth aunt has arrived with her daughter-in-law. Judging by their demeanor, they're so arrogant, it seems they've come specifically to demand an explanation." Minglan's heart skipped a beat. She had already anticipated that these women would be difficult to deal with, but she truly hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly. Since they were already there, she decided to greet them calmly, thinking to herself: "Since they're here, I might as well make the best of it. Let's see how I handle them."

Speaking of the servants sent by the Gu family, among them, Granny Diao and Granny Lai were specially placed there by Madam Qin. As soon as Granny Diao appeared, she couldn't wait to put on the airs of a mistress, and said in a bossy manner, "Madam is new here and may not be familiar with the rules of the mansion yet. This old servant will explain them to you." After saying that, she took it upon herself to start assigning tasks to the servants around her.

Seeing this, Minglan subtly adjusted her sleeves, straightened her back, and instantly exuded the dignified aura of a mistress. Her gaze was cold as she looked at Diao Mama, speaking slowly but forcefully, "I am naturally familiar with the rules of this Gu household. Since you are all servants of my household, please introduce yourselves first, so that I may be aware of your place." Her words landed firmly, instantly shattering the presumptuous dominance Diao Mama had created.

Minglan's gaze swept over the girl, first landing on Lai Mama's daughter. The girl's name was Mingyue, but unfortunately, it clashed with Minglan's own name. Minglan's expression remained unchanged as she softly instructed, "Since it clashes with my name, from now on, she shall be called Chunyue." Her words exuded the authority of a matriarch, brooking no argument.

Then, Minglan, with her sharp eyes, stared intently at Chunyue, meticulously questioning her about everything she had done in the past, what rewards she had received, and what punishments she had been punished, leaving no detail unexamined. After finishing her questioning, she even made Chunyue press her fingerprint on the recorded document.

Just then, Lai's mother, relying on her status, couldn't help but interrupt, trying to refute Minglan's words, her words carrying a hint of dissatisfaction and resentment.

Minglan would not tolerate such insolence. She immediately straightened her back, her aura suddenly surging, and her gaze shot towards Granny Lai like a sharp blade. Her words were sharp and clear, her arguments incisive and logical. With just a few words, she struck at everyone present like a heavy hammer. Her words contained both a firm adherence to the rules and an unyielding authority.

These words not only silenced the servants with ill intentions, but even Fifth Aunt, who had originally intended to make things difficult for Minglan, was speechless and could only stare blankly. As for Granny Lai, she was even more intimidated by Minglan's imposing manner. Despite her reluctance, she dared not show the slightest dissent and could only lower her head and grit her teeth in silence.

Once outside the garden, Fifth Aunt was furious. She was truly astonished by Minglan's knowledge and eloquence. Minglan's words, "Mind your own business, and don't meddle in what you shouldn't," were ostensibly directed at Lai Mama, but in reality, the unspoken message was a subtle yet forceful urging for her to leave. Fifth Aunt was both angry and annoyed, yet unable to vent her frustration, and could only silently suffer in silence.

Minglan, meanwhile, methodically dealt with the people sent by the Gu family. Her decisive and stern approach quickly established her authority in everyone's eyes, and no one dared to underestimate her in the slightest.

That day, Danju happened to see Chunyue carrying some snacks and loitering near Gu Tingye's study, acting quite suspiciously. Danju immediately frowned, took a few steps forward, and scolded her: "You silly girl, why aren't you doing your job properly? What are you doing wandering around here? Are you perhaps harboring some improper thoughts!" Chunyue mumbled, even trying to argue that she wanted to go serve Minglan, but Danju wouldn't listen, and scolded her again, eventually driving her away.

The moon hung high in the night sky. Minglan sat at her table, busy reviewing the resumes of the servants by the dim candlelight. She knew in her heart that most of these people were spies planted by Madam Qin. This meticulous examination only left her feeling exhausted. Seeing Minglan so engrossed, Gu Tingye couldn't resist teasing her, sometimes whispering in her ear, sometimes making exaggerated gestures, trying to distract her. However, Minglan was preoccupied with these thorny matters and was not easily swayed by his antics.

Speaking of Madam Qin, her methods were truly two-pronged. On one hand, she sent people like Granny Diao and Granny Lai, ostensibly to help, but actually to inquire about the affairs of the household; on the other hand, she sent several rather attractive women, hoping to seduce Gu Tingye and disrupt the peace of the household. When Gu Tingye heard Minglan's analysis, he couldn't help but tease her a bit. Minglan remained calm, not jealous, and simply said, "Anyway, you're going to take a concubine." Upon hearing this, Gu Tingye feigned displeasure and pouted. Seeing this, Minglan deliberately put on a coquettish expression, and the two of them chatted and joked, quite happily, temporarily dispelling the gloom that lingered in the household.

On this day, as dawn broke, the servants of the Gu household bustled about, carrying box after box of items. Madam Lai, always quick-witted, took advantage of the busyness to inquire here and there, and finally learned that these were all gifts sent to Gu Tingye by outsiders.

On the other hand, Minglan meticulously assigned tasks to the servants in the household, placing trusted confidants in charge of the most crucial duties. This arrangement ensured the smooth operation of the household affairs while also preventing malicious individuals from causing trouble.

Gu Tingye was about to leave when he inadvertently caught sight of the Marquis's sedan chair approaching the mansion. His heart tightened, and after a moment's thought, he instructed Shitou to immediately go to the inner courtyard to guard it, while he himself temporarily set aside his military duties and waited quietly in the outer courtyard. He knew that Madam Qin was unpredictable and that her visit was likely not well-intentioned, and he was genuinely worried that Minglan would not be able to handle it.

Before long, Madam Qin strode into the mansion and came straight to Minglan. Her expression was slightly stern, and she immediately questioned, "Minglan, tell me, why didn't you assign any work to Granny Lai and Granny Diao? I specially sent these two to help you. What is your intention in doing this?" Minglan was already prepared, but she still had a gentle smile on her face and easily brushed off the question with a few words.

Seeing this, Madam Qin did not let it go. She changed the subject and began to lecture Minglan: "I've heard that you've accepted quite a few gifts in private. Our Gu family has been distinguished for generations and values ​​our reputation most. Your actions are nothing short of tarnishing the Gu family's good name." Minglan was secretly annoyed, but she remained polite and quickly apologized: "Aunt is right, but there's another reason for this. This method of accepting gifts was suggested by Tingye. If we don't accept them all, or if we pick and choose which ones to accept, we'll offend people. It's better to accept them all, but not open the boxes, and then tell the Prince the truth later. That way, we'll have an explanation."

Upon hearing this, Madam Qin's expression changed slightly, then she forced a somewhat stiff smile and teased Minglan, "So it was Tingye's idea. I knew you were always well-behaved."

Gu Tingye, who was waiting for news in the outer courtyard, couldn't help but smile wistfully when he learned that Madam Qin hadn't caused any trouble. Shi Tou, watching his young master's expression, couldn't help but remark, "Young Master, the way you were so nervous just now, you looked just like a mother hen protecting her chicks." Gu Tingye wasn't annoyed; he simply smiled and shook his head.

In Minglan's courtyard, Granny Lai was incredibly shrewd, constantly seeking information from everyone she met, seemingly fascinated by every little thing happening in the yard. Not only that, she frequently gathered a group of old women together for gambling, drinking, and having a great time. Because of her "generous" behavior, all the old women said she was a straightforward person, and they were so close they were practically inseparable.

One day, Xiao Tao was walking in the garden as usual when she overheard Granny Lai and her gang gossiping about Minglan, saying things like, "The young mistress's jealousy is outrageous." Xiao Tao was instantly enraged, her blood boiling. She rushed forward and unleashed a torrent of abuse on them. However, the old women, accustomed to their shrewish ways, looked on with disdain, their eyes filled with contempt. They didn't take Minglan seriously at all, and ignored Xiao Tao's angry outburst.