The cousin's family is extremely wealthy; she deserves to be a concubine.

After she finished speaking, all the young ladies and noblewomen in the room covered their mouths and burst into laughter, their laughter filled with extreme contempt.

The faces of the He family members instantly turned red and purple, wishing they could disappear on the spot.

Only Hua Sirong knew that the old woman was wrong, because Chunyan loved to eat, but she never drank alcohol.

However, knowing Chunyan's whereabouts finally put her at ease.

At this tense moment, Shen, the head of the Marquis's mansion, was nowhere to be seen.

For a moment, He San and He Si felt somewhat isolated and helpless, experiencing a sense of bewilderment as if they had lost their leader.

Now that Hua Sirong has no worries, she can focus wholeheartedly on her counterattack.

She first bowed to the elders of the Jiang family, then straightened her back and stated the facts with neither servility nor arrogance.

"I don't know when Miss Jiang was rescued, nor do I know how Chunyan was moved to the kitchen."

I have no idea how this man could dress as a woman and walk around the plum garden, which is full of women, as if no one was around.

All I can say is that I am an innocent person, upright and honest, and I am not afraid of rumors and gossip.

Whether others believe it or not, I don't really care.

Women in the capital value their reputation. How could someone who has long been branded as unfilial and disloyal to her clan care about such a thing as reputation?

If she really cared, she probably would have died several times over by now.

Now that others think she values ​​it, it must be because she made people think that way.

For example, He San couldn't stand Hua Sirong's pathetic state right now.

What do you mean she doesn't care? She cares, okay?

One of the women stirred up trouble again, saying, "What do you mean you don't care? I bet you're just feeling guilty."

Madam Jiang, after all, had to show some seriousness. She looked at the man, and judging from his attire, he didn't seem to be from the Jiang household. She frowned and asked:

"Who are you? What brings you to my plum garden?"

The man clasped his hands in greeting and replied, "I am Pei San, the bodyguard of the Second Prince."

I had known Miss Rong for some time, but she rarely went out from the Marquis's residence. It was quite a rare opportunity for us to meet at the Jiang residence, so naturally we had a long and heartfelt conversation.

Hua Sirong was filled with doubts, but she didn't have time to think too much about it. "You said I knew you a long time ago. I'd like to ask, when and where?"

Pei San's lips curled up, "How can Rong'er be so forgetful?"

Alright, I might as well recount how we met in front of everyone today.

"Rong'er, don't be shy when you hear this later."

"I still remember when you first came to the capital, you visited Baiyun Temple."

It just so happens that I had official business to attend to at Baiyun Temple around that time, and we happened to run into each other. Over time, we developed feelings for each other.

After you entered the capital and settled in the Marquis's mansion, it became as difficult as ascending to heaven for me to see you again.

And you've probably seen a lot of the world in the Marquis's mansion, so you look down on me, a mere guard.

Today, we finally meet again at the Jiang residence. My intention is to have a clear talk with you and see if you have been blinded by the wealth of the Marquis's mansion and want to sever all ties with me.

Who knew you weren't what I thought, harboring thoughts of marrying into wealth and status. You still have feelings for me; it's just that your aunt is materialistic and wants to use you to climb the social ladder for personal gain.

Today, in front of everyone from the Jiang family, Rong'er, you should boldly speak out about the grievances you suffered in the Marquis's mansion.

No matter what injustice you suffer, the kind-hearted Madam Jiang will stand up for you, and the understanding noble ladies of the capital will give you justice.

As for your concern that the Lady of the Marquis might treat you badly after you return to the manor, you don't need to worry about it.

I am, after all, a guard by the Second Prince's side. Since you don't despise me now and are still willing to marry me,

"Then I hereby swear that from now on I will follow the Second Prince diligently to achieve great deeds and earn you an official title."

The onlookers loved watching this spectacle of two lovers being beaten, and they cheered, "What ambition! Miss Rong won't lose out by marrying him."

"It's a pity that the Second Prince is already married, otherwise, given how affectionate the guards are, how bad could His Highness be?"

"Madam Hou seems like a kind and generous person, so why would she secretly use relatives to gain benefits?"

"You can know a person's face but not their heart. Look how beautiful this Miss Rong is. Who knows which family the Marquis's mansion might want to send her to as a concubine."

"The reputation of the Muqing Marquis's mansion is about to be ruined, and this Marquis's wife is nowhere to be seen. It's clear she's feeling guilty."

"Who says it's not..."

Seeing that public opinion was being swayed by Pei San, He San and He Si became anxious. If they hadn't been classmates with Hua Sirong for a while, they might have also switched sides.

He San gestured to Hua Sirong to quickly step forward and clarify, otherwise she would abandon the project.

At this crucial moment, Shen was nowhere to be found. It was truly bizarre. He San was so angry that he cursed under his breath.

He Si knew that Shen Shi's feelings for Hua Si Rong were not as sincere as they appeared on the surface.

But since it concerned the reputation of the Marquis's mansion, she was also worried that Pei San's instigation might actually sway Hua Sirong, who would then try to undermine the Marquis's mansion at this critical juncture.

Hua Sirong hadn't expected to receive the protection of the third and fourth young ladies of the Marquis's mansion today. She gave He San a grateful look before replying to the crowd:

"As everyone knows, I came to Beijing from Xishan to visit relatives."

My aunt and the entire Muqing Marquis's mansion didn't mind that I was an orphan wearing mourning clothes; they allowed me to stay at the mansion. I will be grateful for that for the rest of my life.

So, thinking you can sow discord between her and the Shen family with just a few words? Dream on.

"As for the matter of me being wronged in the Marquis's mansion..." She paused for a moment, then Fang Zhanyan continued, "If I said that I hadn't suffered any grievances, that would definitely be a lie."

Even those of you here, even those who grew up in your own homes, inevitably suffer some grievances. How much more so for me, who is living under someone else's roof, it's understandable that I've suffered a little bit of grievance.

Actually, when you think about it carefully, it wasn't really a hardship; compared to surviving, it was nothing.

"If I didn't tell you, you probably wouldn't know that I have my own courtyard in the Marquis's mansion. The young ladies in the Marquis's mansion, except for the legitimate daughters, all live with their concubines. Isn't my aunt good enough to me?"

As for its remote location, there's no need to inform everyone.

"The Marquis's mansion has specially invited masters of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to teach the young ladies. I'm just a merchant's daughter, yet I can also benefit from this and attend the school. Isn't my aunt treating me well enough?"

As for the fact that he was expelled after only a month or so of enrollment, there's no need to tell everyone that.

"A while ago, the Marquis's mansion asked someone to find several retired palace maids to teach the women in the household manners and etiquette. I am not a proper young lady of the Marquis's mansion, but I was the only one who received one. Tell me, isn't my aunt treating me well enough?"

She currently has no answer to why Granny Yan resolutely chose her, and can only take it one step at a time.

"Therefore, Young Master Pei, your claim that I suffered a great injustice in the Marquis's mansion is completely unfounded."