The mistress has no feelings, why do you provoke her?

The old marquis thought for a moment and then shook his head.

If Jiang Miaoyin is unwilling, it would only cause trouble if she made a scene in the mansion.

Just to be on the safe side, he said to Song Wenjun, "Let's not talk about it for now. Your sister-in-law is shy. It's better to wait until the two of them meet before making any plans. You know a lot of officials' wives in the capital. After the New Year, you can hold a spring banquet and invite everyone to come so that your sister-in-law can meet you from afar. Maybe that will work out."

Song Wenjun nodded in agreement, but a troubled look appeared on her face.

The old Marquis knew that the household accounts were in deficit, and he cursed Gu Huaizhou and Zhou Shi in his heart for squandering all the money.

His daughter-in-law suffered as a result, and he was implicated as well.

He took out a 1,000-tael silver note from his sleeve and handed it to Song Wenjun: "You've worked hard this past year. Take this money and put it into the public account first. The expenses for the spring banquet will be deducted from the public account."

"Thank you, Father," Song Wenjun said hurriedly.

The old Marquis waved his hand, very satisfied with Song Wenjun: "You are a smart child, and you value Mingyan and Mingzhu very much. This is what you deserve."

Exchanging two necklaces for a thousand taels of silver is such a great deal!

But Song Wenjun felt that this was far from enough; what she wanted was the entire estate of the Marquis's mansion.

Although the old Marquis knew about Gu Huaizhou and Jiang Miaoyin in his previous life, he chose to keep it a secret.

Even though she knew Gu Huaizhou had poisoned her, she turned a deaf ear to it.

Because he only cared about the interests of the royal family, he could abandon all other people and things.

What Song Wenjun needs to do now is to gain the old Marquis's trust.

She wanted to seize all three treasury keys from the old Marquis and keep them in her own hands.

"Although my daughter-in-law is a woman, she understands the principle of being of the same ilk. The Gu family may look glamorous now, but it is actually gradually declining. If we want to revive the Marquis's family's century-old glory, we must raise these children well. They are the future of the Marquis's family."

The old Marquis looked at Song Wenjun in surprise, never expecting her to be so magnanimous. Compared to Zhou's selfishness and narrow-mindedness, Song Wenjun had the demeanor of a mistress of the house.

It's a pity she's not a boy; if only she were his son.

The old Marquis nodded emphatically, praising repeatedly, "Good, good, good, I knew I hadn't misjudged you. It's a blessing for the Gu family that Huaizhou married you."

"Thank you for the compliment, Father."

"There have been many banquets at the manor these past few days, so please take good care of them."

Song Wenjun hurriedly said, "This is a daughter-in-law's duty."

"Okay, get busy."

Song Wenjun curtsied before leaving.

After she left, Madam Shen came out from behind and gently massaged the old Marquis's shoulders with her small hands: "My husband seems to value the young mistress very much."

The old Marquis closed his eyes contentedly, patted her small hand reassuringly, and said, "She is the young mistress of the mansion. Wenjun is now in charge of everything in the mansion. If you want to learn how to manage a household, you can get to know her better."

Madam Shen pouted in dissatisfaction, walked around from behind him to the front, and gently tapped the old Marquis's forehead: "So, my husband was just trying to coax me when he said he would let me manage the household?"

A hint of displeasure flashed across the old marquis's eyes when this matter was mentioned.

When Ms. Shen had a difficult childbirth, he said that casually in order to help her get through it.

Unexpectedly, she, a mere concubine, actually took it to heart.

However, since Lady Shen was young and beautiful, and the old Marquis's darling, he couldn't bear to scold her.

He simply took her hand and gently scolded her: "You heartless little thing, your courtyard is separate, you manage the servants, you even have your own special meals prepared in your own courtyard, and your monthly allowance is three times that of the other courtyards, yet you are still not satisfied. Do you think being the mistress of the house is so easy?"

"Song Wenjun manages all the household affairs, from eating and drinking to toileting. Although she comes from a merchant family, her ancestors were also from a scholarly family. She was raised as a matriarch from a young age, so she can handle these things with ease and doesn't find them strenuous. How can you manage a household when you can't even read a single word?"

Madam Shen's face paled slightly; she understood the meaning behind the old Marquis's words.

Such a large estate as the Marquis's mansion would not be handed over to a concubine like her. Even without Zhou Shi, the old Marquis would not have made her his official wife.

Madam Shen originally wanted to ask for more money, but after being reprimanded by the old Marquis, she felt a strong sense of crisis.

The mansion is full of beautiful women, and the old Marquis only dotes on her because of the twins.

If she were to offend the old Marquis, her fate would be predictable.

“Husband, he was just saying it casually, why did you take it so seriously? I know I was wrong.”

Shen was quick to change her expression. She used her trump card: snuggling into the old Marquis's arms and shedding a couple of tears to show her loyalty. It never failed her.

"If it weren't for the old Marquis saving me in the brothel, I'm afraid I would have already fallen into an abyss of no return. My husband is not only my husband, but also my benefactor. I will remember this kindness for the rest of my life. Even if I have to be your slave in the next life, I still can't repay it."

She wrapped her arms around the old marquis's neck, her eyes filled with adoration: "My husband, do you know that when you descended from the heavens like a peerless hero, Meiniang knew she could never leave you in this life?"

The old Marquis liked Shen's adaptability; she was both charming and knew how to make people happy.

If someone idolizes him like a hero every day, what man wouldn't be tempted?

"You, your mouth is as sweet as honey." The old Marquis was overjoyed by her flattery and gently tapped Shen's forehead, as if he had truly returned to his youth like a hero.

He took out one hundred taels of silver from his sleeve and handed it to Madam Shen: "You've been in the capital for a while now, but you haven't had a proper chance to go out and explore. Take this silver and go out for a stroll. Buy whatever you like, don't be stingy. If it's a big purchase, put it on my tab. Go now."

"Thank you, my husband." Madam Shen's eyes lit up, and she gave the old Marquis a quick kiss on the cheek.

The old marquis was so happy that his mouth stretched all the way to his ears.

The reason he felt comfortable letting Madam Shen go out to buy things was because he had already set rules for her.

Buying jewelry and clothes doesn't cost much, and she doesn't understand antiques or calligraphy.

At most, I'd buy some cosmetics for my daughter.

Even the prestigious Shen family wouldn't dare; she doesn't have that kind of guts.

Madam Shen took the silver, a maid, and an old woman, and left in a carriage.

She was from a poor family and had never seen such a prosperous place in her life.

The streets are wide and clean, and the houses stand side by side.

The buildings are neatly arranged, and from the tallest restaurants and teahouses in the city, you can even see the imperial palace.

This kind of affluent life was something she could never have imagined in her life.

However, Shen didn't take a second look at these bustling places. She neither went to the jewelry shop nor the cosmetics shop.

Instead, he had a servant drive the carriage out of the city.

The maids and servants she brought with her were all her trusted confidantes.

Before long, the carriage stopped in a deserted place on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by weeds and dead trees.

There was only a small mound of earth, quietly nestled in the woods.

Madam Shen had the carriage stop some distance away. With the help of Granny Qian, she got off the carriage and walked into the woods, stopping in front of the mound of earth.

With tears welling up in her eyes, she asked, "Is this it?"