Chapter 66

Sheng Changyu was wearing an iron-gray military cloak, with a somewhat worn military uniform underneath. 

It was a bit dirty. 

The snow pellets stung his face, but with his thick skin, he didn’t care. He strode forward. 

Noticing Ning Zhen’s gaze, he gave a slight nod. 

As he approached, he asked her, “What’s going on? You called me here in such a rush.” 

Ning Zhen:  

Third Concubine Xu Fangdu was incredibly ambitious. 

She actually wanted to make Ning Zhen embarrass herself in front of both the Old lady and the Governor. 

Wouldn’t it be simpler and more effective to plant a trap with the Old lady first, then slowly manipulate the Governor into disliking Ning Zhen? 

If it were Ning Zhen, she would never be so hasty and greedy for immediate success. 

If it backfired, she would block her own way forward. 

Third Concubine had been too successful over the years and had become overconfident, hadn’t she? She had far too much faith in her own abilities. 

Ning Zhen looked back at Sheng Changyu and asked, “Did Third Concubine ask you to come?” 

Sheng Changyu didn’t deny it. 

Ning Zhen replied, “It seems to be about A-Yin, but I don’t really know what happened.” 

The door to the Old lady’s courtyard was knocked open, and Sheng Changyu strode inside. 

Ning Zhen, holding her oiled paper umbrella, walked slowly behind with Cao Ma, lagging far behind the Governor. 

“Madam, be prepared to adapt. I’ll wait by the door, and if anything unusual happens, I’ll run back to the Ning household to send word. The Commander won’t abandon you,” Cao Ma said. 

Now that the Governor had arrived, Cao Ma suspected that Ning Zhen’s risks had doubled. 

If he got angry, he might even resort to violence. The Governor didn’t look like someone with a good temper. 

Ning Zhen stifled a laugh. “Alright, just make sure to bring my three brothers with you.” 

Cao Ma:  

When Ning Zhen finally entered, Sheng Changyu was already seated. 

The Old lady had been brimming with anger, but with Sheng Changyu present, she didn’t dare to vent as freely. Upon seeing Ning Zhen, she actually asked her to sit down first. 

Xu Fangdu, composed and elegant, sat quietly by the Old lady’s side. 

Seeing the scene, Sheng Changyu asked, “So, who are we interrogating today? Is it the Madam again?” 

The Old lady snapped, “What kind of talk is that?” 

“Look at this setup. Isn’t that exactly what’s happening? You even called me here—do you think she’s committed a capital crime and need me to carry out the sentence?” Sheng Changyu asked coldly. 

The Old lady retorted, “Who asked you to come?” 

Xu Fangdu softly replied, “Mother, I did. I thought, no matter how big the conflict, it’s a family matter. With Brother Yu here, big issues could be reduced to small ones, and small ones could disappear altogether.” 

“You called me here to play peacemaker?” Sheng Changyu looked at her in disbelief. “Have you just met me?” 

—Do you even believe that yourself? 

With the Governor’s temperament, his presence would only escalate small matters into big ones and make big matters blow up even further. 

Xu Fangdu’s face flushed. “I…” 

“Enough. I don’t have time for your nonsense. If there’s something to discuss, get on with it. I have a meeting tonight,” Sheng Changyu said. 

Xu Fangdu:  

The Old lady was also flustered by his interruptions. 

Matters of the inner household weren’t trivial. But with Sheng Changyu sitting here and acting like this, the entire issue now seemed like a joke. 

The Old lady’s resentment grew. 

She wasn’t sure whether she was angrier at Ning Zhen or at Xu Fangdu for meddling. 

“Not a single one of them is any good!” the Old lady fumed to herself. 

But the issue had to be addressed. 

However, the Old lady was in a difficult position and reluctant to speak first. 

Seeing this, Xu Fangdu spoke on her behalf: “Madam, forgive me. It’s about A-Yin. The kitchen has been cutting back on her rations without permission, and she’s been going hungry at night. You might not be aware of this.” 

Ning Zhen remembered Cao Ma’s advice: let the Old lady vent her anger first. 

Some matters, if handled in a fit of rage, would have much worse outcomes. 

So she pondered for a moment and said, “Really?” 

Sheng Changyu looked at her. 

The Old lady chimed in, “You don’t know anything at all? I entrusted the kitchen to you, and even A-Yin’s dinner has such a big oversight. If this goes on, will I even have food to eat soon?” 

Sheng Changyu lazily remarked, “It’s not like she’s the one cooking.” 

“Even if she doesn’t check the rations daily, she should review them every three or five days, right? A-Yin is just a young girl. She didn’t dare tell her sister-in-law, so she had to secretly ask for help from Adu. She’s the Sheng family’s daughter, but she has to beg like a pauper?” the Old lady said angrily. 

“If you don’t trust her, you don’t have to give her control of the kitchen,” Sheng Changyu replied. 

The Old lady, now furious, asked, “Are you defending her like this? Do I even matter to you?” 

“How could I dare not? You’re my real mother. That’s something you know best,” Sheng Changyu said, his tone neither warm nor cold. 

The Old lady seemed to be hit where it hurt, and in a fit of rage, she snapped, “If I’m not your real mother, then who am I?” 

“You know best,” he replied. 

Ning Zhen: speechless 

Xu Fangdu tried to calm the Old lady down, gently patting her, “Mother, don’t be angry with Brother Yu. Give your son some leeway.” 

She continued, “The best way for a mother-in-law to show trust in her daughter-in-law is to thoroughly investigate when something happens. Isn’t that right, Mother?” 

The Old lady took several deep breaths. “Running a household isn’t something you can be careless about! Ning Zhen, can you handle the kitchen? If you say you can’t, someone else will take over.” 

“Mother, who said I changed A-Yin’s dinner rations?” Ning Zhen asked. 

“There are so many people in the kitchen. Do you think they would falsely accuse you? Even if you didn’t personally say it, you must have given the order,” the Old lady replied. 

Ning Zhen explained, “I didn’t give any such order, nor did I say anything personally. There’s been some misunderstanding here.” 

“What kind of misunderstanding?” 

At that moment, Sheng Changyin returned. 

She entered the Old lady’s courtyard, her expression anxious. 

“Perfect timing, A-Yin is here,” the Old lady called her over. “Come here. What’s the deal with your dinner? Did you tell your sister-in-law to reduce your rations?” 

Sheng Changyin: shocked 

Xu Fangdu approached and took Sheng Changyin’s cold hand. “Mother, don’t scare A-Yin.” 

She gently patted her and said, “A-Yin, your nurse comes to me every night asking for braised pork knuckle, saying you’re starving. Your rations have been cut in half. 

Mother found out and got upset. The Madam here also says she’s been wronged. What’s going on? Mother wants to hear the truth from you.” 

Sheng Changyin looked at each person, then glanced at Xu Fangdu, biting her lip in silence. 

“Did you ever ask your sister-in-law to reduce your rations?” the Old lady pressed. 

Sheng Changyu watched her quietly. 

After a while, Sheng Changyin shook her head timidly, “I didn’t.” 

The Old lady let out a big sigh of relief, “See!” 

After some hesitation, Sheng Changyin seemed to muster the courage and added, “I never asked my nurse to request braised pork knuckle, and I’ve never gone hungry. Every night, Sister Hong makes me fish soup noodles.” 

The room fell silent. 

Xu Fangdu’s expression changed. 

Sheng Changyin’s nurse, who had been calm until then, suddenly looked shocked at the mention of “fish soup noodles.” 

“…After I finish practicing the piano, Sister Hong makes fish soup noodles for me and my teacher,” Sheng Changyin continued. “Sister Hong told me that my nurse went to the kitchen and said my rations should be cut in half. 

Sister Hong went to ask my sister-in-law about it, but she didn’t know anything. She wanted to confront my nurse and ask what was going on. I told my sister-in-law not to ask, because I found something that might be related to this.”