“Everything Amber said is true. The Marquisate is at fault. There is not a single lie.” Luo Xin believed Amber’s clear explanation and felt the Marquisate owed Tao Sheng too much. “Our poor care caused her many grievances over the years. After she returned home, she suffered even more.”

Amber’s words were full of logic and sounded true. With Luo Xin’s strong support, everyone could see it was true after some thought.

Although Amber kept saying she wouldn’t deceive the princess, every word she said was in support of Tao Sheng. She probably did not turn against them but came ready to support Tao Sheng.

Luo Xin began to wonder about Amber’s background.

After the Marquis’ Mansion forced Tao Sheng to marry and they fell out, Ji Yanming came to Luo Xin. He said Amber was a distant relative who had been demoted to slavery but was determined to improve her life, so he asked Luo Xin to help her.

Since Tao Sheng was living at Ji’s house and needed help from her cousin Ji Yanming, Luo Xin decided to keep Amber. Not wanting to pry into the indenture ^[1]refers to a formal agreement or contract. matter, she brought Amber to the Marquis’ Mansion.

Later, the old lady liked Amber and asked Luo Xin for her. Luo Xin talked to Amber to see what she thought. She said she could stay with the old lady if she wanted since she was sent by the Ji family.

But Amber said she wanted to serve the old lady because the old lady had the highest status in the family, showing she wanted to be close to her for reasons other than simple service. 

Tao Sheng was surprised.

In today’s situation, with Shen Ruojin mentioning Old Madam Shen, it gave Tao Sheng, Luo Xin, and even Tang Yizi a strong advantage.

No matter what mistakes Madam Shen made, the younger generations couldn’t directly criticize her or speak badly about their family in public. If they did, even if they explained the truth, they would be seen as having bad character.

Even if Madam Guan disliked Fang, she hadn’t told anyone that she had done anything wrong. As Madam Shen’s juniors, they couldn’t openly confront her or show their dissatisfaction.

This only made Madam Shen’s claim that Tao Sheng was unfilial seem more believable.

If Old Madam Shen pretended to faint and blamed her illness on them, using filial duty to pressure them, it would be worse.

Tao Sheng is now a minister of the Great Zhou Dynasty. She is different from noble ladies who rely on their husband’s or mother’s status. The literati ^[2]refers to the scholarly elite. care about these issues. She cannot be impeached by the Censorate because of minor family matters that could delay the King of Chu’s “return to power”.

No one outside the family knows the truth and can only make a few fair comments based on small issues. The family members can’t tell the truth, and outsiders don’t know the family secrets. It is very hard to change the situation.

Tao Sheng originally planned to get through today and then have the maids speak out to prove Madam Shen’s accusations were random.

But with Amber’s help, everything became clear.

Amber, as the head maid beside Old Madam Shen, perfectly countered the old lady’s claims.

Tao Sheng whispered to Tang Yizi, “I’ve never seen this Miss Amber before.”

“It seems my mother bought her two years ago,” Tang Yizi said. “This girl is young, good-looking, and knows a lot about medicine. She can help with some massage in her spare time, so my grandmother wanted her. Now she is paid like a top maid.”

Tao Sheng recalled that she had been to the Marquis’ Mansion several times before breaking up with them, but she had never seen the maid Amber near the old lady before.

According to Tang Yizi, Amber entered the mansion only after she had completely cut ties with the Marquis’ Mansion, so it was understandable that Tao Sheng did not recognize her.

However, looking at Amber’s face, Tao Sheng felt a sense of familiarity.

Suddenly, she remembered that a couple of years ago, a woman had brought her daughter to thank them. Ji Yanming had helped their family with something, and the two expressed their gratitude repeatedly.

The daughter looked 80% like Amber; from a distance, they appeared almost like twins.

Tao Sheng had a sudden realization.

When Ji Yanming came to pick her up and learned about her conflict with the Shen family, he arranged for Amber to enter the mansion and keep an eye on the old lady.

Since Amber joined the Wenyuan Marquis Mansion after the breakup, it seemed she should not know about today’s events. Tao Sheng suspected that she had gathered information piece by piece under Ji Yanming’s guidance.

Ji Yanming must have been cautious, wanting to be prepared for any losses when dealing with the Shen family in the future. He had spent two years carefully laying the groundwork.

Amber usually stayed by Old Madam Shen without moving, but if she did move, it could spell disaster for the Shen family.

With his foresight, it was no wonder Ji Yanming could hold a high position in the future.

Just then, Madam Luo Xiao approached Tao Sheng and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. When Master Ji left that day, my father told us to protect you no matter what happens.”

Tao Sheng felt warm inside.

Ji Yanming not only made arrangements for Amber but also reached some sort of agreement with her grandfather, ensuring double protection for today’s events.

Having a cousin like this makes one feel safe.

Ji Yanming is indeed a very good person.