(This is HY 610560's long review and she updated two chapters at once. Are you all shocked by Ah Lan's diligence?!

`Ω ′?)

"Cousin, you're really capable to be with such a person!"

Chu Lian was pulled back to reality by this angry shout. She focused her gaze and saw Princess Leyao standing not far from them. Behind her were the two women she had met at Marquis Dingyuan's residence. They were the fifth daughter of Marquis Dingyuan's residence, Zou Yuanqin, and County Princess An Min.

Chu Lian frowned slightly. Before she could speak, Princess Duanjia said, "Leyao, since when did you care about me?

If you have the time, you should think about yourself! "

On the way to Ninghe Palace, Chu Lian had already told Princess Duanjia about what happened at Rain Admiration Pavilion. Princess Duanjia naturally knew that Princess Leyao was grounded.

Originally, Princess Leyao's status was higher than Princess Duanjia's. Unfortunately, Prince Wei and Emperor Chengping were brothers. Emperor Chengping favored Prince Wei and Princess Duanjia was Prince Wei's only daughter. She was favored by both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Princess Duanjia was no less favored than Princess Leyao.

Princess Leyao usually minded her own business with her equally favored cousin, but who knew that Princess Duanjia would side with Chu Lian?

Princess Leyao was so angry that her face turned pale. She couldn't stand up to Princess Duanjia, but Chu Lian, a mere village ruler, couldn't?

Strangely, after Princess Leyao was humiliated by Princess Duanjia, she didn't retort. She only glared fiercely at Chu Lian when she left with the two women behind her. Then, she suddenly revealed an evil smile.

Chu Lian frowned. She felt that this smile was a little strange.

Princess Duanjia saw that Chu Lian wasn't happy and awkwardly comforted her, "Sixth Chu, don't mind this kind of person. She can only rely on her favored and unreasonable temper. I don't know when she will grow a brain."

Chu Lian could only force a smile, but her right eyelid couldn't help but twitch.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Old Matriarch He's chief maid, Mu Xiang, suddenly walked over with quick steps. Her face was full of awkwardness, and when she saw Chu Lian, it was as though she had seen her savior.

Chu Lian looked over. Before she could ask what had happened, Mu Xiang hurriedly said, "Third Madam, something has happened. The Matriarch invites you over!"

Chu Lian's brows twitched. Her intuition told her that Princess Leyao had something to do with this.

Seeing that Chu Lian was about to leave in a hurry, Royal Princess Duanjia frowned and asked, "Sixth Chu, what's wrong?"

Chu Lian suppressed her impatience. "Princess, Grandmother is looking for me. I'll go over first."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

Chu Lian shook her head.

Princess Duanjia did not insist. She watched as Chu Lian quickly left with the servant girl and went to a side room in Ninghe Palace.

Princess Wei seemed to have noticed the commotion here and sent someone to ask Commandery Princess Duanjia. Commandery Princess Duanjia personally stood up and went to Princess Wei's side.

"Something seems to have happened at Duke Jing 'an's estate. Sixth Chu has been summoned by Matriarch He."

Princess Wei held her handkerchief in her hand and thought for a moment. Then, she ordered the servant girl beside her, "Send someone to take a look. If there's really something that can't be resolved, report it to me."

Mu Xiang brought Chu Lian into the side room. Mu Xiang turned around and closed the door tightly. Chu Lian looked inside and saw Matriarch He sitting at the table in the side room. Her sister-in-law, Zou, stood respectfully beside her.

Mu Xiang led Chu Lian to Matriarch He's side. Matriarch He slammed her walking stick heavily on the ground and asked angrily, "First husband's wife, what's going on?

How could our estate's dumpling go missing? "

Zou madam lowered her head, her face pale. She replied to Matriarch He in a trembling voice, "Grandmother, when I left the estate, I clearly checked it myself. When I entered the palace, the dumpling was still there, but it only disappeared after I entered Ninghe Palace. I … really don't know where it went …"

Matriarch He slammed her walking stick angrily again, wanting nothing more than to hit Zou madam with it.

"First husband's wife, tell me, when we entered the palace, who was holding the dumpling's food box!"

Although today was the mid-autumn banquet held in the palace, the noblewomen entering the palace weren't allowed to bring people in casually. Someone of Zou madam's rank could only bring in two people at most.

The people she brought in were her trusted servant girl and head servant girl, Servant Qiao and Jinshui.

This matter had happened so strangely that Zou madam didn't dare to hide anything. However, she wanted to protect her own people, so she stammered for a long time and didn't say anything. Chu Lian, who was watching from the side, frowned.

"Zou madam!

It's already at this time!

You're still not going to tell me!

Are you trying to implicate the people in our estate? "

Matriarch He was used to being peaceful and rarely flew into a rage like this. Her years of accumulated power were unleashed at this moment. Even Chu Lian jumped in fright, not to mention Zou madam, who was already feeling very guilty.

"Grandmother, don't be angry. Gun-daughter-in-law will say it now. It's … it's granddaughter-in-law's Jinshui …"

The moment Zou madam finished speaking, Servant Zhou, who was serving Matriarch He, shouted angrily, "Audacious servant, you've done something wrong and you still don't admit it. Kneel!"

Jinshui was already very scared after losing the dumpling's food box. Now that she was shouted at by Servant Zhou, she was so scared that her legs softened and she sat on the ground. She propped herself up with both hands several times before crawling a few steps. Trembling, she knelt in front of Matriarch He. "Matriarch, Matriarch, have mercy!

This servant … this servant didn't lose the food box on purpose.

At the time, this servant carefully carried the food box and followed Eldest Grandmother into Ninghe Palace. When we turned a small door, we were suddenly hit by a eunuch. This servant only smelled a strange smell and immediately felt weak all over. When I came back to my senses, the food box in my hands was gone. When I turned around, the eunuch had also disappeared.

Matriarch, this servant also … also fell for the scoundrel's trick! "

Chu Lian frowned. Under these circumstances, this Jinshui probably wouldn't lie. She was Zou madam's confidante and Zou madam wouldn't be so stupid as to harm herself.

If it wasn't Zou madam, then it was someone else. Chu Lian thought of Princess Leyao's strange smile when she looked at her and felt extremely helpless.

Zou madam looked at Matriarch's uncertain expression and pleaded, "Grandmother, please don't blame Jinshui. She was also framed."

Matriarch He was so angry that she wanted to personally raise her walking stick and teach Zou madam a lesson. "You're still in the mood to plead for her at a time like this. If you have a brain, you should first think about how to get through this!"

Matriarch He gripped her walking stick with both hands, her chest heaving violently from anger. She turned her head and didn't look at Zou madam.

Zou madam's body was also weak. She hadn't expected to encounter such a thing when she entered the palace today. If she couldn't take out the fu's dumpling cakes, she would be blamed by the empress and empress dowager.

Servant Zhou also stood to the side anxiously. "Matriarch, is it possible to borrow some dumpling cakes from other furen to deal with this emergency?"

"How are we going to borrow them? All the manors have almost finished offering dumpling cakes at this time. Where are we going to borrow them? Moreover, the dumpling cakes made by each manors are different. How are we going to borrow them?"

Since someone was secretly trying to teach Count Jing 'an's estate a lesson, then there would definitely be someone watching them from the shadows. If they really tried to borrow the dumplings, Count Jing' an's estate would probably be immediately exposed when they offered the dumplings. Not only would that be embarrassing, but they would also be accused of deceiving the emperor.

When Servant Zhou heard Matriarch He's words, she silently shut her mouth.

Chu Lian also frowned deeply. This matter wasn't easy to handle. All the manors had prepared dumpling cakes beforehand. Borrowing them was indeed not a good idea.

Matriarch He saw Chu Lian's wife standing to the side and was about to ask Chu Lian if she had any ideas when she heard Zou madam hastily say, "Grandmother, Sister-in-law doesn't know how to make all kinds of pastries. Why don't you let Sister-in-law remake them?

It's not difficult to fix them. "

When she said this, Chu Lian and Matriarch He frowned at the same time.

Remake them?

Hah!

Zou madam really thought too highly of her. Putting aside the fact that Ning He Palace didn't have a place to make pastries for her, even if there was, she had never made dumpling cakes like the ones the Great Wu Dynasty ate during the mid-autumn festival. If she couldn't make them well, would she have to take the blame?

Whether it was Zou madam being overly confident in her abilities or purposely trying to drag her down, she was definitely harboring evil intentions!

However, no matter what Zou madam thought, Chu Lian was indeed Matriarch He and Duke Jing 'an's last hope.

Even Matriarch He's eyes were filled with anticipation when she looked at Chu Lian.

"Third wife, do you have any emergency solutions?"

Chu Lian glanced at Zou madam. Her clear eyes made one feel ashamed.

Her gaze fell on Matriarch He. After thinking for a moment, she took a deep breath and said, "Grandmother, I've thought of an idea, but I'm not sure if it's suitable."

Although she really didn't want to shoulder this mess, she was now a member of Duke Jing 'an's estate. If she fell, they would all fall. Even if she wanted to deal with Zou madam, she couldn't do it at this critical juncture.

When Matriarch He heard Chu Lian's words, she seemed to instantly breathe a sigh of relief. She took Chu Lian's hand and squeezed it. "Good child, grandmother has frightened you. Quickly tell grandmother what idea you have."

Chu Lian quickly told her idea, but left the final decision in Matriarch He's hands. "Grandmother, do you think this is feasible?"

Matriarch He's shrewd eyes flickered. She didn't know why, but she strangely trusted this young wife of Third Husband.

The old matriarch patted Chu Lian's hand again. "Alright, we'll do as you say."

Chu Lian didn't relax. She only turned to instruct Xiyan, who had followed her, to prepare. When she arrived at Ning He Palace, Xiyan and Gui momo, who had followed her into the palace, had already been brought over.

After Matriarch He gave instructions to Chu Lian, she said coldly to Zou madam, who had her head lowered, "Zou madam, you don't have to go when it's time to present the dumplings. Let Third wife go in your place. Take your people and stand behind me. Before the banquet ends, no one is allowed to leave!"

This time, Matriarch He was really angry.

In this kind of occasion to present gifts to the Empress Dowager and Empress, which family didn't have the matriarch of the household on stage? But the old matriarch had stripped her of this right. This was a slap in the face. In the days to come, Zou madam wouldn't be able to raise her head in the circle of noble ladies in Shengjing.

This punishment was even more severe than banishing her two confidants.