Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 501 - 337 Mansion Strife Skills

A long gown with a round collar made of mustard yellow silk with embroidered gold-red silk pavilions and adorned with brown-yellow trimming made Gu Chengyu look even more handsome and impressively majestic.

As he saluted her lady, his peach blossom eyes tilted upward at the corners, eyes seeming drunk yet clear, making people dare not meet his gaze for fear of being entranced.

Mrs. Gao turned around and discovered Qing Dai staring straight at Mr. Gu, her eyes unblinking, seemingly entranced. Fury rose in her heart; was this brazen girl thinking others to be blind? Staring so boldly, if Mr. Gu were to notice, whose reputation would it tarnish?

Mrs. Gao tugged at Qing Dai’s sleeve, and Qing Dai suddenly snapped back to her senses, her face flushing to the roots of her neck. How did she become so mesmerized by looking at Mr. Gu? It was truly embarrassing.

She then thought that Mrs. Gao had witnessed this scene. Upon returning to the mansion, she would definitely face consequences. Over the past two years, her lady had become increasingly indifferent towards her. Now that they were returning to the Duke Mansion, she must demonstrate herself well in front of her lady to regain her trust.

Being a native-born in the mansion, she naturally had a significant advantage over Lianxin. In gathering information, Lianxin could not compare to her; only in the Duke Mansion would she find her place to showcase her skills.

"Ming Yan, is all the luggage packed?" Gu Chengyu saw Ming Yan and the others loading everything onto the carriage and subsequently hired two more carriages, believing their group should fit comfortably.

"Steward Liang, has anyone from the Duke Mansion come to pick us up?" Liang Zhirui had not seen the Duke Mansion’s carriage earlier, and a hint of displeasure had already arisen in his heart. Could it be that the Duke Mansion has truly lost its decency? For the legitimate daughter of the main branch’s return, there wasn’t even anyone to greet her.

"Reporting to the master, I just went to check and didn’t see the Duke Mansion’s carriage."

Liang Zhirui’s expression darkened, suppressing the anger in his heart, just about to tell Yao Mengxian to stay at the Liang Mansion for a while. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

He didn’t believe the Duke Mansion could shamelessly leave it be; if they really did so, then let those aristocratic families see the joke, and they’d surely be talked about behind their backs.

The Duke Zhen’s Mansion isn’t destitute; they can’t even afford to raise their own daughter, but instead, send her to live with her maternal family.

"Hey? Look, isn’t that the Duke Zhen’s Mansion’s carriage?" A follower with sharp eyes spotted the Duke Zhen’s Mansion emblem on one of the carriages. Two carriages had just parked at the dock, and two older women, along with a maid-looking person, alighted, gazing toward this direction.

Yao Mengxian peered through the veil of her hat; wasn’t that Lian Mama by her stepmother’s side? Beside her was another mama who was her stepmother Mrs. Ke’s right-hand servant, and the maid was Hong Ling, a second-class maid by the old lady’s side in the mansion.

Yao Mengxian sneered coldly. For a legitimate daughter like herself to return to the mansion, they actually only sent three people to receive her, without even dispatching an outer manager.

Mrs. Ning, upon seeing people from the Duke Zhen’s Mansion, shook with anger.

"This is truly infuriating. You mustn’t go back today; even if it were a concubine-born daughter returning, they wouldn’t send so few to receive her. What are they taking you for?"

Mrs. Ning absolutely wouldn’t allow her granddaughter to return like this. Has the Duke Mansion truly become this shameless? Suddenly, sorrow welled up; if her daughter were still alive, how could her granddaughter suffer such humiliation?

With Xian’s status, there were few in the entire Capital more prestigious than her; she should be nurtured in utmost dignity, yet now she’s being treated so disrespectfully.

Even Liang Zhirui remained silent this time. These people underestimated him since he’d left the court. Now Liang Zhirui truly regretted resigning from office for the sake of his granddaughter.

"This old servant greets Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, and Third Miss." The two mamas and the maid had already seen Liang Zhirui and company and hurriedly came forward to greet them.

Liang Zhirui grunted angrily without responding, while Mrs. Ning, knowing Yao Mengxian needed to stay in the Duke Mansion for another two or three years, forced herself to suppress her fury, allowing them to bypass the formalities.

Gu Chengyu observed the servants from the Duke Mansion, noticing only three came with just one additional carriage. Miss Yao had quite a bit of luggage; this carriage could only accommodate people. With the three of them in one, where would the luggage go?

Moreover, his several years in the Capital had taught him quite a bit about aristocratic family customs. For the return of a main branch’s legitimate daughter, sending just three people for reception, what does this imply? Apparently, Miss Yao’s situation in the Duke Mansion is worse than he had heard!

He had known before that Yao Mengxian’s birth mother had passed more than a year before the Princely Heir of Duke Zhen remarried. Life in the mansion was difficult for Miss Yao, but he hadn’t expected that the Duke Mansion wouldn’t even bother with appearances. Is this the caliber of Mrs. Ke, who had been remarried?

"Mrs. Lian, Mrs. Chen, Sister Hong Ling, did Mother and Grandmother send you to pick me up?"

No matter the raging anger within her, Yao Mengxian had to restrain herself. Patience in small matters is vital; getting upset solves nothing, and the real challenges she faces are just beginning.

"Replying to Miss! The old lady sent us to bring you back to the mansion. You’ve been away in Jingyuan Prefecture for three years; the old lady has missed you dearly, thinking of you every day. Finally, you’re returning today."

Hong Ling, a lively and charming girl, with her first words revealed herself to be quite eloquent.

Inwardly, Yao Mengxian laughed coldly; was this to imply that her three-year absence made the old lady worry over her, just short of directly accusing her of filial neglect?

Mrs. Ning also became infuriated upon hearing this. This maid certainly had a sharp tongue; no wonder the old woman sent her to pick someone up. Wasn’t this merely adding insult to injury?

"While in Jingyuan Prefecture, I dearly missed Grandmother. Writing letters back to the mansion often couldn’t alleviate the longing. But Grandmother couldn’t bear to part with me, and since no one else was with her, that caused the delay of two years. When I return to the mansion, I shall indeed seek Grandmother’s pardon."

"This is indeed my fault. I missed Xian, so kept her at the mansion to ease my solitude. I hadn’t considered the in-law mother; you see how our Xian is obedient and considerate. Not only does her maternal grandmother miss her, but her paternal grandmother misses her as well!"

Mrs. Ning, having lived in the Capital for many years and being of noble descent, was surely familiar with the veiled barbs in such words. Such talk could ruin a girl’s reputation; once branded as unfilial, she’d struggle in the Capital.

The grandmother needed filial piety, but so did the maternal grandmother. Even if anyone wanted to find fault with Yao Mengxian, they’d find no legitimate grounds.

Hong Ling stopped her tongue upon hearing this, her face still smiling, as if the person who wielded verbal blades moments ago wasn’t her. Gu Chengyu observed from the side, admiring this girl’s thick skin; it seems the first lesson in mansion strife is indeed about having a thick skin.

Even when exposed, one’s face mustn’t change color. Even more so, harboring deadly hatred for someone in the heart, the face must still wear a smile.