Chapter 36: Spirit Position

  Jiang shouted in a low voice "Frost falls", with a hint of blame, but her eyes were looking at Gu Zhaobei.

  Although Shen Guiyan was the legitimate wife, this legitimate wife was really too easy to bully. Since she's easy to bully, the people below her naturally became bolder and all wanted a share of favoritism.

  "Do you need me to accompany you?" Gu Zhaobei asked Jiang Shi.

  Jiang Bihui's face turned slightly red: "If you are willing..."

  Frost descended, sizing up Shen Guiyan standing at the door. Several of her concubines had said as much, vying for favor in front of his legitimate wife's face, yet she still didn't react.

  Shen Guiyan was smiling, she had never done anything in this courtyard, and it was also reasonable that she didn't have any prestige. Tomorrow there were more important things to do, the struggle for favor, which she wasn't too concerned about.

  "It doesn't matter whether I'm willing or not." Gu Zhaobei chuckled and looked at Shen Guiyan, who was standing at the door with her head down. The anger from just now had already disappeared, and she didn't say a word to argue with him, nor did she show any signs of unhappiness.

  She wasn't unhappy, but Gu Zhaobei was. Not fighting or snatching? He actually wanted to see if she would still be so calm after being bullied by these maids and concubines.

  "Since grandfather has said so, I'll go and make the bed for Aunt Jiang." Xuejiang said happily, then went to tidy up in the inner room. Gu Zhaobei didn't stop her, but turned his head to Shen Guiyan and said: "You should also go back and rest, it's getting late."

  "Good." Shen Guiyan nodded and left with Bao Shan.

  A few soft giggles came from behind, Bao Shan slightly furrowed his brow: "Miss."

  "Don't forget about your things tomorrow." Shen Guiyan said: "Don't worry about anything else."

  "...is." Baoshan sighed.

  Gu Zhaobei indeed stayed at Jiang's place, Shen Guiyan returned to her room and was dazed for a while, shook her head, and still decided to sleep early and get up early.

  The next morning, the Shen Mansion was in an uproar - a servant had discovered that Qin Niang's memorial tablet was gone.

  Madam Shen searched the entire house but couldn't find it. Since it was stolen last night, it must have been taken by the thief.

  "Who would steal a spirit tablet for no reason?" Ding Niang snorted with laughter: "I think it's probably the third young lady who did it."

  Madam Shen slammed her hand on the table and angrily said, "How dare you! Is there any reason to steal a spirit tablet? Come with me to the Gu residence to confront Gui Yan. She thinks she can hide in the Prime Minister's residence and I won't be able to do anything to her?"

  Ding Niang and Fang Niang exchanged a glance: "The lady is going to the Prime Minister's residence?"

  "What's wrong with that? Ya'er is still the eldest daughter-in-law of the Grand Preceptor's Manor, can't I as her mother go take a look?" Madam Shen stood up and held onto the hand of the maid as she headed out: "Prepare the carriage!"

  "Yes." Xiurong replied, and the two bridesmaids followed her out of the door with a look of watching a good show.

  Shen Guiyan got up very early today, washed and went out to buy porridge.

  "Madam Siu is up early." The refugees all rushed to greet her: "You're here even earlier today."

  Shen Guiyan smiled slightly: "Yesterday, I dreamed that my mother entrusted me with a dream, saying that she was doing well in the ancestral hall. With this reassurance, I slept better and got up a bit earlier."

  "Good people will be rewarded." The refugees said in unison.

  Madam Shen went to the Chancellor's mansion but couldn't find anyone, however, Shen Guiya knew where Shen Guiyan usually distributed porridge and led Madam Shen in this direction.

  "The crime of theft, will be locked up for a year here?" Shen Guiya smiled and said: "Using a broken wooden board to exchange her for a year in prison is a great deal."

  "Madam Shen pulled Shen Guiya's hand and said: 'As long as you're living a good life, that's all that matters. If she offends you, naturally I'll be there to help you out.'"

  Shen Guiya smiled slightly and pulled the curtain to look at the road outside.

  They had already arrived near the rice shed. The horse carriage stopped and Madame Shen said without saying another word, "Invite Fourth Young Mistress back to the Prime Minister's mansion."

  "Yes!" Shen Guiya led out six or seven family servants, who rushed forward and surrounded Shen Guiyan.

  "What are you doing?" Bao Shan shouted: "Don't move my young lady!"

  Shen Guiyan was still serving porridge when she was suddenly surrounded by a group of family servants, who looked at her with furrowed brows and said: "What's going on?"

  "Madam Shen invites you back to the Prime Minister's residence." The servant said with a straight face.

  "What did I do wrong?"

  "The Fourth Young Mistress has always given us porridge, why do you want to arrest people when a crowd gathers?" The refugees who were receiving the porridge swarmed over and surrounded the six or seven family servants.

  At first, the housekeeper who was pretending to be fierce saw so many people and his tone softened: "It's not an arrest, it's an invitation. Mrs. Shen is the mother of the Fourth Young Master's wife, and she has something to discuss."

  "It's not a big deal, is it?" Shen Guiyan smiled and said: "Then I'll wait until I've finished distributing the porridge here before going back."

  Jia Ding's forehead was covered in cold sweat as he was surrounded by a large crowd of refugees, and could only look towards the horse carriage for help.

  Madam Shen pulled up the carriage curtain and looked at the situation outside, unable to hold back her anger: "Useless things, can't even catch a person?"

  A group of refugees all looked over at the horse carriage, Mrs. Shen was startled and shrunk back into herself, her voice still sternly saying: "Shen Guiyan, you stole the Qin family's ancestral tablet, hurry up and follow me back to confess your crime!"

  "Steal the ancestral tablet?" Bao Shan's eyes widened: "Isn't Qin Niang's ancestral tablet safely in the temple, how could our young mistress steal it?"

  Shen Guiyan looked up, her face looking somewhat unpleasant: "The spirit tablet of the Qin family is gone?"

  "Madam Shen frowned: 'Don't pretend, the spirit tablet was definitely stolen by you. Now come with me back to the Prime Minister's mansion and let your father-in-law and mother-in-law handle it!'"

  "This old woman is so vicious." Someone in the refugee crowd was indignant: "The Fourth Young Master's wife, because her own mother was lucky enough to enter the ancestral temple, specially set up a shrine to accumulate virtue, but now the spirit tablet has disappeared, and she actually dares to frame the Fourth Young Master's wife?"

  "Exactly! Still want to randomly arrest people."

  Several refugees said that the refugees who were usually taken care of by Shen Guiyan flocked to the horse-drawn carriage, looking at Mrs. Shen and Shen Guiya with great hostility.

  "What are you people trying to do?" Madame Shen was frightened pale, and Shen Guiya also looked ugly, hastily ordering the coachman: "Quickly, turn back to the Prime Minister's mansion!"

  The car was surrounded and could hardly move, many refugees spat at them, their brocade clothes were stained with a lot of dirt, both of their faces turned green.

  Shen Guiyan calmly filled a bowl with porridge and then walked towards the carriage.

  The refugees parted, and she stood in front of Mrs. Shen.

  "I'll go back with you." Shen Guiyan said, "The spirit tablet of the Qin family was not stolen by me. If you can't find my mother's spirit tablet, I will never give up!"

  Madam Shen was taken aback, her body trembling with rage: "Go back! Go back! I will definitely seek justice from the Prime Minister. How dare you instigate refugees to insult me and Yan'er!"

  "Those filthy creatures should have died a long time ago. They will definitely pay the price for what happened today!"

  " Bah!" Another refugee spat at her: "Our bodies are dirty, but our hearts are cleaner than yours by who knows how much!"

  Bao's anger left him speechless, and he pointed at Shen Guiyan: "Get in the car!"

  Shen Guiyan nodded and got on the carriage. The carriage headed towards Chengxiang Fu, and to their surprise, all the refugees followed behind them.

  In the capital, an unthinkable scene appeared. A government carriage passed by on the street, and behind it followed a large number of refugees. The people on the road inquired about what was happening, and the theft of the Qin family's ancestral tablet became widely known.

  "How ridiculous! Entering the ancestral hall is a good thing, how can someone's own daughter possibly steal? This Madame Shen is really stingy."

  "Who says it's not? Let's go and see the excitement!"

  Uncle Bu came out for a stroll today and heard just these few words.

  "Let's go and take a look."

  The servant with the orchid-shaped fingers let out a soft "ai" and hastily followed.

  The carriage arrived at the residence of the Grand Councilor. As soon as Madame Bao got off the carriage, she saw a large crowd gathered behind it and many people were surrounding the entrance of the residence.

  "You're indeed clever." Shen Guiya looked at Shen Guiyan and said: "Know how to use the power of the common people, create public opinion?"

  "Guiyan didn't understand what her sister-in-law was saying." Shen Guiyan said calmly, "Sister-in-law should worry about her own mother instead."

  Shen Guiya frowned, but Shen Guiyan had already stepped forward and walked into the house.

  "What's going on?" Minister Gu also stood up and asked while sitting in the main hall.

  Madam Shen immediately knelt down: "Prime Minister, someone is stirring up the people and surrounding the Prime Minister's mansion!"

  Mrs. Gu was shocked: "Where is the guard?"

  "They can't come in." Shen Guiyan knelt upright and calmly said: "Early this morning, Yan was serving porridge to the refugees when Mother came over with Eldest Sister, saying that Yan had stolen Qin's spirit tablet and wanted Yan to go back and reason with them."

  "Qin's spirit tablet?" Minister Gu frowned: "Not long ago, didn't you see him thanking the Shen family for their gift, just because Qin's spirit tablet can enter the ancestral hall?"

  Shen Guiyan bitterly smiled: "That's right, and yet today Mother said that I stole the Lingwei, I really can't help but cry and laugh at the same time."