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If facing others, Su Wenyue might need to rack her brains for solutions, but with Madam Wang’s vulnerabilities laying bare, if she couldn’t trample Madam Wang beneath her feet, Su Wenyue would despise her own intelligence.

Moreover, Madam Wang didn’t seem to have much of a brain; otherwise, with a superior above, she would have had the sense to at least treat her prospective boss’s wife with civility, understanding that the magistrate’s power couldn’t match that of her mother’s family, a concept everyone grasped. Yet Madam Wang clearly did not. Perhaps out of dissatisfaction, she dealt with Su Wenyue as brutally as she would with her servant girls or concubines at home, actions that likely weren’t instigated by Lord Wang who, for all his flaws, wasn’t a fool in this regard.

As soon as Su Wenyue finished speaking, Madam Wang’s face changed color. She couldn’t understand how Su Wenyue knew about her family affairs and dared to discuss them in front of so many people, which was a slap in the face and even more frightening if Lord Wang found out. Little did she know that her so-called secret tactics were child’s play in the eyes of the inhabitants of large courtyards, barely worth mentioning and thought to be secretive when, in fact, everyone knew about them except for Lord Wang himself.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Don’t think just because Lord Han has been promoted that you are invincible, daring to slander me and frame me with baseless accusations! Even if you are Lord Han’s wife, it won’t do. If you don’t give me an explanation today, this won’t be the end of it!” Mrs. Wang Sun said with an unsightly demeanor. Already a person prone to creating trouble without reason, she concluded that Su Wenyue was just repeating hearsay without any solid evidence,

“An explanation? If Madam Wang wants an explanation, it’s all too easy. What you’ve done isn’t exactly a secret; in fact, I suspect that most of the people here are aware of it, and only Lord Wang himself is clueless. Obtaining evidence against such childish schemes is a piece of cake. If you would like, I can have it sent over to Lord Wang. What do you think?” Su Wenyue said with a light laugh, appearing far too nonchalant compared to Mrs. Wang Sun’s frantic state, instantly revealing the superiority of her strategizing.

The onlookers exchanged glances, realizing that while Madam Han seemed young and mild-mannered, she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Always friendly and polite on ordinary days, she turned out to have formidable tactics at critical moments. With just a few words, she had turned Madam Wang’s face all colors, yet there was nothing Madam Wang could do but seethe. Everyone was aware of Madam Wang’s family matters, but that was just gossip without evidence, whereas Madam Han spoke so lightly about it, she must have already had proof in her hand, or else she wouldn’t have dared to use it to threaten Madam Wang so openly.

In reality, they all had been tolerating Madam Wang, who was a ruthless yet crude person, not worth confronting unless necessary. Of course, the most important thing was her mother’s family’s influence, and no one wanted to cross such a person and bring trouble upon themselves. Today Madam Wang had hit a snag, but it wasn’t just her – they all needed to be careful now, for who knew if Madam Han was holding any leverage over them.

Su Wenyue had suppressed Madam Wang, her gaze sweeping over those present, observing their expressions. A faint smile crossed her lips, suggesting that they had all been intimidated; no one would dare to provoke her rashly for some time.

Today was a day of celebration, intended to honor her husband’s promotion. Su Wenyue had meant to enjoy the festivities in high spirits. It was only because Mrs. Wang Sun had blundered into her that Su Wenyue had taken the opportunity to teach her a lesson or two. Seeing the atmosphere turn tense, Madame Liu Zhao, along with Mrs. Yao Qin and Mrs. Wei Li exchanged glances, and various people started to chime in with jokes and laughter, quickly lightening the mood.

Mrs. Wang Sun no longer dared to provoke Su Wenyue, and sat sullenly, her mind fixated on Su Wenyue’s earlier talk about using childish tactics. In fact, her own mother had voiced disapproval of her conduct. Were her tactics really that crude?

The company laughed and chatted, and Xiao Xi brought in an old woman and two servant girls from outside. Su Wenyue recognized the familiar faces at a glance; no wonder Xiao Xi had led them in without announcement.

“This servant pays respect to Madam Han,” the three said in unison, greeting Su Wenyue. She quickly offered them seats, but they insisted they couldn’t possibly accept. Not to mention Madam Han being favored by the county magistrate’s wife, she was now the wife of a Seventh Rank Deputy Lieutenant, half a step below the county magistrate himself. As mere servant girls, they didn’t dare assume too much.

“Knowing that today is the auspicious day of Lord Han’s promotion, our family sent this servant to offer congratulations to Lord Han and Madam Han. The mistress had planned to come personally, but due to pressing matters at home, she couldn’t make it and sent me in her stead. I hope Madam Han doesn’t mind.”

“How could that be? For Aunt to send you here is already a great honor for me, and it would be too much to expect Aunt to come personally. That would be a burden on us juniors,” said the old woman, who was the most trusted person by the county magistrate’s wife. That she had sent her alone spoke volumes, and Su Wenyue certainly wasn’t going to assume any airs.

The two maids also handed over their gifts to the maid beside Su Wenyue. They were the most trusted maids of the young ladies, so their being sent also carried a clear message.

“Our young lady had intended to come too, but thanks to Madam Han’s good fortune, she’s now over a month pregnant. The first three months are crucial for sitting the pregnancy, and she didn’t want to risk the crowded gathering, which is why she sent us servants to apologize to you, Madam. I hope you won’t mind,” one maid explained.

“Indeed, our Second Young Lady also felt the same. She was thrilled when she heard about Lord Han’s promotion, but the child within is hard-won and requires extra caution, so she sent us servants instead,” added another.

“What? Both young ladies are pregnant?” exclaimed Su Wenyue, noticeably surprised at the coincidence.

“Yes, that’s why we say it’s owing to Madam Han’s good luck. Our young ladies followed the method you taught after seeing your joy, and soon enough, they received good news, making the county magistrate’s wife overjoyed. She credits it all to you, Madam Han, and assures that once the young ladies secure their pregnancies, they will personally thank you,” the maid explained cheerfully. The master’s secure position meant joy for them as well.

Su Wenyue had a fair impression of the two young ladies and felt genuinely happy for them. It seemed that the method she taught might have had an effect, otherwise, how could it have been so efficacious? The idea of sharing in her joyful influence was merely a figure of speech.

The people present were already wary of Su Wenyue. Seeing her good relations with the county magistrate’s wife, they grew even more wary. The rest of the banquet proceeded smoothly with no more troubles, except for Zhou Wang who, upon leaving, made ambiguous comments that left Su Wenyue wondering whether they were a deliberate attempt to disconcert her or a genuine word of caution.