Chapter 11: Does Fu Jin not count in his heart

Ulanara remained calm on the surface, but inside she was feeling extremely agitated. She glanced at Song, and with a pretense of magnanimity, she said, "Li Meimei is right. Nian, you should spend more time with the sisters in the mansion. They have served the master for many years and understand his habits. If you have any questions, you can ask them."

As the favored concubine of Ulanara, Song immediately put on a surprised look and said sharply, "Although what Fuheng said makes sense, Nian comes from a prestigious family and was personally bestowed the title of concubine by the emperor. How could we dare to offer help? We just don't want to cause trouble for Nian..."

"Exactly, with Nian's character, how could we even think of associating with her?" Uya, standing among the crowd, raised her delicate fingers and put on a "I'm so humorous" expression, echoing Song's words.

Nian Suxin was not surprised by Ulanara's pretentious behavior. In her previous life, it was because of Ulanara's magnanimity and feigned concern that she had taken the wrong path. Her modesty had become one of the excuses for the people in the backyard to attack her.

Nian Suxin looked at everything with a cold sneer. Since everyone thought she was easy to bully, if she didn't act tough in this life, she would be letting down those who had high expectations of her.

Li noticed that Yinzhen's expression had turned unpleasant, while Ulanara, sitting next to Yinzhen, looked smug. She couldn't help but suppress her smile and said to Yinzhen, "What nonsense are they talking about? Fuheng said we are all sisters and should get along. Bringing up the idea of social status is just being standoffish."

Song and Uya, feeling challenged, closed their mouths with an unwilling expression, while Li, seeing the situation, smiled at Yinzhen as if to show her loyalty.

Yinzhen, observing the tense atmosphere, furrowed his brows and glanced at Song and the others on either side. In a cold voice, he said, "Knowing that Nian is a concubine bestowed by the emperor, you should show her respect from the bottom of your hearts. In this mansion, there are rules of hierarchy and right and wrong. Remember this in your hearts..." Although he didn't finish his sentence, everyone understood the hidden meaning in his words.

Nian Suxin was a concubine bestowed by the emperor, with a status lower than Ulanara, the legitimate concubine, but higher than all the other concubines in the mansion. Even Li, who entered the mansion early, should think twice before offending her, let alone being disrespectful.

Ulanara, seeing Yinzhen siding with Nian to establish her position in the mansion, felt anxious. She suppressed her anger and softly advised, "What are you saying, my lord? The sisters in the mansion have always been respectful. They were just joking to get closer to Nian. Please forgive them."

Nian Suxin felt a sinking feeling upon hearing this. She had thought that with Yinzhen's support, Ulanara would at most show her authority, but now, she had almost turned this newly arrived concubine into a public enemy in the backyard.

"Fuheng is right. We have all been disrespectful and forgotten our place. Even our jokes have become excessive." Nian Suxin couldn't stand Ulanara's hypocritical behavior. People like her would only take advantage and never know when to stop. "I intended to get along with everyone, but it seems that my good intentions have caused the mansion to become so lax in its rules. It's only natural for Fuheng to be angry."

Ulanara was left speechless, feeling as if she had been blamed for everything.

"What are you saying, Nian? Are you implying that I am not qualified to manage the household affairs?" Ulanara, seeing Yinzhen's stern expression and the others looking like quails, wished she could just strangle Nian then and there.

Indeed, Nian Suxin was her biggest threat. She shouldn't have just tested the waters but directly dealt with her.

Nian Suxin lowered her long eyelashes and asked with a puzzled expression, "Fuheng, do you doubt my qualifications to manage the household affairs?"

Ulanara was stunned, staring at Nian's indifferent expression, feeling a surge of anger from the depths of her heart. She had put in so much effort to set this trap, not to shoot herself in the foot, but to make Nian regret her inappropriate thoughts.

"My lord, look at what Nian is saying. It seems like everything is my fault?!" Ulanara looked at Yinzhen with disbelief, but he looked reassuringly at Nian. Ulanara's face stiffened, feeling extremely embarrassed.

Song and Uya were so scared by the situation that they didn't dare to lift their heads. The excitement they had to provoke trouble had vanished, replaced by a sense of regret.

年素心's heart sneered, a glint of cunning flashing across her eyes, but she put on a pitiful expression and turned to Yinzhin, saying in a soft voice, "Master, it's not the fault of the noble consort, it's my fault for not following her advice. Before entering the mansion, the noble consort advised me to take charge of things, but I didn't understand her intentions... I have let the noble consort down."

As she turned her gaze to Ula Nara, she looked full of guilt but made an effort to restrain herself. "Noble consort, please don't blame yourself. You were not wrong. The lax rules have nothing to do with your ability to manage the household's affairs. It has always been this way."

At that moment, even though this was Ula Nara's territory, she was instantly seen through by Nian Suxin, and she also felt a sense of unease. Despite her confident demeanor, she was actually afraid of confronting Yinzhin. Despite Ula Nara's eloquence, she couldn't speak up at this moment due to her deep unease.

"Master, you can see that the rules in the mansion are indeed lax, otherwise, so many jokes would not have been made one after another," Yinzhin said as he glanced at Ula Nara, clearly displeased with the various small actions she had caused in recent times.

If hearing Nian Suxin’s words made Ula Nara angry, hearing Yinzhin’s words next would make her want to spit out blood on the spot. She looked deathly pale, lips tightly pursed, unable to hide her resentment and embarrassment in her facial expressions.

At that moment, Ula Nara wished she could find a hole in the ground, disappear from everyone's sight, and no longer suffer such humiliation. She loved Yinzhin the most, and yet she also hated him the most. Clearly, everything she did was for him, but time and time again, he hurt her heart. Suppressing Nian Suxin was to prove to him that she was the mistress of the house, yet all these actions only resulted in his complete denial.

Yinzhin seemed not to notice Ula Nara's distress and spoke coldly, "That's enough for today."

As everyone watched Ula Nara's ashen face and saw Yinzhin leave briskly, they felt a sense of relief and an inexplicable satisfaction.