Chapter 12: A Disregard for Rank and Status

Just as Shen Mengli was about to say something, a young servant burst into the room.

“Young master, bad news! Concubine Lin’s condition has worsened. She’s been crying out your name nonstop. You must go see her at once.”

“How have you servants been attending to her?”

Qi Yunyan’s expression darkened. He threw down a curt remark and left immediately.

The room fell into an eerie silence, as if time itself had been paused.

The matchmaker and maids were stunned. On the very night of the wedding, the groom had abandoned his bride and rushed off to another woman.

How could the bride bear such humiliation?

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to comfort Shen Mengli.

At that moment, Yinxing, a maid sent by the Princess Consort of the Duke, spoke up.

“Lady Young Mistress, please don’t worry. I will go find the young master and bring him back.”

Before Shen Mengli could respond, Qiuxiang, the maid who had come with her as part of the dowry, interrupted.

“Miss, the young master clearly doesn’t respect you. Who abandons his legitimate wife on their wedding night to run off to a concubine? You shouldn’t just let it go. You should make a scene, so the Princess Consort knows how unhappy you are and teaches the young master a proper lesson.”

When Shen Mengli was at the Shen residence, she had only one maid attending her—Magpie.

Now that she had married into the Duke’s household, Lady Liu had specifically assigned her four maids, all of whom were her informants.

Among them, Qiuxiang was a favored second-tier maid close to Lady Liu.

To keep an eye on Shen Mengli, Lady Liu had deliberately stationed her there.

She had also instructed Qiuxiang to sow discord between the household's master and Shen Mengli whenever possible, to create strife so Shen Mengli would be unable to fit in and eventually be cast out.

Qiuxiang took these orders to heart. Seeing the young master abandon Shen Mengli, she immediately seized the opportunity to stir trouble.

“You maid, where did you learn such insolence? On the wedding night, you’re encouraging your mistress to make a scene in the bridal chamber? Do you want the Princess Consort to punish me?”

Shen Mengli shot Qiuxiang a cold glance and spoke icily.

Qiuxiang straightened her neck defiantly. “The Duke’s household is truly intolerable, and I’m only standing up for you, Miss. They’ve humiliated you so blatantly, showing no respect—not just for you, but for the Shen family as well. They think the Shen family is easy to bully. As the eldest young lady of the Shen household, you must seek justice for yourself and for the family.”

“How dare you!” Shen Mengli slammed her hand against the wooden bedframe. “I think you don’t respect me at all.”

Frightened, Qiuxiang quickly dropped to her knees. “Even if Miss is angry, your servant must speak. I only want what’s best for you. I can’t bear to see you suffer, so I offer this advice—even if it’s harsh, it comes from a place of care. I hope Miss understands.”

“I think you’re just afraid I’ll live well. Everyone else advises couples to live in harmony for a happy life, but you deliberately pour oil on the fire. You must be afraid that if I don’t antagonize the young master and the Princess Consort, they’ll reject me. So you want me to cry and make a scene in the bridal chamber, shaming the entire Duke’s household. Get out of here and go back to the Shen residence. Don’t disgrace the Shen family in this place. If anyone didn’t know better, they’d think the Shen family is so poorly raised that they let servants forget their place.”

Qiuxiang’s face instantly went pale.

“Miss, you can’t send me back to the Shen residence. I was sent by Madam. If you send me away, you’re disrespecting Madam and disgracing the servants.”

“The young mistress is already the Young Mistress of the Duke. Yet you still call her ‘Miss’ and refuse to address her properly. That’s sheer disrespect. And you, a mere maid, dare to talk back? Such confusion between ranks and shamelessness—don’t expect the young mistress to tolerate you. I think you’re dreaming.”