Compensation

"Lan Tang is safe."

Xie Madam had no time for formalities. "Where did Lan Tang go this morning?"

"I just took Hongwen out for a walk. Has something happened, Mother? Why are you so worried?"

"No, nothing." Seeing that Xie Hongwen showed no signs of heatstroke and still looked lively, Xie Madam relaxed. "The servants hadn't seen the child for half a day, so they grew concerned."

"Did they?" Shen Lantang turned to Nanny Feng. "Were you worried I couldn't look after Hongwen?"

Nanny Feng's expression stiffened. She forced a polite smile. "If Young Madam wishes to take the young master out, please let this old servant know, so the other servants and I won't worry."

"I see. You could have told me about such a small matter. Why trouble Mother with it?"

Shen Lantang smiled. "I'm his mother. It's only natural for me to be close to him. With you making such a fuss, one might think I'd mistreated the child."

Nanny Feng immediately protested, "This old servant would never dare!"

"Of course I know you wouldn't. But the way you acted was bound to give people the wrong idea. I apologize for taking Hongwen away without telling you. Shouldn't you apologize to me as well?"

For Shen Lantang, saying "I apologize" was enough. Nanny Feng had no such luxury. She gritted her teeth and bowed. "This old servant was thoughtless. I apologize to First Madam and Young Madam."

Shen Lantang gave her a gentle, thoroughly amiable smile. "You were beside yourself with worry. Now that you've apologized, I won't hold it against you."

"Thank you for your generosity, Young Madam."

Xie Madam had spent years navigating the inner household and had seen plenty of scheming. Something about the two of them struck her as odd. But the matter seemed settled, so she put it aside. She was about to smooth things over when a voice rang out unexpectedly:

That settles your complaint. But what about telling Xie Hongwen behind everyone's backs that I'm his enemy and plan to seize his inheritance?

Xie Madam stared at Shen Lantang's still lips and stopped short.

"Hongwen, Mother still has something to discuss with Grandmother. Go back and have a nap. You must be tired after playing all morning."

Shen Lantang entrusted Xie Hongwen to Lan Xin, and the two maids soon led him out of the room.

Only then did Shen Lantang turn back to Nanny Feng.

Nanny Feng thought the matter was over and breathed a sigh of relief. She had no idea that Xie Madam's heart was in her throat.

"Nanny."

Shen Lantang wore her usual mild expression. Even her tone made her sound as though she had no quarrel with anyone and would be easy to push around.

"Now that today's matter is settled, I'd like to ask you about something else. A few days ago, I happened to hear you speaking to Hongwen in his room. You told him I was only kind to him because I wanted to use him, and that I would join forces with my own child to seize his inheritance. What was that about?"

Horror swept over Nanny Feng's face. Xie Madam's eyes darkened. She's said it aloud.

"Don't you realize those words would make Hongwen resent me and drive a wedge between us as mother and son?"

That was the real reason Shen Lantang had decided to confront Nanny Feng.

If she had only arrived in this world a year or two ago, it might have been different. But she had truly grown up here. People said a harmonious family brought prosperity, not only because of how deeply one's family shaped a person, but because filial piety came first. From birth to death, escaping one's family was difficult. Outsiders would not care what grievances you suffered at home. They would call you unfilial—and therefore disloyal.

She knew how devastating it would be if the eldest son and his stepmother became enemies and fought each other. It could even drag the entire Xie Family into a ruin from which it could never recover.

Living in this era meant bearing its responsibilities. Shen Lantang might never become a daughter-in-law who brought glory to the family, but she would not let the Xie Family face such danger because of her.

Beside her, Xie Madam trembled.

She had only caught a vague impression of Shen Lantang's thoughts about arriving in this world, as though something had blocked them. But she had "heard" everything after that clearly. So Shen Lantang had done all this to spare the Xie Family disaster, with no personal grudge involved.

Xie Madam looked at the woman beside her, so gentle in manner yet resolute in spirit, her gaze complicated.

Nanny Feng cried out, "This old servant is innocent! I never said any such thing!"

Shen Lantang gave a cold laugh. "Of course you can say that now. Only you and Hongwen were there when you said it. You even sent away his personal maids, so naturally there were no witnesses."

Nanny Feng opened her mouth—

"Did you think having no witnesses meant no one would know? Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know. A child knows too. I used to think that, as the nursemaid Madam Zheng brought here, you were utterly loyal. I never looked down on you. You made every decision concerning Hongwen, large or small. What a vicious intention you hid! You made a child so young live day and night in fear of being oppressed by the mistress of the house. You left him racked with worry, never to enjoy a carefree day of childhood!"

"The young master of the Duke's Residence, unable to know a single day of joy! Trapped in schemes and misery all day long! What grudge do you bear against the Zheng Family that you would harm such a small child?"

Nanny Feng dropped to her knees with a thud. "I didn't!"

"I never meant to harm the young master!"

Compensation ### "You claim you never meant to harm him, yet you did. Madam Zheng poured her life into giving birth to the child who would carry it on. Even at the end, all she wished was for him to live safely and happily. Yet you disregarded her wishes and filled his head with hatred, forcing him at such a young age to face the death of his birth mother and hatred for his stepmother. Unless you bear a blood feud against the Zheng Family, you can only be a treacherous servant by nature. What a pity Madam Zheng misjudged you!"

Shen Lantang's righteous rebuke brought up Madam Zheng once more. They said no one could wound you quite like a cherished memory. Sure enough, Nanny Feng's composure crumbled. She shook her head and murmured, "I'm not. I didn't. I never wanted to hurt the young master. I only..."

"Only what? You just can't stand me? You can't stand that the daughter of a mere sixth-rank official became mistress of the Xie Family, or that your mistress's child has to call me Mother?"