Rebirth and Marriage: I am the Mistress of the Palace

Chapter 749 I Don’t Want to Hide Anymore

Nanny Yan asked softly, "Young Madam, are you worried about the young master and the family?"

Shen Wantang was startled for a moment, then laughed and shook his head: "Not really, those things at home are not worth my worrying about."

"What is the young lady worried about?"

"For my own future."

Nanny Yan was puzzled. "Isn't your future bright? The Second Young Master's affection for you is genuine. I've watched him grow up, and I'm certain he's not the kind of person who changes his mind from day to day. With him protecting you, you'll have a worry-free life. Besides, you're intelligent, and no one can outmaneuver you. Why are you still worried?"

Shen Wantang looked outside with a distant gaze: "Yeah, I used to think so too. I thought I could rest easy after marrying Gu Qianhan. Until Meng Yunlan gave me a wake-up call, I realized that it's better to rely on yourself than on others."

After living for three lifetimes, she finally realized that power should be in her own hands.

When she married Liao Youhe, she fully supported Liao Youhe, helped him fight for power, and helped him become the emperor's confidant. All the hard work and fatigue were hers, all the glory belonged to Liao Youhe, and naturally the real power also belonged to Liao Youhe.

When she married Xiao Qingyuan, she restrained all her edge, stopped supporting her husband, and devoted herself to respecting her mother-in-law and being a sensible and filial daughter-in-law. But it was useless. After all, her surname was not Xiao, she had no real power, and was an outsider from beginning to end. Xiao Qingyuan even wanted to kill her in order to marry Liu Nanshi.

In this life, she married Gu Qianhan, and all she thought about was that Gu Qianhan could succeed in his rebellion and that he could possess the most powerful power so that she could live a stable life.

It sounds good, but the reality is cruel.

No matter how powerful Gu Qianhan is, others will only respect Gu Qianhan, and it has nothing to do with her.

Gu Qianhan was indeed truly affectionate towards her and would even send his capable subordinates to protect her.

For example, now, she has seen Qingjin's figure flash by outside through the window.

After marrying into the Duke's Mansion, she felt that she no longer needed anyone's protection, so she returned Qingjin and Qingyin to Gu Qianhan. Unexpectedly, Qingjin came to protect her again.

Shen Wantang stretched out her hand, glanced down, and then clenched it tightly. "Mammy, I've always relied on myself to protect myself since I was a child. How come I've regressed after getting married?"

"Although Gu Qianhan can protect me, there are always places he can't protect me, whether outside or at home. I shouldn't rely on his protection, and I shouldn't become his weakness. What do you think?"

Nanny Yan stared at her in astonishment: "Young Madam, what you mean is..."

Shen Wantang smiled. She had made up her mind. The worry in her eyes had disappeared, replaced by calmness and confidence.

"I don't plan to hide behind others anymore. I've been hiding for too long and I've almost forgotten my true abilities. I want to show my true strength and have my own power!"

Nanny Yan looked at her like this and was unable to come back to her senses for a long time.

The sunlight came through the window and shone on her face. The golden light made her look dazzling and high-spirited.

Dujuan was also stunned. She had never seen such a master before.

The master has always been a low-key person, and likes to bide her time. She rarely displays her intelligence and abilities in front of outsiders. Even in front of her own people, she restrains her edge and appears to be indifferent to the world.

But now, she no longer suppresses herself, she shows her edge and her momentum is amazing.

"Cuckoo!"

"what?"

"Take the complaint I wrote, go to Wen'anfang and find lawyer Fang Xuning, and bring him to me."

Fang Xuning?

Du Juan had actually heard of this man, because he was a very famous lawyer in the capital. However, his reputation was not very good, so he was usually called "the lawyer".

"Young Madam, I heard that he has a strange personality and is very difficult to deal with. What if he refuses to come?"

Shen Wantang chuckled: "That's why I asked you to bring the complaint I wrote. After reading it, he will definitely come."

"What if he comes and makes trouble? What if he refuses to leave?"

"No, if I can't even subdue him, how can I build my own power?"

Du Juan was shocked. "Young Madam, you called that lawyer here to subdue him? Do you want him to be your man?"

"Yes, he's famous enough to be my first step in building my reputation."

"But, but his reputation is all bad! Won't he ruin yours?"

"If he had a good reputation, would it be my turn to subdue him? He would have been subdued by the government long ago. I want someone with a bad reputation and no ambition."

Dujuan scratched her head, thinking that her master was taking a risky move, but her master was confident and calm, as if he was sure of victory, so she didn't ask any more questions, took the complaint and went out.

Shen Wantang watched her leave and looked at Nanny Yan: "Mammy, we still have too few people available. Please help me find some people who are suitable for running errands and delivering messages. These people don't have to be restricted by personality, age, or place of origin. Anyone can be recruited, as long as they are controllable."

"Yes, young lady."

"Go call the waiter and let's order some more food. We'll have lunch here today."

"Yes."

The waiter came soon, and Shen Wantang ordered all the famous dishes in Zuixianlou, and then ate while waiting for Dujuan to come back.

While eating, she did not forget to note the flaws and advantages of various dishes.

In this life, because there was no scene of Chu Yanluo selling dim sum in Qingyunlou, Shen Wantang did not come to Zuixianlou to teach the chef here to improve the dishes.

Therefore, Zuixianlou is still doing slow business as before, and its fame is far behind Qingyunlou.

However, this time, Shen Wantang is not going to be a good person who gives advice. She has a deeper and broader plan - she wants to take Zuixianlou into her possession and use it for her own benefit!

A restaurant is the best place to collect information and also a great place to spread information. Owning a big restaurant is of great help to her.

When she had almost finished her meal, Dujuan came back with her people.

Fang Xuning entered the private room and saw Shen Wantang sitting at the head of the table. A mixture of excitement and suspicion coexisted on her face. "Are you the Second Young Lady of the Zhenguo Mansion? Did you really write that petition?"

"I wrote this, Mr. Fang. Nice to meet you."

"Impossible! That complaint clearly was written by someone with years of experience in government and rich experience in solving cases. How could a young woman like you write such a sophisticated complaint without a single flaw? I don't believe it!"

Shen Wantang smiled faintly. This Fang Xuning was indeed quite capable. He could tell at a glance how unusual her complaint was.

She didn't explain much and just casually talked to him about some recent cases.