Nanny Zhao swept her gaze over the roomful of maids, nodding in silent satisfaction as they smiled in greeting and parted to make way for her.
She quickened her pace into the bedchamber. There, seated on the grand carved bed brought as part of her dowry, the old madam had already sat up.
Supported by two plush bolster pillows, she was attended by two pretty senior maids and four second-rank maidservants. the old madam dipped her head slightly, taking leisurely sips of water from a cup held to her lips to rinse her mouth.
Stepping forward into the gap made by one of the senior maids, Nanny Zhao curtsied deeply. Careful not to startle her mistress, she kept her voice low yet distinct, her posture brimming with reverence.
“Reporting to the Old Madam: Madam, Second Madam, Third Madam, along with the young masters, the young ladies, and the two young lady cousins are all waiting outside to pay their morning respects.”
The old madam swished the water twice before spitting it into a silver spittoon held by a maid. Looking up, she allowed another maid to dab the corners of her mouth with a clean silk handkerchief, letting out a low, dignified hum of acknowledgment from her nose.
Once a maid had wiped her hands with a warm, damp cloth, old madam waved a dismissive hand at Nanny Zhao, who was still waiting respectfully below.
“Understood. You may go. Have them all wait in the hall; I’ll be up shortly.”
“Yes, Old Madam,” Nanny Zhao replied as she stepped back.
The old madam then turned to the maid at her side. “Liuli, come comb my hair. I want to wear the ruby headband today.”
“Yes, Old Madam.”
Backing respectfully out of the bedchamber, Nanny Zhao turned and passed the carved partition into the outer warm pavilion, her mistress’s commanding voice still audible behind her.
Moving past the large window-side heated kang, she smoothed down the slight creases in her robes from bowing, straightened her back, and pushed aside the beaded curtain to step out.
She entered the reception hall, navigated the rows of golden phoebe chairs, and crossed the threshold of the central parlor. Instantly, her expression shifted into a warm, genial smile as she looked toward the veranda outside.
There sat one madam while two others stood beside her. Beyond the veranda, the manor’s young masters, young ladies, and young lady cousins all waited with lowered heads in respectful silence.
A smile on her round face, Nanny Zhao hurried forward to greet them. “Madam, Second Madam, and Third Madam, please follow this old servant. The old madam is considerate of everyone and has instructed that all three madams, along with the young masters and young ladies, follow this servant inside the hall to wait.”
The one seated was the new duchess who had attained the title three years ago—the very person Yu Fanfan referred to as the wicked stepmother-in-law.
The duchess, Li Jiayu, lowered her head slightly, swiftly concealing the resentful chill in her eyes. Cursing the old crone in her heart, she raised a hand effortlessly to signal her personal maid to support her.
Standing up, she lightly dusted her sleeves, turned to Nanny Zhao with a sweet smile, and said, “Thank you for your trouble, Nanny Zhao. Please lead the way.”
As she rose and began to walk, the two madams standing behind her, attended by their respective maids and servants, followed behind Li Jiayu. Leading the crowd of young masters and young ladies from the courtyard, they followed Nanny Zhao into the central hall.
After taking their seats in the hall one by one according to their status and rank, Nanny Zhao signaled the maids to serve tea and pastries. It had only been the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, yet Li Jiayu had already cursed the old crone countless times in her heart.
The woman was always opposing her, clinging to power and refusing to relinquish control of the household.
Despite her advanced age, the silver-haired matriarch was remarkably spry and healthy. Draped in jewels and radiating nobility, the old madam emerged slowly from the warm pavilion, supported on either side by two pretty senior maidservants.
She entered with an imposing entourage. Once helped to the head seat, the plump, fair-skinned the old madam half-closed her eyes, projecting the benevolent aura of a Maitreya Buddha as she waited for the younger generation to pay their respects.
Though she carried an air of supreme authority, her voice sounded unusually genial.
“I’ve told you all before, you have busy lives. There is no need to pay respects to these old bones of mine every single day. Coming by on the first and fifteenth of each month is more than enough. Go tend to your own affairs the rest of the time. Yet none of you listen, insisting on coming day after day…”
As these words left her lips, the daughters-in-law, sons, and grandchildren bowed low. Hidden from view, their faces registered a kaleidoscope of reactions—dread, contempt, cold sneers, and genuine devotion.
“Old Ancestress, how can you say that?” one chimed in. “We love you and miss you every day. We can never get enough time with you, so how could we ever be so lazy as to stay away?”
“Exactly, Old Ancestress! You are the pillar of our family. If we don’t see you for even a single day, our hearts feel utterly adrift…”
Following the the old madam’s display of hearty magnanimity, the crowd below chimed in—some modestly demurring, others showering her with honeyed flattery.
On the surface, the hall brimmed with warmth and lively harmony. As for what anyone actually thought, or whether a single word spoken was sincere?
None of that mattered in a grand estate like this. Keeping up appearances was what truly counted.
Once the pleasantries were exchanged—magnanimity demonstrated, humble reverence shown, and affectionate closeness properly feigned—the daily routine proceeded to its next act.
Wearing a benevolent smile, the matriarch began her usual inquiries: asking after her sons’ and grandsons’ studies and health, the young ladies’ needlework, and whether the visiting cousins were settling in well. It was the same stale script every day, yet everyone present played their parts without fail, seemingly never tiring of the charade.
Were they really not exhausted by going through this day after day? Of course they were.
Yet one played along to maintain her grip on power and keep these restless, scheming monkeys in line, while the rest humbled themselves to protect their own interests, dutifully joining in the performance.
This was a daily ritual, and sincerity mattered far less than keeping up appearances. After exchanging a few pleasantries with the roomful of children, daughters-in-law, and young ladies, the old madam dismissed them, keeping only the duchess behind to serve her morning meal.
As the crowd filed out, maids and servant women streamed in carrying breakfast. old madam raised her arm as if bestowing a grand favor, allowing the duchess to support her into the adjoining parlor.
There, she sipped herbal tea presented by her personal attendant, Nanny Zhao, and sampled the dishes served by her eldest daughter-in-law—a woman she still held in low regard. Once she felt reasonably full, the old matriarch raised a hand to halt the duchess, who remained bowed beside her in humble deference.
“Sit and eat something, Eldest Daughter-in-law.”
The duchess cursed the old crone a thousand times in her heart, but she bowed deferentially and gave a meek nod of assent.
Yet the moment she sat and raised her chopsticks to taste a soup dumpling her maid had served her, Old Madam Lin rinsed her mouth with tea and spoke in a cool, casual tone.
“Eldest Daughter-in-law, how have you handled the aftermath regarding Xie Shiyan’s household?”
At this sudden question, Li Jiayu recalled the petty, narrow-minded wife of her stepson, whom she and this old hag had conspired to drive out just days ago.
A flash of mockery crossed her eyes.
Setting down her chopsticks, she bowed her head and replied with steady composure, “Rest assured, Mother. Everything has been handled properly. You need not worry.”
“Sigh!”
Reassured by the response, the old women nonetheless put on a show of reluctant sympathy, letting out a long, wistful sigh.
“It’s just that Madam Yu was cursed with poor fortune. Well, what’s done is done. I’ve always trusted your judgment, First Daughter-in-law, but…”
She hesitated, recalling how poorly she had slept these past two nights. Time and again, her late husband had appeared in her dreams, pointing a finger at her nose and calling her a vicious woman.
“It’s just that these last couple of days, my heart has felt so uneasy. I can’t shake the feeling…”
It truly was strange. Over the years, neither she nor her daughters-in-law had ever hesitated to quietly dispose of those scheming, troublesome vixens. Nothing had ever come of it before.
Yet ever since they got rid of that miserable, low-born granddaughter-in-law everyone in the manor despised, recurring nightmares of her dead husband’s accusations had plagued her. An unsettled feeling hung over her, leaving her mind restless even when chanting sutras in the prayer hall at night. Could it be…
Speak of the devil.
Just as Old Madam Lin was about to press the duchess for further reassurance about the girl’s disposal, hurried footsteps echoed from outside Yangning Hall.
“Old Madam, something terrible has happened!”
Her heart gave a sudden jolt. Frowning with displeasure, she leveled a sharp glare at the servant rushing in. “Where are your manners, screaming like that?”
Terrified, the servant collapsed to the floor and began knocking her head against the flagstones in rapid succession.
Ever observant, Nanny Zhao immediately stepped forward to haul the woman up. But after a few whispered questions, her own face drained of color. Tossing the clumsy servant aside, she hurried back to the old madam’s side and whispered into her ear, “Old Madam, it’s terrible. Eldest Young Madam—”
“Hm?”
A displeased frown from her mistress was all it took for Nanny Zhao to catch herself.
“No, I mean… Old Madam! It’s Madam Yu! She’s thrown all shame to the wind and come to cause a scene right outside the duke’s manor! And… and…”
A crowd of onlookers had already gathered to watch the spectacle; the scandal had truly gotten out of hand.
Fury flared in the old madam’s chest. “Outrageous! Utterly outrageous!”
A loud bang reverberated through the hall as Old Madam Lin slammed her hand onto the table. Bristling with rage, she glared at the duchess before barking an order.
“Go! See what that shameless shrew thinks she’s doing, airing our dirty laundry in public instead of reflecting on her behavior at the manor! Bring that fool inside right now so she can be dealt with properly. Don’t let her disgrace the duke’s manor out on the street any longer. Hurry!”
As for the supposed shrew bringing shame upon the family, Yu Fanfan had come fully prepared to demand justice for herself.