“What is it?”
“This servant has not seen her mother for two months. I beg the mistress to grant me a day’s leave so I may leave the manor to visit her.” Yu Ying was certain that Cui Yichu would not openly mistreat her at this moment. In an instant, she had already devised a plan to take advantage of the situation.
Cui Yichu was naturally displeased. “Isn’t your day off not until later this month? Breaking the rules won’t do.”
Yu Ying replied, “It is true that my day off has not yet arrived this month, but during the past two months, the manor was preparing for the old lady’s birthday banquet. I was busy in the Flower Chamber every day without a single day of rest.”
Cui Yichu glanced at Mama Zhou, who whispered, “That is indeed the case.”
“Very well, I grant you leave to go out and fulfill your filial duties. But only this once—don’t make a habit of it.”
“This servant has one more request…”
Mama Zhou, sensing Cui Yichu’s displeasure, immediately flew into a rage and shouted at Yu Ying, “Don’t push your luck just because the mistress needs you to handle matters. If you don’t serve the Shizi, plenty of others are willing to. If I call out in the courtyard right now, who knows how many maids would step forward.”
“This servant wouldn’t dare,” Yu Ying pleaded sorrowfully, looking at Cui Yichu with tearful eyes. “It’s just that my mother has been without medicine for a long time. I beg the mistress to see this through to the end and allow me to draw my monthly allowance in advance…”
Though Yu Ying pleaded earnestly, she sneered inwardly. You like pretending to be a good person, don’t you? Here’s your chance.
Sure enough, despite her displeasure, Cui Yichu gave Baozhu a meaningful glance. Understanding her mistress’s intent, Baozhu took two strings of coins from the nearby dressing case and handed them to Yu Ying.
“The mistress is merciful. This is a reward for you. Your monthly allowance will still be paid as usual.”
“Thank you, mistress, for saving my life.” Yu Ying accepted the money with tearful gratitude and bowed to Cui Yichu.
Her eyes were slightly red from recent tears, her cloud-like hair disheveled, and her entire demeanor exuded a delicate charm—both shy and timid, yet spirited and alluring.
Cui Yichu, well-versed in poetry, looked at Yu Ying’s appearance and suddenly recalled a line of verse.
Cloud-like tresses drift across fragrant, snow-white cheeks.
A mere maid actually possessed such beauty. She resembled her somewhat, yet she was… Her gaze grew complicated.
Their figures were similar, both with slender necks and delicate waists, but Yu Ying’s bosom was fuller.
To deceive others, Cui Yichu had even instructed Mama Zhou to sew two thick cotton pads into her own undergarments to avoid being seen through by Zhao Xuanyou.
Baozhu and Baochuan led Yu Ying out of the room. Mama Zhou, noticing Cui Yichu’s troubled expression, waited until the door closed before stepping forward and whispering, “She’s nothing but a lowly wretch. She’s been in the Shizi’s bed, hasn’t been punished by the mistress, and is still allowed to continue serving him. Now she thinks she’s gained favor and dares to ask for this and that. Mistress, please don’t take it to heart. Her pride won’t last long.”
Cui Yichu’s eyes turned cold, her gaze flickering.
“Enough. It’s better if she’s greedy and insatiable. As long as she has needs from me, she’ll do her best to serve. Since I’ve granted her request today, you should also flatter her in private.”
“Rest assured, mistress. This servant understands.”
“I hope she conceives soon.”
Mama Zhou said, “This servant has already instructed the kitchen to prepare separate meals for her, adding a dose of fertility medicine each day. Good news will come soon.”
“You’ve served my mother for many years, so I trust you the most.” After a moment’s thought, Cui Yichu added, “Send someone to go with her and take note of her mother’s appearance. In case she becomes disobedient in the future, we can use some means to deal with her.”
At this moment, with no one else in the room, the indifference in Cui Yichu's eyes vanished completely, replaced by sheer ruthlessness.
Back when she had suffered that incident, her body had been damaged, leaving her with a condition that prevented her from bearing children. Her mother had devised a plan for her: Borrowing a Womb to Bear a Child, deceiving everyone in the process.
Though Yu Ying was lowly and foolish, her eyes and brows bore a fifty percent resemblance to Cui Yichu's. Moreover, her figure was full and voluptuous—a rare and ideal appearance for bearing sons, making her the perfect candidate to bear children on Cui Yichu's behalf.
Even if the child didn’t resemble the Shizi but instead took after Yu Ying, no one would be able to detect the deception.
Unexpectedly, after being raised in the Houfu for a year, the once-unremarkable Yu Ying had blossomed into a stunning beauty: her neck slender, her collarbones delicate, and the thin gown she wore utterly failing to conceal her graceful and alluring figure.
Cui Yichu tried hard to restrain herself from comparing herself to this lowly maid, but she couldn’t help thinking that, in the eyes of men, the seductive Yu Ying was likely more captivating than her own cold and noble demeanor.
Even without the use of those fragrances, faced with Yu Ying’s enticing body, Zhao Xuanyou probably couldn’t restrain himself.
Last night, to prevent any mishaps, Cui Yichu had kept watch under the corridor for most of the night. In the deep silence, the sounds of intimacy and passion from inside were piercing to her ears.
Yu Ying’s delicate gasps and Zhao Xuanyou’s satisfied low groans echoed in Cui Yichu’s mind like a tightening curse, churning everything into chaos.
Filled with anger, Cui Yichu swept her hand, knocking over the teacup beside her.
"Follow me."
Once they left the main room, Baozhu went off to attend to other matters, while Baochuan led Yu Ying toward the rear courtyard.
Against the low wall in the rear courtyard stood a row of side rooms. Though narrow and dim, these were rooms only the senior maids of the Houfu were allotted.
"From now on, you’ll live here," Baochuan said, pushing open the one at the very end and pointing inside.
The side room was tidy and clean, with bedding and supplies fully provided.
It was clear that this room had been prepared for her long ago. In her previous life, she hadn’t noticed any hint of this, truly believing that Cui Yichu had shown mercy by sparing her life and even intending to elevate her status.
"Sister Baochuan, I’m not even a maid of Liufang Hall. Wouldn’t it be against the rules for me to live here?"
Baochuan replied impatiently, "The mistress is the head of the household. She is the rules. If she says you live here, you live here. The flowers and plants in the rear courtyard of Liufang Hall will be under your care."
Cui Yichu had instructed that Yu Ying be confined to the rear courtyard, preventing Zhao Xuanyou from seeing her.
"Sister Baochuan, when can I leave the Houfu?"
"Where do you think you’re going with your hair all disheveled? Go back to your room and wait. Mama Zhou will make the arrangements."
"Yes."
Yu Ying cautiously lowered her head and silently entered the room, sitting there in a daze. She thought about the events of her previous life and the path she must take in this one.
A short while later, Baochuan pushed the door open, carrying a food box, and threw it onto the table with a loud thud.
"The mistress has bestowed this upon you. Eat it while it’s hot."
The red-lacquered food box on the table had three layers, with faint steam and aroma wafting from it, tantalizing to the senses.
Yu Ying said, "Please convey my gratitude to the mistress on my behalf, sister."
Baochuan gave a noncommittal "Hmm," her gaze lingering on Yu Ying, her brows furrowing in disapproval.
With a face the size of a palm, a slender waist, and full, prominent curves, she was practically a born seductress.
A flicker of jealousy stirred in Baochuan’s heart.
If she had been born with Yu Ying’s appearance, the mistress wouldn’t have needed to go through all this trouble arranging so many things. Simply elevating her to a Tongfang would have settled everything.
She would have remained utterly loyal to the mistress while also serving the Shizi diligently, bearing him children.
Suppressing the jealousy in her heart, Baochuan turned and walked out without another word.
Yu Ying watched Baochuan's retreating figure, her eyes flickering with thought. In her previous life, she had never paid any attention to Baochuan. If Baochuan had feelings for Zhao Xuanyou, perhaps she could use that to her advantage—eliminate Baochuan and cut off Cui Yichu's wings.
She opened the food box, and the aroma of the dishes wafted toward her.
The first layer held a plate of pastries: mung bean cakes, kidney bean cakes, rose cakes, and chestnut cakes, all steaming hot.
The second layer contained three small dishes: one of scallion oil chicken, one of vinegar-pickled cucumber, and one of stir-fried bamboo shoots.
The bottom layer was a pot of thick, fragrant yam and chicken porridge.
Each dish was fragrant and enticing, as if it had been brought directly from Cui Yichu's own table.
Cui Yichu often rewarded her with rouge and food, promising to hire a famous doctor to treat her mother's illness. Yu Ying had thought she had encountered a kind mistress and felt deeply grateful, never suspecting the ulterior motives behind it all.
From the very beginning, she had walked into a massive trap.
They had fed and cared for her well, only to raise her into a delicate beauty to be presented to Zhao Xuanyou, so she could bear a healthy son to inherit the Houfu.
In this life, Cui Yichu, Baozhu, and Baochuan were still saying the same things to her, but with a changed perspective, Yu Ying could now see that every word they spoke was a trap.
The elegant and dignified Cui Yichu had undisguised contempt in her eyes. The experienced Mama Zhou could change her expression at any moment. The amiable Baozhu hid a knife behind her smile. And Baochuan, who had always disliked her, was filled with jealousy.
Surrounded by enemies, she had no choice but to find a way to defeat them one by one!