[Ding— Detected that the Host has personally taken action and completed a secondary strike against Chu Huan. Task participation level has increased. The comprehensive score for the current chapter is being calculated…]
Wen Lingrao asked in her mind, “Should it be higher this time?”
[The System is evaluating. Please be patient, Host.]
Wen Lingrao wasn’t in a hurry either. She leaned back against her chair and closed her eyes to rest.
The way the little maids standing nearby looked at her was vastly different from before.
Originally, they only thought the Princess Consort was rich and generous, and that following her would guarantee a good life. Now they realized that this master was not only wealthy, but also ruthless, crazy, and completely unfathomable.
Following this kind of person promised a bright future, but she absolutely could not be offended.
Hongying stood at the very edge, her eyes sparkling, her face full of adoration.
Although she hadn’t squeezed her way out to join in the beating just now, she was clever.
When the Princess Consort hit the man, she had seen it clearly. That slap, that sudden change of expression, it was brilliant!
She made up her mind to follow the Princess Consort with utmost devotion from now on.
Wen Lingrao opened her eyes, glanced at her, and then looked at the others in the courtyard, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
The money had been scattered, and the people had been won over. From now on, she finally had her own people in this courtyard.
The moment Wen Lingrao closed her eyes again, there was a loud “boom” in her mind.
Countless voices flooded in like a tide, clamoring and chaotic. There were men and women, young and old. Some were cursing, some were muttering, some were scheming, and some were fretting.
Those voices squeezed together, overpowering and drowning each other out, blending into a continuous buzz that made her head ache.
[Ding— Primary Mind Reading has been activated, valid for one hour. The Host can read the inner thoughts of any target within a radius of thirty zhang. Please filter them yourself.]
Wen Lingrao massaged her temples and cursed inwardly, “This is too noisy!”
[It is recommended that the Host try to focus. Concentrate your attention on a specific target, and the remaining voices will automatically weaken.]
Wen Lingrao took a deep breath and tried to do as the System suggested.
She pulled her attention back, imagining a switch in front of her, turning off those chaotic voices one by one.
Slowly, the clamor quieted down, leaving only a few voices echoing in her ears.
The first voice was the closest to her, coming from the direction of the kitchen.
“One hundred taels… Hehe, one hundred taels. I’ve never seen so much silver in my life…”
Wen Lingrao “looked” over following the voice and found it was the cook who had been the first to strike.
At this moment, he was squatting behind the kitchen, turning the hundred-tael silver ingot over and over in his hands, his face blooming with a bright smile.
“With this silver, I’ll go to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion to find Shuangxi first, and have her serve me well… Hehe, that little tramp Shuangxi called me a poor beggar last time. This time, I’ll smash her to death with silver.”
Wen Lingrao’s brows furrowed slightly.
“When I’ve had my fill of fun, I’ll redeem her and keep her as a mistress outside. Anyway, I’m rich now. One hundred taels is enough to spend for quite a while.”
Wen Lingrao withdrew her attention, too lazy to listen any further.
This cook was rather honest; after getting the money, he just wanted to go find his lover, without any truly wicked intentions. It was just that his smug, villainous expression was a bit uncomfortable to look at.
Her gaze shifted and landed on a man cowering in the corner of the wall.
That was one of the servants who had just come with Chu Huan. He had stood at the back of the crowd at the time, not daring to make a move, nor daring to run away.
Right now, he was squatting there with a face full of misery.
“It’s over, it’s over. The Princess Consort must have remembered me. I came with Chu Huan just now. Will she settle accounts with me? Will she kick me out too? Will she deduct my wages?”
“If I had known, I wouldn’t have come with Chu Huan. What do I do now? Should I go to the Princess Consort and express my loyalty? I’ll just say I was forced, that Chu Huan forced me to come, and that my heart has always been with the Princess Consort.”
“But will the Princess Consort believe it? She’s so smart, she can definitely tell I’m a fence-sitter. No, no, I have to think of a better way…”
“Right! I can go and expose Chu Huan’s scandals! I know a lot about his affairs. I know how much silver he embezzled from the estate and which maids he slept with! If I tell all this to the Princess Consort, she will definitely believe me!”
Wen Lingrao withdrew her gaze, too lazy to look any longer.
She had seen many fence-sitters like this, bending whichever way the wind blew hardest. They were fine to use, but could not truly be treated as her own people.
Just as she was about to shift her attention away, she suddenly heard a soft, thin voice floating in from outside the courtyard.
“What’s so great about her? Isn’t she just relying on her maiden family’s wealth? Just wait until our Concubine You gives birth to the little heir, let’s see how arrogant you can be then.”
Wen Lingrao’s gaze narrowed, and she “looked” over following that voice.
Outside the courtyard, crouching at the base of the wall, was a little maid, about fifteen or sixteen years old. Wearing a half-old green cloth garment, she was lowering her head and sorting vegetables.
There was a defiant look on her face, and her lips were moving slightly, clearly cursing someone in her heart.
“Our concubine said that the Heir has her in his heart, just waiting for her to give birth to a son so he can request the title of Princess Consort for her. Once our concubine becomes the Princess Consort, won’t everything inside and out of this Marquis’s estate be up to her? When that time comes, let’s see how haughty you can be.”
“You got to be smug this once today, but how long can you be smug for? Once our concubine gives birth to a son, there will be a time for you to cry!”
The corners of Wen Lingrao’s mouth curled up slightly.
Concubine You’s person.
She knew it. How could You Yuyan stay in the estate for so long and not have a few informants?
This girl was most likely ordered to come and pry for information. Squatting by the wall sorting vegetables was fake; secretly observing was the truth.
What a pity that this girl’s petty little schemes had all been heard by her.
Wen Lingrao withdrew her gaze, not rushing to lash out. It was just a little maid; it wasn’t worth making a fuss over her.
Once she freed up her hands, it wouldn’t be too late to slowly deal with You Yuyan’s people.
She continued to “listen”.
“Madam’s methods are absolutely brilliant.”
Wen Lingrao lifted her eyes and saw it was Tong Meng. At this moment, he was standing by the courtyard gate, his hands behind his back and his spine perfectly straight. His face was expressionless, but in his heart, he was thinking:
“First, she used silver to buy people’s hearts, submitting that group of people obediently. Then, she personally took action. That slap on Chu Huan was satisfying and beautifully executed. And she didn’t even admit to it after hitting him, leaving Chu Huan to suffer in silence. These methods, this boldness, are no less than any man’s.”
“I, Tong Meng, have served in the Marquis’s estate for five years and seen many masters, but the only one who can make me truly admire them from the bottom of my heart is the Madam.”
“Alright, I’ll follow the Madam from now on. Whoever the Madam tells me to hit, I’ll hit, without the slightest hesitation.”
Wen Lingrao nodded secretly in her heart.
This Tong Meng was a usable person.
He had good skills, a clear head, and most importantly, loyalty.
His loyalty wasn’t for the sake of silver; he genuinely felt she was someone worth following.
This kind of person could be entrusted with important tasks.
Just as she was about to withdraw her attention, another voice floated in, one that made her feel comfortable to hear.
“The Princess Consort is so wonderful… sob sob… I, Hongying, am truly incredibly lucky to have met a master like the Princess Consort…”
Wen Lingrao looked over following the sound. Hongying was standing under the corridor, holding a tea tray in her hands.
But her eyes were looking straight in her direction, bearing a smile she couldn’t conceal on her face.
“Not only did the Princess Consort take me in, but she also let me serve by her side. She treats me so well, I definitely have to perform well and not cause her to lose face!”