In the mortal world, the fragrance of April blossoms had faded, and the peak of spring in the capital was already late, with early summer heat approaching.
In Yongchang Ward, wealth and prosperity abounded, and within the Jingning Marquis Estate, embroidered households basked in warm, fragrant dreams for miles.
Dawn was about to break, as a streak of white light pierced through the grayish clouds, heralding the imminent burst of the rising sun.
In the northwest corner of the estate, a slender figure bent over the herb garden, deftly plucking medicinal flowers with nimble fingers.
Su Tan placed the last handful into the bamboo basket before straightening up, forming a loose fist to lightly tap her lower back twice.
A smile lingered at the corners of the girl’s lips. “Finally finished picking the honeysuckle before sunrise.”
As the “unofficial” apprentice of the Fifth Young Miss, Su Tan was dutiful and conscientious.
Her gaze swept casually over the other plants, and she took the opportunity to pull out any weeds that had sprouted after the rain.
The few medicinal plants she had previously mistaken for weeds had grown considerably.
Lush and green, their stems stood upright, covered with many coarse, spreading hairs.
Their leaves were elongated ovals, with irregular wavy serrations along the edges.
Indeed, no notes about them could be found in the medical herbals.
Since Shen Xiuwang had given them to the Fifth Young Miss to cultivate, they were certainly no ordinary plants.
Su Tan crouched down again to examine them closely.
Faintly, the sound of the night watchman’s drum drifted from within the walls.
The girl looked up at the sky and inwardly cursed her luck. She quickly rose to her feet and hurried back.
By the time she returned to Pine Crane Garden, it was nearly the first quarter of the hour of mao.
Su Tan washed her hands, wiped away the morning dew that had clung to her dress, and changed into a clean pair of shoes before proceeding in an orderly manner to Nanny Jiang’s courtyard.
“Good morning, Nanny.”
Su Tan arrived punctually, greeting her respectfully and politely.
Nanny Jiang sat at a small square table, on which lay an abacus, tally tokens, account books, and other items.
She shot Su Tan an annoyed glance and said, “As soon as the Second Young Master left for court, you found yourself free to wander around aimlessly early in the morning.”
Su Tan was at a loss for words. She had clearly changed her mud-stained shoes—how had Nanny noticed?
Nanny Jiang seemed to guess her thoughts and beckoned her closer.
“Hold out your hand.”
Another round of palm-slapping was imminent.
Su Tan inwardly groaned.
“Higher.”
The girl obediently complied, slowly raising her right hand.
Nanny Jiang glanced at her, leaned slightly closer to her sleeve, sniffed lightly, and remarked calmly, “You reek of green herbs.”
Su Tan froze.
So it was the scent that had given her away.
She should have changed her dress as well.
The gleaming dark-oiled wooden ruler lay right beside Nanny Jiang, ready to strike at any moment.
Su Tan bowed her head, already prepared for the punishment.
Unexpectedly, the old woman’s placid voice rang out. “Sit.”
She wasn’t going to hit her.
Su Tan looked up in surprise and respectfully took a seat opposite her.
Nanny Jiang raised her eyes to meet Su Tan’s gaze, her tone inscrutable.
“In this inner household, if you don’t act with caution and care, even a single flower or leaf can betray you.”
Su Tan nodded. Nanny Jiang was offering her guidance.
The girl smiled brightly. “Nian Tang will heed Nanny’s teachings.”
A flower-like young girl, with an oval face, peach-blossom eyes, an excellent figure, and fine character—yet her background was unfortunate.
Initially, Nanny Jiang had no intention of teaching her, but the Second Young Master believed she had the makings of a capable steward, so she reluctantly agreed.
From their first meeting, Nanny Jiang could tell she was a clear-minded and astute person, not muddled or tainted.
After over a month of training, she had come to understand all of Su Tan’s temperament—stubborn yet resilient, somewhat reminiscent of her own younger self.
Nanny Jiang remained expressionless, still wearing a stern face to intimidate her. “Stop grinning like that. It’s improper.”
“Today, you’ll learn about household management and accounting. Pay attention and stay alert!”
Household management and accounting?
These topics were already beyond the scope of learning etiquette.
Su Tan reluctantly put away her smile and nodded in agreement. “Nian Tang understands.”
…
After the lesson ended, Su Tan bid farewell to Nanny Jiang.
Watching the young lady’s proper and dignified posture, Nanny Jiang called her back.
With meaningful words, she said, “The Second Young Master has allowed you to sleep in his room. You should understand the implications of this.”
“If he grants you favor, you must not refuse, nor must you flatter him. Afterward, you must drink the contraceptive soup. Do you understand?”
These words were a wake-up call.
In recent days, Su Tan had thought she was overthinking things. It turned out she wasn’t.
A flicker of coldness passed through the young lady’s eyes as she lowered her head and nodded. “Nian Tang understands.”
Nanny Jiang spoke for a while longer before picking up her tea and taking a sip. “It’s good that you understand. If you are sensible and pleasing, after the young mistress enters the household, you might even be promoted in status after three to five years.”
These words were both guidance and a warning.
She must do her best in what is expected of her and must never covet what is not meant for her.
Su Tan felt a chill in her heart.
Promoted in status, from a bedmaid to a concubine?
What a great favor indeed.
So, teaching her all these things was merely to make the most of her, to ensure she remained obedient and knew her place, to secure her livelihood.
She had naively thought she could carve out her own path, perhaps even request to leave the mansion when the time was ripe. It turned out her master had already tightly confined her within a predetermined framework.
Walking all the way from Nanny Jiang’s small courtyard back to Pine Crane Garden, Su Tan’s steps were steady, but her heart was in turmoil.
In Yu Garden.
Peonies bloomed in the wind, vibrant and resplendent, outshining all other flowers.
Three young ladies were admiring the flowers together.
Yu Garden was close to Pine Crane Garden, and they happened to see Su Tan emerge from behind a rockery.
The young lady wore no makeup, yet her lips were red and her teeth white, her natural beauty undeniable.
A young woman in a pink dress snorted, her face full of disdain. “I heard that Cousin actually allowed that courtesan to sleep in his room. To climb from such a place into the Marquis’s Mansion, she truly has her ways.”
A girl in an indigo dress, her eyes curved into a smile, leaned over to smell the flowers.
“Sister Yufu, why bother getting angry over a mere maid?”
Luo Yufu was quite displeased. “Ye Ruo, stop pretending to be magnanimous. What are we admiring flowers for, if not to wait for Cousin Xingzhi to return from court?”
Her secret thoughts exposed, Ye Ruo’s cheeks flushed, and she blinked her almond-shaped eyes.
With a soft, helpless tone, she said, “Whether I pretend to be magnanimous or not, what does it matter? Cousin likes her and wants her to serve him. How could I interfere?”
“Your aunt is Sister’s own aunt, while I am merely a distant relative. Sister is the most qualified to become the young mistress and naturally can discipline her.”
A young woman in a white dress, who had been silently admiring the flowers, lowered her gaze without a word, playing with a petal between her fingertips.
Hearing Ye Ruo’s words, Luo Yufu felt somewhat comforted.
She glared at the figure gradually approaching in the distance, and an idea came to her.
“Follow me.”
Ye Ruo smiled silently at the young woman in white. “Come along, Sister Yiqiao. There’s some excitement to see.”
“Alright, you go ahead. I’ll follow shortly.”
The three of them approached the rockery and the flowing pool one after another. Luo Yufu casually tossed her handkerchief into the water.
Su Tan was already troubled in her heart when she encountered the three young ladies.
The leading Miss Luo had given her a hard look more than once or twice, so she expected no good to come of this.
She curtsied and prepared to leave.
“Wait.”
Sure enough, they were here to cause trouble.
Su Tan asked, “What instructions does the young lady have?”
Luo Yufu pointed haughtily at the handkerchief floating in the pool. “Go and retrieve that for me.”
The silk handkerchief floated lightly on the water’s surface, its pure white color strikingly conspicuous.
The pool wasn’t very deep, at most waist-high.
But before summer arrives, falling in would not only expose one’s disgraceful state but also lead to catching a cold.
Su Tan inwardly sneered—what a clumsy trick.
Luo Yufu ordered imperiously, “What? Can’t I, a young lady, command a mere maid? What are you still standing there for?”
Using status to oppress others—a servant could never surpass their master.
With no way to avoid it, she could only respond as the situation unfolded.
Su Tan scanned her surroundings and found a long bamboo pole in the corner, barely long enough to reach.
She walked to the edge of the pond, estimated the nearest foothold to the handkerchief, then bent over and leaned forward slightly, extending the pole to try and hook the handkerchief.
Behind her, Luo Yufu glanced around and, seeing no one nearby, crept forward quietly. Aiming at Su Tan’s back, she raised her foot and gave a hard kick.
The maid, who was bending over to retrieve the handkerchief, seemed to have eyes on the back of her head. She deftly dodged, narrowly avoiding the kick.
A loud splash echoed as a huge spray of water erupted in the pond.
Luo Yufu, having missed her kick, lost her balance and tumbled straight into the water.
Headfirst, she gulped down several mouthfuls of water before barely managing to flail her way to the bottom and stand up.
“Wah… help!”
“Someone, come quickly!”
Miss Ye’s expression changed drastically, and Miss Zhong, who was following closely behind, hurriedly called for help.
A flash of coldness passed through Su Tan’s eyes as she urgently exclaimed, “Miss Luo, how did you end up in the water? Even if you wanted to retrieve the handkerchief, there was no need to be so hasty!”
Luo Yufu’s fine silk dress was completely ruined, her hair a tangled mess clinging to both sides of her cheeks, and her makeup smeared like a stage performer’s. “You… you dared to set me up!”
Su Tan sighed helplessly, “This servant was just retrieving the handkerchief for you. How could I have set you up?”
Fortunately, they were in the inner courtyard. Hearing that a young lady had fallen into the water, all the male servants immediately kept their distance.
Upon hearing the news, matrons and maids rushed over—some to rescue, others to drape clothing over her—all acting in an orderly manner.
Seeing Madam Cui’s attendant, Matron Qian, Luo Yufu threw herself into her arms and burst into tears, “Matron, it was this wretched maid who harmed me!”