Only the dead can keep secrets forever.
But there are some things that are the bottom line of being human.
Someone had broken in. Song Jiyun originally thought of having Zheng Quan capture the person, blindfold and tie them up, then throw them into the cellar of one of her estates. After keeping them locked up for a few days, once her affairs were settled, she could quietly take them to Nanchang Prefecture or Jiujiang and release them, and the matter would be over.
Even if this person came looking later, she hadn’t shown her face, and Zheng Quan was a servant—there would always be a way to wash their hands of it.
But now, that method could no longer be used.
She pondered and said, “Take him to my courtyard for now!”
Zheng Quan was greatly shocked and said, “How can that be? Men and women should not be too familiar. Besides, he’s a martial arts expert. What if he goes crazy and hurts you?”
Song Jiyun said, “Aside from my place, where else do you think is suitable?”
Ever since her father passed away, all sorts of demons and monsters had emerged, and the servants no longer acted as honestly as before.
Zheng Quan scratched his head and said, “I’ll listen to the young mistress.”
The young mistress was much smarter than him. He only knew to throw a few dry branches under the eaves to prevent eavesdropping, but the young mistress had already thought of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, and arranged for people to hide in the shadows.
Song Jiyun then told Zheng Quan to gag the Strange Man and tie him up with hemp rope, saying, “He has formidable martial arts skills. Don’t let him break free and escape, and don’t give him a chance to shout nonsense. We still don’t know who he is!”
Zheng Quan grunted in agreement and went to find hemp rope as Song Jiyun instructed.
But just as he finished tying the man up, noise grew louder from outside, and from the sound, it seemed a large group of people was running toward them.
Xiang Zan, who had been stationed outside to keep watch, rushed in with a panicked expression, saying, “Young mistress, it’s Manager Lin. He’s leading a lot of people here.”
Manager Lin was originally a minor supervisor in charge of flowers and trees in the second branch. After the eldest master came to help with the funeral arrangements, this man had curried favor with the eldest master and had become somewhat arrogant and self-important, looking down on everyone else.
Zheng Quan grew anxious and asked Song Jiyun, “What should we do?”
Song Jiyun also frowned.
Today, to let Zheng Quan slip out quietly, she had even given those who acted on the orders of the eldest or third branch some tasks to keep them busy, but it seemed she hadn’t managed to trap them.
Sneak away from the back of the study?
That would likely make these people even more smug and arrogant, relying on borrowed authority and looking down on the second branch.
Song Jiyun sneered.
But when Manager Lin eagerly led his men into the study, he saw the study door wide open. In the middle of the room stood a large yellow pearwood chest, about half a person’s height, decorated with carved green pines and reinforced with copper corners. Zheng Quan and Xiang Zan, the young mistress’s little maid, were packing books inside.
Xiang Zan even said to Zheng Quan, “Be careful! These were all Master’s favorite things when he was alive.”
The big, simple-minded Zheng Quan, being ordered around by a little maid not even ten years old, nodded foolishly.
Manager Lin looked down on Zheng Quan even more.
Pointing at the messy courtyard, he asked Xiang Zan, “What’s going on here? Looks like it’s been dug up by dogs! Master hasn’t even been buried yet, and you little brats are already slacking off!”
Xiang Zan shot him a glare, ignoring him as if he weren’t there, and continued back and forth with Zheng Quan, packing things from the study.
Manager Lin’s face turned green with anger. He took a few steps forward, about to reprimand them, but when he looked up, he saw Song Jiyun sitting calmly in the corner of the study.
"Y-young Mistress!" He thought of the servant woman whose entire family had been sold off by the Second Master for offending Song Jiyun. Under the lingering influence of that memory, his words stumbled, "H-how are you here? I-I just heard some noise and was afraid some unrelated person had snuck in to steal things, so I came to check."
Song Jiyun nodded and said, "You came just in time. This chest is quite large, and the things inside are rather heavy. Lend a hand and help Zheng Quan carry this chest to my courtyard."
Manager Lin instinctively replied, "Yes," but then, remembering that it was no longer the Second Master in charge, he straightened his back and said, "Young Mistress, it's not that I don't want to help you, but I'm still managing the affairs of the mourning storeroom. I can't leave at the moment. I think it would be better to speak with the Eldest Master and have him send two strong servants to help you move the chest."
As for whether the chest could be moved to her courtyard as the Young Mistress wished, that would depend on whether the Eldest Master agreed.
Song Jiyun nodded and said, "You make a fair point."
Manager Lin felt a surge of joy, only to hear Song Jiyun continue, "Whoever feeds you, you answer to. Since you don't wish to answer to me or eat from my family's rice bowl, I won't force you."
"Zheng Quan!" she called out loudly, "Drag him into the courtyard and give him fifty lashes first."
Zheng Quan had long harbored deep resentment toward these fence-sitters and needed no further prompting.
He immediately stepped forward, bound Manager Lin's hands behind his back, and began beating him wildly with a stick.
Manager Lin couldn't believe it. Once he regained his senses, he cried out, "Young Mistress, spare me!"
Song Jiyun didn't even glance at him and walked to the steps in front of the study.
The servants and attendants who had followed Manager Lin all took several steps back in fear.
Song Jiyun looked at these familiar and unfamiliar faces, her expression colder than ice. "Even a dog knows who feeds it and guards that person's door. Since he's not even as good as a dog, what's the point of keeping him?"
No one dared to meet her gaze.
Behind her came the pitiful cries of Manager Lin.
Some of the servants from the eldest branch quietly shifted their feet, wanting to flee.
Song Jiyun sneered and said, "Zheng Quan, remember to leave Manager Lin with a breath of life. That way, we can toss him in front of my uncle and ask him whether I can take this chest or not."
Song Jiyun's eldest uncle, Song Daliang, looked at Manager Lin, who lay limp at his feet with only a breath of life left, and was so enraged that he overturned a table full of wine and dishes.
Soups and sauces splattered everywhere with a clatter.
He pointed furiously at Zheng Quan and said, "What does she want? To threaten me? Does she still know the proper order between elders and juniors?"
Following Song Jiyun's instructions, Zheng Quan cracked his knuckles loudly, his face darkening as he said, "The Young Mistress only asked me to ask you whether that chest can be moved or not."
Song Daliang looked at Zheng Quan's large, fan-like hands, then at Manager Lin, who was barely recognizable as human, and couldn't help but shrink back. Blustering, he said, "What if I don't let her?"
"That's fine too!" Zheng Quan replied. "The Young Mistress said that since so many people in the household are useless, we might as well sell off the current ones and replace them with some capable workers."
"What does she mean by that?" Song Daliang was stunned.
The servant contracts for the second branch were all in the hands of the second branch. Selling them off wouldn't be a problem—he could simply fill the positions with people from the eldest branch.
But that Second Master was a very cunning man. Even when he was alive, Song Daliang hadn’t been able to figure out exactly how much property he owned. Now that he was gone, and the seal still hadn’t been found, if all the people who had served Second Master in daily life were no longer around, who would he turn to for information about Second Master’s affairs?
But if he didn’t crush Song Jiyun’s arrogance… he couldn’t swallow this grievance.
Song Daliang paced back and forth in the room several times, hands clasped behind his back, repeatedly comforting himself with thoughts like, “As long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood,” and “A gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years.” Only after much effort did he manage to calm his anger. He then said to Zheng Quan, “Go and tell her, this is the last time!”
Zheng Quan expressed his thanks but did not leave immediately.
Song Daliang looked at him in surprise.
Zheng Quan said, “The young mistress says she still needs four people to move the chests. She asks the elder master to send four strong and sturdy men over.”
“What?” Song Daliang was so furious he nearly jumped out of his skin.
After muttering to himself in the room for a while longer, he finally sent four robust servants with Zheng Quan to the study, his face dark and seething with anger.