“Oh, right. I should also thank you, my lord. If it hadn’t been for you that night, I might already be dead.”
Before Pei Du could question her, Xie Zhi hurriedly spoke first.
Pei Du’s expression remained as cold and impassive as ever.
“Enough. I don’t care what you were like before. Since you’ve come under my roof, behave yourself. Don’t stir up trouble.”
Keeping this little menace where he could watch her was better. With strict discipline, she would hardly dare scheme against another young master of the Pei family again.
He added sternly,
“And don’t go near Pei Hong ever again…”
Xie Zhi understood immediately.
Her plan to retrieve her slave registry through Pei Hong had already fallen through. But if Princess Yuyang still wanted to force her to marry Shuangfu, she would first have to get past Pei Du.
That made them even.
Now that she had been transferred to Yangshan Terrace, she could continue searching for her slave registration papers.
She nodded quickly.
“My lord, I won’t see Fifth Young Master ever again. I won’t even say a single word to him.”
For some reason, those words sounded oddly strange to Pei Du. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.
Fortunately, Changming rushed in just then, looking anxious.
“My lord, we’ve found new evidence in Wang Youming’s bribery case. Minister Shangshu has summoned you to the Ministry of Justice immediately.
After Pei Du left, Xie Zhi followed Changming out of the courtyard. The moment they stepped outside, she saw Shuangfu and his mother being dragged out through a side gate, their screams echoing without end.
“Changming, what’s going on?”
She was surprised. Why were the mother and son here at Yangshan Terrace?
Changming merely glanced over and answered vaguely,
“They committed an offense. The master has sold them off.”
Though he didn’t explain further, Xie Zhi knew.
Pei Du must have figured everything out.
“By the way, Changming, what duties will I be assigned here?”
“Well… My lord didn’t give any instructions. I’ll have Nanny Zhai show you your quarters first.”
“Thank you.”
Nanny Zhai led Xie Zhi through the covered corridor on the right side of Yangshan Terrace. She opened the second side room and said,
“Miss Lichun, this room is vacant. You may stay here.”
Xie Zhi stepped inside and saw that everything was complete. The room was spotless, with every corner carefully cleaned.
It was exactly the kind of room she liked.
Too good, in fact.
“Thank you for your kindness, Nanny Zhai, but… I’m only a servant. I really shouldn’t stay somewhere this nice. I’ll live wherever the other maids stay.”
Even in Old Madam’s Chunhui Garden, only the four senior maids had private rooms. Everyone else slept together in the large communal quarters on the west side of the courtyard.
Xie Zhi knew her place.
This room wasn’t meant for someone like her.
“The heir dislikes being waited on closely. Other than the male attendants, Yangshan Terrace only has about a dozen servant women doing odd jobs, and they’ve all been assigned rooms already. You might as well stay here instead of squeezing in with everyone else.”
But that would attract far too much attention.
Having just arrived, Xie Zhi had no desire to become the target of everyone’s envy.
She shook her head.
“It’s really alright, Nanny. I don’t want everyone thinking I’m receiving special treatment. That… wouldn’t be good.”
Nanny Zhai hesitated.
“Well… if that’s what you wish.”
Earlier that morning, Old Madam had specifically instructed her to take good care of Lichun. Nanny Zhai had immediately understood what that implied.
Even without those instructions, one only had to look at the girl’s extraordinary beauty to know she wasn’t an ordinary maid.
Although Nanny Zhai was certain the heir would never approach her, she also knew that if he truly disliked someone, he would simply refuse outright.
In her mind, she had already regarded Lichun as a future concubine.
Yet now Lichun insisted on living with the other servants, making Nanny Zhai hesitate.
Could this young woman be taking a different approach—trying to earn the heir’s favor naturally?
Forget it.
Since Lichun herself had requested it, the heir couldn’t blame her later.
The male attendants at Yangshan Terrace lived in a row of rooms on the west side, while the maids stayed in the east wing.
The younger maids shared rooms six to a chamber, while the older nannies shared two to a room.
As they walked toward the servants’ quarters, Xie Zhi asked,
“Nanny Zhai, what work will I be doing here?”
Nanny Zhai pondered before answering cautiously,
“Well… perhaps… when the heir is home, you can simply refill his tea?”
Xie Zhi found it rather strange.
Back in Chunhui Garden, Nanny Zhou had ruled with unquestioned authority. Servants never had any say.
Yet Yangshan Terrace was completely different. The head nanny was practically asking for her opinion.
Although puzzled, Xie Zhi nodded obediently.
“Yes, Nanny. I’ll do my best.”
By then, they had reached the maids’ quarters.
“The other room is already full. There are only four girls in this one, so you can stay with them.”
Nanny Zhai pushed the door open and led Xie Zhi inside.
It was midday, and the four occupants were either sitting or lying down resting. The moment they saw Nanny Zhai bring in such a beautiful newcomer, all eyes turned toward her.
“This is Miss Lichun, transferred here from Guanxue Tower. From now on, she’ll be working alongside all of you. Get along with one another and don’t cause any trouble.”
“Yes, Nanny.”
The maids answered in unison.
One of them looked Xie Zhi up and down before turning away with obvious displeasure.
Xie Zhi noticed the gaze immediately.
She looked over and saw that the girl was tall and rather attractive herself.
After Nanny Zhai left, Xie Zhi walked over to an empty bed in the corner and began unpacking her belongings.
“Hey, you, the new girl. Do you know how long it’s been since Yangshan Terrace accepted a newcomer?”
The speaker was the same maid who had glared at her earlier.
“Shuyue, let’s just go outside.”
Another maid whispered softly.
“What are you afraid of? I’m doing this for everyone’s sake. If we don’t know her background, one day we might end up being harmed without even realizing it!”
Shuyue strode over to Xie Zhi and sneered.
“Looking at your seductive face, I’d say you’ve come here with ulterior motives. Let me warn you—don’t get your hopes up. With your Fu Yan looks, the heir will never—”
Xie Zhi continued arranging her belongings without pausing.
She’s right about one thing, she thought.
I do have an ulterior motive—to steal back my slave registration papers.
But she definitely didn’t appreciate that last remark.
“‘Fu Yan?’ Are you complimenting me, Sister? Fine, I’m Fu Yan. Still, I can’t compare to you. You’re so mature for your age… you’ve already got wrinkles at the corners of your eyes.”
“You!”
Xie Zhi’s words struck directly at Shuyue’s greatest insecurity.
She was about to turn twenty. Next year, the head nanny would report her name to the household managers. She would either be released to marry outside the estate or matched with one of the male servants and remain in the Pei household.
But Shuyue had always been proud of her beauty. She looked down on everyone else, and after serving at Yangshan Terrace for years, she had naturally begun harboring feelings for Pei Du.
Although the heir was famously cold and worked in the Ministry of Justice, where he oversaw severe criminal punishments, his handsome face and the immense wealth of the Pei family still attracted countless young women.
Yet after serving by his side for so long, Pei Du had never once given her so much as a second glance.
She was already growing anxious.
Then along came Lichun, whose beauty surpassed hers a thousandfold.
How could she not panic?
Now, after hearing Xie Zhi’s cutting words, Shuyue was furious beyond measure.
She raised her hand and swung it straight at Xie Zhi’s face.