“This servant is guilty and will accept whatever punishment the Old Madam deems fit. I only beg that you take care of your health and not let your anger harm you because of me.”
The Old Madam looked at Xie Zhi, who was kneeling before her, without saying a word. She merely continued to roll the Shoushan stone Buddhist prayer beads through her fingers.
After a long silence, she finally sighed.
“Forget it. I was the one who misunderstood the situation and wronged you. Get up.”
Lifting the hem of her skirt, Xie Zhi rose to her feet. Her fair, jade-like face remained as still as a tranquil pond, revealing nothing of her thoughts, as though she were quietly awaiting her sentence.
“I had thought you would eventually become Third Master’s woman, so I never made much effort to hide it from the people in my courtyard. The servants all treated you with respect. But now… it would no longer be appropriate for you to remain here. I won’t have the others looking down on you.”
The Old Madam gazed into her eyes as she spoke.
Xie Zhi felt her heart sink, but she quickly replied,
“Yes. Thank you, Old Madam, for your kindness.”
“Go serve at the Guanxue Tower in the front courtyard. It’s peaceful there. Usually, only members of the clan visit to consult the library. There are none of the quarrels and gossip from the inner residences. It will be the best place for you.”
The Guanxue Tower was the Pei family’s library, a magnificent three-story building. Because of its height and commanding view, it was the perfect place to admire the winter snowfall, hence its name, Guanxue—”Snow Viewing Tower.”
Aside from the winter months, when members of the household would gather there to enjoy the snowy scenery, the tower remained quiet most of the year.
Its countless shelves held an enormous collection of books, including many rare manuscripts and priceless editions. The younger members of the Pei clan often came to study there.
Xie Zhi loved reading. When she learned that her new assignment was at the Guanxue Tower rather than in the residence of someone like Princess Yuyang County, she could not help letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
“This servant thanks the Old Madam for your boundless kindness. Even if I died ten thousand times, I could never repay your grace.”
After Xie Zhi departed, Nurse Zhou still looked dissatisfied and sighed.
“Old Madam, you’re far too kind to that girl, Lichun. If you ask me, since she failed to win the heir’s favor, she’s nothing but a useless chess piece. We could simply dispose of her.”
The Old Madam took another sip of tea before smiling.
“You old fool. You’re truly blind.”
Nurse Zhou froze and stepped forward.
“What do you mean, Old Madam? This old servant doesn’t understand.”
“When Third Master came just now, he may not have said much, but his eyes kept drifting toward Lichun. I didn’t see the slightest hint of disgust in them.”
“But the heir explained himself. He said it was because that day was his late mother’s death anniversary. Remembering how charitable she had been in life, he wanted to perform a good deed in her memory, so he simply saved the girl on impulse.”
Nurse Zhou repeated Pei Du’s explanation almost word for word.
“You don’t believe him?”
The Old Madam chuckled knowingly.
“I’ve never misjudged a person. Yangshan Terrace lies directly on the path to the Guanxue Tower. Just wait and see.”
Nurse Zhou’s eyes widened in surprise.
“So… you’d planned this all along?”
“That child lost his mother when he was young. The Princess could never stand him, and his cold-hearted father sent him away to live with his maternal family. He stayed there for more than ten years.”
She sighed deeply.
“If the Princess hadn’t had only one daughter, I’m afraid that child would never have returned to inherit the title of heir.”
“He has lived a hard life. It wasn’t easy for him to finally bring someone back half a year ago. If Lichun proves herself worthy and can stay by his side in my place, I certainly won’t treat her unfairly.”
“Please don’t be saddened, Old Madam.”
Nurse Zhou hurried to console her.
“Our heir is extraordinarily capable now. He’s only served as Vice Minister of Justice for two years, yet His Majesty already praises him highly. Before long, he’ll likely surpass even the elder masters of our household.”
Her flattery finally coaxed a smile back onto the Old Madam’s face.
After moving into the Guanxue Tower, Xie Zhi’s days passed quietly and peacefully.
The library contained an endless collection of books, and few people visited on ordinary days, making it wonderfully serene.
She often spent hours reading among the shelves, jotting down notes whenever she encountered something she did not understand.
Although she could no longer attend the family school, she had found new joy here.
That day, as usual, she knelt beside a low table next to a window on the third floor, reading the Commentary on the Waterways Classic. Warm sunlight streamed through the half-open lattice window, bathing her delicate profile in a soft golden glow.
Suddenly, two sets of footsteps echoed from the staircase.
Xie Zhi quickly set down her book and looked toward the stairwell.
Her gaze met his.
He stood there with elegant bearing and cool, distant eyes. Beside him was another young gentleman, equally refined and handsome.
Xie Zhi immediately rose and bowed.
“My respects, my lord. My respects, Fifth Young Master.”
The man beside Pei Du was Pei Hong, the fifth young master of the third branch of the family. Since he frequently visited the Old Madam at Chunhui Garden to pay his respects, Xie Zhi had seen him from afar several times before.
“I thought the attendants in this library would all be old men.”
Before Pei Du could speak, Pei Hong laughed.
“Who would’ve guessed I’d find such a beautiful young lady instead?”
Hearing this, Xie Zhi lowered her head even further, afraid of attracting his attention.
“You flatter me, Fifth Young Master.”
Pei Hong was notorious throughout the capital as a frivolous playboy. Though only eighteen years old, he already kept four or five concubines.
Because of his reputation, despite the Pei family’s immense prestige, no respectable family wished to marry a daughter to him. It remained one of the greatest concerns of his parents.
“Enough chatter. Get the book.”
Pei Du interrupted coldly.
Pei Hong had come today for an ancient volume titled Classic of Maritime Voyages.
His mother from the third branch loved literature. Having been bedridden for days, she suddenly remembered the book and wanted someone to fetch it.
To demonstrate his filial devotion—and persuade her to allow his mistress into the household—Pei Hong had decided to retrieve it personally.
The pageboy led Pei Hong deeper into the stacks.
Meanwhile, Pei Du slowly wandered over to the low table where Xie Zhi had been sitting moments earlier.
His tall figure blocked almost all of the sunlight pouring through the window.
The space before her abruptly darkened.
Seeing him examining the papers on the table, Xie Zhi hurried over and hastily gathered them into her arms.
“The Xuan paper was a reward from the Old Madam before I left. I didn’t steal it… And the ink—I bought it with my own money and asked one of the servants from the outer courtyard to purchase it for me.”
Afraid he might misunderstand, she rushed to explain, clutching her papers even more tightly against her chest.
Hearing her repeatedly refer to herself as “this servant,” Pei Du suddenly remembered half a year ago, when she had been reduced to slave status because of her father’s crimes.
During their journey to the capital, whenever Changming casually called her “Lichun,” the resistance on her face had been unmistakable.
And now…
She had gotten used to it?
Pei Du silently scoffed.
People always learned to adapt to circumstances.
She was clever enough.
Recalling the manuscript he had just glimpsed—filled not only with copied passages but also with strange symbols that looked like meaningless scribbles—he finally asked,
“You were just reading…”
Following his gaze instinctively, Xie Zhi looked toward the table.
The Commentary on the Waterways Classic still lay wide open. A breeze drifted through the window, flipping another thin page on its own.
“My lord, there is no rule in the Guanxue Tower forbidding servants from borrowing books. I properly registered this volume with Clerk Tong downstairs before taking it.”
The Changping Marquis Estate governed its servants with both discipline and generosity, but when it came to learning, it was remarkably lenient. Even servants were permitted to borrow books from the library.
Pei Du found himself momentarily speechless.
He had merely asked a casual question, yet after the incident the other day, it seemed this maid now regarded him with open wariness.
Could it be…
She truly had never intended to use the Old Madam as a stepping stone to win his favor?