“Master!”
“Greetings to the Master!”
The women in the courtyard finally came to their senses, suppressing their excitement as they bowed in respect.
Wen Ning also lowered herself in a slight curtsy.
“Tsk, Second Brother, you really are blessed.” The speaker was a young man beside Chen Jinfeng, resembling him by five or six parts, though his air was more frivolous and his expression openly disdainful.
These women were beautiful, yes, but their families were formidable. And when the clans had sent them, they had only offered concubines, never legitimate daughters—an insult in his eyes. Even a proper heiress, he thought, was unworthy of his brother’s hair.
From her memories, Wen Ning quickly identified him: Chen Jinbo, the youngest of Chen Jinfeng’s siblings. He and two other brothers, along with a sister, lived in the Protector’s mansion, though, like their elder brother, they paid little attention to the women of the inner court.
Recently, Chen Jinbo had accompanied his brother on a campaign against rebels in Minzhou and now returned with him. He sneered at the flock of women, but a stern glance from his brother silenced him.
Chen Jinfeng turned his gaze lazily toward Wen Ning, his voice low and magnetic, carrying a weary edge from travel yet irresistibly compelling:
“Fang Wu, what is this about?”
The steward, startled that the matter had reached his master, bowed quickly. “Reporting to the Master: Concubine Wen claims someone tried to climb through her window tonight. The mansion is always well‑guarded; such things have never happened. I feared it was like the petty tricks of the inner court before, so I did not wish to trouble the Master until it was confirmed…”
The first half sounded reasonable, but Wen Ning frowned inwardly at the second. So that was why Fang Wu had been impatient—he thought her just another concubine playing tricks. She was glad she had pressed him earlier; otherwise, she might have waited forever for an investigation.
Before Fang Wu finished, Chunxi blurted out: “It wasn’t a misunderstanding! Someone truly broke in! If not for Madam’s quick wits, who knows what might have happened!”
Wen Ning silently gave her maid a thumbs‑up.
But Fang Wu snapped, brows furrowed: “Silence! Is it your place to speak?”
His authority was crushing. Chunxi trembled, lips parted, but was unable to continue. Yet her words had some effect.
Chen Jinfeng lifted his eyes, glancing at Wen Ning again, a faint smile playing at his lips. “Is that so?”
Even without looking directly, Wen Ning felt the weight of his gaze. She adjusted her role, adding a touch of grievance to her soft voice: “Chunxi speaks the truth. I beg the Master to decide for me.” She had chosen this tone carefully—neither too timid nor too bold, a balance between her own nature and the original Wen Ning’s.
Chen Jinfeng’s lips curved faintly. This woman had dared interrupt Fang Wu earlier, half‑coercing him, yet now she seemed meek. Curious.
He raised his lids. “And how do you want me to decide?”
At this, Fang Wu and Chen Jinbo exchanged shocked looks. The Protector had never bothered to “decide” for a woman before.
Wen Ning, focused only on survival, whispered: “When the man broke in, I saw his face. Please gather all the men of the mansion. If he is among them, I can identify him.”
“Oh?” Chen Jinfeng arched a brow. “And how can you be sure he is one of my men?”
She knew he was testing her. Alarm prickled, but she feigned helplessness: “I cannot be sure. But the steward said the mansion is well‑guarded. I thought outsiders could not enter so easily. If he is not from here, then I can only accept my fate.” Her voice dropped appropriately at the end.
Chen Jinfeng studied her, then his lips parted: “Very well. Fang Wu, summon all the men of the mansion. Let Concubine Wen identify them.”
His eyes hardened, each word edged with frost: “If the culprit is truly one of ours—kill him without mercy.”
The women shivered under the weight of his authority.
Fang Wu bowed. “Yes, Master. At once.” His efficiency was unmatched. Within a quarter hour, nearly two hundred men—guards and male servants alike—were assembled in the courtyard.
Wen Ning drew a sharp breath. She had expected many, but not this many. Tall men were everywhere, many with similar builds. Alone, she could match the intruder’s silhouette to her memory. But in this crowd, it would be far harder.
Fang Wu stepped forward. “Reporting to the Master: one hundred ninety‑eight men are present.”
Chen Jin‑feng leaned casually against the railing, arms crossed, and gave a soft acknowledgment.
Fang Wu turned to Wen Ning, face expressionless, voice cold: “Concubine Wen, they are here. Go and identify him.”
Though his tone was flat, it carried a deadly warning: if she were lying, she would not leave alive.