The next morning, Shen Xinyan was assisted out of bed by several senior maids. Recalling A-Man’s words from the previous night, Shen Xinyan’s gaze toward Putao deepened with thoughtfulness.
However, considering what she intended to do later, Shen Xinyan did not reprimand Putao. Instead, she instructed her, “Go fetch my palace entry yaopai.”
That yaopai had been personally bestowed by the Empress Dowager. By presenting it, one could request an audience with Her Majesty.
Yet, ashamed of her inauspicious fate, Shen Xinyan had not used this token for many years.
Hearing Shen Xinyan’s request for the yaopai, Putao’s eyes flickered briefly downward and to the right—an unconscious habit when she was thinking.
She made no move to fetch it, instead continuing to adjust Shen Xinyan’s sleeves as if casually inquiring, “Is Madam planning to enter the palace? What is Madam’s purpose for going?”
Shen Xinyan had not missed Putao’s evasive glance earlier. Now, hearing what sounded like an interrogation, she replied in a mild tone, “You have truly excelled in your duties lately, to the point where I must now report my every move to you.”
If not for A-Man’s reminder, she would have overlooked how, over the past year, Putao had been subtly guiding her thoughts.
Having witnessed countless struggles by the Empress Dowager’s side, she had ultimately fallen into the hands of a motley crew.
Indeed, one must never become overly confident, regardless of the circumstances.
Though her tone was calm, her words clearly indicated her displeasure. Putao immediately knelt in fright, “This servant dares not! This servant was merely concerned for Madam. If Madam goes out and the Elder Madam or Tai Furen were to seek you, this servant would know how to cover for Madam…”
Shen Xinyan’s smile did not reach her eyes. “I was unaware that the imperial palace, in your view, had become a place one must not speak of. Such a servant, who disrespects imperial authority, is of no use to me.”
Her personal maid was actually using the Yao family to pressure her. Whose interests was Putao truly serving?
Only then did Putao realize her grave mistake. She immediately kowtowed to Shen Xinyan, pleading for mercy, “Madam, this servant knows she was wrong. This servant will never dare again. Please, Madam, spare this servant for the sake of being your dowry maid.”
Putao’s forehead thudded loudly against the floor, drawing looks of pity from the other maids present.
Recalling that Putao would eventually become Yao Changcheng’s concubine, Shen Xinyan initially considered banishing her from the inner courtyard. But then A-Man suddenly spoke up, “Keep her. Rather than bringing in an unknown newcomer, it’s better to retain this scheming one. It will be easier to manage her.”
Having not heard A-Man speak all morning, Shen Xinyan had begun to wonder if yesterday’s events were merely her imagination. Hearing the voice now, her heart first tightened, then relaxed with relief.
With A-Man here, she indeed felt much more at ease.
She ordered Putao to kneel in punishment in the outer courtyard and forbade her from entering her rooms henceforth.
After sending word to Madam Yao Li that she would be going out for the day, Shen Xinyan finally set off with Yingtao.
Yingtao followed closely behind Shen Xinyan, her eyes betraying a hint of pity as she glanced at Putao.
After all, they were both old hands from Ning Guo Gong Fu, sharing a bond since childhood. Why had Putao been so foolish today as to pry into her mistress’s whereabouts?
The two walked slowly along the corridor toward the rear gate when Shen Xinyan suddenly asked Yingtao, “How much do you know about the affairs of the various households in the General’s residence?”
Since A-Man said that Yingtao was the only loyal maid by her side, Shen Xinyan knew she had to train Yingtao to stand on her own.
Yingtao was momentarily stunned, then quickly replied, “In Tai Furen’s courtyard, there are four first-class matrons, eight second-class matrons, four in Xiaofutang, two cooks in the small kitchen, twelve rough-duty matrons, and eight maids. The monthly expenses…”
Shen Xinyan interrupted her, “That’s not what I’m asking. I want to know if you’ve learned about the situations in each household through your daily conversations.”
Previously, she had always been submissive to Madam Yao Li, so she hadn’t noticed anything unusual.
But last night, when those matrons tried to lay hands on her, Shen Xinyan finally saw things clearly. In this vast general’s mansion, it seemed no one truly regarded her as their mistress.
Ninety percent of the servants in the general’s mansion had been purchased by her. Yet now, they had banded together against her. Just thinking about it made her seethe with anger.
Yingtao fell silent for a moment. “Before, Madam said that once people were sent to someone’s household, they belonged to that person. She told me not to interact with them too much, lest it cause dissatisfaction.”
The general’s mansion had little family wealth. When Shen Xinyan married into it, there were only two estates and four or five shops.
Despite this, Madam Yao Li still held herself with an air of superiority. Whenever Shen Xinyan tried to say something, Madam Yao Li would immediately accuse her of disrespecting her husband’s family.
Over time, Shen Xinyan became extremely cautious, only providing financial support to the general’s mansion and forbidding her maids from interacting with the servants she had purchased, fearing that Madam Yao Li would seize any opportunity to cause trouble for her.
To put it bluntly, she was merely a money bag responsible for accounting and spending. The one who truly managed the rules of Yao Fu was still Madam Yao Li…
Knowing that the root of this problem lay with herself, Shen Xinyan sighed. Before marrying into the family, she had always thought that the vast general’s mansion was similar in situation to Ning Guo Gong Fu.
But upon seeing it for herself, she realized that the general’s mansion only appeared prosperous on the surface. In reality, it had always been struggling financially, with even the residence largely neglected.
Upon careful consideration, every tree, every blade of grass, and every scenic spot in the general’s mansion had been bought with her own silver.
Spending thirty to forty thousand taels of silver every year had only raised a den of ungrateful wolves. Just thinking about it filled her with resentment.
The inner and outer courtyards were two separate areas. Unless accompanying the men of the household on outings, the women mostly entered and exited through the back gate of the inner courtyard.
When Shen Xinyan arrived at the side gate, intending to have the prepared carriage brought over, she saw several matrons huddled together, whispering about something.
Shen Xinyan gave Yingtao a look, and Yingtao immediately spoke up, “In broad daylight, instead of attending to your duties, you’re all gathered here slacking off. Is there no discipline anymore?”
These old women loved to gather and spread all sorts of gossip. In just a short while, who knew how many people’s reputations would be ruined by their words.
At Yingtao’s words, the matrons who had been huddled together whispering quickly dispersed.
Perhaps intimidated by Shen Xinyan’s actions the previous day, the matrons no longer showed their usual neglect toward her. They immediately knelt and begged for forgiveness, “Er Furen, we old servants weren’t intentionally slacking off. Please punish us, Er Furen.”
They had heard that last night, Er Furen had personally admitted that their Maishenqi were all in her hands, and the old Madam had not denied this.
This meant that the information they had previously heard was untrue. Er Furen was the one who truly held power over their lives and deaths.
Recalling their past attitude towards Er Furen, the old women wished they could slap themselves twice—how could they have dared to fawn over the wrong person and neglect Er Furen!
Shen Xinyan looked at the old women’s terrified faces but found it rather dull. “What were you all whispering about just now? Do tell me.”
The old women exchanged glances, and finally, Granny Li spoke cautiously to Shen Xinyan, “It’s not that this old servant doesn’t want to tell you, Madam, but the matter is sordid and might offend your ears.”