The next day, the Yan residence lit its lamps before the hour of Mao, more than half an hour earlier than usual.
At two quarters past Mao, Yan Changfeng was roused by her maid. At her age, she loved sleeping and woke reluctantly. "Why get up so early… Oh right, the door god has arrived."
The maid Rulan didn’t know what the "door god" meant and only urged, "A maid came to fetch you a quarter ago, saying you must be in the dining hall by three quarters past Mao for breakfast. Originally, morning greetings were required before breakfast, but Madam said you’ve been working hard caring for the eldest young lady these days and should sleep a little longer. That’s why Nanny Li relented."
Just hearing the name "Nanny Li" made Yan Changfeng’s head ache. She thought to herself, everyone envies the great aristocratic families, yet little do they know that the people inside live like chickens, never understanding why they don’t just enjoy their blessings instead of tormenting themselves like this.
Complaints aside, she quickly got up, dressed, and washed her face. In less than a quarter of an hour, she had tidied herself up and appeared in the dining hall precisely at three quarters past Mao.
Nanny Li frowned at the sight of her. Since the previous day, she had wanted to say that the young miss was becoming less and less like a proper young lady—not wearing makeup was one thing, but she didn’t even dress properly in women’s clothing.
Now, early in the morning, she looked even more disheveled. It was unclear whether she had even washed her face, and her sleepy eyes were utterly unbecoming. She hadn’t even changed her clothes—what young lady didn’t change her outfit every day?
Of course, if Nanny Li knew that Yan Changfeng was thinking about skipping face-washing tomorrow to sleep a little longer, she would probably be beside herself.
"What does the young miss do every day now?" Nanny Li asked casually.
Yan Changfeng sat properly in her seat beside Yan Changqing and replied, "I’m not very accomplished. I just help Mother manage the household and handle correspondence for the pigeon valley."
Perhaps because managing the household was considered a proper skill, Nanny Li didn’t criticize her. She only said, "The Grand Princess mentions the two young ladies of the residence every other day, especially the younger miss. Now that you’ve reached marriageable age, it’s time to consider where you’ll marry. According to the Grand Princess, it would be best to marry into Beidu. Local officials are often transferred and lack stability, and there are no suitable marquises or earls, so they are not under consideration."
This was meant to urge Yan Changfeng to settle down and focus on the things a young lady should do, as there were no ladies of her type among the Beidu nobility.
Yan Changfeng had heard this kind of talk hundreds of times and no longer took it to heart. She simply complied, "I leave it entirely to Maternal Grandmother’s discretion."
Nanny Li nodded, then as usual, inquired after Changqing and asked about his birth mother. "Why haven’t I seen your concubine? I wanted to ask earlier during the morning greetings."
At the mention of Yaoniang, Yan Changqing grew nervous and immediately showed it, glancing furtively at his sister and parents, unsure how to respond.
Nanny Li frowned. Regardless of the matter, Third Sister’s lack of composure in handling situations was rather disappointing.
Yan Chuanxing took over the conversation, saying, "Yaoniang fell ill, so I sent her to the estate."
Yan Changqing was taken aback upon hearing this. This outcome undoubtedly spared him considerable face, but Father hadn’t informed him, which meant Yaoniang likely hadn’t been sent to the estate yet. Was it really all right for Father to deceive Nanny Li like this?
Yan Changfeng also thought her father was being quite bold this time. If the deception failed, Maternal Grandmother would hold an even lower opinion of him. However, Yaoniang’s situation couldn’t be revealed to Maternal Grandmother, so it had to be kept hidden.
Nanny Li had seen it all; with one listen, she knew that concubine had committed an offense. In large families, if a woman made a mistake, she was usually sent off to the estate. Families concerned with face would use illness as an excuse—this was all too common.
She didn’t expose it; after all, it was just a concubine, and sending her away was just as well. The Grand Princess had long said that concubines who bore children, especially the only heir, should have the mother removed early to keep the child. Otherwise, with the eldest young lady’s gentle nature, once the illegitimate son took charge of the household, it would likely lead to endless trouble.
Nanny Li didn’t press further, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, who could have guessed the matter would be exposed in less than a day, with an unexpected incident that afternoon.
Nanny Li had brought over a dozen people, assigned early to various parts of the mansion under the pretext of helping. In reality, it was a thorough inspection—checking for any unruly individuals or improper conduct in the household.
The Grand Princess had little faith in Lady Yao’s ability to manage the household and would periodically send a group under the guise of a visit to help with reorganization. Everyone in the mansion was accustomed to it; whenever this happened, they would instinctively keep their heads down, working diligently and obediently.
But there were always a few who clung to luck. That afternoon, two maids, thinking no one was around, gossiped a few words and were overheard by Nanny Li’s people.
"Do you know what mistake the concubine made?"
"Wasn’t it said she was deceived by a Taoist priest and nearly harmed the eldest young lady?"
"Not at all! Last night, when I went to the Punishment Hall to deliver water, I happened to see Yaoniang bathing. Guess what I saw—she had many marks like that on her body. She’s been locked up for so long, yet they still haven’t faded!"
"Our Family Head had long been away from home by then, so how could she…"
"Shh! You know what comes next, but you must never speak of it."
And so, what came next drifted into Nanny Li’s ears. She was immediately enraged and led two of her subordinate nannies straight to the Punishment Hall.
By the time Yan Changfeng received the news, nearly a quarter of an hour had passed. She inwardly cursed her misfortune and, while instructing the maid beside her, hurried toward the Punishment Hall. "Go and fetch Mother. If Father and the Third Young Master have returned, do everything to stop them—have them go out for a stroll before coming back."
"Understood, Second Miss!"
Yan Changfeng moved quickly, arriving at the Punishment Hall before her mother, but she was too late to catch up with Nanny Li’s swift and decisive actions.
At that moment, in the small courtyard of the Punishment Hall, Yaoniang and Hongliu were both forced to kneel on the ground. Yaoniang’s clothes were disheveled, her face crisscrossed with bloody marks. Beside her, a nanny held a cane, still stained with blood.
Hongliu lay prostrate on the ground, convulsing, her back torn and bleeding. It looked as though she was barely breathing.
Yan Changfeng drew a sharp breath, instantly regretting having asked her mother to come.
"Young Miss, you’ve arrived." Nanny Li’s expression remained unchanged, her greeting no different from when she was meting out punishment. "You’ve worked hard, Nanny." Yan Changfeng glanced indifferently at the two battered individuals, dismissing the matter as unimportant. "They’re just two ungrateful servants from the household. There was no need to trouble you with disciplining them personally. Since they’ve already been beaten, just send them off to the estate and let them fend for themselves."
"Young Miss, your aunt is naturally kind-hearted. Since you’re helping her manage the household, there are some matters you must remind her of more often." Nanny Li spoke with a powerful, resonant voice. "A concubine in the household commits adultery, yet she’s merely locked up here, well-fed and cared for. Is this punishment or indulgence?"
"Yes, I didn't handle this well." Yan Changfeng readily admitted her mistake. "I originally planned to wait until my father and Third Sister returned before dealing with it, which is why she was temporarily confined here. It just so happened that you arrived before I could attend to it. Since you've already helped discipline her, I'll save myself the trouble—what are you all still standing around for? If Madam sees all this blood on the floor, she’ll faint again. Hurry up and carry her out!"
She ordered the guards who had followed her.
"Don’t rush to carry her away." Nanny Li stopped them. "I haven’t finished questioning her. A concubine with children shouldn’t stoop to such despicable acts, even for the sake of her son’s reputation. Since she did it, it must not be as simple as being unable to endure loneliness. If she has other motives, letting her go like this, young miss, would only leave trouble behind."
Yan Changfeng thought to herself, this is bad—it can’t be hidden anymore!