The old woman was startled and stammered, “My husband’s surname is Zhang, and everyone usually calls me Granny Zhang. This money… this money…” Her voice trailed off, as if she dared not say anything more.
Nanny Liu said, “Why are you stammering in front of the Old Madam? If you don’t tell the truth, you’ll be in even bigger trouble.”
The old woman had no choice but to admit, “I’m usually in charge of purchasing for the kitchen, and I… I always manage to come up with a little extra money.” She lowered her head after speaking, clearly aware that she had made a grave mistake and would not leave the day unscathed.
“A mere kitchen purchaser, and yet you embezzle so much profit!” The Old Madam laughed angrily, then turned to the First Madam and said, “The Marquis entrusted you with the inner quarters, and this is how you manage them?”
The First Madam felt resentment in her heart. She knew that some of the old women were occasionally greedy, but they were all her old servants, so she had turned a blind eye. Who could have expected this one to be so brazen? Now, she had caused a scene in front of the Old Madam and implicated her.
“Mother, your daughter-in-law truly didn’t know that this old woman had committed such a mistake. I usually manage the entire Marquis’s household, and mistakes are inevitable. I really had no knowledge of this. Please investigate, Mother.”
The First Madam looked wronged, but the Old Madam sneered, “Still crying and sobbing. You can’t even manage a proper banquet, and you can’t even manage the household. Tell me, what good are you?”
The Old Madam was furious. She suspected that the First Madam had harmed Chu Chengyun, yet she had no proof. She felt the First Madam didn’t take her seriously at all.
“Guards! Drag this old woman out and beat her to death!” Since they couldn’t take action against the First Madam, they vented their fury on the old woman.
Granny Zhang was so terrified that she urinated on the spot, filling the room with the stench of urine. She struggled and cried out to the First Madam, “Madam, please save me! I am utterly loyal to you!”
But the moment she spoke, the Old Madam’s anger only intensified. Completely disregarding her pleas, she shouted at the servants nearby, “What are you all standing there for? Drag her out! If any of you dawdle, you’ll all be sold off too!”
Soon, the screams of Granny Zhang came from outside the courtyard. Gradually, they faded until silence fell, she had been beaten to death.
The First Madam trembled inside the room, overwhelmed by both fear and anger, feeling utterly humiliated.
The Old Madam addressed everyone, “That’s all for today. You may all return.” Then she turned to the First Madam and said, “It seems you are not quite capable of managing the household. In that case, the kitchen will be managed by the Third Branch of the family along with Bai.”
Although no evidence had been found today and the matter had to be dropped, it was still a lesson for the eldest daughter-in-law.
When the Third Madam heard that the Old Madam was asking her to manage the kitchen, she was overjoyed, thinking she had finally gained some authority. But when she learned she would be working alongside Bai, she pursed her lips. What kind of status did Bai have that she could be paired with her? She dared only to think this silently and showed no expression.
“Grandmother, you’ve worked so hard today and fallen ill again. Please have a bowl of ginseng soup before bed tonight, it should help you feel better,” Chu Muqing said gently, her eyes full of concern for the Old Madam.
Hearing this, the Old Madam felt a warmth in her heart. She was exhausted after today’s chaos and never expected that her least favorite granddaughter would still care for her at this moment.
“Alright, alright, you are a good child. Tangtao Courtyard is ready. You may move in there later.” With these words, the final decision regarding Tangtao Courtyard was made.
“Thank you, Grandmother.”
After the Old Madam left, the First Madam and Chu Shuran rose. They were usually pampered and precious, and this was the first time they had knelt for so long. For a moment, they wavered and had to be supported by their maids.
“Mother, Second Sister, Muqing will take her leave now.”
Chu Shuran watched Chu Muqing leave with calm grace, feeling deeply unsettled. After such a huge commotion today, no one had gained anything, yet Chu Muqing, who had only appeared toward the end, managed to reclaim the courtyard with just a few words. If not for what had happened that night, Grandmother would never have given her the courtyard. Could it really just be a coincidence?
Chu Muqing first escorted the Second Madam back to Wutong Courtyard, then led her maids to Tangtao Courtyard.
This was her first battle after returning home and she had won. As for what would happen next, the road ahead was still long.
It was late autumn, and the peach trees at the entrance of Tangtao Courtyard were already bare. Chu Muqing stood beneath them, quietly gazing up for a long while.
It’s alright. The peach blossoms will bloom again next spring.
“Miss,” Bai Zhi whispered when she noticed she wasn’t moving.
“Let’s go in.”
She pushed open the door, revealing an extravagantly luxurious room filled with precious furnishings. In the bedroom stood an old sandalwood chaise longue, a rosewood dressing table, and a large painted screen in front of a red sandalwood bed inlaid with shell-carved landscapes.
She sat on the chaise longue and said to Bai Zhi, “You did very well today.”
Bai Zhi had felt uneasy ever since the incident, afraid she might be discovered and implicate her mistress. Only now could she finally breathe again.
“This servant was truly terrified today, but thankfully everything worked out, hehe.” Standing beside Chu Muqing, she asked curiously, “Miss, how did you know Tinglan would pass by there?”
Because she had encountered her there in her previous life.
After returning to Wutong Courtyard in the afternoon, Chu Muqing didn’t rest. Instead, she took Bai Zhi out for a walk, intending to take a closer look around the Marquis’s residence, and ended up running into Tinglan in the backyard.
Tinglan was a maid in Chu Chengyun’s study. In truth, she had long since been taken into his household. The two behaved recklessly in the study, which was utterly disgraceful. Tinglan, pampered and arrogant, no longer acted like a servant at all.
Back then, she had run into her by accident, and Tinglan had assumed she was just some maid from another mistress’s room, speaking rudely to her. The situation eventually escalated, but with Chu Chengyun protecting her, the matter was quietly suppressed.
Earlier today, Chu Muqing had instructed Bai Zhi to wait at the exact same place and time as in her previous life. As expected, they encountered Tinglan. Taking the opportunity, she “accidentally” bumped into her, and Bai Zhi, who had been given a packet of osmanthus powder, secretly sprinkled it on Tinglan’s sleeve. Although Bai Zhi later compensated her with a hairpin to smooth things over, it didn’t matter.
The osmanthus powder had been prepared even before entering the mansion, just waiting for today’s performance.
As she anticipated, Tinglan served Chu Chengyun in his study afterward. Carrying the osmanthus fragrance on her, she naturally left it on him. Since it wasn’t directly ingested, it took time to take effect, just enough to coincide with dinner.
Chu Chengyun’s servants weren’t foolish. They naturally wouldn’t dare say he had been fooling around in the study that afternoon. If Chu Changsong found out, they would be beaten for sure. So the matter couldn’t be traced back to Tinglan at all. And the clothes sprinkled with powder would be washed the next day, leaving not a trace behind. No one would ever know, and the First Madam would simply have to swallow the loss.
“Bai Zhi, prepare a change of clothes for me.”
After such a long day, it was time to rest. When she woke up tomorrow, there would be people to meet and even more people who’d be putting on a show for her. Just wait and see.