Yan Tingbai was immensely proud, looking at his eldest daughter with great satisfaction.
After their moment of joy, the couple began discussing how to reduce the staff. They needed a legitimate excuse and had to secure the Old Marquis’s approval.
After all, among the servants were many old-timers who had served the Marquis, as well as the previous Old Marquis and Old Madam. These were deep bonds of loyalty.
If they didn’t convince the Marquis, these old servants might appeal to him directly, and the Marquis might not necessarily oppose his own son.
But the Marquis was in poor health, and such troubles could worsen his condition.
Dealing with the servants was urgent, but more important was the Marquis’s health. His survival was the greatest support for the eldest branch!
The young couple whispered and schemed, and finally, the family of three went together to see the Old Master. Yan Tingbai presented their carefully crafted reasoning:
“I’m thinking of doing good deeds and accumulating merit. How can being a servant compare to being a commoner with a clean record?
Releasing them to become ordinary citizens is also an act of kindness. If you could recover, I’d be willing to let them all go.”
The Marquis said nothing. In his over forty years of life, he had weathered countless storms and knew full well that his son’s words were mere excuses.
Ultimately, it was Madam Wang and the second branch’s actions that had made the eldest branch wary, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Setbacks lead to growth. After nearly suffering a major loss, the eldest branch was now urgently seeking ways to prevent any future dangers.
They had devised a plan and found a suitable excuse. In an era where filial piety governed the land, officials followed suit. The eldest branch used the excuse of accumulating blessings for their elderly father to reduce the staff.
This would not only make the household safer and reduce burdens but also earn them a good reputation.
A person’s reputation is like a tree’s shadow—crucial for one’s standing. A good name would make it easier for the eldest branch to inherit the title in the future.
Moreover, the dismissed servants wouldn’t dare speak out of turn. If they complained, it would be seen as opposing the eldest branch’s filial piety, which could be interpreted as opposing the Emperor.
The wise would keep quiet, while the foolish who spoke out would be doomed.
The Marquis was satisfied. After his death, the Marquis’s household would stay away from court disputes and wouldn’t need such a large entourage. So, he went along with his eldest son’s words:
“Since this is the eldest branch’s filial gesture, I’ll leave this matter to you to resolve.”
Yan Tingbai and Madam Bai’s faces lit up immediately, almost ready to thump their chests in assurance.
Swallow Holding Branch found it amusing. Indeed, her mother was not yet twenty, and her father was just over twenty—both still young. It was normal for them not to be seasoned schemers.
With approval secured and after tending to the Old Master’s medicine and meals, the family of three returned to Cloud-Grasping Pavilion. Madam Bai eagerly prepared to take charge.
Yan Tingbai didn’t manage household affairs and wasn’t skilled at it, so he assigned his attendants, Fu Quan and Shou Quan, to assist Madam Bai. He also wanted to take Swallow Holding Branch away to prevent her from causing trouble around her mother.
But Swallow Holding Branch refused to leave. She wouldn’t cause trouble; on the contrary, she had plenty of ideas to offer.
Although Swallow Holding Branch had never managed household affairs in this life or her previous one, when it came to understanding the servants in the household, Madam Bai might not know them as deeply as she did.
After all, in her past life, she had wandered the Marquis’s household for ten years. She had visited every corner of the estate, and as a wandering spirit who didn’t need sleep, Swallow Holding Branch spent all twelve hours of the day observing people.
Among these servants, she knew all too well who was good, who was bad, and who were Wang Caibing and the second branch’s trusted confidants.
Swallow Holding Branch clung to her mother and refused to let go, leaving Yan Tingbai with no choice but to depart, his heart heavy with the sourness of his daughter’s lack of affection.
“Sit here nicely. If you get tired, have the maid take you to play or to sleep, understand?” Madam Bai settled her daughter beside her, gave a few instructions, and then began to busy herself.
Reducing the number of servants was no simple task. First, she had to find the household register, match each name one by one, and calculate exactly how many servants there were.
Then, she had to sort out those who could be kept from those who could not, a massive undertaking that left Madam Bai with no time to attend to her daughter once she got busy.
So, after instructing the maids around her to take good care of Swallow Holding Branch, she threw herself into the work.
Madam Bai had no intention of finishing this in a single day. Her first priority was to identify the disloyal maids around her and sell them directly to the harsh, cold north.
If other servants in the marquis’s household were two-faced or disloyal to the main branch, Madam Bai wouldn’t feel much about it. But the maids by her side were all her dowry attendants.
Unlike the rough work maids, the maids around Madam Bai enjoyed treatment almost like young ladies. Even the daughters of small landowners didn’t live as well as her maids, yet they had betrayed her—something Madam Bai found especially intolerable.
She didn’t care whether they had hardships or were forced into it. If they chose betrayal, they had to face the consequences.
Only after dealing with the spies around her did Madam Bai carefully examine the household register and tally the numbers.
Swallow Holding Branch sat nearby, watching and listening as Madam Bai, Nanny Li, and two trusted maids went through the register, calling out each name and searching for their parents, siblings, and children.
Swallow Holding Branch listened, occasionally interrupting them when she heard a certain name and speaking up: “He likes to slack off, avoid work, and steal credit from the servants.”
“She’s bad—she steals food and even spits into the cooking pot.”
“She’s no good—she’s disloyal. She has a big gold bracelet, given by Madam Wang.”
“He’s no good either—he steals candles from the ancestral hall to sell.”
“She’s even worse—she hits the young maids and withholds their wages.”
“He’s no good—he steals antiques to sell and replaces them with fakes, then smashes them to cover the accounts.”
“He’s bad—he drinks while working and even steals undergarments.”
One by one, Swallow Holding Branch exposed the dirty secrets of these people, leaving Madam Bai, Nanny Li, and the others stunned.
How did Swallow Holding Branch know about these things?
They hadn’t known any of it!
Madam Bai was surprised and, forgetting her busywork with the register, quickly hugged her daughter and asked, “How did you know these things, my dear? Who told you?”
Swallow Holding Branch met her mother’s gaze with clear eyes. She had anticipated this question and had her prepared answer ready: “I dreamed it, really!”
The events of her past life were something heaven wouldn’t allow her to speak of openly, so Swallow Holding Branch could only say this, hoping her mother would believe her this once.
Madam Bai didn’t ask further. She remembered the things her daughter had said to the Marquis—her daughter wouldn’t harm her.
The child wasn’t the type to talk nonsense, so she should trust her daughter’s words.
Madam Bai singled out the individuals Swallow Holding Branch had mentioned and instructed the servants Fu Quan and Shou Quan, “Investigate these people. See how they conduct themselves within the estate and how they behave outside.
If you find anything amiss, report it to me immediately. Under no circumstances should they be tolerated.”