The young maidservant clearly felt guilty, her arrogant posture faltering as she shrank further toward Aunt Wei. "You sisters are Madam Xu's nieces, dressed and fed better than ordinary maidservants. Miss Shen Hui, with your jet-black hair and plump figure, you must have received no small amount of care from your aunt."
Her words, from start to finish, were nothing but provocation.
Suddenly, the beaded curtain of the kitchen was pushed aside. Nanny Zhang, who had been listening quietly for some time, emerged from behind the young maidservant and subtly positioned herself between her and Aunt Wei. "The dresses she and A Wei wear are all standard styles provided by the estate for maidservants. As for food, anyone with money can come to the kitchen to order dishes. Aunt Wei herself orders no fewer dishes than anyone on a daily basis, yet her demands are uniquely particular."
Nanny Zhang, being taller, completely shielded Aunt Wei. Facing Nanny Zhang alone, whose smile concealed anger, the young maidservant's bravado instantly vanished.
Cook Wu scurried forward from the side, clutching her forehead as she weakly collapsed to the ground, sitting and clapping her hands. "Sister Zhang, look at them! They came to cause trouble while you were napping. They scared me so much! When they shouted, my heart immediately started pounding wildly."
"Your kitchen serves unclean food. I found a bug and sought justice—how does that make me the bully?" Aunt Wei had already sensed something amiss but, constrained by pride, stubbornly insisted, "Nanny Zhang, if this is how you manage the kitchen, perhaps you should step aside for someone more capable."
"What Ah Hui said earlier was quite reasonable," Nanny Zhang remarked, examining the dish for a moment before carrying it over to the young maidservant. "And you argued back, insisting the bug fell into the wok during cooking, correct?"
"Yes," the young maidservant replied, biting her lower lip and nodding slightly.
"This butterfly's wings are intact, unlike something that has been stir-fried. Although the kitchen is adjacent to the huafang, the huafang sprays insect repellent powder daily to prevent pests. There aren't even mice in the courtyard, let alone butterflies capable of flying over the wall." Nanny Zhang's gaze swept over her dismissively before she erupted in anger, smashing the plate. "And if I recall correctly, Consort Cui is fond of flowers and recently took many potted plants from the huafang."
"How dare you! Are you suggesting we framed you?" Aunt Wei failed to dodge in time, ruining another skirt.
"It is a frame-up! You're just trying to extort us!" Cook Wu seized the opportunity to tightly grab Aunt Wei. Delicate silk was no match for forceful tugging; the hem of her skirt began to tear with a sharp ripping sound. "Sister Zhang, please stand up for me, Sister Zhang!"
"Perhaps I was careless. I hope you won't take it to heart, sister." Turning her head, Aunt Wei shot several fierce glances at the young maidservant. Further entanglement would only leave her at a disadvantage, so she swallowed her anger and slapped her own face in apology. "Sister Wu, you should get up now too."
Cook Wu pulled Aunt Wei to her feet, yanking her off-balance so that she nearly toppled over.
"Of course not. Aunt Wei, you are Consort Cui's trusted confidante from her dowry. Our Servants' Kitchen still needs your continued care." Nanny Zhang, ever composed, maintained a faint smile at the corner of her lips.
She smilingly saw the older and younger women off, then slowly shook her head and returned to the kitchen.
"This matter is strange. Be careful with A Wei from now on," Nanny Zhang whispered to Shen Hui, leaving her warning at that.
"I apologize for disturbing your nap, Nanny." Shen Hui brought a clean towel for her to wipe her hands.
Nanny Zhang, broad-minded and easygoing, patted her shoulder and, acting as if nothing had happened, went back to her nap.
"Aunt Wu, you're truly amazing, lifting that young maidservant up in the blink of an eye." Shen Hui swayed over to Cook Wu, helping to brush the dust off her skirt. "Did you see that, A Wei? Learn more from Aunt Wu—strong and healthy, fearless no matter what happens."
This was Shen Hui's genuine thought.
Shen Wei suffered from poor blood and energy, her body thin and frail. Besides urging her sister to eat more, Shen Hui had privately asked the purchasing maid to buy some tonic pills from outside.
But medicine is three parts poison; tonic supplements are not as good as dietary nourishment, and dietary nourishment still requires exercise as support.
Thus, Shen Hui wanted Shen Wei to learn a few moves from Cook Wu—even if it was just wielding a rolling pin more often, it would still strengthen her body.
"Hahahaha, I love hearing that. Sister Zhang was right—Ah Hui, your mouth is indeed sweet." Cook Wu laughed heartily, mysteriously leading the two sisters into the courtyard. "Not only am I strong and healthy, I'm also incredibly powerful."
She rolled up her sleeve, revealing a sturdy arm with a winding tattoo near the upper arm—a totem worshipped by the barbarians.
"This trick I'll only show you." Cook Wu was a straightforward person; having triumphed over Aunt Wei today, she felt elated and couldn't help but indulge a little.
With that, she picked up a brick from the corner and placed it beside the steps. Her body tensed, and in the blink of an eye, her large palm descended with a fierce shout, splitting the brick in two with a crack.
"Bravo, Auntie, you're truly amazing." Shen Hui stared wide-eyed, stunned for a few seconds before clapping vigorously.
"Sister, this… I don't need to learn this, right?" Shen Wei stood dumbfounded, her hands hanging open.
Shen Hui clicked her tongue. "If you could learn it, though."
"It's easy to learn if you want to." Cook Wu had learned many tricks from her previous master, a street performer. Splitting bricks might look intimidating, but it relied more on skill than brute force. "If you two are sincere, I'll teach you."
What "sincere" meant, Shen Hui naturally understood, but she feared Aunt Duan would find out and think she was neglecting her duties for frivolous pursuits, so she reluctantly declined.
Yet even when she returned to Aunt Duan for her writing lessons, her mind was still fixated on learning brick-splitting from Cook Wu.
According to Shen Wei, Cook Wu's former master was a famous merchant of variety shows, owning over a hundred slaves. Before retiring to his hometown, he would perform variety shows every year at temple fairs across Chang'an city.
Variety shows weren't a single type of performance but more like acrobatics. That great merchant was built like iron and steel, having mastered the skill of walking barefoot on burning coals unscathed. He trained over a dozen apprentices skilled in fire-breathing, tightrope walking, and lion dancing. Even Cook Wu, who was specifically bought to cook, had learned a trick or two.
Shen Hui guessed that Cook Wu knew more than just brick-splitting. If she could learn more, she could surprise others in unexpected situations.
"When writing this stroke, draw it inward, restrain some of the force, and avoid impatience above all." Aunt Duan held Shen Hui's wrist, guiding the brush with a light touch, creating neat and elegant strokes. Noticing Shen Hui's distracted expression, she asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"Brick-splitting." The words slipped out.
…
Instantly, the room fell silent.
Aunt Duan's face remained expressionless as she picked up a book and tapped Shen Hui with it.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Auntie, have mercy! You should also restrain some of your force." Shen Hui winced in pain, shrinking under the table. "How do you always know when I'm distracted?"
"You adapt quickly to situations with sharp wit and keen perception, yet in daily life your mind seems vacant, concerned only with eating, drinking, and amusement. When you do think, you immediately become profound. If one day Jinyun suddenly stopped sleeping all day and instead appeared lost in thought, wouldn't you notice?" Aunt Duan, knowing she lacked the patience for calligraphy practice, put away the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Shen Hui acquiesced meekly, resentful but not daring to speak out: "How am I at all like Jinyun?"
"Aunt, Tian Nüshi is utterly ruthless. Why would she target a mere young maidservant like me?" She crossed her arms, her face clouded with gloom.
Liu'er kept a close watch on Xiao Li but, fearing exposure, could only follow from a distance. At dawn, after seeing her visit Tian Nüshi and then head to the South Garden, she immediately returned to report.
Shen Wei had intended to plan slowly, but they promptly incited Aunt Wei to make a move, catching her completely off guard.
"She is decisive and ruthless, preferring to kill by mistake rather than let anyone slip away," Aunt Duan said calmly, without a ripple of emotion. "Some of the female officials in the palace share this temperament."
The female officials overseeing the Bureau of Palace Management, Bureau of Ceremonies, Palace Food Service Bureau, Shangong Bureau, Shang Fu Ju, Bureau of Bedchambers, and the Palace Discipline Office held annual selections to promote palace maids to nüshi positions and recruit young maids from outside the palace into the Lateral Courts to serve in these Six Bureaus and One Office.
To avoid excessive future competition, many officials in charge of selections preferred to choose maids of average talent for the Lateral Courts, lest any later surpass them.
"Really?" Shen Hui frowned in distress. "The competition is that fierce? Then how were you selected back then, Aunt?"
"I was fortunate. That year, the female Shangshu, Lady Huang, personally selected palace maids. She saw that my handwriting was decent and took me under her wing. For a young maid, it was like reaching the sky in a single step, but it also attracted jealousy." Aunt Duan spoke earnestly. "That’s why I push you so hard. Otherwise, once you enter the palace, even if you gain someone’s protection, the slightest misstep could allow those you’ve overshadowed to trample over you. Tian Nüshi and I are the perfect cautionary tale."
However, she deliberately omitted some details.
Although the female officials fought fiercely among themselves, these struggles were confined to crucial positions. Among the twenty-four departments under the Six Bureaus, there were plenty of idle offices. If Shen Hui merely wished to manage the book collection in the Si Ji Si or oversee ceremonial artifacts in the Si Zhang Si, no one would care.
But the laid-back Shen Hui, wholly intent on slacking, completely missed the point: "Tian Nüshi cost you the trust of the Princess Consort." Don’t you hate her?"
The Prince Chu and his consort had always treated those from the palace with respect. Back then, Aunt Duan was young, yet the Princess Consort still entrusted her with the keys to the estate’s treasury and allowed her to manage the servants' roster alongside Tian Nüshi.
Gradually, the young Aunt Duan developed a strong, uncompromising character, intolerant of the slightest fault. But rigidity leads to breaking. After being framed by Tian Nüshi, no one spoke up for her. Even though the Princess Consort did not intend to punish her severely, she was too ashamed to remain in the treasury.
"I did hate her, but not anymore." Aunt Duan spoke with equanimity, as if nothing could unsettle her now. "When I first arrived at the Beast House, I spent my days in a daze, unwilling to interact with anyone. But later, I realized that there, I could see many things I had never noticed before. It broadened my perspective greatly."
Tian Nüshi’s original name was Twelfth Sister; Aunt Duan’s was Xingzhang. After entering the Lateral Courts, their teacher, Lady Huang, gave them both names containing the character for jade, changing them to Tian Yao and Duan Jun, hoping the two sisters would become like a pair of fine jades.
Who would have thought that when interests are at stake, former sisters would turn against each other? One wonders if Tian Nüshi, in the quiet of midnight dreams, still recalls the days when she and Shen Hui were by their teacher’s side, studying literature and practicing calligraphy together.
Aunt Duan suddenly fell silent. After a long while, she explained the current situation to Shen Hui: "Tian Nüshi sent someone to provoke Aunt Wei into causing trouble at the Servants' Kitchen. It wasn’t to frame your sister—it seemed more like testing the temperaments of you two sisters, so she could quickly strike later, trapping you in a dead end and eliminating you for good."
"Could there be a second test?" Shen Hui asked seriously. "Then we should…"
"Wait at our ease." Aunt Duan curved her eyes faintly, as if victory was already assured. "During this time, whatever you want to eat or play, just go ahead and do it. If Tian Nüshi wants to test you, let her test as she pleases."
"I want to learn brick-splitting from Cook Wu," Shen Hui said truthfully.
Silence descended once again.
This time, Shen Hui clearly understood the meaning in Aunt Duan’s eyes—
You want to split bricks, I want to split you.
Author’s Note:
Aunt Duan: I think you look like a brick.