Yanyun’s face showed no expression. ”The Heir’s arrangements are not for you to question. Just do your own duties.”
He had always found Lv Liu and Hong Tao, those two restless maids, irritating.
Last night, Hong Tao committed such a vile act—daring to use aphrodisiac incense on the Heir. Being given twenty lashes and thrown out was letting her off lightly.
And last night, Hong Tao had confessed that the items were bought by Lv Liu. He had people search her room, but found nothing in Lv Liu’s quarters—everything was in Hong Tao’s chest.
But Yanyun felt that Lv Liu could not be entirely uninvolved in this matter. Without evidence, however, it wasn’t appropriate to punish the maid rashly.
Lv Liu was furious inside.
She, a modern woman who in her past life had been an internet celebrity with over a million followers across the web, now had to watch a servant’s face?
No. She would climb up step by step and trample these dog-servants firmly beneath her feet.
She believed in herself—there was nothing in this world she couldn’t accomplish.
Once she became the Heir’s woman, she would make this fellow suffer properly!
Yanyun directed the older women servants to move Youli’s belongings.
Youli took Qiu Shuang to look at the West Wing Room.
It seemed being a Bedchamber Maid wasn’t without its benefits.
Her living quarters would be more spacious from now on, and bathing would be more comfortable—especially in winter.
Winter in Shangjing City was truly miserable for the servants below.
Lv Liu chased after Youli to ask, “Youli, what kind of favor did you earn to be able to move into the West Wing Room?”
“Sister Lv Liu is so clever and perceptive, surely you can guess.” Youli didn’t explain directly, only said this with an ambiguous smile, then went back to her old room to pack up.
Lv Liu’s brow furrowed tighter and tighter.
Could it be that last night…
Wonderful. Her flawless scheme had ended up benefiting this foolish Youli instead.
The Heir was a fool!
He couldn’t stand Hong Tao, so how could he take a fancy to someone as dull as Youli?
Lv Liu gradually realized that Youli was a scheming green tea bitch.
All along, she had merely been playing the pig to eat the tiger.
Everything else might have been bearable, but what made Lv Liu angry was that she had been working for another’s gain.
Seeing Lv Liu’s sour expression, Yanyun came over to twist the knife. “Oh right, I forgot to tell you. The Heir has ordered that you go outside the courtyard to sweep and do the laundry. Unless summoned, you may not enter the courtyard.”
She needed to be given menial work, lest too much idle time lead her to do something outrageous again.
Lv Liu was enraged. “I was sent by the Marchioness to serve the Heir. How can I be made to do such coarse labor?”
Yanyun sneered. “Since the Marchioness assigned you to serve here, you must regard the Heir’s orders as paramount. How could we indulge your whims? If you’re not satisfied, you’re welcome to go back to the Marchioness’s courtyard to serve there.”
Lv Liu took a deep breath and turned to leave.
She was going to file a complaint.
After all, even when beating a dog, one should consider its owner.
The original owner of this body had been sent by the Marchioness to serve and spy on the Heir. But since the Heir no longer regarded the Marchioness at all, she needed to find a backer to support her.
If the Marchioness could apply pressure, squeeze out Youli, and elevate her instead, that would be truly ideal.
Soon, the Marchioness sent someone to summon Youli.
This Marchioness was Yongan’s second wife, elevated from Noble Concubine to her position. She was not the Heir’s birth mother, but his stepmother.
Lv Liu and Hong Tao were ostensibly sent by the Marchioness to serve the Heir, but in truth, they were also her planted spies.
As for Youli, she had originally been a little girl in the Old Madame’s quarters in charge of embroidery work. Seeing that she was pretty and honest, with fine needlework skills, she was assigned to Songtao Courtyard to handle the Heir’s embroidery. Of course, this was also deliberately elevating Youli, with the intention that she might become the Heir’s concubine in the future.
Now, of the two maids the Marchioness had arranged, one had been beaten and the other demoted to menial servant work, so the Marchioness was naturally displeased.
Youli knew that now she had become the Heir’s bedchamber maid, she likely wouldn’t have any peaceful days ahead.
But for now, she could only take things as they came—dealing with soldiers when they arrived and blocking water with earth. One step at a time.
She came to Lanxin Courtyard and bowed respectfully. “Marchioness…”
The Marchioness was dressed luxuriously, wearing an emerald headband across her forehead and a long stone-blue sleeveless jacket woven with silver-threaded peony medallions. She sat on the couch with a stern face, sipping fragrant Biluochun tea. “Raise your head and let me look at you.”
Youli slowly raised her head. The Marchioness’s expression betrayed neither pleasure nor displeasure. “You’re not bad-looking. So now you’re the one serving the Heir?”
Youli lowered her head again. “Yes.”
“Have you shared his bed with the Heir?” The Marchioness was clearly asking a question she already knew the answer to.
Youli steadied herself and answered calmly, “We have.”
“Very good. I had no idea the Heir liked your type. Since the Heir wants you to serve him, then serve him well from now on.” With that, the Marchioness gave a glance to the elderly matron beside her, who handed Youli a hollowed gold hairpin flower adorned with red plum blossoms and pearls.
The matron said, “This is a reward from the Marchioness. From now on, you must serve the Heir well. Whatever happens with the Heir, you must report it to the Marchioness promptly.”
The meaning was obvious—she was hinting that Youli should act as the Marchioness’s eyes and ears from now on.
Youli instantly felt the hairpin flower burning in her hand, but a servant could not refuse a reward from her master. Youli accepted it respectfully and curtsied again. “Thank you for the reward, Marchioness. This slave-servant will surely be diligent and devoted, and serve the Heir well.”
Only after receiving permission did Youli leave.
The moment she was gone, Lv Liu, who had been hiding behind the floor-length flower screen, came out and said resentfully, “Marchioness, that girl Youli is dim-witted. Can she even understand your instructions?”
If she wanted to establish herself firmly in the Marquis’s Estate, she would first have to cling tightly to the Marchioness.
But who would have thought that after all her tattling, the Marchioness wasn’t angry at all, and had even rewarded Youli instead? This left Lv Liu unable to figure out what this Marchioness was really thinking.
Since transmigrating here, Lv Liu still looked down on the ancients a bit, always feeling that they were pedantic and not clever—how could they compare to someone as worldly and knowledgeable as herself?
But the matron shot her a sideways glance and said disdainfully, “She’s dim-witted? If she’s dim-witted, how did she climb into the Heir’s bed faster than both you and Hong Tao?”
Lv Liu’s face turned awkward for a moment. She thought, it’s not my fault—who told me I arrived late?
If she had transmigrated earlier, what business would Youli and Hong Tao have had? But now things were settled, so she could only say, “Marchioness, give this slave-servant a little more time, and I will surely win the Heir’s favor.”
Everyone knew that in the Yongan Marquis Mansion, the Heir had the brightest future—not only would he inherit the title, but his official career was also full of promise. She definitely had to place her bet on him. If she could become a noble concubine in the future, and then, like the Marchioness, undergo the formal installation ceremony and be elevated to principal wife, then her life would truly be complete.
This Marchioness was the direction she would strive toward.
In any case, she refused to believe she could lose to Youli.
She was a modern woman, after all!
With just a small trick, she had dealt with Hong Tao, and dealing with Youli was only a matter of time.
The Marchioness thought for a moment, then said, “Go serve in the Second Young Lady’s courtyard!”
According to the original owner’s memories, the Second Young Lady was the Heir’s full sister, Gu Wanyue. Though frail and sickly since childhood, she was said to be notoriously difficult to deal with.
Just thinking of that person made Lv Liu’s scalp tingle, and she tried to change the Marchioness’s arrangement. “Madam, give this slave-servant a few more days, and I will surely…”
The matron beside them snapped, “How dare you question the Marchioness’s orders.”
Remembering her current status and situation as a slave-servant, Lv Liu could only steel herself and bow. “Yes…”
It didn’t matter. She would always find a chance to turn the tables against the odds.