After returning to Qinglan Courtyard, Xiao Yu summoned the two senior maids who had accompanied her as part of her dowry.
“Nanny Qin, Nanny Zhang, I have voluntarily requested to go to Yuling Temple to pray and worship Buddha. His Highness has not entrusted me with managing the household affairs either, so the two of you will remain here in the residence.
“Nanny Qin, from now on, follow Nanny Chen of the Prince’s residence and learn how to manage the household. As for you, Nanny Zhang, keep a close watch over Qinglan Courtyard. Don’t let certain people take advantage of my absence to play any petty tricks.”
Hearing how highly Xiao Yu regarded her, Nanny Qin was both surprised and delighted.
Nanny Zhang, however, was clearly displeased.
“Princess Consort, something as simple as watching over a courtyard can be left to the young maids. I believe I could handle more important matters for you.”
Xiao Yu glanced at her, her expression turning slightly cold.
“You believe so? Everything inside and outside this courtyard was brought with me from the Xiao residence as part of my dowry. Forget the valuable items stored in the warehouse—even the furniture and decorations cannot be allowed to go missing or suffer any damage. Do you still think this isn’t important?”
After hearing it explained that way, Nanny Zhang suddenly felt that the task was indeed important.
With Xiao Yu away, if she couldn’t even properly guard a single courtyard, wouldn’t that prove she was incompetent?
On the other hand, if she managed it well, it would demonstrate her abilities.
Neither of the two nannies had originally served by Xiao Yu’s side. Before her marriage, her stepmother, Madam Qin, had assigned them to her. Both had been transferred back from estates belonging to Madam Qin.
However, Nanny Qin had neither husband nor children to worry about, while Nanny Zhang’s entire family still lived on one of those estates.
Knowing that Xiao Yu would need plenty of servants after marrying into the Prince’s residence, Madam Qin had given her these two managerial nannies, along with four lower-ranking maids.
Although Xiao Yu held all of their indenture contracts, it was difficult to say where their true loyalties lay.
After settling matters with the two nannies, Xiao Yu ordered someone to summon the four young maids.
All four had been born and raised as servants of the Xiao household, and their families still lived there.
Madam Qin had clearly planned ahead.
Once Xiao Yu entered the Prince’s residence, these four could serve as her eyes and ears.
The last time Xiao Yu returned to her maiden home, even her two younger sisters had somehow learned that she and Xie Jin had not consummated their marriage.
The information must have come from either the two nannies or these four young maids.
If Madam Qin thought controlling Xiao Yu would be that easy, she was sorely mistaken.
All Xiao Yu needed to do was grant them a little authority and promise to arrange good marriages for them in the future. In return, gaining their loyalty would not be difficult.
Thus, Xiao Yu promoted all four of them to first-class maids within the Prince’s residence.
During her absence, they would move between the various courtyards, become acquainted with more people, and quietly gather information about what was happening throughout the residence.
She even promised that if any of them met a man they wished to marry in the future, she would personally arrange the marriage for them.
After hearing Xiao Yu speak so earnestly about their futures, the four young maids were naturally delighted and bashful.
They understood perfectly well what she meant.
From the moment they followed Xiao Yu into the Prince’s residence, Xiao Yu became their true mistress. There was no reason for them to return to the Xiao household.
As long as they remained loyal and worked diligently, why should they fear being unable to establish themselves here?
Perhaps one day, they might even become Xiao Yu’s most trusted and capable aides.
Xiao Yu promised them plenty of benefits as well.
Most importantly, she told them that as long as they never betrayed her, it was entirely possible that when the time came for them to marry, she would release them from servitude and grant them their freedom.
After hearing all this, the four maids eagerly pledged their loyalty to Xiao Yu.
There was no such thing as absolute loyalty in this world.
But as long as everyone shared the same goals and their interests remained aligned, servants would have little reason to betray their master for personal gain.
Only time would reveal their true hearts.
When Xiao Yu was young, her mother had personally selected eight senior maids for her.
Anxiang and Yingxiu were responsible for attending to her personal needs.
Qingfeng and Fuliu managed her dowry.
As for the remaining four senior maids, they had been trained from childhood in bookkeeping and increasing revenue. They had always remained outside the household with two of Xiao Yu’s trusted stewards, managing her private properties and businesses.
All these years, the possessions and dowry left behind by her mother had attracted plenty of greedy eyes.
Even her father, Xiao Xingzhi, coveted them, while Madam Qin had tried several times to claim them for herself.
Unfortunately for them, Xiao Yu had long been betrothed to a member of the imperial family, so neither of them had dared to scheme against her assets openly.
If she and Xie Jin had been a loving couple united in heart and mind, none of this would have mattered.
But given their current situation, Xiao Yu had to carefully plan everything to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from taking advantage of her.
Life was already difficult enough for women in this world.
Without a powerful family supporting them, most women rarely met with a good end.
But if she had capable people at her disposal and enough money in her hands, then at the very least, her life would never become too miserable.
Leaving all her dowry inside the Prince’s residence for the long term was not a wise decision.
Xiao Yu summoned Qingfeng and Fuliu into the room.
“Sort through my dowry. Aside from the exceptionally valuable items, convert everything else into silver.”
“Miss, you want to convert all of it into silver?”
Qingfeng was surprised.
Most of Xiao Yu’s dowry had been prepared by her late mother, Madam Luo. Many of the items had even come from Madam Luo’s own dowry.
As for the things provided by her stepmother, Madam Qin, most were flashy objects with little practical value. Those could certainly be sold off.
Still, keeping only the exceptionally valuable items meant disposing of quite a lot.
After thinking about it for a moment, however, Qingfeng began to understand Xiao Yu’s intentions.
Fuliu, on the other hand, was much more accustomed to simply carrying out orders without asking why.
“Qingfeng, if Miss tells us to handle it this way, then we should just do it. Why do you have so many questions? Miss naturally has her own plans.”
Xiao Yu nodded.
“You both followed me here when I married into this household, so you understand my current situation. No one knows what will happen in the future. I can’t allow others to covet these possessions.
“I need to find a safer way to handle them, and the best option is to make my money generate more money. There are many advantages to converting these things into silver, so go ahead and do as I instructed.”
Only then did Qingfeng fully understand.
She exchanged a knowing glance with Fuliu before the two bowed and withdrew.
After taking care of these matters, Xiao Yu finally bathed, changed her clothes, and lay down on the bed.
She went over everything in her mind once more, carefully considering whether she had overlooked anything.
“You’ve certainly gotten smarter. You’ve even learned how to show weakness in front of Xie Jin.”
Gu Jiuci became talkative again, helping Xiao Yu analyze the current situation.
“From what I’ve observed, Xie Jin may not be entirely without feelings for you. Think carefully about how he treated you from childhood until now. Was there ever a particular period when his attitude toward you suddenly changed?”
Xiao Yu’s heart skipped a beat.
“What are you suspecting?”
Could Xie Jin have been reborn just like her?
“That’s unlikely. I simply think that if someone had genuinely liked you since childhood, his feelings wouldn’t suddenly change so drastically after growing up. After all, the feelings and preferences one has as a child are difficult to conceal.”
Xiao Yu thought about it and realized he had a point.
If someone had already learned to perfectly conceal their emotions from childhood, then that person would truly be terrifying.
She began recalling every little interaction she and Xie Jin had shared over the years.
After thinking it over again and again, she realized there was only one period when he could have changed—the six months before their marriage, when she hadn’t seen him at all.
And it was precisely during those six months that Xie Jin had met Jinniang.
The two had even become intimate.
According to what Xie Jin had said that night, he and Jinniang had witnessed Xiao Yu’s supposed infidelity together.
There was clearly something deeply suspicious about the entire matter.
“This Jinniang is extremely suspicious. When the opportunity arises, I’ll help you investigate her.”
Gu Jiuci paused before adding,
“By the way, on your journey to Yuling Temple, have someone trustworthy leave marks along the route.”
“Are you certain the Ninth Imperial Uncle will come looking for… us?”
Gu Jiuci answered with absolute confidence.
“Would I not understand myself better than anyone else? After hearing what I said, even if it meant climbing a mountain of blades or plunging into a sea of fire, he would still send someone to investigate the truth first.
“For all we know, someone may already be watching Prince Rui’s residence. The slightest movement from you, and he’ll know about it immediately.”
Xiao Yu didn’t respond for a long while.
“You fell asleep quickly.”
Gu Jiuci chuckled helplessly before falling silent as well.
After all, he had forcibly taken control of Xiao Yu’s body earlier that day, and it had indeed caused her some harm.
She would probably need several days of rest before she fully recovered.