It seems the mistress herself is also quite taken with this concubine.
It took the craftsmen three days to complete the pergola, swing, and Climbing Frame in the courtyards of the mistress, the young master, and the young lady.
"Mother, Mother, I really love this pergola and frame! It's so cool and so much fun!"
After playing on the Climbing Frame, young master Xie Mingyu happily threw himself into Zhang Jingyi's arms, his excited little face flushed red.
Seeing her son so delighted, Zhang Jingyi smiled contentedly, though she still said,
"You must finish the assignments your tutor gave you before you can play."
"Mother, I will. I've already finished them today." Xie Mingyu immediately nodded, letting go of Zhang Jingyi before running back to climb the frame again.
"Mistress, this Ye Yiniang is quite clever." Granny Zhou watched the happy young master and had to admit that Ye Yiniang had some skill in pleasing people.
Zhang Jingyi smiled and nodded, feeling the coolness of the pergola, which made her even more satisfied.
Young lady Xie Mingyan stood to the side, watching her brother climb up and down the novel frame with a hint of envy.
She wanted to play too, but she was already seven years old and couldn't engage in such unladylike play.
"Does Yan Jie want to play too?" Zhang Jingyi looked down at her pretty daughter and asked gently.
Yan Jie had inherited Houye's good looks and was already a budding beauty at such a young age. Zhang Jingyi was usually very strict with her, having started teaching her etiquette with a governess since she was five.
Thus, though only seven, Xie Mingyan already displayed the gentle and refined demeanor of a Lady of Noble Family, often earning praise from noble ladies at banquets.
"Mother, may I?" Xie Mingyan's eyes lit up as she asked hopefully.
"You may go and play a little, but you must not forget your manners in public," Zhang Jingyi said with a smile.
"Your ruqun skirt isn't suitable for climbing. Have Granny Zhou take you to change into a martial arts outfit first."
"Thank you, Mother." Xie Mingyan happily bowed to Zhang Jingyi before cheerfully going to change her clothes.
Zhang Jingyi watched her leave with a smile and said to Granny Zhou,
"Later, take a bolt of the imperial silk from my storeroom and reward it to Ye Yiniang."
Although Ye Yiniang lacked no silver, as a merchant's daughter, she certainly had no imperial gifts.
This was to give Ye Yiniang face.
Granny Zhou acknowledged the order but hesitated to say anything further.
She felt that the mistress herself was also quite taken with this concubine.
Evening.
Zhang Jingyi received the results of Song's investigation: the rumors had originated from Concubine Sun in the household.
Concubine Sun was a lowly concubine in the household. She had entered the household two years ago, originally a performer from Jinzhou with a beautiful voice and skilled in singing. She had been gifted to Xie Jin as a beauty by a subordinate.
After entering the household, Concubine Sun had enjoyed some favor for a while but had long since fallen out of favor.
Zhang Jingyi was somewhat surprised to find it was her. Looking at the evidence and the witnesses captured, everything ultimately pointed to Concubine Sun.
She had no choice but to believe it.
"Place Concubine Sun under house arrest first. We'll decide how to deal with her after Houye returns," Zhang Jingyi said gravely.
"Also, send a letter to Master, briefly explaining the situation in the household so he can be prepared."
"Should we mention Concubine Qin's matter?" Granny Zhou asked.
"No need to mention it in the letter. I'll speak to him personally when he returns," Zhang Jingyi said.
Meanwhile, at Yao Yinyin's side.
Outside, they were arresting those who spread rumors, and naturally, they knew about it too. Nanny Wang had been trembling with fear for two days. When she realized they hadn’t been implicated, she couldn’t help but sigh in relief, yet she was still terrified.
“Miss, this time we owe it all to Qian Er’s quick thinking. He noticed that Sun Yiniang’s people were also spreading rumors and took the chance to pin everything on them. That’s how we managed to escape!”
Nanny Wang anxiously advised Yao Yinyin,
“My dear young lady, I know you’ve been wronged, but no matter how aggrieved you feel, you must endure it. Who is our Houye? He’s the commander of the Imperial Guards, responsible for covert investigations and inspections.
Who knows how many hidden guards are planted throughout the Marquis’s Estate? They’re all Houye’s eyes and ears! It’s impossible for us to hide any underhanded actions from him!
Consort Li has also sent a letter, urging you to behave yourself and not provoke Houye’s anger anymore. That way, she can speak on your behalf to the master and help him forgive you.
Otherwise, you might truly lose the support of your maternal family…”
Yao Yinyin didn’t argue back. Listening to these words, she held back her tears, which fell pattering down as she said bitterly,
“Even the Madam has been bought off by that wretched woman! Not only did she fail to deal with that fox enchantress, but she even helped clear her name by dispelling the rumors! It’s just a few shade pavilions and some ice—how shallow Madam’s judgment is!”
Nanny Wang thought to herself that those shade pavilions and ice weren’t cheap at all. Supplying them throughout the summer would cost no less than five thousand taels of silver!
Their young lady may come from a noble background, but the silver they could actually use was only two thousand taels. How could they possibly afford to build shade pavilions?
That was the difference.
Ye Yiniang spent so much silver to curry favor, and Madam always prioritized Houye’s wishes. She was a dignified and magnanimous mistress who never deliberately tormented or harassed the concubines, so naturally, she had to give Ye Yiniang some face.
In the Marquis’s Estate, even using an extra basin of ice could stir up conflict in the inner quarters, let alone something as significant as building shade pavilions.
When Old Madam heard about this, her expression darkened as she summoned Zhang Jingyi, dropping hints that she wanted a shade pavilion built in her courtyard as well.
But Zhang Jingyi pretended not to understand, acting completely oblivious. When Old Madam pressed further, she just sighed helplessly and complained,
“That Ye Yiniang has just gained Houye’s favor, and her maternal family is wealthy, so it’s only natural she acts a bit more arrogantly and extravagantly.
Mother, I’m in a difficult position too! My heart is filled with bitterness!
You know how it is when a concubine gains favor—we, as the legitimate wives, can’t hit or scold them.
Not only can we do nothing but watch, but we also have to maintain appearances and ensure they receive the rewards they deserve…”
Old Madam could hardly miss the insinuation that she, too, was a wife overshadowed by a favored concubine. Trembling with anger, she ordered Zhang Jingyi to get out immediately.
Zhang Jingyi curved her lips into a faint smile and swiftly left.
Remembering what Ye Qingzhi had said about her having to actively seek out abuse every day, Zhang Jingyi struggled to control her anger. Looking at Old Madam’s face, she couldn’t help but feel the urge to make sarcastic remarks.
As the mistress of the household, she was actually being pitied by a concubine. Who would believe such a thing?
It was a tremendous insult to her!
It meant she wasn’t doing well enough, that she was doing something very wrong!
“Madam, aren’t you being too disrespectful toward Old Madam?” Granny Zhou said worriedly after they left Old Madam’s Shou’an Hall.
“Hah, I used to be so respectful to her, and what good did it bring me?” Zhang Jingyi sneered coldly.
"These past two days I've been more forceful, and you see, aside from holding in her anger, where has she dared to truly strike at me? I've come to understand—she's just a bully who fears the strong. From now on, I'll only be even more resolute."
Granny Zhou was taken aback for a moment, watching the lady's straight, unwavering back, feeling that there was something different about her.