Ye Feibai administered another round of acupuncture to Yu Zhengda, changed the dressing on his wounds, and re-bandaged them.
Father Yu’s condition was almost exactly as Ye Feibai had predicted the day before. He specifically emphasized to Yu Sheng:
“Rest and recuperation hinges on the word ‘rest.’ The patient must remain emotionally calm. What did you all say to him that tired him out again right after he woke up?”
Madam Lin had initially been puzzled as to why her daughter had invited a doctor in a wheelchair, but upon hearing these words, her confusion vanished, replaced only by guilt.
Earlier, all the children had been well-behaved in front of their father—only she had lost control of her emotions and exhausted her husband…
“Thank you for the reminder. We will certainly heed your medical advice.” Yu Sheng, already aware that Ye Feibai was always direct when it came to medical matters, remained composed and spoke a few gentle words.
She then seized the opportunity to ask him to examine Madam Lin’s pulse and showed him the prescription previously written by Doctor Li.
Ye Feibai was not an easy person to deal with.
But Yu Sheng truly knew how to speak. Not only did his directness fail to provoke her, but he also found himself inexplicably drawn into her request—examining Madam Lin’s pulse and writing a new prescription. This kept him busy for the entire morning.
To express her gratitude, Yu Sheng personally hosted Ye Feibai and A-Mo for lunch.
After the meal, Yu Qing and Yu Wan escorted Madam Lin back to Ziyu Ge, while Yu Xuan and Yu Xiuzhu remained at Songfeng Yuan to care for Father Yu.
Yu Sheng summoned Uncle Li to accompany her in visiting the guards who had been injured while resisting the Houfu Fubing the previous day.
Uncle Li had already received the eldest young lady’s instructions yesterday to find a doctor to treat the guards’ injuries. He truly hadn’t expected that the eldest young lady, despite being so busy, would still remember the injured guards. He couldn’t help but say, “The eldest young lady truly embodies Master’s kindness and benevolence.”
“You flatter me, Uncle Li.” Yu Sheng felt she was far from matching her father in this regard and did not deserve the words “kindness and benevolence.”
She said, “They shed blood and were injured while protecting Yujia. I am merely visiting them—it’s nothing much.”
“You are too modest, eldest young lady.” Steward Li said as he led Yu Sheng and the others to a small courtyard in the outer garden. “All twelve guards were injured yesterday, but fortunately, their injuries were not severe. They have already been treated with medicine and bandaged.”
Uncle Li entered the courtyard first and announced to the guards, “The eldest young lady has come to see you. Hurry and make yourselves presentable.”
Then, Yu Sheng heard a flurry of commotion inside the courtyard.
The guards quickly tidied themselves up. Two of them opened the courtyard gate wide and welcomed Yu Sheng inside.
“I am here to thank you all for your tremendous assistance last night.”
Yu Sheng instructed Feihong and Dicui to distribute the medicinal supplies to the guards, allowing them to divide the medicine according to their injuries. Then, she personally handed each guard who had contributed the previous night a small money pouch.
Inside each pouch was two months’ worth of their regular wages.
She said gently, “Please accept this small token of appreciation.”
“We are guards of Yujia. We receive monthly wages from the family, so it is our duty to serve Yujia.” Guo Hu was the leader of these dozen or so guards.
Though he said this, his hand holding the money pouch remained firmly closed, and a wide grin spread across his face.
The guards were overjoyed to receive two months’ wages. Yesterday, when Steward Li had called for them, the other dozen or so guards, following the orders of the Second Master and Fourth Master, had refused to go to the front.
Only the dozen or so men led by their Brother Guo had charged forward, and almost all of them were injured when facing the Houfu Fubing. When they first returned for treatment, they were even mocked by those who had avoided the fight, called foolish for failing to read the situation.
Who would have thought that today, the eldest young lady would personally come to thank them, providing them with medicine for their injuries and generously giving each of them two months’ wages? Wouldn’t this make those who avoided the fight green with envy?
Yu Sheng had come here today with a bit of this intention as well.
Yu Sheng still remembered the sudden hidden arrow from the rooftop yesterday.
She clearly understood that as long as the matter between Yujia and Liyang Houfu remained unresolved, Yujia would remain in constant danger.
Yujia needed everyone to unite as one and do their utmost.
Yu Sheng briefly spoke with the guards, inquired about the security situation in Guo Hu’s courtyard, and planned in her mind how to strengthen it.
When she left the small courtyard, the guards eagerly escorted her to the gate, each insisting they could return to duty despite their injuries, claiming that such minor wounds wouldn’t affect their work at all.
Yu Sheng said seriously, “Injuries must be properly tended to. When you have free time, you can observe the rooftops and other hidden areas where intruders might lurk, and strengthen the vigilance in the garden.”
The guards responded in unison, “Yes, yes, we will listen to the eldest young lady.”
Yu Sheng returned to her residence, Zizai Ge, accompanied by Feihong Dicui.
Not long after, Cui Gui, the leader of another team of guards, came to request an audience with the eldest young lady, hoping to pledge his loyalty.
Yu Sheng did not see him but instead drew a guard distribution map and had Feihong take it out to him, instructing him to follow it.
“Rest assured, eldest young lady, I, Cui, will ensure the brothers do their utmost to protect Yu Yuan.”
As soon as Cui Gui saw it, he felt that the eldest young lady was giving him another chance. He immediately patted his chest and promised to handle the matter well, speaking at length outside the gate before finally leaving.
Inside the room, Yu Sheng examined the Jiazhu Yinxin carved from white jade for a moment.
Though small, the seal represented the authority of the head of the family. As the head of the household, the burden was heavy, and she had to act with even greater caution and thoroughness.
“Kongqing.” Yu Sheng put away the seal, walked to the window, and summoned Kongqing. “Go outside and find more reliable guards and servants. They must have upright character, genuine skills, and thoroughly investigate their backgrounds and previous employers.”
She added, “As long as they are capable, their wages are negotiable.”
“Yes,” Kongqing replied and left.
Yu Sheng stood by the window, raising her hand to rub her temples.
Yesterday, she had sent the hidden arrow and the note to Sheng Huaijin. He had kept them but sent no message back.
Who knew what Liyang Houfu would do now that Shiziye was holding Xu Liu captive?
She couldn’t shake the feeling that greater danger was approaching…
Second Master Yu and the others seemed to sense the danger as well. In the evening, they used Madam Zhang’s poor health as an excuse—claiming that as her sons and daughters-in-law, they needed to attend to her—and together escorted Old Madame back to the old residence.
They didn’t even show their faces, having the account books delivered to the main hall by a few stewards instead.
Avoiding both trouble and disaster—truly killing two birds with one stone.
As soon as the maid finished delivering the news, Dicui stomped her foot in anger. “How could Second Master and the others do this?”
“It’s better that they went to the old residence,” Yu Sheng, on the contrary, felt this wasn’t a bad thing.
She had just promised her father that she wouldn’t be too harsh on her uncles and aunts unless necessary. Now that they had all returned to the old residence with Old Madame, she could still check the account books as usual and avoid conflicts with them, which actually reduced a lot of trouble.
After all, the money they owed would have to be returned sooner or later.
Several stewards who had come to submit their accounts had originally followed Second Master Yu and Fourth Master Yu and his wife. Having never seen the eldest young lady manage accounts before and noting her youth, they thought they could muddle through and perhaps the matter would pass.
To their surprise, the eldest young lady casually flipped through a few account books, scanning a couple of pages in each with just a glance, without even touching an abacus, and said, “You are all experienced accountants. I noticed something in these account books that I truly don’t understand. Could I trouble you to enlighten me?”
Upon hearing this, the stewards’ hearts sank immediately.
Had the eldest young lady spotted the irregularities so quickly?
Impossible, right?
The eldest among them, Steward Liang, seeing the eldest young lady’s polite and courteous demeanor, assumed she genuinely couldn’t understand the account books.
Seizing a glimmer of hope, he smiled and replied, “Young lady, there’s no need to be so polite. Please feel free to ask if there’s anything you don’t understand.”
Yu Sheng placed the account book on the desk and feigned confusion, saying:
“Why is it that the ink in the account books from half a year ago hasn’t dried even today?”