The imposing and luxurious Governor’s Mansion housed over a dozen exquisite courtyards.
Yin Youyue, dressed in plain servant-like attire, walked along a winding, secluded path leading to the kitchen.
Along the way, many servants ignored Yin Youyue completely, let alone offering any salutations.
As the legitimate eldest daughter of the Imperial Uncle’s household, her status should have been the highest upon arriving at the Governor’s Mansion. However, Bai Ruyan, under the guise of tempering the original host’s character, forbade the servants from paying respects to her, dressed her only in coarse cloth, forced her to work, and provided food worse than what the servants ate.
Although the original host was dissatisfied, Bai Ruyan had told her that Liu Xinrou, who enjoyed an excellent reputation in Bianhe, had endured the same hardships. Moreover, whenever Liu Xinrou took the original host out, she would dress her in the finest and most expensive clothes.
Additionally, as the original host grew increasingly conscious of her deteriorating appearance, and under Bai Ruyan’s subtle encouragement, the servants gradually realized that the original host dared not speak up even when bullied. They grew bolder in their mockery and disregard. Yet, the original host believed Bai Ruyan treated her well.
Not only was the original host relegated to living in a neglected courtyard, but she was also fed only bland, watery soups delivered by a malicious old woman sent by Bai Ruyan—just enough to keep her from starving, all under the pretense of Cultivating the Truth and Nurturing the Nature.
Despite her noble status, which should have allowed her to act with impunity in the Governor’s Mansion, the original host had fallen to such a pitiful state, truly lamentable.
As Yin Youyue recalled the original host’s memories, she arrived at the kitchen. Before she could enter, two old women blocked her way.
The women looked down at Yin Youyue with disdain and scolded:
“Miss Yin, this is no place for you. If you dirty the food, beware of the First Madam’s reprimand.”
Over the years, when the original host was starving, she would occasionally come to the kitchen in search of food. Upon being discovered, these two women had taken the opportunity to “teach her a lesson,” viciously grinding her hand under their feet until her fingers were fractured. To this day, the original host’s hand remained stiff and clumsy.
The women’s fierce glares held a psychological terror for the original host, who would tremble with fear under their gaze. No one would have imagined that the once willful and spoiled daughter of the Imperial Uncle’s household could be ground down to such a state in the Liu family, where even servants dared to bully her.
But Yin Youyue, as the Mystic Physician, had faced death on the battlefield without flinching. How could she be intimidated by mere servants?
Her cold, piercing gaze shot toward the two women, her voice as icy as frost:
“Scram!”
The women instantly felt as if plunged into an ice cellar, their bodies trembling violently.
Realizing they had been frightened by this “useless” girl, one of the women, flushed with anger and shame, reached out to pinch Yin Youyue:
“How dare you tell us to scram… Ah!!”
Before her hand could touch Yin Youyue, her wrist was seized and twisted forcefully.
A “crack!” echoed—the sound of dislocation—accompanied by a pig-like shriek of pain.
The other woman snarled and lunged forward. Yin Youyue simply lifted her foot and, with a deft motion, kicked the woman into the kitchen.
As the Mystic Physician, even in this weak body, she had countless ways to easily overpower opponents several times stronger than herself.
Yin Youyue released the woman’s hand and walked into the kitchen expressionlessly, only to find everyone inside staring at her in shock.
This fool, whom they had always manipulated at will, dared to strike the kitchen supervisors?
The woman on the ground writhed in agony, looking at Yin Youyue with the fear one might reserve for a demon.
“Prepare a feast of delicacies and bring it to my courtyard. Also, add a bowl of Blood Bird’s Nest.”
Yin Youyue ignored the astonished gazes of the crowd and issued her command coldly.
The servants were stunned.
A feast of delicacies? Blood Bird’s Nest?!
Only the master and mistress are qualified to eat such precious delicacies. Who gave Yin Youyue the audacity to demand such fine food!
The old woman lying on the ground couldn’t bear to listen any longer and flew into a rage:
“Don’t even think about it! Miss Yin, you have no right to eat this… Ahhh!”
Before the old woman could finish, Yin Youyue stepped on her hand and twisted her foot, just as the old woman had once done to the original owner’s hand.
The agonized scream was so piercing it made everyone shudder.
Yin Youyue cast a cold gaze at the frightened kitchen staff and spoke icily:
“Why aren’t you starting to cook?!”
In truth, the original owner was truly foolish. Just by observing how these servants treated her, she should have realized that her uncle and aunt held her in no regard.
The kitchen staff trembled and snapped back to their senses.
Yin Youyue had suddenly changed into a completely different person, and she looked utterly terrifying!
Several people hurriedly lit all four stoves and began preparing various delicious dishes: braised pork trotters, stir-fried beef, sweet and sour mandarin fish, braised lion’s head meatballs…
Yin Youyue, who usually only deserved to eat bland and watery meals, had no right to enjoy such delicacies!
But now, with Yin Youyue standing imposingly in the kitchen, her foot still pressing down on the old woman’s hand, the chefs finished preparing everything within half an hour.
Only then did Yin Youyue nod in satisfaction and order the chefs to carry the dishes to her courtyard.
As soon as she left, the two old women she had beaten immediately clutched their fractured hands and hurried off to find Nanny Bai—the wet nurse of Bai Ruyan, who had always fed the original owner nothing but leftovers.
They thought bitterly: Once Nanny Bai finds out that Yin Youyue dared to eat the mistress’s Blood Bird’s Nest, she’ll surely teach Yin Youyue a harsh lesson!
Youyue Courtyard.
A table full of rare delicacies was laid out on the simple round table, looking quite appetizing.
Noticing the chef who had brought the dishes glancing around restlessly, Yin Youyue coldly ordered:
“Leave. And remember, from now on, every meal must meet this standard!”
The chef, whose peripheral vision had just caught sight of the clothes on the floor in the inner room, quickly snapped back to attention and hurried away.
Yin Youyue then plopped down and, unable to resist the fragrant food any longer, immediately began eating.
She was already starving, and the original owner had been ill. If she didn’t eat now, she would truly faint.
At this moment, while Yin Youyue was eating, she had no idea that Bai Ruyan had already learned about her visit to the kitchen.
…
The tranquil and luxurious Ruyan Courtyard.
Bai Ruyan listened with a grim expression as the two old women complained:
“Mistress, Yin Youyue is utterly lawless. She took away all of your favorite Blood Bird’s Nest and even took the sweet and sour mandarin fish and braised lion’s head meatballs that the master loves.”
“Not only that, Yin Youyue said that from now on, every meal must include Blood Bird’s Nest, and that all the best dishes should be sent to her courtyard first. As for you and the second young miss, you don’t deserve to eat such fine food…”
Bang!
Bai Ruyan slammed her hand heavily on the table, clearly furious:
“How dare she! Did Yin Youyue really say that?!”
The two old women exchanged glances and nodded earnestly, adding fuel to the fire:
“That’s not all. The young miss is keeping a man in her courtyard.”
This was what the chef who had delivered the dishes said. When he went to bring the food, he saw beggar’s clothes on the floor in Yin Youyue’s room. She must have kept the beggar as her male consort!
A man?
Bai Ruyan was astonished. Had Yin Youyue really kept that beggar in her courtyard?
Was she out of her mind? Wasn’t she afraid the master would catch her in the act when he returned?
Previously, because Liu Xinrou was knocked down and injured by a maid, she had urgently asked the doctor to stabilize the child in Liu Xinrou’s womb, assuming that Yin Youyue must have long since driven the beggar away. Now it seemed that Yin Youyue, heedless of the consequences, actually intended to keep the beggar as a male concubine?!