That afternoon, Wang Fu arrived at Wang Yutong’s courtyard with the property deeds.
“Sixth Miss, these are the house deed and land deed. Keep them safe—replacing them would be troublesome,” he reminded her, seeing how young she was.
What a pity, he thought. Such a small child, yet she has to live alone—and without even a single servant to attend her.
Wang Yutong glanced at him, then took out a pouch from her sleeve and handed it over.
“Steward Fu, there are fifty taels of silver in this pouch. If my aunt ever faces a life-threatening situation, please send me word.”
She didn’t ask him to take care of Concubine Tian—that kind of request was impossible. After all, Tian was her father’s concubine; a servant openly showing concern would only invite trouble.
But secretly passing along a message in times of danger—that was still possible.
Wang Fu hesitated for a moment before accepting it. “Understood, Sixth Miss. If I’m in the manor, I’ll make sure someone sends word.”
He didn’t give a firm promise, only a vague one.
Wang Yutong didn’t mind. People naturally seek to avoid danger and pursue benefit—this answer was enough to ease her worries somewhat.
For extra assurance, she added, “Steward Fu, please pass a message to Father:
‘Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—never look down on the poor youth.’
Ask him to treat my aunt well… otherwise—”
She left the sentence unfinished, but the threat was clear.
A chill ran down Wang Fu’s spine.
How dare she? he thought. Where does this Sixth Miss get such confidence to speak like this?
Now he had a headache—should he report this or not?
If he reported it, the Marquis would surely be furious. If he didn’t, and something happened to Concubine Tian later, and the Sixth Miss sought revenge—he’d be the first to suffer.
Sigh… life is hard. Being a servant is even harder. Being caught between both sides is the hardest of all.
After leaving him with this dilemma, Wang Yutong packed her belongings, boarded the manor’s carriage, and set off for her new residence.
No one came to see her off. No one even watched.
It was as if she were not a daughter of the marquis household at all.
Bathed in sunlight, Wang Yutong turned back for one last glance at the manor gates.
Weiyuan Marquis Manor… farewell.
As for Wang Fu, after returning to Wang Yuanwu’s side, he appeared uneasy, hesitating to speak.
Finally, his behavior annoyed the Marquis.
“If you have something to say, say it! Stop hovering around me like that!” Wang Yuanwu snapped.
With a thud, Wang Fu dropped to his knees, trembling. “My lord… before leaving, Sixth Miss asked this servant to pass along a message: ‘Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—never look down on the poor youth.’ She also asked you to treat Concubine Tian well… otherwise…”
Wang Yuanwu froze for a moment, then flew into a rage. “That unfilial girl! She dares to threaten me? Does she think leaving the manor means she can do as she pleases?”
Wang Fu kept his head lowered, barely daring to breathe.
Wang Yuanwu paced back and forth, furious, yet also uneasy. If Wang Yutong truly sought revenge in the future… who knew what she might do? After all, this was a girl who had dared to complain during the New Year’s banquet over withheld allowances—what wouldn’t she dare to do?
“Hmph. Let her stir things up outside for now. If she dares do anything that damages the manor’s reputation, I won’t spare her!” he said coldly, suppressing his anger.
Wang Fu secretly let out a sigh of relief. “My lord is wise. Sixth Miss is still young—perhaps it was just a moment of anger. As she grows older, she may change.”
Wang Yuanwu waved him away, and Wang Fu withdrew, silently praying that the conflict between master and daughter wouldn’t escalate further.
Still fuming, Wang Yuanwu stormed into Qingfeng Courtyard.
“Madam, the Marquis is coming!” a maid reported hurriedly.
“Quick, prepare dinner and include the Marquis’s portion,” Madam Cui immediately ordered.
It was dinnertime—if he came, he would certainly dine there.
Soon, the courtyard bustled with activity.
Wang Yuanwu entered with a dark expression. Madam Cui greeted him with concern. “My lord, what has angered you so?”
“Nothing. We’ll talk after dinner,” he replied curtly.
Understanding the situation, she didn’t press further. They sat down and ate in silence.
After half an hour, once his anger had subsided, Wang Yuanwu recounted Wang Yutong’s words in full.
Madam Cui feigned shock, quickly lowering her gaze to hide the flicker of satisfaction in her eyes. On the surface, she looked deeply aggrieved.
“My lord, what does Sixth girl mean? Does she think I’ve mistreated Tian?
Tian was my dowry maid, and I was the one who elevated her to concubine status. Now this child, ignorant of the facts, slanders me so—my heart truly aches.”
Her eyes reddened, tears welling but not falling.
Seeing this, Wang Yuanwu quickly comforted her. “Pay no mind to that ungrateful girl. I know your virtue and generosity.”
Only then did Madam Cui seem to compose herself, offering a faint, bitter smile.
“My lord, since Sixth girl doubts me, perhaps we should send Concubine Tian to care for her?
After all, she has no attendants by her side.”
Her suggestion was meant as a calculated move—but to her surprise, Wang Yuanwu found the idea appealing.
Let Tian go care for the Sixth girl, he thought. That would ease her worries—and I could visit them from time to time.
Madam Cui suddenly realized she might have backfired.
Panicking, she quickly added, “My lord, while the idea sounds good, Tian is still your concubine. Sending her away like this might be improper.”
Wang Yuanwu frowned, hesitating.
She pressed on, “Why not select a few capable maids and servants to send instead? It would show the manor’s generosity and ensure Sixth girl is properly cared for.”
After some thought, Wang Yuanwu shook his head. “No need. We’ll do as you first suggested—send Tian over. That way, the Sixth girl won’t cause trouble in the future.”