The two of them soon returned to the Xie household, to the courtyard where he lived—Hansong Courtyard (Cold Pine Courtyard).
True to its name, it was a shabby, remote little courtyard.
The maids in the courtyard were lazy and slack. When they saw him, they called out half-heartedly, then went back to sitting around chatting.
Xie Zi’an was seething inside. These maids were just like Zhao Er—how were they here to serve him? They had clearly come to enjoy an easy life at his expense!
Walking into his room, he bellowed toward the door: “Prepare water! Your master wants a bath!”
Having just transmigrated and been mixed up among women, he had picked up the scent of rouge and powder, and besides, the original owner had been out all day.
Xie Zi’an, who was somewhat of a neat freak, could no longer stand the filth on his body once he returned to the courtyard. He planned to take care of his personal hygiene first, then deal with the bloodsuckers latched onto the original owner.
The head maid, Chunmei, had her gossiping interrupted. Rolling her eyes, she patted her backside and sashayed into the room.
She said impatiently, “Young Master, look at what time it is. The main kitchen put out its fires long ago. Why don’t you just wipe yourself down with a damp cloth?”
“If the fires are out, then go light them! Can’t I even order you around anymore? What, you came here to be a young lady living the good life? Fine—today I’ll go tell Madam myself that my Hansong Courtyard is too small a temple to house a great Buddha like you. Go wherever it’s cool!”
Xie Zi’an was furious. Having been publicly slandered at the Xu residence, he had been holding in a fire, and now the maids in his courtyard were all acting like pampered young ladies, insufferably arrogant.
Chunmei was stunned. Although the original owner’s words were usually unpleasant, he had never dared to drive them away. If Zhao Er’s backing was the First Madam, then her backing was Nanny Cao, who controlled Xie Zi’an’s courtyard.
Everyone among the Xie household’s servants knew that the Eldest Young Master’s courtyard was a great place to be—no work required, and you could scrape some benefits off the Eldest Young Master. Plenty of people were clawing their way to get into Hansong Courtyard.
Chunmei was immediately frightened. After all, Xie Zi’an was the master and she was a servant. Madam would never fall out with the Eldest Young Master over a mere maid, whereas if she went before the First Madam, she would surely get no good out of it—and lose such a cushy position besides.
She hurriedly wept, “Young Master, isn’t this taking your servant’s life? The main kitchen’s fires are out—we’ll go heat water right away. There’s no need to fly into such a rage at your servant. How is she supposed to face anyone after this?”
“Get out!” Xie Zi’an’s voice was icy.
Chunmei fled out the door in terror. The maids sitting outside gossiping, having witnessed this scene, were scared silent and scrambled to their feet to attend to their duties.
“Young Master, have some water to calm your anger.” Chunliu dutifully brought over tea.
“Young Master, you’ve been out socializing all day. Shall your servant fetch you a bowl of porridge from the kitchen to line your stomach?” Wanxia wasn’t about to be outdone.
Xie Zi’an accepted the tea without ceremony. The temperature was just right—not like the cold tea and cold water the original owner had always drunk.
He sneered, “So you know I’ve been busy all day outside, yet you didn’t prepare anything earlier?”
Wanxia’s flattery had landed on a horse’s leg. Terrified of being scolded like Chunmei, she hurried out to prepare the meal.
Xie Zi’an felt a slight sense of satisfaction, then noticed another maid standing blankly in the room—Wanqiu.
She was a maid left behind by the original owner’s birth mother, the only one without a backer. But being quiet and taciturn, she had never been valued by the original owner.
Xie Zi’an slightly raised his chin. “You—go call Zhao Yi, Zhao Er, and Zhao San to the courtyard.”
Wanqiu didn’t ask why either; she gave a slight bow and left without a word.
Soon after, Chunmei had someone fill the bathing tub with hot water and solicitously, carefully invited Xie Zi’an to bathe.
Far faster than usual.
Xie Zi’an, face cold, chased the maids out of the bathhouse and lay comfortably in the tub.
The original owner had cared too much about scholarly propriety, about how others saw him, terrified that a bad reputation would get out and ruin his path through the imperial examinations.
Xie Zi’an sneered at that. Those spineless notions hadn’t improved his reputation one bit—they’d only fattened the appetites of the whole household of servants.
After his bath, he came out to find Zhao Yi, Zhao Er, and Zhao San waiting in the hall.
Zhao Er flashed Xie Zi’an an ingratiating smile. “Young Master, is there something you’d like to instruct us to do?”
Zhao Er was fat, and when he smiled, his eyes narrowed to slits. He was always glib, and he’d coaxed the original owner into trusting him greatly.
Zhao San was thin and small, with shifty, darting eyes—he looked shrewd.
Zhao Yi, on the other hand, was tall and big, but a clumsy-tongued oaf.
Xie Zi’an sat in the seat of honor, looking down at the bowing and scraping Zhao Er. Judging by his manner, probably no one would guess that of the three, he was the one who looked down on the original owner most and fooled him most skillfully.
“Grab him for me.” Xie Zi’an lifted a finger.
While Zhao Er was still dumbfounded, Zhao Yi, without a word, flipped him over and pinned him to the ground.
“Young Master! Eldest Young Master, what wrong have I done?!” Zhao Er howled, his hands aching, straining to turn his eyes toward Xie Zi’an and beg for mercy.
It had all happened so suddenly. The cautious Zhao San came back to his senses and carefully pleaded, “Young Master, what could be worth such anger? Zhao Er has to go to Madam’s place tomorrow—perhaps we could talk this over properly?”
Zhao Er quickly wept, “That’s right, that’s right! Young Master, have Zhao Da let me go first—my arm’s about to break—”
In the past, whenever Madam was invoked, no matter how angry the Eldest Young Master was, he would suppress it. But this time they had miscalculated: inside this shell was a pampered young master who had never suffered a grievance in his life. After arriving here, he’d swallowed a whole day of humiliation—anyone could walk all over him.
Xie Zi’an said coolly, “What, Zhao San, do you want the same treatment as him?”
Zhao San’s neck shrank back at once.
Xie Zi’an snorted and lifted his chin. “Beat him hard for me. Just leave him breathing.”
“Yes, Young Master!” said Zhao Yi.
Without another word, he nimbly tied Zhao Er up, took a rod, and laid into him with crack after crack, until Zhao Er’s face was a mess of tears and snot, wailing and begging for mercy.
Xie Zi’an found it disgusting and told Zhao Yi to drag him out into the courtyard to continue.
Everyone stood under the eaves watching, too frightened to make a sound.
A maid tried to sneak out of the courtyard to report the news, but Xie Zi’an paid no mind, sipping his tea.
Before long, Zhao Er’s cries died down. He ordered Zhao San, “Tell Zhao Yi to stop, and carry him back in.”
Zhao San bowed respectfully and went out with the order.
Zhao Er was carried back in like a dead fish and dumped on the floor.
Xie Zi’an’s face was expressionless. “Speak. At the Xu residence today—who told you to help me into that room?”
Zhao Er stirred, still trying to quibble.
Xie Zi’an picked up his teacup. “Think carefully before you answer. If you don’t explain clearly, the beating continues.”
He shuddered in fright and finally spilled the whole story like a string of beads.
It turned out that a maid had given him fifty taels of silver, telling him to get Xie Zi’an drunk and then carry the man to the rear courtyard of the Xu residence.
Xie Zi’an made him describe the maid’s voice, appearance, and clothing in detail, then ordered Zhao Yi to search him, pulling another hundred taels from his robe.
The moment the silver left his person, Zhao Er felt his heart bleeding even more painfully than his body.
Xie Zi’an sneered coldly: “Still not being honest? Throw him in the woodshed for me, and starve him for a couple of meals first.”
He then instructed Zhao Yi to deliver Zhao Er’s confession, just as he had told it, to the Xu residence that very night.