Hearing this, Qi You gave a faint, distant look.
“If it’s inconvenient to bring her here, it doesn’t matter. In the end, their outcome will all be the same anyway.”
Qiao Rongjin didn’t catch the odd tone in her son’s words. Instead, she felt even more that the old nanny must have treated him well before—otherwise he wouldn’t show such disappointment. Children were very sensitive; they could clearly feel who treated them kindly and who didn’t.
It seemed she really should speak to the Princess Consort and ask for that nanny to be transferred over.
“Alright, Mother will find time to go to the Princess Consort and ask for her for you.”
“Okay.”
Seeing her son finally brighten up again, Qiao Rongjin also felt her mood lift. She turned to the servants standing with their heads lowered in the courtyard and said calmly, “All of you, introduce yourselves. What are your skills?”
Hearing this, the group exchanged glances. After a brief silence, the leading nanny stepped forward.
Qiao Rongjin noticed her and slowly sipped her tea.
Tsk. Not bad—this tea is a bit better than the last batch.
“Reporting to Mistress, this servant is surnamed Wang. I have just entered the Prince’s estate. I am skilled in embroidery, cooking, and household management.”
“Mm. Next,” Qiao Rongjin said without much expression.
The nanny froze slightly, anxious about whether she would be kept, but could only wait nervously.
The second to step forward was a pretty, sharp-looking young maid with a clever face. If not for the faint arrogance in her eyes, she would have appeared even more pleasing.
She properly saluted. “This servant greets Mistress and the Fifth Young Master. My name is Qinyun. I was recently purchased into the Prince’s estate. I am skilled in embroidery and have some knowledge of pharmacology.”
Her tone emphasized the last four words.
At this, Qiao Rongjin lifted her gaze.
This maid had real skills.
She even knew pharmacology—an extremely valuable skill in inner-courtyard struggles. Who had sent such a capable person?
Seeing that Qiao Rongjin was looking at her, Qinyun became even more confident. Among all the maids, she clearly had the greatest advantage. There was no way Mistress Qiao wouldn’t keep her.
To be honest, she looked down on this Mistress Qiao. Beautiful, yes—but not favored, and rarely saw the Prince. She wouldn’t have many chances to rise here. Still, since she had just entered the estate, staying here for now wasn’t bad. She could always seek another opportunity later. So she had to stay today.
“Not bad. Next.”
Qiao Rongjin only glanced at her once and immediately saw the ambition in her eyes. Still, she didn’t mind it. Ambition was normal; as long as it didn’t harm her interests, she could pretend not to see it. At least it was better than those with hidden masters behind them.
Hearing this, Qinyun felt pleased—she was stable.
The remaining two maids became even more nervous under pressure. Without hesitation, neither of them moved at first.
Qiao Rongjin raised a brow. “The remaining two, speak.”
The taller, sturdier maid stepped forward first. She nervously introduced herself, voice growing weaker and weaker.
“This servant… greets Mistress. My name is Hongdou. I was recently bought into the estate. I… don’t really have any special skills, just… a bit strong.”
Her voice dropped until she didn’t even dare look up.
The others were surprised and glanced at her. Qinyun sneered inwardly—so ugly and so stupid. There was no way she would be kept.
“Oh? How strong?” Qiao Rongjin suddenly became interested, setting down her teacup and looking at her with curiosity.
This one was more interesting. Who sent her? She seemed a bit… simple-minded.
Even Qi You couldn’t help but look over.
Hongdou glanced around, unable to find anything suitable to demonstrate her strength. Then her eyes lit up.
Before anyone could react, she walked toward a tree in the courtyard about as thick as Qi You’s arm.
And under everyone’s bewildered gazes—
She uprooted the entire tree.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Only the sound of wind could be heard.
Everyone stood frozen, mouths wide open, eyes nearly popping out as they watched her hold the tree like it was nothing.
Qiao Rongjin curved her lips.
A talent! Which kind-hearted person sent her? She almost wanted to thank them.
Qi You’s mouth twitched slightly. This Hongdou didn’t seem very bright.
Qinglian wanted to cover her face. She only asked her to show strength—she didn’t tell her to pull out a tree!
“Good!” Qiao Rongjin started clapping first.
Qi You followed almost instinctively, understanding this was praise. Then the maids also began clapping in scattered applause—after all, pleasing the master was the rule.
Hongdou immediately blushed, still hugging the tree in a daze.
Qiao Rongjin couldn’t help but laugh again. “You pulled it out, so you’ll plant it back yourself later.”
“Yes, Mistress! I will definitely plant it properly!” Hongdou nodded quickly.
Holding back laughter, Qiao Rongjin turned her gaze to the last maid.
The final maid snapped out of her shock. The pressure suddenly hit her hard—was she the only useless one? If she couldn’t stay, she would definitely be punished.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward.
“This servant greets Mistress and the Fifth Young Master. My name is Qiulan. I am skilled in embroidery and arithmetic, and I have some experience in bookkeeping.”
At this, Qinglian immediately became unhappy.
“Some experience in bookkeeping?” That was the work of a head maid! This little girl was clearly aiming for her position the moment she arrived. She was openly trying to take over managing accounts in the courtyard.
She held back her anger but still tugged slightly at Qiao Rongjin’s sleeve.
Qiao Rongjin gave her a reassuring glance.
Qinyun and Nanny Wang looked at Qiulan as if she were an idiot. The head maid was still standing there, and yet she already dared to claim bookkeeping duties—how bold.
At this point, even they had to admit these maids each had their own strengths. It would actually be fine to keep all of them—but the courtyard simply didn’t need that many people.
After thinking it over, Qiao Rongjin decided to keep only two.
Qinyun remained confident she would be chosen.
Nanny Wang, however, was no longer so sure. After hearing the conversation earlier, her confidence wavered—the old nanny who used to care for the Fifth Young Master hadn’t been dealt with yet. It looked uncertain now. But since nothing had been decided, there was still a sliver of hope.