After a moment of recovery, she looked up and bowed to Qin Mo’an. “Your Highness, rest assured. I pledge the future of the Lin clan as guarantee—the jade pendant I gave you was carved by a master craftsman and is the only one of its kind in the world. If you doubt it, hold the pendant against the light, and you will see a faint ‘Lin’ character inside.”
Qin Mo’an took out the jade pendant and confirmed it was true.
He turned his gaze to Lin Tangtang.
Having just finished coughing, her eyes still glistened with tears, resembling an innocent fawn gazing pitifully at Qin Mo’an.
Qin Mo’an’s expression remained unchanged as he set down his teacup. “I shall trust you this once. If I discover you have lied, your head will not remain on your shoulders.”
“Thank you for your trust, Your Highness!” Lin Tangtang breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Mo’an signaled Shadow Guard Nan Li to place two cages on the table, each containing a pigeon—one of them visibly ill.
“This pigeon shall be treated by you. The other will serve as your messenger pigeon.”
As he looked at the pigeons, Qin Mo’an’s usual sharpness softened slightly, replaced by a hint of gentleness.
Early the next morning.
A commotion arose, followed by three Mamas arriving at the West Garden, attempting to force their way into Lin Tangtang’s room.
Chunxue and Granny Li blocked their entry, refusing to let them pass.
“Our young lady has not yet risen! How dare you act so rudely!” Chunxue drew the sword at her waist.
“Madam of the Hou Estate sent us to instruct Miss Lin in etiquette. By obstructing us, are you defying the Madam’s orders?” Mother Wu, the leader, tried to push through forcefully.
“We serve Miss Lin. What concern are the Madam’s orders to us?” Granny Li retorted sternly.
Having once served in the palace, her words carried authority and vigor, momentarily stunning the Mamas.
But soon, they grew arrogant again.
“Miss Lin now resides in the Marquis Estate and must abide by its rules. If you continue to hinder us, I shall report to the Madam and have you both flogged first!” Mother Wu shouted.
“Well then, you may try.”
At that moment, the door to the bedchamber opened, and Lin Tangtang emerged, fully dressed, into everyone’s view.
Her voice was calm and unhurried, yet it inexplicably carried an air of pressure.
“Mother Wu, you were the most vocal just now. Chunxue, shave her.”
Chunxue’s sword flashed, skimming past the scalp with a faint whisper.
The hair beside Mother Wu’s ear was severed.
She collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably, unable to speak.
The other Mamas fell completely silent.
Lin Tangtang sat before them, leisurely eating the congee Chunxue had bought, in no hurry to speak.
After half an hour, Mother Gao could no longer endure.
“Miss Lin, we are merely following the Madam’s orders out of necessity. We apologize for disturbing your rest and beg you to be magnanimous and spare us!”
The other Mamas nodded in agreement.
“We are all living under someone else’s roof—why would I make things difficult for you? However, as etiquette instructors, you know the rules but fail to uphold them. Charging into the courtyard earlier—where was your propriety? If word got out, people would laugh themselves silly.”
Lin Tangtang finished the last spoonful of congee and spoke slowly.
“Yes, Miss Lin is absolutely right.” No one dared to refute.
“You claim to be here to teach me etiquette, but in truth, the Madam sent you to monitor me, didn’t she?” Lin Tangtang had already surmised as much.
In her previous life, the Madam had only sent Wang Momo to watch her, but this time, she had dispatched three Mamas.
“This…” Mother Gao hesitated, stammering. After all, the Marquis Estate was where she would spend her entire life, and the Madam was her reliance—she did not wish to betray her.
“If you will not speak, then I shall.”
Lin Tangtang looked at Mother Gao. “If I recall correctly, Mother Gao’s son Qian You was born on the same day as your maiden family’s niece, wasn’t he? What a coincidence! Need I say more?”
Mother Gao’s heart tightened, her eyes wide with shock.
Meeting Lin Tangtang’s amused gaze, she knew Lin Tangtang had discovered her secret.
In her previous life, Lin Tangtang had accidentally overheard Mother Gao’s conversation with her brother and learned that Mother Gao’s son Qian You was not her biological child.
“Mother Liu, your family member is ill and urgently needs money, right?” Lin Tangtang pointed to another mama.
Mother Liu nodded, her face haggard.
“As for Mother Wu…” Before Lin Tangtang could finish, Mother Wu immediately expressed her willingness to submit.
“Now that we all understand each other’s backgrounds, let’s make a deal. You will continue to report my whereabouts to the Madam of the Hou Estate daily, but you must report according to my instructions. I will pay you the same monthly allowance as the Madam gives you. If any of you betray our agreement, remember what happened to Wang Momo whose tendons were severed—let that be a warning.”
Her words offered both carrot and stick to the mamas.
“Understood,” the three mamas agreed.
Lin Tangtang calculated inwardly: the first step in winning over hearts at the Marquis Estate was complete.
Since Yu Shi enjoyed sending people to monitor her, she would turn the tables.
In the South Courtyard, Lin Jiaojiao was massaging Yu Shi’s shoulders.
Yu Shi squinted, thoroughly enjoying herself.
Mother Wu returned to report on time.
“Did you give her a proper welcome?” Yu Shi had sent these three mamas specifically for their ruthless methods, using them to deal with difficult individuals.
The thought of Lin Tangtang being tormented to tears by the mamas made Yu Shi feel her pent-up frustration dissipate.
“Madam, Miss Lin went out early. She said the Lin family had hired mamas to teach her etiquette since childhood, so she requires no further instruction,” Mother Wu replied as instructed by Lin Tangtang.
“How dare she! Since when does she decide whether to learn? Are three mamas no match for one girl?” Yu Shi slammed the table in anger.
“Please calm your anger, Madam. Miss Lin has a formidable maid skilled in martial arts. Together, we are no match for her.”
Mother Wu knelt on the ground, trembling slightly, afraid Yu Shi would detect something amiss.
“Useless servants! A trip to the West Garden has frightened you into such cowardice.” Seeing her timid appearance, Yu Shi spoke irritably. “Did she suspect your behavior?”
“N-No. Although this old servant did not teach etiquette, she did not drive me out either.” Beads of sweat formed on Mother Wu’s forehead.
“Summon her to the Hall of Enlightenment when she returns,” Yu Shi commanded. “Without her maid.”
If Lin Tangtang refused to learn from the mamas, Yu Shi would teach her herself.
A glimmer of anticipation flashed in Lin Jiaojiao’s eyes. Once in the Hall of Enlightenment, even reason would turn unreasonable.
Soon, Lin Tangtang arrived at the Hall of Enlightenment.
Several ladies of the household were present, their expressions unfriendly.
“Lin Tangtang, as the daughter-in-law of our Marquis Estate, come and kneel to pay respects to your elders upon first meeting.” Yu Shi’s smile concealed a knife, directly addressing Lin Tangtang as daughter-in-law.
It was customary for a new daughter-in-law to kneel and kowtow when first meeting her elders.
Yu Shi believed that since Lin Tangtang was so infatuated with Yang Chen, she would surely strive to make a good impression in front of so many elders.
But performing this ritual meant Lin Tangtang would have to kneel and kowtow to each elder individually, remaining kneeling until permitted to rise.
Yu Shi had already slandered her in front of the ladies, who would certainly not let her off easily.
“I, Lin Tangtang, pay my respects to all the ladies and madams.” Lin Tangtang did not follow Yu Shi’s instructions, instead performing a slight bow to each in turn.
“Why do you not kneel?” Yu Shi’s voice turned sharp upon seeing her deviate from the expected protocol.
“As I am not yet married to the Young Lord and not yet a daughter-in-law of the Marquis Estate, by custom I am not required to kneel,” Lin Tangtang replied calmly.
In her past life, she had been so overwhelmed by Yu Shi’s address of “daughter-in-law” that she ended up kneeling for a full two hours, her knees bruised and bleeding when she finally rose.
But now, she cared nothing for that title.
“You truly don’t know what’s good for you,” snorted the eldest lady of the third branch, directing her disdain at Lin Tangtang.
“Indeed, sister, the Madam of the Hou Estate genuinely cares for you, specially arranging for you to meet all the elders,” Lin Jiaojiao chimed in, standing beside Yu Shi with a feigned look of concern.
“Oh? Has my cousin’s foot injury healed so quickly?” Lin Tangtang retorted sarcastically. “How about you take this ‘care’ for yourself?”
Lin Jiaojiao’s face paled.
“Enough, she’s been spoiled for too long,” Yu Shi feigned helplessness. Since Lin Tangtang refused to kneel, she would smear her reputation instead—there were other plans in store.
“Sister-in-law, how can you let a mere chit of a girl bully you like this?” The eldest lady of the third branch couldn’t stand it. “Lin Tangtang, now that you’ve arrived at the Marquis Estate, you must follow its rules. You must perform the Morning and Evening Greetings to the Madam of the Hou Estate without fail every single day.”
Lin Tangtang smiled.
“What’s so difficult about that?” She turned to Yu Shi. “Might I ask if the legitimate daughters of the main branch, Yang Xiao, and of the third branch, Yang Rong, are still in the estate?”
“Why do you ask?” Yu Shi didn’t understand her sudden query.
“These two young ladies are also engaged. Since you both emphasize rules so much, please send them to their future husbands’ families now, so they may also perform Morning and Evening Greetings to their future mothers-in-law.”
She bowed slightly to Yu Shi. “Since it’s the rule of the Marquis Estate, Madam should treat everyone equally. Don’t you agree?”
A dead silence fell over the room, thick with impending storm.