Jin Chao sat dressed on the large kang by the window, leaning against a large welcoming pillow, with a gold-threaded cloud and crane embroidered cushion beneath her. After a while, she heard light footsteps.

She raised her head to see a dark head prostrated on the ground, hair arranged in a maid’s bun, clean and without any ornaments. Qing Pu’s voice was steady and clear: “This servant Qing Pu pays respects to Young Miss.”

When she was young and staying with the Ji family, Qing Pu always stood behind her. Having trained in martial arts, Qing Pu was taller than most women and very strong. Whenever she wanted a bird’s nest from a tree or a pretty string of locust flowers, Qing Pu would climb up in a few swift movements to fetch them for her. She didn’t talk much and couldn’t be considered exceptionally clever, but she was loyal and very good to her.

Qing Pu should be eighteen years old now, already past the suitable age for marriage.

Jin Chao stepped down from the kang and bent to help her up. Qing Pu still looked as she remembered, but much thinner, and her face wasn’t as pretty as before—her skin had a waxy yellow tone. She took Qing Pu’s hand, which startled the maid. Masters and servants had distinct ranks; how could the Young Miss be holding her hand?

Jin Chao wouldn’t let her pull away, instead examining the crisscrossing lines on her palm. “How did this happen?” she asked.

Qing Pu trembled slightly and said in a low voice, “This servant got these while chopping firewood in the small kitchen. They’re just minor injuries.”

Jin Chao frowned. She wasn’t unfamiliar with chopping wood—how could merely chopping wood cause such marks?

She looked directly at Qing Pu’s face and asked, “Has Gu Lan mistreated you?”

Qing Pu answered, “Not really. It’s just that I’ve trained in martial arts, so she had me chop wood with my hands instead of using an ax. I can still manage. Young Miss has delicate hands, and mine is rough—I wouldn’t want to hurt the Young Miss.”

Jin Chao recalled how years ago at the Ji family, Qing Pu had taken her tree-climbing to catch birds, but they were discovered by other maids who reported them. Her grandmother punished Qing Pu by making her kneel outside the door for a full two days. Jin Chao would smuggle her pine cakes, mung bean pastries, and candied sweets in her robes to give to her. Qing Pu would eat ravenously from her palm, licking up every crumb of pastry.

She suddenly felt a pang in her heart, and her voice softened, “Do you resent me for sending you away?”

Qing Pu smiled and shook her head, “Years ago, Young Miss saved my life. My life belongs to the Young Miss. Whatever Young Miss asks me to do, I will do it. How could I resent you?”

Jin Chao didn’t feel reassured by these words. Though Qing Pu was still Qing Pu, the closeness between them was certainly not what it once was. Indeed, how could she not harbor some resentment? She only hoped Qing Pu’s resentment would lessen, so she could gradually make it up to her.

After thinking for a moment, Jin Chao said, “From now on, you’ll return to attend to me personally. Your monthly allowance will be that of a second-class maid, but everything else will be according to first-class maid standards… Would you like that?”

Qing Pu knelt and kowtowed, saying, “This servant is naturally happy to return and serve the Young Miss!” Her father had been a gardener for the Ji family. Her mother died early, and her father loved to drink, often becoming drunk and finding excuses to beat and scold her. Once, Qing Pu was nearly beaten to death, her entire body bruised black and blue. It was then that the young Jin Chao saved her with just a few words, and from that moment on, she had remained loyally by her side.

Qing Pu’s expression shifted slightly. After hesitating, she suddenly lowered her voice and said, “Young Miss, this servant has been in Cui Xuan Courtyard for a year now and has seen some things… You must be careful and guard against the Second Young Miss.”

Jin Chao saw her serious expression but smiled and said, “I know. You’ve only just returned, so go and rest first.”

Regardless, Qing Pu’s loyalty to her was still genuine.

After Qing Pu left, Jin Chao sat quietly on the kang, thinking about the maids around her. To deal with external threats, one must first secure internal stability. If even her maids weren’t loyal to her, her path ahead would surely be difficult. Jin Chao thought about first clearing out the maids around her. Liu Xiang was one she couldn’t keep.

How could she not see through what had just happened? Liu Xiang had brought scalding hot water that could raise blisters—how could that possibly be meant for her to wash with? Right under her nose, Liu Xiang showed no restraint, and Cai Fu, when bullied, didn’t dare utter a word in her defense! How had she ever chosen such a maid?

Liu Xiang’s background perhaps needed to be investigated more thoroughly. She should find someone to look into it.

Apart from Liu Xiang, Cai Fu was quite good and could be trained for use, while Bai Yun wasn’t clever enough, and the other two maids were too young…

As Jin Chao was calculating these things, Bai Yun came to inform her that Madam Tong had come to see her.

Jin Chao’s spirits lifted—this must be about the registry book. She did indeed want to know what possessions she had and how much wealth.

Today, Madam Tong wore an extra gold-washed hairpin, looking delighted, with a blue cloud-patterned book in her hand.

“…It took a full day, but all of the Young Miss’s items have been inventoried.”

Jin Chao took the book and looked, and couldn’t help but inwardly exclaim in surprise. She knew she had many possessions in her younger years but never imagined there would be so many. Antiques, calligraphy, paintings, furniture, household items, vases, vessels, gold, silver, pearls, and jewels—counting them all made one’s eyes swim.

A pair of five-bat longevity gold hairpins with twelve pieces, four sets of silver filigree jeweled headdresses, seven pairs of jade bracelets, two boxes of yellow grape-stone, five boxes of gold and silver inlaid ornaments… Ten pieces of blue and white porcelain, four pieces of red porcelain, seven pieces of cloisonné, eight pieces of white porcelain…

Item by item, piece by piece, her property was worth as much as ten thousand taels of silver, equivalent to a year’s income for the Gu family.

Most were items she had brought back from the Ji family or sent monthly by her grandmother. The Ji family was large and prosperous, never lacking in such things.

Madam Tong continued with a smile, “The year-end is approaching, and shortly after that will be the Second Young Miss’s coming-of-age ceremony. Young Miss should prepare some gifts for giving and reward. This servant has prepared cloud-patterned silver ingots, several pairs of red gold carved hairpins, Duan inkstones, and Chengni inkstones… What do you think?”

In another month, it would be the year-end, when visiting relatives and friends, giving rewards and gifts would be essential. Moreover, having reached adulthood but not yet being betrothed, her mother would certainly want her to visit more noble families. Not to mention the Ji family, the Marquis of Yongyang’s family, the Song family who lived in Four Li Hutong, the Duke Fang’s family in Luo Xian Hutong, and the Gu family’s ancestral home—all were places she must visit.

However, Madam Tong’s words reminded her of another matter.

With the year-end approaching, her younger brother Gu Jin Rong would also be returning.

The father felt that raising Jin Rong at home wasn’t ideal. As the only male child in the family, everyone doted on him, and he feared the boy would be spoiled. So when he turned eight, he was sent to study in Seven Square Hutong, where two highly respected scholars from the Hanlin Academy held classes. Many sons from noble and official families went to study there, including even the heir of Marquis Zhenwei and the two legitimate sons of Duke Dinguo.

Thinking of Gu Jin Rong, she asked Madam Tong, “Since the year-end is approaching, when will the Young Master return?”

Madam Tong smiled and said, “…They say in three to five days. The Madam has already ordered Jing Fang Study next to Ju Liu Pavilion to be prepared for the Young Master’s return. This servant has prepared two inkstones, which the Young Miss could give to the Young Master.”

Jin Chao nodded and said, “You are thoughtful.” But inwardly she thought that inkstones might not be the best gift. Since Jin Rong studied in Seven Square Hutong, he would certainly have seen many fine inkstones. Though her few Duan inkstones were of superior quality, they weren’t exceptional masterpieces.

She knew little about Gu Jin Rong. Before she was nine, she lived with the Ji family, and the siblings only met during year-end celebrations or Mid-Autumn Festival, barely exchanging a few words. By the time she returned to the Gu family, Jin Rong had moved to Seven Square Hutong to study, only returning home during the year-end celebrations. Thinking about it now, her impression of Jin Rong was quite vague. She didn’t know what this brother of hers liked, so she could cater to his preferences.

Jin Chao instructed Madam Tong, “Go ask Mother, Madam Xu. She raised the Young Master and must know him very well—what he likes, what he dislikes, his daily habits. Find out everything.”

Madam Tong agreed, and then Jin Chao thought of Liu Xiang’s background. She beckoned her closer and said in a low voice, “Also… find a maid you trust to investigate Liu Xiang’s background. Be sure not to let word get out.”

Madam Tong was somewhat surprised, “…Young Miss means…” Before finishing her sentence, she quickly changed course. “This servant spoke out of turn. The Young Miss’s instructions will certainly be carried out, without the slightest hint leaking out.”

She was quite sensible. Jin Chao was rather satisfied with Madam Tong. Being her mother’s person, she trusted her three parts out of ten. However, Madam Tong was after all an inner courtyard servant woman; it might not be convenient for her to investigate matters in the outer courtyard or other places in Shi’an.

Liu Xiang had mentioned having a brother who worked as a laborer in the Yu family…

If she could investigate this brother of hers, that would be even better.