Morning light shone on the curtains, and Chu Lan, sleeping inside, turned over, covering his face with his sleeve, but it was no use.

He sat up angrily.

Why did the night pass so quickly? Daylight had come again, and countless people would once more flood into Chu Garden.

“Someone, come here!” he shouted in anger.

After calling for a long time, only a servant boy ran in, rather than the maid who usually attended him. The servant boy clumsily poured tea and put on his shoes, but put them on the wrong feet. Chu Lan furiously kicked the boy over.

“Where is Caifeng?” he scolded. “Has she learned to be lazy?”

The servant boy said resentfully: “Master, Caifeng has also been called away to Chu Garden by Miss A-Zhao.”

Chu Zhao had mobilized the household servants. Initially, the personal maids who served the master, madam, young ladies, and young masters refused to listen to her, but A-Le was fierce and simply seized people directly.

A-Le was strong and agile, able to find people no matter where they hid, and once found, she would drag them into Chu Garden.

And the master and madam didn’t dare go to Chu Garden to demand their return.

In this manner, more and more servants were taken, until the master and madam had few people left to serve them.

Even his most beloved maid had been taken away, yet Chu Lan didn’t immediately rush into Chu Garden to get her back. He only pounded the table hatefully: “Who’s in charge in this household? Who makes the decisions?”

The servant boy lowered his head and thought, The master talks a lot, but he counts for nothing when it comes to Miss A-Zhao.

“When will this end?” Chu Lan walked out in his slippers, standing in the corridor and looking outward. Even beyond the high wall, he could hear the commotion from Chu Garden.

Fortunately, Chu Garden had a separate entrance.

Chu Lan had deliberately sealed that entrance before, making guests enter through the family compound to show how the Chu household was full of distinguished visitors.

Now Chu Lan didn’t want Chu Garden to have any connection with him, so he had the sealed door reopened and kept the main family gate tightly closed.

Madam Jiang approached with a female servant, her face filled with worry.

“With so many people every day, how much money will it cost for food and drink?” This concerned her more. “Our family fortune will be squandered completely.”

Chu Lan, who didn’t manage the household affairs, became even angrier when he heard this: “They’re even being fed? Aren’t those people coming for competitions?”

Madam Jiang explained helplessly: “Not everyone is competing, and they don’t all compete at once. Only a few people compete each time, the rest just watch the excitement.”

Moreover, now more than half came just to watch.

Since they were watching, they might as well look around the garden. Chu Garden’s beauty was well-known, and people took this opportunity to stroll and enjoy the scenery.

And since they were strolling and enjoying the scenery, they naturally wanted tea and snacks—

“We’re paying for all that?” Chu Lan asked in shock.

“Well, actually—I’m not sure,” Madam Jiang hesitated.

What did that mean? Chu Lan looked at Madam Jiang.

“The food and drink haven’t been requested from the household,” the female servant couldn’t help but say. “Miss Chu Zhao has people buy them from outside.”

Chu Lan frowned: “Buy? Where does she get the money?”

Chu Li had entrusted all his money to him for guardianship, which was proper. If he had secretly set aside money for his daughter, was he being wary of his elder brother? If so, Chu Li should have entrusted his daughter to someone else!

“Is she buying on credit?” Chu Lan asked.

If it were credit, those merchants would only come to him for payment. No one would consider a young girl as the master of Chu Garden.

Chu Lan was about to pound the corridor pillar when the female servant quickly added: “Master, it’s not on credit either.”

What was it then? Had she stolen money again? Chu Lan glared.

His servant boy hastened to explain: “No, Miss A-Zhao has them pay for themselves, and then we go buy things for them.”

The actual arrangement was more complex than he described.

Chu Zhao had first informed restaurants that Chu Garden needed food, tea, and wine, saying if they could offer good prices, she would have people buy from them.

Chu Garden was now known in the capital as the “Little Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting.” The merchants knew how many people were inside—this wasn’t a small business but a large one—and immediately agreed.

Then Chu Zhao had servants display boards each day when the garden opened, listing what tea, drinks, and food would be available—except for alcohol.

“Miss said to avoid affecting the fairness of the competitions, alcohol isn’t served,” the servant boy opened up eagerly, speaking with animation. “But everyone knows that Miss is preventing trouble from drunk visitors, so no alcohol is provided in the garden, and people can’t bring their own either.”

Without alcohol, scholars found it less entertaining when they got excited, so they ordered tea and snacks instead, especially when they saw these refreshments were provided by famous restaurants in the capital.

For just an additional delivery fee, what was normally only available at restaurants could be delivered to Chu Garden, allowing people to watch the competitions while eating—truly elegant.

Chu Lan and Madam Jiang listened in astonishment. Chu Lan was merely surprised, but Madam Jiang, who managed household affairs, instinctively turned her palm up and down—this wasn’t losing money, it was making money!

“Where’s the money?” she couldn’t help but ask.

Was it all in Chu Zhao’s hands?

The servant boy’s expression became somewhat wistful: “Miss said that she’s not an elder of the family, and Chu Garden wasn’t meant for literary meetings. Since the servants are working here beyond their usual duties, therefore—”

Madam Jiang clenched her hand: “Therefore, what?”

The servant boy didn’t speak, but the female servant beside her said softly: “Miss has distributed all the money among the working servants.”

The rule for distributing money was also simple: regardless of gender, age, seniority, whether they did menial work or were favored attendants to the master, madam, or young masters and ladies—there was only one rule: more work, more pay.

The money being distributed was increasing day by day.

The servant boy and female servant’s faces showed envy and resentment. Miss Chu Zhao hadn’t taken them too, otherwise, they could also have earned a fortune.

In terms of capability, they were the most competent servants of the master and madam, more capable than any other servant in the household. If they went, they would surely receive the most money!

Unfortunately, precisely because they were the most competent servants of the master and madam, Miss A-Zhao hadn’t taken them—after all, being younger, she wouldn’t take all the servants from her elders.

Alas.

Chu Lan thought his ears had deceived him, as he seemed to hear sighs of regret from the two servants before him.

This was infuriating! So Chu Zhao was using money to buy people’s loyalty. No wonder his beloved maid had been taken and wouldn’t even try to sneak back!

Madam Jiang held her hand, turning her palm over several times, calculating how much money had been earned, then realizing it had all been distributed. Her breathing alternated between rapid and stopped, and she didn’t know what to say, only murmuring: “She’s so generous! How can she be so generous?”

Perhaps she should take over instead, since she was the true mistress of Chu Garden.

……

……

Qi Leyun lifted the carriage curtain to look ahead, her expression somewhat surprised, and said to Chu Tang: “There are so many people at your home.”

Chu Tang also looked outside and nodded: “Not surprising.”

Word had spread throughout the city. As they traveled, they had heard the phrase “Little Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting” several times.

“How shall we enter?” Qi Leyun asked. “Chu Garden has its entrance too.”

Chu Tang considered for a moment: “We’re coming to see the literary meeting, so let’s enter through the Chu Garden entrance.”

Another girl expressed concern, looking at the scholars coming and going: “What if they don’t let us in?”

The Third Prince’s Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting didn’t allow women to enter. Even two princesses couldn’t convince the Third Prince otherwise.

Chu Tang laughed: “What are you thinking? People come here specifically to compete with a woman, how could they not let women enter?”

That made sense. The girls all laughed at their confusion, then alighted from the carriage and followed Chu Tang inside.

Outside Chu Garden’s gate, ten servants were responsible for guiding guests and checking their identities—unlike the Wangchun Garden Literary Meeting, which required a talent examination for entry, but asking for names was still necessary.

Seeing Chu Tang, a servant recognized her and hurriedly bowed: “Miss Tang.”

Because they were women, the scholars entering and exiting also looked over, but said nothing.

Chu Tang said, “I’m just bringing everyone to look around. You don’t need to pay attention to me.”

The servant hesitated for a moment, then indeed ignored her, saying with a smile: “Miss Tang is familiar with the way, so I won’t guide you.” With that, he left Chu Tang and hurried away.

More work meant more pay; guiding one fewer person meant one less share of money, and Miss Tang was a family member, so she couldn’t be counted for payment.

Although Chu Tang indeed hadn’t planned to have servants attend to them, she hadn’t expected the servant would be so unceremonious, truly leaving her unattended after saying so.

A girl beside her giggled: “Tang, this doesn’t even seem like your home anymore.”