This place indeed no longer resembled the home that Chu Tang knew.

It wasn’t because of the crowds—Chu Garden had hosted many grand banquets before (borrowed by other dignitaries).

There were many servants in Chu Garden who, upon seeing her, bowed and greeted her, then continued with their tasks.

She truly seemed to have become a guest. One servant even enthusiastically said: “Miss Tang, there’s a pavilion over there that’s perfect for you all—close enough to see clearly, yet not crowded.”

Chu Tang found it both amusing and frustrating, but had the servant lead Qi Leyun and the others to sit there.

“Don’t worry about me,” she told the servant. “I’ll go see A-Zhao.”

How ridiculous—she was also a young lady of the household. Did she need their guidance and hospitality?

The servant immediately led Qi Leyun and the others away. Chu Tang even overheard him recommending today’s tea and snacks to them.

“…specially provided by Zuixian Restaurant. Young ladies, please select what you like, and it will be delivered within a quarter of an hour…”

“…since there are several of you, young ladies, perhaps you’d prefer this complete set? It includes all tea and snacks, and it’s also more economical…”

These young ladies were all wealthy and never cared about saving money—they cared about novelty. Sure enough, Chu Tang saw several young ladies accepting the menu and pointing at various items—

Had her home become a restaurant? Had the servants turned into waiters?

Chu Tang walked through the crowd along the corridor to Tingyu Hall.

Here was a spacious pavilion open on all four sides, facing the lake. The platform in front of the hall was wide, and the water was clear and expansive. Surrounded by rockeries, corridors, and pavilions at various heights, one could see this central area from any position.

She spotted Chu Zhao immediately.

The girl was dressed simply in light pink and indigo, but sitting in the hall, she radiated brilliance.

Today’s competition hadn’t yet begun. Some people were chatting, others preparing for today’s matches, and still others loudly proclaiming what Lady Chu was like.

The girl held a scroll in her hands, reading it attentively, ignoring the noise around her.

As Chu Tang approached, the maids standing outside the hall seemed both surprised and pleased: “Miss Tang.”

Chu Tang glanced at the maids, recognizing them as Chu Ke’s attendants, and smiled: “You’ve all come to help? Well, with my brother away, you would be idle anyway.”

One maid looked embarrassed. In the past, she would certainly have tearfully claimed that Miss A-Zhao had seized her, which was true, but after being seized, she had willingly stayed. To now blame Miss A-Zhao—

Even considering the money she had received in these few short days, she couldn’t be so conscienceless!

“I am the young master’s servant. With the young master away, this servant is just doing work for the household,” the maid said with slightly lowered eyes.

Was this sarcasm? Servants working for the household while the young masters and ladies fled?

Impressive—for Chu Zhao’s sake, this maid dared to spar with her verbally.

Chu Tang raised an eyebrow, about to say something, when a maid beside her called out loudly: “Miss A-Zhao, Miss Tang is here.”

As servants, they should avoid confrontations with the young ladies and let the young ladies speak to each other.

The maid’s voice was loud enough to wake Chu Zhao from her focused reading.

Chu Zhao raised her head, momentarily confused, then saw Chu Tang and brightened: “Tang, you’re here! Come quickly.”

Chu Tang hesitated, then walked over with a smile: “This has grown into quite a spectacle. Everywhere I go, people are talking about it.”

Chu Zhao nodded, not bothering with pleasantries: “You’ve come at the perfect time.” She turned to call for A-Le.

The hall wasn’t empty. Besides A-Le, there were maids and servants—some checking today’s paper supplies, desks, and chess pieces, while several maids surrounded A-Le with papers and brushes in hand, discussing something. A-Le looked severely distressed but didn’t dare disturb her mistress.

Hearing Chu Zhao call, A-Le quickly responded, but then looked troubled: “Miss, I haven’t finished calculating—”

Chu Zhao smiled and pushed Chu Tang forward: “No need to calculate anymore. Miss Tang is here; from now on, these matters will be handled by her.”

A-Le was overjoyed and immediately escaped from among the maids.

The maids were somewhat surprised, as was Chu Tang, who couldn’t hide her astonishment.

She smiled and said, “I just came to see how things are going. Are you giving me work to do? I dare not interfere with your affairs.”

What Chu Zhao was doing had offended the Third Prince.

Chu Zhao understood the meaning behind Chu Tang’s smiling words. She knew exactly what kind of person this cousin was. In her previous life, she hadn’t paid attention or seen clearly, but in this life, she saw through her at a glance.

Once a person breaks free from constraints, the world becomes much clearer.

“I’m not asking you to do what I do,” Chu Zhao said, pointing to the maids. “I’m asking you to handle everything except what I do.”

It sounded somewhat convoluted, but Chu Tang understood, her expression again showing surprise as she looked toward the maids.

The maids were also perceptive and immediately surrounded Chu Tang with papers and brushes.

Chu Tang glanced at them accordingly. Being intelligent from a young age, she had learned not only music, chess, calligraphy, and painting but had also early on learned household management from Madam Jiang—holding money firmly in one’s hands was the way to control the household, a principle she had long understood. So she immediately recognized what these documents represented.

These were all the expenses and income of the Chu Garden Literary Meeting.

In fact, from the moment the servant mentioned “specially provided by Zuixian Restaurant” to Qi Leyun and the other girls, she had guessed there was a significant business operation here.

“You want me to manage this?” she said, forcefully returning her gaze to Chu Zhao. “A-Zhao, do you realize this is—”

Before she could finish, Chu Zhao waved her hand, interrupting: “I only know that my job is to compete. Everything else is unimportant to me, but since these things must be done for the competitions to continue, now it’s perfect—you can handle these matters unrelated to the competitions, and I can focus on my work.”

Chu Tang’s gaze returned to the papers, seeing the numbers written there, her lowered hand involuntarily clenching—

“You trust me this much?” She looked at Chu Zhao again, speaking seriously. “If I manage these things, you can’t blame me whether I do it well or not.”

Chu Zhao smiled: “Of course, I trust you. This is beneficial to you, and I believe that for your own sake, you’ll do an excellent job.”

With that, she patted Chu Tang’s hand.

“You do your work well, and I’ll do mine well. Your success is my success—isn’t that good?”

She stood up and walked away, not picking up her book again, but going outside the hall and saying loudly: “Is everyone ready today? Let’s measure our skills against each other.”

By now, the competitions had lost their earlier elegance. Shouts arose from the crowd.

“What skills? You, little girl, can’t withstand a single blow.”

“Chu child, let me show you what true scholarship is.”

Chu Zhao walked calmly toward the noise. Outside the hall, by the lakeside, two seating areas had been arranged on the platform.

Chu Tang stood inside, watching the girl take her seat with dignity. Then she turned away and sat down in a chair inside the hall.

“Place everything here, let me see.”

The maids responded affirmatively, putting down the papers and bringing counting rods, brushes, and ink, then standing by, waiting quietly.

……

……

Since their first visit, Qi Leyun and the others had come every day.

“That Chu Zhao is losing match after match. I don’t know why she doesn’t just end it,” Qi Leyun angrily told her family. “We feel embarrassed for her just watching.”

Watching, that was fine. Watching the Chu girl being humiliated was also a way of venting for the Third Prince. The Third Prince couldn’t blame people for just watching, so the elders of the families felt reassured and didn’t restrict the young ladies.

Thus, more and more girls came to watch the spectacle.

Four servants carried a large table to Haitang Pavilion, which was already full, with many girls standing in the corridor.

“Who’s treating whom here?” Chu Tang came over, smiling. “This costs quite a bit.”

Qi Leyun said loudly: “We’re splitting the cost.” Then she beamed with delight: “I didn’t expect it to be cheaper than at Zuixian Restaurant.”

Chu Tang smiled: “Is it cheap? I’ll make it even cheaper. Those who pay today will get a free meal tomorrow.”

The girls were all pleased. Though none of them lacked money, face was important.

Qi Leyun clapped her hands: “Tang, you’re so thoughtful!”

But not everyone found Chu Tang thoughtful. One girl half-concealed her face with a fan, laughing lightly: “Tang, as the host, you should be more generous. How nice it would be if you didn’t charge at all.”

Chu Tang smiled with a sigh: “I wish I could.” She pressed her hand to her heart. “Unfortunately, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” She glanced toward Tingyu Hall. “I’m hardly the master here.”

Indeed, Chu Zhao had started all this. Qi Leyun glared at the girl who had spoken: “Tang is already pitiful enough.”

First, having to stay at her house unwillingly, now being dragged by Chu Zhao to work.

The girl glared back at Qi Leyun, thinking this fool.

She lowered her fan and stared at Chu Tang, saying: “Tang, this matter has nothing to do with you. Why suffer this indignity? If you’re tired of staying at the Qi household, there’s always mine. My father gave me a residence; you can come live with me.”

Let’s see how you answer this, Chu Tang. Pretending to be forced into working, while offering discounts on tea and snacks to curry favor. Qi Leyun might be a fool, but she wasn’t. Her family owned three restaurants; she could calculate roughly how much profit was being made from the continuous flow of refreshments in Chu Garden.

The amount was staggering!

Chu Tang looked at her and smiled helplessly: “No matter whose home I stay in, or for how long, my surname is still Chu. When people speak of me, they will only say ‘the Chu girl.’ Family matters are my matters. What else can I do?”

With that, she bowed.

“Enjoy yourselves. I must attend to my duties now.”

After Chu Tang left, the girl was immediately reprimanded by everyone.

“How could you bully her like that?” Qi Leyun fumed. “Tang is already in such a state, and you mock and bully her. What do you want her to do? Abandon her family and die?”

The other girls also looked at her with dissatisfaction and reproach. Someone shook her head: “Lan, you were too harsh.”

The girl became somewhat flustered at being criticized—Chu Tang’s family background was modest, making her an easy target for bullying. It didn’t matter if she angered her, but these other girls were different. If they united in isolating her, her reputation in the capital would be ruined.

“I didn’t mean anything by it,” she could only apologize. “I just wanted free snacks.”

Qi Leyun angrily threw her fan at her: “How petty can you be!”

Chu Tang completely ignored the girls’ quarrel. She didn’t care about being bullied; she was used to it. She knew her family background was modest, making her an easy target, but this same modesty also earned her sympathy.

Compared to bullying, more people enjoyed bestowing kindness.

So as long as she appeared pitiful at the right moment, those who bullied her would end up being bullied by others.

These were trivial matters, games she had grown tired of playing. Now there were more interesting things. Chu Tang returned to the second floor of Tingyu Hall, where maids were organizing account books at a desk.

They were still Chu Ke’s maids, the ones Chu Zhao had selected earlier.

After taking over, Chu Tang hadn’t replaced them with her maids.

She was here to work, not to assert authority. They were all family servants; it didn’t matter who she used.

“Let me see today’s accounts,” she said.

The maids immediately stood and brought them to her. Chu Tang flipped through, writing notes as she went. The second-floor windows were open, and occasionally the shouts of scholars floated in.

Ah, Chu Tang thought, Chu Zhao is going to lose again. How pitiful.

……

……

With a slap, a chess piece was placed on the board.

The middle-aged scholar across from her smiled coldly: “Lady Chu, you’ve lost.”

Chu Zhao was completely unfazed by the scholar’s mocking expression. She leaned forward slightly to examine the board, thinking carefully to confirm there was no way to save the game, then nodded and bowed: “I have lost. You have won, sir. I am not your equal.”

After saying this, she extended her hand, and a nearby maid immediately presented a pre-printed certificate. Now she didn’t need to write on the spot—they were all pre-printed with her seal. When she lost, she simply presented one, much more efficient than before—

The scholar took it but didn’t display it proudly to the crowd. Instead, he tore it to pieces.

“I didn’t come to participate in a literary meeting. I came specifically to teach you a lesson,” he said with a cold smile. “Little girl, you don’t know your place!”

With that, he turned and left with a flick of his sleeve.

The surrounding spectators laughed mockingly. This wasn’t the first time; ever since Chu Zhao had arrogantly humiliated scholars who had lost to her, she had faced arrogant retaliation from the scholars.

Chu Zhao’s expression remained unchanged as paper fragments fell around her. She walked to another seat—one round of competitions involved ten people, and it wasn’t over yet.

“Please proceed, sir,” Chu Zhao said.

The young man sitting opposite her wore a contemptuous expression and placed his piece casually: “Lady Chu, please hurry. I have an appointment and need to go drinking.”

Chu Zhao didn’t respond, concentrating intently before placing her piece.

For their match, each move was displayed on a large board by servants for everyone to see.

Seeing this move, several girls became anxious: “Oh no, oh no!” “This Chu Zhao, that’s wrong, that’s wrong.”

One girl even angrily struck a pillar: “Does Chu Zhao even know how to play chess? She’s so stupid!”

Besides eating snacks and watching the excitement, many girls seriously observed the competitions. Most of these girls came from good families with deep scholarly traditions.

For instance, the girl watching the chess match now had the surname Zhou, and her family elders were skilled in chess.

Other girls consoled Miss Zhou: “She can’t compare to you.” “If she loses, she loses. It’s her embarrassment.”

Miss Zhou frowned: “Her embarrassment is also ours.”

This statement confused the other girls: “What does it have to do with us?” “We’re not competing.”

Miss Zhou looked toward the platform: “Because she’s a woman, and so are we.”

……

……

On the platform, the chess match indeed ended quickly. Chu Zhao lost.

The young man opposite her laughed heartily, being even more excessive than the previous winner. He didn’t even accept the certificate of her defeat.

“Chu girl, I only came to defeat you, not to have the world see it, but for you alone to know that you are arrogant and ignorant, not knowing your limitations!” he said, pointing at Chu Zhao. “A mere little girl should just read a few books on feminine virtues. Yet you shamelessly boast, defeating one man and thinking yourself superior to all, looking down on everyone. How laughable, little girl.”

Chu Zhao’s expression remained calm as she endured the barrage of mockery.

The girls standing in the corridor fell silent, their faces alternating between red and white.

A mere little girl.

A mere little girl.

After the young man finished his tirade, he turned to leave with long strides, but a delicate voice called from behind.

“Sir, please wait!”

The young man turned around, raising his thick eyebrows. Had this Chu girl, even after losing, dared to argue with him? But he saw Chu Zhao also turning to look in a particular direction.

In that corridor stood many girls, now looking nervous and uneasy, pulling one girl backward. That girl’s face was flushed red, looking as if she might suffocate.

What?

Well, it wasn’t surprising. The young man gently smoothed his temple hair. He was both talented and handsome; it was natural for these girls to be attracted to him.

However, he wasn’t the type to be easily won over.

“This is a place for competitions,” he said haughtily and distantly. “Not a playground for you girls, much less a place to select husbands.”

Miss Zhou had impulsively called out and was already regretting it. Upon hearing the young man’s words, her mind buzzed.

His meaning was plain and not new. Earlier, the Third Prince had scolded the princesses, saying women attending literary meetings were just looking for husbands.

The Third Prince’s literary meeting was one thing—he was a prince, and they dared not object.

But for a common scholar at Chu Garden to dare humiliate them when they had done nothing!

It infuriated her!

The girls beside her felt a strong pull and could no longer hold her back, only managing to exclaim in surprise: “A-Jiang!”

Miss Zhou, whose intimate name was A-Jiang, charged out from the corridor like a young bull.

“Sir,” she shouted, “I am also a mere little girl. Do you dare compete with me?”