In the afternoon, Li Minfeng personally paid a visit to Li Weiyang.

After dismissing the gatekeeper matron, Li Minfeng had just reached the entrance when he saw a maid wearing a blue silk vest and moon-white long skirt leaning against the door of the west room, talking with a young maid.

“Sister Ziyan, what are you embroidering?” the young maid asked curiously.

Ziyan smiled and showed her the embroidery in her hands. Li Minfeng had excellent eyesight and from afar could see that the handkerchief was embroidered with a pair of colorful mandarin ducks playing in a lotus pond, which was filled with lotus flowers—very lively and vivid.

The young maid’s eyes rolled around as she smiled and said: “Sister Ziyan must be thinking of marriage! In a few days, ask Third Miss to arrange a good family for you!”

Ziyan’s face immediately flushed red. She put away the handkerchief, thumped the young maid’s shoulder, and spat: “Don’t talk nonsense!”

Ziyan was only fifteen years old this year. She had an oval face with fair skin, and when she smiled, she looked like a blooming lotus flower—somewhat attractive. Li Minfeng glanced at her indifferently, feeling something unusual stir in his heart.

The young maid laughed: “Don’t be shy. Third Miss will definitely choose a good husband for you!”

Ziyan’s smile suddenly faded as she said softly: “Third Miss herself still has no control over her own fate. How can she manage a servant’s affairs—”

The young maid was stunned, wanting to say something but hesitating. Indeed, Third Miss was a concubine-born young lady. Although she enjoyed the Old Madam’s favor, she didn’t have the First Madam’s heart. Her future marriage would likely be difficult. When the mistress wasn’t doing well, what good prospects could a maid have?

Ziyan sighed with indescribable troubles, but suddenly heard someone cough heavily. Startled, she looked up to see a young master in brocade robes and jade belt standing before her. Her face immediately reddened as she stepped forward to curtsy: “Young Master.”

“Mm, your name is Ziyan?” Li Minfeng’s expression was very amiable as he looked her over.

Ziyan’s face inexplicably grew even redder as she said in a low voice: “Yes, this servant is Ziyan, the head maid by Third Miss’s side. Does Young Master wish to see Miss?”

Originally he had indeed come to see Li Weiyang, but now he changed his mind. Li Minfeng smiled: “No, I just accidentally lost a fan nearby yesterday and was going to ask Third Sister to send a maid to help me look for it.”

Ziyan smiled and said: “This servant can help with that. Where did Young Master lose the fan?”

“In the grass not far outside the gate.” Li Minfeng said.

Li Minfeng and Ziyan walked out together. The young maid quietly watched from the side, suddenly frowning. She picked up her skirt and quickly returned to the room.

Li Weiyang was talking with Mozhu in the room. Mozhu said: “Although the Old Madam doesn’t like extravagance, she doesn’t eat just anything either. For instance, when eating fish, the Old Madam only eats the meat around the fish eye; when eating chicken, she only eats parts that are seventy percent fat; when eating sea mushrooms, she only picks those with plump bellies and small heads. Of all foods, what the Old Madam likes most is braised steamed duck. This duck is prepared more meticulously than in ordinary households. First it’s cleaned and gutted, placed in a porcelain jar, and cooked over low heat for three days until the duck meat becomes tender. Moreover, in the whole duck, the duck feet are prepared separately—the bones and calluses on the soles are removed, then mixed with spices and magnolia flowers to cook together. That taste is indescribably fragrant.”

Li Weiyang nodded. A goose feather sent from a thousand miles away—the gift may be light but the sentiment is profound. The Old Madam firstly enjoyed drinking tea, and secondly enjoyed eating duck. Li Minfeng’s actions were sufficient proof that he was a meticulous person.

At this moment, a young maid poked her head in at the doorway.

Li Weiyang’s bright eyes glanced over. The young maid was so frightened she startled. Then she heard Mozhu inside say: “Who’s out there? Miss wants you to come in!”

The young maid entered apprehensively and kowtowed to Li Weiyang: “Miss, this servant has something to report.”

Li Weiyang glanced at her indifferently. Baizhi said softly: “Miss, this is Xiu’er, a young maid from the tea room.”

A young maid from the tea room? Puzzled in her heart, Li Weiyang’s expression remained gentle: “What is it?”

Xiu’er said: “Just now the Young Master came and said he lost a fan in the grass outside, then asked Miss to send a maid to help him search. Sister Ziyan was originally doing needlework in the courtyard and volunteered to go, asking this servant to inform Miss.”

Li Weiyang stared at Xiu’er for a long time, then suddenly smiled: “Baizhi, reward her with a purse. In three days, promote her to second-class maid. She doesn’t need to return to the tea room—let her serve in the courtyard.”

Xiu’er was overjoyed and immediately kowtowed heavily: “This servant thanks Miss!”

A rough-work maid promoted overnight to second-class maid—this was truly a tremendous fortune. Xiu’er left with a beaming smile. Li Weiyang lightly sipped her tea. Baizhi suddenly understood in her heart and said: “Miss, Ziyan should have reported to you first. Perhaps she was careless. Please don’t blame her.”

A maid leaving the courtyard with a young master without reporting—was this not taking her mistress seriously, or had she already become so infatuated that she completely forgot her status? Li Weiyang smiled faintly and said: “Perhaps she was momentarily careless, or perhaps her ambitions have grown too large and she finds my temple too small.”

Miss’s words were very serious. Baizhi’s face turned pale. Li Weiyang glanced at her and said: “Ziyan, like you, is a maid who came with me from Pingcheng. I treat you both more intimately than others, but this doesn’t mean I can tolerate everything.”

Baizhi lowered her head, feeling increasingly apprehensive, secretly blaming Ziyan for being too presumptuous. The mistress had her guard the courtyard, yet she just ran off with someone like that.

At this moment, Baizhi still hadn’t realized the deeper implications, but Mozhu had already furrowed her brows.

“Go summon all the maids and matrons in the courtyard.” Li Weiyang ordered indifferently.

“Yes.” Mozhu quickly departed.

Before long, except for Ziyan who had left half an hour ago and still hadn’t returned, everyone else had assembled.

Li Weiyang sat in her chair, sweeping her gaze over everyone, then pointed at one of the matrons: “I most despise people who are irresponsible in their duties. Go report to the steward yourself and say that my courtyard cannot accommodate you. Find your own way out!”

“Miss, this servant…” Being driven out of the residence meant having one’s livelihood cut off. Matron Liu’s face turned deathly pale, trembling with fear. “This servant doesn’t know what she did wrong—”

“What did you do wrong? Where were you just now! Why didn’t you announce it when Elder Brother came? Are you trying to make others say I deliberately slighted Elder Brother?”

Matron Liu was shocked: “It was the Young Master who said there was no need to announce—”

“Complete nonsense! How can anyone enter someone’s courtyard without announcing themselves! Elder Brother is an educated and cultured person. How could he say such things? Clearly you were deliberately lazy! You even dare to slander Elder Brother with your words. Go receive twenty strokes of the rod!” Li Weiyang said coldly.

Before Matron Liu could plead, she was dragged away by people under Mozhu’s direction. Everyone only dared to look at Matron Liu with sympathetic eyes but didn’t dare to speak a word of intercession. They already understood that as long as the Old Madam still favored Third Miss, then the mistress of this courtyard was and could only be Third Miss—absolutely no one else!

Ziyan happened to walk in from outside with a smile on her face. Seeing this scene, her pretty face immediately turned pale!