Hua Zhi, who had turned back after leaving, stood outside the chamber for a long while. The muffled weeping within was restrained and sorrowful. That woman who had never known worry in her life was now grieving because of her. Hua Zhi felt a quiet fullness at receiving such love — and a burning anger that someone had dared to stir up trouble while she was away.
Her gaze shifted to Ying Chun.
Ying Chun gave a slight nod.
Only when the crying had gradually stilled did Hua Zhi quietly slip away.
In the main courtyard, Liu Cui — the head maidservant of the first branch’s mistress — stood with an expression of unease and bewilderment, watched over by two stout matrons, unsure of what she had done wrong. Beside her, the accompanying nanny Lin Mama stood with head bowed and eyes downcast, yet showed no sign of panic on her face.
When Liu Cui caught sight of the eldest young miss coming out, she moved to speak, but a stout matron clamped a hand over her mouth, and the two of them pinned her arms firmly on either side.
Hua Zhi made no effort to be discreet as she marched the first branch’s servants back through several courtyards to her own quarters. Once in her familiar surroundings, a trace of fatigue crept into her expression — it had been a long carriage ride back, and there had been no peace since her return. Her body, not yet fully recovered, was beginning to strain under the weight of it all.
After drinking two sips of ginseng tea, Hua Zhi turned her gaze to Lin Mama.
Her mother was well-known for having a soft heart, yet over these many years, her courtyard had always run smoothly and without incident. The greater part of that credit belonged to Lin Mama. Her maternal grandmother had likely seen long ago that her daughter’s character was hopelessly pliable and had raised a maidservant from early on to serve as her right hand. With her father shielding her from the outside and Lin Mama supporting her from within, her mother had managed to remain simple-hearted and guileless even with children this grown. Given Lin Mama’s loyalty, it seemed unlikely that she would have simply stopped watching over her mother the moment the Hua Family fell.
“Lin Mama, what happened in my mother’s chambers while I was away?”
Lin Mama prostrated herself on the floor. Even from her voice alone one could hear the guilt. “It is this servant’s fault. Some time ago my son fell ill, and I asked Madam for three days’ leave to care for him. When I returned, I found Madam’s spirits markedly changed. It was only after careful and roundabout inquiries that I learned the Third Madam had said some unpleasant things, and Madam had taken them to heart. As if by ill fortune, that very same day a messenger arrived from the Zhu Family’s mistress-in-law with a message — the implication being that Madam should stop sending letters to her family, to avoid putting the eldest young master in a difficult position. She also said… also said that the eldest young miss had already broken off her engagement, but the Zhu Family’s young ladies still needed to make matches…”
Hua Zhi laughed in cold fury. Her broken engagement could somehow affect the Zhu Family girls’ prospects of marriage? By that logic, should the Hua Family’s young ladies simply tie a white sash and be done with it, to save everyone the trouble?
The maids’ eyes reddened with anger as well. Everyone knew who had been coming around to pester the first branch’s mistress. The Hua Family had only just fallen — how could anyone grow cold so quickly? The phrase “people walk away, tea turns cold” had never rung so bitterly true.
“Did Mother send a letter to the Zhu Family? You may rise and speak.”
Lin Mama stood, still keeping her eyes respectfully downcast. “Not only Madam — the other branches all sent letters to their families as well. When you had earlier instructed everyone to cut off contact with their maternal families, the old madam later reminded them once more, and so all the branches sent word to their families.”
“Do you know what was written in the letters?”
“This servant does know. Madam, worried that the letter might contain something that could be used against her, asked this servant to look it over. As far as this servant could see, it contained nothing more than a few extra lines expressing her longing for her family and her concern for the Master. There was nothing in it that could be construed as asking her family for help or putting the eldest young master in a difficult position. I cannot understand how the mistress-in-law managed to read such intentions into it.”
Hua Zhi understood perfectly well how the aunt by marriage had arrived at her interpretation. Her mother was the youngest daughter of her family, and had always been cherished and doted upon by her parents and elder brother. For her mother to write of her concern for the Master — in the aunt by marriage’s eyes, that was clearly a plea for the family to intercede on his behalf. The woman had likely sent that messenger behind everyone else’s back, having calculated that her mother’s soft nature meant she would never take the matter to her grandmother.
Unfortunate for her — there was one person in this household who was not soft.
Hua Zhi lifted her teacup, caught a whiff of the ginseng, and set it down again with faint distaste. “Has Third Aunt recovered from the blow of her son being sent into exile, then?”
Lin Mama responded with perfect composure. “As far as this servant can observe, it would seem so. She has been making rather frequent visits to the old madam’s courtyard these past days.”
“She still wants to scheme and scramble over a sinking ship like the Hua Family — with that level of vision, does she actually think Grandmother would hand the household over to her?” Hua Zhi smiled, but her eyes held a frost. “I’ll let her see for herself where the difference lies between her and me. Lin Mama.”
“This servant is here.”
“Go through the people who attend my mother, find someone reliable, and take them under your wing — teach them well, so they’ll know how to protect their mistress even when you’re not present.”
“This servant obeys.”
“Then make a trip to the Zhu Family. In front of my maternal grandmother, weep out everything my aunt by marriage has done — right to her face. My mother may swallow her grievances, but I will not.” Hua Zhi gave a cold smile. “Don’t be afraid of causing offense. I’m not counting on anyone’s help, and I don’t need it.”
“Yes.” Lin Mama answered with a clear voice, and it seemed as though the breath she had been holding all this time finally escaped with that single word.
“Go now — this very moment.”
“Yes, this servant takes her leave.”
Nian Qiu came forward with the ginseng tea. “Miss, please drink a little more.”
“Give me normal tea. If I keep drinking this, I’ll start gagging at the smell alone.”
Nian Qiu could only sigh in resignation and go brew a cup of warm plain water. Tea leaves were out of the question — the miss was still healing her wounds, and if tea leaves caused the new skin to darken in color, there would be nowhere for any of them to go and cry about it.
“Bring Liu Cui in.”
Liu Cui knelt before Hua Zhi, trembling. “E-eldest miss.”
“Liu Cui, how long have you been attending my mother?”
“Seven years, miss. I came to the first madam’s side when I was eleven.”
“Seven years.” Hua Zhi observed her quietly. “My mother has such a gentle nature — I imagine you’ve never had a hard time of it.”
Liu Cui’s heart hammered with anxiety, and she could only go along with the remark. “Madam is kind-hearted. She has never spoken a harsh word to any of us servants.”
“So you had taken her measure, and knew that even if she found out, she wouldn’t do anything to you?”
Liu Cui collapsed backward onto the floor, her lips quivering, unable to form a single word.
Hua Zhi had only been thirty percent certain before — but that one feint had turned thirty percent into one hundred.
Lin Mama was a steady and careful person, who understood her mistress’s character after years of service. She would never have left without making arrangements. If she had made arrangements and yet her mother had still been put in a position to be pushed around by the Third Madam, then the problem could only have originated with Liu Cui, who ranked just below Lin Mama in the household. Had Liu Cui kept herself upright, those beneath her would not have dared to play any tricks either.
“What did Third Aunt promise you?”
Liu Cui bit her lip and prostrated herself on the ground in silence. She did not dare speak. She had not dared to go to the Third Madam’s side, having served for seven years beside the first madam and witnessed the eldest young miss countless times — and never once, until now, had she felt such pressure emanating from her. She had always thought the eldest miss was harmless. No — it was not just her. Who had ever thought the eldest miss was anything but harmless, before she announced she would take charge of the household?
But it was already too late. They had all understood far too late.
“No matter — I have no particular desire to know.” Her aching body cried out from every corner for rest, but Hua Zhi acted as though nothing were the matter, smoothing her sleeve and pushing herself up from the chair. “Take her with us.”
“Eldest miss—” Liu Cui lurched forward and seized Hua Zhi’s leg, causing her to stumble and nearly lose her footing. Ying Chun and Nian Qiu both reached out simultaneously to steady her, glaring furiously at Liu Cui.
A matron who had been a half-step too slow slammed Liu Cui down to the ground without restraint. Liu Cui wanted to cry out from the pain, but her mouth was immediately stuffed shut. Only then did genuine terror truly bloom in her heart.