Ying’er and Zhu’er were assigned to two young servants in the outer courtyard, becoming ordinary servant women of the outer quarters.

The Ren family’s outer and inner courtyards had clear boundaries. Some people, even after serving the Ren family their entire lives, found it extremely difficult to step through that hanging flower gate with its hanging lotus pillars and projecting eaves.

“Nanny, you should say ‘that was then, this is now!’ Now that we’ve returned, does she still think she can extend her reach so far?” Ren Yaohua’s eyes were ice-cold as she said coldly, “Tomorrow I’ll drive out all those people she arranged to come in, along with the original servants in the courtyard who sway with the wind.”

Nanny Zhou advised, “Third Miss, we’ve only just returned. Perhaps we should put this matter aside for now? The people we brought back are still the minority, and Ziwei Courtyard still needs people to serve. Even if we want to select new people or purchase others, we must first report to Old Madam and Eldest Madam. Moreover, to drive people away requires a proper reason – we can’t just expel the courtyard’s people without cause. Doing so would not only chill the hearts of those below, but would also be difficult to explain to Old Madam.”

Ren Yaohua’s heart was already filled with extreme hatred for Concubine Fang. Hearing Nanny Zhou’s words, she raised her eyebrows and said, “I’ll handle grandmother’s side myself. As for reasons? Isn’t that simple? Laziness, gossiping, theft, disrespecting the master… When the master assigns them crimes, can they still refute it?”

“Third Miss—”

“Is Third Sister determined to offend everyone in the Ren household before she’s satisfied?” Ren Yaoqi suddenly spoke up.

Ren Yaohua turned her cold face and cold eyes toward Ren Yaoqi. Ren Yaoqi, ignoring her anger, said calmly, “Concubine Fang did rearrange quite a few people into Ziwei Courtyard, but except for Nanny Zhu by my side and two personal maids, most of them aren’t her people.”

“Not her people?” Nanny Zhou thought for a moment, then said contemplatively, “Logically speaking, in just over a year, she indeed wouldn’t have such great capability—”

Personal connections need cultivation. Nanny Zhou had helped Li Shi manage for over ten years and had only gained about a dozen truly loyal confidants around her, and even then, two had been sent away.

The other madams of the Ren family weren’t pushovers either – how could they allow Concubine Fang to become too powerful and ride over them?

Ren Yaoqi nodded, “The maids and old women currently in Ziwei Courtyard are mostly those newly selected from various estates a year ago.”

Ren Yaohua, however, sneered and glanced sideways at Ren Yaoqi, “This courtyard is managed by Concubine Fang. Doesn’t selecting people still have to go through her hands? Even if these people had no previous connection with her, having gone through her channels, haven’t they become her people?”

Though Ren Yaohua had a fierce temperament, she wasn’t dull-witted. Despite her young age, because she had helped the weak Li Shi make decisions from childhood, she had developed her own opinions.

Hearing Ren Yaohua say this, Ren Yaoqi didn’t deny it but instead nodded in agreement, “Third Sister is right. These people went through Concubine Fang’s channels and got such easy positions, so they’re all grateful to her. This past year, her reputation among the Ren household servants has grown even better.”

When Li Shi and Ren Yaohua went to the estate, there were fewer masters in Ziwei Courtyard, but the allowances remained the same. Since Concubine Fang never withheld anything, Ziwei Courtyard’s positions became recognized by the Ren family servants as lucrative, easy jobs.

This time, though Ren Yaohua’s expression grew even more unpleasant, she didn’t immediately speak out.

The senior maid Xi’er couldn’t help but ask in confusion, “But didn’t Fifth Miss first say these people weren’t Concubine Fang’s people? Now you’re saying they are her people… So are they her people or not?”

Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment, then said softly, “Though these people were all newly selected by Concubine Fang from the estate’s household-born servants, they all have some family connections with the capable old women and maids in Old Madam’s, Eldest Madam’s, Second Madam’s, and Fifth Madam’s courtyards. For example, Sister-in-Law Niu, who manages our courtyard gate keys her sister-in-law is the eldest daughter-in-law of Nanny Gui in Old Madam’s courtyard. Liu’er, who manages tea and water when we have guests, is the younger sister of Qiufen, a first-class senior maid by Eldest Madam’s side. Old Woman Liu, who’s responsible for hot water in the back courtyard, was originally a gatekeeper’s wife in the Ren family’s outer courtyard, but her niece now manages accounts in Fifth Madam’s courtyard—”

Nanny Zhou, having struggled through the inner quarters as an old hand, understood the stakes involved after hearing just these few sentences, and her heart was filled with shock.

The maid Que’er was also indignant, “She used our Ziwei Courtyard’s positions to curry favor and please the Ren family’s other masters!”

Ren Yaoqi shook her head and glanced at Ren Yaohua.

Ren Yaohua’s lips were tightly pressed together, giving her cold face a somewhat stubborn expression, though her eyes burned with fury.

“Though doing this could indeed curry favor with the people around Old Madam and Eldest Madam, that wasn’t her main objective.”

Hearing this, everyone turned their gazes toward Ren Yaoqi.

Ren Yaoqi, however, looked at Ren Yaohua, “Her target is Third Sister and Mother.”

Ignoring everyone’s bewildered expressions, Ren Yaoqi continued unhurriedly, “She calculated Third Sister’s temperament precisely, knowing you definitely wouldn’t tolerate the people she arranged staying in Ziwei Courtyard, and would immediately begin clearing out the inner courtyard upon your return. These people have no connection with her whatsoever – it wouldn’t matter to her where they were sent. She collected the favors she gave out, but you would offend the people of Old Madam, Eldest Madam, Second Madam, and Fifth Madam because of this.”

No matter what, Ren Yaohua was still a daughter of the Ren family, and with Old Madam Ren always showing her some favor, she would eventually return to the Ren household. Concubine Fang had always understood this point clearly, so she never thought she could permanently drive Ren Yaohua and Li Shi out of the Ren family.

As a concubine, even after bearing a son, she couldn’t be elevated to principal wife, so what she wanted was control over the Third Branch’s inner quarters.

Even if Li Shi and Ren Yaohua returned to the Ren family, they would no longer be able to shake her position.

“That despicable, shameless, poisonous woman!” Xi’er cursed through gritted teeth.

Ren Yaohua, having reached the peak of anger, gradually calmed down and said in a cold tone, word by word, “Let her just wait and see – I’ll make her pay!”

Ren Yaoqi, however, asked calmly, “How will you make her pay? Have her come establish rules for Mother, then take the opportunity to discipline her?”

Ren Yaohua raised her eyes and looked at Ren Yaoqi with a stern face.

Nanny Zhou, fearing the two sisters would quarrel again, quickly mediated, “Third Miss also thinks that after we’ve been away for a year, the Ren family’s people only know there’s Concubine Fang, not knowing there’s Madam as the proper master. She wants to use the opportunity of establishing rules for Concubine Fang to establish Madam’s authority.”

Ren Yaoqi, not wanting to argue with Ren Yaohua, nodded, “The idea isn’t wrong, but the timing is.”

“Oh? How is it wrong?” Ren Yaohua raised an eyebrow, speaking coldly.

Ren Yaoqi said seriously, “Didn’t I ask Third Sister earlier how you planned to make Concubine Fang pay? Before you left the household, you did indeed make her pay several times, making her suffer losses with nowhere to complain. But have you thought about why you could make her pay and leave her helpless?”

Ren Yaohua remained silent, but Xi’er said, “Of course it’s because our Third Miss is more favored by Old Madam than Concubine Fang! With Old Madam backing her, Concubine Fang naturally wouldn’t dare be insolent toward Third Miss.”

Old Madam Ren didn’t like Li Shi, but she treated her granddaughter Ren Yaohua quite well.

When Ren Yaohua had pushed Ren Yihong into the water, Old Madam also believed she acted from youthful impetuosity and accident, not deliberately attempting to harm her stepbrother’s life, and had spoken well of her to Old Master Ren.

“Concubine Fang knows this, too. So if one day Old Madam no longer stands on Third Sister’s side, what then?”

“How is that possible? Old Madam has always doted on Third Miss. Even while we were at the estate, she sent food to Third Miss.” Que’er quickly shook her head.

Ren Yaohua and Nanny Zhou, however, remained silent.

Old Madam didn’t lack a younger generation to please her. Currently in the Ren family, it was Eldest Madam’s legitimate daughter Fourth Miss Ren Yaoyin and Fifth Madam’s legitimate daughter Ren Yaoyu who were most favored, often kept overnight by Old Madam in the East Warm Pavilion of Ronghua Garden.

Today, when Ren Yaohua and Li Shi went to pay respects to Old Madam, though Old Madam was very pleased to see Ren Yaohua, when Ren Yaohua pleaded for Li Shi, she was coldly scolded.

Previously in the Ren family, Old Madam Ren never spoke a harsh word to Ren Yaohua. Whenever Old Madam made things difficult for Li Shi, with Ren Yaohua there to smooth things over, Old Madam would give her granddaughter some face.

“So Third Sister’s most important task now isn’t thinking of ways to cause trouble for Concubine Fang, making your reputation for being harsh and domineering deliberately spread until everyone knows it. Rather, you should work hard to consolidate your position with Old Madam. As long as you remain Old Madam’s most favored granddaughter, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to discipline Concubine Fang in the future.” Ren Yaoqi pointed out calmly and objectively.

No one noticed that within this calmness flowed a coldness toward Old Madam Ren, as if in her heart, Old Madam Ren was merely a tool for establishing oneself in the inner quarters – something with utility value, rather than her legitimate grandmother.

“Third Miss, Fifth Miss speaks reasonably.” Nanny Zhou pondered Ren Yaoqi’s words, becoming more alarmed the more she thought about them.

Concubine Fang first eliminated the old people Li Shi had left in Ziwei Courtyard – this could cut off Li Shi’s connections with the Ren family’s main residence and deepen the estrangement between Ren Yaoqi, Li Shi, and Ren Yaohua. Second, it cleared space for the people she would arrange to bring into Ziwei Courtyard next.

By doing this, when Ren Yaohua returned home, she would certainly fly into a rage, and then her follow-up move would come.

Making Ren Yaohua completely lose Old Madam Ren’s favor and offend the masters and servants throughout the Ren household, falling into isolation – this was her ultimate goal.

Ren Yaohua now understood as well, feeling stifled inside. She wanted to mockingly ask Ren Yaoqi, “If I lose grandmother’s favor, wouldn’t that suit your wishes perfectly?”

But meeting Ren Yaoqi’s calm eyes, she swallowed those words.

Though Ren Yaohua showed no clear response, Nanny Zhou understood her well and knew she had listened. She smiled at Ren Yaoqi with great relief, “Fifth Miss has truly grown up. Even Madam and this old servant never thought of these things.”

Ren Yaoqi lowered her eyes without speaking. In her previous life, she had studied under Pei Zhiyan, who came from an imperial tutor background. These inner quarters’ twists and turns now seemed to her like lifting the curtain and control platform of a shadow puppet show – all those dense control strings manipulating the puppets’ every gesture were visible to her.