A rider furiously galloped past, leaving only a trail of fragrant wind. One of the two pursuers briefly greeted Mudan and her group before continuing the chase.
“Aunt, did you recognize that person?” Rong Niang asked curiously.
Mudan shook her head. “He looked somewhat familiar. Probably someone from the Jiang family estate who’s visited our place before. I don’t know the others.”
Feng Da Niang remarked, “That young master on the purple horse seemed quite agitated. Riding so recklessly could drive the horse mad. If they encounter any obstacles, it could end badly.”
Ying Niang added, “I’ve seen how precious Uncle Jiang and Manager Wu consider that purple horse. I wonder who this rider is, treating it so carelessly.”
Moments later, three or four well-dressed men on horseback arrived, scanning the area. One of them, a bearded fat man missing half an ear, rudely approached Mudan. “Did a young master on horseback pass by? Which way did he go?” He stared fixedly at Mudan’s face as he spoke.
Though disgusted by his lack of manners, Mudan considered that these men were likely from Jiang Changyang’s estate and riding his prized horse. If anything happened, the horse could be in trouble. She signaled Feng Da Niang to answer.
Feng Da Niang pointed with her whip. “He went that way.”
Without a word of thanks, the man signaled his companions and they galloped off in pursuit.
Shu’er spat. “What uncouth brutes! Utterly lacking in manners.”
Mudan replied, “There are all sorts of people in this world. Why bother with them? Let’s focus on our journey.”
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they heard someone calling Feng Da Niang’s name. It was Wu San, leading four or five servants on horseback. He too inquired about the young master’s whereabouts.
Learning that others were already in pursuit, Wu San slowed his pace and asked Mudan with a smile, “Miss He, are you heading back to the city? I suppose you’ll be staying there for a while this time?”
Mudan smiled back. “My father and brothers are going on a long journey. I’ll be accompanying them for a few days.”
Wu San frowned slightly. “Are they perhaps going to sea? Have they set a date for departure?”
Before Mudan could respond, Rong Niang quickly interjected, “It’s the 26th of this month.”
Wu San pondered for a moment before taking his leave. “That young master earlier is the second son of Duke Zhu. He’s a guest here with the Duke. It wouldn’t be good if anything happened to him. I should catch up and check on the situation. Safe travels, Miss He.”
“Don’t worry about us. Go ahead,” Mudan replied, now understanding that the rider was Jiang Changyang’s half-brother – not an easy person to deal with. Duke Zhu’s presence at Jiang’s estate was likely related to Madam Wang’s remarriage. She wondered what demands he might make of Jiang Changyang. Recalling Qiu Shi’s words, Mudan sighed softly and urged her horse forward.
They reached Xuanping Ward near noon. As they entered, Li Shi approached Rui Niang, smiling. “Speak of the devil! Your parents were just saying if you didn’t return today, they’d send someone to fetch you tomorrow. How fortunate you’ve arrived!”
Mudan asked in surprise, “Father didn’t go to the shop?”
Li Shi explained, “We have a guest today. Except for your fourth and sixth brothers who went to the shop, everyone else stayed home.”
“Who is it?” Rong Niang asked curiously.
Bai Shi, leading several maids carrying fruits and tea, answered with a smile, “It’s Lu Wulang.”
Mudan thought to herself that people like Madam Duan would naturally be welcome acquaintances for He Zhizhong and the others. Since both parties were interested, such hospitality was normal. She didn’t dwell on it, only asking, “Is there any news of Qin Sanniang?”
Bai Shi lowered her voice, “There seems to be a lead. Father had people inquire around the West Market. Someone recognized one of the attendants who left with Qin Sanniang as being from Prince Jing’s household. The others were unfamiliar. We’re just not sure if she’s connected to Prince Jing’s household.”
Prince Jing? The name sounded familiar. After a moment’s thought, Mudan remembered this was the supposedly unremarkable nobleman Jiang Changyang had mentioned, known for employing many skilled gardeners. If Qin Sanniang truly had connections to Prince Jing’s household, how did she establish such a relationship? And what role did she play there? Mudan shook her head slightly, marveling at life’s unpredictability.
Meanwhile, Bai Shi and Li Shi exchanged glances before Li Shi spoke, “A couple of days ago, the Li father and son came to apologize.”
Mudan paused before asking, “What did they say?”
Li Shi smiled, “What else could they say? They came with good intentions to apologize. How could your father and mother turn them away? We treated them as relatives, had them stay for food and drink, and saw them off happily. We even arranged for them to come on the 26th to see off your father and brothers. Cousin Li said that Prince Ning learned about the incident with Concubine Meng, angrily rebuked her, and demoted her to a sixth-rank consort, restricting her freedom within the household. Many servants were also punished.”
Mudan found this surprising. “That punishment seems quite severe.” She recalled Madam Bai mentioning that the matter could be dealt with lightly or severely, depending on Prince Ning’s attitude. It seemed Princess Fen’s words had come true – the harshest punishment was applied. However, the large-scale punishment of servants certainly wasn’t just for her sake.
Bai Shi smiled, “It’s killing two birds with one stone, punishing multiple offenses at once. Cousin Li naturally wouldn’t give us the details, but someone like her probably hasn’t committed just this one misdeed. As for the other servants, in my opinion, it was high time they were disciplined. If a mere estate manager dares to act so presumptuously, imagine what others might do.”
The mention of Manager Deng reminded Mudan of Li Xing’s comment about the incident involving affairs between noble families. She briefly wondered if this might be a similar situation, with Prince Ning using the opportunity to remove certain people. But the affairs of Prince Ning’s household and the Li family now seemed as distant to her as heaven and earth, so Mudan quickly dismissed these thoughts.
Entering the inner courtyard, they greeted Madam Cen. After some casual conversation, Mudan briefly described the situation at Fang Garden, expressing her desire to select a few clever, capable, responsible, and upright servants to learn from Gardener Li about tending to flowers and trees.
Madam Cen replied, “That’s no problem at all. We can send some house-born servants. Several people recently told me their sons have grown up and are looking for work. Later, have your eldest sister-in-law bring the register, and you can choose from them. If you need more, we can buy some.”
As soon as Madam Cen finished speaking, Zhen Shi chimed in, “Dan Niang, my maid Pan Wu has two sons, aged seven and nine. They’re bright and clean-handed – perfect for you to take along.”
With this opening, Bai Shi, Sun Shi, and the others also showed interest. They all thought the work at Fang Garden would be easy, and with wealthy customers coming in spring, clever servants could earn generous tips. Being house-born servants from their own families, they might even become managers. Best of all, if Fang Garden proved profitable, servants who learned valuable skills could potentially find lucrative opportunities in the future. Thus, everyone was eager to place their people there.
Mudan had anticipated this situation and had already prepared a strategy. She readily agreed to each suggestion. Seeing her accept without hesitation, others began to speak up. Some weren’t even from the He family, and someone even asked Mudan if Fang Garden had a general manager position available. The number of suggested servants quickly rose to over a dozen, with more likely to follow.
Madam Cen looked at Mudan with concern. “Can you use so many people?” This was no longer about Mudan selecting people, but others choosing for her. Could these people be useful? Without holding their contracts, what if someone pulled the rug out from under her later? Madam Cen couldn’t say this in front of her self-interested daughters-in-law, so she could only indirectly remind Mudan.
Mudan smiled, “Fang Garden is so large, of course, we can use them all. I can afford to buy many more, and I can support them too. But I’m worried that they might not agree. After all, Fang Garden isn’t like the city – it’s lonely and austere, far from the bustling world. They’d have to dig soil, carry water, fertilize, and weed. At best, they might become managers of flower and tree care. How can that compare to working in a city shop, where they can learn skills and have better prospects? I was worried about not having enough people to go with me, so I’m grateful for your recommendations, sisters-in-law.”
Zhen Shi’s eyes widened. “What do you mean by ‘buy’?”
Mudan looked at her with a matter-of-fact expression. “Gardener Li told me he’s willing to teach apprentices, but they must be bound to me by permanent contracts. Otherwise, he won’t teach them. The old man is stubborn and temperamental, often expecting me to follow his lead. If I don’t, he threatens to quit. But he has such excellent skills that we can’t do without him. Moreover, the few gardeners I recently hired aren’t very obedient because they only signed short-term contracts. So I’ve decided that from now on, anyone entering Fang Garden to plant peonies must be under a permanent contract. Lastly, I can’t in good conscience use people from our family and you, sisters-in-law, without paying. As the saying goes, ‘Even between brothers, accounts must be kept clear.’ The payment is necessary.”
Zhen Shi had originally intended to simply lend her people to Mudan while keeping their contracts. Hearing Mudan’s explanation, she became reluctant and forced a laugh. “Dan Niang makes a good point. We should ask their parents first to avoid any accusations of separating families.”
“Exactly,” Mudan nodded, taking a sip of tea before asking Bai Shi, Sun Shi, and the others, “Do you sisters-in-law also want to ask first?”
Bai Shi and Sun Shi exchanged glances before smiling. “Of course, we need to ask. We’ll let you know after we’ve asked.”
Mudan smiled slightly, knowing this matter was essentially settled and that no one would casually interfere again. She wasn’t overly protective – after all, if others wanted to learn peony cultivation, they could hire craftsmen if they had the money. These young gardeners weren’t irreplaceable; she’d be grateful if even one out of ten turned out to be exceptional. However, she needed her subordinates to be of one mind with her, prioritizing her orders and interests. A mismatched group with various masters and interests would inevitably affect the overall situation.