Huai Su said: “I also don’t like her, but what can be done when the Marquis favors her?”

She had served at Jiang Xingjian’s side since childhood and understood him well. She didn’t believe Jiang Xingjian would like someone like Lin Jiayue, yet now he was deeply infatuated with her. Huai Su always felt there was something suspicious about this.

“I suspect Concubine Lin used some kind of seductive methods to bewitch the Marquis, causing him to forget the First Madam he thought about day and night.”

“You also know that since Concubine Lin entered the manor, how much trouble has she caused? Continuing to stay by the Marquis’s side will only drag him down.”

Huai Su undid her hair and placed the hairpin from her head into her cosmetics box.

Her cosmetics box was sparse and scattered, without many valuable items. Previously when serving in Old Madam’s chambers, she had received quite a few rewards, but since being bestowed to Jiang Xingjian by Old Madam Jiang, her finances had become much tighter.

During the six years Jiang Xingjian was away, she was no different from Song Wan—one openly keeping her widowhood, the other doing so in secret.

Recently, playing cards daily with Mother Jiang and Lin Jiayue, she had lost quite a bit of silver. Now she was already stretched thin financially.

Shizhu didn’t understand: “Since elder sister also knows that Concubine Lin has been dragging down the master, why do you still support her managing the household?”

“I’m not supporting her. I’m trusting the First Madam.”

Huai Su closed her cosmetics box and said softly: “You grew up in the manor. Though you didn’t have much contact with the First Madam, we at least all lived in the same courtyard before. What kind of person do you think the First Madam is?”

“The First Madam is intelligent, and her temperament is good. In the past, I always felt the First Madam was the most kind and gentle person under heaven.”

“You’re not wrong.”

Huai Su’s tone dropped slightly: “The First Madam is indeed an extremely clever person, so how could she allow someone as coarse and stupid as Concubine Lin to jump up and down in the Marquis Manor and even covet household management?”

“But since she’s done so, it means the First Madam has her own calculations in mind.”

“What calculations?”

Huai Su said: “Killing with praise, I suppose.”

“Let her seize power and manage the household, then cause some catastrophic incident—then this person can be properly driven from the manor. If we don’t do this, with Concubine Lin relying on Imperial Consort’s influence and the Marquis’s favor, who knows how long she’ll continue to be so arrogant.”

“No wonder. I also found it strange—the First Madam is a young lady from the Song family. How could she be ridden over by Concubine Lin?”

Shizhu lowered her voice: “Elder sister, now that you’ve explained it this way, I understand.”

“The Marquis has adhered to the way of a gentleman since childhood, but after meeting Concubine Lin, he eloped with her without a matchmaker, ruining his reputation. Such a person absolutely cannot be allowed to remain in the manor.”

Huai Su sat on the bed, hugging a soft pillow and murmuring: “Only someone as celestial as the First Madam is worthy of the Marquis. What is Concubine Lin? Only if the Marquis loves the First Madam devotedly can he receive assistance from the Song Manor. Otherwise, in the future, this marriage alliance won’t succeed and instead, because of Concubine Lin, he’ll earn the Song Manor’s resentment, which would be detrimental to the Marquis’s future prospects.”

“So I must think of a way to help the First Madam’s plan succeed as soon as possible, and drive that troublemaker out.”

Shizhu grasped Huai Su’s hand, nodding repeatedly: “Elder sister speaks reasonably. Is there anywhere younger sister can help?”

“There actually is one thing.”

Huai Su whispered a few words in her ear, and only then did the two go to remove their makeup and undo their hair to prepare for bed.

The next day at noon, Huai Su came to find Lin Jiayue carrying a rosewood box.

“Concubine Lin…”

“You’re looking for me about something?”

Though she lived in the same courtyard as Huai Su, the two didn’t usually have much of a relationship. Lin Jiayue was quite surprised that she had come to her door today.

“There is something, actually.”

Huai Su’s face reddened slightly: “I know Concubine Lin has a good head for making money and quite a few methods and connections, so I was wondering if you might be able to help me out, let me also earn a tael or two of silver to loosen my finances.”

Pushing the rosewood box in her hands before Lin Jiayue, Huai Su continued: “These are my principal funds. Though it’s meager, it’s already most of my family fortune.”

“Have you been losing a lot lately?”

Thinking of how she’d been finding ways to please Mother Jiang these past few days, incidentally causing Huai Su to lose quite a bit of silver, Lin Jiayue felt somewhat apologetic.

After thinking, she pulled out a purse from under her pillow and grabbed a handful of golden beans from it, placing them on the table.

“Take these. I don’t want your things.”

Huai Su gently pushed them back: “I cannot accept Concubine Lin’s things for no reason.”

“You don’t have silver and I do—I’ll give you some, isn’t that settled? Why push back and forth?”

After speaking, Lin Jiayue grabbed the golden beans on the table and forcefully stuffed them into Huai Su’s hands.

Huai Su looked slightly troubled and sighed softly: “Since it’s like this, I won’t be polite with Concubine Lin. My finances are indeed quite tight.”

“I know. This morning Qinghong saw the young maid at your side secretly looking for an old woman, saying she wanted to pawn things.”

Seeing Huai Su look somewhat embarrassed, Lin Jiayue smiled generously: “We all live in the same courtyard. If you have any difficulties, just speak up. No need to hide and conceal.”

“Being able to receive Concubine Lin’s help is already very embarrassing. I really have no other matters to trouble you with.”

Huai Su spoke gently and softly. After saying this, she paused slightly: “Concubine Lin has a forthright nature and a magnanimous heart. In the Marquis Manor, having a broad mind has its advantages, but sometimes you inevitably suffer losses from being too broad-minded.”

“That’s the truth.”

Understanding that Huai Su didn’t want to owe her a favor and seemed to want to give her some guidance, Lin Jiayue leaned on the table in a listening posture.

“Madam values Concubine Lin highly. It’s just that in daily life, Concubine’s temperament is carefree and her conduct unrestrained, which worries Madam somewhat. If Concubine Lin could be a bit more steady, she would surely have great fortune in the future.”

“I don’t know what you mean by this unrestrained conduct—what exactly does it refer to?”

Huai Su smiled gently: “The First Madam’s way of dealing with people is a model among married women. Regardless of whom she faces, she’s always neither distant nor close, neither cold nor intimate. In the past, we servants could never tell who had won her heart or who had earned her displeasure. Over time, the servants couldn’t figure out her temperament, so naturally they didn’t dare act presumptuously before her.”

“Counting carefully, the Marquis Manor has only dozens in the master generation, but there are over a thousand servants. Therefore, sometimes it’s better to offend the masters than to offend the servants.”

Lin Jiayue frowned: “When have I offended the servants?”

Huai Su pressed her lips together, then called a young maid from the courtyard to fetch some things from the storage room. After the young maid returned, Huai Su spoke in a gentle tone: “Thank you for making the trip. Why not sit by the door for a bit? I’ll have Shizhu prepare a bowl of tea for you.”

The young maid smiled back: “This servant won’t partake. Xingzao’s mother came to see her in the front courtyard and brought quite a few sour cakes. This servant was thinking of going to have a piece.”

“How thoughtful of you—we’ve actually delayed your sisterly gathering.”

Taking out a small piece of broken silver from her sleeve, Huai Su smiled: “Take this to buy some pastries with your little sisters, so everyone can be happy together.”

Lin Jiayue watched as that young maid went from showing unwillingness in her eyes before running the errand to now being overjoyed, and her brows furrowed slightly.

Seeing this, Huai Su said: “There’s a proper way to handle subordinates. Considerate words, tea and wine hospitality, and gold and silver rewards—all are indispensable. Only in this way can you firmly grasp people’s hearts and make them work for Concubine Lin.”

Lin Jiayue had wanted to say that it was just asking a servant to run an errand—was it really necessary to go through such trouble? But in a daze, she suddenly thought that Song Wan seemed to be just like this, often hearing her or the maids beside her telling those women and girls to get wine to drink, buy sweets to eat, or buy some melons, fruits, and pastries.

Seeing that she had taken it to heart, Huai Su pressed her lips and withdrew.

Lin Jiayue lay on the table pondering for a long while, then called Qianbi over to ask: “How do you think I treat you?”

“This servant feels there is no better master than Concubine.”

She had also heard Huai Su’s words just now. After thinking, Qianbi said: “However, Sister Huai Su was right. The other masters in the manor all treat subordinates this way. The Marquis Manor is magnanimous and treats us all very well.”

“This servant thinks Sister Huai Su also had good intentions in giving Concubine this guidance.”

Lin Jiayue let out a scoffing laugh: “Her words make sense, but it’s not necessarily out of good intentions. I think it’s more like she wants me to quickly seize the manor’s authority and hurry up to focus on dealing with Song Wan.”

“I’ve played this trick of using a borrowed knife to kill while sitting back as the fisherman so many times it’s worn out.”