After returning from the Lan household, Jiang Jing fell ill and could not rise from her bed.

Song Wan had Heng Wu send over medicine and food several times. After consulting with the physician and learning there was no serious issue, she paid no further attention. Some matters Jiang Jing would need to come to terms with herself.

Lin Jiayue had been quiet for several days before Song Wan discovered the purpose of that thin sheet of paper she had given to the matrons of each courtyard.

“I heard five or six people have already been sold, and several others have been expelled from the estate.”

Heng Zhi furrowed her brow, her face full of worry. “Miss, in the Marquis Estate’s hundred-year history, there has never been a precedent for selling servants. And now Concubine Lin has created some sort of rotation system, causing so many people to not know what they should be doing. According to Matron Liang, chaos has erupted below, though the masters of each courtyard don’t yet know.”

“Selling servants?”

Song Wan’s brow furrowed tightly, her tone puzzled.

For scholarly clans like the Song and Jiang families, unless their ancestral foundation was completely exhausted, they would absolutely never sell family servants who had served the household’s masters for several generations.

“Does Madam know about Lin Jiayue’s actions?”

“She probably doesn’t.”

Heng Zhi replied, “Madam gave her the authority token. Now she’s using Madam’s token to exploit her power, and those servants have no choice but to obey. Moreover, selling servants isn’t accomplished in a single day. That thin sheet of paper Concubine Lin distributed earlier was used to evaluate people as superior or inferior. Servants rated as inferior would be sold.”

“Those steward matrons have many conflicts. Now, to eliminate rivals, every one of them has gone mad with killing intent.”

“People below live in constant fear. Those stewards are busy installing their own people. With all this back and forth, chaos appears frequently. Since Concubine Lin isn’t convenient to go around everywhere, she can only let those matrons deceive her.”

“According to Si’er from the laundry house, even the lowest menial matrons and little maids have now turned vicious in desperation. They don’t dare make trouble openly, but secretly they’re using every dirty, chaotic trick.”

Song Wan lowered her eyes, frowning in thought.

Great aristocratic families never sold their servants—certainly there was the reason of demonstrating their magnanimous family tradition, but more importantly, these people could not be moved and must not be moved.

Even the noble houses descended from the prosperous and flourishing realm had some shadowy matters that could not be spoken of. If it involved official families, above there was imperial scrutiny, below there were rival factions watching like tigers eyeing prey—they absolutely could not act rashly. Moreover, though Jiang Fei’s temperament could not be called domineering, “flamboyant” was insufficient to describe it. With such a disposition, who knew how many consorts she had offended? And there was the Fifth Prince serving as a target…

If someone with ill intent got hold of servants from the Marquis Estate and fabricated one or two empty frameworks or scandalous tales, that would truly bring great disaster.

In that brief instant, Song Wan thought of many things.

A moment later, she murmured, “I originally thought she would stir up some storm, but I never expected she would always strike at the root, each time seizing vital points.”

“Miss, if Concubine Lin continues going mad like this, she will certainly implicate you.”

Song Wan said, “From the day I married into the Marquis Estate, regardless of my wishes, I must share the estate’s fate—the estate’s glory is my glory, the estate’s loss is my loss. How can there be talk of implication or not?”

“Moreover, when I pushed the housekeeping authority to Lin Jiayue, I anticipated today would come. I simply didn’t calculate it would arrive so quickly, so unexpectedly.”

Somewhat vexed, propping her chin, Song Wan frowned, contemplating what move to make next.

Originally she had considered some countermeasures, but Lin Jiayue’s unexpected move was truly breathtaking.

If she weren’t the Marquis Estate’s principal wife, she would surely applaud and praise it.

“No, nothing can be done.”

Song Wan’s tone carried faint distaste. “Heng Zhi, tomorrow spread word about why the Marquis has been keeping vigil at the Earl of Jinxiang’s estate for half a month, and that Madam gave the authority token to Concubine Lin, letting her have full control of household management.”

“Additionally, say that Old Madam’s serious illness hasn’t recovered, my heart is troubled, so I’ve decided from today to move into the small Buddhist hall to observe abstinence for half a month, praying for Old Madam’s blessings.”

“Heng Wu, go clean out Longxiang Retreat. Tonight you’ll all move in there with me. As for Lanting Courtyard’s main residence…”

“Seal it up. Pay attention to no one.”

If she couldn’t provoke them, she could at least hide from them.

Lin Jiayue committed errors first, Mother Jiang gave the authority token after. With the Marquis Estate handling matters this way while she secluded herself in a corner managing nothing, the world would only say she couldn’t bear the humiliation and withdrew miserably from the world. Though it sounded rather pathetic, when those people gossiped they would grant three parts tolerance, not to the point of implicating the Song family daughters’ reputations.

She no longer cared about her own reputation. As long as she didn’t drag down her father, brothers, and aunt, as well as the young ladies of her clan, that was enough.

After Song Wan finished speaking, she busied herself having Nanny Zhao and Heng Wu and others move into Longxiang Retreat. After entering, she instructed them to receive no one from the estate.

For the next several days she truly devoted herself to copying Buddhist sutras, praying to Buddha for blessings for Old Madam.

Concubine Zhou came begging many times but Song Wan wouldn’t see her. Having no other option, she could only go find Lin Jiayue to inquire about what sort of person that Young Master Chen was.

Lin Jiayue gave her assurance that Young Master Chen was gentle and refined, absolutely not an idle wastrel of a pampered young master. Though Concubine Zhou still worried in her heart, she ultimately had no other recourse and could only agree to this marriage.

When Song Wan learned of this news, she only sighed that if Jiang Jing proved strong in the future, she might not be unable to live a good life, then let the matter pass without further mention.

She hid in Longxiang Retreat for over ten days. Old Madam Jiang was conscious less and less frequently. Mother Jiang, worried that servants couldn’t care for her properly, kept vigil day and night at Fuhe Hall without removing her clothes, fearing something might happen.

Now three generations of principal mistresses—one seriously ill, one constantly tending the patient, one avoiding the world and receiving no one—the entire Marquis Estate had truly become Lin Jiayue’s domain. Daily she was busy beyond measure, dismissing servants, selling them off. In just half a month, nearly a hundred people had been reduced.

Song Wan idly read the “Platform Sutra” while Heng Zhi helped her brew tea and grind ink at her side. Combined with the cicada calls outside the window, it was quite pleasant.

Xiang Cao rushed through the door carrying a bowl of iced lily and lotus seed soup. Having just set it down, she said with an anxious face, “Miss, the estate has completely descended into chaos.”

“Among the servants sold yesterday, one was actually Nanny You’s granddaughter.”

For a moment Song Wan couldn’t recall who this Nanny You was, so she casually asked.

Xiang Cao lowered her voice. “Nanny You was originally part of Old Madam’s dowry. According to servants in the estate, when the Old Marquis contracted smallpox as a child, Nanny You alone carried the Old Marquis to a rural estate and cared for him inside for a full twenty-seven days.”

“Unfortunately, the Old Marquis recovered, but Nanny You contracted the disease. To avoid bringing the illness back to the Marquis Estate, after sending the Old Marquis out of the estate, she actually set a fire and burned herself along with the estate to nothing.”

“Old Madam, mindful of Nanny You’s kindness, treasured the son she left behind. Nanny You’s son grew up together with the Old Marquis and served the Old Marquis his entire life. Later he went with his wife to follow the Old Marquis to the frontier, and the couple never returned.”

“Nanny You’s son left behind only Foolish Sister. That girl’s mind isn’t quite right—she’s a simpleton.”

“But all these years Old Madam kept supporting her, giving Foolish Sister a job in the main kitchen watching the fish, daily just feeding and caring for the fresh and live fish the estate hadn’t yet slaughtered. Who knew that with all the chaos below now, someone would actually covet this job of feeding and counting fish, and actually incited Concubine Lin to sell Foolish Sister…”