Song Wan frowned. “Did no one tell Lin Jiayue about Foolish Sister’s background?”

Xiang Cao shook her head. “Miss, you don’t know—the estate has completely descended into chaos now. Concubine Lin has the servants below implementing that wretched rotation system. Everyone is fighting tooth and nail for the lucrative positions in the kitchen and storerooms. Who still has time to advise her about anything?”

“Everyone hopes the estate becomes even more chaotic. After all, no one can trace which hands the shortages occurred under. This servant heard from Si’er that things go missing daily below, yet the account numbers keep multiplying. Now with all the rotations back and forth, who knows where the problem originated. Even if an immortal descended, they couldn’t untangle this vexing mess of accounts.”

Song Wan’s eyes darkened slightly. After pondering a moment, she said, “Have Matron Lang find a tooth broker to inquire. If they locate Foolish Sister, buy her back and send her to one of my dowry estates.”

“A loyal servant’s descendant should not receive such treatment.”

Xiang Cao nodded and turned to handle it.

“Heng Zhi, go find some emetic powder to have on hand. Also tell the servants to notify me immediately when the Marquis returns to the estate.”

Song Wan gripped her handkerchief as she stood before Longxiang Retreat’s carved window, her heart increasingly finding current days dull and tasteless. In the past she most detested handling such petty, trivial matters, yet now she constantly dealt with them—truly vexing.

“When do the steward matrons report estate matters to Lin Jiayue?”

“Probably tomorrow at the hour of the snake.”

Song Wan nodded, sat back down on the prayer cushion, and resumed chanting sutras.

The next day at the first quarter of the snake hour, Song Wan led Heng Zhi and Heng Wu to Xiuyan Pavilion.

Seven or eight matrons crowded inside Xiuyan Pavilion. Some held melon seeds in their hands, some ate pastries, others spat out tea leaves. Most outrageous was an unfamiliar-faced matron standing by the door, picking her teeth with something.

The group chattered incessantly, their noise causing Song Wan to furrow her brow.

“First Madam.”

Seeing Song Wan, several matrons abruptly stood. Melon seeds in their hands scattered and spilled everywhere in a filthy, chaotic mess.

“Where is Concubine Lin?”

A matron said, “Concubine Lin went to the small kitchen to make us iced cheese. She said eating it dispels heat, and with calm hearts and smooth qi, we can accomplish twice the work with half the effort.”

Song Wan lowered her eyes, seeing the filth covering the floor, and retreated two steps.

Seeing this, Heng Zhi spoke up. “Do you still have any semblance of servants? Though Concubine Lin is but a concubine, she currently manages the household and can be considered half your master. This current confusion of high and low, this undistinguished master-servant absurd behavior—who taught you this?”

“I told them to do this. Do you have an objection?”

Lin Jiayue and Qian Bi carried a large lacquered tray holding several bowls of iced cheese.

She had just entered when she heard Heng Zhi scolding those steward matrons.

“I instructed them to do so. We’re all people—why distinguish between high and low? Just because you’re willing to kneel daily serving others doesn’t mean everyone else is. In my Xiuyan Pavilion, there’s no rule requiring people to speak or work while kneeling.”

She most detested that air of noble arrogance on Song Wan.

“Servants are also people, merely hired help. Why torment them to death?”

“What nonsense are you…”

Song Wan raised her hand and Heng Zhi fell silent, retreating to the side without another word.

She had no patience for Lin Jiayue’s useless arguments. She came today with only one purpose.

“I heard you’ve sold quite a few servants?”

“So what if I have? Do you know the Marquis Estate doesn’t need this many people at all?”

Song Wan said, “Since the founding of the dynasty, the Chengyang Marquis Estate has been passed down for a hundred years. The estate has never had a precedent for selling servants. Are you aware?”

Lin Jiayue laughed coldly. “Then this precedent begins with me. What will you do about it?”

Seeing Song Wan’s indifferent expression, unsmiling, Lin Jiayue sneered. “You’re not the one bearing the Marquis Estate’s expenses. Of course you can make lofty pronouncements without effort. With so many people in the Marquis Estate, if we don’t reduce a batch, won’t we be dragged down alive?”

Lin Jiayue actually thought she was supporting the entire Marquis Estate? Based on what—those two so-called profitable shops of hers?

For a moment Song Wan found it rather amusing. Though she previously knew this person was arrogant and conceited, she hadn’t known she would be conceited to this degree.

But none of this concerned her.

“I’m only here to tell you that estate servants cannot be sold. Since the Marquis Estate has no such precedent, absolutely no rule may be broken when it reaches you.”

“By what right do you say these things to me?”

“By right of being the Chengyang Marquis’s wife.”

Lin Jiayue smiled coldly and pulled Mother Jiang’s authority token from her bosom, throwing it on the table. She wanted to say more, but heard Song Wan say, “You would use filial piety to pressure me?”

Having said this, she turned and left.

What she wanted was only this one sentence. Having achieved her purpose, there was no need to continue entangling.

Song Wan came inexplicably and left suddenly. Lin Jiayue frowned, could only convince herself the other party was ashamed into anger and couldn’t hold on any longer.

“No need to mind her. Everyone eat first. After eating we’ll discuss serious matters.”

Several matrons exchanged glances nervously. Just now suddenly seeing Song Wan, they nearly broke into cold sweat from fright. But seeing First Madam clearly had no intention of managing affairs, they each bloomed with joy in their hearts.

“Concubine Lin is so magnanimous. Now in the entire Marquis Estate no one speaks a word against you.”

“Indeed, indeed. We servants—when have we ever had such dignity before a master? In other courtyards we couldn’t even sit on a small stool.”

Everyone flattered Lin Jiayue, but Lin Jiayue only pursed her lips silently, watching Song Wan’s retreating back.

Walking back to Lanting Courtyard, Song Wan said, “Tomorrow find an estate physician to take my pulse. Say that after I was pressured by Lin Jiayue with filial piety at Xiuyan Pavilion, I fell gravely ill.”

“This servant understands.”

From then on Song Wan hid away in leisure under the pretext of recuperating. Until Jiang Xingjian finished his business at Shanglin Park’s stud farm, she never again saw anyone from the estate.

Jiang Xingjian didn’t yet know the Marquis Estate had been turned upside down. He had just controlled the epidemic at the Imperial Stud Bureau and went to court to report on his work. Having just left court, someone sidled up to him.

“The Marquis is truly blessed with beauties, but really doesn’t understand how to cherish fragrant jade, wasting away Madam’s youth.”

“What do you mean by that, Minister Yu?”

Jiang Xingjian’s expression turned ugly, extremely displeasing that someone would mention Song Wan in such a mocking tone.

That person laughed lightly and strode away.

While Jiang Xingjian was still puzzled, Grand Secretary Sun from the Eastern Pavilion stepped forward. “Does the Marquis have time today?”

“I wonder what instructions Minister Sun has?”

“Previously my humble wife discussed my young daughter’s marriage prospects with the Marquis’s wife. Though our two households haven’t settled matters, I think this affair shouldn’t be dragged out further. Whether it succeeds or not, there should be a conclusion.”

Jiang Xingjian said, “Naturally so.”

“Rather than another day, why not today? My wife is currently in the carriage. How about I invite her to visit your estate together to meet Second Master Yan?”

Jiang Xingjian paused slightly, unsure why the Sun family was suddenly so urgent they couldn’t even wait to send a formal invitation card and choose an auspicious day. But the Marquis Estate had already lost the marriage alliance with the Lan family—they absolutely could not lose this marriage connection with the Sun family.

After brief consideration, Jiang Xingjian nodded and quite readily agreed.

Minister Sun raised his eyebrows, giving him a meaningful look, then nimbly mounted his own carriage.