Had she known earlier that Jiang Xingjian would be so sensible and tactful, why would she have bothered drinking that emetic powder tea, making herself endure the churning pain in her stomach?

Song Wan covered her lips, glancing at Jiang Xingjian lying on the couch.

“Miss…”

Heng Zhi stepped forward worriedly. Song Wan waved her hand to indicate she was fine and opened the “Eight Arrays of Ancient Remedies” to study carefully.

Lin Jiayue was very pleased to receive news that Jiang Xingjian had returned to the estate. She hadn’t seen him for an entire month and had been missing him desperately. Even hearing from a matron that the Marquis had flown into a rage upon returning didn’t concern her.

“Most likely the matters at the Imperial Stud Bureau didn’t go smoothly. In a bit, all of you be more observant and don’t provoke him further.”

Changing before the bronze mirror into a silk butterfly-and-flower skirt that made her appear even more fresh and charming, Lin Jiayue asked with a smile, “Where is the Marquis?”

“According to people below, when the Marquis first returned he went to First Madam’s place. This servant saw Cuiwei from the main residence heating water in the kitchen, so presumably he’s resting now.”

“He went to find Song Wan?”

Lin Jiayue clenched her fist, her expression turning ugly as she rushed into Longxiang Retreat.

Inside, Song Wan sat at her writing desk reading while Jiang Xingjian lay on the couch catching up on sleep. Seeing the two quite far apart, only then did Lin Jiayue suppress her anger and walk to his side.

She half-crouched down, gently pushing a few times. “Jiang Yi? Stop sleeping.”

Having knelt at the Earl of Jinxiang’s estate for over ten days, then keeping watch with the plague physicians outside the poultry pens at Shanglin Park’s stud farm for another ten-plus days, Jiang Xingjian felt as if he had lost most of his three souls and seven spirits. Only after Lin Jiayue pushed him for quite some time did he slowly awaken.

Sunlight flooded the room, causing him to squint slightly. “Ah Wan?”

The gentle smile on her face nearly faltered. Lin Jiayue’s lips pressed tightly together, but she could only force herself to smile. “Marquis, it’s Yue’er.”

“Are you tired? Why are you sleeping here? You’re causing others too much trouble.”

As she spoke, she reached out to help him up.

Seeing clearly that the person before him was Lin Jiayue, Jiang Xingjian sat silently on the couch, bent at the waist pressing his forehead for a long while without making a sound.

Song Wan set down her book and said to Heng Zhi and Heng Wu, “The Marquis is unwell. Help Concubine Lin escort the Marquis back to Xiuyan Pavilion.”

Jiang Xingjian raised his head, his eyes obscure and unclear.

“Marquis, this servant will escort you…”

“No need.”

Jiang Xingjian swept his sleeve and left. Lin Jiayue rose and followed, though her heart held some unease.

Upon entering Xiuyan Pavilion, Jiang Xingjian spoke coldly. “All of you leave.”

Lin Jiayue laughed awkwardly. “What’s wrong with you? Did you not rest well?”

Jiang Xingjian said, “Did no one tell you that in the Marquis Estate’s hundred-year history, servants have never been sold? Did you truly not know what consequences selling servants would bring?”

As his words fell, Jiang Xingjian laughed coldly. “You didn’t know. You know nothing, yet you dare to do anything.”

“When I left, I didn’t place the housekeeping authority in your hands. Don’t you understand what that meant?”

“Since entering the Marquis Estate, how many disasters have you caused? Do you still not know restraint? I’ve only been away from the estate for just over a month, and you’ve already created this monumental catastrophe. Can you not be more prudent?”

Lin Jiayue’s face turned ashen. “You want me to be prudent? If I were prudent, who would open the ice shop and rouge shop for the Marquis Estate?”

“Enough.”

Jiang Xingjian’s eyes turned cold. “If you value these shops so highly, I’ll return them to you today. What do you say?”

“What do you mean?”

Lin Jiayue’s eyes reddened, tears instantly sliding down.

“I followed you all the way to the Marquis Estate, willing to become a concubine for you. I thought of every method to open shops and earn money for the Marquis Estate. I sold servants because I saw the Marquis Estate being dragged down until it could barely breathe…”

“I consider you in everything, and now you say you’ll return them to me? Jiang Xingjian, do you have no heart?”

Jiang Xingjian remained silent, his heart in utter turmoil.

“From now on, don’t concern yourself with estate housekeeping matters. Stay properly in the inner chambers and think about that firearms formula—that’s the real business.”

He was already too weary to speak, too weary to teach Lin Jiayue anymore.

Even when he carefully advised her to handle matters cautiously and think more about the Marquis Estate’s thousands of people, in Lin Jiayue’s heart, the most important thing in the world was only herself. As for whether others lived or died, she simply didn’t care at all, much less the Marquis Estate’s reputation or any future.

“Give me the list of servants who were sold. I’ll try to have people search them out.”

Lin Jiayue didn’t understand why he was making such a scene today, nor did she comprehend why the Marquis Estate kept so many useless people for no reason. Already being dragged down to collapse, yet still stubbornly maintaining that wealthy household facade—truly laughable.

Resentfully throwing the list of sold servants at Jiang Xingjian, Lin Jiayue sat on the bed silently shedding tears.

Jiang Xingjian still spoke coldly. “Mother’s authority token.”

“Here, take it back.”

With a slap she threw it on the ground. Veins bulged on Jiang Xingjian’s forehead, but he only clenched his teeth, forcibly enduring as he walked out.

After asking servants, he learned Mother Jiang was at Fuhe Hall. Jiang Xingjian hurried there.

Having just entered Fuhe Hall, before he could even question Mother Jiang about why she had given the housekeeping authority to Lin Jiayue, he heard Mother Jiang cry out, “Yi’er, you’ve finally returned.”

Old Madam Jiang lay on the bed and, hearing this, eagerly raised her head.

“Good child, come let your grandmother look at you.”

Jiang Xingjian stepped forward to support Old Madam Jiang, swallowing all the words in his mouth.

“Grandmother’s health has improved?”

Old Madam Jiang nodded. “Thanks to your mother staying by my side day and night without removing her clothes. With her care I was able to wake. Otherwise, this time I’m afraid…”

“Pah pah pah, what is Old Madam saying?”

Mother Jiang pressed a handkerchief to the corners of her eyes. Her face was waxy yellow, the area beneath her eyes tinged blue, and her cheeks had thinned considerably—clearly she had suffered hardship.

Old Madam Jiang smiled, opening her mouth wearily. “How has the estate been recently? Is there anything wrong? That day at the great banquet, did you follow my words and send Concubine Lin back to Xiuyan Pavilion?”

Mother Jiang laughed awkwardly, turning her gaze away, not daring to look at her.

Jiang Xingjian said, “Naturally we followed Grandmother’s instructions. Everything in the estate is normal. Wan’er has managed things very well.”

“Wan’er is a good child. I can rest assured leaving the Marquis Estate to her. Yi’er, no matter how devoted you are to Concubine Lin, you must not become estranged from Wan’er. A virtuous wife brings blessings to three generations. Wan’er’s character is intelligent and resolute. In the future she will surely be able to help you jointly protect the Marquis Estate for a hundred years.”

Jiang Xingjian lowered his eyes. “Yi’er understands.”

“After this ordeal, my body is far worse than before. Grandmother only hopes… before then, to see my great-grandchild born into the world.”

“Grandmother’s health is sound. Surely nothing will happen. Don’t speak nonsense.”

Old Madam Jiang laughed. “You actually dare tease your grandmother now.”

The old lady’s body had not yet fully recovered. After speaking a few sentences she felt utterly exhausted. Seeing this, Mother Jiang stepped forward with a soft pillow to find a more comfortable position for the old lady.

After Old Madam Jiang fell asleep, Jiang Xingjian pulled Mother Jiang out of the bedchamber. Just as he was about to speak to her about the recent chaos in the estate, he saw Mother Jiang, looking completely worn out, patting her own legs.

Tending the sick was inherently extremely taxing, especially given Mother Jiang’s advanced age.

Jiang Xingjian’s thin lips opened and closed, finally saying, “Mother, return to your courtyard to rest. Today I’ll watch over Grandmother.”

“That won’t do. How can I let you be exhausted? You’ve just finished with your duties—go back to your quarters and rest. With Mother here for Old Madam, you need not expend the slightest thought.”

“…”

Jiang Xingjian exhaled heavily and finally nodded numbly.

Having walked through the estate for quite some time, he finally suppressed the vexation in his heart and went to Lanting Courtyard.

With such a major flaw appearing in the Marquis Estate’s inner chambers, aside from Song Wan, no one could salvage the current decline. Moreover, regarding the Marquis Estate’s reputation in the capital and the matter of selling servants, only she had the ability to handle it flawlessly.