When the First Madam returned to her Fuan Courtyard, she said not a word, just sat down to drink tea, her face iron-gray from beginning to end.

“That dead girl Li Weiyang is getting bolder and bolder! She actually dared to contradict Mother to her face!” Li Changxi couldn’t help saying, still thinking of it with hatred.

The First Madam raised her eyelids, glanced at her, turned down the corners of her mouth, and said nothing.

“Fifth Sister, how can you speak of Third Sister like that? So improper!” Li Changle frowned. Though she also felt Li Weiyang needed to be taught a lesson, in front of others she still had to maintain the perfect demeanor of the eldest miss.

Li Changxi snorted coldly: “Elder Sister, didn’t Mother also have someone investigate her before? They said she was both stupid and timid. But looking at her now, her words are watertight, and she doesn’t seem timid at all—this doesn’t match what was said about her.”

The First Madam gave her a reproachful glance, then asked: “Changxi, do you have any ideas?”

Changxi looked at the First Madam’s face and gently opened her mouth: “Mother, in this daughter’s view, the maid you sent over should be put to use.”

The First Madam paused for a moment before smiling: “You’re right.”

Li Changxi’s eyes rolled, carrying a trace of coldness: “Although Old Madam protects her now, what if she angers Father? Everyone will certainly remember she’s a disaster born in the second month. At that time…”

She didn’t speak very clearly, only staring at the First Madam with a smiling face.

“You girl, your mind is nimble.” The First Madam’s smile became very deep: “However, it is indeed a good idea.”

Li Changxi immediately beamed with joy, scooting over to curry favor: “Mother, today you rewarded that girl with a pair of bracelets!”

The First Madam smiled slightly and ordered Nanny Lin at her side to fetch a pair of jade flying phoenix hairpins and hand them to Li Changxi: “One for you, one to give to your fourth sister.”

Fourth Sister hadn’t put in any effort at all! Li Changxi had always looked down on this wooden older sister and decided in her heart to simply keep both hairpins, then thanked the First Madam.

Li Changxi wasn’t too stupid, nor would she be overly clever. The First Madam nodded with satisfaction. She needed Li Changxi to be obedient and to rush to the forefront of everything, doing all the base things for them, so that neither she nor Changle would stain their hands with blood.

After saying a few more idle words, Li Changxi left in high spirits.

“Mother, you’re too affectionate toward her.” Li Changle looked at Li Changxi’s back and said lightly. “If this continues, I fear she won’t know her limits and will become increasingly bold.”

“Silly girl, that’s exactly what I want her to be.” The First Madam smiled coldly: “With the petty one from the second branch, this sharp-tongued fifth one, plus a wooden fourth one, only then can you be set off.”

Li Changle understood very clearly what these words meant. She smiled lightly in agreement, then leaned against the First Madam: “Mother, now isn’t there also a clever and bright Third Sister?”

The First Madam curved her lips: “Weiyang is indeed not stupid, but very soon—she will make a mistake!”

Since Li Weiyang performed her scene before Old Madam, new clothes were delivered in less than a day—four sets each for spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Li Weiyang selected a silver-red scattered flower jacket and skirt with bright colors and soft texture. Touching it, the cotton padding inside the jacket and skirt was thick and solid. Even in winter, it would be warm.

This showed that battle had been fought very successfully!

Li Weiyang sat in her room, drinking hot tea while calculating how to spend the silver Old Madam sent on the sharpest edge. Huamei came in from outside, carrying a pair of embroidered shoes: “Third Miss, this servant saw that the shoes on your feet were old. I also saw Eldest Miss had a pair of shoes embroidered with colorful phoenixes that were very beautiful, so I rushed to embroider a pair for you! Take a look—are they to your liking?”

Li Weiyang glanced and saw this pair of embroidered shoes had bright red satin surfaces with golden colorful phoenixes. The silk thread on them was extremely delicate, very dazzling. Obviously great care had been taken.

Huamei carefully glanced at Li Weiyang and smiled: “Does Miss like them?”

Li Weiyang tried on the shoes in front of her, then showed a brilliant smile, nodding heavily, completely like an innocent young girl receiving a beloved gift.

Huamei immediately breathed a sigh of relief, lowering her head to help Li Weiyang arrange the beads on her shoes, then seemingly casually said: “Now the maids are all saying that Third Miss is truly beautiful and pretty, much better than Fourth Miss and Fifth Miss!”

Knowing to avoid the fairy-like Eldest Miss—this maid wasn’t too stupid. Li Weiyang pretended not to understand and carefully looked at her own shoes.

“This servant entered the household late. I heard from many old matrons that Third Miss resembles Seventh Concubine. Back then, Seventh Concubine was also very handsome!” Huamei really couldn’t restrain herself and said as if unintentionally.

Li Weiyang suddenly raised her eyes. Huamei’s heart jumped at her gaze. She immediately lowered her head and quickly slapped her own mouth: “This servant is bad! This servant spoke too much!”

Who knew Li Weiyang would smile and say: “Huamei, this pair of shoes is truly beautiful!”

Seeing she didn’t show any sign of anger, Huamei immediately breathed a sigh of relief: “As long as Third Miss likes them. Ah, you’re truly too lonely. Not having your birth mother by your side just won’t do. Like Fourth Miss and Fifth Miss—they have Fourth Concubine looking after them. Their days are much better!”

Li Weiyang blinked and deliberately said: “Huamei, what are you saying!”

Huamei observed her expression and said: “This servant heard people say that Seventh Concubine has been getting worse these past days.”

Hearing Huamei mention Seventh Concubine, Li Weiyang unconsciously touched the jade pendant at her chest. When she left Pingcheng, the Li family had taken the initiative to help her retrieve this jade pendant. This was the only keepsake her birth mother left her.

Seventh Concubine Tan Shi had originally been a maid who washed feet at the First Madam’s side. Because Li Xiaoran got drunk once, Tan Shi happened to conceive Li Weiyang. But then she was born in the second month. Li Weiyang was forced to be sent away. The First Madam made a gesture and elevated Tan Shi to concubine. In the Li household, the other concubines had backgrounds, beauty, or favored children to some degree, all able to maintain some dignity. Only Seventh Concubine not only had lowly status but also had a daughter born in the second month, so naturally she lost Prime Minister Li’s favor. In her previous life, she had died of illness half a year before Li Weiyang returned. But in this life, Li Weiyang returned to the Li household a year early, so Seventh Concubine was of course still alive.

During this past month, Li Weiyang had tried every means to inquire about Seventh Concubine’s news. But all she learned was that she was neither favored nor had any dignity, her health was very poor, and the First Madam had sent her to recuperate in the most remote South Courtyard. The so-called South Courtyard was actually partitioned off from the servants’ compound, ten thousand miles distant from the main courtyard. Separated from the South Courtyard by only one wall was the noisy, crowded servants’ compound where lower-class maids lived.

Seventh Concubine was the most downtrodden and easiest to trample person in this household. Li Weiyang’s thought flashed by, her heart suddenly aching like a needle prick. However, she quickly realized that Huamei was someone from the First Madam’s side. For her to suddenly mention her birth mother in front of her was definitely not simple!

Thinking this, Li Weiyang’s heart slowly rose with a cold sneer. She looked at Huamei with gentle eyes. Since someone had set a trap for her, naturally she should step into it. Only who would suffer the greater misfortune in this game—that couldn’t be certain!