Watching as the last maid placed a privately hidden golden hairpin into the box, Jiang Xuening finally nodded with satisfaction.

Jiang Boyou glanced at the “Youxue Qionglin” she held in her hands, coughed once, and tentatively asked, “Have they returned everything they took? Should we check the inventory?”

Check the inventory?

Check it against this children’s primer?

Being able to recite some of the things Yan Lin had given her on her eighteenth birthday to intimidate them was already Jiang Xuening’s limit—how could she know any more than that?

So she simply said, “They certainly haven’t returned everything. Many must have already taken things out to exchange or pawn them. To demand they produce even more would be too difficult for them. I won’t check these two boxes. Just giving them a warning so they won’t dare be presumptuous in the future will suffice. What does Father think?”

This was rather like lifting something heavy only to set it down gently.

Jiang Boyou frowned, “No punishment?”

Jiang Xuening considered for a moment, looking at the maids and older servants kneeling properly once again in the courtyard, and said, “Originally they were trained by the manor before being assigned to my quarters. They had proper rules initially, and when facing me, they were nothing but flattering and fawning. In terms of serving people, their skills aren’t lacking either. When called out to kneel here, aside from a certain few, the rest didn’t dare talk back. The world is full of such people who bully the weak and fear the strong—they’re all ‘ordinary people.’ At the root of it all, it’s because this daughter was too easy to talk to, too indulgent, and overthought things, unable to tolerate even a single word said against the people in my quarters. So this daughter thinks, why not give them a chance? This time, let them each receive five strikes of the rod and have two months’ wages deducted. If they serve wholeheartedly and don’t offend again in the future, that will be the end of it. But if anyone repeats their offense, drag them out and settle both old and new accounts together, and deal with them directly.”

These words sounded plain, but falling into Jiang Boyou’s ears stirred a mixture of complex emotions.

Girl Ning has truly grown up…

He had thought she would create such a commotion only to beat and kill, but unexpectedly, besides finding fault with others, she could actually reflect on her own mistakes and speak so candidly about them. She suddenly possessed a few traces of the frank and magnanimous bearing of a great family.

Most importantly, she hadn’t lost her benevolent and kind heart.

Though these methods couldn’t be called swift and decisive, what did a young lady need such fierce tactics for?

Looking at this daughter, Jiang Boyou unknowingly found her far more pleasing to the eye than before. He couldn’t help but nod slightly, saying, “Good, we’ll do as you say.”

Yet Jiang Xuening’s heart remained calm, without a ripple.

She certainly wasn’t someone with a completely pure and善良 benevolent heart. She had simply experienced her previous life and deeply understood the principle of “leave others a way out, so you may meet again in the future.”

Just like with Yan Lin back then.

Though she had been absolutely determined to become Empress, and even if the Yongyi Marquis Manor hadn’t fallen from power, she would have ultimately chosen to marry Shen Jie—but why speak so absolutely? And why choose that exact moment to say it?

Speaking so definitively, acting so ruthlessly.

If she were Yan Lin, she would hate herself too. When Yan Lin gained power and returned to court to bully her, it was completely within reason.

There are two things in this world best left undone: one is bullying the poor youth, and the other is driving a cornered dog to jump over the wall.

Dealing with these maids and older servants was similar to the latter.

First, ordinary people are all the same—replacing them with a new batch might not be as good as keeping these ones who already knew their mistakes and would be more cautious in word and deed. Second, if the punishment was too severe, it would inevitably leave her with a reputation for being cruel and ruthless. Moreover, they would harbor resentment toward her. Having served by her side for so long, and their offenses weren’t serious enough to warrant their deaths—with each person having a mouth, who knew what they might say when they left?

Furthermore, sometimes not punishing could be better than punishing.

When many of them had just returned their things, they had certainly kept some back privately. Some people brought out more, some brought out less.

Jiang Xuening didn’t know exactly how much each of them had taken, and was too lazy to spend the effort investigating further.

But they would surely be suspicious of each other.

You think she hid more, she thinks I brought out too little—when they dispersed and went back, they would start fighting among themselves. Those who deserved to suffer would naturally suffer.

When something happened then, the resentment wouldn’t fall on her.

Thus, she could remain clean, earn a good reputation, and please Jiang Boyou more—why wouldn’t she do it?

After all, to leave the manor in the future, she still needed Jiang Boyou’s approval.

Thinking this through, Jiang Xuening asked Chang Zhuo to have someone bring a brazier, then stood up facing everyone, “You all heard clearly what I just said, yes?”

Everyone below trembled with fear, “Yes, we heard clearly.”

Jiang Xuening then said unhurriedly, “You’ve served me long enough to know my temperament. In this matter, I take on three parts of the blame—not because I truly feel I’ve done anything wrong, but because most of you have elderly people to care for. I can’t bear to have you sold off and driven from the manor, ruining your reputations so that finding a good household would be difficult. I’m used to you all. Continue serving as before, just be more attentive from now on. But if anyone makes the same mistake a second time, don’t blame me for turning my face and disowning you.”

Wang Xingjia’s wife, prostrate on the ground in front, shuddered violently.

The courtyard fell silent.

In the surrounding corners, quite a few servants and serving women who had quietly come to watch heard this and felt a chill in their hearts: this Second Miss seemed to have become different. In the future, anyone who didn’t serve her wholeheartedly might end up like those kneeling on the ground now—unable to escape the consequences.

Jiang Xuening raised her hand and picked up that “account book,” walking leisurely to the brazier.

The rising heat blurred her features.

She directly threw the book into the brazier. Bright yellow flames mingled with crimson fire tongues instantly licked up the pages and consumed them, quickly burning them to ash.

All those kneeling below watched, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.

Jiang Xuening simply said, “This matter ends here. No further involvement, no further investigation. You may all go receive your punishment.”

Wang Xingjia’s wife immediately kowtowed to the ground again, flattering her, “Second Miss truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva, kind and benevolent! This old servant and these girls are blessed with smoke rising from our ancestors’ graves, having burned the finest incense for three lifetimes to meet a mistress like you! We’ll go receive our punishment right away, right away…”

The others also expressed countless thanks.

Before long, they had all gone to receive their punishment.

Both Lian’er and Tang’er were literate and knew what characters were written in their Miss’s “account book.” Watching this development, they were absolutely dumbstruck. Even Chang Zhuo, serving nearby, couldn’t help but look at Jiang Xuening with an expression that said “I’m impressed you used a children’s primer to spout nonsense and scare people.”

But Jiang Xuening’s gaze lingered on those maids for a moment.

She turned her eyes and asked Tang’er softly, “Who was that one kneeling below who talked back earlier?”

Tang’er was startled and thought back.

In that situation earlier, there was only one who had talked back.

She answered, “She’s also one who serves inside the quarters. Her name is Tianxiang.”

Jiang Xuening nodded.

After this good show concluded, she didn’t rush to take her leave immediately. Instead, she stood up and followed Jiang Boyou, walking back to the outer room of the study.

Jiang Boyou could see it, “You want to deal with that maid?”

Jiang Xuening’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. She nodded slightly but then lowered her head, saying, “The others are manageable—they have no real capability, at most they bully the weak and fear the strong. But this Tianxiang is sharp-tongued and very eloquent. Earlier, this daughter was almost left speechless by her. If this daughter hadn’t truly been innocent of those things, hearing her words, I might have thought I was the one in the wrong. But on one hand, I promised not to pursue the matter further, and on the other hand, this daughter has never dealt with similar situations before. I really don’t know how to handle her.”

Jiang Boyou had also witnessed the earlier scene.

That maid who talked back was the type who would bite when pushed to desperation. Moreover, while the others still held some fear toward Jiang Xuening, this maid alone was brazenly arrogant, as if she didn’t consider her mistress worth anything at all.

Keeping her would likely be a source of trouble.

His mind turned and he already had a plan. He simply made a gesture to Chang Zhuo, though he didn’t say anything explicitly.

Though the Jiang manor couldn’t be considered one of the very great households in the capital, everyone knew there were certain methods available within the estate.

Chang Zhuo understood immediately.

He responded, “This humble one has noted it.”

Jiang Boyou then patted Jiang Xuening’s back with his hand, saying to her, “This matter ends here. That girl will naturally be dealt with by someone—you needn’t worry. But speaking of it, were today’s words and actions also taught by the Young Marquis?”

That was naturally not the case.

But of course Jiang Xuening wouldn’t tell anyone she had been reborn. Having already used Yan Lin as a shield once before, one more time wouldn’t matter. She nodded, “Yan Lin taught me this too.”

Jiang Boyou thus sighed, “The Yongyi Marquis Manor has a worthy successor.”

Jiang Xuening lowered her eyes without speaking.

Jiang Boyou then said, “You must be tired too. Go back and rest. You didn’t return last night, and today you’ve created such a commotion. Tonight, remember to pay your respects to your mother so she can be at ease.”

Jiang Xuening agreed, “Yes.”

This father and daughter, who couldn’t be considered particularly close, had thus finished their conversation.

She bowed and took her leave.

Jiang Boyou lifted the curtain again and went into the inner room of the study, opening with a laugh, “Ju’an, have you been waiting long?”

In that instant, Jiang Xuening, who had just stepped back one pace, froze completely.

A surge of cold dread crawled from her feet to her head!

Clearly it was just two simple characters, yet crashing into her ears, they shrieked sharply, thundering out a bone-deep terror!

She turned her eyes and just happened to glimpse what was revealed when the door curtain lifted—a corner of the study: on an exquisitely carved and elegant tea table lay an open scroll. A slender hand with excellent bone structure extended out, gently turning a page. The ring finger habitually traced lightly along the edge of the page in a very natural motion, then pressed down lightly on that corner of the page.

This gesture—Jiang Xuening was all too familiar with it!

Whether it was in her previous life when she attended palace study sessions listening to him lecture, or later when she became Empress and occasionally stepped into the Cabinet to watch him handle state affairs with Shen Jie, or after Shen Jie was poisoned to death when she walked through the Imperial Garden in shock and fear only to discover him sitting in a pavilion reading memorials…

This person’s every gesture and movement possessed a natural elegance.

Even when killing without batting an eye, he was devastatingly beautiful.

Xie Wei, courtesy name Ju’an!

In this brief instant, all memories in Jiang Xuening’s mind related to this person surged up in the posture of fear!

She remembered You Fangyin saying, “The previous dynasty holds an enormous secret. Anyone with even a bit of sense who knew it wouldn’t make wrong moves. Unfortunately, I learned of it too late…”

She remembered her own previous life’s ending.

She remembered that scar on her wrist, that old mark whose trace still couldn’t be erased to this day!

Jiang Boyou had already walked inside.

The door curtain fell back down.

But Jiang Xuening’s world was utterly quiet. She could hear the conversation coming from inside.

Jiang Boyou sighed, “Ah, that was Girl Ning’s matter just now. She’s made me worry for so long, but unexpectedly this time she’s quite clear-headed. You’re not a father, so you definitely don’t know this feeling. Speaking of it, back when you secretly came to the capital, you traveled together with her. In the blink of an eye, it’s already been four years!”

The person across from him seemed to fall silent for a moment.

Then he spoke faintly, his voice like a secluded spring striking stone—low and magnetic, “Miss Ning…”

At this moment, Chang Zhuo from behind also entered carrying incense.

The curtain lifted again at one corner.

Jiang Xuening thus clearly saw that hem of a robe covered in sky-blue crepe fabric lightly move—it was the person sitting beside the tea table turning sideways toward the door curtain.

Even though she couldn’t see his face or touch his gaze, at this moment she could clearly sense that he was looking toward her, still standing in the outer room of the study!

Though clearly separated by a door curtain, it seemed as if his gaze could penetrate through it.

Jiang Xuening felt as if her heart was suddenly seized by a giant palm. She could barely even breathe!

Everyone in the realm knew that four years ago, Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince Xie Wei had secretly entered the capital alone, assisting the then-Third Prince Shen Lang to ascend the throne. Everyone also knew that Vice Minister of Revenue Jiang Boyou had merit in following the dragon, and four years ago had concealed his actions while secretly helping Xie Wei enter the capital—he could be counted as a minor meritorious official.

But few people knew—

Back then, Jiang Boyou had claimed he was a distant relative of the Jiang manor, having him travel to the capital together with his legitimate daughter who had been stranded in Tongzhou. And the Imperial Tutor Xie Wei, who later strategized brilliantly and turned the tide—at that time had been hidden in Jiang Xuening’s carriage!

Everyone else called her “Miss Jiang the Second,” but only he, Xie Wei, was different from others—he called her “Miss Ning”…

No matter how much Jiang Xuening calculated, how could she have calculated that today’s “distinguished guest” in Jiang Boyou’s study would be Xie Wei?

She should have been more alert.

In the entire court, how many people would dare to say nothing and simply throw a Brocade Guard centurion like Zhou Yinzhi outside, making him wait silently without a word of complaint?

Jiang Xuening didn’t know how she retreated from the study.

She only knew that her steps were unprecedentedly steady and composed.

Not until she left the study and reached the covered corridor, when her own quarters were in sight, did her feet suddenly give way. Without warning, she stumbled, grasped the nearby corridor pillar, and with a deathly pale face, collapsed to sit beneath the corridor.

Wrong.

She had made a fatal error right upon being reborn!

She would forever remember the scene when she first met Xie Wei.

A man whose cold had not yet fully recovered, with a sickly appearance, wearing plain white cloth robes without any decoration, holding a qin, his expression somewhat listless but with a smile at the corners of his lips, walked to the carriage and slightly nodded to her.

At that time, she didn’t know that this person would become the all-powerful Imperial Tutor, much less that this person would slaughter the entire imperial clan…

If she had known, during that journey, she might have chosen to restrain her terrible temperament and treat this person better.

No…

If she had known, she absolutely would not have let half a bowl of her blood for him as a medicine catalyst during that crisis in the desolate mountains!

In her previous life, when his blade and sword first turned toward the Xiao clan and the imperial family, she had questioned how Xie Wei dared commit such unconscionable acts that treated human lives as worthless.

Xie Wei had lightly drawn a mark with the vermillion imperial brush on that roster, then replied, “You are not Heaven, so how do you know I am acting unconscionably rather than carrying out Heaven’s will?”

Jiang Xuening had been completely stunned.

He then set down the brush and looked at her quietly, “As for Your Majesty, being able to live until today is already Xie’s greatest mercy. Back when I was confused in my illness, I once revealed to Your Majesty some treasonous words. Fortunately, Your Majesty had a poor memory at the time and no scheming mind. After entering the capital, I had people test Your Majesty three times, and you had no recollection whatsoever. Only then did I feel at ease and spare Your Majesty to live two more years. Otherwise, on the day Xie was enfeoffed as Grand Tutor, Your Majesty would have already been separated from her head.”

At that moment he had smiled and reached out to draw his hand lightly across his own neck.

Jiang Xuening had felt her entire body immersed in icy water.

Yet his smiling expression had been even more chilling than the night’s darkness.

In other words, Xie Wei hadn’t killed her after entering the capital because she didn’t remember and wasn’t intelligent!

Now these words echoed in her ears once more. Recalling that meaningful “Miss Ning,” Jiang Xuening raised her hand and covered her own neck, only to discover her fingertips had lost their warmth—they were trembling!

Xie Wei was not a good person.

In the final two years of her previous life, his name had been like an enormous and heavy shadow, shrouding the entire court, the entire imperial city, making people afraid to even walk without bowing their heads.

Tang’er and Lian’er, seeing her like this, panicked, “Miss, Miss, what’s wrong with you!”

Jiang Xuening couldn’t remember now what those treasonous words had been, but having been reborn, she knew even more. And this didn’t prevent her at all from judging the predicament she might soon face.

Xie Wei would have killing intent.

Her fingers, which had almost lost all sensation, slowly lowered.

She blinked, her voice somewhat dazed, “Tang’er, go back and check whether Zhou Yinzhi is still there…”