When Ye Yaming shared this news with Old Lady Ye and Madam Yin, both were delighted beyond measure. “Is it true?” they asked.

Ye Chongming nodded, confirming Ye Yaming’s statement. “Indeed it is.”

“So you needn’t worry about me too much. No one can use their status to pressure me, and with my abilities, do you still fear I’ll be taken advantage of?” Ye Yaming said with a smile.

These words finally put everyone’s anxious hearts at ease.

Old Lady Ye and Madam Yin, being women of the inner household, were often bored with little to do. Now that Ye Yaming was getting married, both were eager to help prepare her dowry. Ye Yaming gladly entrusted this matter to their care.

After returning to her courtyard, she first asked Bai Rui and Lu’E, “Do you both still plan to follow me? Have you changed your minds?”

She had asked them this before when teaching them to read and calculate. Both had expressed their desire to follow their young mistress to her husband’s family when she married.

Otherwise, Ye Yaming wouldn’t have invested so much effort in carefully training them.

Bai Rui and Lu’E shook their heads. “No changes.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Bai Rui suddenly knelt. “Miss.”

Ye Yaming’s heart skipped a beat. “What is it?”

Among her attendants, aside from Zan’er, she valued Bai Rui and Lu’E the most.

Bai Rui was meticulous and steady, intelligent too. She had been performing her secretarial duties exceptionally well lately.

Ye Yaming was about to face a complex situation. Not only would she go to the unfamiliar Capital City, but she would also have to deal with the Lü family. Meanwhile, matters in Lin’an couldn’t be neglected. What she needed most were capable people by her side.

If Bai Rui didn’t plan to go with her, Ye Yaming would likely be overwhelmed for quite some time.

Bai Rui said, “Miss, you once told me that if I had someone I favored, I should tell you.”

She lowered her head, her face turning bright red. “I… I and Zan’er have mutual feelings. I didn’t want to hide this from you, so I’m telling you first. As for marriage, I’m not in a hurry and thought we might wait two or three years.”

In two or three years, Ye Yaming would have established herself in the Lü family, had children, and everything would be running smoothly. Only then would Bai Rui feel comfortable arranging her affairs.

When Ye Yaming heard this, she immediately felt relieved and happy for Bai Rui.

When Old Lady Ye had originally selected maids for her granddaughter, she deliberately chose those a year older. This way, the maids would be slightly more mature and could better serve their young mistress. When the young lady married, the maids wouldn’t be too old either, allowing them to follow her. The young mistress could then arrange their marriages, either matching them with servants from her husband’s household to strengthen her position, or pairing them with stewards who managed her dowry.

Ye Yaming, coming from modern times, naturally wouldn’t do this.

She had already told her four maids that she wouldn’t make them her husband’s concubines. If they had their eye on any servants or small stewards, they should tell her, and she would help match them.

She never expected that Bai Rui and Zan’er would have developed feelings for each other, which genuinely delighted her.

“This is wonderful news, congratulations to you both,” she said. “I’ll arrange your marriage six months after my wedding. You’re already eighteen this year, you can’t wait another two or three years. The reason I’m asking you to wait half a year is that we can’t have our celebrations too close together. I’ll have many affairs to manage after my marriage, and I’ll need both of you to help.”

Bai Rui bowed. “Thank you, Miss.”

Ye Yaming turned to ask Lu’E, “What about you, Lu’E? Do you have someone you favor?”

Lu’E shook her head. “No.”

“Then take your time choosing, there’s no rush,” Ye Yaming said.

After confirming arrangements with these two maids, Ye Yaming also inquired with Nanny Xia.

Nanny Xia replied, “As long as Miss doesn’t think this old servant is too old and useless, I naturally wish to follow Miss.”

“How could I ever think that? I still need you to help manage my household,” Ye Yaming said with a smile. “As for Zi Yuan and Qing Zhi, would you please help me ask about their intentions?”

Both Zi Yuan and Qing Zhi were born into the household. If Ye Yaming were having a normal marriage, they might have hesitated briefly, since following Ye Yaming to her husband’s family would mean separation from their parents, brothers, and sisters, with likely few chances to meet again.

Though they might be willing to leave their parents, their parents might not be so willing to part with them.

But since Ye Yaming remained the head of the Ye family and would often stay in Lin’an, frequently visiting the Ye household, Zi Yuan and Qing Zhi naturally had nothing to consider and directly expressed their desire to follow Ye Yaming.

As for the other two servants, they were ones Ye Yaming had requested from Sun An. During a disaster, their mother had died, and their father had sold the siblings. They had been sold multiple times before ending up in Lin’an. Ye Yaming, seeing that the boy was clever and resilient with a good character, had transferred both siblings to her service.

Following the naming pattern of Zan’er and the four maids, Ye Yaming had named the brother Song’er and the sister Hong Ye.

The two had no roots here, and their contracts were in Ye Yaming’s hands. Naturally, wherever Ye Yaming went, they would follow without question.

The next day, Ye Yaming brought Bai Rui and the others to Lü Guanyi’s residence.

The caretakers of this residence were a family with the surname Song—an elderly couple, their disabled son Song Gang, who was in his thirties, and their twelve-year-old granddaughter Song Guo. Old Song’s wife’s surname was Li.

Song Gang had once been Lü Zhongyong’s servant. He had followed Lü Zhongyong to the battlefield and was injured while saving him, ultimately resulting in a lame leg.

Lü Zhongyong, grateful for saving his life, had planned to give him a sum of money and grant freedom to his family. However, the elderly Song couple felt that even able-bodied people struggled to survive outside, let alone their disabled son, whose leg occasionally pained him and required a physician’s care. Within the Lü family, Lü Zhongyong would still look after them; outside, they feared they wouldn’t survive. So they chose to remain with the Lü family.

After the Crown Prince bestowed this residence upon Lü Guanyi, he had transferred them here to guard the property, providing them with generous monthly allowances, allowing the family to live a relatively comfortable life.

Anticipating Ye Yaming’s visit today, they had been waiting at the gate since early morning. Upon seeing Ye Yaming arrive, the family hurriedly paid their respects and introduced themselves.

Old Song showed great respect to Ye Yaming: “Miss Ye, the young master instructed us yesterday that the residence should be arranged according to your wishes.”

Ye Yaming smiled and nodded to him, “Let me look around first.”

She glanced at the Song family, then beckoned to Song Guo, “Guo’er, lead the way and tell me what each building is used for.” She smiled at Old Song, “You may all go about your business; no need to attend to me.”

“Yes.” The Song family, being born into the Lü household, had rules deeply ingrained in them. When Ye Yaming spoke, they withdrew without another word.

Song Guo was initially somewhat timid, but after being teased by maids like Lu’E and seeing how genial Ye Yaming was, she grew bolder. Skipping along, she led them through the residence, introducing each building.