The courtyard was filled with the low laughter and chatter of the maids, adding some cheer to this winter night.

“Where is everyone? What are they all doing?” Chang Yuncheng slammed down the book he hadn’t turned a single page of and said.

The laughter and chatter outside immediately stopped, and the maids who never dared enter to serve without being summoned came in upon hearing his voice.

“What are your orders, Lord?” Qiu Xiang said with a bow.

After waiting for a long while without hearing Chang Yuncheng’s voice, Qiu Xiang couldn’t help but look up.

Chang Yuncheng clutched the book in his hand and brooded for another moment.

“Since you have nothing to do, go clean up that place over there,” he said.

Qiu Xiang was completely bewildered.

“Lord… are you ready to rest?” she could only ask tentatively.

“What time is it to rest!” Chang Yuncheng glared at her.

Qiu Xiang looked at the water clock in the room.

It was getting quite late…

What was wrong with the Lord today? These past days he had been eating dinner at the madam’s place, but today he suddenly returned. His expression had looked off during dinner, and after eating he had unusually stayed in his room to read…

She had never known the Lord enjoyed reading so much…

“Have you cleaned up the young madam’s room?” Chang Yuncheng put down his book and said with a deep breath.

Qiu Xiang’s color changed slightly in surprise and shock. Was the Lord saying the young madam was coming to stay?

“Then, then this slave will go clean it up right away,” she didn’t dare ask more questions, lowered her head to take her leave, her steps somewhat flustered, nearly knocking into the flower vase by the partition door.

“When it’s time to lock up, lock up. Don’t delay rest for just one person,” Chang Yuncheng said in a muffled voice again. “I don’t have such bad rules here…”

These words, taken literally, were quite face-losing. But Qiu Xiang wouldn’t think of it that way at all. To her ears, it was just someone who had admitted defeat putting on a tough act to save some face.

The young madam had won again, just as she had said when she first stepped into this courtyard. Her courtyard. She could live there whenever she wanted. Even if she was driven out, she would ultimately be invited back.

Now it was spreading throughout the mansion that the young madam was a divine physician’s disciple, whose skills could snatch lives from the King of Hell. Otherwise, why would the old madam have treated her so well from the beginning?

Then the legend about the young madam making a trip to the gates of hell and drinking Meng Po’s soup must also be true…

A divine physician’s disciple—the Palace of the King of Hell indeed wouldn’t dare keep her.

Qiu Xiang had completely lost her former contempt and underestimation. The young madam’s position in the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion would absolutely never fall.

Qiu Xiang walked out the door and looked at the maids standing anxiously in the corridor waiting for orders.

“What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and clean out the young madam’s room,” she said with a wave of her hand, looking dissatisfied and anxious. “What time is it? Don’t you know the young madam has been working so hard all these days…”

The maids all looked at her in shock, as if they hadn’t understood what she was saying.

“You little hussies, you’ve all gotten too spoiled, haven’t you? Hurry up and clean out the young madam’s room,” Qiu Xiang stamped her foot and ran off first, heading straight for the room where Qi Yue had temporarily lived before.

Only then did the maids come to their senses. The maids serving the Lord naturally reacted faster, immediately understanding what was happening. They all bit their tongues in shock and amazement, but none dared slow their steps as they all surged toward that room.

The commotion in the courtyard outside made Chang Yuncheng even more irritated. He felt stifled and reached up to loosen his outer robe, standing up and walking a few steps before feeling slightly more comfortable.

This time it was keeping a gentleman’s promise. It wasn’t anything shameful. It would be best if this woman could read the situation. If she dared to get cocky and arrogant again…

Chang Yuncheng snorted coldly. He wouldn’t mind letting her know who was boss again!

The night was deep, and the cold winter wind shuttled between the houses and treetops, making a whooshing sound.

The maids in the courtyard pulled their cotton clothes tighter and tried to retreat to the corners under the corridors. Usually at this time, except for the night-duty maids, everyone else would already be lying in warm beds, but at this moment, they were all still here in neat rows, none daring to leave.

Qiu Xiang came running hurriedly from outside, stamping her feet.

The maids immediately gathered around her.

“Sister, how was it?” they asked in low voices.

“The young madam has already rested, and that side has been locked up…” Qiu Xiang said softly, her expression complex in the swaying lamp shadows.

The maids let out a chorus of low “ahs.”

Just then the door was suddenly thrown open, and the maids in the courtyard were so frightened they quickly fell silent.

“Close the door and lock up,” Chang Yuncheng said coldly.

Qiu Xiang quickly responded, hurriedly urging the off-duty maids to leave quickly, and there was a flurry of messy footsteps in the courtyard.

Chang Yuncheng slammed the door shut with a bang, and the lights in the room were extinguished.

When it was broad daylight, A’Ru couldn’t resist her inner worry any longer and gently lifted the thick door curtain of the bedroom to peek inside.

Qi Yue was lying on the bed in only her undergarments, hands behind her head, legs crossed, gazing at the bed canopy.

A’Ru hadn’t expected to see such a scene and was momentarily stunned, then felt somewhat embarrassed.

“Oh my, A’Ru, you really underestimate me…” Qi Yue laughed heartily and sat up on the bed, but didn’t get down. Instead, she sat cross-legged. “Why do you always assume I don’t want to live…”

A’Ru was embarrassed at having her thoughts seen through.

“I wasn’t doing that. I was just checking if you were awake, young madam,” she said, walking in openly and reaching to roll up the window curtains. “It’s getting quite late. You should get up too, young madam.”

“There’s nothing to do anyway, so why get up?” Qi Yue laughed and flopped back down on the bed, patting the soft bedding. “Sleeping until I naturally wake up, not having to worry about food and daily necessities, having clothes handed to me and food brought to my mouth—this is the life I and many others have dreamed of. I never thought there would actually be a day when it would come true…”

Another incomprehensible statement. A’Ru smiled without responding, instead taking warm water from the stove and bringing it to her.

“Well then, young madam, you still have to reach out your hand and open your mouth,” she said. “Just lying there like this won’t do.”

Qi Yue took the water cup and looked at A’Ru with surprise.

“A’Ru, so you can joke too,” she said with amazement.

A’Ru smiled without speaking and took a cloud shoulder wrap from the side to help Qi Yue get up.

“This slave will do your hair, something simple so you can lie down anytime without messing it up,” she said.

Speaking of hair, Qi Yue thought of someone.

“A’Ru, I wonder how A’Hao is doing?” she said as she got out of bed.

A’Ru shook her head.

Since returning, they had been busy until yesterday without a break. They hadn’t even left this courtyard. And other servants and maids weren’t allowed to enter, so they couldn’t find out any news, and they really hadn’t thought to inquire about anything.

“She must be terrified,” Qi Yue said with a shake of her head and a smile.

“This slave will go check on her later,” A’Ru said while skillfully pinning up Qi Yue’s hair.

“Have her come back,” Qi Yue said.

A’Ru paused, somewhat surprised.

“Before, I always thought I would leave, so I wanted to arrange good escape routes for you all. But now, I can protect you all for a lifetime,” Qi Yue said to the mirror with a smile.

Early morning wasn’t a busy time for the storeroom, so after eating, the servants gathered in twos and threes with cleaning tools in their hands to chat idly, talking about nothing more than who won how much and who lost how much the night before, or whose children wanted to seek some kind of position—typical household gossip.

A little maid came running over.

“The concubine wants a bolt of fabric to make clothes,” she said with some impatience, tossing over the token in her hand. “Hurry up. I haven’t eaten yet, and they’re waiting for it over there.”

Several servants looked at this little maid, and one of them slowly took the token and glanced at it.

“This won’t work. The token doesn’t match,” she said lazily.

The little maid glared.

“What do you mean it doesn’t match? Are you drunk and confused? This is the madam’s token,” she said with her hands on her hips.

The servants laughed, making the little maid somewhat angry.

“I naturally recognize this as the madam’s token, but since the young madam has returned, to take things from the storeroom, we still need to see if there’s the young madam’s token…” one of them said gently with a warm smile.

The little maid was stunned by these words.

“What?” Nanny Su’s face immediately darkened upon hearing the little maid’s tearful complaint. “That’s what they said?”

The little maid nodded rapidly.

“Then Nanny Su, you go get a token from the young madam. Our concubine is really waiting to use it,” she said. “If I’m late getting back, I’ll get another good beating. Our concubine’s temper gets worse the further along she gets…”

Nanny Su was so angry at these words that she laughed.

This Concubine Zhu had dreamed a few days ago that she swallowed a big melon whole into her belly, and had been going around everywhere claiming this child was a boy. Combined with the fact that the chamber maid Su Mei had regained the Marquis’s favor, the household staff had gradually become more and more unruly.

“How can this old face of mine go? You should go instead. Your concubine is pregnant now and carries weight—she can say anything she wants,” she said with a laugh.

The little maid said “oh.”

“So from now on, if we need anything, we just go directly to the young madam, right? I understand,” she said, then ran off with a patter of feet, leaving Nanny Su choking with anger.

“Where is everyone?” Nanny Su snapped irritably, looking at the few servants scattered around the courtyard. “What time is it? Have you all really become masters and mistresses? Not even showing your faces anymore?”

One servant stepped forward hesitantly.

“Nanny Su, they, they’ve all gone to the young madam’s place…” she said.

Nanny Su was stunned, truly choking with anger this time.

That’s right, that woman had returned.

Thinking back to when this woman had stood up to take charge of the household, everyone had already felt quite shocked, but looking at the situation now, it was even more earth-shattering than that time.

This woman did nothing until she acted, and when she acted, it was terrifying. Who knew what kind of major incident she would cause next time…

These vexing days were about to begin again…

Qi Yue stretched her hands and feet in the courtyard, watching A’Ru go to open the door.

“Don’t let them bring so much food again. I only need plain porridge and small dishes,” Qi Yue instructed.

A’Ru nodded and opened the door, then immediately froze.

“You, you all…” she said, startled by the mass of people standing outside the door.

“What’s wrong?” Qi Yue asked, rotating her wrists as she came over.

“Young madam, you’ve finally returned,” a maid cried out with tears in her voice as she rushed in.

A’Ru was knocked backward by her impact and reached out to steady her.

“It’s Que Zhi,” Qi Yue said with a smile as she recognized the maid. Then she saw a crowd of people surge in behind Que Zhi, some familiar and some unfamiliar.

“Young madam, we’ve come for the morning meeting,” they said in a chaotic but respectful and flattering chorus…