The news that Chang Yuncheng had rewarded a room to his head maid for her exclusive use quickly spread.

Qi Yue didn’t know about it, because when Que Zhi tried to relay this news to A’Ru, it was intercepted.

“Que Zhi.” A’Ru put down the work in her hands.

“I can’t go for this—the Young Madam must go. As long as the Young Madam goes…” Que Zhi said hurriedly.

“We won’t go,” A’Ru interrupted her, looking at her. “If you want to go, you can go yourself. Just know that if anything happens, that’s your own business. I guarantee I won’t say a single good word for you.”

Que Zhi was stunned. This was the first time she had heard A’Ru speak to her like this.

Wasn’t this head maid beside the Young Madam always quiet and timid, standing behind the Young Madam?

These words were direct, blunt, and harsh, without any beating around the bush.

It was said that the Old Marchioness used to be like this—when she spoke harsh words, they came down like a storm, so the maids she brought up were the same way.

Oh, that’s right, this A’Ru was also a maid who came from the Old Marchioness’s side.

Que Zhi’s expression became awkward, then somewhat ashamed and annoyed.

I didn’t say anything wrong…

“I came specially to tell you about such an important matter, all for the Young Madam’s sake,” she said, biting her lip.

A’Ru looked at her with a smile.

“For the Young Madam’s sake?” she questioned.

Que Zhi looked at her. How did this girl suddenly become so fond of tearing people’s faces? Didn’t she only know how to smile and cry?

“Yes, I’m also doing it for myself. The Young Madam said before that we’re grasshoppers on the same rope. Doing it for myself is naturally also for the Young Madam,” she said excitedly. “You don’t care. You follow the Young Madam, so no matter how difficult it gets, no one will do anything to you. What about us? Last time when the Young Madam was suddenly driven out, we maids suffered greatly. Now the Young Madam has finally returned, and it’s only been a few days, but that side has had such an incident. What if the Young Madam…”

“If you’re worried about this, I can tell you—don’t worry,” A’Ru interrupted her and said calmly. “The Young Madam will absolutely be fine, and you’ll be fine too.”

“But if the Prince has a new favorite, then the Young Madam…” Que Zhi said anxiously with furrowed brows.

“I said there’s no problem. Even if the Prince doesn’t like the Young Madam, the Young Madam is still the Young Madam,” A’Ru interrupted her again and stood up. “The Young Madam’s current position doesn’t depend on the Prince.”

“Ah?” Que Zhi looked at A’Ru blankly. If the Young Madam didn’t rely on the Prince, then what kind of Young Madam was she?

Even with the Marquis’s favor, a daughter-in-law was still a daughter-in-law. How could a father-in-law manage his son’s household affairs? Besides, could he manage it for a lifetime? The Young Madam had to spend her whole life with the Prince!

“Alright, Que Zhi, now that life is good, you should live it well,” A’Ru said, walking out a few steps before turning back to look at her. “You also know that once you’re used to good days, going back to bad days doesn’t feel very good.”

Que Zhi watched A’Ru walk away in a daze.

Not a single word or syllable of what she said had any warning intent, but hearing it, every word and tone was full of warning.

“So formidable… she was just pretending to be a quail before,” Que Zhi muttered to herself after coming back to her senses.

On the Young Madam’s side, things were calm and peaceful, not the aggressive storm everyone expected.

“She’s changed her nature this time,” Concubine Zhou said to A’Jin with a laugh, while poking at the ashes in the charcoal stove. “Before, when no one took her seriously, she made such a fuss. Now when everyone in the mansion wants to elevate her to the heavens, she’s become well-behaved instead. Such a big slap in the face, yet she didn’t even make a sound.”

A’Jin felt something strange about these words.

“The Young Madam has come to understand,” she said hurriedly. “Going along with the Prince in everything—being harmonious like this is best. It’s not worth hurting the peace over a maid. Besides, given the Prince’s temperament, you have to go along with him, not oppose him.”

Concubine Zhou chuckled and continued poking at the fire.

“Tell me, does the Young Madam really know medical skills?” she changed the topic.

“It shouldn’t be fake. The person was carried in half-dead and carried out alive. When the magistrate’s family came, they were grieving, but when they left, they were overjoyed—that must mean she was cured,” A’Jin said, while clasping her hands and reciting Buddha’s name. “I really didn’t expect that the Young Madam truly knew medical skills. When the Old Marchioness said she saved her life, we all didn’t believe it.”

“Really? Could it be that she conspired with that doctor to put on a show?” Concubine Zhou still looked doubtful, holding the fire tongs motionless for a long time. “Maybe the doctor cured her, and she was just putting on an act.”

A’Jin looked at Concubine Zhou, not knowing what to say.

“Mistress, I think this kind of thing would be hard to fake,” she said. “She could fake it once, but if more people come, how could she keep faking it?”

“Just find that doctor again,” Concubine Zhou said.

A’Jin smiled awkwardly.

Concubine Zhou glanced at her and also smiled, picking up the fire tongs again.

“Alright, our Young Madam has now become famous in one battle. From now on, no one in the household will dare to look down on her,” she said with a laugh.

“This is good. Everyone’s life will finally be better,” A’Jin nodded and smiled.

Concubine Zhou smiled and nodded.

“Yes, everyone’s life will be better,” she said with a pursed smile, picking up a piece of charcoal. “It’s just that Madam’s life won’t be so good.”

A’Jin couldn’t help but sigh softly.

“Actually, it would be good if Madam also liked the Young Madam,” she murmured.

Concubine Zhou glanced at her, lowered her gaze, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside.

“Mistress, something’s wrong, Mistress, something’s wrong!” A maid rushed in shouting urgently.

“What are you shouting about?” A’Jin stepped forward to scold.

The little maid was so frightened her face turned white and she trembled.

“What’s wrong?” Concubine Zhou asked slowly.

She didn’t lose her temper or order the maid to be slapped. A’Jin breathed a sigh of relief—it seemed that with the Young Madam’s high-profile return, the mistress was very happy inside, so her temper had improved too.

“…The Prince has ordered people to search Sister A’Jin’s room,” the maid stammered.

A’Jin didn’t understand.

“What?” she asked.

“Why search a room for no reason?” Concubine Zhou asked from inside. “What does he think this household is?”

“I don’t know,” the little maid said in a trembling voice. “Those people didn’t say…”

Concubine Zhou stood up. A’Jin quickly spoke first.

“It’s nothing, Mistress, please rest. You don’t need to worry about it,” she said, while waving for the maid to leave.

“I’m going to ask the Marquis. What is this supposed to mean?” Concubine Zhou said with a dark expression. “Searching my maid’s room—he might as well come search mine directly.”

A’Jin quickly stopped her.

“Mistress, don’t be angry. It’s not a big deal. I think it’s because of those maids who were burned to death,” she said quietly.

Concubine Zhou’s expression showed slight surprise.

“Wasn’t it a candle that fell over and started a fire? What does it have to do with anyone else? Instead of punishing those supervising servants, what’s all this fuss about?” she said with a frown.

“No, it’s not that.” A’Jin waved her hand and helped her sit down. “It seems someone set the fire…”

Concubine Zhou looked shocked and stood up again.

“Arson?” She covered her mouth with her handkerchief, her face full of terror. “How could such a thing happen?”

A’Jin quickly helped her sit down and personally poured tea to calm her nerves.

“So the Prince is investigating,” she said.

Concubine Zhou drank some tea, and her complexion improved slightly.

“But why search your room? What does it have to do with us?” she said, holding A’Jin’s hand with worry, anger, and dissatisfaction.

“It’s nothing. They probably have to search everyone’s rooms. My room has nothing to hide—let them search,” A’Jin said with a smile, while carefully tending to the charcoal stove and covering it.

Concubine Zhou watched her busy figure in front of her, her expression complex as she slowly closed her eyes.

Compared to the quiet on Qi Yue’s side and the speculation on Concubine Zhou’s side, Madam Xie’s side was full of joy.

“Madam, can you rest easy now?” Nanny Su brought her ginseng tea with a smile.

Madam Xie’s face was full of smiles.

“It’s just that the girl isn’t particularly good-looking…” she said with a frown.

“Good-looking or not, as long as she’s devoted to our Prince, that’s what matters. So what if she’s good-looking?” Nanny Su laughed. “Isn’t she still living outside?”

Madam Xie never tired of hearing these words.

“So don’t overthink it. The way the Prince protected her the other day was ultimately for the sake of our Marquis residence’s reputation,” Nanny Su said, while sitting on a small stool and gently massaging Madam Xie’s legs. “She boasted so arrogantly—if something went wrong, we’d still have to clean up the mess. Even you would have no face to see the magistrate’s wife again. The Prince was still thinking of you.”

Madam Xie breathed out with a smile and leaned back against the cushion.

“That woman is constantly causing trouble for Cheng-ge’er,” she said. “Since I can’t divorce her, I can only find someone who pleases Cheng-ge’er.”

“And she must be from a good family,” Nanny Su quickly added. “He should take a noble concubine—no, several of them.”

Madam Xie laughed out loud at her words.

“It’s not easy to find daughters from good families who would be concubines,” she sighed.

“Not necessarily. With you in the household, and the Prince, and the Marquis…” Nanny Su smiled with pursed lips. “It’s manageable. As long as the new lady is good-looking, who cares if she’s technically a concubine—who could suppress her?”

Madam Xie felt pleased hearing this and nodded.

“Do you remember last time when the Grand Concubine of Prince Huai’an mentioned a girl from her maternal family…” Nanny Su said, thinking of something.

Madam Xie straightened up, about to say something when a maid’s report came from outside.

“Madam, the Young Madam is here.”

Madam Xie’s good mood immediately vanished.

“What is she here for?” she said irritably. “I won’t see her.”

The maid outside remained silent.

“Mother, are you busy?” Qi Yue’s voice came from outside.

Madam Xie immediately sat up in anger.

This was really turning the world upside down! Were those servants outside all courting death? How dare they let this woman in directly!

Just because she treated an illness and saved someone, have all these servants gone mad?

Do they still have any respect for her as the Marchioness!

Qi Yue had already stepped inside, followed by A’Ru.

“Mother,” she called out while bowing.

Nanny Su quickly bowed to her.

Madam Xie sat without moving, gave a cold “hmm,” and didn’t even lift her eyelids.

This was the second time the two had faced each other like this since Qi Yue’s attempt to gain household management rights.