Chapter 19: Means
Ming Wei felt the world spin around her.
She didn’t believe for a second that Linghua had fallen into the well by accident. The vicious tone in Liu Yi’s voice that day had left too deep of an impression. What she hadn’t expected was that Liu Yi would go so far as to treat a life so cheaply.
“When exactly did she drown?” Ming Wei still held onto the last sliver of doubt.
“It was the day of the old madam’s birthday banquet,” Tang Li whispered, clearly unable to accept the flimsy excuse either. “The people over there just claimed she was being naughty and fell in while playing…”
Ming Wei frowned.
Nanny Xu and He Pozi had gone to Second Madam’s room, and Second Madam had worn that same anxious, overly sincere expression. If she wasn’t hiding something, it would be more surprising.
“This matter ends here. You’re not to ask about it again.” Ming Wei steadied herself and said sternly, “Just pretend you don’t know.”
Since this news had managed to come out of the old madam’s courtyard, it meant the old madam not only knew but had tacitly allowed it to spread. Clearly, the old madam had done it deliberately to test Second Madam…
But Liu Yi was Second Madam’s own nephew and a young master of the Guogong Manor. Even the old madam couldn’t easily lay a hand on him.
Still, the old madam had sent word straight to Second Madam. With that, Second Madam could no longer feign ignorance. So what was the old madam’s aim? Was she simply unwilling to let it go because someone had killed a maid from her own courtyard?
Ming Wei sank into thought.
Rongshantang.
“She really thinks I’m senile!” The moment Nanny Gu left, the old madam’s face darkened as she turned to Nanny Xu. “She actually had the nerve to say such perfunctory nonsense!”
Thinking of Nanny Gu’s words, Nanny Xu’s expression also turned sour.
Second Madam had been quick to send someone to report back, but that only made her look more suspicious. The story was that Linghua had gone to see her brother and, not finding him, had lingered by the well, playing around until she fell in. With all the hustle and bustle from the birthday banquet, it made sense that no one had noticed right away.
Leaving aside everything else, Second Madam had made a point to emphasize that Linghua often met her family secretly, implying that the old madam’s courtyard lacked discipline and that’s how the mistake had happened.
But there are no secrets in this world. Liu Yi and Miss Cui’s unclear relationship was known to a few in the marquis manor, even if not widely spread. The old madam already had her suspicions—this matter couldn’t be separated from Second Madam and her nephew.
And Linghua didn’t fall by accident.
“She’s such a fool!” The old madam was already furious, her eyes sharp with anger. “All she knows is to try and cover it up. But her methods are so clumsy!”
Even though she was deeply disgusted with Second Madam, the matter with Linghua had to be dealt with.
“Give Linghua’s family forty taels of silver. Say she drowned while playing around.” The old madam rubbed her brow wearily, a trace of guilt in her eyes. “She’s gone now. Let them grieve and move on.”
“You don’t need to blame yourself too much,” Nanny Xu consoled. “Giving extra silver shows your care as her mistress.”
Nanny Xu paused and added, “Second Madam has already sent over thirty taels. She’s clearly trying to hush things up. Linghua’s family has many children. I heard her parents didn’t suspect anything and even gratefully accepted the money.”
A stern look crossed the old madam’s face. Her once sharp eyes now held a touch of mockery. “So that’s the best she can do.”
“What about this matter then?” Nanny Xu asked hesitantly. It was indeed a tricky situation.
“What has Yan Hong been up to since we arrived in the capital?” The old madam didn’t answer but changed the subject to a seemingly unrelated maid.
“She’s been doing embroidery in the courtyard as you ordered,” Nanny Xu said. “Not allowed to step outside even once.”
The old madam nodded. “She can endure, I’ll give her that. That day she cried and begged me not to send her away, and now she’s behaving herself. Though my sons have disappointed me, two of my grandsons have promise. I won’t let her seduce any of them.”
Yan Hong was a maid the old madam had brought back from the northwest. She was stunning, with a graceful figure, and after spending time in the marquis manor, she’d gotten ideas she shouldn’t have. She had her eyes on Ming Heng, the legitimate eldest son of the Marquis of Chengping, and acted seductively in an attempt to become his concubine.
The eldest madam naturally objected, and the old madam found her irksome too, so she had intended to sell her off. But Yan Hong had stubbornly refused, saying she wanted to serve the old madam for life, and even threatened to kill herself if forced out.
In the end, the old madam had spared her, concerned about the family’s reputation, and brought her back with her.
The old madam was perceptive. Though Yan Hong claimed she was willing to serve faithfully, the ambition in her eyes couldn’t be hidden. She would never be content with a servant’s life.
Now was a good time to put her to use.
“She hasn’t given up, I’d wager,” Nanny Xu sneered. “A dog can’t stop eating—”
The old madam gave a cold chuckle and ordered, “Bring Yan Hong here. Give her some bright new clothes and a few hair ornaments. Have her dress up properly before seeing me.”
Nanny Xu was momentarily surprised, but quickly understood what the old madam intended.
“Yes, I’ll go at once.”
The old madam nodded, called in a young maid to massage her legs, and closed her eyes to rest.
Not long after, Nanny Xu returned with a freshly groomed Yan Hong.
“Greetings to the old madam,” Yan Hong said sweetly. Her voice was soft and charming, her eyes glinting as though they held tiny hooks. Her figure swayed gracefully, her narrow waist tightly bound.
She wore a peach-pink jacket embroidered with butterflies and flowers, paired with a long blush-colored skirt trimmed in silver thread. Her hair was styled high with three ruby-encrusted silver hairpins, and a jewel-studded flower pinned to the side. The overall look was both alluring and refined.
But no matter how one looked at her, she didn’t resemble an obedient servant.
“Get up,” the old madam said lazily, motioning for the maid at her feet to step back. “Do you know why I’ve summoned you today?”
A flicker of excitement crossed Yan Hong’s eyes, but she quickly restrained it and shook her head. “Please enlighten me, old madam.”
“You’ve grown up, and your ambitions have grown too. I don’t think I can keep you in my courtyard anymore.” The old madam spoke lightly. “For the sake of our years together, I want to find you a match. Are you willing?”
“I will follow your orders,” Yan Hong replied quickly.
Nanny Xu had already hinted to her that the old madam planned to match her with a nobleman, and that she would enter the household as a concubine. She had secretly hoped it would be one of the two handsome young masters from the second branch and was brimming with excitement.
“Your Second Master is still in his prime,” the old madam said, lifting her eyes slightly. “And I’ve noticed he doesn’t have anyone close to care for him. You’re good at serving people. Would you be willing to serve him?”
Yan Hong froze.
She should have known. The old madam had hated her ever since they were in the northwest—how could she ever have planned a good future for her? On their return, Yan Hong had still clung to a bit of hope, thinking that even if she couldn’t serve the eldest branch, becoming a concubine to someone in the second or third branches would be a stroke of luck.
She never imagined the old madam meant for her to serve the Second Master!
In a flash, Yan Hong clenched her fists and made up her mind. She slowly knelt and bowed deeply without a word.
The old madam was very pleased.
“You’re from my courtyard, so don’t worry—I’ll support you,” the old madam said with satisfaction. “Now, I have a few things to tell you—”
Since learning about Linghua’s death, Ming Wei had been in a daze all day and couldn’t sleep at all that night.
At dawn, Tang Li woke her to get dressed. It was the day to pay respects to the old madam. The old madam liked peace and only saw them every third day.
Ming Wei yawned endlessly while Yue Lin and Tang Li busied themselves in front of her.
“Miss, the circles under your eyes are so dark,” Yue Lin said with concern. “If Fourth Miss sees you like this, who knows how she’ll mock you!”
Ever since coming here, Ming Fang and Ming Wei had been at odds. Ming Fang never missed a chance to mock her—from her clothes being too old-fashioned to her hairpins being ugly.
“Let her talk. It’s not like I’ll lose a piece of flesh,” Ming Wei yawned again lazily. “Her mouth’s on her face, I can’t stop her.”
Yue Lin and Tang Li could only shake their heads in exasperation, though they worked quickly to help Ming Wei get ready.
After having a small snack to settle her stomach, Ming Wei joined Ming Lian and the others on their way to Rongshantang. On the road, they ran into Ming Ling’s group, who took one look at Ming Wei’s tired face and launched into thinly veiled jabs.
Ming Wei had no interest in such petty squabbles between girls. What truly held her attention wasn’t the sniping remarks.
What surprised her most was how normal the old madam looked—as though the incident with Linghua had never happened.
That couldn’t be right. If the old madam wanted to bury the matter, she wouldn’t have deliberately sent word to Second Madam in the first place…
Ming Wei’s confusion remained until they visited Second Madam’s residence.
After leaving the old madam’s courtyard, the four girls went directly to Second Madam’s. But instead of being in the old madam’s room as expected, Second Madam was sitting in the main hall with a face as dark as a thundercloud.
Ming Rong and the others didn’t understand what was going on and carefully greeted her. Even the always flattering Ming Rong didn’t dare speak much.
“Madam, I’m sorry I’m late!”
A soft, melodious female voice called out from outside. Though the speaker hadn’t appeared yet, it was clear she was a beautiful and flirtatious woman.
Second Madam’s face turned instantly black, like the bottom of a pot.
She didn’t believe for a second that Linghua had fallen into the well by accident. The vicious tone in Liu Yi’s voice that day had left too deep of an impression. What she hadn’t expected was that Liu Yi would go so far as to treat a life so cheaply.
“When exactly did she drown?” Ming Wei still held onto the last sliver of doubt.
“It was the day of the old madam’s birthday banquet,” Tang Li whispered, clearly unable to accept the flimsy excuse either. “The people over there just claimed she was being naughty and fell in while playing…”
Ming Wei frowned.
Nanny Xu and He Pozi had gone to Second Madam’s room, and Second Madam had worn that same anxious, overly sincere expression. If she wasn’t hiding something, it would be more surprising.
“This matter ends here. You’re not to ask about it again.” Ming Wei steadied herself and said sternly, “Just pretend you don’t know.”
Since this news had managed to come out of the old madam’s courtyard, it meant the old madam not only knew but had tacitly allowed it to spread. Clearly, the old madam had done it deliberately to test Second Madam…
But Liu Yi was Second Madam’s own nephew and a young master of the Guogong Manor. Even the old madam couldn’t easily lay a hand on him.
Still, the old madam had sent word straight to Second Madam. With that, Second Madam could no longer feign ignorance. So what was the old madam’s aim? Was she simply unwilling to let it go because someone had killed a maid from her own courtyard?
Ming Wei sank into thought.
Rongshantang.
“She really thinks I’m senile!” The moment Nanny Gu left, the old madam’s face darkened as she turned to Nanny Xu. “She actually had the nerve to say such perfunctory nonsense!”
Thinking of Nanny Gu’s words, Nanny Xu’s expression also turned sour.
Second Madam had been quick to send someone to report back, but that only made her look more suspicious. The story was that Linghua had gone to see her brother and, not finding him, had lingered by the well, playing around until she fell in. With all the hustle and bustle from the birthday banquet, it made sense that no one had noticed right away.
Leaving aside everything else, Second Madam had made a point to emphasize that Linghua often met her family secretly, implying that the old madam’s courtyard lacked discipline and that’s how the mistake had happened.
But there are no secrets in this world. Liu Yi and Miss Cui’s unclear relationship was known to a few in the marquis manor, even if not widely spread. The old madam already had her suspicions—this matter couldn’t be separated from Second Madam and her nephew.
And Linghua didn’t fall by accident.
“She’s such a fool!” The old madam was already furious, her eyes sharp with anger. “All she knows is to try and cover it up. But her methods are so clumsy!”
Even though she was deeply disgusted with Second Madam, the matter with Linghua had to be dealt with.
“Give Linghua’s family forty taels of silver. Say she drowned while playing around.” The old madam rubbed her brow wearily, a trace of guilt in her eyes. “She’s gone now. Let them grieve and move on.”
“You don’t need to blame yourself too much,” Nanny Xu consoled. “Giving extra silver shows your care as her mistress.”
Nanny Xu paused and added, “Second Madam has already sent over thirty taels. She’s clearly trying to hush things up. Linghua’s family has many children. I heard her parents didn’t suspect anything and even gratefully accepted the money.”
A stern look crossed the old madam’s face. Her once sharp eyes now held a touch of mockery. “So that’s the best she can do.”
“What about this matter then?” Nanny Xu asked hesitantly. It was indeed a tricky situation.
“What has Yan Hong been up to since we arrived in the capital?” The old madam didn’t answer but changed the subject to a seemingly unrelated maid.
“She’s been doing embroidery in the courtyard as you ordered,” Nanny Xu said. “Not allowed to step outside even once.”
The old madam nodded. “She can endure, I’ll give her that. That day she cried and begged me not to send her away, and now she’s behaving herself. Though my sons have disappointed me, two of my grandsons have promise. I won’t let her seduce any of them.”
Yan Hong was a maid the old madam had brought back from the northwest. She was stunning, with a graceful figure, and after spending time in the marquis manor, she’d gotten ideas she shouldn’t have. She had her eyes on Ming Heng, the legitimate eldest son of the Marquis of Chengping, and acted seductively in an attempt to become his concubine.
The eldest madam naturally objected, and the old madam found her irksome too, so she had intended to sell her off. But Yan Hong had stubbornly refused, saying she wanted to serve the old madam for life, and even threatened to kill herself if forced out.
In the end, the old madam had spared her, concerned about the family’s reputation, and brought her back with her.
The old madam was perceptive. Though Yan Hong claimed she was willing to serve faithfully, the ambition in her eyes couldn’t be hidden. She would never be content with a servant’s life.
Now was a good time to put her to use.
“She hasn’t given up, I’d wager,” Nanny Xu sneered. “A dog can’t stop eating—”
The old madam gave a cold chuckle and ordered, “Bring Yan Hong here. Give her some bright new clothes and a few hair ornaments. Have her dress up properly before seeing me.”
Nanny Xu was momentarily surprised, but quickly understood what the old madam intended.
“Yes, I’ll go at once.”
The old madam nodded, called in a young maid to massage her legs, and closed her eyes to rest.
Not long after, Nanny Xu returned with a freshly groomed Yan Hong.
“Greetings to the old madam,” Yan Hong said sweetly. Her voice was soft and charming, her eyes glinting as though they held tiny hooks. Her figure swayed gracefully, her narrow waist tightly bound.
She wore a peach-pink jacket embroidered with butterflies and flowers, paired with a long blush-colored skirt trimmed in silver thread. Her hair was styled high with three ruby-encrusted silver hairpins, and a jewel-studded flower pinned to the side. The overall look was both alluring and refined.
But no matter how one looked at her, she didn’t resemble an obedient servant.
“Get up,” the old madam said lazily, motioning for the maid at her feet to step back. “Do you know why I’ve summoned you today?”
A flicker of excitement crossed Yan Hong’s eyes, but she quickly restrained it and shook her head. “Please enlighten me, old madam.”
“You’ve grown up, and your ambitions have grown too. I don’t think I can keep you in my courtyard anymore.” The old madam spoke lightly. “For the sake of our years together, I want to find you a match. Are you willing?”
“I will follow your orders,” Yan Hong replied quickly.
Nanny Xu had already hinted to her that the old madam planned to match her with a nobleman, and that she would enter the household as a concubine. She had secretly hoped it would be one of the two handsome young masters from the second branch and was brimming with excitement.
“Your Second Master is still in his prime,” the old madam said, lifting her eyes slightly. “And I’ve noticed he doesn’t have anyone close to care for him. You’re good at serving people. Would you be willing to serve him?”
Yan Hong froze.
She should have known. The old madam had hated her ever since they were in the northwest—how could she ever have planned a good future for her? On their return, Yan Hong had still clung to a bit of hope, thinking that even if she couldn’t serve the eldest branch, becoming a concubine to someone in the second or third branches would be a stroke of luck.
She never imagined the old madam meant for her to serve the Second Master!
In a flash, Yan Hong clenched her fists and made up her mind. She slowly knelt and bowed deeply without a word.
The old madam was very pleased.
“You’re from my courtyard, so don’t worry—I’ll support you,” the old madam said with satisfaction. “Now, I have a few things to tell you—”
Since learning about Linghua’s death, Ming Wei had been in a daze all day and couldn’t sleep at all that night.
At dawn, Tang Li woke her to get dressed. It was the day to pay respects to the old madam. The old madam liked peace and only saw them every third day.
Ming Wei yawned endlessly while Yue Lin and Tang Li busied themselves in front of her.
“Miss, the circles under your eyes are so dark,” Yue Lin said with concern. “If Fourth Miss sees you like this, who knows how she’ll mock you!”
Ever since coming here, Ming Fang and Ming Wei had been at odds. Ming Fang never missed a chance to mock her—from her clothes being too old-fashioned to her hairpins being ugly.
“Let her talk. It’s not like I’ll lose a piece of flesh,” Ming Wei yawned again lazily. “Her mouth’s on her face, I can’t stop her.”
Yue Lin and Tang Li could only shake their heads in exasperation, though they worked quickly to help Ming Wei get ready.
After having a small snack to settle her stomach, Ming Wei joined Ming Lian and the others on their way to Rongshantang. On the road, they ran into Ming Ling’s group, who took one look at Ming Wei’s tired face and launched into thinly veiled jabs.
Ming Wei had no interest in such petty squabbles between girls. What truly held her attention wasn’t the sniping remarks.
What surprised her most was how normal the old madam looked—as though the incident with Linghua had never happened.
That couldn’t be right. If the old madam wanted to bury the matter, she wouldn’t have deliberately sent word to Second Madam in the first place…
Ming Wei’s confusion remained until they visited Second Madam’s residence.
After leaving the old madam’s courtyard, the four girls went directly to Second Madam’s. But instead of being in the old madam’s room as expected, Second Madam was sitting in the main hall with a face as dark as a thundercloud.
Ming Rong and the others didn’t understand what was going on and carefully greeted her. Even the always flattering Ming Rong didn’t dare speak much.
“Madam, I’m sorry I’m late!”
A soft, melodious female voice called out from outside. Though the speaker hadn’t appeared yet, it was clear she was a beautiful and flirtatious woman.
Second Madam’s face turned instantly black, like the bottom of a pot.
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