Muxiang was one of Matriarch He’s most trusted handmaids. How could Chu Lian accept her offer?
She shook her head. Her bright eyes glimmered, full of spirit and affection.
“Grandmother, I’m not lacking for help. Furthermore, I’m the only one they have to serve in Songtao Court since my husband isn’t around. There’s no need to have so many servants just for me alone. Before Sanlang went off to the northern border, he even sent over Wenqing, Wenlan and Senior Servant Zhong for me. Even if Mingyan is going away, Wenlan can just take her place.”
After some thought, Matriarch He came to the same conclusion. Chu Lian did have more than enough people to serve her since Wenqing and Wenlan had been added in. Since that was the case, she dropped the issue.
“Alright, since you have enough people on your side, Grandmother won’t give Muxiang to you then. You did very well today. Even if that Mingyan decides to come back later on, think of a way to dismiss her from her service anyway. At least that other girl Xiyan seems to be more grateful.” Matriarch He completely exposed Chu Lian’s intentions in offering that choice to her handmaids.
Chu Lian smiled sweetly, “Grandmother’s eyes are as sharp as ever!”
Upon seeing her sweet smile, Matriarch He reached out to poke her in the forehead. “I couldn’t tell that you were actually so good at reading people. That’s good. These handmaids are meant to be our trusted servants, we can’t keep those harbouring other thoughts by our sides.”
Chu Lian nodded in agreement.
After they finished their conversation, Chu Lian returned to Songtao Court with Xiyan in tow.
Xiyan felt a sense of pride welling up in her as she followed behind Chu Lian. Third Young Madam really trusted her now.
When they returned to Songtao Court, in just a short moment’s time, the news that Mingyan had stayed behind to take care of Old Duke Zheng had spread. All the maidservants in the courtyard had uncertain expressions on their faces as all sorts of thoughts ran through their heads.
Chu Lian handed down some orders to Senior Servant Gui and Xiyan before heading into her bedroom for some rest.
Mingyan wasn’t here anymore, so there was an empty position of a first-ranked handmaid to fill. After Senior Servant Gui and Senior Servant Zhong discussed the matter, they let Wenqing take up Mingyan’s place. Her new responsibility was to take over Mingyan’s work.
Wenqing and Wenlan had been second-class maidservants. Now that Wenqing had been promoted to a first-class personal handmaid, Senior Servant Gui promoted a few more third-class maidservants to second-class to fill the gap. In the end, even the little menial servant girl who had been in charge of sweeping the courtyard, Baicha, had been promoted to third-class.
Baicha hadn’t expected such an unexpected fortune to befall her. She was going to cry out of happiness on the spot, but was ultimately persuaded not to.
Now that the ranks of the courtyard had been settled, Senior Servant Gui dismissed everyone with a wave of her hand and they all returned to their duties.
Chu Lian’s handmaids usually took turns in shifts. Xiyan and Fuyan were originally paired together while Mingyan and Jingyan took the other pair. However, now that Mingyan had been left in the Zheng Estate and Xiyan had just come back from serving Chu Lian, today’s shift was taken up by Fuyan and Jingyan.
It was in the middle of the afternoon and it wasn’t time for afternoon tea yet, so most of the servants in Songtao Court were resting in their own rooms. Chu Lian was also having a nice nap in her own room.
Senior Senior Servants Gui and Zhong brought Wenqing and Wenlan over to Xiyan’s room with the intent of asking about the details of what had happened at the Zheng Estate.
In a small room off to the side of Chu Lian’s bedroom, Fuyan and Jingyan were sitting on standby while drinking tea and eating some snacks.
Jingyan sipped a mouthful of sencha before sighing in a brooding manner. “Mingyan’s so lucky.”
She and Mingyan had both been sent to Chu Lian to serve as part of the dowry before Chu Lian had gotten married. The two girls weren’t family servants and had been bought from an outside slave trader.
Why would Chu Lian’s stepmother have been so nice as to give her servants born within the Ying Estate, who would be loyal to the Chu Family as well as educated on the customs of noble families?
Fuyan shot a glance at Jingyan. “It’s all up to luck for these kinds of things. We didn’t know there would be such a great chance for us before Third Young Madam left for the Zheng Estate.”
That’s true! If she had known earlier, she would have fought to be one of the servants accompanying Third Young Madam today.
Jingyan pressed her lips together in frustration. If she had taken Mingyan’s place and followed Third Young Madam out today, she would have been the one left behind.
This was House Zheng they were talking about! Furthermore, she would have been put in charge of Old Duke Zheng’s meals! She knew how to cook all those dishes that Mingyan knew of too!
Setting aside how rich House Zheng was, Old Duke Zheng was someone that even the Emperor respected! If she served him well and received the old duke’s favour, she might even be adopted as his daughter! Following that, even if she had to return to the Jing’an Estate, she would have a higher status. She wouldn’t just be a simple maidservant like Xiyan and Fuyan.
Other than that, House Zheng had only had a single son for three generations. The current Heir Zheng also just happened to be in the prime of his life! A ripe time for marriage!
Heir Zheng was currently studying in the Imperial College. He had a carefree and elegant bearing. The last time he had come to the Jing’an Estate as a guest, he hadn’t entered the inner court. Otherwise, she would definitely have found a chance to peek at him.
Fuyan sent a disdainful look at Jingyan; she was looking down on her for being short-sighted. It couldn’t be helped since she was bought from outside. Just a little bit of wealth had completely mesmerised her. She wasn’t fit to carry heavier responsibilities, what a waste of Third Young Madam’s guidance.
Due to Jingyan’s depression, she couldn’t even bear to continue eating her snacks.
Her tone was equally down. “Fuyan, don’t you want to go to the Zheng Estate too?”
Fuyan tossed the remaining fried fish skin and peanuts in her hand back into the porcelain dish on the small table. She dusted off her hands and stood up. “I don’t want to, I’ve been serving by Third Young Madam’s side since I was little. Who would bother with that little bit of credit from serving Old Duke Zheng? Only you girls who came later would be so short-sighted.”
After saying so, she turned around and went back to the outer chamber of Chu Lian’s room to wait for her master’s orders.
