Chapter 14

“Bring Butler Lin here! According to the rules of the house, give him a harsh twenty strikes of the rod!”

Xia Jingxing’s fury was sky-high. Today, he had to make an example out of someone. These servants, one after another, were treating his words as if they were nothing more than whispers in the wind.

Yan Meili suppressed her inner anger, stepped forward, and gently tugged on Xia Jingxing’s arm, coaxing him softly:
“Master, why are you so angry? Did that little wretch upset you?”

“Little wretch? What nonsense are you spouting? From now on, don’t ever say such things about Qingqing! She’s the young lady of the Xia family, your daughter, and she deserves the treatment of a delicate narcissus flower!”

Xia Jingxing explained patiently to Yan Meili.

“What? Master, have you lost your mind? Weren’t you the one who called her a little wretch and tossed her to me, saying I could treat her however I pleased and marry her off when the time came? Why has your attitude suddenly changed? Is it because you’re feeling remorseful after thinking about her dead mother and want to treat her better now?”

Yan Meili gritted her teeth and glared at him fiercely.

Clearly, Xia Jingxing had just visited the woodshed in the backyard and couldn’t bear to see that wretched girl suffering.

“It’s not what you think!” Xia Jingxing leaned closer to Yan Meili’s ear and whispered about what he had seen in the backyard earlier.

“What?”

Yan Meili’s knees went weak from fright, and she fell into Xia Jingxing’s arms.

“Master, this… this… last night, there was a mysterious woman who tipped off Mama Lin, saying her husband, Butler Lin, was secretly meeting a maidservant. She went to catch them in the act. That woman even ran from the roof to the backyard! Could it be… ghosts?”

“Ghosts? Impossible! If it were ghosts, wouldn’t Qingqing and her maid have been scared out of their wits by now? I even suggested that Qingqing move into the garden’s small courtyard, but she refused. All I could do was send things over and have her current courtyard repaired.

The reason I’m punishing Butler Lin is that he didn’t carry out my orders. The people in this house need to be reminded of their place. They’re getting bold enough to defy their master!”

Xia Jingxing held Yan Meili close, explaining his reasons for his sudden change in demeanor, though he didn’t dare reveal a single word about what his father-in-law, Yan Dage, had said.

“Fine! I’ll go along with you for now. But every time I see her, I think of her dead mother, and I just can’t get over it,” Yan Meili pouted, pinching the extra flesh on Xia Jingxing’s waist.

“Ow! That hurts, dear wife!” Xia Jingxing looked at her with a pitiful expression.

“Hmph! I can’t be bothered with you. I’m going to check on my precious daughter!”

Yan Meili straightened up, flicked her handkerchief, and sashayed out of the hall, heading toward her youngest daughter Xia Tinglan’s courtyard in the garden.

Xia Tinglan lived in the Yichun Courtyard, a place filled with the fragrance of flowers and rippling ponds. Despite it being late autumn, the courtyard exuded the vitality of spring.

Under the osmanthus tree, Xia Tinglan sat at a small wooden table. She wore a pale yellow gown and a light pink satin shawl. Her hair was styled in a loose bun adorned with two jade butterfly hairpins, and a pink ribbon tied around her bun swayed gently in the autumn breeze.

Focused intently on her book, she remained undisturbed by the outside world, radiating an air of serenity and scholarly charm that was as refreshing as a spring breeze.

“Fifth daughter, Mother is here to see you!”

Yan Meili called to her softly.

“Mother!”

Xia Tinglan looked up with a dazzling smile and stood to welcome her.

“You should be like your second sister—sleep more to maintain your complexion. Don’t start reading first thing in the morning! Tomorrow evening, the Empress is hosting a small chrysanthemum viewing banquet. She’s invited young ladies from prominent families to attend so that His Highness the Prince of Jin can take a look. He’ll narrow down the candidates before choosing a consort.”

Yan Meili held Xia Tinglan’s hand and spoke to her in hushed tones.

“Mother!”

Xia Tinglan shyly lowered her head.

“Second Sister will be going too, right?”

“Everyone is going.”

“The Empress is concerned that the Dowager Empress and Concubine Shu, the Prince Yan’s mother, might have opinions, so all three princes will attend. Your Second Sister is strikingly beautiful and suits Prince Yan, who is strong and imposing. You, being calm and composed, are more fitting for the Crown Prince, the future heir. Make sure to perform well!”

Yan Meili affectionately caressed Xia Tinglan’s delicate face, brimming with maternal love.

“Mother, if we attend the chrysanthemum banquet, will Xia Shuixian and her concubine mother come crying to you again? Fourth Sister is already fifteen, nearly sixteen. At this age, a marriage should already be arranged. I’ve noticed her mother has been going in and out of your chambers quite frequently.”

“Let them do as they please! Even if they’re anxious, they’ll have to wait until your Second Sister’s match with Prince Yan is settled. You are legitimate daughters; she’s just a concubine-born daughter. What does she count for?”

Yan Meili’s face was full of disdain.

Xia Shuixian’s mother had once been Yan Meili’s personal maid. During her pregnancy, fearing Xia Jingxing’s loneliness, she had voluntarily sent her beautiful maid, Bao Zhu, to him.

Xia Jingxing had been thrilled, treating Yan Meili with even greater favor.

Though Bao Zhu had always behaved humbly toward her, ever since giving birth to Xia Shuixian, she had started harboring ambitions she shouldn’t have.

Whatever her two daughters had, Bao Zhu schemed to get the same from Xia Jingxing.

Now that Xia Shuixian was fifteen, Bao Zhu was growing desperate, constantly begging Yan Meili and Xia Jingxing to arrange a good marriage for her daughter.

Recalling Bao Zhu’s tearful visit last night made Yan Meili feel nauseous. The Second Miss hadn’t even secured her engagement yet! What was a concubine-born daughter so anxious about? No sense of propriety!

“Mother, I’ll go check my wardrobe to see which dress would be most suitable for tomorrow night.”

Xia Tinglan’s face beamed with happiness.

“Go ahead! I’ve just had a few new dresses made for you and your sisters. Pick one you like! I’ll go check on your Second Sister to see how she’s resting.”

Yan Meili left Yichun Courtyard in high spirits and leisurely made her way to the courtyard where her second daughter, Xia Jinlan, lived.

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“Today really feels like a day of change,” Xia Qingqing muttered as she stood in her run-down courtyard, watching the servants bustling about, repairing and tidying the shabby space.

“Miss, you’re so amazing that you must have scared the Master! He’s probably worried you’ll…”

Xiao Suo made a chopping gesture with her hand and continued, “… do something drastic to him one day. So now he’s trying to win you over!”

With a blade of dogtail grass between her lips, Xia Qingqing shook her head.

“That’s impossible. Expecting a scumbag to change? Unless he’s under some kind of pressure we don’t know about, it definitely isn’t because of my strength.

Once they’ve fixed up the courtyard, I’ll continue working on my medicinal herbs. As women, to survive in this world, we must either make money or win over men. But we must absolutely avoid being a joke!”

She patted Xiao Suo on the shoulder, laughing as she spoke.

“Making money I can understand, but winning over men? What do you mean by that, Miss? Don’t tell me you’ve already secretly won over someone?”

Xiao Suo looked at Xia Qingqing’s slender figure in shock.