The Madam now felt irritable the moment she heard the name “Shi Buyu,” and she had no interest in accepting the letter Shi sent—afraid that the few years she might still have left to live would be reduced to a few days out of sheer frustration.

When Yan Ze insisted that the matter was related to the palace and extremely important, she sneered with disdain, “She really thinks she’s some kind of strategist? Yan Ze, have you forgotten who your real master is?”

Yan Ze had once been trained by the Madam and had always feared her from the bottom of his heart. But ever since Miss Shi arrived, that fear had thinned like bamboo shoots dug up after a rain—leaving only a hollow shell.

Hearing her words, he mustered up his courage and said, “I would never dare forget. But Madam, are you aware of the young master’s rising fame? Miss Shi said that the more famous he becomes, even if his true identity is revealed one day, the Emperor wouldn’t be able to crush him like an ant. If the Emperor holds no scruples, the young master wouldn’t stand a chance. But if the Emperor is forced to resort to schemes, there will always be ways to counter them. We may not understand everything, but hearing this, it does seem like she’s sincerely planning for the young master’s future.”

Yan Ze gritted his teeth and knelt down. “Please, Madam, place the great cause above all else.”

At the mention of the great cause, the Madam fell silent. She had suffered for twenty years for that one goal—but now a young woman in her twenties claimed to be acting as a strategist. How could she believe it?

Her gaze lingered on the envelope for a long while before she finally picked it up and opened it. Even as she pulled out the letter, she took a deep breath. Unexpectedly, what met her eyes was a completely serious message:

“Madam, there is a woman in the palace—Su Juan, a senior maid from the Laundry Department. Her younger sister died at the hands of the Emperor. She seeks revenge. Please take the gourd with you and find a way to let her see it. If she inquires, just say the words ‘Yi Sheng.’ Only you can accomplish this task. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Shi Buyu.”

The Madam read the letter again and asked, “How does she know about this?”

“Miss Shi picked up a palace escapee at the mass grave,” Yan Ze replied, selectively recounting He Yisheng’s story. He was extremely careful about protecting Miss Shi and the young master, revealing only the necessary truths—such as the young master also having been there, though he left that part out.

“This Su Juan—can she be trusted?” The Madam opened the box and took out the gourd to examine it carefully.

“Miss Shi is very cautious. If the woman were untrustworthy, she would never take such a risk.”

“You’ve really taken her side completely,” the Madam snorted. “I’ll enter the palace tomorrow.”

“Yes, thank you, Madam.” As expected, only Miss Shi had the ability to both enrage the Madam to the point of shredding paintings and still get her to work. Yan Ze felt even more inclined to side with her.

“What’s going on with that Zhang Susu? She had the audacity to cause a scene and even called a doctor? Isn’t she supposed to be tough? Why is she so pathetic?”

“Don’t worry, Madam. All of this was within Miss Shi’s calculations.”

“When have I ever not worried?” The Madam tossed the letter onto the table. “What is she planning against Zhang Susu?”

As a trusted aide, Yan Ze naturally knew all about it. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Miss Shi’s real target is Princess Qinghuan.”

The Madam was stunned. “Qinghuan?”

“Miss Shi said that given the power of the Zhang family, she and the young master would only suffer losses if they directly opposed them. But Princess Qinghuan is different.”

“So she plans to let Qinghuan deal with Zhang Susu? She’s counting on Qinghuan actually doing that?”

Yan Ze wanted the Madam to trust Miss Shi more, and since these things would become known eventually, he didn’t hold back: “Miss Shi said that Princess Qinghuan is proud to her core. She tried to recruit the young master as her consort but never forced him. When the young master stood out at the Floating Life Gathering, she was also present, but she never disturbed him. She values looks, yes, but she also respects talent and never humiliates others. Zhang Susu, however, is humiliating someone the Princess once respected. According to Miss Shi, with her temperament, she’ll never tolerate that.”

The Madam knew Princess Qinghuan even better. She wasn’t just proud—she was aloof, exceedingly so. Shi Buyu had barely interacted with her, yet already knew how to deploy her in exactly the right way.

Zhang Susu would undoubtedly come out worse in front of Qinghuan. No matter how high Zhang Xuzhi’s position, it wouldn’t help. The Emperor intended to use Qinghuan to show the world how well he treated his brother’s daughter. A little romantic rivalry? He’d indulge and spoil her.

The Madam ground her teeth—Shi Buyu really did have some brains.

After dismissing Yan Ze, she muttered to Granny Lan, “I just don’t like her.”

You don’t like her, but you’re still doing as she says. Even Granny Lan couldn’t help but feel a bit of admiration for Shi Buyu. Out loud, she said, “There’s no need to force yourself, Madam. Everything is for the young master’s sake.”

“If not for him, why would I go through all this trouble?” The Madam gave a cold smile. “But the more time passes, the less obedient he becomes. Doesn’t he realize that I’m the person closest to him in the whole world? Why would I harm him?”

Granny Lan helped her to sit on the bed’s edge and said softly, “The young master is filial. He will come to understand.”

“Understand?” The Madam sneered. “He’s got his mind full of Shi Buyu. He hasn’t even come to tell me in person that he passed the exam. How many days has it been? Does he still see me as his mother?”

Granny Lan ached for her mistress, but there was nothing she could say. When the news first came, she had urged the Madam to celebrate and even offered to go on her behalf. But the Madam insisted on waiting for her son to come personally—which, of course, didn’t happen.

As for the celebrations on his end, everything had been arranged and hosted by Miss Shi in her role as fiancée. Even Granny Lan had to admit—if she were the young master, she’d also be closer to someone who truly considered his future.

---

Meanwhile, Shi Buyu, having received confirmation from Yan Ze, no longer concerned herself with the matter. Be it the Madam or Miss Ying Dongqing, both were smart enough to know how to act without putting themselves at risk.

She had also received a letter from her Fifth Brother.

Yan Shi’an returned drunk from the Floating Life Gathering. After learning the contents of the letter from Yan Ze, he quickly washed up and went straight to Hongmei Courtyard—no need for Shi Buyu to summon him.

She handed the letter to him.

Originally intending to talk about the palace matter, he set it aside after reading and furrowed his brows. “Just in Yanxi Prefecture alone, nearly twenty young men and women went missing in two years. Across all of Dayou, how many more could there be?”

“It’s certainly more than twenty,” Shi Buyu shook her head. “Yanxi is close to the capital. Our brother didn’t want to attract attention, so he sent his own people to investigate quietly. I asked Yisheng—everyone he met in the palace was literate. That suggests they’re being selective. They probably aren’t taking people from impoverished areas. Beauty needs resources to maintain. Poor families exposed to the elements can’t compete; they’re unlikely to be chosen.”

Then she told him about Ying Dongqing. “Your mother has agreed. She’ll enter the palace tomorrow.”

Yan Shi’an chuckled. His mother had finally met her match—unable to outargue her and still forced to follow orders. She had probably never been this frustrated.

But a mother who could still get angry was better than one who responded with cold indifference.