Chapter 19

Fang Hanxiao could mobilize Old Master Fang’s men, but on the broader scale of the entire Earl Manor, most of the power within the inner and outer courtyards had already fallen into the hands of Lord Fang and Madam Hong. Fang Hanxiao had not deliberately concealed Mr. Zhou’s departure, so Madam Hong quickly learned of his whereabouts and actions.

Lord Fang was also at home at this time. Without any official duties, he was essentially a wealthy idler. His daily routine consisted of little else but scheming how to secure a position as powerful and lucrative as the General Commander post he had lost.

Upon hearing that the marriage certificate had already been exchanged, his expression darkened. “We were careless,” he muttered.

Madam Hong was equally displeased. “You’re right, my lord.”

The exchange of the marriage certificate meant Ying Yue had entered the Tranquil Virtue Courtyard to meet Old Master Fang and obtained his approval. In other words, the matter was now irrevocably settled.

It was no longer plausible to convince themselves that Fang Hanxiao was merely acting out of impulsive defiance. While they were still hesitating and observing, he had swiftly completed the subsequent steps, leaving no room for the second branch of the family to interfere in his marriage.

“Where did the information leak?” Madam Hong murmured, half to herself and half to Lord Fang. “Or did he figure it out on his own?”

Lord Fang frowned in silence. Before yesterday, Fang Hanxiao had never left the Tranquil Virtue Courtyard, giving him little opportunity to interact with others. If there had been a leak, it was hard to imagine where it could have come from. But if he had deduced it himself—how could he have, without even stepping outside his courtyard?

“Could Old Master have helped him?” Madam Hong speculated. “His health has improved lately, and he’s always doted on him—”

“Old Master isn’t that kind of person,” Lord Fang interrupted firmly. “Don’t make baseless guesses.”

Old Master Fang, a military man by background, had lived a life of clear-cut emotions—his temperament wouldn’t suddenly change in old age.

Madam Hong knew this too, but with no other leads, she had tossed out the idea. Dismissed, she tugged irritably at her handkerchief. “We thought his becoming a ‘gourd with a sawed-off mouth’ was a good thing. Who knew it would end up trapping us instead?”

Lord Fang felt a flicker of realization. Their failure had caught them off guard precisely because they knew nothing about the returned Fang Hanxiao. He had ruined their plans, yet they couldn’t pinpoint where they had gone wrong—his actions were entirely unpredictable.

Turning to her, Lord Fang asked, “How many of our people are in the bridal chamber now?”

Madam Hong hesitated. “Well—”

There were none. In her anger the previous night, she had withdrawn all the servants, leaving Ying Yue with nothing but an empty room.

When she admitted this haltingly, Lord Fang—who usually paid no attention to household affairs—couldn’t help but scold her. “What was the point of such pettiness? Did you think you could leave the bridal chamber unattended forever? How would that reflect on you as the aunt if word got out?”

Madam Hong defended herself, “Who knew that fake bride would actually stay? I’ll send replacements now—it’s not a big deal.”

After a moment’s thought, she added, “I’ll pick a better batch this time. The previous ones were too hastily chosen.”

Originally, she hadn’t believed the marriage would go through, so she saw no need to waste resources on it. The bridal chamber’s lavish decorations were all for show—superficial and lacking substance.

Lord Fang’s expression eased upon hearing her arrangements, and he instructed, “It would be best if we could also place some servants by Hanxiao’s side.”

This was somewhat tricky. If Fang Hanxiao trusted them, he wouldn’t have played such a trick on them. Since he didn’t trust them, why would he accept the people they sent over?

But Madam Hong had managed the household affairs for years and had her ways when it came to the inner courtyard. She smiled and said, “Hanxiao stays secluded in Tranquil Virtue Courtyard, so we can’t directly plant someone by his side. But now that he’s married, his personal affairs aren’t solely his decision anymore. That Xu girl just entered the household—she lacks proper standing and confidence. Judging by her demeanor last night, she doesn’t seem like someone with much wit either. Now’s the perfect time. I’ll assign Hanxiao two bedchamber servants and have her take them in. She won’t dare object.”

Lord Fang nodded approvingly. “If we can send them under the guise of bedchamber servants, that would be ideal. There’s plenty of room to maneuver in intimate quarters. Do you have suitable candidates?”

As the esteemed wife of the Marquis, Madam Hong had many lovely maids at her disposal. She casually named two—the most beautiful and clever among them—but Lord Fang immediately rejected them. “No, they must be literate.”

Madam Hong paused, then realized he was right. When selecting bedchamber servants for Fang Hanxiao, the primary requirement wasn’t beauty or temperament but literacy. Otherwise, even if Fang Hanxiao had something to say to them, they wouldn’t understand, rendering the whole effort pointless.

She pondered more carefully. The literacy requirement was far stricter than mere attractiveness—even a noble household like Marquis Pingjiang Manor didn’t have many such maids. Fortunately, Madam Hong, whose own family hadn’t prioritized educating daughters, had felt the strain of illiteracy after taking over household duties. She had since gathered a few literate maids around her, so she could still manage to pick suitable ones now.

“Liuxian and Lanxiang, then,” Madam Hong said, though she frowned slightly. “However, Liuxian is favored by Brother Cheng. I’ve already promised her to him—once Juxiang, whom she’s training, is ready in a few months, she’ll be given to him.”

Lord Fang frowned. “Brother Cheng already has plenty of attendants. Instead of focusing on his studies, why is he so preoccupied with maids?”

Madam Hong defended her son. “Most young men of noble families have several maids in their quarters—Brother Cheng is no exception. Besides, he spent years overshadowed by Hanxiao, receiving inferior treatment in every way. It’s only in recent years, since the Marquis took charge, that he’s had a better life. Now, if he wants a maid, what’s the harm?”

Lord Fang, playing the stern father, had only criticized out of habit. Deep down, he didn’t see an extra bedchamber servant as a big deal. “Then give him another one. Hanxiao’s side takes priority. If Liuxian is suitable, assign her to Hanxiao first.”

Madam Hong agreed. Pretty maids were easy to come by—she could always compensate her son with two more later.

Having suffered a setback earlier, Lord Fang was more cautious now. Still uneasy, he pressed, “Are these two maids truly suitable?”

Madam Hong reassured him, “Don’t worry, my lord. You’ve seen Liuxian and Lanxiang before—both are in their prime, with pleasing features. Liuxian is elegant, Lanxiang radiant. At least one of them should be able to capture Hanxiao’s heart.”

Lord Fang nodded, somewhat satisfied. “Good. Decide on the right time and handle this matter.”

“Why wait? Now is the best time. The bridal chamber needs many additions. Blending in with the crowd will make it less conspicuous.”

Madam Hong spoke decisively and immediately ordered the servants who had been withdrawn from the bridal chamber the night before to gather in the courtyard. Suitable ones were kept, while unsuitable ones were replaced with those she trusted. Once everything was nearly arranged, she called Liuxian and Lanxiang to her side and gave them detailed instructions.

Lord Fang didn’t involve himself in these minor matters. After watching for a while, he turned and left.

Madam Hong busied herself for most of the day until everything was settled. As dusk approached, she gracefully rose and led the servants to the bridal chamber.

**

Meanwhile, after leaving Tranquil Virtue Courtyard, Ying Yue was still being followed by Fang Huiyuan, who wanted to accompany her to the bridal chamber. However, Wang Shi, being perceptive, noticed that Ying Yue’s tongue was injured. If Fang Hui insisted on going, Ying Yue would have to entertain her, which wouldn’t be good for her wound. So, as they neared the bridal chamber, Wang Shi persuaded Fang Hui to leave, allowing Ying Yue to rest alone.

Ying Yue returned to the bridal chamber, which remained as empty as before—no people, no belongings. The cabinets and chests were neatly arranged, but upon opening them, they were all hollow—originally meant for Ying Yue’s dowry, which hadn’t been brought into the chamber, leaving nothing to display.

Shinan regretted, “Miss, I actually thought of it while we were in that courtyard, but I didn’t dare speak up. I—I’m a little afraid of Master Fang. If Yuzan had gone instead, it might’ve been better.”

Yuzan tapped Shinan’s forehead lightly. “What are you afraid of? Is he going to eat you?”

Ying Yue, sitting nearby, admitted honestly, “I’m afwaid of him too.”

Shinan, feeling validated, nodded eagerly. “Yuzan, you don’t understand. Master Fang doesn’t seem fierce, but there’s something about him—I feel like I shrink in front of him. I had the words right on my tongue, but I just couldn’t bring myself to say them.”

Yuzan shook her head. “That’s not fear—it’s guilt. And it’s not your fault.”

Though Ying Yue’s marriage was legitimate in name, with all formalities observed, that was merely a facade for outsiders. The schemes Madam Xu had orchestrated behind the scenes were unknown to others, but not to them. While none of this was their fault—they were even victims themselves—they couldn’t justify it to Fang Han Xiao, the truer victim. It was already fortunate he hadn’t come after them; how could they possibly make demands of him?

Ying Yue sighed worriedly, “You’re wight. What am I going to do now?”

Returning to the Xu family was out of the question—it would mean certain death. But thinking about the days ahead here also filled her with gloom.

Yuzan, the most composed and mature of the three, forced a smile to comfort her. “Don’t be afraid, Miss. We didn’t ask for this. Since Master Fang has acknowledged you, you’re now the mistress here. You’re so endearing—given time, once Master Fang understands your character, things will—” She paused, noticing the corner of a red envelope peeking from Ying Yue’s sleeve. “Miss, what’s this?”

Ying Yue looked down and remembered. “Oh, it’s from the old lord.”

She took it out and opened it, her mood still heavy. But as she unfolded the paper inside, her eyes slowly widened in surprise.

Yuzan and Shinan knew a few basic characters—taught by Ying Yue in her spare time—but not enough to read all the words on the paper. Shinan asked blankly, “One thousand—one thousand what?”  

She had recognized two of the largest printed characters on the page but couldn’t decipher the rest.  

Ying Yue swallowed hard and said, “Taels of silver.”  

“One thousand taels of silver?” Yuzan repeated the words together, then suddenly realized, “This is one thousand taels of silver?!”  

Ying Yue nodded dumbly, “Mhm.”  

This was a silver note from Tongde Bank in the capital, redeemable for silver upon presentation.  

At this time, ordinary households dealt in copper coins—silver was rare, let alone silver notes. The Xu family had once produced a Minister of Revenue, so naturally, they had access to silver notes. However, none of the three—master or servants—had ever seen one before. The largest sum of money they had ever handled was Ying Yue’s monthly allowance of one tael.  

In other words, this single flimsy piece of paper was equivalent to Ying Yue’s allowance for a thousand months—over eighty-three years.  

“Miss, does this mean—we’re rich now?” Shinan asked dazedly.  

Ying Yue nodded uncertainly, “Seems like it.”  

**Author’s Note:**  

Key point: The Fang family is wealthy—extremely wealthy.  

**A Short Skit About Wealth:**  

On another unknown day…  

Ying Yue, feeling dejected and insecure: “I have no interest in business or running shops. I don’t like bookkeeping, and numbers make me dizzy. I can’t contribute anything to the household.”  

Fang Da: “Why should you need to earn money? Just knowing how to spend it is enough.”  

Ying Yue, still worried: “I don’t think I’m very good at that either.”  

Fang Da (filled with tender pride): “Then I’ll spend it for you.”