If it were in the past—Liu Mama taught her that no matter what Shen Yi’an said, if she couldn’t handle it herself, she should agree first, and then Liu Mama would give her advice to turn things around, which always worked out well. But now she couldn’t even leave the residence, so how could she contact Liu Mama? When would she be able to turn things around? If Bi Tao were sent away, she wouldn’t even have someone to send out of the residence, truly leaving her isolated and helpless.

After knowing each other for fifteen years, Liu Yufu had a small quarrel with Shen Yi’an for the first time. She couldn’t quite explain the reason, couldn’t listen to reason, and just insisted on not letting Bi Tao be sent away, covering her face and crying.

Shen Yi’an had always liked her for being sensible and gentle, but today he didn’t know what was wrong. But considering Liu Yufu was ill and had to endure reprimands from the palace, he thought it was natural for someone to become fragile when frightened and unable to leave familiar people.

However, there was still something strange in his heart. After pondering for a moment, Shen Yi’an compromised: “Since you care for this girl, let her stay and serve you, but don’t let her run around.” Thinking of Li Xun’s suggestion to transfer money out of the residence, he added, “Don’t let her leave this courtyard. I’ll assign a few more people for you to command, and you can instruct them if you need anything.”

Liu Yufu didn’t expect that after her complaint, she didn’t get back the waist token to leave the residence, but instead found herself in a more difficult situation. Feeling both annoyed and confused, she turned her back and buried her face in the quilt, crying.

In the past, Shen Yi’an would have surely held her in his arms and coaxed her gently, but today he couldn’t help but recall Eunuch Zhang’s advice. The origin of a concubine doesn’t matter; proper education does—he naturally didn’t think it was Liu Yufu’s fault but believed it was the servants who had led the soft-hearted and pure Liu Yufu astray, causing recent troubles.

Being too soft-hearted can sometimes be a bad thing. Shen Yi’an sighed. He liked Liu Yufu’s innocence and kindness, but for the future of the boye’s residence and their children’s prospects, he couldn’t let things go on like this. He decided to find a few capable maids to assist her and even considered inviting a few governesses to teach Liu Yufu how to be a qualified noble lady—at least to make her a bit smarter and not be deceived by the servants.

With this in mind, Shen Yi’an decided they both needed some time to calm down, and he could make some plans. So he gently patted Liu Yufu twice: “You rest, I’ll sleep in the study tonight.”

With that, he really left. Liu Yufu froze, and this time she cried in genuine sadness.

Meanwhile, in Ganlin Courtyard, everyone finally finished cataloging the gold and silver they had copied, temporarily storing the money in the side room of the main house. It was already close to the third watch of the night, and Shen Qian yawned, feeling that ever since he came to this world, he was forced to live a very fulfilling life every day… He followed behind Xiao Wan, slowly walking out, but saw Xiao Wan stop and look at him in confusion: “Where are you going?”

“Going back to sleep,” Shen Qian was also confused. Was there still work left to do?

Zhan’er laughed from the side: “Xiao Die must have forgotten, it’s your turn to be on duty these two days.”

“On duty for what?” Shen Qian was dizzy. Wasn’t it enough to work during the day, and now he had to be on duty at night too?

“Night duty,” Xiao Wan said, “Serving the gongzi tea at night, waking him up, did you really forget? The past few days, it was Sister Zhan’er and I who were on duty.”

Zhan’er had another room, so Shen Qian wasn’t clear, but he shared a room with Xiao Wan and remembered that Xiao Wan indeed hadn’t come back to sleep for two nights. He didn’t mind and even took the opportunity to cultivate. Now thinking about it, he couldn’t help but curse in his heart: Damn, this is the evil of feudal dregs!

In the middle of the night, drinking tea, are you going to sleep or not? Such a grown man, can’t he pee by himself? Does he really need someone to serve him—hold it for him?

Shen Qian froze, and just thinking about it made his scalp tingle. Even if it was his own body, rounding up to himself holding himself… he still couldn’t accept it and just wanted to chop his hand off! But now Zhan’er and Xiao Wan were both watching him, Shen Qian hummed a few times, embarrassed to say he wouldn’t do it.

Everyone else had done it, and it would be lazy to avoid it when it was his turn. So he could only laugh awkwardly and reluctantly retreat to the room.

The night duty wasn’t particularly tiring; it just required being slightly alert while sleeping, serving the master if called, and otherwise being able to sleep soundly. After all, not everyone would drink water or wake up in the middle of the night.

Of course, this was also because the eldest gongzi of Duke Fuchang’s Residence was a kind person who cared for his subordinates. In many other households, night-duty servants could only sleep on footstools. But now, several little maids came in, moving the small couch from the outer room into the inner room, placing it by the window. A group of people served Li Xun in washing up, while two others made the bed on the small couch for Shen Qian.

Shen Qian watched coldly as these little maids moved in an orderly manner, quickly and quietly, without making a sound. He thought, although it’s feudal dregs… he just hated that he wasn’t the one enjoying it. Usually, he directed the little maids to do this and that, dividing the chores like frying meat floss and whipping cream, and he was quite enthusiastic about it.

Sobbing, it was clearly the noble identity he chose. The privilege didn’t work out, and he got X instead.

Still feeling depressed, he went to wash up and lay down on the small couch without mentioning it.

At night, Li Xun didn’t usually have the habit of waking up, but this night, after drinking too much caramel pearl fresh milk, he woke up and called for Xiao Die. After calling several times, Shen Qian finally opened his eyes in a daze, and after a while, he remembered where he was and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Li Xun, who had been served since childhood, didn’t feel anything when Zhan’er, Xiao Wan, and others he wasn’t familiar with served him in the past few days. But now, in the dim moonlight, he saw Shen Qian sleeping with flushed cheeks, his hair softly sticking to his forehead, looking very cute, and his voice slowed down a bit: “…Need to get up.”

Shen Qian: “…” Still can’t escape, huh.

Why so many things, so many things!!

He mumbled and dawdled for a long time, and only when Li Xun urged him again did he get up from the warm bed. He was already a bit groggy from sleep, and now, not fully awake, he spun around the room like a top.

What should he do? Take, take the chamber pot? Or the spittoon…

Li Xun looked at him strangely: “What are you doing? Light the lamp.”

“Oh, oh,” Shen Qian hurriedly went to light the candle, seeing Li Xun put on a coat and walk out, he followed in a daze, but was poked on the forehead by Li Xun at the screen by the door: “What are you doing?”

Only then did Shen Qian see that a screen had been placed in the corner by the door at some point, with a chamber pot behind it—probably set up by the little maids while he was lost in thought, to be removed after dawn. Li Xun raised an eyebrow, thinking this little guy was particularly dumb tonight: “Do you still want to come in and watch me… not allowed?”

Shen Qian blushed, quickly stepping back a few steps, and soon heard the sound of water… his face grew even hotter.

So he didn’t need him to hold it… It was his own wild imagination, how could he think he needed help holding it, ancient people weren’t that perverted… So night duty was just getting up early to help light a lamp.

He was still feeling regretful when he saw Li Xun come out from behind the screen, staring at the dazed Shen Qian for a while, seeing he was completely unaware, and helplessly reminded: “Water, wash hands.”

“Oh, oh,” Shen Qian hurriedly went to fetch water, once again fumbling around.

After Li Xun washed his hands, they extinguished the lamp and went back to sleep. But tonight was particularly troublesome, perhaps because he got up in the night and his body was dehydrated, by the time the sky was just getting light, Li Xun was a bit thirsty again. He lay on his back in bed for a while, deciding not to wake the little fool, and got up himself to go to the outer room for water.

There was a small stove in the outer room, always keeping a pot of water warm. Li Xun had never done such a thing himself before, and without lighting a lamp, he took a cup in the dim light from outside, not bothering to make tea, and drank half a cup of plain water.

When he returned to the inner room, he saw Shen Qian had also gotten up.

Li Xun thought it was because he made too much noise and woke Shen Qian, making this little guy with a conscience get up to serve him—but soon realized he was overthinking it. Shen Qian was indeed standing up, but his eyes weren’t fully open, squinting and completely unable to see him. Like last time, he spun around the room like a top, without putting on clothes, fumbling, wobbling, and stumbling towards the screen.

Li Xun frowned. According to the rules… servants weren’t allowed to use the chamber pot behind the screen, they had to go to the outer room. But that wasn’t the point, the point was… Li Xun didn’t feel anything when he got up himself, but now hearing the sound of water, a strange feeling inexplicably rose in his heart.

He touched his nose.

This wasn’t quite normal.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had already noticed.

After Shen Qian finished, he remembered to wash his hands, then stumbled back towards the only big bed in the room, and fell headfirst onto it.

Li Xun: “…”

If it were in the East Palace, any little guy or maid who dared to do this would have been thrown two zhang away by him. But at this moment, Li Xun lowered his head, borrowing a bit of the morning light, and stared seriously at the little guy sleeping like a dead pig.

After a long time, Li Xun pushed him further in, and he himself got into the bed. Staring at the bed curtain for a while, he resignedly got up again, took the quilt from the small couch, and covered Shen Qian with it.

In the end, who was serving whom… Li Xun sighed inwardly, while also tucking Shen Qian in properly, lightly tapping his nose: “Presumptuous.”

Besides Liu Yufu, Shen Yi’an had two other concubines. But he used to always be with Liu Yufu, as if determined to be a monogamous couple with her, not paying much attention to them.

That night, hearing that Shen Yi’an was actually sleeping in the study, the two concubines sent some snacks and supper.

Shen Yi’an was woken up several times throughout the night, initially annoyed, but then suddenly remembered something, hesitated for a moment, and instructed: “Tell them to be at ease… I’ll go to Lengxiang Garden for breakfast tomorrow.”

Lengxiang Garden was where Mei Yiniang lived, who was originally a big maid serving Shen Yi’an since childhood, even three years older than him, considered childhood sweethearts. When the old lady was still around, seeing her pretty and gentle, and Shen Yi’an liked her, she was promoted to a tongfang maid.

After the eldest gongzi was born, Mei Yiniang also became pregnant, and was formally made a concubine.

Shen Yi’an had a period of affection with her in his youth, and later she gave birth to a daughter, now fifteen years old. But Mei Yiniang was originally older than Shen Yi’an, gradually losing her looks, and unlike Liu Yufu, who had a group of “advisors” behind her, constantly finding ways to please Shen Yi’an, she was slowly neglected.

Mei Yiniang didn’t really care whether Shen Yi’an came to her room or not, it was just a formality to send some snacks—over the years, she had long given up on love. Besides, as a maid, becoming a concubine was already the limit, could she really become the main wife? She wasn’t as delusional as Liu Yufu. Guarding her little share of the household, living her days behind closed doors, she was quite content.

But she had a daughter, who was now of age to be married. Yet because of Liu Yufu, even the eldest gongzi’s marriage was delayed, let alone her daughter’s? So she was anxious and deeply resented Liu Yufu for causing this situation.

Now hearing that Shen Yi’an was actually coming to her courtyard, she saw it as a hope, quickly instructing the servants to prepare the kitchen and telling her daughter to come over later.

Shen Yi’an indeed came early, but didn’t eat much—he was planning to leave here and have breakfast with Liu Yufu too. He only asked Mei Yiniang which maids in the residence were loyal and reliable: Mei Yiniang, being a house-born maid, had her own connections.

Mei Yiniang indeed had her own connections: last night, when Shen Yi’an and Liu Yufu had a little disagreement, she knew about it before dawn. So she knew he wanted to pick a few reliable maids for Liu Yufu, to replace Bi Tao. Mei Yiniang deeply resented Liu Yufu for delaying her daughter’s marriage, and having grown up with Shen Yi’an, she understood him very well. At this moment, she smiled and said, “Boye asks me, how would I know? I haven’t been involved in anything for years, just living with Qiao’er, not paying attention to the new batch of kids. But, I can recommend someone to boye.”

Seeing Shen Yi’an not eating, she offered a cup of tea: “Our former Zhou Mama, her son is now posted to Tongzhou. Zhou Mama found the journey too far and tiring, so she didn’t go with him, staying in the capital, feeling bored. She wrote to me recently, asking if I wanted to go to her place to play dominoes. I was thinking of asking boye when to go. Zhou Mama often talks about missing boye, missing the people in our courtyard, and she’s very good at training little maids. If boye thinks the maids in our residence aren’t good, why not send a few to Zhou Mama for training? You know best that the people trained by her are always useful.”

Shen Yi’an was taken aback when she mentioned Zhou Mama. Zhou Mama was originally Shen Yi’an’s wet nurse, and they had a very good relationship. In this era, wet nurses often spent more time with children than their biological mothers, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to have a mother-son-like bond.

Zhou Mama, though a house-born servant, married a commoner outside and had a son who was a good student. After Shen Yi’an got married, she left the residence to enjoy her retirement, and her son was promising, becoming a candidate for the imperial examination, and later, with the help of Duke Fuchang’s Residence, secured a good position as a county magistrate.

Over the years, he rose to the position of Zhifu, and Zhou Mama, because of her son, was granted the title of Lady of Honor, now deserving to be called an old lady.

This Zhifu daren naturally had countless ties with Duke Fuchang’s Residence, and since no one from this generation of Duke Fuchang’s Residence entered officialdom, having someone in the court to speak for them was a good thing. It was mutually beneficial, but because of Shen Yi’an’s early indiscretions with Liu Yufu, Zhou Mama’s advice displeased him, causing a rift between them, and they hadn’t been in contact for three or four years.

Of course, Liu Yufu had a hand in this: whenever Shen Yi’an thought of Zhou Mama, she would divert the conversation elsewhere. She also hid the snacks and needlework Zhou Mama sent, and over time, Shen Yi’an gradually forgot.

Mei Yiniang, having fallen out of favor over the years, watched coldly and understood Shen Yi’an better than when she was young, knowing he was very soft-hearted. So she advised, “Zhou Mama has always missed boye, but she’s afraid boye is still angry with her, and has cried several times in private. She’s an elder, and it’s hard for her to let go of her pride. Now, taking this opportunity, if boye coaxes her a little, wouldn’t it be harmonious for mother and son to reunite?”

Shen Yi’an lowered his head in silence. Originally, he just wanted to pick a few useful maids, which could be done by the person in charge of the household. But the reason he privately sought out Mei Yiniang was because he knew his eldest son didn’t get along with Liu Yufu. Although Li Xun had hypocritically said a few good words about Liu Yufu yesterday, he wasn’t about to believe it. Now, if he asked his wet nurse, it wouldn’t be related to any faction in the residence… it seemed appropriate.

Hearing that his wet nurse cried because she missed him, his heart softened.

Seeing he didn’t object, lowering his head to drink tea, Mei Yiniang knew the matter was about eighty to ninety percent settled. She didn’t say more, just smiled at him.

Shen Yi’an took a sip of tea, finding it fragrant and sweet, with a hint of plum blossom scent. Looking down at the cup, he saw some preserved plum blossoms floating in it, and he recalled his youth: “It’s been a long time since I tasted your honey-preserved plum blossoms.” Plum blossoms soaked in snow water and preserved in honey, used for wine or tea, were a specialty of Mei Yiniang.

Mei Yiniang smiled but didn’t reminisce about old times with him. Just then, her daughter Shen Qiao came in, and she pulled her daughter to chat with Shen Yi’an for a while. Seeing this daughter he hadn’t seen in a long time, now grown into a graceful young lady, Shen Yi’an felt even more nostalgic, with the plum fragrance still lingering in his mouth, and a rare sense of guilt and regret in his heart.

He didn’t regret his past with Liu Yufu, but delaying his children’s marriages and causing the residence to fall into its current state made him question his past judgments. At this moment, he silently resolved to find a way to properly arrange his children’s marriages.

…

Shen Qian slept until broad daylight before waking up. He had been mentally and physically exhausted these past few days, and his sleep at night was restless, feeling utterly fatigued. His back was sore, as if something was poking him.

Opening his eyes, he found himself lying on an arm, with his hands still wrapped around someone’s waist. Looking up, Li Xun was looking at him helplessly, and beside him stood Xiao Wan, holding a face towel, looking at him disapprovingly.

Shen Qian silently, silently sat up with the quilt.

Li Xun was amused; this little guy’s sleeping posture was really bad. It was like doing a set of exercises on the bed, and Li Xun even suspected he abandoned the small couch because it was too narrow for his moves.

Xiao Wan’s tone was a bit sour: “Why are you still acting spoiled with the gongzi at your age?”

They, as close maids, had accompanied him to sleep before, especially when the furen had just passed away. But even then, they slept on the outer side, ready to serve the master at any time, unlike Xiao Die, who was sprawled all over the gongzi when he came in, even using the gongzi’s arm as a pillow.

Shen Qian, holding the quilt, took a while for his brain to start up, recalling some fragments from last night, and awkwardly climbed out of bed: “I was just groggy last night… Gongzi, don’t blame me.”

Li Xun gave a faint “hmm,” leaving it unclear whether he was blaming or not.

After washing up, Zhu’er brought in a table full of breakfast with a few little maids, reporting: “The people from the palace have arrived.”

Li Xun casually asked, “Which lady’s maid is it today?”

Zhu’er replied, “It’s the mama from Lady Shun’s side, nothing new, just like yesterday, kneeling in the wind reciting the Admonitions for Women.”

Li Xun nodded, about to pick up some food, but felt his arm was sore. His eyes searched around and saw Shen Qian standing in the corner, lost in thought, so he called him over: “Come feed me.”

Shen Qian: “? Ah?”

“You pressed my arm so I can’t lift it, who else should do it if not you?”

Everyone laughed, seeing that the gongzi was teasing Xiao Die. Shen Qian, with a long face, reluctantly went forward to feed him.

Xiao Wan raised his hand: “Let me, let me!”

Li Xun: “You stay out of it.”

Xiao Wan: TAT

He once again, sourly, clung to Zhan’er’s arm: “Gongzi has been especially fond of Xiao Die lately, I’m getting jealous.”

Zhan’er covered her mouth and laughed, thinking it was just childishness. But she felt that even if the gongzi favored Xiao Die a bit more, it was fine. After all, it was Xiao Die who jumped into the water to save the gongzi, and it was Xiao Die who bravely went outside the residence to get medicine for the gongzi. She was convinced.

Li Xun paused for a moment: “Really?”

Shen Qian was also resigned: “Is this favor?” He didn’t want this kind of favor at all.

Would you want this blessing if it were given to you—sigh, Xiao Wan seemed to really want it, who could understand his helplessness?

The master and servants finished their meal. Yesterday, they had copied several rooms, and the people were temporarily tied up, waiting for the accounts from Quzhu Courtyard to be cleared and compared before sending them to the authorities. Today, they first checked the residence’s storeroom, organizing everything and making a new inventory, to later compare with the accounts from Quzhu Courtyard: which items had abnormal consumption rates; which items were listed in the accounts but not in the storeroom; which items were reported but not entered into the storeroom.

Naturally, Li Xun didn’t have to do this himself. Zhu’er led a group of little maids, overseeing the storeroom staff as they organized everything, while Li Xun sat in the corridor, sipping a cup of longan and snow pear soup, with several stewards standing by, all sweating profusely.

The news that the eldest gongzi had copied several rooms yesterday had already spread, and today he was targeting the storeroom. They were afraid that if any account didn’t match, they would also face confiscation and sale.

Li Xun took a couple of sips of pear soup and put it down, asking, “Where is the boye furen’s dowry? Is the dowry list still there?” Liu Yufu was always eyeing the boye furen’s dowry, and he suspected part of it had already been misappropriated.

A steward hurriedly replied, “The furen’s dowry is all sealed in the back.”

“Sealed?” Li Xun was curious: “Let me see.”

This was exactly what Shen Qian wanted: this was his planned retirement fund. The group followed the steward through two doors, entering a small courtyard with five or six rooms, all locked with large brass locks, and the doors sealed with strips bearing the seals of both Duke Fuchang’s Residence and Duke Sheng’s Residence, already yellowed and faded.

“The furen’s dowry is all here. Since the furen passed away five years ago, it’s been sealed here. We don’t have the key in our residence; it’s with the third gongzi of Duke Sheng’s Residence. The inventory list from back then is also with both our residence and Duke Sheng’s Residence.” The steward hesitated for a moment, then assured Li Xun: “Gongzi, rest assured, the furen’s dowry is regularly inspected, not a single copper coin is missing.”

Shen Qian peered through the window, seeing large chests stacked one on top of another. In the capital, for families of dukes to marquises, having three to five thousand taels of silver in a dowry was already a lot, as dowries also included shops, estates, land, fabrics, jewelry… all worth a lot of money. Except for merchant families marrying into high-ranking families, it was rare to have such a large amount of cash.

Guan Yunying, before her death, converted her dowry’s shops, estates, and some items that couldn’t be sealed into cash, and with her post-marriage management, accumulated tens of thousands of taels.

In hindsight, Guan Yunying was quite foresighted. If she had kept the estates and shops, not only would she have needed to select reliable stewards, but with Liu Yufu and the boye’s residence’s unruly servants eyeing them, they would have been stripped of several layers. Better to earn a little less but preserve it.

It was entirely a mother’s love, planning for her only son’s future. Shen Qian didn’t know why, but he felt a pang in his heart, his nose tingling, and quickly turned his head away.

That night, it was still Shen Qian’s turn on duty. Xiao Wan, feeling jealous, eagerly wanted to take the night shift but was sent away by Li Xun, looking very sad. Shen Qian was speechless: “Why doesn’t gongzi let Xiao Wan come? Does he think I serve well?”

Let Xiao Wan serve, and let him go back to cultivate, okay?

Li Xun sincerely said, “To be honest, there’s no one who serves worse than you.”

Shen Qian was exasperated: Then why do you let me serve, are you a masochist?

“I just can’t stand people slacking off.” Li Xun said.

“Me slacking off? From confiscating to the kitchen, which one am I not overseeing?” Shen Qian grumbled, curling up on the couch.

Li Xun watched him with interest. He found this little guy very amusing, full of energy when working, truly lazy when slacking off, with many quirks. In the courtyard, he usually only gave orders, quite particular about cleanliness, unwilling to eat leftovers, and always sulking when asked to serve… Despite listing Shen Qian’s faults in his mind, Li Xun’s mouth gradually curled up, even finding the lump of quilt facing away from him somewhat cute.

What’s going on?

Li Xun clutched his chest, gently rubbing it.

That night, fortunately, Li Xun didn’t need to get up or have tea. But strangely, in the morning, Shen Qian was again on the bed, using Li Xun’s arm as a pillow, clinging to Li Xun’s waist like an octopus.

Shen Qian was bewildered: “Why am I here again?”

Li Xun calmly said, “Perhaps that couch is too small for you to stretch out.”

Is that so? Shen Qian awkwardly withdrew his hands from Li Xun, wondering if he had climbed into the wrong bed again after getting up in the night.

He felt a bit uneasy, but seeing Li Xun’s normal expression, he comforted himself: What’s there to be afraid of, we’re all little guys, hugging a bit is just hugging, nothing to be embarrassed about.

We’re all “sisters,” after all.

Shen Qian was putting on his shoes, heading out, but suddenly stopped, turning back to look at Li Xun.

Are we really all “sisters”…?