Chapter 31

 

Because of the hardships her twin sister endured, Li Zhi deeply understood how difficult it was for women to survive in this world.

She always tried to show patience and tolerance toward other women.

But that did not mean she could let her boundaries be trampled.

When a pawn attacks a pawn, a general faces a general—there was no need for her to confront the madam of the household directly, who was Xunfeng’s ultimate backer.

The following evening, Xunfeng brought a bowl of chicken soup into Lu Congruan’s room. Barely 5 o 10 minutes had passed before Lu Congruan erupted in fury and expelled her from his study.

The news quickly traveled to the courtyard where the madam resided. She paused her embroidery, a frown forming on her delicate face.

“Xunfeng has always been favored by Ah-Ruan. Are you sure this information is correct? Was it really Xunfeng who was punished?” she asked, disbelief evident in her tone.

The madam was born into a scholarly family. Though her appearance could only be described as delicate rather than stunning, her clear and lively eyes retained a youthful charm. Her complexion was pale, giving her an innocent and gentle air—like a harmless jasmine blossom.

“Madam, I can confirm it was indeed Xunfeng,” her personal maid said with a respectful bow. “The young master has ordered that she be confined to courtyard cleaning duties and banned from entering his rooms.”

“Isn’t that equivalent to demoting her to a mere cleaning maid?” The madam was startled, her expression worried. “What on earth did Xunfeng do wrong?”

The maid couldn’t provide details. The courtyard buzzed with rumors, but nothing definitive.

The madam couldn’t just stand by and let a maid from her own courtyard be punished so harshly. So when Lu Congruan visited her that evening as part of his daily filial duties, she kept him for tea.

As soon as the tea was served, the madam couldn’t hold back and broached the topic directly:

“Ah-Ruan, I heard that you expelled Xunfeng from your quarters. Is that true?”

“It’s true.” At the mention of Xunfeng, Lu Congruan’s face darkened.

“Xunfeng came from my courtyard. Even if she made a mistake, you shouldn’t have punished her so publicly. After all, her behavior reflects on me as well,” the madam said gently. “I also heard you relegated her to cleaning duties in the courtyard. Isn’t that punishment too severe?”

“I don’t think it’s severe enough!” Lu Congruan replied angrily. “She did something I absolutely despise. If I let her off lightly, it’ll disrupt all order in Fufeng Courtyard!”

The madam was taken aback by his vehemence.

“What could Xunfeng have done to make you so angry?” she asked, puzzled.

“…She put an aphrodisiac in my chicken soup!” Lu Congruan gritted his teeth, his tone seething with anger.

The servants in the room, as well as the madam herself, were visibly shocked.

Everyone understood what an aphrodisiac was—it was a common tool in brothels.

To the madam, who came from a refined and scholarly family, anyone resorting to such means was the lowest of the low. She had always believed her household would be free from such scandal. Yet here it was, happening under her roof—and the culprit was none other than one of her trusted maids.

For the madam, this was nothing short of a thunderclap on a clear day.

“This is… ridiculous!” The madam was furious and horrified. “Have you thoroughly investigated this? Are you certain Xunfeng is responsible?”

“I personally searched her quarters and found the aphrodisiac. If it wasn’t her, then who else could it be?” Lu Congruan said, his voice rising in indignation. “When I caught her, she refused to admit it. Only when I threatened to trace the pharmacy records from every shop in town did she finally confess. She bought the aphrodisiac from a physician outside the estate.”

“But even after admitting that, she still claimed she didn’t put the drug into the chicken soup! Honestly, does it even matter whether she confesses? The evidence is clear. The chicken soup was personally prepared and delivered by her. Whether she admits it or not, I had to punish her severely to maintain discipline in the courtyard!”

“You were right to do so!” The madam, who had initially disagreed with Lu Congruan’s punishment, now fully supported it. She angrily slapped the armrest of her couch. “These crude drugs are harmful to the body! I always thought Xunfeng was a sensible girl. How could she disregard your well-being like this?”

The madam’s personal maid, noticing her mistress was short of breath, quickly moved to soothe her, patting her back lightly.

Lu Congruan, alarmed, hurried to comfort her as well.

“Mother, don’t upset yourself. Fortunately, I caught her scheme early. I washed several times with cold water, so there’s no harm done. As for Xunfeng, I think she only acted out of desperation. With so many pretty new maids arriving at the courtyard recently, she must’ve felt insecure.”

“I plan to let her do menial tasks in the courtyard for now,” he continued. “After some time, if she truly repents, I might allow her back into my quarters.”

“She’s such a fool!” The madam sighed heavily. “You and I both know your temperament—you admire beauty, but you’ve never taken it further than appreciation. None of these new maids pose any threat to her!”

“If she had just stayed composed and followed the rules, I would’ve made her your concubine after your marriage—it was practically guaranteed. But now? Even if you wanted her, I wouldn’t feel safe letting someone like her into your household!”

“Then forget it. She’s just a maid born in our household. I’ll leave it to you to decide,” Lu Congruan said indifferently.

“Let her do the menial work for now. Maybe it’ll teach her some humility,” the madam said thoughtfully. “Looking back, I might’ve spoiled her too much. She seems to have forgotten her place…”

The two chatted for a while longer before the madam, concerned about her son’s recent cold and the effects of the aphrodisiac, urged him to go back and rest.

Not long after Lu Congruan left, Xunfeng arrived outside the madam’s courtyard, begging for an audience.

But the madam refused to see her.

After waiting for more than half an hour, Xunfeng finally left in tears.

Xunfeng was utterly distraught.

Yes, she had secretly purchased an aphrodisiac. But she had never gotten the chance to use it!

And more importantly, the drug that Lu Congruan consumed—a potent and highly noticeable formula—was completely different from the mild, undetectable one she had carefully requested from the physician.

No one believed her.

The young master, furious, had kicked Xunfeng out of his quarters. She had never imagined such a day would come. Since she had never bothered to cultivate good relationships with the other servants, the maids in the courtyard were now relishing her downfall.

Ashamed and defeated, Xunfeng trudged back to Fufeng Courtyard, hoping to slip into her room unnoticed. But before she could even enter, she saw several servants hauling her belongings out of her room.

“What are you doing?!” Xunfeng panicked and rushed over.

“Miss Xunfeng, we’re just following orders,” one of the servants said without a hint of pity. “The young master has declared that you’re to clean the courtyard from now on, so this is no longer your residence.”

“The young master would never treat me like this!” Xunfeng’s face turned pale. “Put my things down! You’re not allowed to touch them!”

But the servants didn’t heed her words.

Before long, her trunks, clothes, and personal belongings were all sent to a small, damp side room in a remote corner of the courtyard. It was the kind of place reserved for the lowest-ranking servants.

In a single day, her status had fallen drastically.

Xunfeng stood frozen in place, staring blankly at the dark doorframe and the half-rotten wooden bed inside.

——

Unseen birds sang cheerful spring melodies as they perched on the bamboo fence outside the courtyard. Occasionally, a soft breeze stirred the bamboo leaves, their rustling creating a soothing harmony.

Slim fingers placed a black Go stone onto the board.

Dressed in a loose-fitting, pale purple-gray robe, Xie Lanxu lounged lazily on a wooden couch in the Bamboo Courtyard. His sleeves pooled like clouds around him. He leaned casually against the wall, framed by a window where sunlight and the shadows of bamboo leaves danced.

“Although Xunfeng has fallen out of favor, the position of Fufeng Courtyard’s head maid is still vacant,” he remarked.

“There are still two days left—what’s the rush, Your Highness?” Li Zhi replied with a playful smile.

She plucked a white Go stone from the basket and gently placed it on the board.

The black and white stones formed a sharp corner, entangling in a precarious balance.

“Where did you learn to play Go?”

“There was an old gardener at the Li residence who liked to play in his free time. I had nothing better to do, so I picked up a bit of it from him,” Li Zhi said with a hint of nostalgia. “But I’m terrible at it—my skills must make things hard for Your Highness.”

“Terrible enough to be a match for me,” Xie Lanxu said flatly. “I’ve never formally learned Go, only the basic rules.”

“No wonder—” Li Zhi chuckled. “I thought Your Highness was going easy on me on purpose. Didn’t they teach Go in the Eastern Palace?”

“We studied the Six Arts after enlightenment,” Xie Lanxu replied. “But my teacher only stayed for a few years. After that, I had to teach myself.”

“Why?”

Xie Lanxu picked up a black stone and held it between his slender fingers, turning it over absentmindedly. His long lashes cast faint shadows on his cheeks, hiding his thoughts.

“…Because I fell ill,” he said softly.

“What illness? Was it serious?” Li Zhi asked, concern evident on her face.

“A terminal one, incurable,” Xie Lanxu replied with a faint smile. “So my father moved me to the Lake Pavilion in the Eastern Palace to recuperate.”

“Are you better now, Your Highness?”

The black stone finally landed on the board, and Xie Lanxu’s lips curved into a wry smile.

“You lost.”

Li Zhi glanced at the board and saw the truth—her white stones had been surrounded, leaving her with no way out.

“Even though I lost at Go, I won’t lose the bet,” Li Zhi said with confidence. “Your Highness really plans to fulfill my request, right?”

“A bet is a bet,” Xie Lanxu said. “But becoming Fufeng Courtyard’s head maid won’t be so simple.”

Li Zhi was keenly aware of her situation.

Lu Congruan had merely demoted Xunfeng to cleaning duties without stripping her of all privileges or imposing harsher punishment. At any time, Xunfeng could regain her favor.

“She has her tricks, and I have my strategies. Your Highness, just be prepared to honor your promise in two days,” Li Zhi said confidently.

The two of them tidied up the board and played a few more games.

When the moon hung high in the night sky, Li Zhi bade farewell to Xie Lanxu and left Bamboo Courtyard.

The incident with Xunfeng had already spread like wildfire within Fufeng Courtyard. Everyone now knew that the head maid’s position was vacant, but few dared to behave as arrogantly as Xunfeng.

Anyone with even a shred of perception could see that the most likely candidate to take over the position was the recently arrived maid, Li Zhi.

When Li Zhi returned to her modest quarters, several fellow maids approached her in secret, offering her small gifts in hopes of currying favor.

Even Jia Sui couldn’t help but come to congratulate her.

“If you become the head maid, Banban, we won’t have to endure Xunfeng’s tyranny anymore. You’ll have it so much easier too—any hard labor can just be delegated to the lower maids,” Jia Sui said sincerely, her joy for Li Zhi unfeigned.

Before Xunfeng had slapped Jia Sui, Li Zhi had never seriously considered vying for the head maid’s position.

But now, the advantages were becoming clear.

Holding the power to manage personnel in Fufeng Courtyard would mean better jobs and treatment for Jia Sui and her younger siblings, Li Xiangsheng and Li Cien, who relied on her.

“We can’t predict the master’s intentions,” Li Zhi said cautiously. “It’s better to keep a low profile right now—no need to draw unnecessary attention and become a target.”

Jia Sui found this reasoning sound and nodded earnestly.

“I understand. I’ll go remind Xiangsheng and Cien to be careful as well.”

Although the situation seemed to favor Li Zhi, the stakes she placed on this bet were far greater than just a head maid’s position.

“Jia Sui, I need your help with something.”

“Miss—Banban, just say the word!” Jia Sui, flustered, almost reverted to the old way of addressing Li Zhi. “I’ll make sure to get it done!”

For Li Zhi to win this bet, she needed a push from outside forces.

Li Zhi leaned close to Jia Sui’s ear and whispered instructions.

When Jia Sui pulled back, her expression was a mix of shock and confusion.

“I have my reasons. Just do as I said,” Li Zhi reassured her.

Though still puzzled, Jia Sui trusted Li Zhi’s judgment. She bowed lightly and hurried out of the courtyard to carry out her task.