Gancao was working in Qian Lianxue’s personal quarters. On a normal day, Qian Lianxue didn’t avoid her. Instead, she treated Gancao very well and had her feeling that Mistress Xue was a very good person. 

  Still, when Dengxin came over and told her to find a chance to look at Mistress Xue’s letters from her family, Gancao was still whole-heartedly loyal to Nie Sangyu and cautiously nodded before returning to the main rooms in the courtyard. 

  Soon after that, Danzhu returned to Xuesong Courtyard and was standing by Mistress Xue’s side. 

  Qian Lianxue said, “Gancao, you’ve been working hard. You can leave first and go rest.” 

  Gancao nodded, but after going past the doors, she went to go look for Dengxin. There had to be something strange with that letter. If it was just an ordinarily family letter, Mistress Xue wouldn’t send her away first. If there really was something peculiar about this letter, then this letter would definitely be burned after Mistress Xue read it, and no one else would get the chance to see the contents of that letter. Gancao’s plan was to have Dengxin cause a commotion so that she would have the chance to sneak into the room and steal the letter. 

  Dengxin agreed. After trying and failing to think of a good idea, she gritted her teeth and walked to the back area of Xuesong Courtyard. Taking advantage of no one being around, she took out flint and set the woodpiles in the woodshed on fire. The fire wasn’t big enough, so she took some of the wine that was stored in the back area and poured it onto the fire. 

  Original translation is from fuyuneko dot org. If you’re reading this elsewhere, this chapter has been stolen. Please stop supporting theft. 

  It was common to store random pieces of junk and jars of wine at the back of each courtyard. Once this fire got going, the people at the front of the courtyard would definitely have to come here. Dengxin dusted her hands clean, then she looked around to check if there was anyone nearby. After that, she stepped onto a random piece of junk and jumped over the wall. 

  Gancao was worried that Qian Lianxue would read the letter too quickly. And so, right after she spoke to Dengxin, she immediately ran back and knocked on Mistress Xue’s doors. 

  Qian Lianxue had only finished reading half of the letter. After a pause, she raised her head and asked, “What’s the matter?” 

  Gancao shook her head, pushed open the doors, and said with a smile, “This servant forgot to say this before leaving. Mistress Xue, your medicine was cooking on the stove. It’s almost ready to drink. Mistress Xue, when will you be drinking it?” 

  As soon as the doors were opened, Qian Lianxue hurriedly put the letter away into her sleeve. After a moment, she thought that her action was too conspicuous. And so, she took the letter out, neatly folded it, and placed it on the table. “I’ll drink that medicine later. Don’t worry, Danzhu will get it for me. You can go rest.” 

  As Gancao waited for Dengxin to start a commotion, she felt very unsure. But, she was afraid that Qian Lianxue would start suspecting her, so she could only nod and say, “Madam sent this servant over to take care of you, so this servant has to do a proper job. Older sister Danzhu is always so busy. How about this servant brings over the medicine while it’s still hot……” 

  “Fire!” the servants outside suddenly shouted. 

  Gancao turned her head and saw thick smoke drifting outside. It was coming from a fire in the woodshed. She could see the glow of the fire through the paper windows. 

  “Master! There’s a fire!” A couple of servants ran inside and anxiously said, “Hurry and leave. There’s a fire at the back of the courtyard. It won’t take long before it consumes these rooms too!” 

  Qian Lianxue was startled, but her hand still went towards the table to grab the letter. 

  Seeing this, Gancao hurriedly went over, pulled Qian Lianxue away from the table, and pushed Danzhu towards the outside as well. “Don’t just stand there and do nothing. Hurry, help you master leave!” 

  In ancient times, all buildings were made of wood, and it was especially easy for them to catch on fire. 

  With her eyebrows furrowed, Qian Lianxue looked back at Gancao, but her servants were already pushing her out of the room. It was true that main rooms had caught on fire too, but it was just the smoke that was thick. The flames weren’t close to engulfing it yet. 

  Qian Lianxue bit her lip and said, “There’s something I forgot in my room! I want to go back……” Her following words were cut off by a coughing fit. 

  People with asthma couldn’t endure smoke at all. Even with her back facing the main rooms, she was already coughing within an inch of her life. As Danzhu supported her and tried to help her regain her breath, Gancao hurriedly asked, “Master, where’s the item that you want to get. I’ll go get it for you.” Gancao didn’t wait for Qian Lianxue to reply before rushing back inside. 

  Qian Lianxue was moved far away from burning building. Looking at that building, she frowned and looked at Danzhu. 

  Danzhu understood her meaning and also ran back into that room. 

  The smoke became increasingly thick inside the room. Gancao immediately started running out of the room once she had snatched the letter on the table. But, she bumped into Danzhu on her way out. 

  Startled, Gancao instinctively tucked the letter into her sleeve. 

  “Hand it over.” Danzhu’s smile was very gentle, but she firmly stood in front of Gancao and wouldn’t let her pass. 

  “Hand what over?” Gancao averted her face. “Let’s hurry and leave. The fire is really getting worse.” 

  Danzhu coldly smiled and stretched her hands out to grab Gancao’s hand. She wanted to get the letter inside Gancao’s sleeve. 

  Gancao desperately struggled, and they fell onto the ground. Above them, the room was thick with smoke. 

  Outside, people were still trying to put out the fire, but the water was being used in the back of the courtyard. There was no else coming into the room. 

  Danzhu pressed Gancao against the floor. Danzhu’s hand had already reached inside Gancao’s sleeve, but Gancao headbutted her and kicked her away from herself. Gancao slowly staggered up and wanted to run outside. 

  The doors were half-closed, and the sound of people rushing around outside and trying to put out the fire could be heard inside the room. Just as Gancao had stood up completely, someone grabbed her ankle and she fell down on the doors, causing them to close shut. Her head slammed down on the ground. 

  Behind her, Danzhu came forward. Seeing that Gancao had been knocked unconscious and the fire had already spread inside, she hurriedly took the letter from Gancao’s sleeve and pushed her body behind a door. Then, she opened the doors and ran outside while coughing. 

  It had been too long since Xuesong Courtyard was built, and there were parts where the wood had worn out. And so, it was especially easy for it to burn. 

  Right after Danzhu left the room, she bumped into a servant that was carrying bucket of water and ended up getting splashed by the water. The sudden shock of the water caused her to drop the letter onto the ground. The water had also caused the ink in the letter to smudge. 

  “Hurry, make way for the water!” More servants came along with buckets of water. Danzhu stretched her hand out to get the letter on the ground, but her hand almost got stepped on several times. After the stampede of feet left, the letter had vanished. 

  Shocked, Danzhu hurriedly ran to Qian Lianxue’s side and whispered something into her ear. 

  Qian Lianxue’s face paled.

  Chapter 224 – Little by little, everything will be dealt with (1) 

  When Ji Man heard there was a fire in Xuesong Courtyard, her heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly stood up and went outside. 

  Dengxin was walking by her master’s side. Feeling somewhat uneasy, she said, “This servant had only want to cause a small commotion and didn’t expect that the fire would spread so fast, hope Gancao is doing okay.” 

  “She’s always acted smartly. Nothing bad will happen to her.” Ji Man quietly comforted her and sped up her own pace. 

  Qian Lianxue was standing outside of Xuesong Courtyard and surrounded by a group of servants. Seeing Nie Sangyu coming over, she quietly called out, “Madam.” 

  Ji Man nodded and looked around, but didn’t see Gancao. She raised her head and saw that the fire had already grown into a raging inferno. In ancient times, the only way they knew how to put out fires was by pouring bucket after bucket of water onto the fire. It wasn’t an effective method. Looking at the situation, Ji Man guessed that the fire wouldn’t be extinguished until the entire courtyard was burnt down. 

  “Lianxue, have you seen Gancao?” Ji Man asked. 

  The tears in Qian Lianxue’s eyes suddenly increased. She coughed twice before sobbing, “This servant hasn’t see Gancao. Right after she said she was going back into my room to get something, she disappeared.” 

  Disappeared? Ji Man froze in surprise. She took a step towards Xuesong Courtyard and watched the servants that were entering and exiting the courtyard to put out the fire. None of their faces looked familiar too her. 

  Gancao wasn’t here. 

  Standing behind her master, Dengxin cover her mouth as her body slightly trembled. 

  Ji Man lowly laughed and said, “Heaven helps the worthy. Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen to Gancao. Perhaps, she just went to somewhere else. Dengxin, go and look for her.” 

  “Understood.” Dengxin turned around and blankly walked around the perimeter of the courtyard. 

  — 

  The large fire had engulfed the entire main rooms in Xuesong Couryard. The beams had collapsed, and it seemed as if everything had turned into ashes. Fortunately, there had been many people working on putting out the fire, so only the main rooms had been burnt down. By the time the fire had been completely extinguished, Steward Qian came over with other servants and had them sort out the items that hadn’t been burned. Some of the gold and other precious items might not have been damaged by the fire and could be taken out. As for the other more flammable items, there were probably beyond salvaging. 

  When Steward Qian opened the doors to the main rooms, he saw a charred corpse quietly lying on the ground, 

  The sky suddenly became overcast. As Dengxin was returning to report that she hadn’t found Gancao, Steward Qian had already ordered the servants to take corpse outside. 

  Ji Man took two steps back and asked with a smile. “Steward Qian, why are you showing me something so frightening?” 

  Steward Qian cupped his hands and said, “Madam, this subordinate has already done a headcount of all the other servants in this courtyard, this…… this seems to be Gancao.” 

  Dengxin wasn’t able to keep standing. Her legs weakened, and she sprawled down onto the ground. Her eyes were wide in horror. 

  Ji Man’s hands tightened. She slowly crouched down and quietly said, “How can you say something like that without proof? How do you know it’s her……” 

  On the charred corpse’s waist, there was something that hadn’t been burnt beyond recognition, a waist accessory with red coral beads. Ji Man remembered. This had been Gancao’s most precious treasure. When Ning Mingjie had given her this present, he told her that in two months, he would come and take her into his household. 

  Ji Man fell silent. 

  Standing behind her, Qian Lianxue clutched her handkerchief and sobbed with emotion, “It’s Lianxue’s fault. Lianxue didn’t take care of Gancao. There was something in the room that this servant wanted. This servant had originally intended to send Danzhu inside to get it, but Gancao had gone inside first, but then she didn’t come out……” 

  Dengxin didn’t care about gaze of the onlookers. Her tears were heart-wrenching as she forcefully repeatedly kowtowed toward the corpse. Blood had started to seep out of her forehead from the repeated knocks against the ground. 

  If she hadn’t thought of such a stupidly rotten idea, Gancao wouldn’t have died! Dengxin’s crying was so intense that she had to gasp for breath as her face was smeared with tears. 

  The sound of her crying quickly made the surrounding atmosphere feel heavy and somber. 

  Ji Man just blankly looked at the corpse for a long time until she finally slowly got up and said to Steward Qian, “Don’t hesitate with spending money for her burial rites. I’m the one that owes her. Tell me where her family is. I’ll go talk to them.” 

  Steward Qian made a sound of assent, then he ordered the servants over and had them take the body away. 

  There was a sudden clap of thunder. It had originally been late afternoon, but at some point, the sky had darken. After the shocking sound of thunder, the downpour started. The surrounding servants hurriedly started ushering Qian Lianxue to the side to avoid the rain. Ji Man and Dengxin stayed in their spots and didn’t move. 

  Qian Lianxue stopped walking and called out, “Madam, quickly come over here to avoid the heavy rain. There’s lightning too.” 

  Ji Man tilted her head and smiled at her. “I haven’t done anything wrong. Why would I be scared of getting struck by lightning?” 

  Qian Lianxue stiffened. From a distance, she looked at this woman and felt a shiver go up her spine. 

  Danzhu tugged on her arm, and she hurriedly turned around and allowed herself to be ushered forward. 

  Ji Man’s entire body was soaked, but she continued to stand frozen in the courtyard. From a distance, there were claps of thunder and the flashes of lightning. Every round of boom and rumble felt like a piece of iron smashing against her heart. 

  She wasn’t able to cry. Her heart felt too pained, but she couldn’t uninhibitedly cry out her sorrow like Dengxin. She just felt a stifled pain in heart. She opened her mouth slightly. She felt as if she almost couldn’t breath anymore. 

  This rainstorm had come too late. If it had come a little bit earlier, would Gancao still be alive right now? 

  No one could persuade her to move. Ji Man stood in the same spot until the sky had cleared. The glowing sunset after the rain was extremely beautiful, and their faces didn’t look so terribly pale under the reflection of this light. 

  Ning Yuxuan slowly walked over, held her hand in his, and started leading her to Feiwan Courtyard. 

  Ji Man didn’t resist. She seemed like a lost, wandering spirit that had no strength. 

  “Tomorrow, I’ll find you another servant girl. She’ll be even more attentive.” Ning Yuxuan pursed his lips and said, “You already look ugly enough. Stop making that expression.” 

  Ji Man stayed silent. 

  — 

  After Marquis Moyu brought her back to her room, he ordered the servants to prepare hot water for a bath. Looking at her vacant gaze, he pressed his lips together and stopped the words that he had intended to say. He left without saying another word.

  Chapter 225 – Little by little, everything will be dealt with (2) 

  Ji Man fell sick. She didn’t have any appetite or much energy. Doctor Li had come over twice to check on her. Each time, he said that it was her heart that was sick. There wasn’t a prescription that could fix this. 

  After Dengxin had cried enough, she knelt down in front of her master and tried to persuade her by saying, “Master, don’t feel too bad. If Gancao was still here, she wouldn’t want to see you like this.” 

  Ji Man shook her head and quietly said, “I want to feel better too. I never had the habit of wanting to torment myself. But Dengxin, I really can’t make myself eat.” 

  Dengxin covered her mouth and let out a sob. She turned around to hide her crying face. 

  — 

  Gancao’s family consisted of two younger sisters and her parents. Ji Man gave them plenty of money in compensation for the loss of their daughter, so they would never have to worry about money again for the rest of their lives. But, when Ji Man watched as Gancao’s parents happily knelt down in front of her to thank her benevolence, she felt an indescribable pain in her heart. 

  — 

  Ning Mingjie came to Marquis Moyu’s estate to take Gancao’s body away to be buried. 

  Ji Man tottered after him to watch the burial rites that would be held at the top of a mountain. 

  Gancao hadn’t formally entered Ning Residence, or observed any other formalities. But, Ning Mingjie still took on the role of her husband by laying her body into the wooden coffin and setting up a gravestone that said, Ning Gancao, maiden last name Liu. 

  Standing behind Ning Mingjie, Ji Man quietly said, “I’m sorry.” 

  Ning Mingjie slightly turned his head to look at her. There was a bit of stubble on his lower face. He dryly smiled and said, “It’s probably because I just don’t have that fortune. I finally met a woman that truly loves me, but we’ve already been separated by time.” 

  Ji Man’s eyes redden. 

  It was slightly too windy on the top of the mountain, and the edges of Ning Mingjie’s long robe was lifted up by the wind. His back figure looked quite lonely. 

  — 

  Ji Man was sick for a month. She had probably only survived by drinking medicine. Because she couldn’t keep down any solid food during this month, her body rapidly lost weight. Although she didn’t look as thin as a skeleton like when she had first come here, her body had returned to being slender and well proportioned. Every part was just right. If any part was slightly bigger, it would be too much. If any part was slightly smaller, it would be too little. 

  Ji Man bitterly smiled. This was the last present that Gancao would give her. It was better than any weight loss program. 

  It was just that her appetite was almost completely ruined. 

  — 

  When Muxu gave birth, it was a bit earlier than expected. However, she was able to smoothly give birth to a baby boy. Perhaps, her smooth delivery was due to Doctor Li taking care of her. 

  The estate became a bit more cheerful. After all, this was the Marquis Moyu’s first baby, and it was a boy too. Even though Old Madame wasn’t happy that this baby was from a concubine, she still felt a bit of joy in being able to hold her grandson in the midst of her sickness. 

  Ji Man took this opportunity to suggest to Old Madame to raise Muxu up to an honored concubine. 

  — 

  It was about time for Liu Hanyun to give birth too. By happy coincidence, there were more doctors checking up on her. When Ji Man went over to visit her, she saw that Liu Hanyun had gained weight and seemed more blessed than before. 

  Looking at Nie Sangyu’s eyes, Liu Hanyun felt somewhat distressed and said, “Madam, you look as if you have suffered a lot of terrible tribulations. Your eyes don’t look the same as before.” 

  Ji Man smiled at her. “It wasn’t any terrible tribulations. It was just a bunch of little things. Those little things, I can handle them on my own.” 

  — 

  After the main rooms in Xuesong Courtyard had been damaged by fire, Qian Lianxue had been staying in the side rooms. Marquis Moyu had allocated money to repair Xuesong Courtyard. Qian Lianxue said that she had a relative that knew how to do repair work, so this job had been given to her relative to do. 

  Ji Man acted very magnanimously. Whatever price that person quoted as the cost of material, she would pay him that amount without asking any questions. This person was a man slightly over thirty, and his monkey-like face was a bit oily. Strictly based on appearances, he didn’t look like an honest person. 

  Seeing how agreeable Nie Sangyu was being, he thought that the women in this harem were very ignorant and could be easily tricked. Thus, he fraudulently marked up the cost of the other materials as well. 

  By the end of the repair process, it had cost over three thousand silver taels just to fix the main rooms in Xuesong Courtyard. 

  Ji Man delivered the account book to Marquis Moyu and calmly said, “Since he was a person recommended by Lianxue, this servant didn’t say anything. But my lord, you should still look at this account book yourself.” 

  Ning Yuxuan supported his chin in his hand and scrutinized the woman standing in front of him for a while before finally flickering his eyes to glance at the account book. His expression changed, and his hands clasped together. 

  Ji Man faintly smiled and said, “This servant doesn’t know why you and Old Madame are so biased in favor of Lianxue, but from my perspective, she’s even slicker at establishing social connections than this servant. Moreover, she doesn’t seem as much of an invalid as she appears.” 

  After a pause, Ning Yuxuan helplessly said, “Lianxue has always been wholeheartedly loyal to me. Plus, with her health, I don’t want her to be dragged into conflict.” 

  Dragged? The person that was stirring up the conflict was probably Qian Lianxue. Ji Man sneered. Looking at Marquis Moyu, she said, “My lord, if you’re interested, how about we play an interception game?” 

  “What’s an interception game?” 

  Ji Man smiled, “My lord, if you aren’t busy sometime during today, how about we go together somewhere and do something wicked like playing out the role of bandits?” 

  Ning Yuxuan’s interest was stirred up. “Where do you want to go?” 

  — 

  After the old guard’s grandson skipped his way to Feiwan Courtyard, Ji Man pulled Ning Yuxuan towards the back gate with her. The two of them crouched behind the shrubs that lined the unavoidable path that Danzhu would have to pass to return to Xuesong Courtyard. 

  Marquis Moyu heard the the woman next to him seriously say, “My lord, when Danzhu comes by, please knock her unconscious.”


  Chapter 226 – The weak and delicate person that’s on our side (1) 

  Ning Yuxuan really wanted to ask her, wasn’t it overkill to ask a talented person like himself to come here to act liked a hired thug? Couldn’t she have just asked to borrow Guibai? 

  But, he remembered that she hadn’t been able to eat much lately. Although it was good that her figure had slimmed back down, her complexion looked anemic. It was rare to see her so lively. And so, he decided it wouldn’t be a big deal to go along with her antics. 

  Marquis Moyu looked away for her. Even though he was wearing an expensive, extravagant robe, he accompanied her in hiding behind a spherical shrub like a street hoodlum. 

  Danzhu had already hurriedly gone to the back gate from Xuesong Courtyard. On her way back, just as Danzhu passed by them, Ji Man pinched Marquis Moyu. The latter took a deep breath, very skillfully moved to stand behind Danzhu, and slashed his hand down on the back of Danzhu’s head. 

  People that practiced martial arts knew how to swiftly and accurately knock people out. And so, with a roll of her eyes, Danzhu fainted straight away. 

  Ji Man hurriedly came out and helped Marquis Moyu carried Danzhu behind the shrubs. Then, she started to search her body for the letter. 

  Ning Yuxuan watched her with the indulgent gaze of a parent playing hide-and-seek with his child. 

  The letter tucked in Danzhu’s sleeve was taken out. Today was the start of the month. It wasn’t the same day as when the last letter had been delivered. Then, could the sender of this letter be a different person from last time? Ji Man really wanted to open the letter to read, but Ning Yuxuan had taken the sealed letter from her. 

  He asked, “Why do you want to look at this letter?” 

  Ji Man lightly smiled. “My lord, if I said that Gancao died because of this letter, would you believe me?” 

  Ning Yuxuan frowned. After a while, he finally said, “Sangyu, you concern yourself with too many things. There are some things where it’s better for you to not know.” 

  “My lord, you want this servant to stay in Feiwan Courtyard and be a carefree, content Madam?” Ji Man giggled. “Then, who will pay for Gancao’s life? Who will pay for my child’s life?” 

  Marquis Moyu opened and closed his mouth. He really wanted to say something. But, holding the letter in his hand, he couldn’t tell her anything. In the end, he could only say, “Can you believe in me?” 

  Ji Man didn’t even need to think about her answer. “I can’t.” After a pause, she decided that she had been too brusque. So, she smiled and added, “My mother told me, a man’s words are the most untrustworthy.” 

  Ning Yuxuan sighed. 

  Ji Man didn’t know why he sighed. Still, they couldn’t stay here for long. The letter had already been stuffed in Marquis Moyu’s sleeve. Even thought she wanted to snatch the letter from him, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to. 

  After thinking for a moment, she took out her backup handkerchief that was embroidered with snow-capped mountains and dropped it by Danzhu. Then, she pulled Ning Yuxuan onto the path with her towards Xuesong Courtyard and acted as if they had just come here to take a stroll. 

  — 

  From the outside, the recently renovated Xuesong Courtyard looked about the same as before, just slightly newer. 

  Seeing that Nie Sangyu didn’t show any fear as she sat on Xuesong Courtyard’s rooftop with him, Ning Yuxuan couldn’t resist asking, “Exactly how many times have you climbed over the walls before?” 

  Her recent movements had looked way too practiced. 

  Ji Man wasn’t in the mood to answer his question. Beneath them, this was the spot that Gancao had lost her life. She couldn’t smile no matter how hard she tried. She could only expressionlessly sit here. 

  Marquis Moyu also quieted. The two of them just sat here in silence as they waited and watched as the distant sun slowly descended. 

  After Danzhu had finally woken up, she ran back here in a disheveled state. She went into the main rooms and closed the doors, then she said, “Master! This servant was knocked unconscious by someone on the way here! The letter is gone!” 

  “What?” Qian Lianxue’s voice sounded much more forceful than usual. Sounding anxious, she asked, “Did you not see who knocked you out?” 

  Danzhu took out the handkerchief that was embroidered with a snow-capped mountain design and handed it Qian Lianxue. 

  Qian Lianxue’s face sunk. Stroking the embroidered part of the handkerchief, she was silent for a long time. 

  “You didn’t see who had taken the previous letter, right?” 

  “This servant doesn’t know. There were too many people at the time. But, Gancao had definitely come back here to grab that letter. This servant doesn’t know how she found out about these letters either.” 

  Ji Man’s body stiffened. 

  Ning Yuxuan looked at her. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out and holding her icy-cold hand. 

  Ji Man turned to look at him. Several emotions flashed through her eyes. In the end, her gaze softened, and she lightly leaned on his shoulder. 

  “It’s for the best that she died,” Qian Lianxue said. 

  Then she added, “Send a message out, let those two master know to not send any more letters. Nie Sangyu is onto me.” 

  “Understood.” 

  It’s for the best that she died? Ji Man’s hands clenched, and her nails dug into Ning Yuxuan’s palm. She coldly laughed. 

  Marquis Moyu pursed his lips, took his hand out from hers, and softly and quietly carried her down from the roof and over the wall. 

  Ji Man was very clever. If she had come here by herself and torn holes in Qian Lianxue’s lies, as long as Marquis Moyu believed that Qian Lianxe was innocent, then no matter how much evidence she had, it would still be useless. This was why she had dragged Ning Yuxuan to come here today with her. 

  She didn’t know what was written in that letter. But, as clever as Ning Yuxuan was, he had let slip that she shouldn’t concern herself with too much. This meant that he knew there was a secret in this letter, and it wasn’t an unimportant secret either. 

  As for the rest of the matter, with his brains, he would definitely investigate the matter. Once he found out the truth, then she would be able use her testimony to its fullest effect.

  Chapter 227 – The weak and delicate person that’s on our side (2) 

  On the way back to Feiwan Courtyard, Ji Man thought about the circumstances around Gancao’s death. Although Gancao had been burned to death, there had been a bump that showed she had suffered a heavy blow to the back of her head. Ji Man didn’t believe the Gancao would have been clumsy enough to knock herself unconscious and stay in the burning building. There definitely had to be a culprit that sent her to the underworld with a shove. 

  After Marquis Moyu brought her back to Feiwan Courtyard, he left. Recently, he always secretly came over to see her. Other than the two of them, no one else knew about his visits. Everyone thought that she had lost his favor permanently. 

  Ji Man put away her turbulent feelings and went over to Old Madame’s courtyard. 

  Muxu hadn’t passed the traditional one-month isolation and recuperation period yet, but Nie Chenyu had been bringing over Muxu’s child over to try to improve Old Madame’s mood. Indeed, Old Madame’s complexion had become much healthier in the past few days, and she was also smiling more. 

  Really, it was the child that was the most important. After glancing at the baby that was wrapped up in swaddling clothes, Ji Man slightly closed her eyes. 

  Old Madame happily gestured for her to come over. “Sangyu, look at this child. Do you think he looks similar to Xuan-er?” 

  Ji Man walked over. It was a wrinkled, little face. His eyes and nose weren’t distinct at all. How could she possible tell if he looked similar to Ning Yuxuan? 

  “His mouth does look similar to the marquis’s.” Although she thought that this child didn’t look similar, it was still necessary to try to cheer up the elderly. 

  Old Madame joyfully laughed and placed the baby down by her bedside to tickle and tease it. As she played with the child, she said, “Last night, I discussed with Xuan-er about this child’s name. Let’s pick a nickname for him for now. When he’s one month old, we’ll choose his official name. Since his face looks so full of good fortune, let’s call him Fu-er.” 

  (T/N: Fu means good fortune.) 

  “Fu-er sounds good, ah. It’ll guarantee that this little young master will be protected by good fortune in the future.” Nie Chenyu was a sweet-talker. She turned her head to look at her sister and cutely said, “Chenyu hasn’t seen older sister in such a long time. Older sister, you look even more beautiful than before.” 

  Ji Man smiled and said, “Haven’t you been spending all of your time at Qiangwei Courtyard and serving Wan-er? Make sure to be extra careful. Wan-er is in the late stages of pregnancy.” 

  These words made it seem as if she was a real servant girl. Nie Chenyu’s eyes darkened, but she kept the smile on her face. “Older sister Wan-er’s pregnancy is very stable. Older sister, you don’t need to worry.” 

  Old Madame looked at them both. There was something that she wanted to say, but Qi Siling was also in the room. And so, she could only say, “It’ll be good if your sisterly relationship can always be this good.” 

  Ji Man nodded. 

  Nie Chenyu also nodded. But, there had been pregnancy after pregnancy announced in this household, and baby after baby would be coming out soon. Nie Chenyu still wasn’t strongly favored. In the last month, Marquis Moyu hadn’t even visited her twice. She couldn’t help feeling anxious. 

  After sitting here for a while, Nie Chenyu left. Calculating the time, it was about the hour when the marquis would be visiting Qiangwei Courtyard. Thus, she naturally had to go there too. 

  Qi Siling saw that Dengxin, who was standing behind Nie Sangyu, was holding the account book. She smiled and said, “This servant heard that Xuesong Courtyard’s recent repairs have been very costly. Madam, did you come here to report expenses to Old Madame?” 

  Ji Man nodded and had Dengxin place the account book by Old Madame’s hands. She lightly laughed and said, “Old Madame, although the marquis’s estate is quite wealthy, it still can’t support a relative like this one. Sangyu has already shown this account book to the marquis. The marquis said that I should act after I take the entire situation into consideration. So, Sangyu came here to ask Old Madame, what would be the most suitable way to handle this matter?” 

  At the mention of Xuesong Courtyard, Old Madame pursed her lips, looked at Qi Siling, and said, “Qi Siling, go visit Wen Wan. I have something I want to say in private with Sangyu.” 

  Clutching her handkerchief, Qi Siling somewhat unwillingly stood up and bid farewell. 

  “What’s the big deal about Lianxue’s place?” Old Madme slightly sat up and looked at the account book. In the end, she frowned and said, “This…… Have that person pay back those costs. There’s no need to punish Lianxue too harshly.” 

  “Why?” Ji Man frankly looked at Old Madame. “You’re usually very fair with your rewards and punishments, but you always shield Lianxue from criticism and punishment. You even said that she wouldn’t harm Sangyu. Old Madame, you also know that Gancao died in her courtyard.” 

  Old Madame paused, then she quietly said, “Perhaps, it was an accident.” 

  With a severe expression, Ji Man looked at Old Madame. “It wasn’t an accident. There was an injury on the back of Gancao’s head beneath her burnt marks. It couldn’t have been an accident.” 

  Old Madame fell silent. 

  Seeing the expression on Old Madame’s face, Danggui and Shouwu withdrew from the room, closed the doors on their way out, and waited outside. 

  “Sangyu, you have to know, that in noble families, there are always people that you can’t touch.” Old Madame sighed and said, “I might as well be frank with you. Lianxue…… Lianxue has always done work for us. She’s on our side.” 

  Ji Man found these words laughable. Her eyes slightly widened. “On our side?” 

  Would someone on her side kill her servant? Would someone on her side take part in a scheme that led to the disappearance of her baby? 

  “She has always followed the orders of the third prince and the imperial noble consort. The imperial noble consort has stressed the importance of Lianxue to me,” Old Madame said, “That’s why I’ve always said that Lianxue wouldn’t harm you. If anything seems wrong, it has to be a misunderstanding.” 

  Hearing these words, Ji Man laughed. She laughed for a very long time. At the end, she flattened her lips and said, “Old Madame, Sangyu believes in her eyes and ears the most. If she’s really on our side, then Sangyu will remind Old Madame one thing, this person can’t be trusted. Please also convey this message to my aunt and cousin.” 

  Old Madame was slightly stunned. She had been sick in her room for a long time and naturally didn’t know what was happening outside. 

  “Old Madame, if you don’t believe Sangyu, then just wait and see. I took something from her. If she’s really on our side, then there’s no need for her to panic-stricken. She can just directly ask me for that item back. If she’s not on our side, then she’ll definitely harm me.” 

  Ji Man already had a premonition. If that letter really contained a disastrous secret, then Qian Lianxue would definitely make the decision to harm her. 

  Ji Man returned to her expression to normal. “Tomorrow is a market day. Sangyu wants to go out and walk around. Old Madame, is there any trinket that you want Sangyu to bring back for you?”