“She just returned to the East Courtyard, and Qingque is keeping her company.”
The servant woman answering was Madam Zhou Wu. Though she didn’t serve directly in Lu Jinxi’s chambers, she was still a capable and trusted figure.
Hearing this, Lu Jinxi quickened her pace across the open courtyard, turning toward the East Courtyard.
She wasn’t particularly familiar with the layout of the General's Mansion, but she had walked this path earlier in the day when leaving the mansion. Relying on her memory, she managed to find her way.
“Have you figured out what happened?”
“Qingque said she knew you’d ask about this as soon as you returned, so she had already gathered the information and instructed me to report to you.”
Madam Zhou Wu walked alongside Lu Jinxi, speaking as they moved.
“The incident happened just after noon.”
“The young master was playing chess with Second Young Master Luo. The little bookboy had gone to fetch tea, and when he returned, the two of them had somehow gotten into a fight.”
“As for Second Young Master Luo, Old Physician Zhang from Hui Sheng Hall has already examined him and said he’s fine, though the wound is a bit deep—it was caused by a shard from the broken chessboard.”
“The young master’s injuries have also been checked by the physician. They’re just minor scrapes and bruises. But no matter how much Qingque pressed him, he refused to explain why it happened, only insisting that he wasn’t at fault.”
If Bai Lu was sweet and naive, then Qingque was steady and composed.
Bai Lu was straightforward and sometimes came up with whimsical ideas, but she lacked caution. Qingque, on the other hand, was the opposite. Two years older than Bai Lu, she was sharp-minded and handled matters with greater thoughtfulness.
It was crucial for Lu Jinxi to learn about the situation in the mansion as soon as possible, which was why she had summoned Madam Zhou Wu.
However…
Lu Jinxi’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. “If Xue Chi won’t say why they fought, what about Second Young Master Luo?”
Madam Zhou Wu shook her head. “We’ve already inquired, but he’s just as tight-lipped. He won’t say a word either.”
“How strange.”
Lu Jinxi felt a pang of suspicion, her mind lingering on the matter.
She had never met Xue Chi, but during her illness, she had heard that he was a little tyrant, known for his bad temper and penchant for throwing tantrums.
It wasn’t surprising that Xue Chi refused to explain.
But Second Young Master Luo from the Duke of Ying's Mansion had always been well-behaved and sensible. For something like this to happen, and for him to remain silent, was unusual.
“Madam, is there something amiss here?”
Madam Zhou Wu, seeing her silence, couldn’t help but ask.
“We’ll know once we get back.”
Lu Jinxi waved her hand dismissively and then turned to Bai Lu.
“Bai Lu, Zhang the Ghost Hand should still be at the Duke of Ying's Mansion. Go and intercept him. I want him to take a look at Xue Chi later.”
“Understood.”
Bai Lu had been thinking the same thing. After all, Zhang the Ghost Hand was an eccentric physician who rarely made appearances.
Second Young Master Luo of the Duke of Ying's Mansion might be precious, but their young master wasn’t made of clay either.
Hearing Lu Jinxi’s order, she felt a flicker of relief and immediately set off for the Duke of Ying's Mansion.
The Duke of Ying's Mansion was right next to the General's Mansion, separated only by a wall.
Not long ago, as the number of children in the Duke’s household had grown, the Duke had planned to establish a family school for them and had hired craftsmen to scout a suitable location.
The place needed to be spacious, elegant, quiet, with minimal foot traffic, and secure.
After much searching, they couldn’t find a suitable spot.
Finally, one of the craftsmen had a clever idea. Recalling the layout of the area, he realized that the General's Mansion had a small garden right against the wall. If they could merge it with the small garden on the Duke’s side, the space would be just right.
However, both mansions were granted by the imperial court, and making such changes wasn’t easy.
After careful consideration, the Duke of Ying thought of Xue Chi, the treasured child of the Xue family, who was just reaching the age for formal education.
So, he sent a proposal to the General's Mansion, suggesting they dismantle the wall and merge the gardens to create a shared schoolhouse. The children from both households could study there together, and the teachers would be jointly hired.
The General's Mansion agreed, reasoning that the small garden was unused and not worth fighting over. Moreover, the idea was practical, so they accepted the proposal.
Both households submitted a memorial to the Emperor, and after receiving approval, they tore down the wall in the garden area, built a few rooms, and meticulously decorated the space. They hung a plaque above the entrance that read, “Hall of Time.”
Thus, the schoolhouse was established.
The Duke of Ying's Mansion had several children, and along with Xue Chi from the General's Mansion, they began attending classes daily.
For the first month or so, everything went smoothly.
When Lu Jinxi had just woken up, she heard from the maids that Xue Chi had been smiling more often lately, suggesting that he enjoyed studying there.
But…
How much time had passed since then? And now, such a major incident had occurred.
The East Courtyard, where Lu Jinxi resided, was now crowded with people.
Even though the General's Mansion was frugal, with over a dozen masters in the household, there was no shortage of servants.
The maids and older women were chattering away, some genuinely concerned, while others seemed eager to gossip and gather information.
Lu Jinxi, accompanied by Madam Zhou Wu and a few others, came around from the side gate and immediately frowned at the sight of the noisy crowd.
“What trouble has the young master gotten into this time?”
“Sigh, as long as he doesn’t cause a disaster.”
“This time, he even made Second Young Master Luo from the Duke of Ying's Mansion bleed. Isn’t that going too far?”
…
A few maids stood close to the door, whispering among themselves.
One of them, dressed in a red silk jacket with a green satin vest, was casually cracking melon seeds, tossing the shells onto the ground. She glanced into the courtyard and chuckled. “Xue Chi’s temper, really, ha…”
“Really what?”
A calm, graceful voice interjected, so composed that it barely rippled the air.
The maid hadn’t realized who was speaking and thought to herself, who’s so foolish as to chime in?
She picked up another melon seed, turning her head as she spoke. “Of course, he’s just a hopeless—”
She was about to utter the final word when her head fully turned, and her eyes landed on Madam Lu, standing there with a group of people right behind her…
In that instant, it felt as though she had been slapped across the face!
The maid’s legs instantly went weak, and she dropped to her knees, the melon seeds scattering across the ground.
“M-Madam, I—I…”
“Weren’t you speaking so eloquently just now?”
Lu Jinxi’s pale lips curled into a cold smile, though her eyes held no warmth as she gazed at the maid.
“Go on, finish your sentence. Hopeless what?”
“I was wrong, I was wrong! Please forgive me, Madam! Please forgive me!”
Her voice trembled with tears as the maid kowtowed repeatedly.
In the past, she wouldn’t have been so frightened.
After all, she wasn’t one of Lu Jinxi’s maids but served under Lady Wei, the third madam, making it difficult for outsiders to punish her.
But the incident with the three bolts of silk two days ago had completely changed her perspective.
With just a few words, Lu Jinxi had forced the accounts office to reclaim the three bolts of silk that Lady Wei had taken, leaving Lady Wei utterly humiliated.
Lady Wei had been so furious that she skipped two meals and smashed several items in her room.
Even the accounts office and Lady Wei, who were usually so formidable, had been unable to gain the upper hand against Lu Jinxi. What hope did a mere maid like her have?
“It’s all my fault, all my fault! Please forgive me, Madam…”
She kowtowed even harder, hoping to earn a shred of mercy.
Unfortunately, Lu Jinxi’s heart, though soft, was not warm.
Her expression remained impassive as she glanced down at the scattered melon seed shells on the ground, finding them particularly grating.
The maid had knelt down, her head lowered to hide her face, but Lu Jinxi recognized her instantly. This was Ruizhu, a maid serving in Lady Wei’s courtyard.
One household shouldn’t meddle in the affairs of another, let alone those of their masters.
As for whether Xue Chi was good or not, Lu Jinxi hadn’t met him yet and couldn’t say.
But she knew exactly what kind of person this maid was.
Listening to her wailing and begging, Lu Jinxi found it unbearably noisy and felt a wave of impatience.
With a faint turn of her eyes, she tilted her pale, sharp chin slightly and called out, “Madam Zhou Wu.”
“Yes!”
No one could mistake Lu Jinxi’s tone.
Madam Zhou Wu had already prepared herself and, upon hearing Lu Jinxi’s call, immediately straightened up and responded. She gestured to another older woman beside her, and the two stepped forward.
“Madam! I was wrong! I was wrong! Ah—”
Ruizhu, seeing this, was terrified and instinctively tried to back away.
But who was Madam Zhou Wu?
She was sturdy and strong, easily pinning Ruizhu down with both hands. Despite Ruizhu’s struggles and frantic cries, there was no escape.
Friday's family was burning with anger, and old grievances resurfaced along with new ones.
Not long ago, hadn’t their poor daughter also been beaten until her face was swollen and bruised by them?
The people from Third Madam Lady Wei’s quarters, relying on their arrogant airs, had often bullied those serving in Second Madam’s courtyard.
But did they not realize that even the kindest heart, when pushed to its limits, could resort to extreme measures?
Did they still think that the current Second Madam was the same pushover from the past?
“Hmph!”
Friday’s wife sneered coldly.
Now was the time for “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”
She looked down at Ruizhu’s wide-eyed expression, spat directly at her, and raised her hand high, delivering a sharp slap!
“Smack!”
It was a blow delivered with full force.
A bright red handprint immediately appeared on Ruizhu’s face, her neatly styled hair now disheveled, and her expression a mix of shock and disbelief.
Realizing she had been struck, Ruizhu opened her mouth to let out a loud cry: “You—mmph!”
But before she could finish, Friday’s wife had already balled up a handkerchief and stuffed it into her mouth, silencing her completely.
“That’s what you get for not keeping your mouth shut! Drag her aside, don’t block Second Madam’s way!”
With that, she waved her hand, and together with another servant, they grabbed Ruizhu, yanked her by the hair, and dragged her to the side of the road.
With that, the path before Lu Jinxi was cleared.
She said nothing, glancing around her.
The surrounding maids all lowered their heads, not daring to look at her, trembling in fear.
Lu Jinxi had no intention of holding it against them. “Go back to your duties,” she said.
Having spoken, she paid no mind to what they might be thinking and strode into the courtyard.
“Smack!”
“Smack!”
…
The crisp sound of slaps, accompanied by Ruizhu’s muffled struggles, echoed clearly from behind.
Lu Jinxi heard it but didn’t look back, her steps steady and unflinching.
Admittedly, she still felt a little unaccustomed to such scenes.
But then again…
Not long ago, when she had been lying ill in bed, it was a maid from the eastern courtyard who had suffered the same fate.
That girl was Friday’s wife’s daughter, only eleven or twelve years old, working in the mansion. Yet they had shown no mercy! So, if she had to resort to harsh measures now, it was nothing out of the ordinary.
She would get used to it eventually.
She thought to herself.
In the eastern courtyard, the few remaining winter plum blossoms had mostly withered, with only faint hints of green emerging. The stone-paved path in the central courtyard had been swept clean, with no trace of snow left.
Her footsteps were silent as she walked across it, ascended the steps, and prepared to check on Xue Chi, the child.
Lu Jinxi had never been a mother before, so she had no experience and didn’t think she would know how to handle children.
After recovering from her illness, while she was concerned about the affairs of the mansion, she was even more worried about being exposed by the children of the Lu family.
Now, as she drew closer, her usually calm heart began to stir with a strange mix of anxiety and curiosity: What kind of child was this “little tyrant” that everyone in the mansion avoided?
But before she could get close, a mocking laugh came from inside.
“I’ve said all along that Xue Chi needed proper discipline, but Second Sister-in-law stubbornly refused to listen. Now, look what’s happened—he’s gone and hit someone, offending the prestigious Duke of Ying’s Mansion. How are we supposed to handle this? Tsk, I wonder how this will end…”
