Chapter 161: Fancying the Marquis’s Mansion’s Cheng Caimai

Chapter 161: Fancying the Marquis's Mansion's Cheng Caimai

As Lu Lingyun's words fell, both Chunhe and Chunxing knelt down with a thump.

Chunxing knelt especially quickly and was the first to speak, "Young Mistress, I came with you from the Lu Family. I have made up my mind that even if I stay single, I will not change masters. I will follow you and work diligently!"

Chunxing was the most ambitious and resourceful among all the maids.

When she was first chosen by Madam Liu to be Lu Lingyun's dowry maid, she had been hinted by Madam Liu to gain favor and try to be promoted to a concubine as soon as possible.

At first, Chunxing had such thoughts, but after she was assigned to take care of Qiu Ling, she gave up the idea of becoming a concubine.

She felt that Cheng Yunshuo was too heartless. Given how he treats Qiu Ling, how could he possibly like or cherish her?

Aunt Xing's fate served as a warning.

After returning from Qiu Ling's side, she abandoned all other thoughts. She found that working for Lu Lingyun, as long as she worked hard and attentively, Lu Lingyun would never mistreat her servants.

Moreover, Lu Lingyun was fair and just, perceptive, and valued relationships. Serving such a good mistress, she would surely benefit in the future.

Working for Lu Lingyun, she could rise to be the head housekeeper, which was far better than being a concubine with no prospects in the mansion.

Lu Lingyun's eyes gleamed slightly as she listened to Chunxing.

She had observed Chunxing and Chunhe for more than a year and understood their temperaments and characters well.

Chunxing was more thoughtful and ambitious than Chunhe, so when someone was needed to serve Qiu Ling, she chose Chunxing, giving her a chance. If Chunxing wished to become a concubine, that would have been the ideal time.

But she did not.

After that, Lu Lingyun grasped Chunxing's intentions.

She was telling the truth.

"It's excellent that you are willing to follow me, but you should think carefully. Serving the Crown Prince could lead to you becoming a concubine, and a concubine is half a mistress," Lu Lingyun said calmly.

Chunxing bowed deeply, performing a grand gesture of respect, "Young Mistress, Chunxing is willing to serve you for life, like a cow or horse!"

Lu Lingyun smiled, "You silly girl, no woman stays unmarried. Even if you want to serve me for life, you must marry. In the future, I will find you a good husband, and you can continue working for me even after marriage."

Chunxing was moved, "Thank you, Young Mistress!"

That was exactly what she hoped for! Even after marriage, she wanted to stay in the Marquis's Mansion and serve Lu Lingyun.

She aimed to be the head housekeeper of the Marquis's Mansion!

After finishing with Chunxing, Lu Lingyun slowly turned her attention to Chunhe, who was also kneeling beside her.

"Chunhe, what do you think?"

Like Chunxing, Chunhe shook her head hurriedly, "Young Mistress, I do not wish to serve the Crown Prince! I beg the Young Mistress for mercy!"

"Mercy? Do you think the Crown Prince is not good?" Lu Lingyun smiled faintly.

"No!" Chunhe was in a hurry and quickly explained, her face turning red, "I am of low status, how dare I serve the Crown Prince. I beg you, Young Mistress, Chunhe is also willing... also willing... to remain unmarried."

The last two words, "remain unmarried," were spoken reluctantly.

But compared to becoming Cheng Yunshuo's concubine, she would rather choose the latter.

Spring Wheat wasn’t as quick-witted as Spring Plum. She was more straightforward in her thinking and often spoke her mind without much thought.

Lu Lingyun looked at her with a playful gleam in her eyes. "Alright then, as I can’t bear to let you go, you won’t marry and will stay with me."

"Ah!" Spring Wheat was so shocked she couldn’t speak.

Lu Lingyun actually wanted her to stay unmarried! But hadn’t Lu Lingyun promised to arrange a marriage for her, just as she did for Spring Plum?

"What’s gotten into you? You said you didn’t want to marry, and now you do?" Lu Lingyun had already guessed her thoughts. "Or are you still thinking of being a concubine but are too shy to admit it?"

"No, no, it’s not that..." Spring Wheat said, with a pained expression. With everyone staring at her, some even suspecting she harbored thoughts of becoming a concubine, she blurted out, "Young Mistress, I already have someone I care for!"

"Cough, cough." Lu Lingyun sipped her hot tea, smiling broadly.

The other maids and nannies burst into laughter.

"Oh! So Spring Wheat has a sweetheart!"

"Which family? Why didn’t we know?"

"Tell us, who has won Spring Wheat’s heart?"

Her face turned bright red at their words.

Spring Plum, who was nearby, had already noticed Lu Lingyun’s teasing of Spring Wheat. That silly Spring Wheat, her little schemes couldn’t fool the young mistress!

If only she had spoken up earlier and respectfully asked the young mistress to arrange her marriage, instead of making everyone laugh at her now!

Amidst everyone’s laughter, Spring Wheat, her face flushed, looked at Lu Lingyun with a hurt expression. "Young Mistress..."

Lu Lingyun stopped teasing her. "Stand up. Who is it? Tell me, and I’ll take care of it."

Still blushing, Spring Wheat stood up. "It’s... Cheng Caimai from the kitchen."

After Lu Lingyun had investigated the incident of the red flowers in the kitchen, she had replaced the staff and made Spring Wheat the new manager in the kitchen.

However, the kitchen was one of the important areas of the Marquis's Mansion, and the managers and buyers there were all highly influential house-born servants of the Marquis's family. Even though Lu Lingyun had replaced the manager with Spring Wheat, it didn’t shake the core power of the kitchen.

Hearing that it was Cheng Caimai, everyone knew he was an old servant of the Marquis’s main family.

To truly control a large family and hold the household management power, it wasn’t just about replacing the core managers and stewards with your own people, but about integrating with the other factions of the family.

When people intermarried and their interests overlapped, that was when you truly became part of the family and held the core power.

The people Lu Lingyun brought in were initially meant to marry into other factions within the mansion.

The servants marrying each other, truly integrating.

Without this, relying solely on her position as a young mistress to control the household, who would truly support her?

Power wasn’t forcibly taken; it was integrated.

You in me, and me in you, only then would power be as stable as a rock.

Hearing that Spring Wheat had her eyes on a house-born servant of the mansion, Lu Lingyun was internally pleased.

"How long has this been going on?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Just these past six months..."

"That long? Haven’t you secretly promised him already? I’ll call him over right now and interrogate him thoroughly!"

"Young Mistress, we are innocent!" Spring Wheat hurriedly defended herself.

Seeing her anxious look again, Lu Lingyun put down her teacup. "Alright, alright, I’m not teasing you anymore. I’ll remember this. I’ll call Cheng Caimai’s parents over and we’ll discuss the marriage."