Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Playing by Unconventional Rules

Ceng Huiyan left the Orchid Bamboo Residence, her personal maid Zhu Er by her side, and the old lady's former second-tier maid, now Yiniang Xiang, trailing behind.

At first, she walked slowly, but her pace quickened, almost to a run, as if she were fleeing someone.

"Madam, why are you rushing so fast?" Yiniang Xiang, though naturally graceful, was now panting heavily, all elegance gone. While once the old lady's maid, she had now fully aligned herself with Ceng Huiyan.

After all, the old lady might still meddle in household affairs and serve as her patron now, but what about later? Wouldn’t she still have to live under the Second Madam’s influence?

Convinced she had made the right decision, her expression grew increasingly obsequious.

Ceng Huiyan craned her neck to look out the window, asking repeatedly, "Has she come? Has she come?"

Yiniang Xiang also glanced outside but saw only a few maids sweeping the courtyard, with no one else in sight.

Zhu Er stepped outside to check and returned with a reassuring smile. "Madam, she hasn’t come!"

Only then did Ceng Huiyan relax, leaning comfortably into the embroidered begonia-patterned cushion on her chair.

Yiniang Xiang asked curiously, "Madam, what riddle are you and Zhu Er puzzling over?"

Ceng Huiyan shot her an annoyed glance. "Didn’t you hear what the old lady said earlier? She asked the eldest sister-in-law, who’s just recovered from illness, to invite Master Kongming instead of me. Clearly, she wants me to hand over the household authority."

Yiniang Xiang said awkwardly, "The old lady probably didn’t mean it that way..."

"It’s you who’s too dull to see it."

Yiniang Xiang lowered her head, twisting her handkerchief fiercely as if it were Ceng Huiyan herself, squeezing it with frustration.

Zhu Er acted as if she didn't notice, gently massaging Ceng Huiyan’s shoulders. "Madam, you’ve been accompanying the old lady in Buddhist rituals since early morning, all for nothing. Let me massage your shoulders for you."

Ceng Huiyan relaxed, enjoying the massage as if her sore shoulders were soaking in warm water, soothed almost to sleep.

"Though I’m her niece, we barely saw each other throughout the year. It’s no surprise she doesn’t favor me." Ceng Huiyan spoke lazily, leaving Yiniang Xiang standing awkwardly, unsure whether to stay or leave.

"What about the First Madam..." Zhu Er said worriedly.

The First Madam was not one to be easily manipulated. Their mistress had never come out on top against her, yet she repeatedly provoked her, relying solely on the fact that the old lady was her aunt.

Ceng Huiyan jumped, and Zhu Er accidentally pressed too hard on her collarbone, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Ah—"

Zhu Er quickly withdrew her hand, apologizing, "I didn’t mean to, Madam."

"Enough, enough, I know you didn’t do it on purpose." Ceng Huiyan glanced at Yiniang Xiang. "You may leave now. There’s no need to stay here."

Yiniang Xiang bowed and withdrew. But as soon as she stepped out, she saw Dong Yuting marching determinedly into the courtyard.

Yiniang Xiang stepped forward to greet her. "Greetings, First Madam." Unbeknownst to her, her tone carried a hint of excitement.

Dong Yuting treated it like a professional greeting, nodding slightly and replying with a casual "Hmm."

Yiniang Xiang’s gaze followed Dong Yuting as she entered the main room. Only when urged by a maid did she reluctantly leave along the covered walkway.

The maids outside the room saw her coming. One stepped forward to greet her, while the other quickly ducked inside.

"First Madam, what brings you here?" a maid asked with a smile, bowing.

"I need to speak with the Second Madam," Dong Yuting said bluntly, striding inside. The maid, unable to stop her, could only follow.

"Sister-in-law, what brings you here?" Ceng Huiyan, who had just relaxed, tensed up again, taking quick, small steps forward. "Zhu Er, quickly serve tea to our sister-in-law."

Zhu Er hurriedly poured tea and brought it to Dong Yuting.

"I’m here for a simple matter. You’ve worked hard managing the household this past month. Since I’ve recovered, there’s no need to trouble you further," Dong Yuting said with a smile, her words straightforward.

Ceng Huiyan’s smile froze but quickly returned. "My fault, my fault. When Mother mentioned it this morning, I intended to bring the account books to you right away. But I got busy after returning and forgot. Zhu Er, go fetch the account books for our sister-in-law."

Dong Yuting took a sip of tea, savoring its rich flavor with a sweet aftertaste. The tea was clear and bright, like a piece of emerald embedded in the cup, its delicate green leaves visible at the bottom. With one sip, Dong Yuting felt her mind clear.

Even as someone who knew little about tea, she couldn’t help but exclaim, "Excellent tea!"

Her smile widened as she called out to Zhu Er, who was about to leave. "While you’re at it, summon the managers of the Transport Department, the Correspondence Office, the kitchen, the storeroom, and the Inner and Outer Court stewards. Since you’ve been managing things for the past month, we should handle the transition carefully to avoid any mistakes that might require your help later."

Dong Yuting kept her eyes fixed on the stunned Ceng Huiyan.

She swore to heaven she had no intention of making things difficult for Ceng Huiyan. It was just her habit from her corporate experience—any unclear handover could lead to rework. After learning her lesson once, she always took extra care during transitions.

Ceng Huiyan bit her lip, her expression dark and sullen. "Is this necessary, sister-in-law? I didn’t make any changes this past month. Everything was managed according to your previous arrangements."

"That’s ideal. It’ll make the handover quicker," Dong Yuting said cheerfully, deftly sidestepping the issue.

The Li estate was large and prosperous, with four departments managing its affairs: the Transport Department handled travel, carriages, and guards; the Correspondence Office managed correspondence and gift exchanges with other households; the kitchen oversaw meals and procurement, a department with most opportunities for profit; and the storeroom managed the estate’s assets.

The Inner and Outer Court stewards were responsible for managing the servants—the Outer Court steward oversaw the male servants, while the Inner Court steward managed the maids.

Each had their duties, and Ceng Huiyan’s brief management hadn’t caused much disruption.

Soon, the stewards arrived. After greeting Dong Yuting, they handed their account books to Qiu He, who placed them before Dong Yuting.

Seeing this, Ceng Huiyan gritted her teeth angrily. When she had wanted to review the books, these stewards had made excuses. Why were they so compliant with Dong Yuting?

The original mistress had liked to keep everything under control, spending two or three days carefully examining the account books. Such meticulousness was exhausting—no wonder her health had suffered.

Dong Yuting flipped through the books briefly before closing them and rubbing her temples. The densely packed, complex characters threatened to overwhelm her, and the reading order was entirely different from what she was used to. Any longer, and she feared she’d get dizzy.

So she decided not to read further. Instead, she asked the stewards, "Has anything significant happened this past month, or are there tasks assigned by the Second Madam that remain unfinished?"

Barring exceptions, daily affairs were routine—maids or servants slacking off, someone being punished, or courtyards not being cleaned properly. The stewards knew these details well and wouldn’t bring them up unless necessary.

Ceng Huiyan couldn’t have done nothing. The kitchen steward was the first to respond. "The Second Madam said the kitchen was short-handed and assigned a few more girls to work there."

His words made it seem as though Ceng Huiyan had acted arbitrarily.

Ceng Huiyan forced a stiff smile. "Recently, many servants were sent to Youzhou to search for the Eldest Master, so we bought more people from the servant broker. I noticed a few clever girls and bought them all. I forgot my courtyard already had enough maids, so I sent a few to the kitchen."

Dong Yuting nodded without comment.

Next, the Transport Department steward spoke. "The Second Madam plans to attend Princess Zhaoxin’s birthday banquet on the third of next month and asked us to prepare the Liuyun Xuanxiang carriage in advance."

Ceng Huiyan quickly added, "Speaking of which, Princess Zhaoxin also invited you, sister-in-law. It’s fortunate you’ve recovered. We can go together."

The Inner Court steward gave a similar report to the kitchen steward, noting that Ceng Huiyan had assigned additional people to her department. The storeroom, Outer Court, and Correspondence Office stewards had no issues to report.

Dong Yuting said calmly, "I see."

Instructing Qiu He to return the account books to them, Dong Yuting stood up and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Eldest Sister-in-law. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

"Baoyu, see Eldest Sister-in-law off," Ceng Huiyan said with a smile.

The maid standing by the door responded respectfully and escorted Dong Yuting out. She had heard everything clearly from outside—how the Second Mistress had been as timid as a quail in front of the First Mistress.

The stewards and managers had no reason to stay any longer and took their leave one by one, following Dong Yuting out.

An uneasy silence hung in the air, gripping Zhu Er's heart like an invisible hand. She stole a glance at Ceng Huiyan, whose smile had faded, her face turning pale and livid, and whispered, "Madam..."

*Crash!*

A celadon cup with lotus patterns was violently swept to the floor by Ceng Huiyan, shattering into pieces. Zhu Er trembled in fright, not daring to breathe, leaving only the sound of Ceng Huiyan's furious panting in the room.

"What does she mean by this?! Making me lose face like this, coming to my doorstep with her people to demand the account books!" Ceng Huiyan clenched her fists, her long nails digging into her palms.

Zhu Er didn’t dare call anyone in and began cleaning up the shards herself.

"Madam, what about our people..."

Ceng Huiyan shot her a sharp glance. "Tell them to stay quiet. As I said, they are just clever people I bought. Beyond that, there’s no connection."

Zhu Er nodded weakly.

The more Ceng Huiyan thought about it, the angrier she became. She stuffed a soft, sweet green rice cake from the table into her mouth, chewing fiercely as if she were gnawing on Dong Yuting herself, each bite filled with resentment.

As for what Ceng Huiyan was thinking, Dong Yuting neither knew nor cared to find out.

Returning to Yin Feng Courtyard, the kitchen steward Zhu Yueru and the Transport Department steward Qian Kun followed her inside, while the other stewards returned.

Thinking back, it seemed these two had been the most eager to report issues earlier.

Searching through the original host’s memories, Dong Yuting understood: these two were her dowry servants—clever and loyal—whom she had arranged to become stewards.

Zhu Yueru asked worriedly, "Madam, while you were not managing the household this past month, the Second Mistress planted many of her own people into the estate, especially in the kitchen and the Transport Department. What should we do now?"

As for other areas, the Second Mistress wouldn’t dare interfere too much.

The storeroom steward had once been the Old Mistress's first-rank maid, serving her for many years; the Correspondence Office steward had been the late master’s personal attendant, whom even Li Lingchuan treated with respect; the outer court steward’s son was Li Lingchuan’s personal servant; and the Inner Court Steward had recognized the Old Mistress's maid, Wang Mama, as her godmother.

The Li estate was like a towering tree, with intricate roots beneath—tugging one would affect the whole. Every influential servant had connections. The original host, after marrying into the Li family, had painstakingly secured stewardships in the kitchen and Transport Department for her own people.

Dong Yuting deeply admired her—even as a woman in the inner chambers, she had her own skills. Dong Yuting appreciated her capabilities.

"Just handle them as usual. No need for special treatment, but don’t exclude them either," Dong Yuting said. She wasn’t doing anything secretive or shameful, so she had no fear of Ceng Huiyan’s people infiltrating.

For her, capable people should be utilized, and she was currently short-handed.

Zhu Yueru was puzzled—this wasn’t like the Madam’s usual style—but seeing Dong Yuting had made up her mind, she acquiesced.

The events at Qing Feng Courtyard spread like wildfire to every corner of the estate.

In the west courtyard, Cui Wei Courtyard. Slender jade-like fingers danced across the strings of a *guqin*, pouring out the melody of "Clear Spring Flowing Water." The maid listening was entranced, applauding enthusiastically when the piece ended. "Madam, your skill on the *qin* improves daily."

He Jinglin smiled faintly, instructing someone to take the *qin* away, and slowly walked to a stone stool in the garden to sit. "No matter how good I am, it’s not like the harmonious duets of the Eldest Master and Mistress."

Miao Shuang comforted her, "The Third Master may not excel in music, but he shows great talent in scholarly pursuits."

He Jinglin sighed wistfully, reaching out to touch a budding flower slanting from the flowerbed. Though not yet in full bloom, its future beauty was already imaginable, yet beneath the blossom were thorns sharp enough to pierce the skin.

"Ouch—"

"Be careful, Madam!" Miao Shuang hurried over, complaining, "I’ve long asked the Second Mistress to send a gardener to trim these, but she keeps forgetting—clearly on purpose."

He Jinglin gently reassured her, "It’s no big matter. Trimming in spring just helps the plants grow stronger. I can do it myself. Fetch me a pair of scissors."

Miao Shuang obediently went to get them. As He Jinglin trimmed the plants, Miao Shuang whispered, "Why trouble yourself with this, Madam? Now that the First Mistress is managing the household, she won’t be like the Second Mistress."

"True, she’s the type to consider the bigger picture and protect her reputation, leaving no room for criticism." He Jinglin frowned slightly. "But why today did she make such a show of bringing people to demand the account books, even humiliating the Second Mistress in front of all the stewards?"

The same question puzzled the Old Mistress, who was chanting Buddhist scriptures in Lan Zhu Courtyard.

When the storeroom and Inner Court Stewards came to report, she thought it was a rumor. She sent Yuan Xiang to verify and only then confirmed it was true.

Regardless of what others thought, the Old Mistress genuinely hadn’t intended to trouble Dong Yuting this time. With her eldest son missing and his fate unknown, she had no energy to meddle in household affairs.

She had expected the two women to handle the transition themselves, but Ceng Huiyan had grown ambitious, reluctant to relinquish power, forcing Dong Yuting to come in person. Yet this didn’t seem like Dong Yuting’s style. Having clashed with her before, the Old Mistress knew Dong Yuting’s approach was similar to her own—impeccable on the surface, leaving no room for fault. Why would she publicly challenge Ceng Huiyan so aggressively? And have the stewards recount every action Ceng Huiyan had taken over the past month right in front of her?

Wasn’t that akin to slapping her in the face?

Was it because Li Lingchuan’s disappearance had left her anxious and restless, with Ceng Huiyan becoming an easy target? Or was she, after a month away from management, eager to assert her authority by making an example of Ceng Huiyan?

That sounded more like her old self.

The Old Mistress frowned, rotating the Changning Peaceful Bodhi prayer beads on her wrist. With closed eyes, she instructed, "Yuan Xiang, go tell the Second Mistress to come copy Buddhist scriptures for me tomorrow morning."

Even if she disliked her eldest daughter-in-law, she had to admit Dong Yuting was adept at managing the household, far more capable than Ceng Huiyan.

Yuan Xiang acknowledged and left. Wang Mama gently used tweezers to place a piece of agarwood into a filigree Auspicious Cloud incense burner. Thin wisps of smoke rose, filling the room with a calming fragrance, gradually easing the Old Mistress’s furrowed brow.

Dong Yuting was unaware that her actions had caused an uproar in the estate. Not only were the Old Mistress and He Jinglin surprised, but the servants were also whispering about it. Their focus, however, wasn’t on Dong Yuting’s humiliation of Ceng Huiyan, but on her decisive tactics.

If Dong Yuting knew what they were thinking, she would exclaim, "Wronged!" She had no strong opinion about Ceng Huiyan inserting her own people—she even found it trivial. After all, wasn’t she just managing household chores? What secrets were there that Ceng Huiyan couldn’t know?

In her previous life, she had been the head of a public relations firm, primarily handling entertainment industry clients. Once she managed a celebrity’s PR, that star’s future PR needs were essentially tied to her company. Competitors often tried to plant spies in her firm to uncover secrets—if any shady dealings were exposed, not only would the celebrity be ruined, but her company would also be driven out of the industry.

So, Dong Yuting genuinely didn’t care if Ceng Huiyan placed her people in the kitchen or the Transport Department.