Di Daughter's Strategy - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The night was thick and couldn’t be dispersed, a gentle breeze blew through the bamboo forest, making a rustling sound, sweeping away the heat and restlessness of the day.

In the Yunxia Courtyard, several lanterns hung, emitting a faint warm light. Luo Yi’er leaned against a soft couch, with a white jade chessboard on the desk in front of her. The window was half-open, and she rested her hand on her jaw, supporting her white jade-like face, her eyes gazing shallowly as she casually placed a chess piece.

She had just bathed, and her beautiful hair still retained some moisture, draped over her fragrant shoulders, wetting half of her clothes. Linglong came in carrying hot tea, placed it on the desk, and then said, “Miss, Pansi is back.”

Her tender white fingertips were pushing a white chess piece, and upon hearing Linglong’s words, she didn’t even lift her head and said, “Let her come see me.”

Soon, a woman in a green skirt walked in, her face delicate and pretty. She stopped three steps away from Luo Yi’er, lifted her skirt, and knelt on the ground, opening her mouth respectfully, “This servant greets Miss.”

Luo Yi’er finally raised her head, revealing a hint of a smile on her face, “You’re back?”

Pansi curved her lips, “Yes, I didn’t greet Miss in time, please forgive me, Miss.”

Luo Yi’er nodded, speaking softly, “Get up.”

Pansi stood up gracefully, her hands clasped together in front of her, and heard Luo Yi’er say, “Linglong, you can go first.”

Linglong nodded and retreated.

When only the two of them were left in the room, Luo Yi’er sighed lightly, raised her hand to pinch her eyebrows, and Pansi saw this and walked behind her, gently massaging her temples. She asked softly, puzzled, “What’s wrong with Miss?”

Luo Yi’er closed her eyes, letting Pansi attend to her, “Have you heard about the matters in the mansion?”

“Yes, Hongdou told me this afternoon.”

Luo Yi’er’s fingertips tapped on the desk, and she said in a light tone, “The matters of Luoyun Pavilion will be handled by you. Let Linglong explain everything to you in detail later.”

“Miss, is Linglong not managing things properly?” Pansi asked, somewhat puzzled. Linglong was someone she had trained personally, and it was unlikely that she would make mistakes.

Luo Yi’er shook her head: “That’s not the case, it’s just that she took over late and is still somewhat unfamiliar. I need to know the results as soon as possible about who are the people in Luoyun Pavilion in the mansion.”

Pansi understood her meaning and nodded.

Luo Yi’er beckoned to her, and Pansi leaned in close to listen. Luo Yi’er whispered a few words, and Pansi’s eyes showed surprise, her face serious as she nodded.

“Miss, it’s getting late, you should rest.”

After helping her fall asleep, Pansi walked out of the room. Linglong was waiting outside with her head lowered. Pansi frowned and said, “Follow me.”

She glanced at the maids standing aside, her face steady: “You few, keep watch properly.”

In the side room, Pansi looked at Linglong and said calmly, “Miss has instructed me to take over Luoyun Pavilion. Tell me what you’ve found out so far.”

After listening to Linglong’s report, Pansi saw that she seemed a bit down and frowned: “Get a grip on your emotions. I only left the mansion for a month, and Miss entrusted Yunxia Courtyard to you, hoping you’d make a good impression in front of her. But you? You let the fifth miss bribe the second-class maids in the courtyard, and you didn’t even find out about Luoyun Pavilion’s affairs for a whole month. And you’re still feeling wronged?”

Linglong bit her lip: “I’m not feeling wronged, I’m just afraid Miss will be dissatisfied with me.” She lowered her head deeply, not daring to look at Pansi’s expression.

Pansi had grown up with Miss, and now Pansi was twenty years old but still unmarried for Miss’s sake. Linglong was someone Pansi had trained personally, so Linglong naturally had no dissatisfaction towards Pansi. She was just afraid Miss would be disappointed in her.

Pansi’s frown relaxed slightly, and she said, “Alright, Miss isn’t dissatisfied with you.”Linglong’s head jerked up in surprise, seeing Pansi’s face was serious, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she heard Pansi say, “The affairs of the courtyard will still be managed by you. Now, quickly tell me about the matters of Luoyun Pavilion.”

Linglong didn’t expect that Miss wouldn’t take away her authority over the courtyard and give it back to Pansi. However, she didn’t have time to think about it now and hastily told Pansi what she had recently discovered.

After listening, Pansi frowned slightly and said, “You keep an eye on Miss, I’m going out for a while.”

She left Yunxia Courtyard under the cover of night.

…

“Bang!”

“Worthless!”

In the study of Prince Wen’s mansion, the sound of a scroll hitting the floor was followed by a cold, stern voice.

Fang Jinyu stood in front of the desk with his hands clasped behind his back, looking expressionless at An Chong, who was kneeling on the ground.
“More than ten waves of men were sent, but not even a single injury was inflicted on Prince Jing. Truly useless!”

An Chong knocked his head on the ground. “This subordinate is incompetent, please calm down, Your Highness!”

The dimly lit study had a very low atmosphere. Fang Jinyu looked at the dark guard beside him and said, “You, continue.”

The dark guard knelt on the ground. “During the banquet today, Prince Jing and Miss Luo met at Taiyou Lake…”

Before he could finish speaking, a scroll fell on his head, making him shut his mouth abruptly. They only heard the gentle yet icy voice above them say, “Very good.”

An Chong and the dark guard felt a chill run down their spines, and their backs were covered in a cold sweat. They buried their heads and knelt on the ground, not daring to make a sound.

Fang Jinyu sat back down in his seat, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of light and darkness. He naturally knew that now that Fang Jinling had safely returned to the capital, he couldn’t act rashly like before.

He looked at the two people kneeling on the ground and closed his eyes. “Get out.”

The two of them retreated silently, and An Chong stood guard at the door of the study, sighing inwardly. The prince tended to lose his rationality when it came to Miss Luo. What would happen next?In the study, Fang Jinyu sat calmly in his chair, his hand resting on the desk. Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that he was holding a perfume pouch that had been washed to a pale color.

Yet, he treasured it as if it were precious, cradling it in his palm. A hint of stubbornness flickered in his eyes as he raised his slender fingers to stroke the embroidered patterns on the pouch. A gentle smile played on his lips as he whispered softly, “Don’t forget… to meet me…”

After an unknown period of time, An Chong, who was waiting outside, finally heard a voice from inside the room, “Come in.” An Chong noticed that the prince’s voice had returned to normal, and his expression relaxed slightly.

He pushed open the door and entered, seeing the prince holding a brush and writing something. The prince looked up, his lips curving into a warm smile. “I’ve heard that a merchant team has arrived from the south?”

“Yes, it’s a team of tea merchants. They have a type of pine needle tea that’s extremely famous and beloved by high-ranking officials and nobles in Yu Kingdom.”

Fang Jinyu nodded gently, a hint of darkness flashing in his eyes. “Buy it.”

An Chong had anticipated this and bowed his head in agreement.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, “Your Highness, now that Prince Jing has returned to the capital, we shouldn’t…”

He couldn’t continue speaking. The prince in front of him was smiling, but it sent a chill down his spine. The smile seemed to carry an icy coldness that seeped into his bones, and sweat began to trickle down his forehead. He lowered his head. “This subordinate spoke out of turn, please forgive me, Your Highness.”

Fang Jinyu returned to outlining the characters with his brush. “Withdraw.”

An Chong had no choice but to bow and retreat.

…

Luo Yi’er was awakened by the commotion in the courtyard in the early morning. Pansi had just come in with a handful of white orchids, smiling as she inserted them into a vase. She caught a glimpse of Luo Yi’er’s figure sitting up behind the bed curtains and hastily opened them. “Miss, are you awake?”

Luo Yi’er half-raised her head, frowning slightly. Pansi saw this and asked, “Did the noise in the courtyard disturb Miss?”

Pansi noticed that she seemed not to have fully woken up yet, so she didn’t help her get out of bed. Instead, she placed a pillow behind her back. Luo Yi’er leaned against the pillow and slowly opened her eyes, asking in a soft tone, “What’s going on outside?”

Pansi smiled. “The branch of the locust tree outside the courtyard had grown into the courtyard, and the madam asked someone to trim it, which caused the commotion.”

The noise outside hadn’t stopped, but after a while, Luo Yi’er was finally fully awake. She held Pansi’s hand and got out of bed, glancing around the room and asking, “Where’s Linglong?”

In recent days, Linglong had become accustomed to serving her, and Luo Yi’er felt a bit uncomfortable not seeing her immediately after waking up.

Pansi had someone support Luo Yi’er while she picked up a bowl of salt water from a nearby tray held by a young maid and handed it to Luo Yi’er to rinse her mouth. Pansi smiled and said, “Did Miss forget? Today is the 15th, and Linglong went to the steward’s place to collect the monthly allowance for the courtyard.”

After Luo Yi’er finished washing up, she changed into a comfortable long gown and sat in front of the dressing table, allowing the maids to apply makeup for her. At this time, Linglong lifted the curtain and walked in, followed by the breakfast sent from the kitchen.

Linglong smiled. “I guessed Miss would be awake, so I asked them to bring the meal up.”

While Luo Yi’er ate breakfast, Linglong told her about what happened when she collected the monthly allowance: “When I went to the steward’s place to collect the allowance today, I coincidentally met Qingling, who serves the eldest miss.”

Luo Yi’er’s eyebrows rose slightly. Hadn’t Qingling fallen out of favor long ago? She asked, “What about that Biyu?”

Linglong covered her mouth and smiled. “Back then, Biyu broke the second miss’s jade bracelet and was fined a year’s worth of silver. She’s not likely to bother the steward with her troubles anymore.”
Luo Yi’er went to Fang Yun Hall every day to learn, and today, she would have lunch there.

In the June heat, even standing still outside for a moment could make one sweat profusely. Luo Yi’er was never fond of the heat.

However, she had to go to the Chu residence after waking up and leave before her afternoon rest, which coincided with the hottest part of the day. The maid beside her carefully fanned her, but it only seemed to blow hot air, irritating Luo Yi’er. She frowned slightly and interrupted the maid, “Stop, don’t fan anymore.”

The little maid immediately stopped, though she was a bit puzzled. She didn’t dare ask and felt a sigh of relief in her heart. On such a sweltering day, everything felt dry and hot. She took the opportunity to wipe the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.

When they walked to the garden, Luo Yi’er suddenly stopped, looking at a person in the distance who was cautiously and quickly sneaking into the bamboo path. The person moved swiftly, and before Luo Yi’er could blink, they disappeared from sight. The expression in Luo Yi’er’s eyes turned slightly cold. She turned her head to Linglong beside her and asked, “Did you see that?”

Linglong was always cautious and had seen the person. She nodded, and Luo Yi’er instructed, “Send someone to investigate.”

After Linglong acknowledged the task, Luo Yi’er continued walking towards Yunxia Courtyard with her entourage. Suddenly, she chuckled softly. “It seems like it’s a busy season now, with all sorts of people popping out.”

Linglong thought of the familiar face she had seen sneaking into the bamboo forest and sighed inwardly. “No matter what, they won’t escape Miss’s keen eyes.”

Luo Yi’er lowered her gaze and murmured softly, “But I only have one pair of eyes, and I can’t keep an eye on all the troublemakers.” She added with a hint of sarcasm, “It seems the downfall of Concubine Su didn’t serve as a warning to the people in this mansion…”
Linglong responded, “Some people just won’t learn until they see the coffin. Miss doesn’t need to waste her sympathy on them.”

Luo Yi’er held Linglong’s hand, her eyes fixed straight ahead without looking sideways. “It’s not about sympathy, it’s just that too many mosquitoes are annoying.”

The paper umbrella had already been taken over by Linglong, and a group of maids followed behind, keeping a distance of about five steps, their heads bowed deeply.
When one becomes a servant, they learn a principle: to be cautious with their words and to pretend to be deaf when they shouldn’t be listening.

The June sky could change in an instant, shifting from blazing sunshine to a downpour. The dark blue misty rain pounded against the paper umbrella, causing the ink paintings on the oil paper umbrella to run. The leaves on the branches couldn’t withstand the weight and began to droop. Linglong’s expression changed as she looked up at the sky and quickly shielded Luo Yi’er under the umbrella, getting herself thoroughly soaked. She looked anxiously at the pavilion not far away and urged, “Miss, let’s take shelter in the pavilion.”

The group was trapped in the pavilion by the heavy rain. Linglong shook off the rainwater from her body and carefully examined Luo Yi’er. Seeing that she hadn’t gotten wet except for the hem of her dress, Linglong breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Luo Yi’er suddenly walk to the edge of the pavilion and stretch out her hand to catch a handful of rainwater.

Linglong was puzzled, but then she saw Luo Yi’er turn around, pointing at the ground outside and smiling softly at her, “Look, the ground is wet.”

Linglong’s eyes widened slightly as she looked at the bamboo forest beyond. The ground outside was already wet from the rain, and the muddy ground in the bamboo forest would surely show footprints if someone had passed through.

As the rain began to let up, Linglong quickly escorted Luo Yi’er back to the courtyard and immediately started investigating the matter.

As the sky grew darker, Hongdou walked in from outside, bowed, and said, “Miss, the Concubine from Qufu Pavilion met the Marquis in the small garden and invited him over.”

Hongdou’s lips curled slightly as she spoke, her thoughts unknown. The lady from Qufu Pavilion was the Second Miss’s biological mother, Concubine Qiu. She was known for being petty and taking advantage of situations, yet she still enjoyed some favor because she knew how to read the mood.In the mansion, apart from Concubine Qing, Concubine Qiu had the lowest status. She used to be a second-class maidservant by the old madam and was later bestowed upon Luo Yu’an as a personal maidservant when she was of suitable age.
Perhaps due to her humble origins, she always seemed a bit petty.

After Madam Chu married into the mansion and became pregnant with the eldest son, she couldn’t attend to the marquis’s needs anymore.

Madam Chu then decided to promote Qiu to the status of concubine. At that time, the marquis and Madam Chu seemed to have quarreled over this decision, but for some reason, the marquis never liked Concubine Qiu, and as a result, he was also indifferent to the second miss.

Concubine Qiu knew that in the mansion’s inner courtyard, Madam Chu was the one who truly held power. Therefore, over the years, she never missed a single day of paying her respects and personally served Madam Chu during meals without delegating the task to others. Perhaps due to her understanding and obedience, she later gave birth to the second miss.

After she became pregnant, she was exempted from paying her respects, and Madam Chu subsequently abolished the practice of all concubines paying their respects.

Therefore, when Luo Yi’er heard Hongdou’s words, she couldn’t help but be surprised: “Concubine Qiu?” Currently, there were only three concubines in the mansion, and the only one who had ever solicited favors from outsiders was Concubine Su when she was in favor.
Concubine Qiu and Concubine Guan had always been very obedient.

Hongdou nodded: “Yes, the marquis seemed to be heading to Fang Yun Hall but was intercepted halfway.”

She suddenly bit her lip and closed her mouth, realizing she shouldn’t criticize the master.

Luo Yi’er didn’t pay much attention to this, waving her hand to dismiss Hongdou. She frowned slightly, leaning against the purple sandalwood chair with one hand resting on the armrest. Her fingertips slid unconsciously along the armrest, and a deep meaning flickered in her eyes.

Seeing her like this, Linglong bowed her head and said, “Miss, next month is July, and the second miss’s coming-of-age ceremony is approaching.”

Luo Yi’er seemed to remember: “That’s right.”

The second miss, Luo Fu’s, birthday was on July 28th, and with only a little over a month left, neither the madam nor the marquis had mentioned anything about the ceremony. It was no wonder the second miss and Concubine Qiu were anxious.

Luo Yi’er waved her hand: “It’s fine, Mother will handle it herself.”

…

Perhaps because it had rained today, the air outside felt oppressive, mixed with the coolness of the night. The cold wind rustled through the leaves. In Luoyun Pavilion, a warm candle lamp was lit, covered with a lampshade that emitted a soft light.

There were only two people in the room, Luo Qian and Biyu. Luo Qian sat on the bed, looking at Biyu, whose expression still showed confusion, and frowned, “What happened? Did you put the note in her room?”

Biyu bent her waist, and the entire Luoyun Pavilion was very quiet, with only the sound of the two people’s voices. She deliberately lowered her voice, “When she was on duty in the kitchen today, this servant personally put it in.”

Luo Qian still didn’t feel relieved, “Was it discovered by anyone else?”

“No, Miss, this servant took a shortcut back, and that path is rarely walked by others. Everyone was busy with their duties, so no one would have noticed this servant,” Biyu replied.

Only then did Luo Qian breathe a sigh of relief. She leaned against the railing, half-closing her eyes to conceal the emotions in them.

Biyu bit her lip, thinking about what Miss had asked her to do today. She couldn’t help but ask, “Why did Miss ask this servant to send such a note to Xiaoxi’s room?”

Luo Qian suddenly opened her eyes, and a cold glint flashed in them, making Biyu shiver. Luo Qian coldly smiled, “I’m just collecting interest.”

Biyu was puzzled, “Will Xiaoxi really come?”

“Yes, after all…” Luo Qian lowered her gaze. After all, she used the person’s handwriting. She had spent seven years with him, and she knew his handwriting better than anyone. She had once practiced imitating his handwriting because of the unspoken emotions in her heart, but she never thought it would be useful in this situation.

Xiaoxi…

A faint chill flickered in Luo Qian’s eyes. In her previous life, after Concubine Qing’s death, the maidservant who had stayed by her side later appeared in the palace. She didn’t know if Concubine Qing’s death was related to Xiaoxi, but in this life, she would cut off all possibilities and wouldn’t let anyone off.

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes, making Biyu shrink her shoulders and swallow the words of confusion still in her mouth.

After Biyu left, the room was left with only Luo Qian. She got off the bed and walked lightly to the lamp, removing the lampshade. The sudden increase in candlelight illuminated her face, casting shadows under her eyelids and making her expression unclear, yet somehow sending chills down one’s spine.

Her face was expressionless as she picked up the scissors next to her and cut the wick of the candle. The room instantly became dark, and she slowly walked to the bed, wrapping herself in the quilt and hugging herself tightly.

The people on duty in the kitchen were almost the last to return to their rooms. When Xiaoxi went back, the entire courtyard was already quiet. She quietly fetched water, washed up, and then lay down in bed without disturbing the others who were already asleep.

As she turned over, she suddenly felt a piece of paper by her pillow. She paused and sat up in bed, looking at the several kitchen staff members sleeping nearby. She frowned, wondering where the note came from.

She observed them for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, making sure they were all deeply asleep and showed no signs of waking. Then she reached for the lamp on the table, leaned against the window, and lit the dim candle to read the note. Her pupils suddenly contracted.

The handwriting… was the master’s…

Xiaoxi’s face changed slightly as she turned the note over and over, reading it countless times. It was undoubtedly the master’s handwriting, but… why would the master suddenly send her a message?

She composed herself, rolled the note into a ball, and put it in her mouth, swallowing it after a moment. Then she closed her eyes and lay back down in bed.

The handwriting was indeed the master’s, but the master usually sent messages through others. Why did they use a letter this time? The master was someone so cautious; it didn’t seem like them…

The next day was Xiaoxi’s day off. After everyone else had gotten up, she slowly got out of bed. She washed up and, as usual, walked out of the courtyard. She went to the garden, chatted with someone, and returned to her room before lunch.

Although she had asked someone to inquire if the master had sent her a message, to be absolutely sure, she needed to go to the place mentioned in the note.

Luo Qian couldn’t have imagined that even though she knew Xiaoxi was the person’s agent and even though she used the person’s handwriting to convey the order, she still hadn’t completely gained Xiaoxi’s trust.

However, for her, as long as Xiaoxi came, her plan would be half successful.

In Yunxia Courtyard, Pansi hurried in, lifting the curtain to see Luo Yi’er still eating. She composed her expression and walked over to serve Luo Yi’er food with chopsticks.

Luo Yi’er saw the look on Pansi’s face when she came in and knew that she had found out something. After using two more chopsticks, she stopped and said softly, “Take it away.”

Supported by Pansi’s arm, Luo Yi’er walked into the inner room. After dismissing the servants, she lay down on the soft couch, leaning against the window, and took the Biluochun tea from Pansi. Only then did she raise her eyes and say, “Tell me.”

“There’s news from Xiaoxi,” Pan Si said, knowing that Miss took this matter seriously. She continued without pause, “Today, our people saw Xiaoxi go to the garden, chat with someone, and then return to her room.”

“After that, someone saw the person in the garden leave through the side gate.”

Luo Yi’er nodded, “Where did she go?”

Pan Si frowned, “She went to a pastry shop outside and came out soon.”

“This servant investigated Xiaoxi and that maid’s background and found out that Xiaoxi has been in the mansion for five years, and that maid came in with Xiaoxi. The most important thing is…”

“That maid seems to have a brother who delivers vegetables to Prince Wen’s mansion every three days.”

As soon as Pansi finished speaking, the sound of a teacup touching the table echoed through the room.
She looked up in surprise at her Miss.

The smile on Luo Yi’er’s face had already faded, and her cool words came out softly from her lips, “It seems she’s been planning this…”

“Miss?”

Luo Yi’er didn’t respond to her confusion. Her cold gaze fell on the gardenias outside the window, and she murmured in a voice that was hard to hear, “I knew she wouldn’t stay quiet…”

If she guessed correctly, then Luo Qian would definitely take action, and she would make sure that she could see that Xiaoxi was definitely related to her.

Luo Yi’er’s eyes flashed, and she suddenly turned her head to look at Pansi, “Keep an eye on Xiaoxi, see if she’ll go towards Luoyun Pavilion, Pear Garden, or other places recently.”