Haitang and Qiukui were so startled that they scrambled down from the railing. When they looked up, they saw the Eldest Miss standing before them.
Jinchao was dressed in a deep red satin jacket embroidered with ruyi patterns, her makeup subtle, yet her beauty was strikingly commanding. Her gaze, cold and piercing, fell upon them like a blade. Behind her stood a crowd of attendants, their presence filling the courtyard with an air of authority.
The two young maids had never encountered such an intimidating scene before. And remembering what they had just been gossiping about, their legs nearly gave out beneath them. With a thud, they dropped to their knees, bowing to Jinchao and Luo Su in a panic. The round-faced maid, slightly quicker-witted, stammered, “We searched everywhere for Yiniang but couldn’t find her, so we only rested for a moment…”
Jinchao stepped closer, her shadow casting over them. Neither of the girls dared to look up, their eyes fixed on the embroidered yunque birds on her satin shoes.
“I asked you a question earlier,” Jinchao said coolly. “Do you wish to become concubines? Who taught you that when a master speaks, you can ignore them?”
Immediately, the two maids began kowtowing repeatedly, their voices trembling with fear.
“We don’t want to be concubines! We don’t! We were wrong, Eldest Miss, please forgive us!”
Luo Su stood to the side, dumbfounded. Jinchao hadn’t even raised her voice, hadn’t issued a single harsh reprimand, nor had she announced a punishment—yet the maids were already terrified beyond belief.
“Luo Yiniang, come here,” Jinchao beckoned.
The two maids finally understood—Luo Yiniang had left this morning not to handle matters herself, but to bring in a higher authority. She had actually brought the Eldest Miss here!
“These are your maids,” Jinchao said. “How do you wish to punish them?”
Luo Su hesitated for a moment before whispering, “Perhaps… let them kneel in the covered corridor for half an—no, one hour.”
Jinchao nodded and turned to Mama Liu. “Did you hear that? Luo Yiniang has decided their punishment.”
Mama Liu immediately responded, “Understood, Eldest Miss. I’ll fetch a shovel.”
Jinchao signaled her approval, and Mama Liu went off, returning with a small gardening spade.
Luo Su was puzzled. “Why would they need a shovel for kneeling?”
Jinchao smiled. “That’s Mama Liu’s idea. How would I know?”
Mama Liu had gone over to the small pond nearby and begun breaking the ice, working with Mama Chen to lay down chunks of it on the ground. Only then did she turn to Haitang and Qiukui and say, “Young ladies, the spot is ready. Please kneel.”
Kneeling on that freezing, jagged ice…
Haitang and Qiukui exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and knelt down. Better to endure an hour of this than to be cast out of the household entirely.
“How lively this place is today.”
A new voice rang out at the entrance. It was Qiaowei and Zi Ling, leading a group of household guards as they stepped into the courtyard.
Qiaowei first greeted Jinchao respectfully. “I had not expected to find the Eldest Miss here. I heard that the maids in Jingan Courtyard had been neglecting their duties, so I came to discipline them. But since Eldest Miss has already taken charge, that is all the better.”
Jinchao turned to her, the corners of her lips curling into a faint smile. “Heard? Heard from whom?”
Qiaowei replied evenly, “From one of the sweeping maids outside. It so happened that both I and Zi Ling were passing by.”
Jinchao chuckled. “Jingan Courtyard seems quite remarkable, doesn’t it? Even the sweeping maids and serving girls are eager gossips.” She then instructed Qingpu, “Bring in the sweeping maid outside.”
Qiaowei’s expression shifted slightly. Of course, it had been Song Yiniang who had ordered her to keep an eye on Jingan Courtyard and report back the moment Jinchao arrived. There was no sweeping maid involved. If Jinchao actually dragged someone in, it would expose the lie.
“The woman is probably gone by now,” Qiaowei said hurriedly. “Eldest Miss, there is no need to trouble yourself. I have already reprimanded her.”
Haitang and Qiukui, who had been kneeling on the ice, turned their pleading gazes to Qiaowei. They had been working for Song Yiniang—if she didn’t step in to help them now, what would happen to the trust she held over her people?
The ice beneath them had already started to melt, soaking into their padded trousers. The numbing cold seeped into their bones, and if they remained kneeling like this, they would surely be left with lasting ailments…
But instead of addressing them, Qiaowei turned her attention elsewhere. Her gaze fell on Mama Liu and Mama Chen. “And who might these two be?”
Mama Liu answered directly, “We are servants from the stables.”
Qiaowei raised a brow. “Stable servants? Then how did you end up in the inner courtyard?”
Qingpu stepped forward, her voice steady. “Eldest Miss assigned them to serve here. The maids in this residence lack discipline—someone has to manage them.”
Zi Ling chuckled softly. “Eldest Miss certainly has good intentions. However… the one in charge of the inner courtyard now is Song Yiniang. Isn’t this overstepping? Stable servants are hardly qualified to serve a concubine. Shouldn’t this matter be discussed with Song Yiniang first?”
Caifu responded coldly, “Song Yiniang is only managing the inner courtyard as a temporary steward. The true authority still lies with Ji Shi. Eldest Miss carries Ji Shi’s household token, so her words hold weight. If anyone has a complaint, they should take it up with the lady of the house, not you. And who are you to question it?”
Zi Ling fell silent, but anger simmered beneath her surface. She was a first-rank maid, yet Caifu, a mere second-rank, dared to speak to her this way!
“Still, wasn’t the punishment too harsh? They only rested briefly while their mistress was away—was that really worth this treatment?”
Qiaowei subtly took a step back, barely suppressing a sigh. Zi Ling had no sense of restraint in her words. It would be best to return and inform Song Yiniang—perhaps they could arrange for Jinchao to be assigned a different personal maid.
Song Miaohua hadn’t even been managing the inner courtyard for long, yet Zi Ling already dared to wield this authority.
Jinchao stepped forward, her gaze locking onto Zi Ling’s as she spoke with a slow, deliberate smile.
“Even if I did not carry a household token, so what? If I decide who serves whom, that is final. If I decide who is punished, that is final.
You have always thought me arrogant, haven’t you?
Well, this is what arrogance looks like. Go ahead—tell my brother about it.”
Zi Ling froze. What did the Eldest Miss mean by that?
She bit her lip, stubbornly insisting, “I wasn’t wrong! It is only right for Eldest Miss to discipline servants, but… the punishment should be reasonable. After all, these two maids haven’t committed any grave offense.”
Jinchao remained still.
Qingpu, however, stepped forward. Remembering the way Zi Ling had slandered her mistress in front of Young Master Jinrong, she did not hesitate—she raised her hand and delivered a sharp slap across Zi Ling’s face. “Is this the kind of thing you should be saying to the Eldest Miss?”
The force of the slap twisted Zi Ling’s head to the side. She immediately clutched her cheek, her eyes burning with resentment as she looked toward Jinchao.
“You say I am ruthless?” Jinchao’s voice remained indifferent. “Then let me show you true ruthlessness.”
Her gaze was calm but carried an unshakable weight, sending a chill down Zi Ling’s spine.
“Would you like to see just how cruel I can be?” Jinchao continued, her tone almost leisurely. “Why don’t I reenact, word for word, all the things you’ve told Jinrong—on you? Do you think that would make him believe you even more?”
Zi Ling instinctively took a step back, her hands trembling slightly.
“You claim to be a loyal servant, don’t you?” Jinchao tilted her head slightly, watching her with amusement. “Shouldn’t you be willing to sacrifice a little for your mistress? If you truly believe in your words, this shouldn’t be too high a price to pay.”
Zi Ling’s breath caught in her throat.
Jinchao’s voice remained light, but her words held an undeniable authority. “I do not attack unless provoked. If I ever find out that you’ve been spreading rumors again—twisting stories and feeding lies to Jinrong—I will see you cast out of this household. Do you think your mistress will be able to save you then? You know very well who truly holds the power in this residence.”
Zi Ling stood frozen, unable to speak.
Baiyun smirked. “I wonder how good Zi Ling’s memory is. Do you think you’ll remember the Eldest Miss’s words?”
Zi Ling shot her a glare but didn’t dare meet Jinchao’s gaze. Without another word, she turned and fled from Jingan Courtyard.
Qiaowei sighed softly, then bowed to Jinchao. “Forgive me for disturbing you, Eldest Miss.” With that, she withdrew with the guards.
As the courtyard emptied, Qingpu finally exhaled and murmured, “Miss, at last, we’ve put her in her place. Zi Ling truly deserved that lesson.”
Jinchao chuckled. “She needed to experience what true arrogance looks like. Otherwise, she’d keep running her mouth, unable to tell the difference between power and mere posturing.”
Baiyun and Caifu exchanged smiles, pleased with the outcome.
Jinchao then turned her attention to Haitang and Qiukui, whose eyes were red and swollen, their faces streaked with tears.
She walked up to them, signaling for Mama Liu and Mama Chen to help them stand. Though they had only knelt for a short while, their legs had already gone numb. The two maids hurriedly bowed, their voices full of gratitude.
Jinchao regarded them with a steady gaze. “I never truly intended to punish you. I only wanted you to see, in moments like these, who can actually protect you. You understand that now, don’t you?”
The round-faced one nodded quickly. “We understand, Eldest Miss. From now on, we will serve Luo Yiniang properly. Please rest assured.”
Jinchao nodded. “I am not worried about you harboring second thoughts anymore. After all, Mama Liu and Mama Chen will be staying in Jingan Courtyard. If you step out of line again, they certainly won’t let you off.”
The two older women answered in unison, “Yes, Eldest Miss!” Their hearts swelled with satisfaction. At first, they had thought Jinchao had only brought them in to put on a show, but now it was clear—she had truly meant to place them in charge here.
Baiyun then led them off to receive their new uniforms and supplies.
Jinchao and Luo Su entered the inner chamber.
“From now on, whenever you face a situation like this, you must handle it in this manner. Do you understand?” Jinchao asked.
Luo Su looked at her, a hint of admiration flickering in her eyes. Her voice was bright and resolute. “I understand, Eldest Miss.”
Jinchao had been outside for quite some time and was beginning to feel fatigued. She turned to Qingpu and Caifu. “Let’s go to Ji Shi’s courtyard. I always take my midday meal with her.”
And with that, she left Jingan Courtyard, her presence lingering even after she was gone.