Chapter 36: Demonstration
Haitang and Qiukui hastily scrambled down from the railing, startled to see the Eldest Miss standing before them. She wore a deep crimson auspicious cloud patterned satin coat, her makeup subtle yet her beauty striking and arresting. Her icy gaze fixed directly upon them as she stood in the courtyard surrounded by a large entourage.
The two young maids had never encountered such a scene before. Remembering their earlier words, their legs trembled with fear. They dropped to their knees with a thud, greeting Jinchao and Concubine Luo. The round-faced maid, slightly quicker-witted, stammered, "We searched everywhere for you, Concubine, and only rested for a moment."
Jinchao stepped forward until they could only see the embroidered lark satin shoes she wore.
"I just asked if you wished to become concubines. Who taught you the manners to ignore your master's questions?"
The maids immediately began kowtowing, pleading for forgiveness. They had heard of Liu Xiang's fate—how ruthless the Eldest Miss could be. No maid or servant in the household dared disobey her, and they feared being driven out of the estate, which would leave them with no means of survival in Shian.
"We don’t want to be concubines! We don’t! We’ve learned our lesson, Eldest Miss, please spare us…"
Luo Su watched in astonishment. Jinchao hadn’t even scolded them or uttered a single harsh word, nor had she punished them yet. Yet they were already terrified of her to this extent.
"Concubine Luo, come here." Jinchao beckoned Luo Su forward.
Only then did the two maids realize—Concubine Luo had left early in the morning to seek reinforcements. She had actually managed to bring the Eldest Miss here!
"These maids are yours. How would you like to punish them?" Jinchao asked.
Luo Su hesitated before whispering, "Perhaps… kneeling in the corridor for half an… no, an hour…"
Jinchao nodded and turned to Old Woman Liu. "Mother Liu, you heard what Concubine Luo said about the punishment."
Old Woman Liu hurriedly replied, "Understood. I’ll fetch a shovel at once."
Jinchao gave her assent, and Old Woman Liu quickly retrieved a small garden shovel used for digging soil.
"Eldest Miss, why is a shovel needed for kneeling punishment?" Luo Su asked.
Jinchao smiled faintly. "That’s Mother Liu’s idea. How should I know?"
Meanwhile, Old Woman Liu chipped ice from the nearby pond and, together with Mother Chen, spread it across the ground. Then she addressed Haitang and Qiukui, "Young misses, it’s ready. Come kneel here."
They were to kneel on that pile of cold, jagged ice…
Haitang and Qiukui exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and knelt on the ice. An hour of this was still better than being expelled from the estate…
"What a lively gathering here." A voice suddenly sounded at the entrance—it was Qiaowei and Ziling, accompanied by several guards.
Qiaowei first bowed to Jinchao. "I didn’t expect to see the Eldest Miss here. I heard the maids of Tranquil Residence were neglecting their duties and came to discipline them. It seems you’ve already handled the matter, which is for the best."
Jinchao turned to her, a faint smile playing on her lips. "You heard? From whom?"
Qiaowei answered calmly, "From the old woman sweeping outside. Ziling and I happened to be passing by.""This Tranquil Residence is truly something, even the sweeping maids and serving girls love to gossip so much." Jinchao smiled and instructed Qingpu, "Bring in the old woman sweeping outside."
Qiaowei's expression changed immediately. She had been ordered by Concubine Song to keep an eye on the Tranquil Residence at all times, so she had known the moment the Eldest Miss arrived. There was no sweeping maid outside at all. "They must have left by now, Eldest Miss. There's no need to trouble yourself. This servant has already reprimanded them."
Qiukui and Haitang naturally looked at Qiaowei with pleading eyes. They had been working for Concubine Song—if she didn’t help them when they were in trouble, how could she expect to win people’s loyalty? The ice had already begun to melt after kneeling for a while, soaking through their cotton trousers until they couldn’t feel the cold anymore. If they kept kneeling like this, they would surely suffer from rheumatism later...
But Qiaowei didn’t mention them first. Instead, her gaze fell on Liu Pozi and Chen Pozi. "And these two are...?"
"We’re maids from the stables," Liu Pozi answered.
"If you’re from the stables, how did you end up in the inner courtyard...?"
Qingpu stepped forward and said calmly, "The Eldest Miss asked them to serve here. The maids here are too unruly—someone needs to discipline them."
Ziling, standing nearby, smiled and said, "Though the Eldest Miss means well... currently, the inner courtyard is managed by Concubine Song. Isn’t this overstepping a bit? Maids from the stables aren’t qualified to serve a concubine. Shouldn’t you discuss this with Concubine Song first?"
Caifu said coldly, "Concubine Song only manages the inner courtyard temporarily—the power over household affairs lies with the Madam. The young mistress holds the Madam’s token, so her words naturally carry weight. Even if there’s questioning to be done, it’s not your place to speak. Who do you think you are?"
Ziling fell silent, but resentment burned inside her. She was a first-rank maid, while Caifu was only second-rank—how dare she speak to her like that!
"Even so... you shouldn’t punish the maids like this. They only rested for a while when their mistress wasn’t around. Why punish them so harshly?"
Qiaowei, however, took a subtle step back and sighed almost imperceptibly. Miss Ziling spoke too recklessly. She would have to report back to Concubine Song and see if they could replace the young mistress’s personal maid.
Song Miaohua had only managed the inner courtyard for a short while—how dare she use that as leverage now?
Jinchao walked up to Ziling and said with a smile, "What if I didn’t have the token? I can have whoever I want serve me, and punish whoever I want—it’s just a matter of words. Don’t you always think I’m domineering? Well, this is how domineering I am. Go whisper that to the Eldest Young Master in secret."
Ziling was stunned. What did the Eldest Miss mean by that?
She bit her lip stubbornly and said, "I wasn’t wrong! It’s only right for the Eldest Miss to punish servants, but... it should be done in moderation. These two maids didn’t commit any major offense."
Jinchao didn’t move, but Qingpu stepped forward. Remembering how Ziling had slandered the young mistress to the Eldest Young Master before, she didn’t hesitate to slap Ziling across the face. "Is this how you should speak to the young mistress?!"
The heavy slap sent Ziling’s head jerking to the side. She immediately covered her face and glared at Jinchao with hatred."You say I'm ruthless, then I'll show you just how ruthless I can be," Jinchao said calmly. "Would you like to see more? Perhaps I should actually do to you all the things you've been telling the young master about. Do you think Jinrong would believe it more then?"
Ziling took a step back, her hands trembling.
"You're a loyal servant—shouldn't you consider making this sacrifice for your mistress? Isn't it worth it? Or do you really refuse?" Jinchao continued. "I don't provoke others unless provoked. If I find out you've been spreading rumors again, twisting facts and stirring trouble for the young master, I will have you expelled from the manor. Do you think your lady can save you? You know very well who holds power in this household."
Seeing Ziling frozen in place, Baiyun smiled. "I wonder if Miss Ziling has a good memory. Can you remember our lady's words?"
Ziling glared at Baiyun but dared not look at Gu Jinchao again, retreating from Tranquil Residence. Qiaowei sighed and bowed. "This servant has disturbed the Eldest Miss. Please forgive me." With that, she led the guards away.
Once everyone had left, Qingpu whispered, "Miss, we’ve finally stood up for you. That Ziling really needed to be taught a lesson."
Jinchao smiled. "She ought to experience what it truly means to bully others with power. That way, she won’t confuse things and spread nonsense next time."
Baiyun and Caifu both stifled their laughter.
Jinchao looked up and saw the two maids with red, swollen eyes, on the verge of tears.
She walked over and had the two matrons help them up. They had only knelt for a short while, but their legs were already numb. The maids hurriedly expressed their gratitude. Jinchao said to them, "I didn’t truly mean to punish you. I just wanted you to see who can save you in such moments. You know what to do now, don’t you?"
The round-faced one nodded. "This servant understands. I’ll serve Concubine Luo well from now on. Please rest assured, Eldest Miss."
Jinchao hummed in acknowledgment. "I’m not worried about your loyalty. These two matrons will remain in Tranquil Residence. If you step out of line again, they won’t let you off easily."
The two matrons responded in unison, inwardly delighted. They had thought Jinchao had only brought them for show, never expecting they’d actually stay.
Baiyun led the matrons to collect their belongings while Jinchao and Luo Su entered the inner chamber.
"From now on, handle situations like this the same way. Understood?" Jinchao asked her.
Luo Su looked at Gu Jinchao, admiration flickering in her bright eyes. "This concubine understands."
Having been out for so long, Jinchao was tired. She took Qingpu and Caifu to her mother’s quarters—she always had lunch there.
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