Gu Tingye looked thoroughly satisfied, his robust arms lifting Minglan along with the brocade quilt. He kissed her warm, soft cheek, but Minglan was too exhausted to even open her eyes, mumbling indistinctly before burying her head deeper into the covers. Amused, Gu Tingye called for servants to help him into his court dress before heading out. Outside, the ground was still damp from the torrential rain that had poured all night, only easing at dawn. The March weather was refreshingly pleasant, with raindrops tracing transparent arcs along the windowsills and a cheerful drip-drip sound echoing under the eaves.
Another hour and a half passed before Danju entered. With sturdy determination, she extracted the petite figure curled up in the brocade quilt, assisting her with bathing and changing clothes while diligently avoiding the sight of the overlapping bruises on Minglan’s fair waist and legs, as well as the half-body covered in reddish bite marks. She opened the window to disperse the lingering intimate scent in the room.
Minglan endured her flushed cheeks, trying hard to ignore the pity in Danju’s eyes. After all, labor is glorious—whether physical or mental!
Having roughly sorted out personnel matters the previous day, it was now time to assign duties within the estate.
The staff at the Gu residence were more than sufficient to serve just Minglan and her husband, but managing the vast governor's office was another matter. The garden’s flowers, plants, pond, and the extensive woodland alone required at least a dozen people to tend. The entire estate, including the main courtyard, side courtyards, annexes, and guest rooms, comprised numerous buildings. Even unoccupied rooms needed young maids to prevent neglect.
With Rong Jie’er, Concubine Gong, and Miss Hongxiao expected to arrive, each would require their own attendants. Additionally, there were the storerooms, night watch, needlework, laundry, procurement, six or seven kitchens of varying sizes, first to third-class maids for the main quarters, maids for the side courtyards, errand boys, matrons for rough work, inner and outer courtyard stewards, stables, gatekeepers, reception office, pages… Minglan counted on her fingers twice, but the numbers still fell short. So, the previous day, she had written to Hai Shi, requesting a reliable human trafficker.
Hai Shi, nearing her due date and bored from limited movement, had immediately acted upon receiving Minglan’s letter. Early that morning, two human traffickers arrived with Hai Shi’s referral note, leading a large group of people. Minglan had the side hall in the outer courtyard opened for them to wait while she made her way over leisurely.
Both traffickers were women in their thirties or forties, neatly dressed and speaking with respectful propriety. Accustomed to dealing with noble and official families, they maintained appropriate decorum—neither overly boisterous nor letting their eyes wander. Behind them stood two or three rows of boys and girls, mostly aged ten to fourteen, all standing with bowed heads.
Minglan felt quite satisfied. She had known that a prominent family like the Hais in the capital would have stewards who could recommend reputable human traffickers.
As the saying goes, every trade has its masters. In ancient times, human traffickers were also graded. The lower-tier ones specialized in unsavory businesses like brothels, and the more unscrupulous even engaged in abducting lost children from respectable families (like the unfortunate Lady Zhen Yinglian). Children sold by such traffickers often had unclear backgrounds and dubious documentation, which could easily lead to trouble (as seen with the even more unfortunate Master Feng).When proper noble households needed to purchase servants, they would always engage established brokers to handle the arrangements. These brokers guaranteed clean sources, straightforward procedures, and absolutely no future complications. The more high-end brokers would even pre-train boys and girls sourced from famine-stricken or desolate regions, teaching them proper manners before putting them up for sale. Among the children standing here now, there were virtually none particularly unruly or wild.
So Little Swallow truly could only make a living by performing skills—she probably wouldn’t even meet the standards of these brokers.
Cui Mama pressed her lips tightly together, her stern gaze sweeping over each boy and girl in turn. She asked several questions, eliminating those who were too glib, too seductively beautiful, or those who appeared timid and shifty. She preferred those who spoke clearly, were deft with their hands, skilled in needlework, and above all, honest and diligent—as long as they weren’t too unsightly. In one go, she selected nine girls and five boys.
Minglan stood by, watching with a gentle smile, deliberately ignoring the flattering, ingratiating, or probing glances directed her way. Although she found a few of the graceful and docile ones quite appealing, she adhered to protocol, instructing Cui Mama to take them away. Together with the existing children in the estate—whether homeborn servants or others—they would start from peripheral tasks, receiving training first before being assigned to various roles in the future.
After completing this task, Minglan gathered a group of matrons and wives and headed to the rear garden to assign duties. Some positions were lucrative, others less so. In theory, the more profitable roles should be reserved for "one’s own people," but Minglan didn’t agree. She believed the real priority was to secure key departments. Besides, what exactly defined "one’s own people"? Heshen was undoubtedly loyal to Emperor Qianlong, yet that didn’t stop him from embezzling vast sums—proof that loyalty and corruption weren’t mutually exclusive.
It was better to let facts speak for themselves. To determine who was truly capable, she would test them first, assigning roles based on their individual skills and talents.
Minglan rode in a bamboo open sedan chair carried by two bearers, with Danju following alongside, accompanied by two young maids carrying ledgers. Surrounded by a large entourage, she moved through each section of the estate, making assignments as she went. Having done thorough preparation the day before, she clearly divided the gardens and ponds into designated areas, then assigned personnel to manage and maintain each section one by one.
Those who previously tended bamboo continued caring for the bamboo groves—they were to keep them tall and elegant, supply fresh bamboo shoots and mushrooms, and ideally create a shaded area where a summer retreat could eventually be built from bamboo. Those who previously tended flowers continued managing the gardens—besides supplying blooms to the various households seasonally, they were to keep the gardens beautiful, ensuring they were fragrant and bursting with flowers all year except in winter... Similarly, she assigned staff to the ponds, plum groves, and rear quarters. Next came caretakers for vacant houses, night watchmen for storerooms, and other key positions in the inner and outer courts.
After this meticulous allocation, not only were the newly bestowed servants astonished, but even the Lai, Hua, Tian, and Diao families were secretly alarmed and anxious.
To be honest, Minglan’s appearance and demeanor hardly aligned with adjectives like "sharp and efficient"—after all, capable mistresses typically started managing affairs before dawn, issuing tokens, verifying accounts, disbursing funds, and inspecting various matters.Minglan presented herself as the epitome of a leisurely noblewoman—a stunning beauty with delicate charm and gentle grace. She spoke in measured tones, treated others with amiable kindness, and even carried a hint of languid indolence in her daily life. She insisted on sleeping a full ten hours each day, strolling for an hour after meals, and adhered to seasonal soups and stews with precise reasoning, emphasizing the principles of nourishment and rest for well-being. Day by day, she nurtured herself until her skin glowed with radiance, flushed with health, always serene and refreshed, while all other matters took a backseat.
Faced with such an "unindustrious" mistress, the maids and matrons not only grew somewhat negligent but also developed a slack attitude. There were even those who harbored intentions of cutting corners. However, the day Minglan stepped forward to meticulously investigate each person’s background and promptly dismissed Granny Lai on the spot, everyone began to realize, with a start, that this lady was not one to be easily deceived.
By now, hearing Minglan assign duties with clear logic, matching tasks to individual strengths fairly and reasonably—without favoritism based on closeness—only Liu Mangui, who had accompanied her as part of her dowry, was appointed as a deputy steward in the outer court. Even responsibilities like garden supervision were pre-allocated with profit margins as incentives.
Minglan clearly reiterated the household rule that "the inner and outer courts must not hold equal authority." Since Cui Mama managed the inner court, Old Cui and his family continued to oversee Minglan’s dowry lands, estates, and woodlands externally. Ji Qiang, being honest and reticent by nature, was assigned to assist with carriages, sedans, and stables.
For a time, everyone felt a sense of respect and admiration.
"As the saying goes, time reveals a person’s heart; everyone’s abilities will gradually become known," Minglan leaned against the carved floral corridor, smiling lazily. "I’m young, so my assignments may not be entirely perfect. Let’s try them for a year first. If anything is unsuitable, duties can be adjusted, or you may come and discuss it with me…"
The matrons and wives were startled, no longer daring to underestimate Minglan and instead feeling a growing awe. Each accepted their tasks, pledged fervently with chest-thumping assurances, and withdrew respectfully.
Yet the most impacted were likely the four families of Lai, Hua, Tian, and Diao. They had initially assumed that Minglan, being young and tender-faced, with no authoritative elder in the residence, would struggle—the servants from disgraced officials’ households might be unreliable, and the newly purchased ones not yet usable. In this apparent shortage of manpower, they thought they could firmly secure lucrative key positions. Little did they expect that Minglan, though appearing decorative, useless, and delicately fragile, remained unflustered, with plans already in mind. She methodically assigned and coordinated tasks, never once showing panic or disarray from start to finish.
She asked when she didn’t understand, verified after asking, and within a day had complete solutions, never needing their intervention. Watching as Minglan gradually organized the household affairs, with each person fulfilling their role and maids bustling about, the vast Gu residence became orderly and well-managed. Only then did they begin to panic.
With all the positions filled, what were these old veterans to do? Especially Granny Lai and Granny Diao, who deeply regretted offending Minglan right from the start. Now, Granny Hua was tasked with preparing the Kouxiang Garden for Rong Jie’er’s future residence, and Granny Tian had also received a modest assignment. Only the two of them were left—one idle, the other "recuperating." What were they to do now?Ignoring their melancholy, Minglan went straight to open the storeroom with her attendants. She first cataloged and categorized all the items inside, registering them systematically before retrieving a long list of pre-selected objects according to her prepared inventory—decorative pieces like tripods, incense burners, porcelain, goldware, jade, enamelware, bronze vessels, screens, and jade basin carvings. She also selected twenty to thirty bolts of high-quality fabric for the sewing department to make two new summer outfits for everyone. When news of this spread, the household servants rejoiced. Poor things—last year’s seasonal clothes had all been bought from ready-made garment shops, where the fabric was inferior and the fit unflattering, as the ready-to-wear industry was not yet well-developed in those days.
Speaking of the storeroom, Minglan felt another surge of irritation. When she had opened it for inspection the previous day, she detected a faint medicinal odor. After winding through several large chambers, she discovered a massive pile of valuable herbs in a remote corner—ginseng, angelica, rhinoceros horn, bezoar, musk, deer antler, cordyceps, tiger bone, leopard bone, monkey bezoar, seal penis, bear gallbladder... all jumbled together like a general store, occupying half the room.
Minglan stared wide-eyed. Some herbs had already lost potency due to improper storage. Furious at such waste, she confronted Gu Tingye, who cheerfully replied, “...We still have tiger bone and bear gallbladder? Excellent! Brother Cheng Qian is about to garrison Miaojiang. His old knee injury hasn’t fully healed, and the southern regions are plagued with miasma and venomous insects. I was just thinking of preparing two batches of premium tiger bone plaster for him. Find them for me tomorrow!”
Minglan was speechless. The man had completely missed her point. She wondered if he listened to the emperor this way too.
Sighing and shaking her head, she sorted through the herbs, meticulously recording each item. Though exhausted by the effort, her work yielded rewards: she found several plump, sturdy wild ginseng roots and sent the largest to Old Mrs. Sheng. She also selected herbs and tonics suitable for postpartum mothers and newborns, distributing them to Hai Shi and Hualan.
By the time she finished, it was already the hour of execution. Minglan realized lunch would be late, seriously violating her health principles and disrupting her afternoon nap. Resentful, she solemnly declared: “Official business concludes today. Any further matters will be addressed next time.”
After freshening up, she sat at the small round table laden with dishes. A sip of soup finally eased her tension. As she set down her spoon, Xiaotao ushered in a matron carrying a food box.
The woman, around forty, was tall and stout with thick brows, large eyes, and oily skin. Her clothes were clean and neat, and her demeanor straightforward. She entered timidly, greeting Minglan with a curtsy, then placed a dish on the table—a blue-and-white porcelain octagonal plate covered with a green lotus leaf. When the leaf was lifted, the room filled with intense fragrance.
“Madam, the lotus-scented steamed glutinous rice with ribs is ready. As you instructed, I first blanched them in ginger broth to remove blood and gaminess, marinated them with seasonings for an hour, lightly stir-fried them in hot oil, then steamed them thoroughly for an hour with softened glutinous rice and lotus leaves soaked in rice wine. They’ve been kept warm in the steamer and just taken out.” The matron’s voice, though naturally booming, was deliberately softened in an ingratiating tone.Minglan first examined the color and shape of the dish, nodding slightly. The elderly woman seemed to breathe a quiet sigh of relief. Then Minglan picked up her chopsticks to taste a small bite, her face gradually breaking into a satisfied smile. The woman finally relaxed her shoulders completely.
"You've worked hard, Granny Ge," Minglan set down her chopsticks with a gentle smile. "The essence of this dish lies in thoroughness - the glutinous rice must be thoroughly infused with meat fragrance, the meat must carry the aroma of rice, and the entire dish should be permeated with lotus leaf fragrance. The seasoning must marinate thoroughly, the ribs and glutinous rice must steam thoroughly, achieving a tender texture that absorbs all flavors. When perfectly executed, the glutinous rice atop these ribs will gradually collapse along with the meat shortly after serving."
Granny Ge beamed with ingratiating smiles: "Thank you for your guidance, madam. This old woman is but a coarse person, only hoping you won't find it beneath your standards."
"Being coarse matters not." Minglan lifted her teacup for a delicate sip, rinsing away the residual tastes in her mouth, her movements exuding refined elegance. "The kitchen is a place of great importance. Now that I've entrusted you with my personal kitchen, I only expect your utmost dedication and diligence, with no room for carelessness."
Granny Ge repeatedly bowed with smiling assurances. Minglan continued: "I have little else to say except one word - cleanliness. The food must be clean, the staff must be clean, the accounts must be clean. Especially regarding mine and the master's meals - should anything be amiss, don't come to me with excuses. I'll hold you accountable first!"
Minglan's expression turned stern and solemn, while Granny Ge displayed fervent loyalty, making loud promises that nearly shook the doorframes with their volume.
"Enough. Later I'll assign some maids to assist you. You may withdraw now. This dish is quite good - prepare another portion for the master this evening." Minglan waved her hand, and Granny Ge bowed repeatedly before departing.
Only after watching Granny Ge disappear into the distance did Xiaotao approach to serve Minglan, whispering: "She's quite fat." Minglan chuckled: "Cooks have always been like this. Even if they don't eat fatty foods, the cooking fumes make them plump."
"But her skills are rather good," Xiaotao eyed the glutinous rice ribs with evident craving. "No matter what dish you request, she can recreate it with ninety percent accuracy."
Seeing no one around, Minglan changed to another pair of chopsticks and fed a piece of glutinous rice rib to Xiaotao, smiling: "The fallen Ling Duke's household was famously extravagant. Being straightforward by nature and unwilling to engage in shady accounts, she was marginalized to the lower kitchens. For now, I have no better candidates, so we'll make do with her. After all, her entire family is in my hands."
Xiaotao chewed with relish, mumbling: "Don't worry, madam. Soon enough, Sister Cuiwei will arrive from Jinling. Then you'll have proper help, sparing you from those old fools' nonsense!"
"How time flies. It feels like her wedding was just yesterday, and now she's already a mother herself." Minglan grew distant thinking of Cuiwei, then collected herself: "Where did we leave off last time? Continue your report."
At this, Xiaotao immediately perked up. Born with an honest, simple-minded appearance, many people enjoyed speaking with her and often let their guard down, enabling her to gather abundant gossip. In terms of information-gathering ability, truly no one could surpass her. These past two days, through frequent contact with those from the fourth branch, she had obtained considerable news about the Ningyuan Marquis Household."Mama Hua is a family servant of the Gu household. She has a straightforward temper, but she's willing to answer my questions, though she says very little and refuses to gossip about her masters behind their backs. Mama Tian, on the other hand, is quite talkative. Even before I could ask, she chatted away about everything as if we were just having a casual conversation, though she too was very... measured in what she said. But the other two were quite reluctant to speak." Xiaotao reported while Minglan ate slowly with her chopsticks, listening attentively.
"No matter. I've already assigned duties today. We'll see in a few days if there are more who are willing to talk. Just tell me about the specific things I asked you to inquire about."
"Oh, right." Xiaotao quickly began to recall. "First, about Concubine Gong. She wasn't an ordinary maid. Originally, she was the daughter of a scholar and was distantly related to Lady Yu's maternal family. After her family fell into hardship, she sought refuge at the Yu residence. Though she was called Lady Yu's maid, they were as close as sisters, even sharing a character in their names. Later, Lady Yu arranged for her to be elevated to concubine—this is what Mama Hua said."
"What did Mama Tian say?" Minglan asked with interest, resting her chopsticks in her bowl.
Xiaotao's retelling was utterly unfiltered. She grinned excitedly: "Mama Tian said she didn't know much else, only that after Lady Yu made a scene outside, the young master returned to the residence and clamored to divorce his wife. After the Old Marquis suppressed the matter, Concubine Gong was elevated to concubine."
Minglan made a sound of understanding—Yu Yanhong had tried to sell off Man Niang and her son, which angered Gu Tingye, so Yu Yanhong compensated by elevating Gong Hongxiao.
Xiaotao's legs were sore from standing, so Minglan kindly pulled her to sit beside her. She continued: "Later, after the young master left the capital and Lady Yu passed away, the other people in the household dispersed. Only this Concubine Gong and a woman named Qiu Niang stayed behind, saying they would wait for the young master to return. The Grand Old Madam assigned them a small courtyard to live in."
Minglan listened quietly, her eyes flickering slightly. She had long pondered what ultimately happened to women who had been taken in by men but never formally married.
Generally speaking, if the master was kind, he would provide a generous dowry and arrange for them to marry someone honest and reliable, though the match wouldn't be particularly advantageous—either a servant or attendant from the household, or a farmer or commoner outside. Of course, there were also cases like actors (Jiang Yuhan).
If the master was colder or more ruthless, or if the woman had provoked displeasure or committed some offense before being expelled, her fate would be unpredictable.
Gong Hongxiao was a clever woman. As for Qiu Niang, perhaps it was deep affection—Minglan smiled faintly.
"Next, about Rong Jie'er." Seeing Minglan's relaxed expression, Xiaotao went on. "She was sent to the Ningyuan Marquis Household nearly three years ago, right after the Old Marquis passed away and the young master left the capital. The Marquis's wife and the Grand Old Madam were kind-hearted and took her in. Originally, she was raised by the Marquis's wife, said to be a companion for Xianjie. About a year ago, the Grand Old Madam suddenly assigned Concubine Gong and Qiu Niang to care for Rong Jie'er, with all her living expenses and allowances matching Xianjie's. This is all according to Mama Hua."
Minglan smiled again. This Mama Hua was quite a character—her way of speaking was rather amusing."Oh, and there are matters concerning the other branches." Xiaotao spoke until her throat went dry. Minglan cheerfully ladled a bowl of soup for her as encouragement. "That Fifth Old Madam truly dislikes Madame Yang. This daughter-in-law was originally betrothed by a prenatal vow—she's the daughter of Fifth Old Master's former examination cohort. She was originally a young lady from a household that managed affairs, but over a decade ago, her father got into trouble. Not only did he lose his official position, but a considerable portion of the family assets was also confiscated. Because of this, Fifth Old Madam became unwilling to proceed with this marriage arrangement."
Minglan took back the empty soup bowl and said with a smile, "I see. It must be that Fifth Old Master insisted on keeping his word, which is why this marriage was finalized."
Xiaotao raised a thumb in approval: "Madam is truly clever!"
Minglan shook her head with a pout. Such a marriage couldn't have been easy. Even after entering the household and bearing a son, Fifth Old Madam still didn't treat her well.
"Fifth Old Master holds Madam Yang in high regard. Several times when Old Master Yang caused trouble outside, it was Madam Yang who pleaded with Fifth Old Master to forgive him," Xiaotao squeezed out her last bit of memory.
Minglan held her rice bowl and smiled around her chopsticks—before every scoundrel father, there usually stands a successful son. Amitabha, let's hope this principle doesn't work in reverse.
OpenNovel