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墨書 Inktalez
Yan Xinyao had never been one to casually strike or scold her servants. Although Duan'er was merely a maid, she felt as close as family to her. How could she stand by and watch Duan'er be bullied?
In an instant, Yan Xinyao, who had been lounging lazily on the swing, straightened up. A hint of polite detachment graced her features as she spoke softly, “Sister, since you have taken it upon yourself to discipline my servant, it is only proper that I return the favor. Otherwise, wouldn’t that just give others something to laugh about?”
The Qiu was taken aback, but then she saw Yan Xinyao's once-smiling eyes turn as cold as ice. “Sister, this girl seems to understand the rules quite well. Her name is Qing'er, isn’t it?”
“What of it?” Qing'er blurted out.
“I merely wish to ask, while it might be reasonable for your master to speak to me from a position of authority, what gives you the right as a servant to stand before me without bowing and expect me to look up at you while we converse? What kind of reasoning is that?”
Qing'er was stunned into silence by these words and quickly looked up at The Qiu for help.
Just as The Qiu was about to speak, Yan Xinyao continued, “You can’t answer that? It seems you are not very clear on the rules of the household. In that case, Duan'er, go fetch the mistress. Let her take the time today to teach all these servants in this house what proper conduct really means.”
“Yes.” Duan'er covered her face, swallowing back tears that had been welling in her eyes as she turned to summon Fang Min'er.
The Qiu was momentarily at a loss for words, but Qing'er suddenly dropped to her knees with a thud, clinging desperately to The Qiu's legs and crying out, “Concubine, I didn’t mean it! I just wanted to stand up for you…”
The Qiu’s face turned an alarming shade of pale. She understood all too well that she could not allow Duan'er to truly bring Fang Min'er here; if the mistress arrived, things would surely escalate. Punishing a maid was one thing, but losing face would be far worse. Yet if she did not deal with Qing'er now, it would only give others grounds to say she was harsh with outsiders but lenient with her own people.
With this in mind, The Qiu could only suppress her anger and coldly say, “The Secondary Concubine is asking you a question. Just answer truthfully; are you afraid that the Secondary Concubine will harm you?”
Qing'er understood that she could no longer rely on The Qiu for protection. With tears in her eyes, she looked pleadingly at Yan Xinyao and said, “Secondary Concubine, I know I was wrong. I won’t dare do it again.”
Yan Xinyao merely tilted her head and smiled faintly, neither speaking nor looking at the Qiu, as she picked up her teacup and took a few gentle sips.
She had not intended to bring the cunning tactics of the marketplace into her home, but the Qiu was treating herself far too lightly. Since she had married into the General's residence, she would be living here for a lifetime. If she continued to endure everything quietly, she would eventually be trampled upon.
Thus, she decided to take this opportunity to set an example, making it clear to the Qiu and the servants in the household that she was by no means a soft persimmon to be squeezed at will.
The more silent Yan Xinyao became, the more anxious Qing'er grew. Seeing that Duan'er had already reached the courtyard gate, she gritted her teeth and began to knock her head against the ground fiercely. "Secondary Concubine, I truly know I was wrong. Offending you deserves death a thousand times over. I will slap myself twenty times right now; I hope you will forgive me and not let this small matter disturb the Madam." As she spoke, she began to slap her own face.
Yan Xinyao seemed startled by this action, choking on her tea and coughing violently. The Qiu could not discern whether it was genuine or feigned concern and hurriedly approached with a worried expression. Duan'er rushed to Yan Xinyao's side, patting her back while loudly calling out, "Someone come quickly! The Secondary Concubine is choking! Please fetch a doctor!"
At Duan'er's shout, nearby maids and servants rushed over like a tide. Poor Qing'er found herself in a dilemma; she couldn't hit back nor stop. Seeing no one paying attention to her, she could only continue crying as she slapped herself until her mouth was filled with a salty taste and blood trickled from the corner of her lips. Finally, Yan Xinyao waved her hand and said, "Sister, please tell this girl to stop. She belongs to you; I dare not punish her. I only wanted Duan'er to invite the Madam here for a reminder. We are all sisters; in the future, I will rely on you for support. Let’s not let these unrelated servants ruin our harmony. Don’t you agree?"
"You speak truly, sister. As fellow concubines, we should support each other moving forward," the Qiu replied with words of agreement, though inwardly she seethed with resentment, careful not to show any of it in front of so many servants.
At that moment, she regretted underestimating this seemingly unremarkable and fragile Secondary Concubine; this girl was certainly not someone easy to fool.
"Does it still hurt?" Yan Xinyao asked cautiously as she applied medicine to Duan'er, feeling distressed.
"It doesn't hurt at all anymore. That Qiu only slapped me once, but you managed to make her maid slap herself twenty times in front of so many people—I'm telling you, it felt so satisfying," Duan'er said with sparkling eyes.
"You called for an audience all on your own?" Yan Xinyao poked Duaner's forehead playfully and feigned anger. "Let’s see if you dare act so recklessly again in the future."
"As long as the Miss is here, I dare to do anything. Duan'er knows that anyone who dares to bully me even a little will be repaid tenfold by the Miss." Duan'er smiled proudly, but accidentally tugged at the swollen part of her face, causing her to wince in pain.
Yan Xinyao felt a slight heaviness in her heart. "Right now, you are my only confidant. If I don't protect you, who else can I protect?"
"It seems you really don't take me seriously, do you? It's been quite some time since you married into my general's household, yet when someone bullies you, you don't even think of seeking help from your big support."
Lian Cheng'an flashed into the room and lazily lay down on the purple bamboo couch where Yan Xinyao often rested. He buried his head between the cushions, faintly catching the unique fragrance that lingered on Yan Xinyao—a blend of medicinal herbs and a hint of delicate floral scent, calming and serene.
Upon seeing Lian Cheng'an arrive, Duan'er quickly retreated, gently closing the door behind her with careful movements, afraid of disturbing the two inside.
Yan Xinyao turned around and sat down to drink tea by herself. For a moment, the room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. However, the air seemed to be filled with an unusual tension, distinctly different from usual—like the calm before a storm.
"You seem even more formidable than I imagined," Lian Cheng'an suddenly stood up and took a few steps forward, cornering Yan Xinyao against the table. His piercing gaze resembled a deep cold pool, making Yan Xinyao's heart race as she nearly felt the urge to flee.
Is he angry? Why? After all, it was he who had left her on her own for so long.
Yan Xinyao frowned slightly, her tone carrying a hint of stubbornness and grievance. "I don't understand what you mean, Sir. However, if you think I've done something wrong, you could simply write me a divorce decree and send me back. After all, I'm just an idle Rice Bug in this household."
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