"If you two aren't going to get on your carriages, then just wait here..."

    With a voice that sounded almost reprimanding from the first carriage, the two women glared at each other once more before heading to their respective carriages. As Luo Hai was about to board her carriage, she put on a sorrowful face and spoke in a disheartened tone,

    "Xiang Zi, I merely wanted to check on you, to see if you were feeling better so we could continue our journey. That way, others wouldn't have to keep waiting for you. Yet, you failed to see my goodwill and accused me of meddling in your affairs. You really don't appreciate kindness at all..."

    Though her voice wasn't loud, it was enough for the servants and coachmen nearby to hear, so they were casting odd glances at Xiang Zi.

    Hearing this, Xiang Zi who was about to board, clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, then briskly sat down inside her carriage.

    A fox remained a fox, no matter how much time passed!

    They already separated to board their carriages, but this Luo Hai couldn't resist taking one more jab at her, painting her as a malevolent woman in the eyes of others. Just like her mistress, Xie concubine, Luo Hai's a master of deception!

    Both the master and servant were such pretentious!

    While Xiang Zi was still upset about Luo Hai's final retort before the convoy set off again, Luo Hai herself was comfortably seated in another carriage, smiling contentedly.

    How could Xiang Zi be worthy to be her rival?

    When cornered, she resorted to invoking her mistress's name, and when that failed, she turned to physical retaliation. Truly a barbaric woman, just like her mistress, Lan concubine. Like mistress, like servant!

    In the first carriage, which was markedly quieter than the last two, sat the owner of the voice that had scolded the two women earlier. She was Yang Yifei, the close servant and wet nurse of Bai Lijun, the Second Furen of the Mu family, known as Auntie Yang.

    After the demise of the Furen, Mu Patriarch hadn't officially appointed a new Furen, but Bai Lijun, holding the reins of household management, was virtually the only mistress of the Mu family.

    Auntie Yang, a close maid and wet nurse who followed from Bai Lijun’s natal family, had been beside Bai Lijun since, so she became the head of the household servants. Her authority was only second to the Second Furen. Even the two concubines dared not offend her.

    "Here's your tea, Auntie Yang," said Yang Sui, Auntie Yang's fourteen-year-old niece, handing her a cup of tea while complaining, "Those two are nothing but trouble, always quarreling. It would have been better if they hadn't come at all."

    Auntie Yang took a sip of her tea, agreeing silently with her niece's words. Originally, the journey back to transport the remaining assets from their old residence was her responsibility as the head of the household servants, coordinating with the guards and other servants for the trip to Qingyun City.

    However, the two concubines, driven by their greed for a share of the assets, feared that if only Second Furen's people went to Qingyun City, they might be at a disadvantage. Thus, they pleaded with Mu Patriarch to send their own servants as well. Xiang Zi and Luo Hai who were sent ended up as burdens.

    Along the way, if they didn't quarrel with each other, they would constantly create problems. They were truly worthy to be called troublesome…

    Auntie Yang looked down at her tea for a while. Although the two were indeed burdensome, their constant quarreling somewhat reassured her because it meant they wouldn't join forces against Second Furen, her mistress.

    Letting the two concubines compete with each other was beneficial for Second Furen's side, sparing them from participating in this play. It was best to let those two madwomen fight it out!

    "We'll soon arrive at Qingyun City. Those two shouldn't cause any more problems,"

    Auntie Yang commented, placing her teacup back on the tray. Yang Sui nodded in agreement, understanding the situation. Auntie Yang then reached out to affectionately pat the young girl's head.

    Five days later.

    The Mu family manor was bustling with activity from early morning. A convoy of more than eight large carriages rolled in, lining up in front of the manor's gate, attracting attention from neighboring houses.

    Auntie Yang led Xiang Zi and Luo Hai to pay respects to the Elder Mu Furen in the main hall. "We pay our respects to the Elder Furen."

    The Elder Mu Furen nodded in acknowledgment, and Su Ming, standing beside her, responded on her behalf, "You may rise."

    "How are the people in the capital? Have they settled in well?" Elder Mu Furen inquired, concerned about the Mu family members who had moved to the capital earlier. Auntie Yang slightly bowed and replied, "Elder Furen, the master and mistress have managed the household affairs well, and everything is in order now."

    The Elder Mu Furen's face lightened with relief, "That's good to hear."

    "Upon arriving in the capital, the master was warmly welcomed by several officials. Many visited him to establish friendships, and the household has been peaceful. The mistress has also been invited to various social events among the nobility,"

    Auntie Yang briefly recounted the happenings in the capital, implying that the Mu family's situation there could only be described as 'flourishing!'

    The future growth of the Mu family seemed poised to rival that of the great nobles!

    The Elder Mu Furen smiled contentedly, pleased to see her descendants thriving...

    "Elder Furen, the master and mistress have ordered me to bring people to transport all remaining family assets to the capital, along with over twenty guards. We cannot delay, so I apologize in advance for any disturbance this may cause in the manor."

    Auntie Yang reported with an apologetic face, then lowered her head and waited for Elder Mu Furen's permission. Having been informed by a letter from her son, the Elder Mu Furen had no objections, "Proceed with your duties."

    "Thank you, Elder Furen,"

    Auntie Yang bowed again and glanced at Elder Mu Furen's expression, contemplating before deciding to reveal the hidden purpose of her trip to Qingyun City specifically for this task. "There's another matter, Elder Furen."

    "What is it now?"

    "The mistress wishes to transfer the dowry of the Furen inside the Furen’s quarters, to be taken care of in the capital for the Eldest Young Master, the Eldest Young Miss, and the Seventh Young Miss. This way, we won't need multiple transports, and it will prevent any corruption in those businesses."

    The Elder Mu Furen narrowed her eyes slightly, staring at Auntie Yang, who was bowing her head, with a sharp gaze for a moment before looking away.

    Su Ming, seeing her mistress's demeanor, guessed her thoughts and spoke on her behalf,

    "It would have been possible...However, a few months ago, that house was unfortunately destroyed by fire."

    Auntie Yang, awaiting a response, was suddenly stunned. The news struck her like a bolt of lightning; the primary reason for her long journey was to retrieve the dowry of the former Mu Furen for the Second Furen to manage.

    Yet upon arrival, she was met with the news of a house burnt down by fire!

    "A…fire?"

    Auntie Yang's eyes widened in disbelief, her usual composure vanishing. She demanded in agitation without knowing, "How could this have happened?!"

    Su Ming frowned slightly, displeased with Auntie Yang's assertive attitude in front of Elder Mu Furen. Auntie Yang quickly regained her composure, lowering her head and adopting the posture of a common servant. Su Ming sighed and explained,

    "The Elder Mu Furen has already investigated. It was an unavoidable accident due to the hot weather and the neglected, overgrown dry grass, which caused a spark and led to the fire. By the time the fire was extinguished, only ashes remained..."

    Ashes!

    Only ashes remained!

    Then, what about the dowry?

    Auntie Yang felt as if she had lost her senses, clenching her jaw to contain her anger. She had gone through great lengths to secure the dowry for the Second Furen, only for it all to be in vain.

    It was heartbreaking!

    Unable to contain her frustration any longer, Auntie Yang excused herself, citing the need to prepare for the transport of goods. Once she left, Xiang Zi and Luo Hai, who had been present throughout the ordeal, also excused themselves.

    Both returned to their old quarters with smiles on their faces, inwardly delighted by the turn of events. They hadn't expected to witness such a spectacle, a rare opportunity indeed!

    It was a chance…to see the representatives of the Second Furen encounter such difficulties!

    They had intended to seize others' dowry but ended up with nothing but a wasted journey!

    The expression on Auntie Yang's face was truly amusing!

    Xiang Zi and Luo Hai couldn't help but laugh, realizing that perhaps…their accompanying the convoy might not have been so bad after all.

    The Second Furen’s Old Quarters.

    The grand but deserted house was well-maintained, as if its master still lived there. The interior was beautifully decorated, yet the atmosphere starkly contrasted with its appearance.

    In the main hall, an elderly woman in her fifties sat with a stern face, her presence making the servants in the house uneasy.

    "What kind of care is this? How could you let a fire happen!"

    Auntie Yang berated loudly, her fierce gaze sweeping over the kneeling servants before her. These were her people, left behind to serve as her eyes and ears in the Mu family manor in Qingyun City. They all bowed their heads in fear at her outburst.

    "Do you realize...because of your negligence, the Mistress's plans have been completely ruined!"

    "Bu…But, Auntie Yang, it was an unforeseeable event. No one could have predicted the fire," one of the maids tried to respond, her voice trembling.

    "Unforeseeable event, you say?"

    Auntie Yang glared at her. "And where were you when this 'unforeseeable event occurred?!"

    "We…we were helping with tasks in the main house..." The maid answered weakly, bowing even lower.

    “Humph!”

    "Helping in the main house? I remember clearly instructing you to take good care of that abandoned residence! And this is how you take care of it?!"

    Auntie Yang scolded fiercely. These servants were such useless. They had been given one task but ended up neglecting it, leading to the failure of the Mistress's plans!

    None of the servants who were crouching on the ground dared to speak further, fearing Auntie Yang's wrath. Silence enveloped the room, broken only by Auntie Yang's heavy breathing.

    Auntie Yang picked up the teacup and drank several gulps to calm herself. After some time, she managed to calm down and began to inquire about the details of the incident.

    "Tell me everything. How did this happen?"

    The servants, sent to spy in various houses, recounted the events of that day. "On that day, the Elder Furen had gone out for her regular temple visit, and people from the main house had gathered all the servants to clean the main house and redo the entire garden. As a result, there were hardly any servants left in the other residences."

    "While we were busy with the garden, we suddenly smelled smoke and heard someone shouting about a fire. We all rushed to see and found that it was the former Furen's residence that was on fire. We tried to extinguish the flames with buckets of water, but the fire was too fierce."

    "By the time the fire was put out, nothing was left of that house but ashes..."

    Auntie Yang, who had been attentively listening and reflecting on the situation, suddenly furrowed her brows. "Did no one see how the fire started?"

    "No one, ma'am. By the time we noticed, the fire had already engulfed the house."

    "So, you're saying it was just an accident?" She questioned again, her mind torn between believing it was an unfortunate event and struggling to accept it, as it meant her mission to the capital would be fruitless.

    "It could be, ma'am. The area around the house was full of dry grass, and the weather was extremely hot. Minor fires have frequently occurred in other manors as well."

    Auntie Yang sighed heavily, realizing there was nothing more she could do. She decided to wait until returning to the capital to discuss the matter further with the Mistress.

    While Auntie Yang was resting her eyes, one of the maids, who seemed hesitant at first, came forward. "Auntie Yang, I…I have something to report."

    Auntie Yang opened her eyes to look at the maid, who she remembered was named Bi Qiu, sent as a spy to the residence of the Seventh Young Miss.

    "I overheard something by chance. I'm not sure of its accuracy, but I think it best to inform you." Bi Qiu said with a strange expression. "A few days ago, while I was storing items in the Seventh Young Miss's house, I overheard Su Su telling the young miss that people from the capital were almost here and they would be in trouble if their actions were discovered."

    "Seventh Young Miss then replied that they must keep it a secret at all costs."

    Bi Qiu relayed what she had heard as accurately as possible. Initially, she didn't pay much attention to it, but after witnessing Auntie Yang's anger, she recalled the conversation.

    "Are you sure you heard it correctly?"

    Auntie Yang asked for confirmation, and Bi Qiu firmly reassured her, "Yes, ma'am. I found it strange, so I decided to report it to you."

    "You did very well...much better than these useless ones!" Auntie Yang praised, while also scolding the others. She turned to her niece to fetch some silver coins as a reward. "Shui’er, give this servant twenty silver coins."

    "Yes, ma'am,"

    Yang Sui responded in a quiet and gentle manner. She went to fetch twenty silver coins from the money pouch and handed them to Bi Qiu, then turned and stood back at Auntie Yang's side.

    Bi Qiu's eyes widened as she looked at the silver coins in her hand, her greedy gaze unmistakable. She grinned so wide her cheeks almost split, thinking to herself that she had done the right thing by reporting the incident. Look…look at the reward she received!

    Auntie Yang didn't pay much attention to the servant's reaction. She was deep in thought, piecing together everything she had heard. Given the servant's words, the situation seemed complex.

    It was unexpected that people from the Seventh Young Miss's residence were involved. From what was said, it seemed Seventh Young Miss and her servant had done something that must remain a secret. If the fire was really caused by Seventh Young Miss, how could that be? Seventh Young Miss was only five years old, and her personal servant was only twelve!

    If it was considered that someone was manipulating the Seventh Young Miss, then for what purpose?

    And who would be manipulating her?

    Auntie Yang frowned slightly. The more she thought, the more confused she became. Some possibilities seemed plausible but lacked rationale, while others seemed logical but improbable.

    It seemed she would have to inquire directly from those involved...