Chapter 006: The Heart Of A Young Man

---

Translator’s Note: ✨ The previous chapters are getting a glow-up! ✨ They’re being fully edited and translated to match the original novel. Here’s the polished chapter! ??

---

Jiang Xuening sat outside, her mind occupied with thoughts about Yan Lin, Zhou Yin, and others from her past life. She wasn’t paying much attention to the sounds coming from inside the room.

Then, she heard the curtain rustle, and when she looked up, Jiang Boyou had already come out.

She immediately stood up, first properly greeting him with a bow, saying, “Greetings, Father,” before continuing, “I truly feel ashamed for troubling you over such small matters… It is my incompetence.”

At this moment, Jiang Boyou felt particularly at ease, waving his hand and saying, “The servants in your courtyard have no sense of propriety, and the master doesn’t set a proper example. You should’ve dealt with this a long time ago…”

Cough, cough!

Before he could finish speaking, Chang Zhuo immediately coughed twice from the side.

Jiang Boyou glanced at him, noticing his slight headshake. He immediately understood.

Xue Ning had been back in the house for four years, and they, as elders, had observed her closely.

Did she not know about the uncleanliness of the maids and servants in the house?

Clearly, she had noticed.

But no matter how inappropriate these servants might be behind her back, in front of her they still addressed her as “Second Miss,” treating her like royalty, surrounding her with adoration as if she were the only one of her kind in the world.

And so, she allowed them to behave this way.

After all, she was brought back to the manor from the estate, and with Wanniang gone, she wasn’t close with Meng Shi. When she first arrived in the capital, she had no one to rely on. Though she seemed spoiled on the outside, she was, in fact, fragile and sensitive inside.

The more vulnerable someone is inside, the more they rely on external things for support.

Jiang Boyou, after all, had achieved the rank of third grade in the imperial court, and was in charge of the crucial Ministry of Revenue. He could see through many things, and his daughter was no exception.

So, in the past, even though he saw her indulging the maids and servants in her rooms, he had advised Meng Shi not to interfere. He feared that if she handled things poorly, it might hurt Xue Ning’s feelings and make her feel like the entire household was against her.

Today, however, something had happened to anger her, and she seemed to want to take action, seeking him out for help.

But the more this was the case, the less he could show enthusiasm for the matter.

If she dealt with it herself, that would be fine, but if others rushed in to intervene, scolding the people in her room, she might overthink things. If others were scolding for her, her anger might dissipate, and the issue would be resolved without much effort.

Jiang Boyou thought for a moment and decided to take a more indirect approach. He suddenly changed his tone, saying, “But you usually protect them quite well, so they must be serving you well. It’s not uncommon for the servants in the house to be a little careless. You come to me for help, wanting to handle things in the house. But honestly, this could be dealt with in the house itself. Why make such a fuss, causing a commotion?”

It was a smooth and natural turn of events.

Jiang Xuening listened quietly, observing Jiang Boyou for a moment, already sensing something was off. She turned around, saying, “Father’s words are indeed reasonable. It was my lack of consideration. Then, I will return to my room and handle it myself.”

“Ah, wait! Don’t!”

Her reaction was completely different from what he had expected.

Shouldn’t she be more furious and eager to punish the maids and servants for speaking out of turn?

Jiang Boyou was caught off guard by her words. Seeing her about to turn and leave, he didn’t have time to think, quickly reaching out and pulling her back, offering a reassuring smile. “You’re here already, how can I let you go back and handle it yourself? You must understand, I manage the Ministry of Revenue in the court. I can’t stand these kinds of dirty dealings! If the household isn’t in order, how can we govern the country? I can’t allow you to suffer any grievances!”

If he had said that earlier, it would have been much easier. Instead, he had played the tactic of retreating to advance!

Her father really was…

Jiang Xuening couldn’t help but smile faintly, though, for a moment, she felt a slight melancholy she couldn’t quite explain.

When she was still a young lady in the household, even if the maids and servants weren’t ideal, it didn’t cause major issues. Any trouble she had, she could simply speak to Yan Lin, and it would usually be resolved. After marrying Shen Jie, though he treated her well, he wouldn’t manage every little thing like Yan Lin did. And living in the dangerous environment of the palace, no matter how unskilled she was, she was forced by the circumstances to move forward.

It was there that she gradually forged her calm demeanor and learned the art of dealing with others.

But compared to her younger self, she had become someone entirely different.

Jiang Boyou looked at her, sensing some subtle changes in her expression. He couldn’t help but ask curiously, “You used to be quite ‘lenient’ with them. Your mother and I were both concerned. Why the sudden change of heart today?”

Jiang Xuening thought for a moment—her change had indeed been significant.

It would be best to offer some kind of reasonable explanation.

Raising her gaze, she calmly said, without a hint of hesitation, “Yan Lin taught me.”

Ah.

That troublesome little brat who was always sneaking over their wall…

Jiang Boyou stroked his beard, letting out a hum in his heart, his expression thoughtful.

Soon, the group of maids and servants from Jiang Xuening’s room were brought in.

Each of them trembled like a leaf in the wind, their faces ashen.

Jiang Boyou, mindful that there were guests inside, didn’t want to make too much noise and disturb them. So, he ordered two chairs to be brought out and placed under the eaves of the study, instructing the group of maids and servants to kneel in the courtyard.

The commotion had drawn attention, and many of the household servants had quietly gathered around the walls or under the eaves, peeking out to see what was going on.

Led by Wang Xing, the servants who had been in Jiang Xuening’s service couldn’t believe what they had just experienced in less than half an hour. First, the Second Miss, whom they had previously managed to coax and manipulate, suddenly called them into her room. Then, without warning, she ordered them to return everything they had taken before. When they hesitated and tried to deny it, they thought she would at least try to reason with them before punishing them. But instead, she immediately went to her father, Jiang Boyou, and brought them all out to kneel here.

Wang Xing’s situation was even worse.

She had already been shocked when Jiang Xuening had demanded the bracelet upon her return. She had always thought the Second Miss was someone who would listen to her, but suddenly, this once obedient young lady began acting unpredictably. Wang Xing had no idea what had changed or what Jiang Xuening was thinking.

Now that Jiang Xuening had Jiang Boyou’s backing, she raised her hand and pointed at Lian’er. “Go, bring two large chests.”

Lian’er quickly fetched them and placed them on the ground as instructed.

Jiang Xuening then took the tea offered by Chang Zhuo, blew gently on it, took a sip, and set it down. “I already said everything I needed to in the room. If anyone has taken something of mine, they should return it as soon as possible. I am willing to overlook the past.”

With so many eyes on her and her father watching, there was complete silence from the servants.

None of them dared to speak up.

One of the younger maids nudged Wang Xing, and although she was furious, she held back, keeping silent, only planning to deal with this troublesome young maid once they had gotten through this ordeal.

Seeing that none of them were willing to speak, Jiang Xuening smiled.

But she didn’t press them further.

She sat comfortably while they knelt, sipping her tea and enjoying some pastries. What was the rush?

The courtyard was paved with hard stone slabs, and while the maids and servants in the manor weren’t exactly spoiled, most of them had soft skin and were unaccustomed to hardship.

At first, it wasn’t so bad, but after a while, some of them began to struggle with the pain.

A person knelt on the ground, their knees beginning to shift, their body swaying as well. Sweat soaked their forehead and back.

Finally, one of the maidservants couldn’t hold back any longer. Anxious and angry, she kowtowed to the ground, pretending to be wronged. “Second Miss, we are truly innocent! In the past, whenever we served you, we always did our best to make you happy. We all know what your temper is like, so who would dare cause trouble in front of you? That would be courting death! We only thought that if we treated our master well, she would also cherish us. But now, Second Miss, you are making baseless accusations, even putting the blame for stealing your things on us! If you bring out the ledger and confront us one by one, we might accept it. But who doesn’t know that you don’t keep track of your own things? It’s all left to us to manage. Today, if you say the contents of the box are fewer, then they are fewer; if you say there are more, then there are more. It’s all up to your word. We, who come from humble backgrounds, have no money to cover for your shortcomings.”

What a twisted version of the truth!

It was the same maidservant who had argued with her earlier.

If it weren’t for her hands still being delicate and precious, Jiang Xuening would have slapped her by now.

This was clearly a tactic to make her unable to produce any evidence.

Especially since they all knew she had no idea about her own things, and they had latched onto this point. By insisting on it, they could even make Jiang Xuening seem as though she were a pampered and spoiled person who couldn’t escape public gossip, which could be impossible to clear up.

“You want evidence?” Jiang Xuening lowered her slender brows, a smile curling at the corner of her lips, and her voice was casual. “I used to indulge you all because at least you knew who the master of this household was. But now, you dare to challenge me. Do you really think I have no idea what’s going on?”

Everyone was stunned.

Even Lian’er and Tang’er, who had been left aside to serve, didn’t know how to respond.

Jiang Xuening glanced at the two maids, her eyes moving from Lian’er to Tang’er, and with a slight flicker, she commanded, “Tang’er, get the ledger.”

Lian’er was utterly confused: How could the young lady have a ledger? Why didn’t she know about it?

Even Tang’er, usually calm, was momentarily baffled.

But Jiang Xuening didn’t let her remain confused for long: “The third shelf down on the bookcase, from the left, the sixth book. Go get it.”

As soon as she said this, Jiang Boyou, standing nearby, looked at her with a peculiar expression.

Jiang Xuening casually sipped her tea while waiting.

The maids and servants kneeling on the ground shuddered at the mention of the “ledger.” Some of them, unable to handle the shock, nearly collapsed on the floor. They felt a burning confusion in their hearts, unable to believe it.

How could the Second Miss have a ledger?

She, who threw even her most valuable possessions around carelessly, actually kept a record of things in secret?

It was completely baffling.

They really wished they had misheard. In their panic, they knelt anxiously, glancing toward the hanging flower door, hoping that Tang’er would come back empty-handed.

Unfortunately, fate was not on their side!

Tang’er returned.

She walked over from the hanging flower door, holding a thick blue-covered book. She immediately offered it to Jiang Xuening. “Second… Second Miss, the ledger has been brought as per your instructions.”

From a distance, the others kneeling on the ground couldn’t see clearly—

Tang’er, though appearing calm, was trembling!

Jiang Boyou, standing nearby, instinctively looked at the book in Tang’er’s hands and nearly spat out the tea he had just sipped!

That wasn’t a ledger at all!

The cover clearly read the four large characters: “You Xue Qiong Lin”!

Everyone knew that there was no ledger on that shelf. What Tang’er had grabbed from the third shelf, sixth book, was a primer for teaching children, not a ledger!

But she had no choice—she bit the bullet and brought it back.

At this moment, with such a large crowd, Tang’er couldn’t even imagine how her young lady would get out of this situation!

However, Jiang Xuening remained unfazed, calm and composed. She took the “ledger” from Tang’er’s hands and flipped it open.

“March of this year, on my eighteenth birthday, my mother gifted me a red jade ruyi pendant, along with a pair of emerald-studded hairpieces; my father gave me pine smoke ink and Chengxin Tang paper; Lord Yan gave me a pair of Ru ware white porcelain flower vases, a night pearl from the Great Food Kingdom, and a large piece of mutton-fat white jade carved into a nine-link chain…”

A small, snow-white rabbit.

It was caught by Yan Lin during a hunting trip. He thought the rabbit resembled her—pitiful, with red eyes, both cute and helpless, so he couldn’t bear to kill it and brought it back to her to raise.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t very attentive to the rabbit and handed it over to the servants to care for it. Within two months, it had died.

Jiang Xuening, of course, never kept a ledger.

When she was younger, she didn’t keep track of such things.

But Yan Lin remembered.

During the time she was under house arrest in the palace, he would often come to her late at night, lying next to her on the bed. His fingers, roughened from martial arts training, would gently stroke her cheek, and he would talk to her about the youthful affection he once had.

Even if she wanted to forget, it was hard to do so.

Jiang Xuening lowered her eyelashes and read aloud for quite a while before finally lifting her gaze to look at the group of people kneeling below.

At this point, none of them could maintain their kneeling posture.

One by one, they collapsed to the ground.

The servant from the Wang family, who was the quickest to catch on, realized that Jiang Xuening had recited everything in great detail. Some of the items were particularly unique—if anyone in the household decided to investigate, even if they were given away, they could still be traced back. If it came to that, it would be undeniable evidence of guilt, and they would be handed over to the authorities without question.

At that critical moment, she made up her mind.

With a loud “thunk,” the Wang family servant kowtowed and sincerely began crying. “Miss, you’re brilliant. It was all because this old woman was blinded by greed. I didn’t dare admit it earlier because I underestimated your abilities. My family is struggling, and I saw others taking your things without you saying anything. I thought to borrow a few items to get by and return them once my family was through this hardship. I never expected you to be so clear-headed, seeing through us like a mirror. I’ve served you for so many years, and when I saw you return to the estate, I couldn’t bear to deceive you anymore. I’ve been unable to sleep at night, knowing I wronged you. Now that you’ve found out, I actually feel relieved. Please, Miss, allow me to return your belongings, and I beg you to let the past go. Punish me as you see fit, but as long as I can stay by your side and serve you, I will be content!”

“…”

All the little maidservants kneeling behind her nearly popped their eyes out.

They had seen shamelessness before, but they had never seen anything like this!

In terms of shamelessness, they couldn’t even compare to Wang’s servant.

Jiang Xuening listened to her words—first making excuses for taking her things, then flattering her, and finally admitting guilt and expressing loyalty. If someone weren’t paying attention, they might think she was genuinely a “loyal servant”!

Jiang Xuening found it amusing.

She immediately said, “Then go and get the items back.”

Wang’s servant felt as though she had been pardoned. She quickly kowtowed three more times, then got up, flashed a fawning smile at Jiang Xuening, and retreated to her room to collect the things.

Seeing this, the others didn’t dare resist any longer.

At first, they hadn’t admitted to anything, thinking the situation wasn’t serious. But after being called in to kneel, they were terrified. Now, seeing that even Wang servant had backed down, they all immediately knelt, begging for forgiveness. They quickly went back to their rooms and brought out the items, placing them one by one into the box Jiang Xuening had instructed her servants to prepare earlier.

Before long, hairpins, jade ornaments, vases, and scrolls filled the box to the brim, even spilling over the top.

Jiang Xuening hadn’t realized just how much wealth she had until this moment.

Even Jiang Boyou, standing nearby, couldn’t help but be astonished.

Goodness, the Duke of Yongyi’s estate was indeed one of the two most prestigious households in the capital. She hadn’t even married into the family yet, but Yan Lin had already given her so many items. Had he emptied his entire family’s wealth for her?

Previous

Next