Wu Weiwei never expected that, after three days, a golden opportunity would finally present itself.
Because of a lingering backache, she had reported her condition to the Marquis's Lady, and as a result, she had not been required to pay her respects at Qiushui Pavilion for the past few days. She was currently sunning herself in the courtyard when Lingfu came running in, breathless and frantic.
"Young Miss, good news! Wonderful news! The Heir is here..."
Chunrou followed behind, beaming as she ushered in the Heir and a female physician carrying a medicine chest. Wu Weiwei had originally assumed that once she moved into Biyun Pavilion, it would be quite some time before she saw the Heir again, yet here he was—the man who occupied her every thought—after only a few days.
"Lingfu, how many times have I taught you? Losing your composure like this over a small matter—what kind of decorum is that?"
Lingfu’s face paled. She stammered, "Yes, Young Miss, I understand. I won't dare act this way again."
Wu Weiwei nodded, then rose gracefully from her lounge chair. She smoothed her attire and stood there with elegant poise. Lu Hanting walked in and immediately saw the poised and composed Wu Weiwei standing before him. His eyes, dark and unfathomable, rested upon her.
"Greetings, Heir." Wu Weiwei curtsied with a graceful, swaying motion.
"Doctor Lin, Wu Tongfang has been complaining of back pain. Go ahead and examine her to see what is the matter." Though the Heir’s gaze remained on Wu Weiwei, he spoke to the female physician beside him.
"Then please, Miss, follow me inside for the examination."
So that was it. She had told the Marquis's Lady about her backache two days ago, and the Heir clearly suspected she was faking illness to shirk her duties, hence he had sent someone to verify her claims. Let them check; she wasn't faking it, so she had nothing to fear.
The Heir sat in the outer parlor, waiting. During the wait, Chunrou prepared a pot of premium Biluochun tea for him, using leaves gifted by the Marquis's Lady herself. As Lu Hanting sipped the tea, Chunrou, who was serving him, watched his slight frown and couldn't tell if he liked it or not.
Emboldened, she stepped forward. Using her best, sweet-as-a-nightingale voice, she asked timidly, "Heir, is the tea not to your liking?"
Chunrou was convinced that her posture—the way she tilted her head to look at the Heir—was absolutely perfect. She had practiced countless times before her mirror in the quiet of the night, perfecting the angle at which she stood, the frequency of her blinks, and the exact tone and posture that she believed were most alluring to him. She had practiced all of this in private, hoping for a day when it might be useful. Taking advantage of the opportunity brought by Wu Weiwei’s status, she seized the moment, feeling deeply excited and praying that the Heir would understand her intentions.
Seeing the maid before him acting with such affectation in an attempt to seduce him, the previously calm eyes of Lu Hanting suddenly transformed into a raging storm. Chunrou, who had just been standing tall with brimming confidence, felt her body go rigid with terror as a sudden, icy glare shot from the Heir's eyes. She didn't even hear him shout, "Get out!"
When Wu Weiwei finished her examination and emerged with the physician, she saw Liuyun dragging Chunrou out of the Biyun Pavilion courtyard.
"Young Miss, save me! Please, save me..." Chunrou wailed, looking back at Wu Weiwei.
"Heir, Chunrou... what wrong has she committed?" Seeing the Heir’s dark expression and the look of utter disgust on Liuyun’s face, Wu Weiwei had an inkling of what happened, but she played dumb and asked.
"If she still has her life later, you might want to ask her what she did!" Lu Hanting left Biyun Pavilion with a thunderous face.
At dinner, Lingfu returned from scouting the outer courtyard and told her the truth: Chunrou had tried to seduce the Heir, was caught in the act, and was sentenced to fifty lashes. Because she was a servant born into the estate, the guards hadn't dealt a fatal blow. She had been carried out of the Marquis's Estate by her father—the manager—with only a breath left in her, hoping to save her life.
From the day she first met her, Wu Weiwei had known that Chunrou was a restless soul. Combined with the way she had "abandoned" her and fled alone that night at the Rose Pavilion, this outcome was entirely of her own making. It was just unexpected that her first attempt at manipulation would result in such a swift downfall at the hands of the Heir; it was truly an unlucky start.
Speaking of which, Wu Weiwei recalled the day the Marquis's Lady sent the original owner of her body to the study, where she had behaved much like Chunrou. The difference was that Chunrou had a father to save her, while the original owner had been so terrified by a sword thrust that she died, leading to Wu Weiwei's arrival in this book. If the Heir hadn't been drunk that night, allowing her to seize the chance to seduce him and become a semi-mistress of the estate, she would have ended up just like Chunrou.
Wu Weiwei couldn't help but sigh at the importance of time, place, and people.
After this incident, the number of maids in the Marquis's Estate jealous of Wu Weiwei’s success dropped significantly. They still existed, but none dared to act as brazenly as Chunrou. After all, everyone feared death; losing one's life in a failed seduction attempt was a steep price to pay, and it was far better to simply be a maid and collect one's wages.
Two days later, Concubine Ping sent word that a human trafficker would be bringing a group of maids to the estate later that day. The Marquis's Lady had decreed that, due to Chunrou’s dereliction of duty, Wu Weiwei was permitted to choose two capable maids for herself.
In truth, the number of maids didn't matter much to her, as long as none of them turned out like Chunrou. She had initially worried that Chunrou had been planted by the Marquis's Lady to monitor her, but now that she had been expelled, she only had Lingfu left. From her observations over the past two days, Lingfu didn't seem to have any ulterior motives. However, since she didn't hold Lingfu’s contract, she still felt uneasy. With this new permission to choose her own staff, she hoped the contracts would finally be placed in her own hands.
After breakfast, Wu Weiwei headed toward Concubine Ping's Meixiang Courtyard.
Aside from his official wife, the Marquis of Dingguo had taken five concubines. Concubine Ping, the second concubine, was the legitimate second daughter of a sixth-rank official in the capital. She had a son, the Second Young Master, who had just turned fourteen. Because she had suffered complications while giving birth to him, she could no longer have children. Known for her reliability and having won the favor of the Old Dowager, she was tasked with managing the household affairs, as the Marquis's Lady had no interest in such matters.
The Third Concubine came from a merchant family and had one son and two daughters; her son was the Third Young Master, and her daughters were the Fourth and Sixth Young Misses. The Fourth Concubine had originally been a head maid in the Old Dowager’s quarters and had three daughters: the Fifth, Seventh, and Eighth Young Misses. The Fifth Concubine was the youngest and most favored; she was a famous Peking Opera actress in the capital and had given birth to the Ninth Young Miss, and was currently seven months pregnant with twins.
The Fourth and Fifth Young Misses of the estate had reached the age of marriage and were already being evaluated by potential suitors. The Old Dowager had ordered Concubine Ping to bring in a group of girls so that the Young Misses could choose their own personal maids in preparation for their upcoming weddings.
By the time Wu Weiwei arrived, the other young ladies of the estate were already gathered. A courtyard full of young maids, roughly thirty of them between the ages of seven and fifteen, stood in neat rows. Wu Weiwei had dressed simply that day; it was merely a selection of maids, and she didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to herself. She wore a moon-white dress with a water-ripple pattern that trailed on the floor, her hair styled in a simple bun, and her makeup was light.
Despite her understated appearance, her ethereal temperament was striking. Just by standing there, she became the most eye-catching person in the room.
Even so, it provoked the Fourth Young Miss, who glared at her with disdain before letting out a loud huff. "So what if you're pretty? In the end, you’re nothing more than a concubine who doesn't even have a respectable title!"