The next day, First Miss indeed led her sisters to the Hanlin Manor at the other end of Eryang Street.
Second Madam invited her nephews and nieces to tour the Hanlin Manor together—though the Hanlin Manor wasn’t as spacious as the Governor’s Manor, it equally had gardens and artificial mountains, lacking nothing. However, these past years the two families had been cordial on the surface but not in heart, so the Grand Madam rarely visited. Consequently, her children had also reduced their visits.
Ninth Brother and the eldest son-in-law had been taken by the Grand Master early in the morning to visit Master Zhang Weiting at the Zhang family residence, so naturally they didn’t go.
Seventh Miss was also too lazy to visit the Hanlin Manor.
She simply feigned illness. “When I woke this morning, I felt chest tightness and nausea. It must be that the heat came early this year—I have heatstroke.”
The Grand Madam took it seriously and decided not to go to the Hanlin Manor herself. “Seeking medical care and medicine—how can we have no one at home to look after things? I might as well stay home to attend to matters.”
Everyone then went to the Hanlin Manor led by First Miss.
Seventh Miss obediently lay down on the bed, facing the bed curtains in a daze.
Before long, a disciple from the Ouyang family came to check Seventh Miss’s pulse.
Though the Ouyang family had practiced medicine for generations, their airs were no smaller than the Yang family’s. Not to mention Old Master Ouyang—even the masters and young masters wouldn’t be easily summoned for such minor ailments.
“It’s probably just heatstroke. I’ll prescribe a few doses of medicine. If Miss is willing to take them, take a few doses. If not, then just forget it.” The disciple was also tactful and perceptive.
Seventh Miss leaned by the bedside chatting idly with Lixia and Bailu, then had them open her makeup case to admire the jewelry the Grand Madam had given her.
After lunch, Second Madam sent word: the nieces would eat dinner before returning to the Governor’s Manor.
When Seventh Miss woke from her afternoon nap, not seeing Bailu, she remembered that Nanny Yao had taken her home.
She felt somewhat regretful for the moment: she hadn’t been able to probe for more information when Nanny Yao came to fetch her.
“Forget it,” she muttered to Lixia. “When coming to fetch someone, she was eager to hurry home and gather with relatives—who would have the mood for idle chat?”
Lixia only smiled. Seventh Miss exclaimed again, “I really should have given Bailu some festival money.”
“Festival money—that’s a novel term.” Lixia repeated it several times. “Festival rewards are already given by the household. Your bit of silver—better save it for yourself… Only Miss could think up such a pleasant-sounding name!”
“Now you’re showing your ignorance, aren’t you?” Seventh Miss giggled. “There are many more such terms—festival money, summer allowance, travel allowance, phone allowance… Whatever name you can think of, they can give you subsidies and distribute silver!”
“What travel allowance, phone allowance—there’s silver for talking too?” Lixia innocently widened her eyes.
Seventh Miss laughed heartily. “Exactly! The more you talk, the more silver you get!”
Speaking of this, she felt somewhat melancholy. “Took so much effort to get into such a good place, but alas, only stayed a few years…”
Lixia couldn’t understand at all.
She didn’t inquire further either.
Someone like Miss—how could she thoroughly investigate?
“I wonder if the Hanlin Manor is large.” She chatted with Seventh Miss.
“Don’t you have an aunt working at the Hanlin Manor?” Seventh Miss asked. “After the Dragon Boat Festival, I’ll give you half a day’s leave too. Go home and ask your aunt to take you to tour the Hanlin Manor—then you’ll know.”
She had always been fair with these two senior maids.
Lixia smiled and declined. “I went home last month. Besides, Sister Bailu isn’t going home purely to visit relatives either.”
Nanny Yao had gone through such effort to gain permission to take Bailu home—she must have her purpose. Bailu also had a bit of the flavor of being on official business.
Seventh Miss glared at Lixia, rarely displaying a young girl’s willfulness. “Silly girl, when I tell you to tour the Hanlin Manor, isn’t that official business too?”
Lixia’s face suddenly showed understanding as she murmured agreement.
Curiously, she asked, “If Miss wants to know about the Hanlin Manor’s layout, why not go tour it yourself?”
Seventh Miss sighed.
Lixia was a good child and very clever, but unfortunately, sometimes her thinking was just slightly lacking.
“What could I see if I went?” She sighed. “Once people see I’m a young lady from this manor, what would they dare say? Only if you go will you see the real Hanlin Manor.”
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat.
If it weren’t for Nanny Yao taking Bailu home this time, Seventh Miss wouldn’t have thought to have Lixia enter the Hanlin Manor to observe the situation.
In household schemes, her experience was still shallow. Many things she only dealt with passively, without the concept of taking initiative.
Lixia suddenly understood.
“Miss’s lesson is correct.” She nodded solemnly, then felt admiration. “Miss, you truly are… there’s nothing that can stump you!”
Seventh Miss smiled faintly but didn’t show much pride.
These ancient noble ladies and young misses had no life pressures, no normal male-female interactions, and every word and action was restricted by propriety and ritual.
They could only focus their thoughts on intrigue and scheming.
With her years of life experience, once transmigrated into this body, after years of cultivation, she could only barely hold her own.
Modern people’s schemes were nothing compared to ancient people.
This exquisite and elegant Baifang Garden was both home and workplace and battlefield for these madams, concubines, and young ladies.
One had to fight bloodily all the way to jump beyond the three realms like First Miss, no longer within the five elements.
She wondered what changes this elder sister, who seemed accomplished in her cultivation, would bring to the manor’s delicate situation.
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