Chapter 8: Where did you come from, you monster?

Chengxi Hall.

Upon learning that the Princess Consort had petitioned to be spared from accompanying her husband in death and had then saved them, the maids and Nannies cried in a heap again, kneeling and kowtowing in a chaotic mess.

Lin Hansu sat upright in the main seat, her expression calm, dignified, and poised.

This demeanor was completely different from the way she had been shrinking under the bed, trembling with suppressed tears, the night before last.

These people were originally her personal servants. Madam Wu had intended to wipe them all out under the guise of funerary sacrifice. Now that the situation had reversed, everyone’s loyalty to Lin Hansu naturally deepened.

After the servants had somewhat calmed down, Lin Hansu took an ancient-looking jade ornament from her waist. “Granny Xu, take this token to our family’s silver shop and withdraw three thousand taels of silver notes, half in large denominations and half in small.”

After Granny Xu took the jade ornament, Lin Hansu said to Ding Suian, “Squad Leader Ding, please trouble you to send two comrades-in-arms to accompany Granny Xu on this trip.”

This was not a big deal. Ding Suian had Wang Xigui, who was guarding the courtyard, take a comrade-in-arms to accompany Granny Xu out of the mansion.

After the hall became quiet again, Lin Hansu raised her beautiful eyes and surveyed everyone, her tone unhurried. “I know that over the years, some of you, seeing the Old Ancestor firmly in charge of the inner quarters, inevitably became half-hearted, secretly revealing news from Qiyuan Garden to Mianze Pavilion in exchange for some benefits—”

Lin Hansu deliberately paused here.

Silence is sometimes more powerful than scolding. Some people, feeling guilty, couldn’t help but tremble in their hearts.

“Now you see, don’t you? Even after betraying your mistress, did the Old Ancestor hesitate for a moment when she sacrificed you? You must know that from the day you entered Qiyuan Garden, in the eyes of others, you were my people. Life or death, honor or disgrace, prosperity or misfortune, all depend on me!”

Lin Hansu slightly raised her voice, and her originally delicate and gentle eyebrows gradually sharpened.

Below, a thin layer of sweat appeared on the foreheads of a few maids and Nannies, and some already had tears welling up in their eyes.

Firstly, they were afraid, and secondly, having been saved by the Princess Consort today, those who had secretly sent messages to Mianze Pavilion before now felt even more guilty.

‘Thump~’

A young maid finally couldn’t withstand the pressure and knelt down, weeping bitterly, “Princess Consort, this slave is guilty, please punish me as you see fit.”

With her kneeling, two more followed suit.

Yi Huan, the young maid with a bruised and swollen face, stood behind Lin Hansu, her eyes wide, wishing she could go up and kick the three of them a few times.

But just then, Lin Hansu sighed deeply, changing her tone, “I don’t blame you. Back then, wasn’t I also cautious every day?”

Just then, Granny Xu, who had gone to the silver shop to withdraw money, returned. Lin Hansu’s stern expression softened slightly. “It hasn’t been easy for anyone these past two days. Granny Xu, give everyone ten taels of silver for comfort.”

“Thank you, Princess Consort, for the reward.”

Half an hour ago, they were locked in Qiyuan Garden, waiting to die; half an hour later, they received a reward of silver equivalent to five months’ wages.

Few people could endure such drastic emotional swings, and quite a few secretly wiped away tears.

“Now, to live well in this vast Prince’s mansion, my Qiyuan Garden must be united. I will not mistreat you, but if anyone dares to be half-hearted again…” Lin Hansu’s gaze swept over everyone. “They will be immediately executed, without mercy!”

“Alright, Granny Xu, distribute the silver notes.”

As an observer, Ding Suian could clearly feel the emotional ups and downs of the servants in the hall. Sometimes grateful, sometimes fearful, sometimes relieved, each transition precisely changing with Lin Hansu’s intonation and shifting expressions.

Having been a Princess Consort for several years, Lin Hansu had strong control over the situation.

No wonder she had tried to assert dominance over Ding Suian on the first night she ran to the West Courtyard.

Women, especially noble ladies of such prominent families, had long since ingrained political maneuvering into their bones as a survival instinct.

After a display of both kindness and severity, a stick and a sweet date, Lin Hansu quickly appeased the frightened and helpless servants of Qiyuan Garden who were distraught by the funerary sacrifice.

Even though she knew there had been spies in her courtyard, she did not immediately purge or retaliate, allowing the morale of her forces to stabilize.

“Granny Xu.” Lin Hansu spoke again. “Take people to Qiyuan Garden and move all my bedding and furnishings to the four-courtyard Huguai Garden.”

“Granny Zhang, select a few strong and nimble Nannies from the old servants of Qiyuan Garden to accompany me to live in Ji Pavilion in Huguai Garden.”

“Xuxu, tidy up a clean room in the fourth courtyard and convert it into our small kitchen. From now on, you will personally oversee all food and drink; no one else is to handle it.”

Each command was clear and explicit, leaving no room for the implementers to ponder or guess.

In summary, she was moving from the five-courtyard Qiyuan Garden to the four-courtyard Huguai Garden. The boundary between the front and back residences was between the third and fourth courtyards, so moving to the fourth courtyard would make it easier for her to contact the Dragon Guard Army in an emergency.

However, there was a distinction between men and women, so the Dragon Guard Army could not stay by her side twenty-four hours a day. Therefore, she had Granny Zhang select strong Nannies to attend to her.

Establishing a new kitchen also eliminated potential risks related to food and drink.

After all the hustle and bustle, dusk was falling, and the sun was setting in the west.

Lin Hansu finally found a moment of leisure, leaning against the long couch, resting her head in her hand, staring blankly at the evening sun through the west window.

Yi Huan, the little maid who had been standing by, glanced at Ding Suian and secretly poked Lin Hansu with her finger.

Lin Hansu, whose thoughts were interrupted, was slightly displeased and frowned lightly, saying, “What is it?”

Yi Huan, whose cheeks were swollen and protruding, making her look like Crayon Shin-chan, subtly pointed at Ding Suian and whispered, “Princess, he’s still here!”

This was a reminder to Lin Hansu that there was an outsider present, and the Princess should not lie so alluringly.

“Hmph~” Lin Hansu scoffed, saying openly, “He is my confidant! As much a confidant as Granny Xu!”

Hearing this, Little Crayon Shin-chan was displeased and asked jealously, “Princess, is he even more of a confidant than this slave?”

“Pfft~”

Lin Hansu laughed out loud, and looking at Yi Huan’s pitiful and comical face, her voice suddenly softened, “Does it still hurt?”

“Just a little bit.” Yi Huan proudly puffed out her small chest. “They hit me and interrogated me about your whereabouts, Princess, but I told them I wouldn’t say even if they beat me to death.”

The tenderness in Lin Hansu’s eyes lingered, but her voice gradually grew cold. “Who hit you?”

“It was—” Yi Huan began, then realized something and quickly waved her hand, saying, “Yi Huan is fine, Princess, you don’t need to avenge this slave.”

“If I tell you to speak, then speak! What’s with all the fuss!”

“What?”

Beside them, Ding Suian turned his head. Isn’t that my interjection? How did she steal it!

“It was Granny Liu, who is by the Old Ancestor’s side.”

“Still calling her Old Ancestor? That old hag is two-faced and venomous as a snake!”

On the other side, Granny Xu, who had just returned from her errands, was startled by the remark and quickly said, “Princess, mind your words!” Granny Xu nervously looked around before whispering, “If someone from the State Religion hears this, it’s a grave offense!”

“Hmph~”

Lin Hansu snorted twice but didn’t dare to curse further, seemingly quite wary of the ‘State Religion’.

The Great Wu’s State Religion was the Tiandao Sect, also known as the Rites Sect. The Rites Sect and the Confucian Sect shared many similarities, yet their details had many subtle differences from Confucianism.

In this world, there was originally a Confucian Sect, which had once been the official and prominent school of the Great Wu.

However, forty years ago, the Confucian Sect participated in a rebellion against the current Emperor. After its failure, all Great Wu academies were destroyed, and their classics, histories, philosophical works, and writings of ancient sages were burned to ashes.

This event was historically known as ‘The Ren-Chen Confucian Rebellion’.

Now, the Confucian Sect had become a taboo in the Great Wu; even privately possessing Confucian texts was a serious crime. Conversely, the Rites Sect, which had played a significant role in suppressing The Ren-Chen Confucian Rebellion, replaced the Confucian Sect’s former status and became the State Religion of the Great Wu.

Ding Suian had always been interested in this period of history, but both the court and the common people were tight-lipped and vague about it.

No one could explain it clearly.

Although Madam Wu was not the birth mother of the Prince of Lanyang, she had the grace of raising him.

In the State Religion’s theoretical system, Lin Hansu insulting Madam Wu was a serious crime. At best, she would be flogged and paraded through the streets; at worst, she would be sent to the Bureau of Music and Entertainment.

At 5-7 PM (You Shi Zheng – 6 PM), dusk settled.

Having experienced so much today, even a Martial Artist like Ding Suian felt mentally exhausted after a full day.

In contrast, Lin Hansu.

Receiving the imperial decree, arranging various matters in the mansion, admonishing, and appeasing the servants.

Dealing with external and internal affairs, she had been working non-stop all day.

And she still had a fever.

This woman truly had boundless energy; she was clearly not someone to be underestimated.

“If the Princess Consort has no other matters, I shall take my leave first.”

Seeing Lin Hansu resting her head in her hand and zoning out again, Ding Suian took the opportunity to bid farewell.

Lin Hansu snapped back to reality, looked up at the sky outside, but said, “You have nothing to do back home, so just stay here.”

“…”

You really have the potential of a capitalist, don’t you? 996 isn’t enough; you want me on standby 24 hours a day?

Even a gigolo gets time off for maintenance!

“Princess Consort, even on duty, there’s a time to start and finish. I haven’t even had time to wash my face since this morning.”

Speaking of washing his face, Lin Hansu inexplicably recalled Ding Suian’s washbasin, and her fair face flushed slightly. “Go, go, go rest.”

Ding Suian cupped his hands and turned to leave. He had only taken two steps when he heard Lin Hansu call out, “Wait.”

“Now what?”

“Oh, are you getting impatient!” Lin Hansu half-jokingly scolded him, then raised her hand and tossed over a sachet. “Here, you and the Dragon Guard Army comrades worked hard today. Take this to buy some wine and food. As for what I promised you earlier, I’ll hand it over after the funeral is finished.”

Ding Suian raised his hand to catch it, his fingertips clearly feeling the thickness of the silver notes inside the sachet.

He opened it to see a thick stack, totaling four or five hundred taels of silver notes, with large denominations of one hundred taels and even more small denominations of ten taels.

One had to admit, Lin Hansu was very thoughtful.

In military affairs, to gain the unanimous support of the troops, when the superior eats meat, the comrades must not be deprived of their share of the soup.

Just like today, if Ding Suian hadn’t treated his subordinates with benevolence and generosity on a daily basis when he confronted the Du Family, who would have risked fighting alongside him?

The small denomination silver notes Lin Hansu had prepared early were for Ding Suian to reward his subordinates.

“Thank you, Princess Consort.”

Ding Suian clasped his fists in thanks and turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, he paused and looked back at the pitiful and comical Little Crayon Shin-chan, finding her unreliable. So, he said to Granny Xu, “Aunt, the Princess Consort had a fever last night, and I didn’t have time to get medicine. Please don’t forget to get her some fever-reducing medicine and brew it later.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Squad Leader Ding, this old woman will go right away!”

Lin Hansu was surprised, and for some reason, her eyes welled up slightly.

But a beautiful curve unconsciously appeared at the corner of her mouth, and her beautiful eyes remained fixed in that direction until Ding Suian’s tall figure gradually receded and finally disappeared into the vast twilight.

Lin Hansu retracted her gaze, kicked off her embroidered shoes by stepping on their heels with her other foot, and lay flat on the long couch in the most comfortable position.

“Why is the Princess still like a child?”

Yi Huan ran to pick up the shoes, muttering to herself.

Lin Hansu ignored her, placing the slightly cool back of her hand on her still-feverish forehead, staring blankly at the carved ceiling beams in a daze. After a few breaths, she suddenly laughed, “This little fellow, he’s quite considerate.”

“This slave is your number one confidant, Princess, of course I care about you!”

Yi Huan, who had just picked up the shoes, said with a proud look.

Lin Hansu glanced at Yi Huan. Where did you come from, you monster?

Thanks to reader: ‘Flowers in Blood9527’ for the reward~