Chang Yue's guess made Su Yushan both amused and exasperated. She scoffed, "What nonsense are you talking about, girl! I won't be jealous of him, lest I make myself feel sour. As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind; out of hearing, out of mind."

"It's good that you're so open-minded, Princess. I won't bring up those trivial matters again."

Just as Chang Yue had predicted, Hongli's visit to Lanyue Pavilion was precisely for this purpose.

After having dinner with Gao Xiuwen, Hongli undressed and went to bed with her. But Gao Xiuwen said, "My lord, I have been feeling very tired and unwell lately. I am afraid I will not be able to manage the affairs of the inner quarters. Why don't we hand over the power to manage them to someone else?"

Upon hearing this, Hongli's gaze fell on her, as if he were pondering something. After a long silence, he finally spoke softly, "Are you upset about Yushan's matter?"

After a moment of surprise, Gao Xiuwen shook her head and chuckled, "Fourth Master, you're overthinking it. I wouldn't get angry over such a trivial matter. It's just that I haven't been feeling well lately, and I'm worried about not being able to handle things properly in the backyard, so I'm resigning."

After a moment of contemplation, Hongli said, "It's alright. Actually, there aren't many important matters in the backyard. If you can't handle them, just tell me. Letting you take charge is the best plan. No one is more suitable than you."

“But this task is easy to offend people! Actually, I didn’t intend to severely punish Su Gege today, but Jin Gege kept offering her opinions. If I let it go easily, Jin Gege will think I’m biased.” After speaking, Gao Xiuwen looked at Hongli, only to see him slightly curl his lips and coldly snort:

"She has a grudge against Yu Shan and is taking this opportunity to get revenge!"

Based on this single sentence, Gao Xiuwen could conclude that Hongli still favored Su Yushan. Her bright eyes flickered slightly, and Gao Xiuwen tentatively asked:

“Sister Yushan is indeed a good woman, but she is too stubborn. At the time, I specifically asked her if she knew she was wrong, just to give her a way out. If she had admitted her mistake and said something conciliatory, I would have only punished her by deducting her salary, not by making her kneel. But she didn’t give me any face at all, and I really don’t know how to forgive her.”

"Her temperament is indeed a headache."

Even so, Gao Xiuwen clearly saw a slight smile on Hongli's lips when he talked about Su Yushan, indicating that he had become accustomed to it and did not mind.

Realizing he had lost his composure, Hongli immediately changed his tune, saying, "She did indeed do something wrong in this matter. I will admonish her and make sure you are not put in a difficult position again."

Gao Xiuwen was already content that Hongli had come to comfort her; it at least proved that she still held a place in Hongli's heart. She feared saying too much would annoy him, and Gao Xiuwen didn't want to constantly mention others when they were alone, so she stopped there, smiling as she replied:

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Fourth Master. Only when the backyard is peaceful can you have some peace and quiet."

After chatting for a while, Hongli felt sleepy and gradually drifted off to sleep.

The servants loved to gossip when they had nothing to do. Once this incident came out, everyone knew that the Fourth Master doted on Su Gege. The kitchen staff dared not neglect her and sent increasingly lavish meals to Tingfeng Pavilion.

Looking at these delicious-looking dishes, Su Yushan knew all too well that they were all brought to her by Hongli. Her fate was entirely in his hands, and if he ever grew tired of her, she would no longer receive such treatment.

The feeling of relying on others is not pleasant. In comparison, women in the new era are freer, have more confidence in earning a living based on their own abilities, and are not afraid of being neglected or abandoned.

Worried that she might offend Hongli again, Su Yushan began to plan for her future, secretly discussing it with Chang Yue.

"Can we do something to earn some extra money on the side?"

Chang Yue was puzzled. "Your Highness, you have a monthly salary and a share of daily necessities. You don't need to earn money!"

Speaking of her monthly salary, she got a headache. "You forgot, Princess Gao withheld two months' worth of my salary! I haven't received any money for the past two months."

"Didn't Fourth Master give you a hundred taels of his private stash?"

“He did give me some, but I’ve already spent three taels of silver on special meals recently. Besides, there are so many maids in the mansion, and I have to give each of them a gift on their birthdays. It adds up to quite a bit of money over the years! I don’t have any family to support me, so I can only rely on myself. I can’t just sit around and do nothing. It’s more reassuring to save money myself. If I fall out of favor in the future, I won’t be too strapped for cash. That’s what it means to plan ahead!”

The master said a lot, but his purpose was to make money. Chang Yue thought about it and it seemed that only embroidery could earn money. "Princess, you are from Suzhou, so you should know Suzhou embroidery, right?"

Embroidery? The original owner might be able to, but she really couldn't! With an awkward smile, Su Yushan could only use amnesia as an excuse, saying that she had even lost her embroidery skills.

In ancient times, the most common things women did were weaving and embroidery. If a woman didn't know how to do these things, she really had no other options.

After a moment's thought, Su Yushan had a sudden inspiration, "Hey---I can paint, why don't I sell my paintings?"

Painting is indeed a craft, but not everyone's paintings can be sold. "Forgive my bluntness, but in this literary world, there are many great calligraphers and painters. If you don't have some fame, it's hard to sell your calligraphy and paintings for a good price."

If it's about drawing skills, Su Yushan is definitely not as good as others, but she has another way: "We don't compare drawing skills, we compare creativity!"

Creative? Chang Yue frowned, completely not understanding what her master was talking about. Moreover, she was somewhat timid and dared not take the risk. "But there is no precedent for this in the manor! Shouldn't a prince's maid be prohibited from trading with others? If she is discovered, she will probably be punished again."

With a slight turn of her bright eyes, Su Yushan smiled and said, "Maids can't be traded, but there's no rule against maids, right? I'll paint it, you can sell it, and no one will know! I'll give you a share of the profits, you won't be treated unfairly, don't worry!"

In reality, Changyue didn't ask for anything in return. "This servant doesn't want a share, but I'm just afraid that you, Gege, will be punished. After all, there are so many eyes watching in the mansion!"

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!