Chapter 11: Undercurrents Within the Mansion
The controversy surrounding the tea ceremony at the ancestral hall was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool. The ripples subsided, and the surface returned to calm, but the weight of the pebble had sunk to the bottom, subtly altering the ecosystem of the pool. Su Wanrou knew that the undercurrents that seemed to have been calmed down by her words that day would not simply disappear, but would only surge deeper.
Sure enough, in the following days, everything in the mansion seemed to be as usual, but some subtle changes gradually appeared, like cracks in the ice on a river in early spring.
The first thing I noticed was the "care" coming from the kitchen.
Lunch that day consisted of four dishes and a soup, along with several desserts, as usual. The dishes were as exquisite as ever, but after taking a few bites, Su Wanrou frowned slightly. The stir-fried shrimp was so salty it tasted bitter; the ham and chicken soup was bland and tasteless; even the simplest stir-fried vegetables seemed overcooked and had lost their freshness.
"Yun Que," Su Wanrou put down her silver chopsticks, her tone calm, "go ask which chef was in charge of cooking today's dishes?"
Yun Que responded and left, returning shortly afterward with a hint of resentment on her face: "Madam, I've inquired. Today, it was Granny Zhang who was in charge of cooking. She said... she said that the weather has been dry lately, and the master chef on the stove is a bit overheated, so he's not quite sure about the flavors. Please bear with us, Madam."
"Unable to get the flavors right?" Su Wanrou repeated softly, a faint smile playing on her lips. Four dishes, varying in saltiness and cooking time—this couldn't be explained simply by "unable to get the flavors right." She remembered this old nanny; she seemed to be one of the cooks who came with the late Madam Liu as part of her dowry, and she held a certain position in the kitchen.
“Never mind,” Su Wanrou picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of the bland soup, and slowly drank it. “Perhaps it was just a coincidence. Take it away. I don’t have much of an appetite. I’ll just have some snacks.”
She didn't react. Being new here, making a big fuss over a few meals would only earn her a reputation for being mean and difficult. She could tolerate this little bit of harassment. However, the underlying meaning made her wary. The kitchen was the lifeblood of the household; if someone controlled it, there would likely be endless trouble in the future.
Besides diet, some trivial matters are also gradually becoming sluggish.
For example, Su Wanrou wanted to add a few pots of seasonal flowers and plants to the small study in Jinse Courtyard. She gave the order, and the old woman in charge of flowers and trees readily agreed. However, after two or three days, she only brought over a few pots of ordinary chrysanthemums that were half-open, claiming that the good flowers and trees were reserved for the old lady and the Duke first.
For example, she wanted to find the embroiderers in the mansion to finish the edges of several new undergarments made for Mingxuan. The embroiderers did come, but they were incredibly slow. It took them half a day to finish one small garment, and they kept muttering things like, "When the late Madam was alive, she was very considerate of the servants and never rushed them."
These seemingly minor incidents, taken individually, are hardly wrong, and each could even be excused with a plausible excuse. But when accumulated, they form an invisible net, slowly tightening, testing her limits and patience.
Su Wanrou knew perfectly well that these were the old servants left behind by Madam Liu, observing and testing her, the new mistress of the house. If she were to suppress them forcefully, it would only provoke a stronger backlash; if she were to endure it all the time, she feared she would be sidelined in the future, her orders becoming impossible to enforce.
That afternoon, she was looking through the manor's account books from previous years by the window, trying to quickly familiarize herself with the Duke's family's assets and various expenditure rules when Qiuyue brought in a plate of freshly made almond milk, her face showing a hesitant expression.
"What's wrong?" Su Wanrou put down the ledger, rubbed her temples, and asked.
“Madam,” Qiuyue placed the almond milk on the small table and said in a low voice, “Just now when I went to the main kitchen to get some snacks, I heard two old women gossiping in a corner… saying… saying some very unpleasant things.”
Su Wanrou picked up the bowl of smooth, white almond milk and stirred it gently with a small silver spoon, her tone unchanged: "What are you all talking about?"
Qiu Yue bit her lip and said indignantly, "They said... they said that you, Madam, are too young to manage a household and only know how to please the young master and win over the Duke. They also said... that the late Madam has only been gone for a few years, and the Duke is already in a hurry to remarry, probably... probably because you used some underhanded means... and even, they even speculated that Young Master Mingxuan's closeness to you was also due to your behind-the-scenes manipulations..."
With a soft clang, Su Wanrou placed the silver spoon back into the bowl, making a crisp sound. She raised her eyes, her gaze cold: "Do you know which two old women were involved?"
Qiuyue shook her head: "It was too far away to see her face clearly, but the voice sounded like that of a rough old woman who does laundry."
Even the rough, unskilled women at the laundry dare to criticize their mistress? If no one were to back them up and condone their behavior, they wouldn't dare. The source of this rumor is probably not at the bottom of society.
Su Wanrou was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Qiuyue, you've been in the manor longer than Yun Que. Do you know which of the head stewards and head maids are the Duke's people, which are the Old Madam's people, and which... were promoted by the late Madam?"
When Qiu Yue saw that the madam had asked about serious matters, she quickly composed herself and thought carefully before replying, "Your Excellency, there are quite a few stewards in the mansion, both inside and outside. The head steward of the outer courtyard is Steward Gu An, an old man left behind by the old master, and he is extremely loyal to Your Excellency. As for the affairs of the inner courtyard, they are now nominally overseen by Granny Qian. She was part of the late Duchess's dowry and manages Guiyan Residence, but her energy is limited, so the specific affairs are still handled by several steward nannies."
She counted on her fingers: "For example, the storeroom is managed by Granny Zhao, who was the old lady's personal attendant and is very meticulous. The kitchen purchasing is handled by Granny Liu, who... she is a distant relative of the late Madam Liu. The sewing room is managed by Granny Li, who was also brought by the late Madam. There are also managers in various other places such as the flower and plant department, laundry department, and carriage department, and the relationships are very complex. In recent years, the old lady has devoted herself to Buddhism and doesn't concern herself with trivial matters, but her influence still remains. The Duke is busy with military affairs and doesn't usually care about the affairs of the inner quarters, so... so in the years since the late Madam passed away, the inner courtyard has been mostly managed by a few elderly people according to custom."
Su Wanrou listened quietly, her understanding gradually becoming clear. The inner courtyard of the Duke's mansion, seemingly under the command of Granny Qian, was actually riddled with factions. There were loyal followers of the old master and the old lady (Gu Yangui's birth mother), Gu Yangui's own people (likely mostly outside), and the most powerful was probably the "former lady's faction," led by Granny Liu and Granny Li. Relying on their association with Granny Liu as part of her dowry or her promotion, and their role in raising Mingxuan, they had cultivated deep roots within the mansion for many years, becoming a force to be reckoned with. Her arrival as the new mistress undoubtedly stirred their interests and emotions.
Those subtle difficulties and malicious rumors are probably all related to this.
"I understand." Su Wanrou nodded, her tone calm. "Just listen to these words and leave it at that. Don't spread them around, and don't argue with anyone about them."
“But Madam, what they said was so awful…” Qiuyue felt indignant on behalf of her mistress.
"The innocent will clear themselves," Su Wanrou said calmly. "We can't control what others say. But we can control what we do and what we don't do. Instead of trying to shut others up, we should think about how to make ourselves more secure."
She picked up the ledger again, her gaze sharpening. It seemed that constant concessions and appeasement wouldn't deter these people. She needed to find an opportunity to establish rules without escalating the conflict beyond repair.
The opportunity soon arrived.
That day, Granny Li, who was in charge of the sewing room, came to Jinse Courtyard to report that the several sets of autumn clothes that she had rushed to make for Su Wanrou were finished and were being sent over for the lady to take a look.
Several maids brought in the clothes. When they unfolded them, they saw that the fabrics were all of the finest quality, such as Yun brocade and Hangzhou silk. The colors and patterns were elegant, and the stitches were fine and dense, showing that it was made with great care.
Su Wanrou examined the garment closely, her gaze lingering for a moment on one of the apricot-yellow satin jackets with gold-embroidered patterns. She reached out and touched the buttons on the front of the jacket, then measured the length of the sleeves, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
She looked up at Granny Li, who stood with her hands at her sides. Granny Li was around forty years old, with a fair complexion, and was neatly dressed. Her eyes held a shrewdness and arrogance typical of a seasoned servant.
"Thank you for your hard work, Granny Li. The clothes were made very quickly," Su Wanrou said gently.
"Madam, you're too kind. This is all my duty." Granny Li bowed slightly, but her tone was neither humble nor arrogant. "When the late Madam was alive, she paid the most attention to clothing and adornment. Every season, I personally oversaw the new clothes for her, and I dared not be careless in the slightest."
Then she mentioned the late Madam. Su Wanrou sneered inwardly, but showed no sign of it on her face. She pointed to the apricot-yellow jacket and asked, "The size of this garment seems to be slightly different from the size I had my maid deliver a few days ago. The sleeves seem to be half an inch too short, and the style of the frog buttons doesn't seem to be the pair of jade buttons I chose."
Li Mama remained calm and replied, "The sizes are made according to custom. We thought that since Madam is young, she might prefer a slightly neater style that would make her look more energetic. As for the buttons, the pair we originally chose were made of jade, but we couldn't find any jade of the same quality in the storeroom at the moment, so we changed them to a pair of gold and kingfisher feather buttons. This old servant thinks they suit Madam's complexion better. If Madam doesn't like them, this old servant can take them back and alter them."
His words were perfectly watertight, first saying "according to custom," then "for the sake of the lady," and finally shifting the blame to the shortage of materials in the warehouse. If Su Wanrou insisted on changing it, it would make her seem picky, difficult to please, and ungrateful.
A few days ago, Su Wanrou might have tolerated it. But now, she had no intention of tolerating it any longer.
She gently stroked the pair of gold and kingfisher feather inlaid buttons; they were indeed exquisite, but not to her liking. She raised her eyes, her gaze calmly meeting Li Mama's, her voice still gentle, yet carrying an undeniable force:
“Granny Li is very kind. However, although I am young, I know the importance of the word ‘rules’. The clothes made in the manor have fixed sizes. Granny Li’s words ‘according to custom’ do not match the size I measured myself. Is this custom greater than the rules set by the master?”
Granny Li hadn't expected her to directly bring up "rules," and her expression changed slightly. She quickly said, "This old servant wouldn't dare, this old servant just..."
Su Wanrou didn't give her a chance to explain and continued, "As for the buttons, if there isn't enough material, you can report back to me, and I will decide what style to use or to postpone making them until the material is available. Although the old lady's intention in changing them is good, it is somewhat presumptuous of her to overstep her bounds. The late Madam valued rules and etiquette the most when she managed the household. If she were alive, she probably wouldn't want to see servants 'acting on their own' like this, would she?"
She returned the "Last Madam" banner intact, leaving Granny Li speechless for a moment, her face turning pale and then red.
Su Wanrou stood up and walked to the clothes, examining them one by one. Her tone grew colder: "Of these clothes, besides this apricot-yellow one, the waist of the lake-blue satin skirt with butterflies and flowers seems a bit too tight. And the moon-white cloak embroidered with plum blossoms—the density of the fur doesn't seem to be as high as I requested. Granny Li, is this the kind of work you call 'not daring to be the slightest bit careless'?"
With each point she made, Granny Li's face paled a little more. These subtle differences would go unnoticed by anyone but someone extremely observant and confident, and even if they did notice them, they wouldn't dare point them out. She hadn't expected this young lady to have such sharp eyes and such a firm attitude!
"This old servant...this old servant failed in his duty!" Finally, unable to withstand the pressure, Li Mama knelt down with a thud, cold sweat beading on her forehead. "Please forgive me, Madam! This old servant will take it back immediately and instruct the embroiderers to revise it overnight, ensuring it meets Madam's requirements!"
Su Wanrou looked at her but did not immediately call out to her. She needed to make everyone see clearly that this new lady was not someone who could be easily fooled.
“Of course, modifications are necessary.” Su Wanrou sat back in her chair, picked up her teacup, and gently stirred the foam. “However, I’m more interested in knowing whether the embroiderers have become rusty, or… whether the rules of the sewing room have become somewhat lax?”
Her tone was calm, yet every word carried immense weight: "Although I have only been in this household for a short time, I know that the Duke's mansion is a family of great wealth and influence, and places the utmost importance on rules and regulations. The primary duty of servants is to be dutiful and follow established procedures. If everyone could arbitrarily change their master's orders based on 'experience' or 'good intentions,' wouldn't the rules of this mansion become meaningless? Today it's about clothing sizes and buttons; what if it's something more important tomorrow? Would we still be so careless?"
With this serious accusation leveled against her, Granny Li trembled with fear and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Madam, please understand! This old servant knows her mistake! I dare not do it again! From now on, I will strictly follow Madam's instructions in all matters concerning the needlework room and will never dare to be negligent in the slightest!"
The sound carried beyond the courtyard, causing the maids serving under the eaves to hold their breath, exchange bewildered glances, and subtly change their perception of this young mistress.
Seeing that she had given enough of a warning, Su Wanrou softened her tone: "Alright, considering this is your first offense and you are a senior member of the household, I'll let it go this time. Take the clothes back and alter them to my specifications within three days. If there are any further problems..."
"Absolutely not! There will never be a next time!" Granny Li quickly assured her.
"Okay, go down now." Su Wanrou waved her hand.
As if granted a pardon, Granny Li quickly had someone pick up her clothes and staggered out of the room.
Watching Li Mama's disappearing figure, Su Wanrou slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. She knew that today's events would soon spread throughout the mansion. This was both a demonstration of authority and a clear statement: she, Su Wanrou, was not a pushover to be manipulated; the rules that should be followed must be followed; the respect that should be shown must be shown.
"Lark," she instructed, "go to the storeroom and take two bolts of cloth in a dignified color, along with twenty taels of silver. In my name, give them to the two most skilled embroiderers in the needlework room. Tell them that I have seen how hard they work every day, and this is a reward for their dedication to their duties."
A slap followed by a sweet treat. After establishing authority, it is also necessary to show kindness in order to win people's hearts. At the very least, it is necessary to let those servants who are not a monolithic group see that as long as they follow the rules and do their jobs well, they can also have a future by following the new lady.
Yun Que's eyes lit up, and she immediately understood her mistress's intention, replying loudly, "Yes, Madam! This servant will go right away!"
After finishing her business in the sewing room, Su Wanrou felt a little tired and was about to rest for a while when she saw a maid leading Granny Qian from Guiyan Residence into the room.
With her usual polite smile, Granny Qian bowed and said, "Madam, the Duke has instructed me to invite you over. He says... he wants to discuss the chrysanthemum viewing banquet at Prince An's residence tomorrow with you."
A chrysanthemum appreciation banquet at the Prince An's residence? Su Wanrou was slightly taken aback. This was her first formal appearance in the capital's high society as the newly appointed Duchess. Gu Yangui had specifically summoned her to discuss this; was it out of importance, or... was there another hidden meaning?
She suppressed her thoughts, stood up and said, "Thank you for leading the way, Granny."
It seems the undercurrents within this mansion extend far beyond the inner quarters. The storms outside may be even greater.
End of Chapter 11
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