"What are you two doing?" Qi Yue asked, her voice laced with concern. "Stop it, you two children, don't hurt your hands."

As she spoke, watching their unsteady progress, she hurried forward to lend a hand.

"Shao Jie, you hurry and rest," Ah Hao suggested.

Eventually, the three of them managed to set the crate down upon the stone table in the courtyard.

"The weather is fine today; let's air out the clothes," Aru laughed. "Once the Young Master returns, Shao Jie can wear them."

Ever since learning the Crown Prince would arrive next month, Aru hadn't stopped smiling, even in her dreams.

Qi Yue pressed a hand to her forehead; truly vexing.

Meanwhile, Ah Hao opened the crate. Qi Yue couldn't help but gasp an "Oh!"

"They are exquisite!" She reached out to touch them, her face alight with awe. Inside the box, layer upon layer of garments lay perfectly folded, the gold needles and silver threads shimmering under the sunlight.

These were clothes? They were clearly works of art!

"These are all the dowry items the Old Madam prepared for Shao Jie," Aru said wistfully. "There are more in the storeroom. The Old Madam gave Shao Jie her own private storeroom, filled with everything she had accumulated…"

"A private storeroom?" Qi Yue exclaimed in surprise.

Aru nodded.

"Shao Jie, you've forgotten," Ah Hao interjected with an exaggerated expression. "I remember it clearly. When the Old Madam was gravely ill, she sent Mother Sun to take you to see her. I went along that time too. Even now, when I recall it, my eyes still water so much I can barely see!"

This Old Marquis truly treated Qi Yueniang exceptionally well, Qi Yue reflected internally. It was also bizarre; why such kindness to this beggar girl picked up off the street? If it was merely to display benevolence or good reputation while alive—providing good food, drink, and care—that was understandable. But to consider matters after death, arranging not only the marriage but also leaving behind such vast wealth… that was devotion even true parents might struggle to match.

Could she have been the Old Marquis's illegitimate daughter? No, that didn't fit the age difference...

"Shao Jie, when the time comes, should we wear this one or this one?" Aru asked, frowning as she considered the dresses.

"This one is best, this bright red one; it suits Shao Jie perfectly," Ah Hao declared. "And pair it with a grand phoenix hairpin… Oh, the Old Madam left a nine-phoenix-holding-pearl large gold hairpin in the storeroom too…"

Their excited conversation snapped Qi Yue out of her reverie. Seeing the spirited smiles on the two maids, she shook her head, casting aside the chaotic threads of thought. Whatever happened before, focusing on the present was what mattered.

"What kind of person is your Crown Prince?" she asked, sitting down nearby.

"The Crown Prince..." Ah Hao, usually talkative, began first, but then paused, hesitating as if reluctant to speak.

Hmm? Qi Yue raised an eyebrow; there was an issue.

"The Crown Prince is a good person, just a bit mischievous... but, but..." Ah Hao quickly added, "But that was when he was little. Boys are always playful when they're young. The Crown Prince is so grown up now; he hasn't been like that for ages."

"Oh," Qi Yue drew out the syllable.

Aru, standing nearby, seemed reminded of the Third Young Master.

"The Crown Prince just has a quick temper; he’s actually very kind," she interjected. "He started martial arts training from a young age, so his nature is resolute. Shao Jie, don't be afraid of the Crown Prince; truly, truly, he is very good…"

Qi Yue nodded, understanding dawning. From these two maids' fragmented sentences, she could already sketch the image of a privileged young master—arrogant, domineering, and heedless of others.

What was she to do? Actually marry this Crown Prince? Qi Yue felt a wave of revulsion.

Noticing Qi Yue's somber expression, Aru and Ah Hao exchanged a glance.

"Shao Jie, look how worried you are. Actually, I'm a little worried too..." Ah Hao murmured quietly.

"You're worried? What is there for you to worry about! Don't let your mind wander! Shao Jie is the Crown Prince's officially betrothed wife; you are not allowed to think nonsense," Aru immediately interrupted her, whispering urgently.

Ah Hao looked at her, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration.

"Shao Jie, actually, you're thinking nonsense in your heart too, aren't you," she muttered.

To celebrate the Crown Prince's imminent return, every master and servant in the manor had been assigned new clothes. After half a month of rushed work, the garments were complete. Receiving fruits and monthly allowances alongside new clothes was always the happiest time for the manor's servants, especially the lower-ranking maids who relied on these small benefits they rarely earned otherwise. They rushed around, calling friends to inquire when it would be their turn to collect their new attire.

"These little wretches, you never see them run this fast at any other time," several senior maids chuckled, watching the younger girls scamper ahead, clutching bundles of cloth.

The concubines' clothes were naturally delivered by dedicated hands. Only after the masters and mistresses had received theirs did the servants line up.

"They used such fine material this time, I heard it's the latest style from the capital."

"Each courtyard also received a box of silk flowers as a bonus…"

The maids chattered happily, when suddenly they spotted a girl standing by the roadside near one courtyard, peering towards them.

"Hey, look," one maid nudged another and whispered, "Ah Hao…"

The other maid glanced over, a hint of sarcasm crossing her face. She gave a subtle signal, and the group of senior maids lifted their chins and quickened their pace, pretending not to see Ah Hao. They deliberately bumped her hard.

Ah Hao saw them, but she hadn't expected that on such a wide road, they would deliberately collide. Bumping her sent her staggering back a few steps, landing on the damp grass—it had rained the night before—and instantly her foot sank into mud, staining the hem of her skirt.

"What are you doing?" Ah Hao shouted angrily, lifting her skirt.

"Oh dear, Ah Hao, sorry, we didn't see you," the maids said sweetly.

"Are you blind?" Ah Hao demanded, irate. "Xiao Zhuan, Xiao Cui, are you deliberately looking for trouble?"

As soon as she spoke, the tallest of the maids glared back.

"Are you cursing?" she asked, feigning grievance.

"If I'm cursing, it's because you invited it," Ah Hao shot back, raising her foot as if to flick mud onto them.

The maids cried out and scrambled back. The younger maids holding clothing bundles heard the commotion and ran over, turning the roadside into a noisy scene.

"What's going on here?" Several matrons walking from a distance spotted the disturbance and immediately barked orders.

Aru, who had been in the courtyard, heard the noise and rushed out.

"What are you doing?" The matrons approached, their faces stern. "Is this how you cause a racket outside this courtyard? If you want to fight, go outside the courtyard to do it thoroughly!"

"Mama, it was..." Ah Hao started to speak through a huff.

"Mama, Ah Hao was cursing us and was about to hit us..." the three maids rushed to say.

"Hey, you didn't say why I was cursing you?" Ah Hao demanded hotly.

The matron surveyed Ah Hao from head to toe.

"I don't care who started it. I only care that my girls are not allowed to fight and make trouble within this courtyard," she stated coolly.

"Yes, Mama, we understand," the three maids immediately knelt and replied.

As they knelt, the younger maids following them naturally knelt as well. Suddenly, only Ah Hao and Aru remained standing.

"Ah Hao, does Miss think the words I spoke are incorrect?" The matron looked at her, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"What? You want me to kneel?" Ah Hao asked, stunned.

"No? Does Miss Ah Hao mean I have no authority over you?" the matron inquired with a smile.

"I didn't say that; it was they who bumped me first..." Ah Hao replied hotly.

Aru reached out and restrained her.

"Mama Liu," Aru said, looking at the matron with a slight smile, "You must be in charge here. Let's not drag this out."

Mama Liu smiled.

"Yes, I have only just taken this position. I don't have the standing of the two young ladies, but since I am currently responsible for the rules of the inner court, the rules cannot be broken," she said with a set face. "If I have handled this improperly and wronged the young ladies, I will immediately go to the Grand Madam and resign this post."

Going all the way to the Grand Madam...

Aru bit her lip, turned to look at Ah Hao.

"Kneel and admit your fault," she whispered.

Although Ah Hao felt aggrieved, she obeyed Aru and knelt as instructed.

Only then did the matron's expression soften slightly.

"Ah Hao, you say Xiao Zhuan and the others provoked you first, but that still means you shouldn't have resorted to force; you should have come to us, and we would certainly have punished them. If everyone acts like this—you provoke me, I hit you; you hit me, I hit you—the servants will just devolve into chaos. Don't you agree?" the matron said pleasantly.

Ah Hao scoffed internally.

Yes and no. While other maids might settle disputes that way, a maid of Ah Hao's standing, if accosted by those low-ranking girls, should have slapped them instantly, after which the supervising matron would grovel and then deliver a slap to the offending girls herself... The rules—the rules of Marquis Dingxi's residence—have always been about stepping down, never stepping up. Insulting one's superiors was a capital offense.

The matron finished speaking. Seeing that both parties were compliant, a flicker of satisfaction appeared on her face.

"Why aren't you quickly collecting the clothes? The side mistresses are waiting. You aren't idle enough to just wander around. Try them on; if they don't fit, the tailors are waiting for adjustments," the matron suddenly hardened her expression and ordered Xiao Zhuan and the other girls.

Xiao Zhuan and the others quickly responded, "Yes," stood up, and hurried away in a cluster.

"Young ladies, don't blame me for being unfair. Having them leave to fetch clothes—the Grand Madam gave the order that all clothes must be sorted today. These girls have work to rush; unlike you, Young Ladies, they are not so leisurely..." The matron said with a smile. Her sentence was cut short by a shout from Qiutong Courtyard.

"Aru, Ah Hao! Where are you both loitering? Leaving so much work for someone else to do?" Qi Yue walked out, waving her handkerchief, and saw the crowd. "Oh my, what a large gathering here for a game?"

She leaned against the doorframe, watching with a half-smile.