Volume One, Chapter 14: The Maids Bound by Fate

"Miss, what is the matter?" Ling Yu asked, sounding somewhat uncertain.

Shang Yinqiong remained silent, simply shaking her head with a resigned expression. "It is nothing."

Ahead, the young maidservant who had been bullied was kneeling on the ground. The group surrounding her showed no intention of letting her go; instead, they intensified their abuse, pinning her flat against the floor while hurling various reproaches. "I think you’ve grown tired of living, stealing from the master’s household like this."

"You have no need for these hands anymore."

"Tsk."

Shang Yinqiong could not help but speak up. She signaled to Ling Yu at her side, "Save her."

She was not a woman who dispensed compassion at every turn. Furthermore, having only just returned, her footing was unstable; every move was watched by others, and one misstep could lead to ruin. Consequently, she had always made a point of minding her own business.

However, the sight of those bullies reminded her of the days she spent being ostracized in the imperial palace. The head matrons there had never cared about her circumstances, slapping the label of "thief" upon her at will. They had even withheld her wages and rations, leaving her perpetually underfed, which was why she now appeared sallow, thin, and prone to illness.

At the thought of this, Shang Yinqiong clenched her fists tightly. *Consider this saving myself.*

Ling Yu walked over and dispersed the crowd. "What kind of unseemly, noisy display is this? Even if she has committed an offense, it is for the Mistress or the Old Madam of the estate to decide. It is not for you malicious servants to carry out private punishments."

As someone groomed by the Old Madam, Ling Yu was well-versed in the language of intimidation.

The maidservant acting as their guide was deeply displeased by Shang Yinqiong’s interference, but she could only keep her resentment buried. After all, the Mistress had instructed her to ensure that Shang Yinqiong always believed she was her own daughter.

"The Third Miss is truly compassionate," the maid remarked, intentionally emphasizing the last four words with a mocking tone.

Shang Yinqiong feigned ignorance of the underlying sentiment and replied coolly, "We are all maids, yet you divide yourselves into ranks. You should consider that if a master is displeased, no maid can guarantee her current comfort or dignity."

The young maid pursed her lips, knowing the words were directed at her.

"Hmph." She let out a cold snort. "Since the Third Miss has matters to attend to, this servant will return to the Mistress."

Shang Yinqiong did not respond, and the maid left on her own.

Ling Yu had already rescued the girl and helped her up. "Miss, her leg is injured; she cannot stand."

Having heard this, Shang Yinqiong looked at her closely. The girl’s face was smeared with dried blood, her eyes were deeply bruised, and her lips were parched and pale. She appeared to be no more than eleven or twelve years old. Although it was autumn, the weather had turned cold, yet the girl wore only thin, tattered clothes, leaving her wrists and ankles exposed. Her fingers were so swollen—whether from the beating or the cold—that they were unrecognizable, and her ankles were covered in blue and purple welts.

Even in this state, the young maid knocked her head heavily against the ground. "Thank you, Miss, for saving my life. This servant will serve you like an ox or a horse to repay your kindness."

The wounds alone looked agonizing. Shang Yinqiong wondered how the girl had endured it all without a sound.

"Did you steal from those people?" Shang Yinqiong asked tentatively.

The young maid wept uncontrollably. "Miss, I did not want to steal from them. My monthly wages are always being docked, and the little money I have cannot save my critically ill mother. I only wanted to save her; she has a severe chill, and I cannot afford a doctor. I was truly at my wit's end."

Shang Yinqiong took silver from her purse and placed it before the girl. "Here are five taels of silver. I do not know how much of what you said is true or false, but since a human life is at stake, I will choose to believe you for now."

The young maid kowtowed repeatedly. When she lifted her head, her forehead was stained with a mixture of dirt and blood. "Thank you, Miss, for saving my life."

"Ling Yu, help her back."

"Miss, but..." Ling Yu felt uneasy. Being summoned by Mistress Yu was surely no good omen.

"Do not worry, I can go alone," Shang Yinqiong said, offering her a reassuring look.

Ling Yu had no choice but to support the young maid and leave.

...

Before she had even entered Mistress Yu's courtyard, she heard the woman’s voice, brimming with unconcealable joy. "Leave these gifts here; I am delighted just looking at them."

"This sandalwood will be perfect for the Old Madam."

*Gifts?*

Shang Yinqiong was filled with suspicion. As she walked in, Mistress Yu greeted her with a beaming smile, affectionately taking her arm. "Qiong'er, you’ve finally arrived. Come and see if you like these gifts."

Following her gaze, Shang Yinqiong surveyed the room. Indeed, they were all rare treasures, some of which were priceless. She had worried for nothing, assuming Mistress Yu had summoned her regarding Shang Runyu.

"Mother, who sent these gifts?" Shang Yinqiong felt a sense of foreboding.

Mistress Yu seemed to have been waiting for this question. With practiced ease, she slipped a jade bracelet onto Shang Yinqiong’s wrist. "These are gifts sent for you by the Duke of Jing’s estate. I have accepted them on your behalf; when the day comes for you to be married, they will all be counted as part of your dowry."

"Mother, you must not speak such nonsense." Shang Yinqiong’s expression turned icy.

If this marriage were truly such a prize, Mistress Yu would have surely arranged it for Shang Runyu during the three years she spent in the palace; it never would have fallen to her. There was undoubtedly a conspiracy she was unaware of.

At this thought, Shang Yinqiong’s eyes darkened as she looked at Mistress Yu. Her "mother" was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing, masquerading as her birth mother for all these years without ever intending to reveal the truth. Then again, according to her grandmother, Mistress Yu had merely been a concubine outside the family; had her real mother not passed away, she never would have become the lady of the house.

Mistress Yu pulled Shang Yinqiong to a seat. "Qiong'er, the jade bracelet on your wrist is quite expensive. I imagine you never saw such treasures while in the palace. Although both our families are ducal houses, Qiong'er, you have spent the last decade away from the capital; naturally, you cannot compare to those refined ladies of the capital."

Shang Yinqiong: "..."

*Did she call me here just to belittle me?*

No.

The Duke of Jing had two heirs. The one betrothed to her was Cheng Xu, who was not the eldest son and therefore had no right to inherit the Duke's title. Once the eldest son inherited the title, the best-case scenario would be a separation of households, with the eldest still providing protection to the younger brother. In the worst-case scenario, the younger brother would be sent to a remote region, potentially losing any chance at an official career.

The mother of the Duke’s eldest son had already passed away, and the current lady of the house was Cheng Xu’s mother—a woman of ruthless, iron-fisted tactics. The struggle for the succession would likely be a bloody affair.

A cold sneer formed in Shang Yinqiong’s heart. So, this was Mistress Yu’s game.