Madam Bai also considered the possibility of Wang Qingyao interrogating privately.
Among the prominent families in Duanjing, which one didn't have its share of secrets?
However, Wang Qingyao was just a young girl, with no money or influence. Madam Bai didn't take her petty tricks seriously.
"Very well," Madam Bai nodded, a thought suddenly popping into her mind: if Chunlan were to die because of the interrogation, there would be something to exploit.
At this moment, she regretted that Wang Qingyao lacked any formidable means.
Madam Bai and her entourage left Lengxiang Courtyard in a grand procession. Zhizi rushed to lock the door, while Yin Zhu pulled out an arm-thick stick from a corner and, with a sidelong glance at Chunlan, began to strike it against the ground, one after another.
Chunlan's face turned ashen. She crawled on her knees to Wang Qingyao's legs, weeping and confessing, "Young Lady, I was wrong, I know I was wrong. I was blinded by greed for a moment. Please spare me, I will never dare to do it again."
Xia He and the other two also knelt down to plead for Chunlan.
Yin Zhu said coldly, "You still want a next time? You ungrateful wretch, if I don't break one of your legs today, my name will be written backward!"
Wang Qingyao: "..."
Yin Zhu sounds like a good name too?
"Get up," she waved her hand dismissively, "It's cold on the ground in the middle of winter."
Chunlan: "..."
"I forgive you."
Chunlan: "..."
Yin Zhu: "Young Lady?!"
Although Zhizi remained silent, she also looked at Wang Qingyao with surprise.
Wang Qingyao beckoned, asking Zhizi and Yin Zhu to rebury her beloved pet's "coffin."
As for Chunlan, she was to go back to her duties.
Chunlan felt as if she were dreaming. When Xia He and the others helped her up, her expression was still one of stunned disbelief.
Belatedly, her conscience was pricked.
The Second Young Lady was too kind!
She must not have known how difficult her situation would become if today's plan had succeeded!
Alas, a child without parents understands less than a mere maidservant.
Chunlan felt grateful to Wang Qingyao and developed a deep sense of sympathy for her.
As for loyalty, Chunlan thought, it was best to act according to circumstances.
Wang Qingyao continued practicing calligraphy as if nothing had happened. Yin Zhu, still feeling indignant, quietly walked over to Granny Nian.
"Granny, isn't it a bit inappropriate for the Young Lady to let Chunlan off so easily? She is to become a future Princess. How can she maintain her authority like this? Could you perhaps persuade the Young Lady? She will surely listen to you."
The bedroom window was open, and the warm winter sun quietly spilled onto the table by the window.
Granny Nian glanced at Wang Qingyao, bathed in sunlight, and said meaningfully, "How do you know the Young Lady doesn't have a plan B?"
Yin Zhu was taken aback. She truly couldn't see it.
She went to ask Zhizi, "Did you see it?"
Zhizi's expression was blank, and she didn't answer. In Yin Zhu's eyes, this was a look of seeing through everything.
She felt utterly defeated.
Everyone else saw it, but she didn't.
For the first time, she doubted her own intelligence.
To keep pace with everyone else, she stared intently at Wang Qingyao for the entire afternoon, trying to glean some clues from her every move.
But Wang Qingyao showed no particular action.
Not long after dinner, she suddenly summoned Chunlan.
Yin Zhu's heart stirred: Here it comes, here it comes.
But Wang Qingyao merely asked Chunlan to accompany her to the outer court, bringing along two pages of her cursive calligraphy practiced in Lijing Courtyard.
"The First Master is a calligraphy enthusiast. With his guidance, I am sure I can improve even faster."
On the way, Wang Qingyao kindly explained to Chunlan.
Chunlan hummed in response, suspecting nothing.
Wang Qingyao had checked; the First Master, Wang Yang, would always go to the outer study after dinner to read for a while or handle some official business.
His study was considered a restricted area, usually guarded by attendants, and outsiders were not allowed to enter freely.
Wang Qingyao stated her purpose. After the attendant went in to report, Wang Yang's deep, resonant voice soon came out, "Come in."
Wang Yang was a Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a third-rank official. His perspective was naturally incomparable to that of Madam Bai, a woman of the inner chambers.
Wang Qingyao was destined to be the future Princess Ding'an. Even if Prince Ding'an did not live past twenty-five, the next Prince Ding'an would be Wang Qingyao's son.
She would be Princess, Grand Consort, and Old Grand Consort. If managed well, the connections, resources, and wealth of the Ding'an Prince's Mansion would all be in her hands.
As her maternal family, the Wang family would naturally gain endless benefits from this.
After the imperial decree for the marriage was issued, he had told Madam Bai not to neglect this niece as they had before, and to quickly mend their relationship with her.
Although Madam Bai was greatly dismissive, she had ultimately taken his words to heart. Now, it seemed to be yielding considerable results.
Although Wang Yang and Wang Qingyao lived under the same roof, the original host was timid and weak and rarely met people. Madam Bai was not kind enough to take her to banquets, so in truth, Wang Yang and Wang Qingyao had met very few times.
Wang Qingyao entered the study and saw a middle-aged man, nearly forty, sitting in a grand tutor chair behind the desk. This was her nominal uncle, Wang Yang.
"Greetings, Uncle," she said with a smile.
"Yao Yao is here," Wang Yang nodded kindly, stood up from his chair, and walked to the desk.
Although he was nearing forty, his physique showed no signs of corpulence; he remained tall and graceful. Coupled with his handsome features and well-maintained appearance, he looked somewhat like a charming middle-aged man from a Korean drama.
Wang Qingyao did not use her clairvoyance on him; she still had professional ethics.
"Are these the characters you've been practicing?" Wang Yang's gaze fell on the Xuan paper that Chunlan held behind her.
He had heard from Madam Bai that Wang Qinglin had been teaching Wang Qingyao calligraphy these past few days.
Wang Qingyao nodded and gestured for Chunlan to step forward. Chunlan presented the Xuan paper to Wang Yang. The moment she looked up, her eyes met Wang Yang's.
Their eyes locked, and Wang Yang was instantly stunned.
There was such a beauty among the Wang family's servants?
Wang Yang's gaze was very familiar to Chunlan. Her face flushed, and she shyly cast a sidelong glance at Wang Yang before quickly retreating behind Wang Qingyao.
It took Wang Yang a while to regain his senses. He coughed lightly, intending to look at the calligraphy in his hands, but his eyes kept drifting towards Chunlan.
Wang Qingyao took in their reactions with a single glance.
"Uncle, actually, I have another matter I'd like to ask for your help with today, and it concerns my maid, Chunlan."
Chunlan was startled.
Wang Yang was also taken aback.
Chunlan is like a beauty, offering herself without shame.
A good name.
Wang Yang suppressed the stirrings in his heart and asked as if nothing were amiss, "What is it?"
"It's like this, my maid made a small mistake and unfortunately, the First Madam found out. The First Madam is strict in managing the household and immediately wanted to sell her off. She was originally a maid sent by the First Madam, so I couldn't refuse directly, but I truly couldn't bear to see it happen, so I came to ask for your help..."
Chunlan understood Wang Qingyao's intention.
She had misjudged her.
She wasn't a helpless little white rabbit who knew nothing; she was a wolf, capable of killing with a single blow.
And what now? She quite liked this move.