5 Decentralization

The man in black paused, his eyes reflecting a hint of surprise. Twice they had met, and each time, she had managed to catch him off guard. A woman so clever and calculating, yet willing to humble herself to beg for his help for the sake of her younger brother. She knew full well how dangerous he was.

The man compressed his lips into a thin line, walked over to the pear-wood desk, and scribbled something on a piece of paper. He sealed the envelope and handed it to Lin Yuejiao.

"Take this and find Rong Yu."

Lin Yuejiao knew the Plum Blossom Order was priceless; she never dared to dream of obtaining it. As long as she could save her brother, the Order mattered little. But what use would this letter be?

"Rong Yu? The heir to the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness?" Lin Yuejiao looked astonished. How had she become entangled with such a prominent figure?

The man nodded. "He owes me a favor. Upon seeing this letter, he will certainly lend you the services of his divine doctor."

With these words, a black shadow flickered before her eyes, and he vanished as quickly as he had appeared.

Lin Yuejiao held the envelope tightly. Having been embroiled in the royal struggle for the throne in her past life, she was well-versed in the power dynamics of the capital.

"Heir to the Marquis..." She looked at the letter, her gaze hardening. "Even if it is a den of dragons and tigers, I will go, as long as it can cure my brother."

After leaving the Lin estate, the man in black disappeared into an elegant garden. Moments later, candles flickered to life in a pavilion deep within the grounds.

As the black garments were discarded, a man in robes of celadon stood before a screen. His features were so strikingly handsome that the candlelight seemed to dim in his presence—it was indeed Rong Yu, the heir to the Marquis.

Between his long, slender fingers, he held a strand of black hair that emitted a faint fragrance. It was a lock of Lin Yuejiao’s hair, which he had cut himself. The woman had not been frightened by him; instead, she had persisted in seeking his help. She was truly audacious, and, in truth, quite intriguing.

Rong Yu tucked the hair into a silk pouch, the corners of his mouth curling upward. A woman this admirable was a rarity; lending her a divine doctor was a small price to pay.

Li Moqian’s voice sounded from outside the door, "Have you found the ledger, my lord?"

"No," Rong Yu replied, gazing at the silk pouch, his tone unreadable.

Li Moqian stood outside and said, "The construction of the Jinghua Palace was ten years ago. After all this time, even if a ledger existed, it would have been destroyed long ago. Besides, the Magistrate of Xinzhou was hardly involved in the construction; I doubt there are any clues to be found."

"We shall see," Rong Yu replied non-committally.

***

They had not visited the Lin estate for nothing. They scouted by day and acted by night.

Rong Yu’s eyes rested on the silk pouch. Whether he was thinking of someone specific or not, he suddenly remarked, "The flowers of Xinzhou are famous throughout the south. Moqian, accompany me to admire them tomorrow."

Li Moqian was momentarily stunned. It was rare for the heir to show such interest, but he would certainly not dampen the mood. "It would be my pleasure."

***

The following morning, the room was a mess, left in ruins by Qian Yaoxian’s rampage the night before.

Iris, the maid, entered with a basin of water and said, "Fourth Miss, Madam Mu is outside with several servants, bringing new screens and flower pots. She wants to replace all your furniture."

"They act quickly," Lin Yuejiao said, sitting before the vanity. She remained expressionless as Iris began to comb her hair.

Iris was fuming. "They smashed the room for no reason, and now they think a new set of furniture makes everything okay. Fourth Miss, don't let them replace it. We must let the Old Matron see how they have trampled upon your things."

"It’s fine, let them replace it," Lin Yuejiao said dismissively. To gain the Old Matron’s protection, merely having a room smashed was not enough; she needed a more ingenious approach.

As she was being groomed, the whispering of several maids drifted in from outside the window.

"The First Madam is truly formidable. Look at the Fourth Miss—hardly had she received the Old Matron's favor when her room was smashed and the gifts destroyed. I thought she was finally rising in status, but look at her now..."

"The First Madam is the lady of the house. Even the Old Matron favors the First Branch; how could she possibly stand up for the Fourth Miss? I heard the First Branch went to the Old Matron’s quarters early this morning, and they are chatting happily, not a word of blame spoken."

"So the Fourth Miss just took the beating for nothing?"

"Of course. She can’t possibly challenge the First Madam. Everyone knows our Fourth Miss is worth less than a concubine’s child. There’s no future following a master like that."

"But it’s easy. Where else could you find a place where you don't have to treat your mistress like a master? That’s the one benefit of a useless young lady."

Hearing these insults, Iris’s face flushed with rage, and she was about to rush out to confront them, but Lin Yuejiao simply raised an eyebrow. "Don’t waste time. Accompany me to pay my respects to the Old Matron and offer my thanks. Let the others in the courtyard clean this up."

Iris had to swallow her anger. "Yes, Fourth Miss. Please, don't listen to their nonsense. You are the Fourth Miss, a noble lady. These people don't know how to be grateful for such an indulgent mistress; they are overstepping their bounds. Please don't upset yourself."

"It's alright, no need to be angry with them," Lin Yuejiao waved her hand dismissively. She had intended to deal with the staff later, but since they had walked right into her trap, she would simply see them all out at once.

When she arrived at the Cishou Hall, the First Madam, Qian Yaoxian, and the eldest daughter, Lin Qingliu, were already there, chatting and laughing with the Old Matron.

Lin Yuejiao paid her respects respectfully. The Old Matron gestured for her to sit, while Qian Yaoxian looked at her with blatant disdain.

Lin Yuejiao bowed toward Qian Yaoxian. "Thank you, Aunt, for sending a whole new set of furniture so early this morning. It must have cost the household a great deal. I am truly grateful."

"I accidentally broke the things in your room while searching for an intruder last night, so I naturally had to compensate you. Old Matron, this loss will be deducted from my own private funds, not the household accounts," Qian Yaoxian said, looking toward the Old Matron.

The Old Matron waved a hand. "Yes, I am aware of this. Yuejiao, as long as you are safe, that is all that matters."

Lin Yuejiao remained calm. As expected, the Old Matron had no intention of backing her up. But she had anticipated this and had a strategy ready.

Lin Yuejiao smiled brightly. "Grandmother is right. Aunt was so worried about my safety that she rushed to search for the thief; I am deeply moved. However, it was my private bedchamber, and to have male servants barge in at the dead of night and even search my bed... fortunately, I had no private items there, or I would have had to die to prove my innocence."

The Old Matron, hoping to arrange a good marriage for this granddaughter whom the young Master Li had praised, did not want her reputation tarnished. She gave Qian Yaoxian a sharp look. "You have always been steady and composed; you acted improperly last night."

"Please forgive me, Old Matron. I was truly worried about the Fourth Miss’s safety. I thought I saw someone hiding behind the bed curtains, so I acted on impulse. I will reflect on this," Qian Yaoxian said, giving Lin Yuejiao a cold, mocking look. *Go ahead and complain; the Old Matron won't do anything to me.*

Lin Yuejiao kept her head bowed. "I understand your concern, Aunt. But it is one thing to break my furniture by accident, but how could you accidentally break the items that Grandmother bestowed upon me? Please, Aunt, be more careful with the Old Matron’s gifts."

She emphasized the word "accidentally."

Qian Yaoxian arched her brow. "Who knew you would keep your jewelry box on the bed? It was an unintentional mistake."

"Aunt, I know it was an accident, but outsiders do not," Lin Yuejiao said, feigning indignation. "I heard people whispering this morning, saying that you couldn't bear to see me favored by Grandmother, and that you used the search for a thief as a pretext to ransack my room and destroy my things."

Qian Yaoxian’s face darkened. "What insolent nonsense! Which servant said that? Slap their mouths!"

"Please, Aunt, calm yourself. It is no wonder the servants misunderstood. Last time, I received a reward from the Old Matron, and Sister Qingliu was punished. The servants don't know how much you care for me like your own; they only see that you were unhappy with the Old Matron's arrangement and took it out on my room and the Old Matron's gifts," Lin Yuejiao said airily. "After all, my jewelry box was not even on the vanity where it would be obvious; you went to great lengths to find it and smash it. You really were quite careless."

The implication was clear: *You say it wasn't intentional, but who would believe that?*

Qian Yaoxian was livid.

Lin Yuejiao continued, "I don't mind that you broke my things by mistake. But it would be terrible if the staff began to think that you were resentful of the Old Matron’s decisions and were taking your anger out on me."

"Lin Yuejiao, where did you hear such drivel? How dare you spout such nonsense in front of the Old Matron!" Qian Yaoxian snapped. "Shut your mouth!"

The Old Matron, who had been sitting quietly watching the drama, finally spoke. "Yaoxian, you were indeed too impulsive this time."

"I..." Qian Yaoxian’s heart skipped a beat; the Old Matron’s tone was ominous.

The Old Matron continued, "I have always thought you were steady and sensible, but I am deeply disappointed this time. Perhaps I have been inconsiderate, placing the entire burden of the Lin family on your shoulders, and you have become overwhelmed. From today on, the Northwestern Courtyard will be managed by the Second Branch."

With just a few words, the Old Matron stripped Qian Yaoxian of her authority.