Chapter 40: Requesting a Favor from the Young Mistress

Today, Yang Can was to descend the mountain.

He was awakened at dawn by the joyous chirping of birds. Even before he opened his eyes, he could hear the chorus of birdsong rising and falling outside his window. High up in the mountains, with the season of spring in full swing, the very air was imbued with the fragrance of fresh grass.

As Yang Can opened his eyes, he was greeted by a charming face. Pan Xiaowan was playfully tickling his cheek with a lock of her hair. She seemed to possess a lingering innocence, or perhaps being with Yang Can had simply made her feel much younger.

"You were sprawled out like a dead dog last night, yet you have the energy now?" Yang Can sneered. A victor often finds themselves strutting with unearned pride.

"Little lord, are you speaking of me?" Pan Xiaowan cooed, her voice both bewitching and seductive, though her eyes had narrowed dangerously.

Yang Can immediately dared not provoke her further. Once this enchantress unleashed her "World-Ending Millstone," even Yang Can’s soul would tremble in dread.

"Enough, enough. I must get up; I have to head down the mountain today," Yang Can hurriedly said, changing the subject.

Pan Xiaowan giggled, her eyes shimmering with a feline satisfaction. Madame Pan began to help Yang Can dress, showing a tenderness and devotion that Steward Li had likely never experienced. Soon, Yang Can was fully dressed and left the bedroom. Pan Xiaowan slumped back onto the daybed, stretching out with languid contentment, her star-like eyes misty.

She truly liked this Yang Can—from the very first moment she saw him, she had favored him from the bottom of her heart. Moreover, the things she did were matters that would cost her her life if exposed. The constant pressure of living without knowing if she would survive the day made her want to seize whatever she desired once she found it. Her approach to this young Clerk Yang was pure, devoid of any utilitarian motives. She simply liked him. Thinking of this, Madame Pan’s almond-shaped eyes grew hazy, like mist rising over a lotus pond.

***

When Yang Can stepped out into the main hall, Laixi was not in the courtyard. The lad was not entirely without sense; he knew when it was best to keep his distance. Yang Can left the small courtyard and, skipping his morning check-in, went straight to the inner residence.

Su Chanzhi was eating breakfast—a bowl of millet porridge with red dates and lotus seeds. Millet was easily digestible and nourishing for the stomach, perfect for a pregnant woman. There was also a plate of steamed dumplings filled with mutton and water chestnut; the crisp freshness of the water chestnut neutralized the gaminess of the mutton, making them quite delicious. Accompanied by appetizing pickled cucumbers and tofu drizzled with sesame oil, it was clear that despite her pregnancy, the Young Mistress was not suffering from morning sickness and had a healthy appetite.

Su Chanzhi received Yang Can while she ate. The inspection trip down the mountain had already been decided, so there was no need for much discussion. However, just before taking his leave, Yang Can added, "By the way, I find your errand girl, Qiaoshe, to be quick-witted and diligent. I would like to request her from you, Young Mistress."

Su Chanzhi put down her food and glanced at Yang Can.

Yang Can continued, "My courtyard lacks someone for cleaning and chores. Steward Li gave me a young boy, which left his side short-handed. Madame Pan is, after all, a woman; it is inconvenient for her to be served by a young boy. I wish to request Qiaoshe to attend to Madame Pan."

The sharp glint in Su Chanzhi’s eyes softened, though she still curled her lip slightly. "You are quite the sentimental one."

Requesting a maid to serve Madame Pan was nothing significant in itself, but by specifically naming Qiaoshe—whom she had demoted to an errand girl—it was clear he was rescuing the girl from misery. That was why Su Chanzhi had made such a remark. However, knowing that he did not want the girl for his own use made her feel somewhat more at ease. Furthermore, with other maids and matrons present in the room, she could not show her jealousy too overtly. Thus, with a noncommittal jab, she said, "Very well. A mere errand girl isn't worth holding onto. Consider it a favor granted to you."

Yang Can smiled slightly. "Then I shall take my leave." He looked around, and not seeing Qingmei, he added, "Please urge Miss Qingmei to hurry; I will wait for her in the outer residence." He bowed deeply to Su Chanzhi. "I take my leave."

Beneath the flower-covered corridor, Qiaoshe, dressed in green with a plain cloth tied around her head, was struggling to carry a bucket of water. The bucket was huge; usually, it took two maids with a carrying pole to move it. Now, it was left to her alone. She walked a few steps, then paused, her face flushed red and her fingers marked by the heavy handle, yet no one stepped forward to help. As an errand girl, she was a drudge, and anyone in the inner residence could order her about.

"Qiaoshe!"

As Qiaoshe was rubbing her aching hands, she looked up and her eyes lit up. "Clerk Yang!"

Yang Can beckoned. "Put down the bucket and come with me. From today on, you are no longer part of the inner residence."

"Ah?" Qiaoshe was shocked and delighted, unable to react for a moment.

Yang Can walked away without another word. After a moment of disbelief, Qiaoshe joyfully tossed the bucket to the ground and sprinted after him. Yang Can did not walk quickly, but with his long stride, Qiaoshe had to trot to keep up. She had never imagined that Clerk Yang’s promise would be fulfilled so soon. The Young Mistress had intended to use her to make an example of others; how could she have agreed so easily to Clerk Yang? No wonder he dared to challenge the Su family—he was truly formidable.

Morning was the busiest time in the residence. Many of the maids and matrons were in the courtyard. They watched as Clerk Yang walked leisurely in front, with Qiaoshe following closely behind, her small chest puffed out with pride. *A bunch of snobs, did you think I would never have my day? I have someone protecting me now!* The young girl looked around, her spirit soaring.

***

Clerk Li had been waiting at the front gate since early morning with four guards and their horses. Before long, Qingmei arrived with eight more guards. Today, Qingmei wore a short, narrow-sleeved robe with a lapel, a leather belt at her waist, and small boots, looking clean, sharp, and heroic. Though she had donned men’s attire, her red lips, white teeth, and painted brows clearly marked her as a woman. Of course, she had no intention of disguising herself; the men's clothing was purely for the convenience of travel.

When Qingmei saw Yang Can, she raised an eyebrow and curled her lip into a smile, looking quite pleased with her appearance.

"Is everyone here? Then let us depart."

As Yang Can spoke, he placed a hand on the saddle and vaulted onto his horse with effortless grace. He, too, showed off a bit. Outside the front gate, the various managers of the outer residence stood with their hands cupped in salute, just as they had done for Steward Li earlier. Madame Pan stood among the crowd, with Qiaoshe, now her personal maid, behind her. Pan Xiaowan would naturally not show a hint of reluctance in front of so many people; for her, masking her emotions had become an instinct, much like a chameleon’s ability to change color. Qiaoshe, standing behind her, wore a look of resentment. She had not expected Clerk Yang to gift her to Madame Pan. Heaven knows how much mental preparation she had undergone the previous night to serve Clerk Yang properly. As it turned out, it was all for nothing.

***

When the world was last unified, the ancestors of the Yu family were ordered by the Emperor to guard the Hetao region. When the great empire collapsed, the Central Plains fell into a century of chaotic warfare, while the remote borderlands luckily escaped the worst of it. However, in the process, the regional governors, having lost the control of the central empire, gradually evolved into independent warlords. The Yu family was one such case.

Because of this, although the Yu family was not the most powerful among the eight great clans of Longshang, they possessed the most fertile land. The other clans would not sit idly by while someone grew strong enough to threaten them, which was why the Yu family had never suffered a fatal blow since its inception.

The six estates returned by Yu Huanhu to the main branch totaled over 50,000 mu of land. While this alone was not enough to cripple Yu Huanhu of the second branch, it was still a massive territory. Each of these six estates managed nearly 10,000 mu of prime farmland. Including the free men, retainers, tenant farmers, craftsmen, and merchants attached to these lands, each estate held no fewer than 3,000 to 4,000 people.

These so-called estates were already the size of a large town or a small county. At the time, a typical village consisted of only forty or fifty households, totaling about 200 people. Thus, Feng'an Estate would be more accurately described as Feng'an Town or Feng'an County. The master of Feng'an Estate was, in effect, a local lord, comparable to a county magistrate. Because the mobility of the population was extremely low, the master’s power was even greater than that of a magistrate in the Central Plains.

Feng'an Estate was a fortified town. Scattered around it were five or six smaller villages that served as its periphery. The entire estate was like a small city. The outer walls were simple—little more than earthen ramparts—but at the center of the town, where the master Zhang Yunyi’s manor stood, the walls were thick and high, and there was even a "moat."

Whenever Zhang Yunyi went to the Phoenix Mountain Estate, he was merely a rural landowner among the stewards. But here, he was a "king." Zhang Yunyi controlled tens of thousands of mu of land, possessed a heavily fortified castle, and had thousands of subjects under his command. Military defense, agricultural production, and administrative governance for a hundred-mile radius were all decided by his word alone. He was the supreme sky above Feng'an Estate! He held the power of life and death over the people here.

Yet today, the people of Feng'an Estate discovered that their "heavenly master," usually so aloof, was standing at the eastern edge of the estate, dressed in a brand-new brocade robe and accompanied by his many subordinates, waiting early in the morning. Behind Zhang Yunyi stood the various managers of Feng'an Estate: the accountants, estate heads, land overseers, granary supervisors, canal chiefs, head craftsmen, mill masters, military commanders, tenant leaders, and household chiefs... Every aspect of administration—personnel, household, rites, military, justice, and public works—had a corresponding manager here.

It really was no different from a small county town. These managers, like Zhang Yunyi, were all dressed in new clothes, standing at the edge of the village with broad smiles, as if they were welcoming a new bride. The common folk whispered among themselves, wondering, *Who could possibly be coming?*