Chapter 455 — Leaving the Estate

Dou Yan sent for Miao Zhi to discuss the matter. "The girls in the Second Master's household—Qixia and the rest—were all bestowed on him by the old Duke of Zhenguo, and they served him before you ever entered this house. I imagine that in a few days you will be leaving the estate to set up a household of your own. Since that is so, why not seize this chance to marry Qixia and the others off as well, and then buy fresh little maids for yourselves to train anew? What say you?"

Miao Zhi was taken wholly aback.

She had assumed Dou Yan meant to release a batch of maids before the New Year for the sake of Gan Lu and the others' marriages. Never had she imagined Dou Yan's designs were on Qixia and her companions.

Why would Dou Yan do such a thing?

Her mind raced.

Was it to humiliate Song Han at Song Zhi's behest? Or was it to send Song Han out of the household stripped bare?

Either way, for Song Han's own chief maid to have her marriage decided not by him but by Dou Yan's choosing would be, to Song Han, as good as a resounding slap across the face from Song Yan in full view of everyone.

Should she consent, or refuse?

Consent, and she would surely offend Song Han.

Refuse, and Dou Yan—whose gaze rested on her bright and piercing—clearly would not let her fob him off.

She could not help a bitter smile. "Elder Sister-in-law, there is something you do not know. Apart from coming to pay me their respects on the first day I entered this household, Qixia and the others were assigned by the Second Master to serve in his study. I am not even permitted to order them about on ordinary days. Tell me—how am I to play the mistress in this?"

Dou Yan lightly brushed the floating leaves in her teacup with the lid and said mildly, "That depends on how you see it. If you agree, I shall take it upon myself to decide for you. If you do not, then treat it as though I never spoke, and let Qixia and the others leave the estate with you. In any case, their indentures are to be handed over to you when the time comes. Whether they stay or go will be entirely up to you."

Miao Zhi was overjoyed to hear this.

If Qixia and the others' indentures were given into her keeping, then their disposal would be hers, and she could do as she pleased. Why then should she offend Song Han now, and insist on marrying Qixia off?

But the joy had scarcely flickered in her heart before she caught the faint, half-hidden mockery at the corner of Dou Yan's mouth.

It was as though a gourd of ice water had been poured over her head, and she came to her senses at once.

In other households, the indentures of maids and serving women naturally rested in the hands of the mistress who managed the household. But given Song Han's temperament, would he ever hand Qixia and the others' indentures over to her for safekeeping? If those indentures were not in her grasp, then even if she raised Qixia to be a bedchamber maid or a concubine, what would she have to hold over the girl? To keep Qixia and the others close at hand would be to nurse a tiger and invite calamity.

Having worked through all this, Miao Zhi felt a fine sweat break out on her forehead.

"In this matter, I shall do entirely as Elder Sister-in-law says." She spoke hastily, and drew out her handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her brow.

Dou Yan watched her and gave a cold snort inwardly.

Clever of that Miao woman!

She knew that even if Qixia stayed, Song Han would never deliver Qixia and the others into her keeping to be controlled.

Song Han's suspicions ran too deep. He could never share the authority in his hands with anyone.

She had heard from Ruozhu that Song Han had not even yet handed over the monthly allowance for his own household to Miao Zhi's management.

"In that case," Dou Yan said, and took up her tea.

Miao Zhi rose to take her leave.

Once they had left Yizhi Hall, Ji Hong, unable to contain herself, called out "Second Madam" and said, "What if the Second Master blames you for this?"

Miao Zhi gritted her teeth. "Better that than to find the whole household staffed with the Second Master's people, so that when my own family comes to visit I cannot even offer them a pot of good wine!"

Ji Hong thought it over, and said no more.

And when Song Han learned the news, he was so furious he stamped his feet.

He jabbed a finger at Miao Zhi's nose and cursed, "Are you a pig? You could not trouble yourself to think! Qixia is one of ours, and now you have handed her over to Elder Sister-in-law to dispose of just like that. If we cannot even protect those closest to us, who will dare remain loyal to us hereafter? Do you mean to make yourself a solitary ruler with no subjects? Have you no fear of being devoured by ghosts?"

Miao Zhi lowered her head and let Song Han scold. Inwardly, though, she grumbled: Qixia is your person, not mine. If you cannot protect her, it is you who lose face, not I—what have I to fear? Besides, once we set up our own household I shall buy a few little maids and train them myself, and then let me see who dares show me a sour face! Those will truly be my people, will they not? My own people I shall protect of course—but that has nothing to do with you.

She secretly congratulated herself for having heeded Dou Zhiwei's words.

Song Han, seeing her say not a word and sit there like a clay idol, was seized by a rage that had nowhere to go. He flung out, "What crawls out of a gutter will always crawl out of a gutter—never fit for polite company," and then slammed the door and stormed off.

Miao Zhi was so angry that tears welled and circled in her eyes.

So this was the sort of person he took her for!

Her heart twisted with rage, twinge after twinge, and she lay down upon the bed.

As for Qixia, she was overflowing with gratitude toward Dou Yan.

Had the Madam not summoned the Second Madam to discuss whether she should stay or go, the Second Master would certainly have assumed that she wished to leave, and she might well have been beaten to death by his own hand before she ever departed.

As it was, the Second Master laid the whole account at the Second Madam's door, believing that if the Second Madam had only stood firm and refused, then the Madam could never have touched anyone in his household, however great her powers.

Having no way to move against the Second Madam, the Second Master could only urge Qixia to remain of her own accord.

She waited patiently for Song Han to finish speaking, and then said softly, "Second Master, ever since I was promoted to chief maid I have served in your chambers without pause, and I have set my heart on learning from those stewardesses who manage affairs, so as to be a person of some standing in your household. But husband and wife are one flesh, and since the Second Madam has given the Madam her word, then even if I do not go, my position in your chambers will be an awkward one. Pray let me go." As she spoke, she knelt before Song Han. "The kindness the Second Master has shown me all these years, I keep ever in my heart. Even when I am married, I shall still be the Second Master's servant. Whatever the Second Master requires, he need only give the word, and I shall serve him as devotedly as ever."

Song Han could not hide his disappointment.

But what he felt most was hatred for Miao Zhi.

It was all because he had been too careless.

He had never thought Miao Zhi could be so small-minded.

Merely because he had not made Qixia and the others observe the proper hierarchy in her presence, she could not tolerate them.

Qixia was not his bedchamber maid—by what right should she be made to bow and scrape?

The thought flashed through his mind, and Song Han's eyes lit up.

He caught Qixia by the hand and said, "Qixia, why not skip the marriage altogether and serve me instead?"