Chapter 21: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes

A chill hung heavily over the entire Yu household, oppressing everyone within. No matter what they did or said, each person acted with anxious caution, especially the maids and young servants who attended Master Yu. Their nerves were stretched to the breaking point. It was no secret that Master Yu was a stickler for rules and decorum; anyone who dared make a mistake in his presence would surely pay dearly for it.

On the day following the death of that servant, another major event shook the household: the eldest son, Yu Zixin, was sent away by Master Yu to a distant country estate, a hundred miles from home. Officially, he was tasked with inspecting the income from the farms on his father’s behalf, but everyone knew it was little more than exile.

Aside from some overreaction from the First Madam’s side, the rest of the household remained silent—utterly so. Stillness reigned everywhere, and Ning Qian’s courtyard was no exception; unless there was some pressing business, her attendants scarcely left its confines.

After her customary afternoon nap, Ning Qian strolled through her garden as she did every day. In this era without television or computers, she found little to do for leisure apart from reading. She had a fondness for painting, but that was hardly a way to pass the time idly. After walking for a while, she sat down in the pavilion at the heart of the courtyard.

On the stone table, Nian Yu had already laid out tea and refreshments. No one knew Ning Qian’s routines better than Nian Yu. Taking a sip of tea, Ning Qian let out a contented sigh. In truth, she didn’t mind this peaceful life; as long as no chaos befell them, all was well.

“I’ve found out! I’ve found out!” Nian Yu hurried into the courtyard, cheeks flushed and breath coming in heavy gasps from her haste.

Ning Qian poured another cup of tea and offered it to her. “Sit down and have some tea first. Catch your breath before you speak.”

“Thank you.” Nian Yu sat beside her, took a few sips, and finally regained her composure. “It’s been confirmed. The money was stolen by the eldest young master.”

Ning Qian showed not the slightest trace of surprise; she had suspected as much since her conversation by the lakeside the other day. “Did you discover anything else?”

“Yes. It turns out the eldest young master stole the thousand tael silver note for a woman.”

“A woman? What kind of woman?”

Nian Yu blushed and touched her cheek, embarrassed. “Er, a courtesan, apparently a very popular one. It’s not unusual for wealthy young men to frequent such places, and the eldest young master is quite the expert. He often stays out all night, and Master Yu has been unable to rein him in. This time, it seems he was competing with another young gentleman, so he stole the money to save face.”

“That’s odd. As far as I know, he manages several shops and has a number of estates under his control. It doesn’t make sense that he couldn’t come up with a thousand taels on his own.”

“Madam, you may not know, but though those businesses are under his supervision, the profits must be handed over to Master Yu at the end of each month. Master Yu is still in good health and has no intention of relinquishing control anytime soon. Each son receives a fixed monthly allowance, but that’s hardly enough to cover the eldest’s expenses.”

“I see. But surely the eldest young master has other ways of acquiring money?”

Nian Yu glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then leaned in and lowered her voice. “Which young master doesn’t have some means of his own? Even the third young master is no exception—they just use different methods. But the amounts are limited. I’ve heard things like this have happened before with the eldest, but in the past, it was just a matter of a few silver coins, so Master Yu would only scold him and let it go.”

“Oh? So this wasn’t the first time. Why was Master Yu so furious this time?”

“Well, it turns out that thousand tael note was meant to pay for goods the following day. Master Yu had placed it in his study for safekeeping, but by morning, it was gone.”

“How strange…” Ning Qian shook her head, perplexed. A thousand taels was neither a trivial sum nor an immense fortune. It seemed excessive to banish Yu Zixin to the countryside over it. And why did Master Yu keep the money in his study and not the treasury? Studies were hardly well-guarded places. The whole matter felt off to Ning Qian, but for now, she couldn’t put her finger on exactly what was wrong.

“Nian Yu, how is Shuni?”

At the mention of Shuni, Nian Yu’s expression darkened. “She’s still not herself. If I went through what she did, I’d be upset too. But don’t worry, I’ll do my best to comfort her.”

“I’ll leave it to you. And have you been careful? I don’t want anyone knowing you’ve been making inquiries.”

“Don’t worry, I kept out of sight. I only asked casually and picked up most of the information from others’ conversations.”

“Oh? That only makes it stranger. With something this serious, I’d have thought no one would dare spread rumors, but it seems bold tongues are everywhere.”

For reasons she couldn’t quite articulate, Ning Qian felt as if an unseen hand was manipulating events from the shadows. A sense of unease crept into her heart, as though some calamity loomed on the horizon.

“Um, there’s something I wanted to discuss with you.”

“What is it? Tell me.”

“Do you remember what Madam Qian mentioned to you?”

“Madam Qian? Let me think…” Ning Qian tilted her head, recalling their recent conversations. After a moment, her eyes lit up. “Ah, it was about the kitchen.”

“Yes, that’s it. I’ve already looked into it. At present, aside from the old madam, a few of the concubines, and the concubines of the eldest and second young masters, everyone else has their own small kitchen in their courtyard. I think we could set up our own as well.”

Ning Qian had considered this before, ever since she married into the family, but she’d never brought it up with Yu Ziqi. She didn’t want others accusing her of stirring up trouble so soon after arriving.

“I know what you’re worried about, but we wouldn’t be the first. Maybe you could talk to the young master about it?”

Ning Qian sighed in defeat. “He’s still upset about what happened the other day.”

“Really? He doesn’t seem the type to hold a grudge.”

“Never mind. I’ll talk to him when the time is right. By the way, it’s windy today—let’s have hotpot for dinner. I remember Shuni loves hotpot best. Maybe a lively meal will help her forget her troubles.”

Though she knew Ning Qian was changing the subject, Nian Yu played along. “Alright, I’ll go have them start preparing right away.”