Chapter Sixteen: Using the Old Master to Pressure the Grand Madam?

Song Ci had not expected that someone would meddle in her business simply because she picked two flowers.

She patted her two maidservants, then looked at the woman pinned to the ground, sizing her up. Searching through her memory, she found no trace of this person.

In other words, she did not know her.

“Who are you?” Song Ci gazed down at her from above.

“My name is Wu Dan; people call me Lady Peony. I help the old master care for his peonies. Please, let me go,” Wu Dan replied, holding her head high.

“Lady, lady, why did you walk so fast...” A young girl in a pink vest hurried over. Seeing Song Ci and the others, she was so frightened that she dropped to her knees. “This servant greets the matron. May the matron enjoy peace.”

Wu Dan felt a flicker of panic when her little maid addressed Song Ci as the matron. Yet recalling the old master’s affection and favor, she composed herself.

She raised her head and looked at Song Ci, who exuded noble dignity. Her gaze lingered momentarily on Song Ci’s face, a brief relief flashing in her eyes before she concealed it.

No matter how noble, she was already old and her beauty faded.

Madam Gong sneered, “Lady Peony, is it? Such an uncouth thing—you nearly ran into the matron, yet you don’t know to apologize or pay your respects. You followed the old master back yesterday and now you barge about today. Who gave you such courage? And you, girl—how do you perform your duties? Allowing people to wander about—if they run into one of the masters, could you bear the consequences? Mrs. Zhou Qing, drag this girl away and let Madam Zhong teach her proper manners. If she doesn't learn, send her out of the residence.”

“Yes.”

The young maid’s face went pale, and she hurriedly kowtowed to beg forgiveness. “Madam Gong, this servant knows her mistake, truly knows her mistake.”

“Take her away.”

Wu Dan frowned and said, “Wait, this has nothing to do with her. It was because I was worried about this Pink Erqiao that I rushed over.” She looked at the peony bush now left with only one flower and spoke with deep pain, “This Pink Erqiao was bought by the old master from the Bai family for a thousand taels of silver and cultivated for two years before blooming two flowers. And... Madam, how can you dispose of her before the matron has spoken? She’s innocent.”

Madam Gong laughed angrily. “Just a little maid—does the matron need to concern herself? As a seventh-rank steward, I have the authority to deal with maids, and as for you, a commoner from who knows where, I suspect you are an assassin intent on harming the matron. Someone, drag her away and hand her over to the punishment hall.”

Wu Dan was intimidated by Madam Gong's aura, her face changing slightly as her heart raced.

Daring not to look at Madam Gong, Wu Dan addressed Song Ci, “Matron, I am not precisely a servant of your residence. The old master invited me to help care for the peonies, so you cannot bypass him to deal with me.”

Song Ci watched coldly from the side, seeing the woman turn the fire toward her. She felt slightly speechless.

Was this woman truly foolish, or simply bold? Did she not know this was the Prime Minister’s residence? Did she not know Song Ci was the mother of the current Prime Minister? Yet she tried again and again to use the old master to pressure her.

Such audacity.

“Even if you are not a servant here, once you enter the residence, you must abide by its rules. Leaving aside the rules, surely every person knows basic courtesy? And you say this flower was bought by that old man for a thousand taels?” Song Ci stroked the pink peony.

Old man—the people around glanced quietly at one another upon hearing these words.

Wu Dan thought Song Ci was intimidated and hurriedly nodded. “Indeed.”

Song Ci replied with a simple “Oh, what a wasteful old man.”

Before her words had even faded, her hand mercilessly broke off the remaining ‘five hundred taels.’