Nanny Lin reported to Madam that the master wanted to stay in Aunt Gu’s courtyard for a meal and asked Madam not to wait.

When she arrived at Madam’s courtyard, she happened to meet Niu Ma, who is Zi’er’s biological mother.

"Nanny Lin."

"Niu Ma, sweeping here, why don’t you go sweep the auxiliary yard as well?"

"Thank you, Nanny Lin."

She was sweeping the main courtyard, told to go to the auxiliary courtyard where Concubine Li lives, and her daughter serves there.

Thus, Nanny Lin was hinting that Zi’er was being aggrieved.

This cannot stand!

Niu Ma had only this one daughter, cherishing her like the apple of her eye.

Though she was a maid with a servant’s fate, she had never scolded or hit her.

Niu Ma took a big broom to the auxiliary courtyard and indeed saw Concubine Li still scolding her daughter.

Enraged, she immediately swept firmly before Mrs. Li, even sweeping onto her head.

"You lowly servant, how dare you offend me."

Mrs. Li wanted to slap Niu Ma, but Niu Ma was so smart, dodged as she approached, and put the broom under her feet causing her to fall hard on the ground.

"Zi’er, you fool, help me up?"

The voice was piercing and loud, disturbing the master in the next courtyard, who came out to witness this scene, his brows furrowing.

"Master, I..."

Mrs. Li hurriedly crawled to Mr. Zhong, crying pitifully.

"I am bullied by a servant, I can’t live like this..."

"Someone come here."

Just when Mrs. Li thought the master was about to stand up for her, she heard a sentence that chilled her to the bone: "Send Mrs. Li to Madam’s courtyard, let Madam decide to sell or send her to the estate at her discretion."

"Master...?"

Mrs. Li could hardly believe her eyes!

Wasn’t the master always fond of and pampered her?

The master once called her dear heart.

"Master..." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"So noisy, gag her and do not disturb Aunt Gu’s peace."

Immediately, a servant shoved a cloth into Mrs. Li’s mouth, tightly binding her and sent her to Madam.

"Is it true what you said?"

Madam Zhong was stunned upon hearing this.

Indeed, the master was passionate yet fickle but never heartless.

Selling or sending to the estate was the severest punishment for a concubine.

Moreover, a young, beautiful one, being punished like this proved she had truly reached an impasse.

After Madam Zhong understood the whole story, she nodded.

"Send Mrs. Li to the estate then, watch her closely, do not let anything go wrong, I will hold you accountable."

"Yes, Madam."

Mrs. Li was sent to the estate!

This news quickly spread among all the courtyards of the concubines.

"Have you noticed how much the master has changed?"

Aunt Zhang quietly spoke to the maid Qing’er beside her.

"Yes, it seems the master favors Aunt Gu now."

"Silly girl, seeing through yet not breaking the illusion." Mrs. Zhang smiled and shook her head, "But you are wrong, the master doesn’t favor Aunt Gu, he values the Fifth Miss birthed by Aunt Gu."

"Yes, the Fifth Miss seems impressive." Qing’er said, "Auntie, if our Miss had studied medicine, how good that would be?"

"You, stop dreaming, such a dream, even I dare not have."

Mrs. Zhang sighed: "Once, I thought having a son would secure reliance. Later, I realized expecting reliance on a concubine’s son was harder than ascending to Heaven. But never dreamed that even a concubine’s daughter could become reliable one day."

Marrying well counts too, but truly good marriages for concubine daughters are rare.

The Fifth Miss, through her skills, allowed Mrs. Gu to enjoy life; that is truly enviable.

Not only Aunt Zhang, even Madam Zhong felt the same way.

"The Fifth Girl has changed not only her and Mrs. Gu’s destiny but also the master’s fate substantially."

The legitimate eldest daughter Zhong Huimin lived comfortably at the Minister’s Mansion, Madam Zhong knew it depended on Zhong Xiuxiu, thus liked her very much.

Unexpectedly, Mr. Zhong’s fortune at the government office too was brought by the Fifth Girl, gaining simultaneous affection from master and madam, Zhong Xiuxiu’s life was truly peak.

Such a good person how could she just flow outward?

Madam Zhong pondered and pondered, and then remembered someone.

So, she specifically returned to her maternal home.