Madam Lu and Zhou Xiuer had both followed Zhou Xuennian while he was in office for a period of time. Though their life as an official’s family was brief, they’d attended all sorts of banquets, high and low, and had picked up a fair bit of the rules of the bureaucratic world.

Wufu’s rank was certainly higher than Wu Lihong’s, and she had even saved the Imperial Princess. With such a great favor owed, if she were to ask the Princess for help, could the Princess ignore it?

What if he was the nephew of the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi—could that compare with a single word from an Imperial Princess?

Even if they didn’t make use of that favor with the Imperial Princess, if Wu Lihong and his family wanted to mend relations with Mother and daughter Wufu through them, they certainly wouldn’t be half‑hearted about helping, would they?

Madam Lu said, "You’re not wrong, but that Lord Wu, is he really willing?"

Zhou Xiuer lifted the delicately made purse embroidered with hibiscus, held it to her nose and sniffed it, then said, "Mother, Wufu, as the County Lord, ranks several grades higher than his official post, and she’s about to marry that Beiyan Prince. If it were you, wouldn’t you want to coax a daughter like that back?"

Madam Lu curled her lip. You’d have to be an idiot not to.

Zhou Xiuer’s tone turned a bit sour as she muttered, "She really stepped in dog shit luck."

"What I find strange is how that First Madam suddenly became so warm—so there was this lawsuit behind it." Madam Lu sighed lightly, then looked at Zhou Xiuer and said, "So this whole outfit of yours was given by that Miss Wu?"

Zhou Xiuer nodded. "She said it was from their family’s shop, and they even gave me a few small pieces of jewelry, hoping I’d put in a good word for them in front of Wufu."

Madam Lu said, "That girl Wufu isn’t someone you can talk around so easily, and she’s not someone you can fool either!"

Zhou Xiuer’s body stiffened. Remembering Wufu’s toughness and methods, her heart gave a slight tremor as she said, "Mother, if that’s the way of it, then we also have to stand on Wufu and Aunt’s side. We can only rely on them now."

"Yes." Madam Lu sighed as well, and a trace of envy toward Madam Zhou rose in her heart. "Your aunt—turns out all her good fortune was waiting for the latter half of her life!"

With a daughter this promising, she could die with no regrets.

Zhou Xiuer gave an embarrassed little laugh, envy welling up in her own heart as well—if only it were her.

"Then we have to see your aunt as soon as possible."

Zhou Xiuer nodded. "If there’s no word tomorrow, Mother, we’ll leave. Now that Wufu’s so famous, if we go out and ask around, we’ll definitely find out where she lives."

"Right, that’s exactly it."

The conversation between mother and daughter was overheard by an old servant woman crouching beneath the back window. The woman slipped away quietly and hurried back to Madam Wang’s courtyard to report.

After hearing it, Madam Wang let out a string of cold laughs. "As expected of someone from the wilds—truly can’t be presented in polite company, and can’t be raised tame either. Trying to curry favor and ingratiate themselves? Ha!"

"Madam, don’t get worked up over that sort of people, it’s not worth it." Nanny Wei passed her a cup of tea.

Madam Wang took it, still sneering. "Since that’s how they see it, we can’t let such a fine word go to waste. Wet nurse, go make some preparations and send a few fine things over. If it’s too shabby, how would that do?"

Nanny Wei’s heart gave a faint shudder, but she still nodded.

Meanwhile, over on Wu Yining’s side, Wu Yilin was also asking her why she was being so ’enthusiastic.’ 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Wu Yining idly plucked at the zither strings and said coolly, "Whatever Mother tells me to do, I do. You don’t need to worry about it."

Wu Yilin frowned and glanced at this elder sister. After those days of hardship in the ancestral hall and then coming out, she seemed deeper and more reserved, harder to see through.

That night, a figure leapt agilely out of the Wu Residence and headed toward the Changqing Residence.