Qin Yuan’s lips lightly pressed together; before she could speak, Hong Ye was already a bit annoyed but couldn’t show it.

Cui Ming hurriedly said from the side, "Madam, see how well Hong Ye instructs people. Hong Mian truly has a keen eye, but I feel that having Hong Mian take Brother Qi along may seem convenient, yet it’s not quite good for Brother Qi."

"What do you mean?" Hong Ye’s expression softened somewhat.

Hong Mian’s eyes widened in surprise, waiting for Cui Ming to continue.

Cui Ming said, "Earlier you led people to let Mr. Songshan pick, showing the Madam’s regard for Mr. Songshan. Then having Hong Mian take Brother Qi by herself, Mr. Songshan might feel Brother Qi is not as good as others. Moreover, Brother Qi just recovered from his injury and can’t do many things; Mr. Songshan might think he’s useless."

Upon hearing this, Hong Ye nodded repeatedly and said, "I better make another trip after my meal."

Hong Mian’s face turned unsightly, and with a forced smile, she said, "If Sister Cui Ming hadn’t pointed it out, I might have done a good deed with bad results, dragging Brother Qi down with me."

Qin Yuan finally spoke, "These are small matters; you’re young. Learn more from Hong Ye and Cui Ming in the future. You’ll naturally understand more with time."

Hong Mian lowered her head and said, "Yes."

Qin Yuan added, "You’ve done a good job cleaning and arranging affairs, you’re efficient and clever, but you’re young and still need more experience in handling things."

Receiving praise from her master, Hong Mian became happy again and quickly said, "It’s all thanks to the daily guidance of the master, and both sisters often instruct me too."

Qin Yuan said, "The Marquis sent word that he won’t be dining here for lunch. Quickly set up the meal, finish up early and get back to work."

Mo Zhu had already sent the little maid to the main kitchen for the usual meal, and the small kitchen was simply prepared as well. Upon hearing Qin Yuan’s words, everything was served.

Qin Yuan picked a portion of meat dish and had it given to Hong Mian to eat.

"Reward her with this dish; last time she handled things well."

Hong Mian, who loved to show off, immediately flaunted her reward in the outer room and made a grand gesture of gratitude.

Qin Yuan sat poised in her chair and smiled, "Go eat quickly, lest the food gets cold. In the future, there’ll be plenty of times for gratitude between us. Must it be like this every time?"

Hong Mian knelt on the ground and said, "No matter what the master rewards, it makes me proud, and I always remember the master’s kindness. Later on, we’ll talk about later matters, but today is the first time the master has rewarded me with a dish, and I must offer a bow."

Qin Yuan had no choice but to let her bow before leaving.

Since Marquis Gu was absent, Hong Ye and Cui Ming accompanied Qin Yuan during the meal. Qin Yuan ate half a bowl of rice and suddenly said, "Hong Ye, did you notice the strengths of this girl?"

Cui Ming laughed, "If Hong Ye couldn’t see that, wouldn’t she be a fool?"

Hong Ye whispered, "She is indeed capable and smart and knows how to please people."

Qin Yuan said, "She was born and raised in the Marquis Mansion. Though the family ties in the mansion are complicated and difficult to manage, someone like Hong Mian is indeed useful and observes the rules. You can see her dealing fiercely with matters but also adhering to the mansion’s underlying customs."

Hong Ye silently ate a few bites of rice, then said, "I understand everything the Miss has said. In the future, just use her with confidence. With me as a shield, if we don’t acknowledge Hong Mian’s abilities, others won’t dare to outshine her."

Cui Ming was somewhat surprised.

"My goodness, Hong Ye, you’re impressive, even realizing this."

Qin Yuan nodded with a smile.

"Indeed, I elevate Hong Mian and Mo Zhu because I can’t only rely on the two of you. You both came with me from the Qin Family, and most of those in this mansion are born servants. They are deeply rooted, each having a network behind them. Using only you two would isolate you from them, making it inconvenient for managing affairs and people in the future."

Hong Ye’s voice was very soft, like the buzz of a mosquito.

"As long as no one can replace me in the Miss’s heart, that’s all that matters. Hong Mian was brought out by me; she still has to listen to me and won’t surpass me in the future."

Qin Yuan said seriously, "Rest assured, you and Cui Ming grew up with me, and our bond is different from others, sharing in each other’s honor and disgrace. I now handle many things and need people to share the burden. If Hong Mian can withstand the test, I will let her manage a share on her own. If it’s only about Wutong Garden, then there’s no need to consider so much."

Cui Ming laughed, "I suddenly thought of Xiao Hong."

Hong Ye also laughed, "That child is keen on coming over. She seems about to move next door, and when she comes to pay respects again, she’ll probably shed tears before us."

Qin Yuan said, "If only we could have caught Mrs. Zhao earlier."

Cui Ming and Hong Ye both sighed.

Cui Ming put down her colorful porcelain bowl and whispered, "Miss, Bai Que saw Mrs. Zhao mingling with people from the Yelv Family, and Xu Tang is very close with Yelv Zhi. There’s something strange about all of this, isn’t there?"

Qin Yuan placed her chopsticks across a dish of eggplant and said softly, "Let’s not mention this, to avoid giving anything away. Since the Marquis knows, he won’t let it go easily. What I’m worried about now is what exactly the Xu family, mingling with so many people, intends to do."

The gambling house the Xu family’s sons frequented belonged to King Jin. Offering a girl as a concubine to the Prince Qi Mansion could still suggest they had long-standing connections, with Mr. Xu wanting to advance further.

However, Xu Tang’s close association with Yelv Guza, and being recommended by Yelv Guza to the Prince Qi Mansion by the scholar, seems odd no matter how you look at it.

Hong Ye said, "Wasn’t the Sixth Master going to counter-sue the Xu family? I returned from Mr. Songshan’s side and heard the nannies in the mansion saying that the Sixth Master was determined this time to counter-sue the Xu family, saying it’s not about pride but finally standing his ground. He tolerated the Xu family’s deeds for the sake of the Sixth Madam and children, but now that the Xu family doesn’t consider the Sixth Madam and children, the Gu Family won’t consider the Xu family either. Once this lawsuit happens, the Gu and Xu Families are likely to sever their ties."

Cui Ming said, "Didn’t the Xu family first sue the Marquis Mansion? Maybe they wanted to sever ties, which is why they did it."

Qin Yuan put down her chopsticks and said with sudden understanding, "That explains it. I felt the Xu family causing a scene before sealing the mansion was indeed strange."

Cui Ming was taken aback and quickly asked, "Miss, are you saying... the Xu family wanted to sever ties back then?"

Qin Yuan said, "It’s just my wild guess. With Xu Zhen missing, they only focused on blackmailing for money and making a fuss without any urgency to search for him, as if they already knew he wouldn’t be found."

Hong Ye swallowed the exclamation rising in her throat and finally said, "That indeed is bizarre and ruthless. Miss is remarkably wise; if the Miss suspects it, it’s probably true."

Qin Yuan rolled her eyes at Hong Ye and said, "You just know how to say nice things. Hurry up and eat; there’s plenty to do later."

Suddenly, a small maid outside called out, "Madam, the Seventh Miss is here."

Qin Yuan, puzzled, whispered, "It’s time for meals. Why isn’t she going to the main house or having meals in her own courtyard? What’s she doing here?"