Although the Royal Residence of Prince Jing didn't treat her and the children poorly, their monthly silver was still a fixed amount.
Being well-clothed and well-fed is one thing, but having a prosperous life is another. At the very least, the precious furs at the Commandery Princess's shop were something that her yearly monthly silver might not even suffice to buy one piece.
Ye Jiu admitted that initially, when she extended benefits, she indeed wanted to win over these few women. After all, she had so many things to deal with every day and didn't want to get stuck playing household politics with them in the inner courtyard of Prince Jing's residence.
So problems that could be solved with money weren't problems at all. Moreover, with the support of Prince Jing, Ye Jiu introduced them to mahjong for their amusement, and without much effort, she managed to take over the inner courtyard of the Royal Residence of Prince Jing.
As time passed, she also realized that as a concubine of Prince Jing, what seemed glamorous in others' eyes was an experience only they themselves fully understood.
Therefore, as long as they didn't trouble her, Ye Jiu was willing to be generous from time to time, living by the philosophy of 'you're good, I'm good, everybody's good.'
After pacifying her father's concubine, Ye Jiu returned to her room.
The weather in the twelfth lunar month was exceptionally cold, but the charcoal fire in the house kept Ye Jiu from feeling any chill.
As soon as she walked in, Nuan Dong stepped forward to help Ye Jiu remove her cloak, followed closely by Ying Chun, who presented a cup of hot tea.
Years ago, the Attendant married Ada, and now their child was already two years old. Moreover, the Serving Maid also married Xiang Nan after entering the capital city.
While Xiang Nan had been married before and had a daughter, he was different from Ada. No matter how capable Ada was, he remained just a guard, whereas Xiang Nan held an official position. This update ıs available on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦·𝘯𝘦𝘵
Thus, even as a stepmother, the Serving Maid was not unduly wronged.
The people currently serving Ye Jiu were selected for her by Prince Jing; they were Ying Chun, Liang Xia, Qing Qiu, and Nuan Dong.
Their names were later changed by Ye Jiu, but these four individuals were special; they were all trained, each with their own strengths. It didn't matter if Ye Jiu could use them or not, each was undoubtedly a talent.
Ye Jiu was served comfortably, and at this moment Liang Xia came in to report, "Commandery Princess, a servant from outside reports that Fourth Young Master Liu is here to see you."
"Let him in," Ye Jiu said.
Fourth Young Master Liu was Liu Yunqing. Three years ago, when she first arrived in the capital city, the Liu family visited her.
As her maternal family, the Liu family was undoubtedly seen as being allied with her in others' eyes. Especially when the Liu family fell from grace, the Princess Consort of Prince Jing went to the temple, Qin Zhou was deposed, and Ye Jiu herself made a strong comeback.
Initially, Ye Jiu truly didn't have a favorable impression of the Liu family, so she refused to meet.
It wasn't until Liu Yunqing visited later that Ye Jiu learned of the disgrace they suffered after the Liu family's downfall.
It was imaginable; when the Liu family was in its prime, they must have offended many. Once the Liu family fell, they were encircled by many who kicked them when they were down.
Setting aside the humiliations men of the Liu family faced, the greatest harm was suffered by the women.
The daughters of the Liu family were famed for their beauty in the capital city, but without strong backing, beauty only brought disaster.
The Clan Leader's youngest daughter, in blood relation, was Ye Jiu's youngest cousin, though born of a concubine, she was greatly pampered.
However, three years ago, because they were considered a perfect astrological match, she was forced to marry a man in his seventies to improve his fortunes and ended up in a scenario where blood splattered the high hall.
There was also an eleven-year-old girl who, just because she was selling goods with her parents on the street for a living, was snatched away in broad daylight by a son of an official family. When her parents searched for her, all that was left was a ruined, unrecognizable corpse.