At least she still had some freedom.
She could roam wherever she pleased across the entire mountain where Lu Yang's residence stood.
And as the steward of the Lu household, she was second only to Lu Yang within the estate. She even had a little authority of her own.
The convicted women at the Jiaofang Division were fondled and abused by all manner of men during the day, then forced to do exhausting labor at night. Their lives were humiliating and miserable, with no hope in sight.
Things were different at Shanhetal.
There was generally little to do here. The masters were mostly high-ranking martial artists, either absorbed in their cultivation or buried in work. They had no time to concern themselves with such trivial matters.
Within the estate, it was basically the stewards and servant girls who called the shots.
As long as they served their masters well, they could live out their lives in comfort and peace.
As for the masters' needs, serving one person was far better than serving thousands at the Jiaofang Division.
If they earned their masters' approval and affection, they might even be freed from slavery and restored to civilian status.
Those lucky enough might even marry the Shanhe Envoy himself. Not only would they be freed from slavery, they would regain official status as well.
If their husbands later rose to prominence and gained power, perhaps they could even rescue their exiled relatives from the paternal clan, and reunite the family.
Such things had happened before in the history of the Great Jun Dynasty.
Qingzhi had been sent to the Lu estate only a little over a month ago.
Her paternal clan had been convicted, and she had been implicated by association. She had already been sent to the Jiaofang Division.
She had