Having passed the test, Jian Ruonan skipped sleeping in the next morning and took little sister Teng with her to report for duty in the Duke's Madam's courtyard.
The Duke of State Pillar's Mansion was much larger than the Jinyang Marquis's Residence, and the relationships between its branches were far more complicated.
Yuan Fanfan's mother, Lady Anning, was Princess Pingle's daughter. Lady Anning had married the Duke of State Pillar's eldest legitimate son, making it a fitting match in rank.
During the Previous Emperor's reign, the old Duke of State Pillar had enjoyed his great favor and considerable prominence. But the Imperial Prince the old duke had supported back then was not Emperor Deyuan, so after Emperor Deyuan ascended the throne, the Duke's Mansion had fallen out of favor.
The Duke's Mansion now counted only as a second-tier noble household. Though it lacked imperial favor, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse. Its foundations remained, and on the surface, it still looked like a splendid profusion of flowers.
Yuan Fanfan brought them straight to her mother's courtyard so the Duke's Madam could help train them.
It was so early that Jian Ruonan's body clock had been thrown out of whack, and she yawned several times in succession.
Why do we have to pay our respects to the mistress at dawn? Can't we do it in the middle of the night? Huh?
Let's sing a song to perk ourselves up!
Dinosaur kang-lang kang-lang-lang, dinosaur kang-lang kang-lang-lang, dinosaur kang-lang kang-lang-lang, dinosaur kang-lang kang-lang-lang-I didn't K, I didn't K, can't biu-
By household rules, the Duke had to spend the first and fifteenth nights of each month in the Duke's Madam's courtyard. But last night, another shameless woman had intercepted him halfway there.
The Duke's Madam was brewing a vicious scheme