Who Was the Fool?

Lüqi and Lüxiu, who had followed Lady Wei in, immediately stepped forward.

Matron Li was so angry that smoke was practically pouring from all seven of her orifices.

She rolled up her sleeves and said to the two maids, "Hold her down. I'll slap her mouth."

If she had not understood the situation clearly, she would never have dared do such a thing. Instead, she would have tried to calm both sides and mediate. After all, Xu Xi was Lady Wei's own daughter. If Lady Wei thought back on this later and her heart ached for her daughter, she would surely blame Matron Li for laying hands on Xu Xi.

But Matron Li saw Lady Wei's attitude toward Xu Xi as clearly as day. Lady Wei disliked this daughter so much that she wished Xu Xi had never been brought back.

Moreover, from what Matron Li knew of Lady Wei, she was deeply unwilling to let Xu Xi attend that so-called Women's Academy.

Lady Wei was illiterate herself, and she disliked learned girls, thinking that a little learning made them unbearably arrogant. Hadn't Zhao Ruyu started obeying outwardly while defying her in secret after currying favor with the old madam and the eldest madam and diligently studying the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting with their support? Hadn't Lady Wei grown to detest her all the more for it?

So if Matron Li slapped Xu Xi a few extra times now, leaving half her face swollen and preventing her from starting school without trouble tomorrow, Lady Wei would not only be unannoyed but would reward her handsomely.

At the thought, every wicked impulse in Matron Li's body stirred with excitement. She waited for the two maids to hold Xu Xi down so she could slap that fair, tender face.

Naturally, Matron Yuan and Qingfeng had to protect their mistress. They hurried forward to stop the two maids and Matron Li.

Matron Yuan urged, "Madam, please talk this over calmly. The young lady doesn't know any better. You can simply teach her with words. How can you strike her?"

"Exactly. The fifth young lady only returned to the residence today, and both the old madam and the eldest madam hold her in high regard. She hasn't even entered the courtyard yet, and the second madam already wants to hit her. What will the old madam and the eldest madam think? Please spare the fifth young lady this once, second madam," Qingfeng added.

"As her own mother, can't I discipline my daughter? You two just promised me you wouldn't interfere." Lady Wei gave a cold snort and turned to look at Xu Xi, her expression softening somewhat.

If she struck Xu Xi, it would indeed be hard to explain herself to the old madam and the eldest madam.

Xu Xi had no desire to let Matron Yuan and Qingfeng ruin the conflict she had worked so hard to stir up.

She put on the appearance of someone whose own mother had broken her heart and shouted, her face full of defiance, "Let her hit me! Let her hit me! To think there's such a mother in this world-now I've seen everything!"

Lady Wei flew into a rage and shouted at Matron Li, "What are you standing there for? Slap her mouth!" Then she barked at Matron Yuan and Qingfeng, "Anyone who dares stop me from teaching my daughter a lesson gets a beating too!"

Lady Wei's two maids and Matron Li advanced again, far more forcefully than the first time.

But after hearing Lady Wei's words, Matron Yuan and Qingfeng did not give an inch.

The old madam had chosen them to serve Xu Xi because they both understood how things stood. In the women's quarters of the marquis's residence, the old madam held the most authority, with the eldest madam second. There was no way it was Lady Wei's place to call the shots. If they let Lady Wei strike Xu Xi now, they would certainly come to no good end afterward. So even if they suffered for it, they had to protect Xu Xi.

Old Woman Yu and the two young maids were quick-witted too. Seeing Matron Yuan and Qingfeng determined to protect Xu Xi with their lives, they hurried forward and joined the fight. The scene instantly dissolved into chaos.

Xu Xi was gratified.

Although she had stirred up trouble to escape Lady Wei's control, wasn't she also testing the servants the old madam had given her?

If these servants sided with Lady Wei or stood by with folded arms, refusing to treat her as their true mistress, then they could get lost. Keeping them at her side would be no different from keeping a few time bombs.

As things stood, they had performed fairly well and could be considered to have passed the first test. As for their temperaments, she would have to observe them over time.

Some people might be loyal and protective of their mistress, but if they had loose tongues and couldn't keep their mouths shut, or liked to point fingers and thought themselves a cut above the rest, she couldn't keep them either.

In Xu Xi's view, the relationship between master and servant in ancient times was equivalent to that between a superior and a subordinate in modern times. If she wanted to do well in ancient times, she needed capable, loyal subordinates whose temperaments suited hers to assist her.

Matron Li and the two maids made three in all, so naturally they were no match for the five on Xu Xi's side. Seeing Xu Xi standing there perfectly calm, Lady Wei was so furious her nose nearly twisted out of shape. This was an outright challenge to her authority. If she failed to hit Xu Xi today, she would be a laughingstock in the residence from then on.

"You, go fetch Old Woman Zhang and the others," she said, pointing at Fushu, who stood behind Zhao Ruyu. Through gritted teeth, she added, "I'm going to teach these people a lesson today, no matter what." Then she ordered Zhao Rurui's maid, "Go help."

Fushu hesitated and looked at Zhao Ruyu.

Zhao Ruyu gave her a slight nod.

Between Lady Wei and Xu Xi, Zhao Ruyu naturally sided with Lady Wei. It was not that she had any affection for Lady Wei; she was thinking of her own interests.

She was not a member of the Zhao Family. If she wanted to remain in the marquis's residence, she could not defy Lady Wei. Moreover, her marriage was in Lady Wei's hands. Though she could secure a marriage into the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence through her own abilities, if Lady Wei was determined to sabotage it and opposed it with all her might, the marriage would still fall through.

For a daughter to insist on marrying a particular man even at the cost of defying her mother would give her a reputation for being "unfilial" and "desperate for a man"-a reputation that would stink to high heaven. Not only would the Marquis of Suiping's Residence refuse to let such a reputation spread, but the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence could never take such a woman in marriage.

In her view, Xu Xi might seem forceful and clever in this life, but she was actually even more foolish than in her previous life.