Empress’ Game: Make-up Master Chapter 54 - The First Madam's Claws

“Yes. This servant will pile everything in the middle of the courtyard. Whatever you want, this servant will carry it back for you.”

“All right. Then I’ll trouble you.”

The young servant waved his hands. “No trouble, no trouble. This slave is Sun Rongjia.”

Wu Sheyue nodded, acknowledging the name.

While everyone worked, Wu Sheyue took the chance to survey the household before her. The old man appeared timid, clinging to his son and shrinking back without daring to meet her gaze. Nanny Wang’s eyes were dull, her face expressionless—as if she had been struck senseless by the blow.

Soon, the center of the courtyard was piled high with fine furniture, jewelry boxes, and stacks upon stacks of silver banknotes.

Wu Sheyue stepped forward, picked up the banknotes, and naturally tucked them into her robe. These should cover Ning’er’s allowance for three to five years. Those around her acted as if they had seen nothing.

Sun Rongjia, who had seen real money in the storehouse, naturally knew she had taken very little. He leaned closer and asked, “Third Miss, is there anything else you want?”

Wu Sheyue glanced around and pointed to a few items. “This, this, and the one in the blue box over there… yes, that’s enough. Just bring those over for me.” She selected items that were either genuine gold and silver or valuable but not rare and difficult to explain.

Jiang Qingxue possessed plenty of rare, one-of-a-kind treasures. Wu Sheyue did not want to accidentally choose one of those and invite more trouble.

“Right away. We’ll count everything and report it.”

“Ah, Miss, wait—” Ning’er suddenly pointed in surprise at one item in the jewelry box. “That’s Aunt Yin’s bracelet! It’s the one Aunt Yin pawned to Nanny Wang to help Ning’er pay back the debt…”

Wu Sheyue stepped forward and pushed aside the other glittering objects, then picked up the bracelet. Its material was unusual. She had only seen it once before, inside the box hidden in Yin Qiuming’s rafters.

She slipped the bracelet onto her wrist and said coldly, “I’ll take this one back. I don’t want the rest.”

“Yes.”

Nanny Wang, who had been standing there in a daze, suddenly seemed to wake up and looked toward Wu Sheyue. She charged forward and instantly broke free of the two servants holding her.

“You little slut! You’ve ruined me! Even if I become a ghost, I won’t let you go!”

Wu Sheyue calmly lifted her leg and kicked Nanny Wang in the stomach. Then came an astonishing sight: that thin, small, sweet-looking girl actually sent the burly old woman flying three meters with one kick.

Cold sweat broke out on the young servants’ foreheads. They hurried over and pinned Nanny Wang down. Everyone in the courtyard looked at Wu Sheyue in horror, as if they had discovered something momentous.

Wu Sheyue slowly walked up to Nanny Wang, a cold smile on her face. “Do you think you look any better than a ghost?”

Nanny Wang was old. That kick had nearly made her pass out, but she still struggled and panted. “You… you just wait! Even as a ghost, I’ll haunt you every day!”

Wu Sheyue blinked. “Ha. Ghosts listen to me. What do you think you are?”

Those words stirred up a thousand waves. The young servants in the courtyard suddenly understood many things, and their legs went weak.

“That ghost that night was your doing! The ghost that scared Second Miss was made by you!”

Nanny Wang seemed to have grasped a lifeline and shouted, “Did you all hear? She admitted it!”

Those around them all lowered their heads and did not dare respond. Nanny Wang was dragged up from the ground, still shouting, “Wu Sheyue, you don’t deserve to be Third Miss! A hideous thing like you, a fool like you, has no right to enjoy such a good life! Your heart is vicious! You pretended to be a ghost to frighten Second Miss—”

Sun Rongjia was thoroughly shaken by Wu Sheyue. He forced himself to step forward and ask, “Third Miss, Nanny Wang has personally pointed out all the hidden places. There should be nothing missing. This servant will send Nanny Wang to the woodshed now.”

“Go.”

After the yelling Nanny Wang had been escorted away, Wu Sheyue asked, “What did you all hear just now?”

The young servants looked at one another and hesitated. “We… we heard Nanny Wang biting at people randomly.”

“Yes, yes. Nanny Wang wanted to drag someone down with her.”

Wu Sheyue nodded with satisfaction and turned to leave.

On the way back, Ning’er carefully leaned close. “Miss… just now, you were really, really impressive. They won’t tell anyone, will they?”

“So what if they do? No one will believe them anyway. But just now, did I look like a villain whose plot had succeeded?”

“Yes.” Ning’er nodded very firmly. “But… it felt really good!”

Wu Sheyue laughed. “You’ve learned bad habits too.”

“I learned them all from Miss.”

For the next while, Wu Sheyue kept an even lower profile and did her best to avoid direct contact with those sisters of hers.

Aside from paying her daily respects to the Old Madam, she did not leave her courtyard unless necessary. Even though the summer scenery outside was beautiful, she shut herself in every day, waiting for the blacksmith to finish the work and using the tools she had to continue her craft.

Wu Sheyue had realized that ancient times and modern times were the same: where there were people, there was complexity. These last few days, even her sleep had been uneasy. She had no idea who might come barging through her door next. If she did not hurry and make her quarters safe, she would have no mind for anything else.

But in the eyes of some people, her behavior seemed mysterious. There were already plenty of rumors outside about this strange Third Miss. People were curious, but they could not see her, so truth and falsehood became impossible to distinguish.

Two days later, Ning’er came early in the morning to wake Wu Sheyue and help her wash and dress.

She called for a long time and Wu Sheyue did not respond, so Ning’er anxiously tugged at the quilt. “Miss, please get up. What’s been wrong with you lately?” Miss had never been so fond of sleeping in before.

Wu Sheyue weakly waved a hand. “Don’t… don’t touch me…”

“Are you unwell?”

“No. I’m just sleepy…” Wu Sheyue said, pulling the quilt over her head.

During this period, she did not dare work during the day, so she lit a lamp at night and stayed up to do her crafting. Recently, she had stayed up so much that her days and nights were nearly reversed. She was becoming nocturnal.

Ning’er leaned closer and whispered, “You can’t stay in bed today! The Old Madam sent someone over just now!”

“What for?” At the mention of the Old Madam, Wu Sheyue became more alert. That was the thigh she temporarily needed to cling to.

“Isn’t the Old Madam’s birthday in a little over a month? She sent seamstresses to measure everyone so each person can have one more outfit made. The seamstress is waiting outside.”

“Oh…” Wu Sheyue sat up in bed. Her muddled mind thought for a moment, and she asked, “Does this happen every year?”

Ning’er froze, then sighed sadly. “Yes… every year.”

Wu Sheyue understood. It seemed this was the first time she had received equal treatment. She yawned and got out of bed. “That’s fine. Free things shouldn’t be refused. It’s just that we’ll have to give something too.”