Not Your Typical Villianess

The Duke's mansion.

Lu Yaozhu left after the servants were introduced, leaving the rest to Su Liya. Su Liya had little experience with these things and didn't understand how to handle the servants. Luckily, Lu Yaozhu already instructed Baozhai on everything because she carefully explained things to Su Liya.

Baozhai and Rong Rong looked capable so she just put them in charge of the choosing of servants. She was just in charge of making the final decision, a few hours later everything was set. She discovered that Baozhai and Rong Rong were very efficient maids trained by the Empress and the Lu family respectively. 

Lu Yaozhu was given seven days leave from court by the Emperor so apart from eating breakfast and dinner with her, he spent the rest of his time in his study. Apart from the wedding night, they slept separately but he still stopped by at her place to maintain appearances.

Two days after the wedding, Su Liya recurved an invitation to a house party held at Qianzhu military commander's house in the capital. This was the first invitation she had received after her marriage. After having her breakfast, Su Liya went to find Zhu Fengyin at the main Courtyard.

As she walked through the familiar path leading to the main courtyard, she couldn't help but reminisce on the times she had taken this path as a maid. Now she walked through them as a master, she ran into a few filar faces as she walked to the main courtyard.

The maid greeted her, as she walked to the main Courtyard. Even if they were familiar with her, her stations has changed. She was no longer a maid like them but a princess and now the second young madam. However, even with that, she received a lot of cold gazes from the maids. 

Who in the capital hasn't heard of how she got married to the second master, most of the maids found her an eyesore. The older matrons at the main Courtyard greeted her with undisguised hatred. Su Liya ignored their gaze, she had expected this from them. 

Most of the older matrons were selected by madam Lu, they never liked her even when she was still a maid. Su Liya was left to stand just outside the door, while they went in to inform Zhu Fengyin of her presence.

Su Liya ignored their actions, she just got married and didn't have any standing yet. There was no need to blow it out of proportion, standing for a few minutes was nothing. Although cage wasn't in a favourable position right now, there was still more chances to deal with them.

Zhu Fengyin sat by the square table practising her embroidery when she walked in. Su Liya didn't bother with formalities, she sat opposite Zhu Fengyin. She placed her elbow on the table and played with the threads. 

"Yin Yin!" She called in a cute voice.

"yes" Zhu Fengyin didn't look up from her work, she understood that Su Liya was just acting cute.

"Yin Yin, I am bored," She said pouting.

"If you are bored pick up some materials and practice some embroidery. It might be because you are too idle".

Su Liya flinched like she hurt her and placed her hands on her chest "no! Please. I will leave the industrious wife stuff to you, okay!"

Zhu Fengyin chuckled softly "why is your reaction this bad? I was just making a suggestion. It is not my fault if you don't have the talent".

"Even if I lacked the talent, I fear that it would be wasted on me cause sewing isn't my thing" Su Liya shivered.

"You don't like to see or paint, what exactly do you like to do.... eat?"

Su Liya moved in closer and whispered "how did you know that".

Zhu Fengyin didn't respond, she just flicked Su Liya's forehead and said "silly".

Su Liya leaned to the side as she laughed softly. After some seconds she said "thanks, I needed that, I haven't had a good laugh in some time. I got an invitation from the Yuan family, this morning"

Zhu Fengyin paused her sewing and looked up "Really, I guess they have decided to make their move".

"Their move? Is there anything I should be aware of?" 

Zhu Fengyin set down the work and sighed "Yes, the Yuàn family is Su Liya's... " She glanced at the maids a few steps away "Well your relatives".

"Relatives? Isn't Su Liya's mother a maid?"

"Everyone has two parents you know" she turned to the maid and said "leave us"

Su Liya looked to her maids and nodded. When the maids were long gone, she continued

"Su Liya's mother was a senior maid of the eldest young master of the commander's mansion Vice-minister Yuan Jinli of the Ministry of justice.

"She was promoted by the eldest master a few months after the eldest master was married. Back then the eldest master was preparing for the imperial examination. The Yuàn family were looking for a good position for the eldest master and arranged a union between him and the second daughter of the principal wife of the former Minister of Revenue Tian Yun.

"Su Liya's mother Xiao Nuan got pregnant just two months after the wedding. When madam Yuàn found out about the pregnancy, Xiao Nuan was kicked out of the mansion. The Yuan family didn't want to annoy the Tian family, so Xiao Nuan was abandoned. 

"Xiao Nuan and my mother's maid were cousins, so she took her in and took care of her until the child was born. Xiao Nuan was hoping the child would be a boy and help her get married into the Yuan family..... When she found out that it was a girl, she was disappointed. I overheard my mother and her maid talking about this before she died.

"According to them, when Su Liya was five years old, Xiao Nuan abandoned her and went back to the Yuan family. Xiao Nuan got pregnant once again and this time she gave birth to a boy. The Yuan principal wife had to accept both her and the baby cause the principal wife only gave birth to girls.

"The Yuan family is a very strict family, they only care about benefits. Xiao Nuan and the new heir of the Yuan family are useful but Su Liya a girl is not".

Su Liya balled up her first "idiots, the lot of them. So She isn't useful because she is a girl?".

Zhu Fengyin shook her head "such is the way of the society we live in, don't take it to heart".

"Then this invitation?"

"The Yuàn family are reputable family, the Lu family and the Yuàn family are in good relations. mother will attend, You can't afford to ignore their invitation. You can attend the banquet, just be careful. You are the Empress's adopter daughter and also married to a powerful General, associating with you would be beneficial to them. Your situation has changed, Liya expect these type of things" 

Su Liya smiled coldly "Don't worry about them, I will treat them properly"

*********

The imperial palace, the Empress's palace.

Empress Lu sat at the tea-table brewing a cup of tea, she had just finished having her breakfast and was unwinding before the imperial concubines and consorts came in to pay their respects. As she carefully distilled the tea she asked her maid "Xuanyi, what time is it".

Xuanyi looked out the window and replied "Your highness, it is about 9:30 am".

Empress Lu sighed "The vultures will be upon us soon, did Matron Xu at Su Liya's side report anything?"

"Yes your highness, it was nothing major. She reported that apart from being a little cold to the princess, madam Lu didn't give her much trouble".

"That is good. This sister-in-law of mine is quite stubborn. She wasn't like this in the past, it is such a pity. I don't know if her marriage into our Lu family is a blessing or a curse to her" 

"Don't take this to heart, your highness. Madam Lu and our Young Master were very much in love, I don't think she regrets anything".

Empress Lu smiled sadly "Xiao Lian may not regret getting married into our family but it still saddens my heart, when I remember all she has been through. I can't help but think that she would have had a smoother life if I hadn't arranged that union. We both would have had a smoother marriage if we didn't marry our present partners".

"Don't think that way, your highness. If you didn't marry your majesty, you wouldn't have given birth to your children. Don't worry about his majesty's actions, he is just misguided. He will come around and see that you are treating him honestly".

"Will he ever come around? Is it after he has destroyed whatever little love, I have left for him. It keeps getting worse every day, Xuanyi. It is very exhausting dealing with him" Empress Lu would have said more but a Eunuch rushed over and reported that the imperial concubines had arrived.

"Let them in" Empress Lu replied. When the Eunuch was out of sight she stretched out her hand and was supported up by Xuanyi. "It is time to meet those jumping monkeys, his Majesty keeps pushing into the palace" Empress Lu whispered as they walked out of the inner room.