The Eldest Daughter Reborn: She Provoked the Obsessive Crown Prince and Couldn't Escape

Fu Ling chimed in, "That's right! It's not too late to exercise the 'power to manage the household' once our aunt marries in with a grand wedding procession!"

Fu Luan glanced at the two of them with a smile to show her approval, and then followed Fu Ling to the room where she was staying temporarily.

Even before entering, a faint medicinal fragrance wafted over.

Fu Luan looked around and said, "Your room is quite elegant and refined. The furnishings are almost as nice as Xiao Jiu's! No wonder..."

Before she could finish speaking, she chuckled, "No wonder those concubines thought you were going to be 'sisters' to them!"

Fu Ling shook her head and said, "I've only been away from my aunt for a few days, and she's already gone astray, making fun of me!"

“It wasn’t all just teasing…” Fu Luan sighed again and again, and then told the rest of what Hua Luo had been hiding in Xiao Jiu’s room.

"Are you having a hard time here?" Fu Luan had just asked when Fu Ling smiled helplessly.

The peach shortbread seller who came to serve tea smiled wryly and said, "It doesn't really matter whether it's good or bad."

"In the end, we're living under someone else's roof, so we have to be mindful of how others feel!"

Cuiyun said, "We servants have to be mindful of others' moods wherever we go; we're just earning this money anyway."

"It's just a pity for Physician Fu. She earns her living through her medical skills and was personally invited by the Prince of Yan to be his guest. She is not a servant."

"But those concubines treated her like a free doctor, wanting to order her around a hundred or eighty times a day! There are good doctors in the palace..."

Fu Ling gently patted the back of her hand, "Alright, you can go now! I know you're standing up for me, but..."

Fu Luan laughed and said, "She can't go down. I came here today to take her back to the Marquis of Chang'an's residence!"

Cuiyun was quick-witted; upon hearing this, she immediately knelt down, "This servant is willing to follow your arrangements, mistress!"

Hua Luo helped her up and said with a smile, "Your grandma hasn't even told you what to do yet. If I send you to your death, would you go?"

Anyone could tell it was a joke, but Cuiyun nodded hastily, and Fuluan exclaimed again, "Good, good! I didn't misjudge you!"

She then said to Fu Ling and Tao Su, "You have things you like to eat and use;

"Or if you need money, ask someone to tell me; if you don't have time to go to the Marquis of Chang'an's residence, you can tell Xiao Jiu as well."

"He was kind-hearted, and many of his concubines had shared life and death with him."

"I reckon... he'll be furious with us, but once those women start to act cute and shed a few tears for him..."

"If we bring up our past experiences of sharing joys and sorrows again, this matter will be forgotten after a few drinks as punishment!"

Fu Ling was naturally patient and rarely showed her emotions, so how could she disagree?

However, Fu Luan guessed wrong this time!

Xiao Jiu submitted a memorial to the court, and on the grounds of "improper words and deeds", Consort Tao was demoted to "concubine" and Concubine Zhang was demoted to concubine.

As for the remaining concubines who were gossipy and had no official rank, they were fined three months' salary!

"Would you be willing to serve the Second Miss personally?" Fu Luan asked with a smile as she brought Cuiyun back to the Marquis of Chang'an's residence.

Cuiyun nodded, "Of course I'm willing!"

Hua Luo warned, "The second young lady is not easy to serve! Not only does she have a bad temper, but she also likes to beat and scold the servants."

"When something goes wrong, they especially like to make their servants take the blame! Did you see what Tao Su was wearing...?"

Cuiyun curtsied and smiled, "Thank you for reminding me, Sister Hualuo! I have heard a little about the Second Miss's affairs."

“My aunt sent me to serve her, so there must be something else for me to do.”

"If I can serve someone as difficult as the Second Miss properly, then serving any master in the future will be a piece of cake!"

"But this servant has a request that I cannot make..."

Hua Luo sneered, "So that's why you agreed so quickly, you have something to ask of me!"

"This is the first time I've ever heard of a servant girl being able to make demands of her master while doing what she's told!"

Cuiyun felt humiliated after being rebuked, but she remained kneeling and waited for Fuluan to speak.

Fu Luan waved his hand dismissively, "It turns out we're the ones asking for a favor... Cuiyun, just name your price, as long as it's not too unreasonable!"

Cuiyun quickly replied, "When I was looking after houses in the countryside, I heard that you, my aunt, are very knowledgeable and have read all kinds of books."

"Therefore, I would like to ask you, my lady, to give me a nicer name!"

Fu Luan asked curiously, "Isn't your current name good?"

Cuiyun shook her head. "No, it sounds so rustic! I've been teased by the other older sisters a lot because of this name!"

“My parents were servants who had never been to school and could not read a single character. Originally, I didn’t even have a proper name; I was just called ‘Girl’.”

"It was only a few years ago, when I was chosen to serve my master, that the housekeeper casually gave me this name..."

"I'm not afraid of being laughed at by my aunt and Sister Hualuo, but the mistreatment I suffered in the Prince of Yan's mansion is nothing compared to the suffering this name has caused me!"

Fu Luan dismissed her formalities and asked only, "Do you dislike this name yourself? Or is it just because others laugh at you that you want to change your name?"

“This…” Cuiyun was at a loss.

Fu Luan sighed, "Since you praise me as 'knowledgeable in both ancient and modern times,' I can't help but show off a little."

“You only think the name ‘Cuiyun’ is too rustic, but it comes from Song Yu’s ‘Satire’ from the Warring States period: ‘It shelters the sun’s brilliance and wears a green cloud’s fur coat.

"So, do you still think this name is old-fashioned?"

Cuiyun simply turned her face away, "How could the housekeeper who named it have read such books... It was just a random choice!"

Fu Luan had Hua Luo help her up and gently advised, "Although I don't know which housekeeper gave you that name;

"Even if she hadn't read 'Satire', it doesn't necessarily mean she intended to mock her. You should know that 'Cuiyun' also refers to a woman's beautiful hair!"

Fu Luan still remembers that the first thing she noticed about Cuiyun when she first saw her was her thick, black hair.

Many wealthy ladies have spent a fortune on their hair, but none of them can match the brilliance of her beautiful hair!

"Really?" Cuiyun finally looked up.

Fu Luan smiled and said, "Of course it's true! But if you insist on changing your name, I can change it for you."

"But perhaps the name 'Cuiyun' would be more fitting!"

"Then, then we won't change it for now... Thank you for your guidance, Grandma." Cuiyun nodded, finally freeing herself from the knot in her heart that had troubled her for several years.

She moved to Yu Zhengzheng's courtyard that very day, saying it was arranged by the housekeeper.

Zhengzheng didn't argue; she was just anxious about her marriage lately.

"Zhengzheng, don't be afraid; you are the apple of your father's eye."

"The Marquis of Chang'an's mansion will support you for life! Even if your father were to pass away sooner;"

"You still have five older brothers to support you!" Yu Weiyan knew that Zhengzheng's scandals were piling up, and it seemed that she had no hope of marrying into a good family!