By dawn, the household began to shift again.
On thing that Hattie had always taught me that when it came to dealing with other people, it was best to keep them as off balance as possible. If they were too worried about where their feet would land, then they wouldn't be able to think about a counterattack.
Orders moved quietly. Staff rotations were announced without ceremony. The steward who had overseen the kitchen since the previous winter was transferred to the outer estate. Two new maidservants arrived in my quarters with fresh uniforms and trembling hands.
I said nothing. I didn't have to.
Zhu Mingyu kept his word. I was given full access—rosters, records, a copy of each servant's origin file and the seal used to assign them. The ones who resisted were removed. The ones who remained adjusted their posture when I passed, heads bowed just a little lower.
Whispers moved faster than orders, though. I heard them in the corridor outside the accounting room.
