On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

With her leaving, the atmosphere in the main hall immediately eased considerably.

Nangong Min stepped down from the main seat and personally helped Yifei, who was kneeling on the ground, to her feet. Her movements were gentle, and her smile was warm, like a kind older sister next door, making people feel no pressure at all.

"Good sister, get up quickly."

Yifei was taken aback by her sudden act of intimacy and quickly said, "Madam, this is unacceptable, this servant..."

"What's wrong with that?" Nangong Min took her hand and helped her sit down on the chair next to her. She then sat down next to her as well. "From now on, we're family. There's no need to be so reserved."

She rested one hand on the armrest of the chair, gazing at Yifei with increasing admiration.

This girl has delicate features and a clean temperament. Her eyes are as clear as spring water, without any impurities.

She looks like a simple-minded and sensible girl.

No wonder the prince liked her from the bottom of his heart.

"Yifei, I heard from the steward that you are the most capable maid by the Prince's side. You take care of the Prince's daily life and meals." Nangong Min chatted with him affectionately.

Yifei replied somewhat embarrassedly, "This is all within my duty."

"Well said." Nangong Min nodded approvingly. "You'll need to keep a close eye on the Prince in the future. Remember, you must always put the Prince first and not slack off in the slightest, understand?"

"This servant understands."

"Hmm." Nangong Min was quite satisfied with her attitude, then changed the subject and said, "However, there are too many maids in this mansion, and their hearts are complicated. As you have seen, many people want to become the next Yang Mi. So you should be more careful in the future and not let those shady people take advantage of the situation and get close to the prince."

"The Prince is a chosen one of Heaven; he can have whomever he desires. If he doesn't want someone, no one can climb the social ladder by force. That's the rule. Understand?"

Yifei was very clever and immediately understood the meaning behind her words.

The lady was telling herself that she needed to help her manage the prince's harem and prevent those ambitious maids from climbing into his bed at will.

Yifei felt both touched and apprehensive.

What touched her was that the new mistress trusted her so much.

What terrified her was that she was just a maid; how could she possibly have the right to meddle in these matters?

"Madam, this... I'm just a servant, I'm afraid..."

"I know your concerns." Nangong Min patted her hand to comfort her. "I originally wanted to put all the maids and servants in the manor under your management. But then I thought about it, and you also have to serve the prince personally, so you really can't be in two places at once. Steward Lin is also getting old, and it's not good to bother him with all the trivial matters."

"So, I'd like you to recommend someone for this important task. Do you have a suitable candidate?"

Why would someone hand over such an important power of personnel appointment and dismissal to you?

Yifei felt like her mind had gone blank.

Because it's not just about gratitude, it's also a test.

If the person she recommends is unsuitable, or if something goes wrong in the future, she will definitely be held responsible.

What should I do...?

Yifei lowered her head and pondered for a moment, several names flashing through her mind.

But he rejected them all in the end.

Those maids were either too ambitious like Yang Mi, or too honest and unable to keep the scene in check.

After thinking it over, there's only one person who's the most suitable.

"Reporting to Madam," Yifei raised her head, somewhat hesitantly, "this servant thinks Shuying is very suitable."

"Shuying?" Nangong Min didn't recognize the name.

Lin An added at the opportune moment, "Reporting to Madam, Shuying is a second-class maid in the manor, responsible for cleaning the Prince's study. She is honest, hardworking, and never talks much."

Honest and unassuming, not one to talk too much.

Nangong Min's eyes lit up.

That's exactly the kind of person we need.

A person who is not very ambitious, works diligently, and has a good relationship with Yifei.

This way, the backyard can be managed well without forming new cliques, which would be detrimental to the unity of the Prince's Mansion.

"Alright, let's give it a try." Nangong Min made a quick decision. "Butler, call Shuying in."

"Yes."

Soon, a pretty girl dressed in the attire of a second-class maid walked in. She looked quite clever.

"This servant, Shuying, greets Madam and Steward."

Nangong Min stared at her for a moment, then nodded: "Hmm, not bad, get up."

"Madam Xie."

"From today onwards, you are the head maid of this manor. I hereby appoint you to manage all the maids and servants in the entire manor. You may choose a few assistants to help you, but remember, if any of these people cause any problems or make any mistakes, you will be the first person held accountable, and I will not let you off lightly! Do you understand?"

Me? A first-class head maid? And in charge of managing everyone?

Is this for real? There are plenty of women who are more capable than me, so why did you choose me?

Shuying was completely stunned until Yifei gently touched her, which brought her back to her senses. Overwhelmed with surprise and gratitude, she was so excited that she trembled all over and her face turned rosy.

She immediately knelt down again and kowtowed three times to Nangong Min.

"This servant thanks Madam for her promotion! This servant will certainly do her utmost and live up to Madam's expectations!"

"Yes, very good." Nangong Min nodded and gently instructed Yifei a few more words, which were nothing more than telling her to cooperate well with Shuying in the future, to work together as sisters to manage the palace well.

Then he had them all leave.

After dealing with these internal matters, Nangong Min slowly got up and went outside the main hall.

In the courtyard, hundreds of maids and servants were still kneeling there in neat rows.

Nangong Min looked at them, took a deep breath, and spoke with a strong voice.

"I know that many of you are veterans of the manor. You may think that I, as a newcomer, have no right to tell you what to do."

"But I'm telling you all today, from the moment I married the prince, I became the mistress of this house! Men are responsible for external affairs, women for internal affairs, and from now on, this house will be run according to my rules!"

"My rules are very simple, just two."

Nangong Min spoke with righteous indignation and a solemn expression, extending one finger.

"First, loyalty. Your lives were given to you by the Prince's Mansion. You must remember the Prince's kindness for the rest of your lives and be absolutely loyal to the Prince and the Mansion. Anyone who dares to betray the Prince and collude with outsiders will only have one fate: death!"

"Secondly, be mindful of your duties. Do what is appropriate for your position. Don't ask what you shouldn't ask, don't look at what you shouldn't look at, and don't think about what you shouldn't think about! Anyone who dares to take advantage of your position, be arrogant, disobey superiors, gossip behind people's backs, or form cliques, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Did you all understand?"

"This servant will obey Madam's instructions." Hundreds of people responded in unison.

Standing behind Nangong Min, Lin An watched this scene unfold and listened to these resounding words. His usually calm face flushed slightly, and tears welled up in his old eyes.

It was as if I could see the scene from many years ago when the old princess was managing the palace.

The same swift and decisive approach, the same combination of kindness and severity.

He silently turned around and faced the sky.

Your Highness, Prince, have you seen this?

Our Lin family has finally welcomed another impressive lady of the house!

The Lin family is about to prosper!