Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

As soon as the princess's procession had gone far away, Pei Yaojun straightened his chest.

He flicked his red robe, a hint of smugness in his eyes, and looked at Duke Yu.

"Father, look! Your son didn't cause any trouble for the household this time, did he? He even received praise and a reward from the Princess!"

Duke Yu was both angry and helpless, and snorted with a sullen face.

"You got away with it this time, quick-witted. But you still need to be cautious in the future, and don't get carried away just because you've done a little success!"

Although the words were harsh, they also excused his previous reckless behavior.

Pei Yaojun smiled, said no more, and his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Liu Wenying.

Duke Yu's gaze also shifted, landing on Liu Wenying, and his expression became serious.

A maidservant acted without authorization in the face of a ferocious beast. She was credited with a good deed, but the process was indeed risky and presumptuous.

He was about to say something when Pei Zeyu interrupted him.

"Father, Liu is serving at Mingxi Hall. She is calm and meticulous, and Grandmother also praises her for being considerate."

"What happened today was an act of expediency in a time of crisis. Her loyalty in protecting her mistress is commendable, and the Princess has already expressed her approval, hasn't she?"

Second Madam Lin Zhiyao was carefully checking whether the old lady was alright when she heard this and quickly glanced at Second Master.

The Second Master's unusual protectiveness stirred something within her.

Pei Zeyu was able to shut up the Duke of Yu's words, but he couldn't shut up Madam Pei.

Madam Pei valued propriety and prudence more, and frowned, saying, "That may be true, but she is ultimately just a servant. Rushing in so rashly might only provoke that beast."

"It was only thanks to Jun'er's timely intervention that nothing serious happened. She has courage, but she acts recklessly and without considering the consequences."

Without saying a word, Liu Wenying knelt down and admitted her mistake: "Madam is right. I know I was wrong and will remember it in the future."

When Duke Yu saw his second son defend him, his wife admonish him, and the eldest princess had already made her explicit statement, he finally waved his hand.

"Alright, since the Princess has commended her, it means she is a meritorious person. After returning to her residence, she will be rewarded separately."

With the turmoil subsided, Duke Yu told everyone to return to their tents and rest, as there were still ceremonies to be held the next day.

Before 7 PM, the lights in the tents were extinguished, leaving only one lamp on.

After the old lady had settled down to sleep, Granny Wu stayed by the bedside, and Liu Wenying and the other maids quietly retreated outside the tent.

Night had fallen, and the campfire crackled and burned.

They gathered at the edge of the camp, around a bonfire specially lit for the servants, and received the dinner provided by the Imperial Household Department.

Meat porridge, multigrain pancakes, and light vegetables.

The food here is much richer and more nutritious than the food served to the old lady at Mingxi Hall.

The maids, exhausted from a long day and frightened, held bowls of hot porridge in their hands and chatted and laughed softly by the firelight.

A round-faced maid whispered, "I didn't expect the food at the hunting grounds to be even more juicy and flavorful than what we have in our Mingxi Hall's small kitchen..."

Before she finished speaking, Xi Chun, who was sitting opposite her, changed his expression slightly.

"What nonsense are you spouting! We serve the old lady in Mingxi Hall, do you think you're here for that food? What kind of talk would that be if people heard!"

The maidservant, scolded by her, stuck out her tongue and dared not say another word, burying her head in her food.

The other maids exchanged glances, shut their mouths, and silently drank their porridge.

The atmosphere was a little somber, but gradually became more lively.

Ling'er, who was sitting next to Liu Wenying, nudged her gently with her elbow.

When the accompanying list was initially selected, one of the maids fell ill and could not go, so Granny Wu replaced her with Ling'er.

Ling'er's eyes sparkled with admiration. "Sister Liu, you were amazing today! You really made the women of Wei proud!"

As soon as she spoke, several young maids of similar age couldn't help but chime in quietly.

"Yes, yes, my legs went weak at the time, but Sister Liu stood in front of me."

"That leopard was terrifying; its eyes were like will-o'-the-wisps!"

"Speaking of which, that Northern Di crown prince is far too arrogant, keeping such a ferocious beast and not even keeping an eye on it..."

"Thanks to Sister Liu and Third Master! Third Master is really amazing; I didn't even see the stone fly out!"

Once the topic shifted to the thrilling events of the evening, their suppressed excitement and gossip could no longer be contained, and they began to discuss it animatedly.

The gossip was impossible to suppress, and Xi Chun tried several times to reprimand her, but no one paid any attention to her anymore.

Seeing that everyone was in high spirits, Liu Wenying said with a soft smile, "I had no choice in a moment of desperation."

"The guards were far away at the time, and I thought that wild animals are naturally afraid of fire. There happened to be a torch nearby, so I risked trying it."

She paused for a few moments, feeling both fear and gratitude, "If it weren't for Third Master's timely rescue, I really don't know what would have happened to me."

The maids became even more animated when the Third Master was mentioned.

In particular, several of the servants who had worked in the mansion for a long time knew quite a few interesting stories about the flamboyant and unconventional Third Master.

An older maid covered her mouth and chuckled, "Third Master's strength seems to be innate."

"I heard that he was stronger than other children when he was young, and could lift stone weights that were taller than him. The Duke also hoped that his son would become a dragon among men, so he hired a martial arts instructor to teach him early on, hoping that he could be both literate and martial and bring glory to the family."

Another maid chimed in, her eyes crinkling into crescents, "Bring glory to the family? Don't even mention it! I've heard that while Third Master has learned some martial arts, his temper has grown along with it."

"Once, for some unknown reason, he got into a conflict with the second young master of the Yongchang Marquis's family. The two of them started fighting, and our Third Master, not holding back, punched the young master and broke his ribs! It took him more than three months to recover before he could walk again..."

"Pfft..."

Several maids couldn't help but laugh out loud, then quickly covered their mouths and glanced around furtively, afraid that their master would hear them as he passed by.

The older maid said, "That's right. Marquis Yongchang almost fell out with our Duke over this matter."

When the Duke returned to his residence, he was furious and gave the Third Master a severe beating.

From then on, the Duke declared that martial arts could be practiced to strengthen the body, but proper martial arts instructors could no longer be hired; otherwise, someone might die one day.

"No wonder Third Master always loves to tease cats and dogs; he just has too much energy to burn!"

One of the maids exclaimed in sudden realization, which drew a low chuckle.

As Liu Wenying listened, a smile appeared on her lips.

Everyone chimed in, recounting Third Master's past achievements, and the atmosphere grew increasingly lively.

The night wind stirred the campfire, sending sparks flying and falling back down.

After dinner, it was already late at night.

As the campfires gradually died down, the remaining torches of a few patrol teams moved about, making the wilderness even more silent.

The old lady's tent was spacious, but dimly lit inside. The maidservant on night duty, wrapped in a felt blanket, was dozing off inside the tent.

Next to it was a slightly smaller tent, where Liu Wenying and a few other maids who accompanied the group lived.

Inside the tent, thick felt mats were laid out, and the group lay down fully clothed. Although it was not as comfortable as the mansion, it was still peaceful.

Liu Wenying didn't sleep well; in her dreams, she always seemed to see a pair of amber-colored beast eyes intertwined with leaping firelight.

A short while later, she was awakened by the rustling and tossing sounds beside her.

…………