“What are you doing? No one is cleaning the courtyard even though there's so much dust, just wait and see what the eldest miss will do to you when she returns.” A familiar voice rang out from the courtyard.

Yun Jiuge stood outside of the window and watched, it was Yu Die.

The little girl had matured into a beautiful young lady. While she wore an old green dress, her features were most pristine and alluring, she was already a stage nine cultivator.

“What injustice, miss Yu Die! We clean this courtyard every day although there are only three of us. Besides, we still have to help out the others at Shashui courtyard, we simply cannot take care of it all.” The skinny Mama cried out.

“Yes, and the eldest miss hasn't even been back in two years, who knows when she will return.”

“It's useless even if she does return, Yun Mansion now belongs to the First mister.” The two servant girls mumbled.

“What utter nonsense, Yun Mansion will forever belong to our eldest miss.” Yu Die fumed while the two servant maids remained silent for a moment.

“Flaunting your power in front of us is of no use Miss Yu Die, if you have the ability, you should go talk to the first mister!”

The skinny woman was not afraid of Yu Die. She took out her handkerchief and fanned her face and continued nonchalantly, “but I doubt you have the guts to go, the first mister has already decided to send you over to the Hu family. You have at most only two more days here.”

“I would advise you to care less about other peoples' business. Why don't you think about how you will get a firm footing at the Hu's house, that family is not an easy one to deal with.”

Yu Die's face color turned first to green then to white! Without saying anything, she picked up a broom and began sweeping up the place.

The skinny woman started chewing on some sunflower seeds and discarding the sh.e.l.ls on the ground. She was making it hard for Yu Die.

Yun Jiuge's face turned somber.

Who would have expected Yun Fu Mansion to be occupied by a group of outsiders after she had left for two years?

And they were bullying her people openly, it was as if she was dead.

“Do you want to kill these sc.u.mbags?” Zi Shang felt Yun Jiuge's anger and suggested out of kindness.

Yun Jiuge chose to calm down instead, “No rush, let's talk about it when I understand the situation better.”

She had requested for Wan Ziyang's and Bai Songling's help to take care of Yun Mansion before she left. Knowing their characters, they would not have allowed Qing mama and the others to be bullied like such. There had to be some other reason.

Yun Jiuge stealthily left Yun Fu Mansion and went over to Wan Ziyang's residence.

When she arrived at the residence and pushed open the doors, a musty smell drifted out. There was not a soul in sight and the house was covered in dust.

After she went around asking, she learned that Wan Ziyang had left the Lei Kingdom to travel around the world

Bai Songling who returned to the Bai house had become a general responsible for guarding the borders.

But the most shocking development was that imperial consort Xi had been enthroned and now carried the t.i.tle of Empress Xi.

And the former crown prince Dongfang Que went to Ziyun Sect and became a disciple of the core foundation Elder Yuan Hua.

The emperor of a small country was incomparable in status to that of being the last disciple of the core foundation Elder.

Dongfang Que had big ambitions and Yun Jiuge should have been happy for him but, when she thought of the mess in Yun House, she couldn't help being upset.

By nightfall, she finally found out that Qing Mama was in the palace. Empress Xi had taken her into the palace to nurse her back to health.

“Shall we go take a look?” Zi Shang asked.

“There are highly trained professionals in the palace, I can't go in.” The palace was not the same as Yun Mansion, she couldn't fool them, not with her shallow stealth technique.

“What are you afraid of, you got me to take care of things.” Zi Shang squinted at her.

“Great, I'll rely on you.” Yun Jiuge was just waiting for him to say so.

Zi Shang drew a stealth rune on Yun Jiuge, before stealthily leading her to into the chambers as they avoided the royal palace's dragon Qi.

Qing Mama was housed in the side hall of Jinxiu Palace with two court ladies, who were supposed to serve and guard her.

At the moment, the two court ladies were chatting and giggling near the window.

Qing Mama, who was seated, had a blank look on her face. Her complexion was still good and the clothes she wore were clean. She didn't look like she had been ill-treated in any way.

Yun Jiuge blew her breath into the room, and the two court ladies fainted and fell to the ground.

“Who is it?” Qing Mama turned her head, her sunken eyes s.h.i.+ning fiercely.

“It's me!” said Yun Jiuge as she went in front of Qing Mama.

“Eldest miss!” Even though Yun Jiuge had disguised herself as a man, Qing Mama could tell it was her almost immediately as she stood up with excitement.

“What happened in Yun Mansion, who are the people staying there?” Yun Jiuge started to ask.

Qing Mama sighed and said, “They are people from the Yun Family branch.”

Old grandmaster still had a few brothers in his life and had been protecting the ancestral shrines in the countryside all these years.

After Empress Xi ascended the throne, she declared there were no heirs in place, as the eldest miss was only a female. She then issued an imperial edict and put Yun Yanbin of the Yun Family branch in place.

“Empress Xi.” Yun Jiuge's eyes darkened.

Without consultation nor the approval of the rightful master, Empress Xi had hurriedly put a puppet in place to take over the Yun family's property.

“Eldest miss, I am old and useless, I couldn't protect the house for you,” Qing Mama said with tears streaming down her face.

When Yun Yanbin first arrived, he was quite humble and showed respect towards the old maids.

After a while, he married several women and they became his concubines. These concubines then started intervening with the management of the backyard. They created various excuses to get rid of the old maids, even poor Old Huo was sent off to another place.

“You are not to be blamed, it's not your fault.” No matter how respectable Qing Mama was, she was still a servant. She couldn't go up against Empress Xi.

“Miss, what should we do now?” asked Qing Mama, frowning anxiously.

Yun Yanbin had the same surname, Yun, so disposing of him was not going to be a simple task.

“Don't worry about this, just rest well and don't tell anyone that I was here, Let's not alert the enemy,” replied Yun Jiuge.

“‘Yes, this old maid understands,” Qing Mama nodded repeatedly.

Yun Jiuge left Jinxiu Palace and headed towards Qianqing Palace, which was the residence of Empress Xi.

“What are you planning to do?” Zi Shang asked.

When Yun Jiuge was helping Empress Xi who was poisoned, Zi Shang didn't have enough demon power and hence could not transform then.

Even though he was either sleeping or cultivating in the seal during that time, he knew that Yun Jiuge and Empress Xi were on pretty good terms then.

“She has turned heartless, she cannot blame me for being ruthless,” Yun Jiuge said coldly.

The palace lanterns were hung up high in the Imperial Study at Qianqing Hall.

Empress Xi who wore a bright yellow dragon robe, adorned with a nine-bead dragon crown on her head, was going through the imperial scrolls.

Elderly Lady Zhou was no longer by her side, only Aunt Hongxiu remained.

“Your Majesty, the night is late, please rest!” Aunt Hongxiu said cautiously.

“Yes, let us rest!” Empress Xi put down the brush in her hand and started walking towards the sleeping chambers.

Yun Jiuge stood in the shadows, looking at Empress Xi with sharp eyes. She no longer recognized this woman with her charming empress facade, which masked her unparalleled aggressiveness.

This woman who once held her hand in the small courtyard of Dongling Prince mansion, and called her Jiu Ge warmly, will never come back again.