Seeing Fangcao silently and quickly retreat to the doorway of the west side room, lowering her head and lifting the curtain with both hands, Mrs. Smith, though full of anger, noticed that the other two maids nearby were also standing with heads bowed and hands at their sides, so she couldn’t say much more. Once inside the west side room, she saw Grace sitting on the footstool in front of the bed, nodding off as if about to fall asleep, while Henry Clark was sitting on the brocade cushion at the head of the bed, leaning against the bed frame, softly reciting an essay.

  “To hold and fill it to the brim is not as good as stopping in time; to sharpen it to the utmost cannot be preserved for long. When gold and jade fill the hall, none can guard them; wealth and pride bring their own misfortune. Achieve success and withdraw—this is the way of Heaven...”

  The slow, unhurried reading drifted into everyone’s ears. Even though what Mrs. Smith hated most was Henry Clark’s scholarly demeanor, at this moment, accompanying others here, no matter how dissatisfied she was, she couldn’t show it on her face and could only stand there expressionless. The matron in the blue vest who had spoken first stood motionless upon entering the room, waiting as Henry Clark finished one chapter and began the next. Only then did she gently nod to her companion beside her.

  “After all, she was taught by Second Aunt all these years. Second Aunt used to recite Laozi’s ‘Tao Te Ching’ often. Even I, who can barely read, heard it so much my ears grew calluses and managed to memorize a few lines. It seems she’s passed it on to Miss Han as well.”

  As soon as she finished speaking, both of them saw Henry Clark at the head of the bed startle awake, then turn her head to look over, and both women slightly bent their knees in greeting. At this moment, Henry Clark quickly stood up and walked over to them, bowed her head in a salute, and then said softly, “My sister just fell asleep and probably won’t wake up for a while. When she couldn’t sleep before, godmother would always recite this to her, so I’m just trying it now... Would you two please have some tea outside?”

  On the way, Mrs. Smith had first lamented to the two matrons about Mrs. Carter’s loyal sacrifice, then mourned the tragic fate of Miss Olivia Bolton losing her mother. She had considered slandering Henry Clark a bit in front of them, but knowing that one was Mrs. Cooper, a trusted aide of the Dowager, and the other was Mrs. Johnson, the companion of the Marchioness of Wuning, and not knowing what Lady Gu had written to the Dowager before, she dared not go too far. So she could only suppress her anger and follow along. When Yingcao and Fangcao brought in the tea one by one, she took a sip and immediately felt something was off. At that moment, Mrs. Cooper exclaimed in surprise.

  “This herbal tea is...”

  “It’s a recipe godmother taught me before, said to be commonly used in the marquis’s household: prunella, chrysanthemum, moneywort, monk fruit, prunella again... and many other herbs. It’s best for clearing heat and detoxifying in summer. You two have had a hard journey—drinking some to clear the heat and soothe your throats is best.”

  Mrs. Cooper smiled and nodded, drank more than half a cup in one go, and then said, “I remember back when Second Aunt hadn’t married yet, I was lucky enough to taste this once in front of the Dowager. I never thought I’d taste this old flavor again today. If the Dowager knew, she’d surely be comforted—no one else can make it taste quite like this... Miss, you’re too thoughtful. We’re just servants, how could we deserve such attention?”

  “What servants? To my sister, you two are like family from afar.” At this, Henry Clark lowered her head and said, “It’s just that my sister suddenly lost her closest kin, and her temper has changed a lot lately. I hope you two won’t mind when you see her... She’s always been fragile since childhood. Even in this scorching summer, she doesn’t dare use ice in her room, nor drink herbal tea, so it’s even harder for her than for others. Who would have thought she’d suffer such a terrible blow on top of it all...”

  “Alas, the young lady truly has a hard life.”

  Seeing Mrs. Johnson wipe the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief as she spoke, and Mrs. Cooper already full of sighs, Mrs. Smith could only follow suit, though secretly she was grinding her teeth in anger. Henry Clark, however, didn’t even glance at her, deliberately steering Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Johnson to reminisce about Lady Gu’s past, and whenever emotions ran high, she would shed tears, drawing endless sighs from the two matrons. They sat like this for half an hour, until Grace’s voice came from inside.

  “Miss, the young lady is awake!”

  Henry Clark immediately stood up, excused herself, and went into the west side room. Seeing Yingcao and Fangcao follow her in, Mrs. Johnson then smiled at Mrs. Smith and said, “After all, one is Second Aunt’s own daughter, and the other was raised by her hand. They’re so close and affectionate—even the two young ladies in our East House aren’t as close as they are.”

  Mrs. Smith had long heard that ever since Lady Gu’s elder brother, Marquis Wei Ning Richard Grant, passed away, because he had no legitimate son, the Wei Ning Marquisate was inherited by the third young master, and the legitimate eldest young lady and the heir became hostile, treating him and the concubine-born younger sister like enemies. Since Mrs. Johnson was from the Marquis of Wuning’s household, she naturally enjoyed the spectacle. This was a topic Mrs. Smith wouldn’t normally get involved in, let alone now, when she had no intention of praising Henry Clark further, so she only forced a smile and said, “You can know a person’s face but not their heart. As the young ladies grow up, it’s only natural they each have their own thoughts.”