Chapter 69

The rise of a maid in the household is just like the political arena, where each position is unique and irreplaceable. If you get promoted, I will have the chance to take your place, and so on down the line.

With the addition of four first-class maids in the old lady's quarters, the entire Xu family experienced a major upheaval. Each household secretly exerted all their efforts, competing with each other to gain more benefits.

These personal maids are almost like half-owners, and sometimes even more influential than the owners themselves. They receive both overt and covert rewards, and their own families also benefit, being flattered wherever they go. As long as the owner needs them, they often stay until their late twenties without getting married. Many eventually become concubines, and even if they do marry, they receive a substantial dowry. The accumulated benefits over the years are quite considerable.

Xu Hao only gradually understood after becoming a steward that the treatment of first-class maids varied. The maids in the old lady's quarters undoubtedly had the highest status and monthly pay. Among them, Yue Lan's position was unshakable; even the ladies had to smile and not offend her. The other seven first-class maids received one tael of silver per month, but they also had extra pocket money and occasional rewards from the ladies, which was enough to make them the envy of the entire household.

Even the eight second-class maids' monthly pay was roughly equal to that of other first-class maids. Next in rank were the two trusted maids in the ladies' quarters, followed by the personal first-class maids in the young masters' quarters, the personal maids in the young misses' quarters, and then the personal maids in the concubines' quarters, and the maids of the illegitimate young masters and misses. Note that, except for the three ladies, each person had only one personal maid.

Xu Hao's former personal maid was Qiu Xiang, but now she has been replaced by Zhu Lan. Qiu Xiang's status has significantly declined, and she has fallen ill due to her resentment.

Similarly, there are first-class maids, second-class maids, third-class maids, and even rough maids. The complex official hierarchy of the court has extended to the large households, where the status of servants is divided into various levels. The advantage is that everyone knows their place, and the head of the household can control everything and motivate the servants. The disadvantage is that it brings countless open and hidden struggles.

Moreover, the monthly pay of each maid varies depending on how the owner views them. For example, in Xu Hao's quarters, he often gives the maids one or two taels of silver or a piece of new silk. Xu Wen and Xu Song are even more generous, sometimes giving jewelry worth twenty or thirty taels of silver.

The difference between men and women is evident here. The maids in the young misses' quarters are never as prestigious as those in the young masters' quarters, not just because of the male dominance. Girls are generally more meticulous and frugal, often unwilling to give away even old jewelry and clothes they have used for years, so the income of the maids naturally varies greatly.

Whether it is through cunning and scheming or striving for advancement, everyone throughout history has wanted to earn more money and improve their status. With the selection of four clever and meticulous girls from the various households to serve in the old lady's quarters, many families have benefited, and this large-scale personnel change has once again disrupted the balance among the households and all the servants.

The complexity of personnel in a large family can be compared to a small court. Xu Hao really can't imagine what life would be like in a family that has lasted for hundreds of years, such as the Kong family. Just remembering the names of countless relatives would not be an easy task.

Xu Hao did not stand idly by. Since the maids in his mother's quarters were not suitable, he quietly sent in two close maids who had been with his elder sister and younger sister for half a year, one as a first-class maid and one as a second-class maid. This way, the lower-status maids benefited and were promoted, and two families were able to have their daughters enter the inner quarters as maids. All the households in the second branch were very satisfied with this outcome.

The first lady, Wang Shi, lost face because her nominees were all rejected. The second and third branches each sent in two nominees, and the rest were taken by the old lady's own people. The first branch gained nothing and even wasted a lot of gifts, causing the people below to secretly blame the lady for being incompetent.

Wang Shi was in a bad mood, and her idea of matchmaking her niece with the third son became less enthusiastic. She planned to send the two girls back home in a couple of days. Unexpectedly, a trusted family member informed her that two young ladies from the third lady's family had come to pay respects to the old lady at Fushou Hall.

Wang Shi frowned and said, "It seems the third lady cares a lot about the third son. She speaks well of him and even makes clothes for him. Now she has even brought her nieces here. He's just a guard; could he become a general in the future?"

Because she was in a bad mood, Xu Cuitao and her two sisters came early and sat quietly on the side.

Xu Cuitao, who usually lived with her mother or in the old lady's quarters, had not interacted much with Xu Hao in recent months. She said, "Mother, don't worry about them. Once my brother establishes military merit and my second brother passes the imperial examination, you'll see everyone rushing to flatter us. The second branch is just having a temporary moment of glory; the future is uncertain."

"Um!" Wang Shi lovingly embraced her biological daughter and smiled, "Mother thinks the same. Once you enter the Qin王府, Mother will enjoy the rest of her life with you."

Suddenly, Xu Cuiliu slowly said, "Mother, I have carefully observed the third son. Although he has no great ambition, he is steady and decisive. In the street battle, no one among the brothers showed more courage or skill. He turned a major disaster into a favor from the emperor, which is astonishing. If Mother marries a cousin to him, she will surely benefit greatly in the future."

Faced with the heartfelt words of her illegitimate daughter, whom she usually disliked, Wang Shi immediately turned cold and mocked, "You, an unmarried girl, are always thinking about these shameless things. I'm ashamed for you! Where are your two brothers not a hundred times better than the third son? When have you ever had the right to speak in this house? Get out of here, your flirtatious appearance disgusts me."

"Yes." Xu Cuiliu, with red eyes, bit her lip and stood up, bowed to Wang Shi, who didn't even look at her, and stumbled out.

The honest Xu Cuiyun was so frightened that she kept her head down and didn't dare to move. Wang Shi, seeing this, became even angrier and scolded, "You are all just dead bodies that eat and breathe, money-losing whores, and traitors! Once Cuitao gets married, there will be no one left to talk to, and how will I live?"

Xu Cuitao frowned, thinking about her sister's words, and said, "Mother, it's still better to continue matchmaking the third son with a cousin. Regardless of other things, at least you will have family by your side to talk to and alleviate your loneliness."

Wang Shi thought about it and felt better, coldly laughing, "I never thought the second branch would have a day of glory, even making me have to flatter them. Truly infuriating. But rather than let others benefit, I must make this match happen."

Xu Cuitao couldn't help but ask, "Then, Mother, who do you think should be the match, Xuan Qing or Xuan Su?"

"Xuan Su, being illegitimate, might have been a possibility before, but now it's hopeless," Wang Shi pondered, then confidently said, "Xuan Qing is different. He is legitimate, and his father is a fourth-rank commander. Your second uncle and aunt will be overjoyed. If it weren't for being family, they would be very grateful. Humph!"

"Ha ha!" Xu Cuitao, who usually looked down on others, was actually closest to Xu Hao, whom she had the best relationship with as a child, and secretly rejoiced for him.

Xu Hao set out early in the morning to the headquarters of the Capital Guard, located on the west side of the palace, surrounded by various government offices. On one side were the Five Dukes' Mansions and the Imperial College, and on the other side were the Jinyiwei and the Flag Corps, as well as the Astronomical Bureau.

After paying respects to the commander of the young guards and meeting the various deputy commanders, Xu Hao registered his name, origin, and family background, and received two sets of winter and summer guard uniforms and a bronze waistplate as proof of his identity.

The Capital Guard had a total of more than 5,000 people, twice the size of a regular guard unit. Xu Hao, as a young guard, was not particularly noticeable and did not attract any attention. Thanks to Zhu Gaohuo's care, he only had to participate in five drills a month at the camp outside the city, and the rest of the time was at his disposal.

After coming out, Xu Hao happily put on the blue guard uniform. Except for the color and the lack of an imperial emblem, it was not much different from the Jinyiwei uniform.

With this uniform, he no longer had to fear those troublemakers coming to seek revenge. Even if they dared, they would have to wait until he changed into regular clothes. Xu Hao smiled smugly.

The family members, envious, gathered around him. Xu Hao said, "Work hard during training. In a few years, the best ones will be released from slavery and sent to serve as guards."

To his surprise, the family members were not very interested. One of them laughed, "What's so good about being a guard? The salary is barely enough to support a family, and the work is hard. We don't want it! When you become a general, we'll all serve as your personal guards, which will be much more prestigious. Who wouldn't respect us then?"

Xu Hao said speechlessly, "That's all you aspire to. Forget it, let's go."

He mounted his horse, and the family members, not daring to ride in the imperial city, led the horses and walked together, chatting and laughing, toward the Qin王府.

Xu Hao continued his life of cuteness.

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(End of the chapter)