A few days have passed, and A Thien has not come to the Southern gate to implore for a chance, this is completely beyond Ninh Lan’s expectation, who thought that maid would use that wound to seek some pity. Feeling like A Thien had completely vanished from the Đường family, Ninh Lan was too curious to wait so she ordered Tu Nhi to find out if that maid was still alive or not, while she was loitering around the garden on the leafless path on her own.

Ninh Lan had just reached the corner of the hall and was being hit by a maid, but instead of bowing for mercy, that maid quickly turned around and tried to run. She yelled angrily: “Stop there!Turn around!”

“Lan lady, please forgive me!”- A Thien obediently knees down.

“you?” - Ninh Lan startled when she saw the maid, asked in surprise - “Why did you not show yourself but sneaking away when saw me?”

“To my lady, I'm not neat enough, so I was afraid of dirtying your eyes” - A Thien lowered her head.

Stare from above, Ninh Lan could still see the scar near her temple that was scabbing, the surrounding area expansive in dark purple, clarifying the throwing force was very strong. Ninh Lan sighing softly, asked:

“My mother seems to be very angry with you.”

“It's all my fault”- A Thien answered briefly, with absolutely no attitude of narration.

“Which area are you on duty these days?”

“Im... “- At this point, A Thien faltered.

“To speak!” - Ninh Lan pretended to be angry.

“Elder Lady ordered me to work in the Moon gate, but…” - She halted as if choosing suitable words to say - “Currently I'm keeping vigil outside Moon gate at night.”

“Okay, you can go now.”

“Thank you, my lady.” - After saying that, as if she was pardoned, she hurriedly left.

Ninh Lan slowly walked towards the bridge on the fishpond. Standing in the middle of the bridge, looking at the small fishes swimming in a row following the curve of the pond shore. The mind wind shook her thin orange chiffon skirt layers, but she seemed to be sinking into an unlike world, until being awakened by the sound of coming footsteps, she suddenly turned to look.

“I have just met her.” - Ninh Lan speaks first - “Do you think it's a coincidence?”

“Luck on you my lady, I have been searching all over the residence without seeing her, and you were easily met without any effort.” - Tu Nhi slowly walking to the owner's side - “My lady?”

“The ancients still say that children spoiled because of their mother's pampering. My life path is too easy-going, I wondered how my life would be if Marquis had some other cunning woman as my mother-in-law. I might end up harming my daughter with my sluggish personality after all.” - While being emotional, Ninh Lan picked up a handful of food from a bowl hanging on the bridge's railing and lightly sprinkled it into the lake. - “Mother might be right”

“Seems like A Thien has the ability to make my lady change your mind. So when do you plan to let her come into Nguyet Nhi's room?”

“That mysterious girl still has a backstage, because today she didn't seek my promotion.” - Ninh Lan smiled - “She is not simple, just wash our eyes and wait for her performance.”

***

At the same time at Thanh Tam gate, Thuy Diem hurriedly ran in and reported what she saw. The old lady nodded as she understood and pointed at her shoulder, signaling the maid to give her a massage.

“I bet A Thien will find a way to enter the Moon gate, you are my only left concerned. You both have served me for nearly eighteen or nineteen years, I hope that I can arrange things for all of you before I die” - Old lady said with half-lidded eyes.

“My Madame, serving you is my biggest honor, I dare not forget, Thuy Diem vows to stay by your side forever.”

“Okay, no need to say these flattery words,” - The old lady lightly smiled and patted her maid hand - “At the end of this year, if Thanh Nhi doesn't want to keep you as concubine, I will marry you to To Hoa. Although he is ten years older than you, he is a progressive man, in the future you both can help Thanh Nhi manage this place. What do you think?”

“My Madame, I conditionally listen to you”. - Thuy Diem smiled and replied, but the bottom of her eyes shone with reluctance, she cleverly hid her true feelings, still massaging - “It's too hot, do you want to eat some cassava dessert?”

“That's nice!” - The old lady nodded. - “Just do like last time, it's fine, not too sweet.”

“My madam, let me tell Thuy Nhi to come in and replace me.”

She indicated and waiting for the old lady to respond, Thuy Diem immediately went to the kitchen to cook a cup of cassava starch with alum sugar. Sitting next to the stove, she seemed to plummet into her thoughts, her cold face completely contrasted with the flickering red flame.

***

A month later, the whole Đường family happily held a party to celebrate Đường Tông Thanh's promotion àter he made new merit. Originally he was the youngest second-rank official at the time, he was now promoted to the first-rank official when he was only over thirty, becoming a mostly important man beside the emperor. With all good news coming within such a short time, people believed that Nguyet Nhi is the lucky star of the Đường family.

Late after the party, Ninh Lan was sitting in front of the bronze mirror grooming herself, trying to take off her makeup to go to sleep, suddenly the window was push-in from the outside, a young woman's hand threw a crumpled piece of paper toward her position, she shouted in shock, thought someone was set an ambushed.

After her screeching halt, the servants rushed in from all sides. Tu Nhi also returned from the kitchen with a bowl of refreshing soup which Ninh Lan had requested for her husband, in case he would need it when returning from the party.

“My lady, What's up?” - Tu Nhi was surprised to see the panic on everyone's face in the room, after hearing about the consequences, she asked the servant to light the lamp to patrol from inside out of the Nam gate, while she herself picked up the paper, gently opened it and read the content privately to her owner - "It wrote: “Master, library room, be careful". My lady, it's easier to see that letters are intentionally distorted to hide the handwriting.”

“Is my husband in danger?” - Ninh Lan's face turned ashen, hurriedly got her outerwear on the hanger, put it on, and then ran with the group of servants to get husband 's library room. There were some quick-witted servants calling for more guards to gather.

Ninh Lan and a large group of people surrounded the library room, seeing the flickering light inside, she softly called out her husband's name. At this moment there was a crash in the room, but no one answered.

Impatiently, Ninh Lan pushed the door and rushed in, seeing that the reading desk was empty, Ninh Lan moved to the next resting room behind.

Under the flickering candlelight, Tong Thanh was so drunk that he was unconscious lying on the bamboo bed breathing evenly, the strange thing was that he seemed to be naked, with a piece of blanket draped over his body. Beside the bed was the broken ceramic shard of a vase, the water in the vase strewn a row of bare footprints towards the tea table in the corner.

“Step out!” - Ninh Lan shouted.

The servants who had already surrounded the room, hearing their lady shout like that, immediately raised their weapons toward the tea table in a ready-to-battle position. Knowing that she couldn't hide anymore, Thuy Diem crawled out and knelt down in front of Ninh Lan.

Judging by looking down at the maid half-naked wearing a brown bib on the ground, and her husband without a piece of clothing on the bed, Ninh Lan was dumbfounded. The servants lowered their weapons, looked at each other in fear. The whole room is tranquil except for Tong Thanh's steady breathing.

“Van Tuan, Van Hung stay here to serve your master. Don't let him get cold.” - After a shocking moment, Ninh Lan regained her strength to assign work to the servants. - “Take her back to the Western gate, wait for the master's orders. The rest, retreat.”

“Thanks my Lady!” - Thuy Diem was relieved when heard Ninh Lans' decision. A triumph feeling running in secretly in her stomach, her plan already works. With this situation revealed in front of other workers and recognition of the old lady, she would easily become master's concubine.

Ninh Lan didn't bother to answer, turned and walked straight back to her room, her steps a bit sloppy. Thuy Diem stood up, pulled back her clothes and followed a servant to the West gate, all of Ninh Lan's reactions made her feel gloating. “Being first lady of master but she is too feeble” - Thuy Diem jeered and thought to herself.

Thuy Diem thinks that she only needs to give birth to a son, and in the future hardly guess what else she can attain. That illusion makes Thuy Diem feel happy, hugging a soft blanket and falling into a beautiful dream.

Holding the anger to return to the Southern gate, retreating most of the servants, Ninh Lan rushed into Tu Nhi's arms and sobbed, she still couldn't believe that her husband had favored another woman. Tu Nhi could only purse her lips and pat her lady's back, silently listening to her sobs: “My lady, have you calmed down yet?”

Ninh Lan stopped crying, faced Tu Nhi's question, she just nodded her head slightly, sat up straight, took a handkerchief to wipe her tears and was ready to listen.

“Have you ever thought about the one who threw that paper? What is the intention?” - Tu Nhi slowly digs up the matter.

“You mean?” - Pinpointed the problem by her personal maid, Ninh Lan grimaced.

“Thuy Diem could not afford to just throw the paper to make you jealous and ran back without alerting Van Toan who were guarding the library.”- Tu Nhi analyzed - “She also doesn't need us to come and catch her now, it's too risky. Wouldn't it be better to wait for tomorrow morning while she is still in bed next to the Master?”

“Do you mean the thrower wants to disturb Thuy Diem's plan?” - Ninh Lan's eyes widened in surprise.

“My lady, I thought about it a lot and realized the person who hates her the most is A Thien, isn't she?” - Tu Nhi got up and went to the tea table to pour Ninh Lan a cup. - “Besides that, this is the best way to score and give us a flavor!”

“So why didn't she come to see me directly?”

“The whole Đường family, above and below, everyone knows that Madame wanted to put Thuy Diem on the master's bed. But who dares to report her maid?” - Received the empty tea cup from Ninh Lan's hand, put it back in its place, and then Tu Nhi continued - “It's definitely an internal conflict!”

“But even so, the fact that she was being naked in the same room with my husband was done and dusted, what else can be done?” - Ninh Lan is depressed.

“My lady, do you want to listen to me this time?” - Tu Nhi grabbed Ninh Lan's hand, knelt down next to her, looked up and asked sincerely.

Seeing the care and faithfulness from the maid who grew up with her, Ninh Lan nodded and followed her plan. The dancing wick in the night makes people's hearts unsettled, the long night is quiet because of people's moods that are dreary.

Nighttime is the rise of villain intrigue and crime, under the cold moonlight, no one knew that night A Thien was invited to the Southern gate and quietly left as she had come. No one knows what those three women compromised, but the next day A Thien officially became the great maid in charge of the Moon gate, and was respectfully called Auntie Thien by all the servants and maids under her command.