After flirting with the aloof prince, the concubine ran away pregnant.

Lady Hou sat at the head of the table, holding a string of jade prayer beads in her hand, and was looking her over. Tao Yao and Granny Wen were also there.

Tao Yao was massaging the shoulders of the Lady Hou with extreme gentleness, quite different from her aggressive demeanor towards her.

Afu didn't look up, but she could feel the Lady Hou's gaze slowly sliding across her face.

Lady Hou came from the Cui family of Qinghe. She was a typical matriarch of a noble family, strict in her methods, and hated servants who disobeyed her.

Afu knew in her heart that it was impossible to persuade the Lady of the Marquis to let her leave the mansion.

There's no reason for a maid who served the prince to end up outside the mansion, and no mistress would tolerate someone with such a cunning mind by her son's side.

Now we can only act indirectly and respond to each move as it comes.

"Get up," the Lady Hou's voice was gentler than a few days ago, and she gestured to the embroidered stool below her. "Sit."

After thanking her, Afu walked over, bowed, and sat down, only sitting on one side, with her hands neatly placed on her knees.

Lady Hou flicked her prayer beads a couple of times and asked unhurriedly, "Are you feeling much better?"

"Reporting to Madam, she is much better now," Afu said respectfully. "I am truly grateful for your concern and for sending so many tonics."

Lady Hou nodded: "That's good."

Afu said, "Thank you for your understanding, Madam."

Lady Hou flicked her prayer beads a couple more times, as if carefully choosing her words. The room fell silent for a few moments, with only the soft clinking of the jade beads remaining.

"Ah Fu," the Lady Hou finally spoke, her tone tinged with satisfaction, "you've served Xun'er for three years now, and you're a dutiful and reliable person. Given what's happened these past few days, you should, in principle, be given the rank of a concubine."

Afu's fingers clenched slightly inside her sleeve.

She changed the subject, saying, "But the heir apparent's principal wife hasn't entered the household yet, and the Marquis's mansion can't break the rules. So I'll give you the title of concubine for now."

"After the principal wife enters the household, if you behave yourself, I will naturally elevate you to the rank of concubine. But there is one thing: if you take advantage of the heir's favor to develop inappropriate thoughts, the Marquis's mansion will not tolerate someone who cannot behave himself."

Afu knelt down, and everyone in the hall looked at her.

Lady Hou's brow furrowed slightly: "What are you doing?"

Afu's forehead was close to the ground, her voice gentle and clear: "I am deeply grateful for your kindness, Madam. However, as a lowly person, I dare not ask for any title."

Upon hearing this, the Lady of the Marquis glanced at her with some surprise.

Afu continued, "What happened recently was simply my duty as the young master's personal maid. The young master is of noble birth, and it is already a blessing for me to be able to serve him."

"If my status as a servant affects the young master's reputation or displeases the future mistress, I will be guilty even if I die ten thousand times."

She paused for a moment after she finished speaking.

At this point, we can't say too much; saying too much sounds like acting.

Afu took a breath and lowered her voice even further: "This servant only asks to continue to stay by the young master's side and serve him well. I don't need any title."

The hall fell silent.

The Lady Hou looked at her, her gaze more intense than before.

She had seen too many maids who wanted to climb the social ladder, but it was rare to find one like Afu who put her master's dignity before her own.

Regardless of what she really thought, at least her words were well-chosen and resonated with the Lady of the Marquis.

Lady Hou's expression softened. "Good child, you are a good one."

She glanced at Granny Cui.

Granny Cui stepped forward and helped Afu up.

Afu rose to her feet, her face still respectful: "Madam is too kind. This servant is unworthy of such praise."

Lady Hou continued, "Although it is not appropriate for the young master to have someone in his room before he marries, it is not a big deal for him to have a few concubines. If you are only made a maid without a title or status, it would damage the young master's dignity."

Having said that, it would be ungrateful of her, as a maid, to refuse any further.

Fortunately, she was just a concubine. A concubine maid is just a title that is different from a personal maid. In essence, she is still a maid who has signed a contract of servitude and can leave once she receives the release document.

Unlike concubines, who are listed on the household register and become the private property of the male head of the household, making it difficult for them to escape, concubines are not confined to their posts.

She loosened her fingers from her sleeve, knelt down to express her gratitude: "This servant thanks Madam."

Lady Hou continued, "From now on, you will be the young master's concubine. You will be given your due allowance according to the rules. Granny Cui, send some tonics to her room later and pick out a few pieces of fine fabric."

Granny Cui replied, "Yes."

Lady Hou added, "You should also have someone to serve you. I'll allow you to choose a maidservant; just tell Granny Cui."

Tao Yao clenched her jaw tightly. She had always dreamed of being the Crown Prince's woman, but she never expected that an insignificant maid would beat her to it.

Granny Wen's face darkened slightly, but she quickly put on a smile again.

Afu saw all this and knew what was going on. This time, she was truly hated by Granny Wen and her daughter.

Granny Wen is the head nanny of Shian Courtyard. Although she doesn't handle specific matters, she is responsible for all matters, big and small.

Previously, whenever she wanted to leave the manor, she would slip money to Granny Wen, relying on her to turn a blind eye in the courtyard.

This path will probably be gone in the future, and given their personalities, they will definitely make an issue of her bringing up the matter of the mansion.

After thinking for a moment, Afu decided to kneel down again.

Lady Hou looked at her: "Is there anything else?"

Afu raised her head, her voice even softer than before: "Madam, I have another request."

"I have a younger sister who is currently being cared for by my aunt. She is young, and I always worry about her. In the past, I dared not ask for much, but now that you have treated me so kindly, Madam, I humbly request your permission to visit my sister whenever I wish."

After she finished speaking, she pressed her forehead to the ground and said, "This servant dares not make mistakes, I only ask to leave the manor every few days."

Lady Hou picked up her teacup but did not immediately agree.

Afu's heart tightened slightly. It was already difficult for a maid to leave the manor, and even more so for a personal maid. Especially now that she had become Xie Xun's concubine, she should logically be confined to the courtyard.

But she had to say this today, while the Lady Hou still had a good impression of her and before Granny Wen could cause trouble.

If she misses today, she'll have to be beholden to others if she wants to leave the manor in the future.

Lady Hou slowly took a sip of tea. "You do seem to value family ties."

Afu whispered, "This servant only has one younger sister."

These words, though spoken softly, sounded more sincere than any of the eloquent phrases that preceded them.

Lady Hou looked at her for a while, then put down her teacup. "Alright, from now on you are allowed to leave the manor for one day every ten days to visit your family. But you must report to Granny Cui and return before dark."

Afu breathed a sigh of relief.

It's done. That's the biggest achievement of the day.

A genuine smile appeared on Afu's face, and she immediately kowtowed, saying, "This servant thanks Madam for her great kindness."

Once every ten days is much better than once a month before.

Lady Hou smiled faintly; in her view, this was nothing more than a small favor.

A maidservant needs to be given some sweet treats to ensure she serves her son wholeheartedly.