[COMPLETE] Transmigrated Author: The Quiet Plum

Chapter 67: Cleaning

Media: https://pin.it/2qAc5AZ (Think it's from a game but it's pretty)

Cooped up inside the study for three days, relearning etiquette, history, customs. Her brother's study was the perfect place for that. After confirming with the head butler that her manner of speech and gestures passed as a Huo Ai noblewoman, it was only then that she decided she was ready to go out.

Having her AI helped a lot in absorbing all of those things. Otherwise, she would only be picking at straws. It was too much to process within a three day time limit.

So today, she decided to walk around the estate and get some fresh air. Butler Ping, a middle-aged bespectacled man who ran her brother's household insisted to accompany her since she didn't have any personal maids yet.

She still couldn't quite call it their household.

But as luck would have it, just as she turned around a corner, she heard women arguing.

Women?

She automatically stopped walking and looked behind her only to see the butler sweating.

Qiaoli raised a brow.

"Ah! Forgive me for this oversight. I was so excited to see the young Marquise and you poured yourself over the books the moment you arrived... I forgot..."

She quickly lowered the volume of her voice. Imploring him to do the same. "Forgot what exactly?"

Seeing the Marquise's glowering eyes, Butler Ping swallowed first before squeaking out.

"The Duke has a Duchess, four consorts and about a dozen concubines..."

What?!

"You forgot this kind of thing?" Qiaoli hissed.

Butler Ping's frame seemed to have gotten smaller

"W-well you see... Master doesn't care for any of them." He whispered like it was some great secret.

If she was still in her alloyed body, Qiaoli would have overheated from annoyance. What did he mean by that? Her brother stored women like they were wine? But they wouldn't be any prettier when they aged.

And it seemed these women were arguing about a new girl in the house. Qiaoli would never have guessed her brother was a playboy.

Seeing the Marquise seemed to think  bad things about her brother, Butler Ping quickly whispered.

"They were only taken in because the elders accepted them without Master's consent and he didn't know how to get rid of them nor he had the time. Well, except the Duchess of course. She's Master's childhood friend."

Qiaoli clicked her tongue. It looked like her brother was a stonehead male lead of his own.

The argument seemed to have heated up as the returning Marquise and the butler heard this:

"No backbone at all! This is why the Duke cannot be proud of his Duchess!"

A duchess being bullied by concubines. It left a bad taste on Qiaoli's mouth. A standard Chinese novel indeed.

"So, da ge was the one who chose his Duchess?"

Sensing the current mood, Butler Ping bowed and confirmed. "To be precise, it was the late madam. They were engaged since childhood."

Qiaoli only needed to hear that and she went out of their hiding place.

"Unmannered, no etiquette, foolish and ugly. What are these women doing in my Huang house?"

Butler Ping regretted not stopping her when he heard the things she said. He could only remain following behind her like a good housekeeper.

Oh well, this took him back to his youth. He was just an assistant butler at the time. But the late madam had the same spirit.

The sight of the consorts' jaws hanging was something to behold.

He also forgot to say that the new woman they were arguing about was probably the Marquise. Butler Ping held the urge to run after her.

After a few moments of blinking from surprise, Consort Wei scoffed. "This daring wench--"

Qiaoli ignored her outrage and faced her sister-in-law. She was a brunette beauty. From what she heard earlier, her brother seemed to have neglected his wife.

What a jerk. Did he know how this lady would feel as more and more women entered his house?

This younger sister could only shake her head. Well, she could give him a little present and maybe, a little headache.

Qiaoli started calculating for the consequences of the action she would take.

Hehe, she wanted to punish her brother but she would just let his wife do it.

Just as she was about to have a word with her sister-in-law, the noisy woman from earlier started talking again.

"The highest consort is talking to you, you should pay respect!"

Two maids walked up to Qiaoli and attempted to grab her arms. But before they could, a strong breeze came and two men stopped them.

"Seize your attempts." Ying lost the usual smile playing on his lips.

Qiaoli was annoyed with this kind of development. She didn't want the Pillars to be involved.

"Lu... Ying..." The Duchess was even more shocked. For these two to appear and the presence of the head butler behind. The importance of this lady in front of them was further solidified.

Looking at her appearance , Rouli had a guess but didn't say it out loud.

She willed herself to calm down.

"Not only are you ill-mannered to the master of this house, but you're also senseless enough to try to hurt me." Qiaoli continued scolding.

The opportunity was perfect.

"Butler, send all these girls to wherever they came from. My Huang house doesn't need them." Qiaoli gave a perfect smile.

Butler Ping was taken aback. But he could see what the Marquise was trying to do. She wanted to get rid of them all at once with disobeying the house rules as an excuse.

"What?!" Consort Wei gave a horrible screech. "Who are you to decide that? You're just the new bitch!"

Qiaoli couldn't help but laugh after buffering for a bit. She could see now.

"You think I'm a Consort?" She glanced at the quiet Duchess.

Butler Ping panicked. "For security purposes, your servant didn't announce your arrival at the estate.

Qiaoli just nodded. "As it should, they don't need to know anyway. They will be gone before da ge arrives. Get them out of my sight."

The butler bowed. "As you wish."

Lu and Ying disappeared to wherever they were hiding earlier and guards arrived to seize the struggling consorts.

Qiaoli reminded them not to mistreat any of the girls before turning back to Butler Ping.

"Don't think you've escaped this unscathed. Not announcing my presence to those stinky women are okay. But not announcing it to the current master of the house? Who are you to decide that?"

Huang Rouli was flabbergasted to see the lady scolding the butler that she as the Duchess couldn't even talk down to.

But her heart lurched when the fiery-haired lady suddenly turned to her.

"And you!"