The sky was clear and bright, with birds singing and flowers fragrant. Outside the grand hall, in the spacious courtyard, all the servants, maids, and guards of the general's household had gathered. They whispered among themselves, speculating about what major event had taken place. The air buzzed with murmurs, like bees in a hive. "Lin Pei Yuan asked the steward, yet his gaze remained fixed on the little one in his arms. He noticed her calmly glancing at the servants before shifting her gaze away. "Report to the general, besides the wives from the Chaojiao Pavilion who haven't arrived, all others are here," the steward bowed respectfully and replied. "The Chaojiao Pavilion?" Lin Wanwan raised her head. "Yes, your concubine." Her eyes sparkled—she remembered how those concubines had also been complicit in mistreating her and her mother. This account must not go unaccounted for. "Yes," Lin Pei Yuan smiled, yet he didn't forget to gently tap her on the head. "Call him 'Dad.'" "Hmph," Lin Wanwan murmured lightly. "Dad, don't forget—you promised me that I would have the final say over matters in the household." "How could I forget?" Lin Pei Yuan chuckled, for this child was no ordinary daughter—she was truly a little imperial. The stewards and others, watching the general's and the young girl's demeanor, were astonished, their eyes wide open. They hadn't mistaken anything—this usually cold and self-assured But if she's called Lord General's son, isn't she also a child of the General? Who could it be? Suddenly, it hits her—three years ago, a concubine gave birth to a child for the General. Could that be this little girl? The servants below, clearly remembering Lady Bingwan's identity, now look pale as they recall those who had previously mistreated her. Especially Qiu Tang, the personal maid of Lady Yue, nearly fainted. Oh my, who will tell her how this young girl has now become so favored? With a puzzled gaze, she turns to Lady Yue, only to find her mistress glaring fiercely at Bingwan, who is being held by the General. Her heart sinks deeply. Has the mistress and the lady-in-waiting also lost their status? What now? "All of you, listen closely," said Ling Pei Yuan, his gaze cold and firm upon the servants. "This is your Lady Bingwan. From now on, all matters of the household shall be decided by her. No one shall dare to oppose her." As soon as he finished speaking, murmurs began to rise among the crowd. "Can this be true? Such a young girl—what could she possibly do?" "Is the general jesting?" "...” "Any objections?" Upon hearing the murmurs below, Cold Wanwan's lips curved slightly—half-smiling, yet carrying an undeniable authority that caused everyone to fall silent. Suddenly, she recalled the recent rumors about the third lady's mastery of magical arts. She was now so startled that she could hardly breathe. Heaven help them—how had they forgotten that the third lady was no longer the timid, timid girl of old? "Excellent," she said, satisfied as the atmosphere settled. "Master of the household." "At your service." The steward stood respectfully by. "What is the regulation regarding servants who fail to obey the master's commands?" she asked casually. "For minor offenses, twenty lashes; for serious ones, fifty to one hundred lashes, and dismissal from the household." The steward responded evenly. Cold Wanwan's expression remained unchanged, though in her mind she thought the penalties were rather light. To be honest, if any of them made a mistake and failed to follow orders from above, they wouldn’t just have their fingers cut off—they’d have their hand muscles picked at, and the reprimands were nothing more than gentle tickles. "Listen carefully," she said, lifting her head and glaring coldly at the servants. "From this day forward, I am the head of the General’s household. Anyone who dares to defy me will face exactly this—" With a swift motion of her hand toward a tree beside her, a thunderous roar erupted, and a blaze consumed the leaves of the tree, leaving it bare. Everyone fell silent, stunned. Cold Pei Yuan stared at Cold Wanwan, his expression puzzled, as if trying to find the culprit responsible for the destruction of the forest she loved. Yet he couldn’t blame her. After all, was this really his daughter? The more he observed her, the more bewildered he became. A child of just three years old—so composed, so dignified, so self-assured—wasn’t merely capable of such poise, but even possessed magical abilities. Ruan Yiyin and Lin Chengqi also grew serious—this third lady was most unusual, full of secrets. They hoped she had no ill will toward the General's household; otherwise, she would surely be a formidable opponent. Mu Zhaoyun and her daughter were first startled, then their expressions turned gleeful and triumphant. The General had once thought them the cause of trouble, but now it was they themselves who had revealed their magic—watching the General, they would surely wonder if it was still their doing. "Ah, magic!" Someone broke the silence first, and the crowd, ignoring Cold Peiyan, began to murmur once again. After all, the impact of Lady Wanyuan had far surpassed their fear of the General. As the murmurs continued, Mu Zhaoyun and her daughter smiled with satisfaction. "Be quiet," the housekeeper said, though she too was astonished inside. Her expression remained calm. After all, it was improper for servants to judge the merits and faults of their superiors—these people would have to be well disciplined. With a gesture of her arms, she declared, "What magic is this? Lady Wanyuan is clearly a little fairy—what she possesses is naturally A fairy? Naturally, no one believed it. Aren't fairies always gentle and endearing? How could this Miss Bing, with her poised demeanor, possibly be a fairy? Yet though they doubted, they dared not act recklessly. With clever words, they kept saying, "Miss San is a fairy." "Miss San is a reincarnated fairy." "... "You've become a fairy," Cold Pei Yuan observed, gazing at the cold Bing in his arms. But when he saw her purse her lips, clearly disliking the title, he was puzzled. He never imagined that Bing had always regarded herself as a witch or a demoness. A fairy? Hmph—she'd never care to be one. Mu Zhaoyun and her daughter were utterly incredulous, their eyes wide open. How could this have happened? How had she transformed from a demoness into a fairy? Their fingers, tightly clenched, bulged with veins as they stared at Bing, unwilling to accept that this ungrateful girl always managed to escape unscathed. "You may go now," Bing waved them off, indifferent to their words. After all, in the general's household, she was the head. To challenge her was to court certain death "Housekeeper, stay here." "Yes." The housekeeper stood aside, never showing any slackness toward this young master. "Later, have your team dismantle the Charming Pavilion." She spoke coldly, not forgetting the nursemaid's words—that the group of concubines had also been complicit in mistreating Xiao Lian and her mother. To avenge herself, she would first strike at them. "Oh—this—" The housekeeper raised her head, looking at the general with some hesitation. The Charming Pavilion housed the general's own concubines, after all, his very own ladies. "Wanwan, these women are—" Cold Pei Yuan found himself unusually at a loss, gazing at Cold Wanwan. How could he put it? They are your father's women. "Are they not just your junior wives?" Cold Wanwan waved her hand. "If you'd like to satisfy your physical desires, I'll find even more beautiful women for you—guaranteed to please you, whether plump or slender. In short, none of the original concubines shall remain." "Pfft—" Cold Wanwan's bold words caused Ruan Yiyin to burst into laughter, and Lin Chengqi Muy Zhao and her daughter were utterly stunned—this, this, this! Was this girl really a daughter? Could she possibly speak such bold, unseemly words? Their expressions were full of disdain; truly, the offspring of a low-ranking maid. Leng Peiyan glared at Ruan Yiying before turning back, awkwardly looking at Leng Wanwan: "Wanwan, you're still young and a girl yourself—how can you speak so boldly?" "Did I make a mistake?" Wanwan lifted her brows slightly. "After all, they are already your junior consorts. And now, I am the head of the general's household. If I want to dismantle the Hidden Charm Pavilion, I shall do so." She turned to the steward, who was staring at her with a dazed expression, and waved her hand. "We'll have the pavilion dismantled shortly. If they object, let them come find me themselves." "Understood," the steward nodded, smiling inwardly, yet feeling a touch of sympathy for the general. It was surely the first time such a situation had occurred—his daughter had publicly declared her intention to evict one of his junior consorts, and even to appoint "Besides—that," Cold Wanwan glanced awkwardly at Mu Zhao Yun and her daughters, until they couldn't help shivering. "Cut both the monthly stipends of the general's wife and the lady of the household in half." You've made me suffer with Xiao Lian's mother, you've made me harsh on my own resources. "No way!" Mu Zhao Yun shouted. "I'm the general's wife, I'm still a princess—how dare you reduce my monthly allowance?" "A princess?" Cold Wanwan scoffed. "Didn't even read the section on 'following one's husband upon marriage' in the Book of Female Virtue? You've been part of the general's household for years—what's left to talk about being a princess?" "Me, me..." Mu Zhao Yun stammered, her gaze shifting to Cold Peiran. "General, aren't you going to be bothered by this little girl's tantrum?" "Right now, I'm the one in charge of the household. You beg your father, and it won't matter." Cold Wanwan sneered, patting Cold Peiyan gently on the hand. "Father, should the nannies have woken up by now? I'd like to go see Ruan Yiyin and Lin Chengqi followed closely, sympathetically glancing at the mother and daughter of Mu Zhaoyun, who had been driven to fury. Meeting Cold Wanwan, this peculiar little magician, had certainly been their misfortune. Yet, looking at the general's figure, one couldn't help but wonder—how much more than just them had been affected? It was truly hard to imagine the once-cold, self-assured General, now reduced to being his daughter's devoted servant.