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2.05% Princess Agents / Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Fate had pushed her into the ditch, she told herself. She had to climb out.

This terrible predicament did not give her any chances to be full of remorse or to be anxious. If she did not pull herself together, she might not be able to survive the night.

She raised her blackened hands and picked up a wooden stick, slowly starting to write on the ground.

Zhuge, Wei, Mu, Jue, Che. At this word, her brows started to furrow. It started to darken outside, and the woodwind instruments playing within the palace grounds could be heard. Among the rustling, waves of laughter could also be heard. She silently recollected her thoughts for awhile and finally penned down the last word: Yan.

In the main hall of the Zhuge palace, everyone was toasting each other. Yan Xun's right eye twitched all of a sudden. He scrunched up his beautiful brows and turned slowly, gazing deep into the complete darkness.

The night was pitch black. With jackdaws soaring high in the sky, this turbid and ugly empire was rotten from the core.

The old was destined to be destroyed, with the new order coming in its place, rising from the ashes.

Even with the wounds on her body hurting terribly, Chu Qiao still forced herself to stand up and run rounds around the small firewood room, occasionally stopping to use her hands to massage her skin in case she froze to death in this dilapidated hut.

The drum signifying that it was 3 a.m. rung, and a window that was around the height of a person was being pushed open. Then, a small head popped into view. Chu Qiao was stunned. Raising her head, she saw a pair of bright eyes carefully check the surroundings of the room. After seeing Chu Qiao, a look of happiness flashed through his gaze. He held his index finger to his lips, asking her to not make a sound. He then nimbly jumped into the hut.

The boy quickly ran towards her, opening his arms, and pulled Chu Qiao into his arms. He choked a little, but comforted her with determination, "Yue Er, don't be scared, the fifth brother is here."

The boy was skinny and was not very old either. He looked like he was between eight and nine years old. He was wearing gray field clothes that did not fit him very well, making him seem skinnier than he already was. His stature was not fully grown and was merely half a head taller than Chu Qiao. However, his facial features and outlines seemed to have endured many hardships. He held the child tightly in his arms and patted her back, continuously repeating, "Don't be scared, the fifth brother is here."

Unknowingly, Chu Qiao's eyes filled with tears. Beads of tears rolled uncontrollably down her face, soaking his rough clothes. She did not know whether it was her body's natural reaction or her own true emotions, but in this strange, foreign, and cold night, this frail but warm hug was too precious.

The bright, clear moonlight shown through the slightly opened window, shining on the small bodies of the children. Within the cold four walls, the only little warmth came from the heart. The boy's small body was like a tough mountain. In this frigid night, even though he might have been shuddering in fear, he still hugged his sister firmly, holding her tightly in his arms.

"Yue Er, are you hungry?" The boy released her from his hug and carefully wiped off the tears on Chu Qiao's face with his blackened fingers. He smiled and said with glee, "Guess what brother brought you?"

The boy took out a little cloth bag from the back and sat down on the floor, neatly opening the bag. The aroma of the food drifted into the air instantly. He lifted his head to see that Chu Qiao was still standing and was puzzled. Raising his brows, he said, "Sit down."

It was a coarse porcelain bowl with the blue and white decorations on the side already discolored from rubbing, and there were a few tiny holes at the mouth of the bowl. It was filled to the brim with rice, along with vegetables piled on top of it. There was not much oil, but its aroma was just as good. The boy took a pair of chopsticks and wedged them into Chu Qiao's hands, rushing, "Quick, eat."

Chu Qiao lowered her head and shoved her mouth full of rice. All she tasted was saltiness, due to the taste of her tears. Her throat was choked but she continued munching like a robot, occasionally sobbing in tears.

The boy looked straight at Chu Qiao. Every time she opened her mouth, he would open his too, as if he was teaching her how to eat. When she swallowed her food, he would grin from ear to ear, causing his eyes to turn into slits.

As her chopsticks were fiddling in the bowl, they poked into something. Picking it up, it was actually a piece of braised pork that was still warm.

That piece of meat was the size of a thumb and was a little burnt on the side. It was half fatty and half lean, but in a dark cold night like this, it was so tempting.

A noise suddenly rumbled. Chu Qiao raised her head from the bowl, looked towards the boy, and saw that he was awkwardly rubbing his tummy. Purposely putting on a nonchalant front, he said, "I just finished dinner, I'm not hungry."

Chu Qiao passed the chopsticks over and said,"You have it."

The boy shook his head instantly. "Our dinner today was especially good. The fourth young master allowed us to add dishes. Braised fish, sweet and sour ribs, vinegar fried pork, steamed duck, there were so many dishes. I ate so much I may throw up, I don't think I can have any more food."

Chu Qiao stubbornly raised her chopsticks and said, "I don't like to eat fatty pork."

The boy remained dazed for a while, looked at Chu Qiao, then diverted his gaze onto the piece of braised pork. He unknowingly swallowed his saliva. After a while, he finally reached for the chopsticks she offered, and carefully bit off the fatty portion of the meat. He then passed the lean pork back to Chu Qiao. Laughing in glee, revealing his row of white teeth, he said, "Yue Er, now you can eat."

A pang of emotions hit her and she hurriedly lowered her head. Tears swirled in her eyes, but she managed to hold them in.

After a while, she raised her head slowly and smiled at the boy. She opened her mouth and devoured that piece of meat, munching and grinning at the same time.

"Yue Er, is it delicious?" His eyes shone as if they were stars in the galaxy.

Chu Qiao nodded furiously. She was all choked up, but she managed to say, "It's delicious. The most delicious thing I've tasted in my life is this piece of meat."

"Silly girl." The boy reached out and patted her head. With a tinge of sadness in his expression, he said,"How old are you to say things like 'in my life'? We don't need to talk about the future, just when we were young. We have savored many expensive foods, but you were still too young to remember a thing. But don't you worry. One day, the fifth brother will let you eat and dress well, and bring you delicacies from all around the world. Not only braised pork, but also ginseng, abalone, bird's nest, shark's fin, and clams. Whatever you want, you will have it. Until then, no one will think of bullying us. Yue Er, do you believe me?"

Chu Qiao nodded and continued shoving rice into her mouth. Although it was not very delicious, the warmth it gave was tremendous.

"Yue Er, don't be scared." While saying this, the boy took off his jacket and draped it onto Chu Qiao's shoulders. With a warm tone, he annotated his words very clearly and said, "Fifth brother will protect you and will be here accompanying you. Don't be afraid."

As the moonlight shone clear and bright, the light shone through the gaps into the firewood hut as dazzling white light. Like frost under the moonlight, the children's small bodies laid closely together, seemingly small, but so very warm.

The flames of light flooded the area from afar, woodwind instruments playing to their heart's content and the aroma of meat and drinks filling the air. The nightless city of Zhen Huang had finally ushered in the climax of tonight's banquet. Under the brilliant lights, no one remembered the little girl that had survived the onslaught in the arena. The cold air billowed, causing the flag with the flame insignia of the Xia Empire to whistle in the wind.

When she woke up the next day, the boy was no longer here. On the floor, he had left a message in his neat handwriting: The fifth brother will be back tonight. There are buns beneath the firewood.

Chu Qiao pulled away the dried twigs and saw two slightly yellowish buns wrapped in a piece of oil paper. She held them tightly and looked calm, but her gaze started to warm.

Like this, three days passed with no one questioning her condition. The boy continued to visit her daily, bringing along food and accompanying her, then leaving silently the next day. On the third day, the door to the hut banged open. Zhu Shun looked down at Zhu Qiao, who had remained alive after three days in the firewood hut, furrowing his brows tighter and tighter. At last, he ordered his men to release her.

When she stepped out of the hut, Chu Qiao stopped at the door. Taking one last look at this dilapidated hut, pressing her lips together, she turned with a look of determination.

As she walked forward, the hut seemed increasingly worn-out. A huge bunch of kids could be seen hiding behind the trees, sneakily watching her. When she reached the yard, with the men taking their leave, the crowd of kids rushed towards her, pulling her into their arms.

"Little sixth, you are back!"

"The sixth sister, I thought you were never coming back."

"Sister Yue Er, wuuuuuuu…"

The children started chattering all at once. Some wailed outloud, scaring Chu Qiao a little, who stood there in a daze with the children surrounding her as she tolerated the snot and tears from these little kids.

"Okay, stop crying."

A male voice was heard, turning the heads of all the children, causing them to cry out, "The fifth brother!"

A boy ran in from outside, hugging a cloth bag. In two steps, he dropped its contents onto the floor. It was a bag full of melon seeds. Upon seeing it, the children cheered and let go of Chu Qiao in unison, running to the seeds.

"Don't snatch them. This is enough for everyone," the boy said maturely. He continued, "Yue Er just escaped death and was severely wounded. Don't disturb her. Everyone has to help her complete her job for the next few days."

The children nodded. A girl with two ponytails and pale, soft features raised her head. She smiled and said, "Don't worry the fifth brother, we will definitely help the sixth sister."

The boy continued, "Xiao Qi, has your injury recovered? Why are you out of bed?"

"Fifth brother, it has recovered already." The child smiled as he rolled up his sleeves, revealing black and blue scars from a whipping. Some areas still revealed his flesh and were nowhere near recovered. Xiao Qi said gleefully, "The medicine you gave me was very useful. It was painless once I applied it. Xiao Ba was kicked in the waist by the horse while she was feeding them, I've got to help her."

"Lin Xi, come in, I have things to say to you." A young girl scuttled forward suddenly, holding the boy's hand.

He turned and looked at Chu Qiao. He said, "Yue Er, the wind is quite strong outside. Come inside too."

In the small and dilapidated house, there was a large bed-stove, with more than ten blankets folded neatly on top of it. A boy named Lin Xi chirped, "Sister Zhi Xiang, you were looking for me?"

Zhi Xiang was not much older, looking around ten years old. She crouched down and opened the bed-stove from below, revealing its pitch black interior and pulling out a small box. She said, "In five days, it will be the anniversary of our parents and relatives' deaths. The incense and joss paper you wanted us to secretly prepare are all here."

Lin Xi nodded and said with a cautious tone, "Be careful, don't let the manager know about this."

"Yes, don't worry. No one will come over to us. But for you, when you are taking care of the fourth young master, you have to be careful. The day before yesterday, I heard from Si Tao from the laundry room that the third young master has already killed two reading partners in his room. Even though the fourth young master is not like him, his weird character is unpredictable. When the master is not around, Young Master Huai does not bother with the happenings within the household. They are getting more and more ill-disciplined. The old master has already killed more than twenty young female slaves. The ones that were sold to the Du family together with us have all perished. I'm really worried that this fate would befall us as well."


Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

In the middle of their conversation, a piercing scream was heard outside, followed by a high-pitched voice that roared, "Good job you pathetic slaves. How dare you steal? Don't you want to live?"

Lin Xi frowned and took a step towards the door. Zhi Xiang pulled her back and whispered, "Leave from the back door, quick! No one can see you here. The fourth young master will kill you."

"I…"

"Leave, quick!"

No one could believe that such a dilapidated hut would have a back door to it. When Lin Xi pushed open the door, Zhi Xiang held her arm and said very seriously, "No matter what happens, don't come back." After which she rushed out of the door.

Cries of pain and the cracks of the whip sounded simultaneously. A woman with a fat belly swung her arms and roared viciously, "Weren't these the daughters of the wealthy Jing family back in the day? Who could have imagined they would stoop down to this state today. Your sisters are whores on Shi Hua Lane, and here you are being thieves. What a family of despicable scum."

"Lady Song, we know that we were wrong. We won't dare do it again." Zhi Xiang put herself between the woman and children, suffering lashes to her face and covering it with wounds and blood. She kneeled and pulled at the edge of the woman's skirt, crying for forgiveness. "We won't dare do it again."

"Finally realized your mistake? You guys seem to have a better memory after being whipped."

The lashes of the whip landed mercilessly on the bodies of the children. Xiao Qi, whose hair was tied into two ponytails, had already been injured and could no longer stand the pain. After a few lashes, her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out. The other children instantly started to wail, but the woman was enjoying herself, striking harder with each hit. With a cry, she raised her whip once again.

There was a swoosh, but no cries were heard. Lady Song looked down to see a little girl with tattered clothes in front of her. Though she was skinny, her gaze was cold and stern. Her blackened hands were tightly grabbing onto the other end of the whip. She said with a deadly tone, "Enough."

Lady Song raged and howled, "Hey girl, are you looking for trouble?"

"Yue Er, Yue Er, release your hand!" Zhi Xiang crawled over and tugged at Chu Qiao's clothes. She cried and said, "Quickly, beg Lady Song for forgiveness!"

Chu Qiao did not waver and continued glowering at the woman. With a chilly tone, she said, "Try hitting them one more time."

Lady Song raised her eyebrows and roared, "I won't hit them, I'll hit you!" After finishing her sentence, she raised her whip and swung it with all her might. Chu Qiao laughed mockingly, grabbed the woman's belt, and tripped her, causing her fat body to land heavily on the ground.

Cries of cheer erupted from the children as Chu Qiao sauntered over to the woman. She bent down and smirked, "Not coming back to complain?"

Lady Song sprung to her feet and shouted, "Just you wait!" Then, she sprinted out of the yard.

Zhi Xiang ran forward worriedly, her anxiousness causing tears to pool in her eyes. She said, "Yue Er, you've caused a big problem. What do we do now?"

"Look after them," she instructed and ran out after the woman.

She had already memorized the route when she was being brought to the hut. After turning two corners, she saw the woman hurriedly running across the stone bridge. Due to her immense size, she started to pant after just a short distance.

Chu Qiao crouched down in the bushes. She surveyed her surroundings carefully, checking that the coast was clear. She picked up a stone and squinted, aiming the stone right at the woman before throwing it with all her might.

With a thud, the stone landed forcefully onto Lady Song's ankle. With a surprised cry, she slipped and fell off the bridge.

It was already the middle of winter, and the surface of the lake was covered with a thick layer of ice. Her fall did not shatter it, causing her to lay spread eagle on top of it, where she moaned in agony.

Chu Qiao emerged from the bushes and walked leisurely towards the bridge, looking down to where the woman was lying. She yelled, "Hey, do you need me to get help?"

The woman turned and her tone instantly changed. In a friendly tone, she said, "Good girl. Would you quickly get help for me? This hurts so badly."

Chu Qiao laughed. With a bright smile, she bent down and picked up a massive rock, lifting it over her head with all her might.

Seeing that, the woman's face paled. She stuttered, "You… what are you doing?"

Not allowing the woman to cry for help, she released her hands and the massive rock smashed the layer of ice, cracking it instantly. With a cry of shock, the woman was engulfed in the icy water, sinking to the bottom of the lake and leaving merely a few bubbles on the surface.

Chu Qiao stood on the bridge, looking calm and composed with an unchanging expression.

This was a savage world. To survive, a person had to eliminate their predators in one fell swoop.

Without a tinge of regret, she turned and retraced her steps. As she stepped into the yard, the children rushed towards her, all wounded and teary-eyed. Chu Qiao reached out to embrace Xiao Qi, who had just regained consciousness and was right in front of her. With a deep breath, she whispered, "Don't be afraid, everything is fine now."

In this slave yard, which housed the lowest class of slaves of the Zhuge household, the young female slaves lived the lives of animals. They could no longer hold back their tears, crying their sorrows away.

When dinnertime came, the granny that was in charge of the Jing family's children ordered them to work. Even the wounded children like Xiao Qi and Zhi Xiang had to. Only Chu Qiao and Xiao Ba, who had injured his waist and was fast asleep, remained in the hut. It was not until midnight that the other children returned exhausted from work. After finishing their dinner, the children obediently climbed into bed. Zhi Xiang crouched at the side of the bed-stove, adding firewood to keep the fire burning. The scars on her face were red and swollen, as though they were tiny snakes.

There was pin drop silence within the hut, and soon the slow breaths of children in deep sleep filled the room. Dressed in the clothes that Zhi Xiang had just given her, she sat up and whispered, "If you do not treat the wounds on your face, there will be scars."

The flames within the bed-stove glowed, brightening her face. She was so skinny, making her eyes seem bigger and darker. She raised her head and said, "Yue Er, slaves aren't supposed to use medicine. The last time Xiao Qi secretly used the medicine Lin Xi brought, we did not know the risk that we were taking. If it had been discovered, everyone could have lost their lives. We can't mess around with the wounds on my face."

While saying that, a sound was heard from above the stove. Both of them turned their heads, and realized that it was Xiao Qi who had kicked away her blanket in her sleep. Zhi Xiang rushed forward and covered Xiao Qi with her blanket. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she returned to man the fire.

Chu Qiao looked at Zhi Xiang and her lips trembled, but she did not say a word. This child was barely ten years old but had to shoulder such huge responsibilities. All the children in this hut were between five to ten years old. Why would the wealthy Zhuge family need so many children of this age?

"Sister Zhi Xiang," Chu Qiao whispered while getting off the bed-stove. Sitting beside Zhi Xiang, she continued, "Have you been to Jiang Nan?"

"Jiang Nan?" Zhi Xiang's brows furrowed. "Where is Jiang Nan?"

"Do you know where the Yellow Mountain is? Or the Yangtze River?"

Zhi Xiang shook her head and answered, "I know that on the west bank of the Hong River lies the Hong Mountain, and beneath the Hong Mountain there is the Cang Li River. Yue Er, why do you ask?"

Chu Qiao seemed to be in a daze and was deep in thought for a while. She shook her head and said, "It's nothing, I just wanted to ask. Oh, by the way, Sister Zhi Xiang, do you know who the current emperor is?"

"The emperor is the emperor. How could we call the emperor by his name? But I do know that the Royal Highness that is always dressed in black and frequents the Zhuge household is the emperor's seventh son, Zhao Che. He is the youngest prince in the Xia Empire to be named king."

That cold emotionless appearance with a scornful expression flashed through her mind. Her eyes narrowed and she repeated, "Zhao Che?"

"Yue Er, what happened to you? You seemed weird when you returned. What did you say to Lady Song? How could she let us off just like that?"

Chu Qiao turned and grinned. She said, "I'm fine, don't worry. Lady Song did not let us off, but she fell into the icy lake and drowned. I saw her drowning with my own eyes. Regarding the matter of Lady Song coming here, do not mention it to anyone."

"She died?" Zhi Xiang gasped as her face paled.

Chu Qiao covered her mouth quickly, looking around. Seeing that none of the children had woken up, she said seriously, "No one knows about this except for you and me. Don't tell anyone else. She has an evil heart, so there are plenty of reasons for her to die. But she is already dead, and you need not worry anymore."

"Yue… Yue Er," Zhi Xiang stuttered. "You… you did not kill her, right? She fell into the lake by herself, right? Her… her son is the consular guard of the court. We cannot afford to offend him."

Chu Qiao laughed and pointed to herself. "Do you think I would be capable of killing her? Okay, you have to stop thinking so much. She committed so many bad deeds that even if no one killed her, God would have taken it into his own hands. You've had a tiring day. You should rest."

Zhi Xiang shook her head furiously. "No, I have to keep the fire going."

"I can do it. I'm injured and can laze around tomorrow. Go and rest."

Chu Qiao sat quietly on a small stool, adding firewood once into a while into the fire. The flames crackled while they burned, illuminating her face with a bright red glow. She raised her head to look at the children in the hut, and her heart ached. Such a pity, but what could she do? She had mysteriously been brought to this era and was trapped in the tiny body of Jing Yue Er, losing all her martial arts skills and being of such a lowly class. She could barely take care of herself, how could she take care of others? The things she had done today were to return the favor of Lin Xi delivering food to her for the past three days. After this, she had to leave immediately.

Chu Qiao gradually closed her eyes. She knew that whatever she did, there would always be a limit to her capabilities. But in her current state, she did not have the ability to shoulder such a huge burden.

The rooster cried as dawn broke. The Jing family children woke up on time and put on their servant's clothes, preparing for the rest of the day.

Although she had lost her well-trained skills, she was still clear minded. Chu Qiao was no longer the super agent from the 9th operational division, but she had still gone through professional military training. The Zhuge household was vast with many people living in it, but for a tiny eight-year-old child with exceptional logical reasoning and a concept of space, it still seemed like a defenseless playground.

Within half an hour, she crept out of the slave yard and walked towards the front garden. Its defenses began to grow more stringent, and guards armed with knives could be seen patrolling the grounds.The Zhuge family was not an ordinary household, as Zhuge Huai could call Zhao Jue, Zhao Che, and the other members of the royal family his brothers.

Standing tall, her small body looked like a tiny tree. Chu Qiao straightened her clothes and stepped out with confidence.

"Stop! Are you looking for trouble? Do you think this a place where you can roam around wherever you like?"

A tall soldier with a large figure walked up to her, his face chubby and overweight. Chu Qiao froze in her steps and looked up, her fair, cute features coupled with dark, watery eyes. She said in a sugary tone, "Oh, elder brother, I have orders from the old master to go to his outer quarters. From what I heard, if I'm not there within the hour, they'll kill me."


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