As everyone turned their heads they saw the little maid, who had just entered Qing Shan Courtyard. Standing in the crowd with her small figure, she gently spoke, "Even though it's winter, we are situated near the hot spring that provides much warmth but also mosquitoes and moths. Rattan itself attracts these bugs but burning it emits more warmth and further attracts the birds and mice. They feed on the bugs which then, attracts the snakes which feed on the mice. This is common knowledge and the maids should have thought long and hard about it."
Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows with alarm, turned his head and asked with a stern tone, "Who brought these pots of rattan here?"
Jin Cai was frightened and murmured hesitantly, "Sir, these few pots were sent by the Zhu household caretaker yesterday, explaining that they are a speciality of South Xinjiang. He thought that you would like it and specifically requested the maids to place them here."
"Zhu Shun?" Zhuge Yue pondered for a while, his eyes turned slightly cold and he slowly spoke, "This caretaker has become more brazen. If he buys a dagger and requests to put it on my bed, I bet you will do as instructed."
Utterly shocked, Jin Cai hurriedly exclaimed, "I would not dare!"
Zhuge Yue did not utter a word and as his servants were about to leave, he suddenly said, "You will serve in the interior from now on."
The crowd stood still and wondered who he was referring to.
Zhuge Yue frowned impatiently, pointed to Chu Qiao and said, "You."
Everyone suddenly stared in unison.
Chu Qiao respectfully responded, "I will obey your command."
After exiting the main Xuan Hall, the servants just threw Jin Zhu, who was covered with blood, into the cart. This weak girl was just handed thirty strokes of the cane and was about to be thrown in An Jun Hall, an insufferable place. How is she going to survive?
Jin Cai felt ominous and shuddered at the sight. Just then, a sweet voice was heard behind her. She turned her head and saw Chu Qiao smiling eye to eye while looking at her, she then sweetly said, "Sister Jin Cai, let's work together from here on. I am still young and immature, please take good care of me!"
Jin Cai suddenly panicked without understanding why but still tried to maintain a calm expression and replied, "We are all servants and working together… together is a must."
"Yes." Chu Qiao smiled and replied, "Then Sister Jin Cai, don't you think you should forgive Nuan Yu and those children?"
Albeit feeling slightly angry, Jin Cai still nodded her head and said, "Their time here is almost up too, they can leave."
"I shall thank you for them," Chu Qiao grinned and walked towards the shivering cold children. She spun around like she suddenly thought of something and said, "If Sister Jin Zhu was as kind as you, Shu Tong and Lin Xi wouldn't have been beaten alive by the Master. That's why it pays to be kind. Lin Xi has only been dead for 3 days and it looks like Jin Zhu is going to be dead too. This thought sends a shudder down my spine."
Jin Cai couldn't put up a fake front anymore. She turned white with fear and glared intensely at Chu Qiao. Thinking that this small child gives off such an evil aura was frightening.
Chu Qiao edged her way forward and whispered into Jin Cai's ear, "After committing evil deeds, there is bound to be retribution. If one has yet to be served what they deserve, it's just that it has yet to come. Don't you think so?"
Jin Cai was shocked, took a step back and left hurriedly.
Chu Qiao reacted immediately and grabbed onto her shoulder. Jin Cai was appalled and jumped aside, exclaiming, "What do you want?"
Chu Qiao sighed coldly and said without a hint of a smile, "Why are you nervous? I merely wanted to direct you back to that dish of peaches."
"Peaches?"
"We are both interior servants now and are equal in status. I've retrieved the peaches from Nanyuan with much hard work, don't you think I should be the one to present it?"
Jin Cai was speechless upon hearing that.
Chu Qiao turned and walked towards the flower room. She thought out loud while speaking, "We should all know our place and should not do what we aren't supposed to do, then can we become great people of our time. Some things can only be said once and some warnings can only be warranted once. Slowly reflect on how you are going to treat people and handle matters correctly the next time."
After noon, the bright sun's rays pierced down on the snowy ground.
This was not any ordinary day, because the court of elders decreed the military to be activated. Huang Army immediately set out to commence counter-insurgency. The warlords of the seven divisions were fighting aggressively with each other to take over the helm of the Huang Army. The head of Zhuge Prefecture, Zhuge Mu Qing, was not around, The decision making was assigned to Zhuge Huai.
Also on this day, the fourth prince of Zhuge Prefecture, Zhuge Yue, was hurt by the bite of a poisonous snake. Although he was given immediate medical attention, he still needed time to recuperate. Despite his young age, he was the Huang Army's Major General, birthed in the hall. He had led men to counter insurgents three times and was highly skilled. In the Zhuge Family, he was the leader apart from Zhuge Huai. The other divisions received information about him promptly from their informants. After Zhuge Huai placed his brother in the leadership position, the rest quickly voiced their opposition.
That afternoon, the imperial doctor entered the Zhuge Prefecture. Zhuge Clan wanted to take over the Huang Army, he had no choice but to abandon his plan of taking over.
This action brought about an overwhelming response. Upon hearing this, the elders of Zhuge Clan all came , taking over the Zhuge Main Residence.
On the same day, because of Zhuge Yue's injury, the Zhuge Prefecture staged the usual drama and competition. Jin Zhu, the main servant of the Fourth Master who always bullied others, was caned while the two servants of the Qing Shan Courtyard fought each other, resulting in one dead and one injured. Due to the severity of his injuries, he passed away the next day. Zhu household's main caretaker was given twenty strokes because of a few pots which induced trouble for him. He was still lamenting while recuperating.
At the rear of the mountain, crocodiles were kept in a pavilion on a lake beside the hot spring. Once again, three corpses surfaced silently and were food for the crocodiles, but no one seemed to care.
As the dark, starry night loomed, Chu Qiao received the last bunch of notes and gradually placed it in the rattan pot.
These past few days, Jin Cai was unable to concentrate. Every time she saw the child from the Jing Family, she would feel a chill rising from the bottom of her feet, resulting in a loss of appetite and a feeling like there was a fishbone stuck in her throat.
From early in the morning when the weather was good, the servants cleaned up the snow in the courtyard and carried on with the rest of the day's work in an orderly manner. While preparing a meal, news came from the Red Hill Court, Master Mu of the South of the Five Ridges, Master Wei, Seventh Royal Highness Zhao, Eighth Royal Highness Zhao Jue, Thirteenth Royal Highness Zhao Song and Emperor Yan were gathered in the glass hall of Red Hill Court. The Eldest Master was already there accompanying them while the Third and Fifth Masters are still making their way there. The Fourth Master was asked to make his way there to join in the crowd if his body had recovered.
Zhuge Yue was more introverted. He did not go on walks frequently with his siblings, but prefered to stay in Qing Shan Courtyard to read or eat on his own. He lacked exuberance and if not for his cruelty, he was known to keep to himself. He received the news while lying on his bed and informed the messenger that he wasn't feeling too well; hence he wouldn't be making his way there.
Chu Qiao gently fanned the incense and upon receiving the information, she raised her eyebrows but remained silent. After some time, while the food was going to be delivered, she followed quietly behind the servant delivering the food and retreated.
Jin Cai took a slight glance but kept her thoughts to herself, and after some effort, she made her way out.
Despite being termed a hall, it was actually just a pavilion. It was located on the octagonal mountain in Red Hill Court, below lied a green lake. Since it was the middle of the winter, the lake was frozen with layers of snow. It was surrounded by red and white plum trees on each side which disrupted the bright white landscape, painting vibrant colors.
Behind the plum trees lay Zhuge Family's horse racing hill. The huge plains were fully grown with pastures brought in by members of the Zhuge Family, specially used to rear the superior breed of horses. This huge plot of land had few visitors as servants were not allowed to enter, hence the serenity.
Chu Qiao was small in stature and she cleverly evaded the watchful eyes of the guards, entering and hastily climbing onto the plains of the horse racing hill and yet no one found out.
The small stature of Chu Qiao had both its pros and cons. Take for example, now that she has to shift the pots, she has to put in additional effort.
As Chu Qiao was about to leave, she saw a suspicious looking shadow creeping about. She bent down and waited until the person left before gradually approaching. She saw a dark horse being tied to a pine tree on her way down. The horse looked strong and well-groomed but did not respond despite noticing her presence. She was puzzled, as this seemingly well-trained horse should be resistant towards the approach of a stranger. Upon lowering her head, she noticed a bundle of buckwheat which had yet to be finished. She tiptoed forward and held the horse's head and took a closer look for a long time, but the horse did not react.
As she was just about to leave, she turned her head and saw a few dozen white feathered arrows in the bag attached to the horse. She took one out to observe the pure white arrowhead and noticed a carving of "Swallow" forcefully edged on the surface.
The leaders of the various divisions were feasting in the hall while admiring the plum trees. Chu Qiao ran along the deserted trail on the precipice of the octagon mountain. She placed the burning rattan on the trail and poured out a few snakes from the bag she carried.
"Ha! I knew you were the one causing trouble!"A shrill voice suddenly sounded.
Chu Qiao turned around and saw Jin Cai smugly standing there.
Jin Cai chided, "I will definitely tell the Fourth Master this time and that's it for you!"
"Is that so?" Chu Qiao tilted her head and slyly smiled. Upon hearing trailing footsteps in the distance, she shook her head and said, "I don't think so." She instantly leaned back and fell along the precipice.
"It's there!" Voices in the distance sounded in unison.
Jin Cai wasn't able to yell out her surprise before getting ferociously pinned down by a group of burly men.
Zhu Shun glared at her and muttered, "Jin Cai, now that you've been caught with the loot, what have you got to say?"
Jin Cai was taken aback and hurriedly defended herself, "It's not me, it's Jing Xing Er! I just followed her here!"
"Nonsense, I saw you loitering around suspiciously and going to steal that pot of rattan from Zhu housekeeper, yet you still dare to accuse others!" A crisp voice sounded.
Jin Cai turned and saw a familiar little girl standing beside Zhu Shun. Suddenly it clicked and she realized the situation, shouting "She's in cahoots with Jing Xing Er, Zhu housekeeper, don't believe her!"
Zhu Shun was sitting in a padded chair lifted by four burly men. After suffering from beatings a few days ago, his bottom was still swelling. After being told, he frowned and spoke in his low voice, "You said you were here with Jing Xing Er, so where exactly is she?"
"She jumped off the cliff."
"What?" Zhu Shun was angry and instantaneously snapped, "You think I'm an idiot? You mean the lass from Jing household set you up and jumped to her death thereafter?"
"I…"
"A bunch of nonsense," Zhu Shun shouted, "You were in here for four to five years and I have always treated you well. Your fight with Jin Zhu in Qing Shan Court is your own affairs, why did you drag me into it? What are you trying to do now? Are you trying to get me into trouble in front of the various masters?"
"Zhu caretaker, please believe me."
"Guys! Teach her a good lesson!"
A shrilling scream sounded.
Chu Qiao held on tightly onto a rope she had prepared previously and swung herself into a small cave. This octagonal mountain was made up of piles of charcoal rocks. Every spring, there will be purple moss appearing on the charcoal rocks. After roasting it, it has a unique smell which calms the soul. Every spring, people from Zhuge family will collect the mosses from the cliff and as time passed, they dug up a man-sized hole. Chu Qiao spent a lot of time in the backyard and was made well-aware of the existence of this hole. She carefully placed the withered grass she plucked apart and kept her rope, waiting for the crowd to disperse.
At this moment, warm breath could be felt in her ear, a male voice whispered with a chuckle, "This girl, how are you so wicked?"
Chu Qiao was shocked. She immediately turned around and hastily struck the person with the hook attached to her rope.
"It's hard to imagine you are a child who is not even ten years old yet." The person was agile and grabbed ahold of Chu Qiao's small hands with ease, his voice tranquil.
Because of Chu Qiao's small stature, this person pinned her down to the floor with just one hand. But she still unyieldingly raised her head and was surprised as she raised her eyebrows, "It's you?"
The man seemed to be stunned for a moment too and carefully scrutinized the child. He had an epiphany and smiled, "Who am I? So it's you, is the medicine still effective?"
The man had dashing eyebrows with a sharp nose, jet-black eyes with an incisiveness hidden below his gentleness. Impressively, he is a distinguished guest of today's gala, Royal Highness of Yan, Yan Xun.
Chu Qiao determinedly raised her head and said coldly, "Why are you here? What are you trying to do?"
Yan Xun grinned, "I should be the one asking you this."
Many thoughts ran across Chu Qiao's mind and she repeatedly considered the chances of pushing this man down the cliff. While she was considering, she tried to reach for the dagger hidden at her waist.
Yan Xun pointed at her and said calmly, "If you don't want to be discovered, you better be obedient and not have any other ideas. Such a small child, how can you be so wicked?"
Chu Qiao raised her eyebrow, "Compared to you people, I am far from wicked. With you hiding here, you are probably up to no good too. Pot calling the kettle black, don't be a hypocrite and act like you're a big help to me."
Yan Xun instantly stood up upon hearing this, plied open the worm and shouted, "Who's above?"
Chu Qiao gasped and did not manage to stop him in time. If she was exposed, Xiao Ba will get into trouble too. She immediately pulled out her dagger and thrust it towards Yan Xun.
Yan Xun did a hook with his natural reflex and lounged onto Chu Qiao's mouth, bringing her into his embrace. Just then, an alarmed voice came from above and Yan Xun stuck his head out and shouted, "His Royal Highness is here appreciating the plum trees, why are you guys causing a ruckus? Quickly disperse."
Zhu Shun was brought to the cliff by his men and upon seeing Yan Xun, he lost his dominance and bowed down for a long while before hastily bringing his men away.
Yan Xun grinned as he released her arm, spun around and said, "This counts as me giving you a big helping hand right?"
Chu Qiao is short and is below Yan Xun's shoulders. She stuck her ear out and listened for a while,realizing that there wasn't any movement above. She threw her hook above and ensured that it was ledged on properly before turning over and maneuvering her way up.
Yan Xun squinted and observed her. Although she is definitely more agile, she doesn't seem to be from a martial arts background. While she is brave, she is not reckless with nimble movements. The cave was merely a meter below, Yan Xun firmly held onto the cliff and with a surge of force, he jumped up.
Chu Qiao kept her hook and surveyed her surroundings to ensure her safety before leaving. She suddenly turned around and said coldly, "I don't like to owe people favors. Later on before making your way back, look carefully at your horse."
Yan Xun was slightly taken aback. By the time he recovered his sense, the child was long gone. In the distance, she seemed like a dog crawling on the rugged trail and was gone after a moment.
The young Royal Highness of Yan squinted and gave a slight grin, "Interesting."
Descending the octagonal mountain, she passed by a strip of exquisite rockwork before entering the plum forest.
Today the various vagrants of Huang City's great families were gathered at Zhuge Court, the plum forest area was under extra watchful eyes, hence extremely quiet. While treading through, Chu Qiao occasionally leisurely tiptoed to pluck some plum flowers.
"Hey you! Come over!" A rude voice shouted out, seemingly of a child's but was of an overbearing tone.
Chu Qiao glanced and saw a young prince dressed in an emerald robe with an intricate depiction of a fluffy snow white sable tail embroidered in golden stitches. He had a bright face and slightly crinkled sharp nose. His et black eyes stared at her and shouted, "Yes, you! I'm calling for you!"
Chu Qiao frowned but thought it best not to cause any trouble. She bowed down respectfully and said, "I still have things to do, please excuse me." Once she completed her sentence, she turned and left.
The young prince was taken aback as he did not expect this servant to leave as she wished. He wrinkled his nose and suddenly yielded the whip in his hand and shouted, "You mongrel! So daring!"
Once she heard the sound, she turned back immediately and grabbed the tip of the whip with her bare hands while staring coldly at him.
Little did he know that Zhuge household's servant was so ferocious, he used all his might and tugged but to no avail. He pouted and raged, "Do you want to die? I will tell my men to chop you up!"
Chu Qiao smiled coldly and nimbly spun the whip. The whip immediately slipped out of the young prince's hand and into her own. Despite being less than eight years old, having a small stature and with a tender face, her glare was definitely not of a child. She calmly edged forward and said without a tinge of emotion, "The whip is used for chasing horses and not for you to attack others." Once she finished speaking, she handed the whip back to him and turned to leave.
Seeing that this girl was smaller in stature but was full of confidence and was so nimble, he felt attracted to her. Seeing her leave, he felt anxious but he was not able to speak to her positively with his huge ego. He presumptuously ran up and blocked her path, "You are a servant from which Zhuge Court? What's your name? Do you know who I am? Do you believe I will ask my men to chop you up?"
Chu Qiao lifted up her head, glanced at him slightly and pushed his arm away. She raised her eyebrows in disdain, "You can't beat me so you will have to call your men, what a weakling. No matter your status, I'm not interested to find out."
The plum trees swayed as the young prince stood amidst the trees; he stared blankly at Chu Qiao disappearing into the horizon.
After reaching Qing Shan Court, she said her greetings to those around and headed straight to Xuan Hall. Zhuge Yue was lying on his bed with a lazy demeanour and just vaguely looked at Chu Qiao without lifting his head.
She walked towards a jade vase and removed the flowers from the day before, placing the plum flowers she plucked into the vase. After which, she went beside Zhuge Yue and kneeled down at the incense burner. She mixed the slush from the plum flowers with basil before carefully pouring it into the incense burner and gently fanned it. Immediately there was a refreshing smell, Zhuge Yue took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.
A long time passed and Zhuge Yue seemed to have fallen asleep. At this moment, there were sudden movements outside and he wearily opened his eyes.
"Fourth Master, Zhu caretaker deployed his man to inform us that at the octagonal mountain he had caught Jin Cai red-handed, laying out a pot of rattan and many poisonous snakes. She's being trailed now."
Zhuge Yue half-opened his eyes and leisurely said, "Even though Jin Cai is bossy, she is timid, she wouldn't dare to bring poisonous snakes with her. Did anyone hear what she said?"
"She said…"The servant's voice trailed off while darting a look at Chu Qiao quietly sitting in the corner. He whispered, "She said she was following behind Chu Qiao and even said that she had set up both Jin Cai and Jin Zhu. Her purpose is to take revenge for the deaths of the children of the Jing household."
"Xing Er," Zhuge Yue reclined on his bed, lifted up his teacup and said calmly, "Explain yourself."
Chu Qiao kneeled down and replied calmly, "I didn't do it."
"So where did you go?"
"Xing Er went to the plum garden."
"Did anyone else see you?"
The child shook her head but thought for a moment and said, "Xing Er saw a young prince at the garden. He isn't from our court, he's slightly over ten years old and was wearing a jade robe with a snow white sable tail. I don't know his name."
"Hm," Zhuge Yue nodded his head and told the messenger, "You go."
The messenger was slightly taken aback and said with uncertainty, "So for Miss Jin Cai…"
Zhuge Yue raised his head, closed his eyes and leaned on the bed. He gently said, "She has to pay the price for her mistakes, see how the court wants to handle her."
The messenger nodded and left. The house was quiet with the slight scent of the smoky incense.
"Xing Er, do you hate the court for killing your relatives?"
Chu Qiao looked down and replied obediently, "Master, Xing Er has been the court's servant from a young age. And only because of you, I have a warm bed to sleep on, warm food to eat and clothes to keep me warm. I'm still young and my heart can't contain so many thoughts. I only wish to serve my master well and live properly."
"Yes," Zhuge Yue nodded his head, "What you're thinking is right. Even though you are young, you are still reliable. Next time, the matters of Xuan Hall will be handed to you to manage."
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