The assassin incident caused a huge uproar and dragged on until dawn the next day. Steward Zhu lost a hand and suffered heavy losses. In his fury, he ordered Jin Ci to be beaten to death. Jin Ci, who had already been injured before, couldn't withstand such severe punishment and passed away within an hour. Her body was wrapped in a straw mat and discarded on the back hill, eventually ending up in the bellies of the fish in Tinghu Lake.
Zhuge Yue preferred tranquility and had a solitary nature. Originally, there were only two maids, Jin Zhu and Jin Ci, in his residence. Within a few days, both had died one after another, leaving Chu Qiao as the only one remaining in the inner chambers. She was young, not even eight years old, with a childish appearance and a voice that still carried a hint of babyish tone. No matter how capable she was, others found it somewhat eerie. In less than half a day, whispers spread throughout the mansion: the Fourth Young Master was following in the footsteps of the Old Master, developing a fondness for underage girls.
As a result, everyone treated Chu Qiao with even more respect.
In the afternoon, Chu Qiao wore a newly made white begonia-patterned cotton dress and small white camel-hair boots, with two emerald hairpins in her hair. She hopped and skipped along the lakeside in the back garden, looking adorable and charming. She had just gone to the outer mansion to collect the newly delivered aloeswood incense. As she passed through a bamboo grove, a figure suddenly jumped in front of her. The person laughed heartily and said, "I knew I'd find you eventually!"
The young master was dressed in a sapphire-blue robe embroidered with colorful birds, vibrant and splendid. Swinging his small whip proudly, he looked Chu Qiao up and down and said, "What are you doing? The weather is so nice today—let's go bird hunting."
Chu Qiao frowned at the young master's enthusiastic demeanor and shook her head. "I'm not as free as you are. I have things to do, so I'll take my leave." With that, she turned to leave.
"Hey, hey, don't go!" The young master quickly ran in front of her, spreading his arms to block her path. "I've been searching for you all morning in this garden. How about this: tell me your name and which courtyard you belong to. I'll go ask Zhuge Huai to transfer you to me, and you can come with me. How does that sound?"
Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow, turned her head, and looked up at him. "Do you really want to take me away?"
The young master nodded solemnly. "Yes, out of all the maids and servants, I like you the most. I'll appoint you as my Gate Guard General. How about that?"
Chu Qiao smiled and nodded. "Alright then, I'll tell you my name. But whether you can get me from the Eldest Young Master depends on your skills."
"Don't worry!" The young master patted his chest and declared loudly, "Not to mention one little maid—even ten or eight, Zhuge Huai would have to hand them over to me obediently."
"Good, listen carefully. My name is Zixu, and I live in the Wuyou Courtyard. I'm a little maid under Aunt Dou, and my daily job is to make clay figures for the young masters and ladies to play with. Make sure you remember that."
The young master's eyes lit up. "You can make clay figures too?"
"Yes," Chu Qiao suppressed a laugh. Finding the child utterly adorable, she couldn't resist standing on her tiptoes to pinch his cheek firmly. Smiling, she said, "I have many more skills. I'll show them to you one by one in the future. I have things to do now, so I must go. Remember to ask the Eldest Young Master!""Alright, you can rest assured," the young master nodded with a simple smile. "You should go back and pack your things first. I'll come to pick you up soon."
Chu Qiao had walked quite a distance when she turned back and still saw the young master standing on the large rock, waving vigorously at her. Suppressing a laugh, she rounded the bamboo grove and headed toward Green Mountain Courtyard with the heavy incense in her arms.
"A false name, a nonexistent courtyard, a little maid playing with clay figures under Aunt Dou's hands—quite the imagination you have."
A clear male voice suddenly sounded from above. Startled, Chu Qiao looked up to see Yan Xun in his blue robe, his features bright and handsome as stars, sitting on a high pine branch. He gazed down at her with a light smile.
Having revealed her true nature in front of him more than once or twice, Chu Qiao no longer bothered to pretend. She shot him a cold glare and said sharply, "Climbing so high—aren't you afraid you'll fall and die?"
"No need for your concern," he replied. "You're the one with a vicious heart, little child. You should worry about yourself. I see dark clouds gathering on the horizon—who knows, it might even thunder in winter and strike down those who've done wicked deeds."
Chu Qiao, small in stature, stood beneath the tree looking up and retorted coldly, "No matter how many wicked deeds I do, they can't compare to you profligate sons who kill without blinking. Beasts, every one of you—not a single good person among you."
"You have quite the nerve." Though his words were stern, his tone held a light laugh. The youth sat in the tree, speaking to the child below. "That day, I deliberately shot my arrow wide to spare your life. To save you, I even gave up the prize of eight Western dancers your young master offered. Instead of being grateful, you respond with insults—what kind of logic is that?"
"Logic is for people. What logic is there to discuss with a profligate like you? I warn you, stop pestering me, and don't think you can threaten me by exposing me. If you dare try, you'll regret it."
With that, Chu Qiao turned and quickened her pace. But she had only taken two steps when a sudden pain struck her forehead. Looking down, she saw it was a pinecone still dusted with snow. The girl flared with anger and immediately turned back, glaring furiously at Yan Xun. "Are you trying to pick a fight?"
"Wrong," Yan Xun said with a faint smile. "Not picking a fight—I'm just bullying you."
Chu Qiao tilted her head, standing under the tree, then turned and walked away without another word. Yan Xun, feigning deep thought with half-closed eyes, had expected the child to argue with him. Feeling somewhat disgruntled by her departure, he was taken by surprise when a fist-sized stone came whistling through the air straight at his face. Fortunately, Yan Xun was trained in martial arts and agile enough to dodge sideways in time. Just as he was feeling smug, a chill hit the back of his neck. Cursing inwardly, he heard a rustling sound as the accumulated snow on the entire tree shook loose and cascaded down upon him.
The young Crown Prince in his fine robes and jade ornaments jumped down from the tree, covered in snow and looking utterly disheveled. Lifting his head, he saw the small girl standing on the white snow, clapping her hands clean. Noticing his gaze, she raised her right hand, extended her middle finger in a defiant gesture, flashed a triumphant smile, and then turned to leave.
Yan Xun frowned slightly, puzzled, and looked down at his own hand, also raising his middle finger. The thirteen-year-old noble Crown Prince of Yanbei was utterly bewildered—what kind of gesture was this?The eleven-year-old book attendant Feng Mian ran out from the woods, waving his arms excitedly and shouting, "Crown Prince, let me go catch her and let Young Master Huai properly punish this insolent girl who shows no respect for her superiors."
"You? Catch her?" Yan Xun sneered, turning around with his middle finger raised. "Feng Mian, what does this gesture mean?"
"This..." Feng Mian was momentarily stunned, but then declared with certainty, "It should mean an apology. She knows herself that what she did was utterly wrong, but being just a child who doesn't know better, she's too embarrassed to say it directly, so she uses this gesture instead."
"An apology?" Yan Xun frowned. "It doesn't quite look like that to me."
"It definitely is, Crown Prince, no mistake."
"Is that so?"
...
In the main hall of the Zhuge family's Hongshan residence, Zhuge Huai, Zhao Che, and the others burst into laughter upon hearing the young master's words. Despite his youth, Young Lord Jing was quite clever and said with a smile, "Zhuge, your family has such a sharp-witted maid. I'd like to see her for myself."
Zhuge Huai shook his head and said, "The servants don't know their place. I apologize for the embarrassment."
"What exactly happened? What are you all laughing at?" The young master's face flushed red as he asked anxiously.
Zhao Che laughed and explained, "Fictitious name, nonexistent residence, the little maid under Auntie Dou's care who plays with clay figures—it's all made up, just teasing you! Thirteenth Brother, they're making fun of you."
Zhao Song's face turned crimson with anger. He stamped his foot in frustration, then turned and ran out.
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