In the pitch-black firmament, brilliant stars illuminated the slumbering earth like pairs of indifferent eyes, quietly gazing down upon the trajectories of human destinies. In the 466th year of the Baicang calendar, as the depths of winter had just arrived and heavy snow blanketed the land, the capital of Zhenhuang, having just celebrated the Shangyuan Festival, welcomed its first crisis after the joyous occasion.
Frost enveloped the entire Zhenhuang City, with carriages and lanterns shuttling incessantly between the Elder Council and Shengjin Palace throughout the night, flowing past like a rushing stream. The Huangtian Division, on its western expedition, had suffered the most severe setback and casualties in its history. The scent of blood flowed down from the icy waters of the Ganges on the Yunji Plateau, spreading throughout the Great Xia Dynasty and reaching the heart of the empire. The provocation of the lowborn had enraged the upper echelons of the nobility, and the authority of iron and blood was being questioned and challenged. Another war was quietly brewing amidst low, heavy breaths, and before it erupted, someone had to pay a bloody price for this failure—if only to uphold the empire's dignity.
A gilded edict was issued from Shengjin Palace, passed through the judgment of the Elder Council, then traversed Zixuan Square, Jiuwei Main Street, the Chengtian Sacrificial Altar, and the Qiankun Main Gate, all the way to the borderlands. On this quiet eve of gathering storms, the people of Zhenhuang City remained peacefully asleep.
"Yue'er Jie—"
Xiao Ba was about to cry out when Chu Qiao swiftly covered her mouth. The girl's eyes were bright as she glanced around, then pulled out a brocade pouch from her bosom and handed it to Xiao Ba. Lowering her voice, she spoke gravely, "Xiao Ba, we don't have much time, so I'll keep it short. If I haven't come for you by dinnertime tomorrow, escape on your own through the back gate of the horse fodder yard in the rear hills. I'll find a way to divert the guards there tomorrow, and there will be an hour before dinner when no one is on duty. Here are some travel funds, gold coins, forged exit documents, and travel permits. Keep them with you. Don't wait for me—leave the city directly."
"Yue'er Jie?" The child anxiously grabbed Chu Qiao's hand and said urgently, "What are you going to do? Are you going to seek revenge? Xiao Ba can help you too. I don't want to go alone."
"Be obedient," Chu Qiao reached out and stroked the child's head, speaking solemnly, "The Jing family now has only the two of us left. I am the elder sister, and you must listen to me. As long as even one person remains, the Jing family will not perish. If something happens to me, you can still avenge me."
"Yue'er Jie..."
"Xiao Ba, listen to me. Once you leave the city, head east. Wait for me for three days at Sanyi City on the border between Xia and Tang. If I still haven't arrived by then, leave on your own. Don't worry—this is just a precaution. Once I break free, I will definitely catch up with you."
The child's eyes reddened, and she tightly pursed her lips. Suddenly, she reached out and hugged Chu Qiao's waist tightly, sobbing, "Yue'er Jie is the most capable. Nothing will happen to you."
Chu Qiao's heart ached. She held the child's shoulders and smiled bitterly, "Don't worry. After this, we will leave this place. From then on, no one will ever be able to bully us again."
Outside the window, the cold moon hung like a hook, and the west wind swept through the snow, leaving behind a desolate scene.
The next day, Chu Qiao rose early as usual to attend to Zhuge Yue in his chamber, only to be informed that the Fourth Young Master had left early in the morning and was no longer in the residence.Chu Qiao thought to herself, "Heaven helps me," and turned to walk toward the main courtyard. Unexpectedly, as soon as she reached the Green Shufang in front of the pavilion, she was stopped by Zhuge Yue's personal guard, Yue Qi. The young guard, not yet fifteen, stared coldly at Chu Qiao and said word by word, "The young master has ordered that Xing'er is not allowed to leave the gates of Green Mountain Courtyard."
Chu Qiao was taken aback, wondering what madness had struck Zhuge Yue this time. She raised her head with a sweet smile and said, "Brother, I'm not trying to leave the courtyard. I just want to check if the tea delivered yesterday is fresh." With that, she turned and headed toward the small kitchen.
Yue Qi watched her retreating figure intently, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's, not missing a single detail.
A short while later, Huan'er emerged from the kitchen. Yue Qi frowned and stepped forward, asking, "Where is Xing'er?"
"She's inside, helping everyone sort the tea."
Yue Qi frowned again. "Does someone of her status still need to do such work?"
"Hmph, do you think Xing'er is as opportunistic as Jin Zhu and Jin Si?" The young maid raised an eyebrow, giving Yue Qi a disdainful look, and spoke bluntly, "Snob!"
White clouds drifted across the sky. Today was indeed a fine day.
Having shaken off Yue Qi, Chu Qiao found an excuse to carefully slip out of Green Mountain Courtyard and hurried toward the front garden. Afraid of being discovered, she took the most secluded path. Just as she reached the plum grove, a figure suddenly darted out. Startled, she frowned and looked closely. The person was young, with delicate features, and looked strangely familiar.
"Don't be alarmed. I am Feng Mian, the study attendant of Young Master Yan. I’m here today on his behalf to deliver a message to you."
"A message?" Chu Qiao raised an eyebrow, her eyes scanning Feng Mian from head to toe. "How did you know to wait for me here?"
Feng Mian grinned proudly. "Our Young Master said that if I couldn’t get into Green Mountain Courtyard, I should hide along the most secluded path leading to the outer residence. He was sure I’d find you here."
Chu Qiao snorted coldly, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Your Young Master is quite the prophet."
"Hehe," the young attendant flashed a row of white teeth. "Our Young Master is indeed very clever."
"What’s the message? Spit it out. I have things to do."
Feng Mian clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking this little slave girl certainly had character—no wonder both the Young Master and Fourth Young Master Zhuge were so taken with her. He quickly said, "Our Young Master asked me to tell you that he’s returning to Yanbei tomorrow morning. He’d like to bid you farewell tonight, at the same place as last night."
"Returning to Yanbei?" Chu Qiao frowned slightly. "Isn’t your Young Master a hostage in the capital? Why is he leaving so suddenly?"
"I don’t know the specifics, but our old prince has sent someone to summon the Young Master back. It must be urgent. The Elder Council has already approved it. We’ll be leaving for Yanbei tomorrow morning."
Chu Qiao nodded silently. "Tell your Young Master that as a servant, I cannot leave the estate easily. Besides, whether he returns to Yanbei or not has nothing to do with me. I am of lowly status and dare not presume to associate with him. A farewell is out of the question."
Little Feng Mian chuckled. "Our Young Master said that if you want to go, no one can stop you. As for whether it has anything to do with you, that’s not for me to say. You’re busy, miss. I’ll take my leave."The young book boy vanished into the plum grove with a sly grin, leaving Chu Qiao inwardly lamenting the lax security of the Zhuge residence, which allowed even a child to come and go freely.
Moving cautiously along the way, after about half an hour, she finally reached the side chamber in the front courtyard. The courtyard of Zhu Shun, the chief steward of the Zhuge residence's outer estate, lay completely exposed before her eyes, utterly defenseless.
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