At dinner time, the Jing family children were all summoned by the supervising matron to perform tasks. Even Xiaoqi and Zhixiang, who were injured, were called along. Only Chu Qiao and Xiao Ba—who had injured his waist and remained unconscious—stayed behind in the room. The children did not return until late at night, exhausted. After eating, they sensibly climbed into bed to sleep. Zhixiang crouched by the kang, adding firewood to the stove. The scar on her face was red and swollen, twisted like a small snake.
The room grew quiet, gradually filled with the soft breathing of sleeping children. Chu Qiao, wearing the clothes Zhixiang had just given her, got up and said softly, "If we don’t treat your face soon, it will leave a scar."
The firelight from the kang stove illuminated Zhixiang’s face, her small features sharpened into a thin line, making her eyes appear even darker and larger. She looked up and said, "Yue’er, slaves aren’t allowed to use medicine. Last time, Xiaoqi secretly used the medicine Lin Xi brought, and we took a huge risk. If it had been discovered, we all would have been killed. My injury is on my face—we can’t act recklessly."
Just then, a rustling sound came from the kang. Both turned to see Xiaoqi kicking off his blanket in his sleep. Zhixiang hurried over to cover him, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and returned to tend the fire.
Chu Qiao watched Zhixiang, her lips parting slightly, but in the end, she said nothing. This child was only about ten years old, yet she carried such a heavy burden. The oldest among the children in this room was no more than ten, the youngest only five or six. What could the wealthy and powerful Zhuge family possibly want with so many five- and six-year-old children?
"Sister Zhixiang," Chu Qiao climbed down from the kang and sat beside her, speaking softly, "Have you ever been to Jiangnan?"
"Jiangnan?" Zhixiang frowned and turned to her. "What is Jiangnan?"
"Do you know of Huangshan? Or do you know where the Yangtze River is?"
Zhixiang shook her head. "I know that west of Hongchuan lies Hong Mountain, and below Hong Mountain flows the Cangli River. Yue’er, why do you ask?"
Chu Qiao seemed lost in thought for a long moment before shaking her head. "It’s nothing, I was just asking. By the way, Sister Zhixiang, do you know the current emperor’s name?"
"The emperor is the emperor. How could we dare speak his name? But I know that the dark-clothed prince who often visits our mansion is the emperor’s seventh son, named Zhao Che. He’s the youngest prince in Daxia to be granted a title."
A cold, mocking face instantly flashed into Chu Qiao’s mind. She narrowed her eyes slightly and repeated, "Zhao Che?"
"Yue’er, what’s wrong with you? You’ve been acting strange since you returned. What exactly did you say to Matron Song? How did she just let us off like that?"
Chu Qiao turned to her with a faint smile. "I’m fine, don’t worry. That Matron Song didn’t let us off—she fell into the frozen lake and drowned. I saw her die with my own eyes. So, don’t tell anyone she came here."
"She’s dead?" Zhixiang exclaimed in shock.
Chu Qiao quickly covered her mouth, glanced around to ensure the Jing family children were still asleep, and said gravely, "This stays between you and me. Don’t speak of it again. She was cruel-hearted and deserved to die. Let it be—there’s no need to dwell on it.""Yue, Yue'er," Zhi Xiang stammered, "It wasn't... you didn't kill her, right? She fell into the lake by herself, didn't she? Her... her son is the head guard of the front courtyard. We can't afford to provoke them."
Chu Qiao smiled and pointed at her own chest, saying, "Do you really think someone like me could kill her? Alright, don't overthink it. She committed countless evil deeds—even if no one killed her, heaven would have dealt with her. You've worked hard all day, go rest now."
Zhi Xiang quickly shook her head, "No, I still need to tend the fire."
"I'll handle it. I'm injured, so I can slack off tomorrow. You go ahead."
Chu Qiao quietly sat on the small stool, occasionally adding a piece of firewood to the stove. The crackling flames cast a fiery glow on her face. She lifted her head and glanced at the room full of children, feeling a pang of sorrow in her heart. But what could she do? She had inexplicably arrived in this unknown dynasty, trapped in Jing Yue'er's tiny body, her martial skills gone, and stuck in such a lowly status. She could barely take care of herself—how could she save others? What she did today was merely repaying Lin Xi for the three days of meals he'd brought her. Next, she had to leave immediately.
Chu Qiao slowly closed her eyes. One must act within their means, and right now, she didn't have the capability to carry such a heavy burden.
At dawn, Chu Qiao quietly slipped out of the room.
As the rooster crowed and the sky brightened, the Jing family children woke up on time, put on their servant uniforms, and began preparing for the day's work. Chu Qiao watched them leave with cheerful smiles, her heart aching.
Taking out the stolen travel money and food, Chu Qiao took one last deep look at Little Eight, who remained unconscious in bed, then resolutely turned away.
Though her agile physique was gone, her sharp mind remained. While not a super agent like the 003 Action Unit operatives, she was still a professionally trained national soldier. Though the Zhuge estate was vast and heavily populated, to someone small and under eight years old but possessing superior logical analysis and spatial awareness, it remained like an undefended playground.
In less than half an hour, she quietly left the servants' inner quarters and reached the front courtyard. Security here was noticeably tighter, with armed estate guards visible everywhere. The Zhuge family was different from ordinary noble houses—just look at how Zhuge Huai could call royal descendants like Zhao Che and Zhao Jue brothers. Chu Qiao straightened her back, her small body standing straight like a young tree. She adjusted her clothes, lifted her head, and walked forward confidently.
"Halt! Looking to die? This isn't a place you can wander around freely!"
A tall guard suddenly stepped forward, his face fleshy and his body obese. Chu Qiao stopped and looked up, her small face delicate and fair, her clear eyes bright and innocent. In a sweet, childish voice she said, "Big brother, I've been ordered to go to the old master's outer residence. The messenger said if I'm not there within an hour, he'll have my head."
The guard frowned, looking the small Chu Qiao up and down. He wondered privately when the old master had changed his preferences to favor such an underdeveloped girl. Suspiciously, he asked, "Who sent you? Do you even know where the old master's outer residence is?""I have the address," the child rummaged through her small bundle, pulling out a sheet of white paper. Her pale, delicate little hand gestured as she murmured, "From the mansion gate, turn left at the third intersection, then ahead is the Floating Fragrance Tavern..."
"Enough," the guard snapped impatiently, "Who told you this? Why isn't anyone taking you?"
The child answered honestly, "Auntie Song came to tell me. She was supposed to take me, but just now when we passed the stone bridge, she accidentally fell off and broke through the ice. I watched her sink down. I suppose she probably can't take me anymore."
"What?" the guard exclaimed immediately. The man was shocked, grabbing Chu Qiao's shoulder and shouting, "Who did you say fell from the stone bridge?"
"Auntie Song, the supervisor of the servants' rear courtyard."
With a sharp crack, the man's palm struck the child's face heavily as he cursed, "You little brat, why didn't you say so earlier? Everyone, come with me to rescue her!"
Chu Qiao was knocked to the ground, her ears ringing. Watching the chaotic rush of people running off, the child's lips curled slightly, revealing a faint, cold smile.
She would remember this slap.
Quickly standing up, she hugged her bundle and walked toward the main gate without looking back. The vermilion gate stood three men high, adorned with gold, flanked by majestic stone lions with crimson-painted eyes that held a strange, oppressive aura. The characters "Zhuge Mansion" glittered in golden script above the gateframe, dazzlingly magnificent.
Taking short, struggling steps, Chu Qiao laboriously crossed the threshold, pausing with one foot outside and one inside. The bright morning sun shone upon her, and even the air seemed fresher. From this day forward, life would begin anew at another starting point. The humiliation she had endured, the blood and tears she had shed—she would remember them forever. She would gradually seek out fertile ground for survival, then quietly await the day when she possessed the strength to strike back.
The child pressed her lips together, took a deep breath, lifted her back foot, and prepared to step out of this rotting cage.
Just then, a familiar, piercing scream suddenly tore through the sky.
Chu Qiao shuddered violently, instantly whipping her head around sharply!
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