Piercing screams continuously echoed from the courtyard of the right wing in the front compound, interspersed with the terrified wails of women. All three gates of the right wing's courtyards were wide open, and the dull thuds of wooden boards striking flesh resounded throughout the entire Zhuge mansion. Passing servants couldn't help but glance sideways, craning their necks to see who was receiving such "special treatment."
A crowd gradually gathered. Chu Qiao stood at the main gate, just one step away from leaving this man-eating estate. Yet the relentless screams assaulted her eardrums, and the child's brow furrowed tighter and tighter. Finally, she retracted her small footstep, turned around, and swiftly ran toward the right wing.
Fate often presents people with a choice—a single step can change everything.
Zhuge Yue lay reclined on a purple sandalwood couch adorned with gold tracery, dressed in elegant light green robes embroidered with dark green lotus blossoms. His jet-black hair cascaded over his shoulders, his face pale as jade, eyes dark as ink, and lips an unusually vivid crimson. Though only thirteen or fourteen years old, he exuded an aura of wicked charm and indulgence. Propped on his elbow with his hand supporting the back of his head, two comely maids knelt beside him, holding fine incense and occasionally peeling lychees that had been rushed thousands of miles from Biantang.
Twenty paces ahead, a child in servant's clothing had been beaten until their flesh split open, their cries growing faint. A young slave girl of six or seven knelt nearby, kowtowing and begging for mercy, her forehead already scraped raw, blood streaming down her tear-filled, clear eyes.
The sun gradually rose. Though it was deep winter, Zhenhuang City, located on the Hongchuan plateau, still bore the brunt of fierce sunlight. Zhuge Yue lifted his head, frowned slightly, and narrowed his eyes. The maids on either side nervously raised parasols to shield him, but he irritably pushed them away, sat up straight, and waved off the attendants before leaning back against the chair.
Two burly men cautiously stepped forward, lifting Zhuge Yue's soft chair from front and back, and began carrying him toward the right wing's exit.
The kneeling girl panicked at the sight, letting out a frantic cry as she scrambled forward on her knees, clutching the hem of Zhuge Yue's robe. Sobbing, she pleaded, "Fourth Young Master, please spare Lin Xi! If you keep beating him, he'll die!"
Zhuge Yue raised an eyebrow, his gaze drifting downward to the small, grimy hand stained with blood.
The child felt an uncontrollable chill seize her. There, on Zhuge Yue's pristine white boots, were five glaring, bloody fingerprints.
Terrified, the girl stammered, then frantically used her sleeve to wipe his boots, crying, "I'm sorry, Fourth Young Master! Xiaoqi will clean it right away!"
With a thud, Zhuge Yue kicked her to the ground. The maids immediately knelt and removed the soiled boot. Casting a disgusted glance at the child, he said in a low, indifferent tone, "Cut off that hand of hers."
The child froze, forgetting to cry as she sat dumbstruck on the ground. Fierce guards rushed forward, their blades unsheathing in an instant. A spray of blood shot upward, and a pale, slender little hand was severed and fell to the ground.A piercing scream instantly tore through the heavens, startling the snarling vultures circling overhead.
Chu Qiao stood frozen at the doorway like a stone-carved statue, her frantic footsteps abruptly halting. Her eyes wide open, she tightly covered her mouth, unable to move an inch.
"Fourth Young Master, this boy has stopped breathing."
Zhuge Yue cast a casual glance at Lin Xi's small corpse, raised his slender fingers to massage his temples, and said indifferently, "Throw him into the back mountain's Pavilion Lake to feed the fish."
"Yes."
The burly men lifted Zhuge Yue's sedan chair and slowly proceeded forward. All the servants along the way hurriedly knelt, not daring to even raise their heads.
"Wait," Zhuge Yue suddenly said softly as they passed the right courtyard gate. He turned slightly and looked toward Chu Qiao, who was standing at the courtyard gate staring intently at him. Frowning, he said sternly, "Which courtyard's slave are you? Why haven't you knelt upon seeing me?"
Chu Qiao took a deep breath, tightly biting her lips as she swallowed her shock and anger. With a thud, she knelt on the ground, her eyes fixed straight on the blue brick floor, wide open. In a child's tone, she said in panic, "Yue'er is a menial worker from the rear courtyard. Please forgive Yue'er for her ignorance, Fourth Young Master. This is Yue'er's first time seeing the young master, and I thought I had seen an immortal."
Zhuge Yue chuckled softly. Seeing that the child was as lovely as snow and jade, very young, and still somewhat unclear in speech, he smiled and said, "What a clever little girl. How old are you, and what's your name?"
"Replying to Fourth Young Master, Yue'er is seven years old, and my surname is Jing."
"Is that so," Zhuge Yue said. "Then from now on, change your name and follow me. Let's call you... Xing'er."
Chu Qiao immediately kowtowed to the ground and said loudly, "Xing'er thanks Fourth Young Master for your promotion."
Zhuge Yue smiled faintly, and the servants lifted the chair. Turning the corner of the corridor, he was soon out of sight.
The commotion ended—it was merely the death of a lowly slave, something the servants of the Zhuge residence had long grown accustomed to. Within moments, everyone dispersed. A few cleaning servants picked up the child's small corpse, wrapped it in a burlap sack, and dragged it along the ground toward the rear courtyard's Pavilion Lake.
The child was still very young, his entire body battered and bloody. Blood seeped through the burlap sack, sticking thickly to the blue brick floor and leaving a long, bloody trail. Chu Qiao remained kneeling on the ground, her back rising and falling with each breath. Her pearly teeth clenched tightly on her lower lip, her eyes fixed in a daze, and her small fists clenched firmly. She watched as the burlap sack was slowly dragged past her, the glaring blood spreading across the ground, stained with filthy dust. A large teardrop welled up in her eyes and, with a soft plop, fell onto the back of her hand.
"Yue'er, don't be afraid. Fifth Brother is here."
"We ate exceptionally well tonight. Fourth Young Master added dishes for us—braised carp, sweet and sour pork ribs, vinegar-glazed tenderloin, boiled duck, so many dishes. I ate until I felt sick, and now I can't eat anything else."
"Yue'er, don't worry. One day, Fifth Brother will make sure you have enough to eat and warm clothes. I'll get all the finest things in the world for you to eat—not just braised pork, but also ginseng, abalone, bird's nest, shark fin, geoduck, whatever you want. When that time comes, no one will ever bully us again. Yue'er, do you believe Fifth Brother?"
"Yue'er, Fifth Brother will protect you. I'll stay here with you. Don't be afraid."A surge of grief and hatred surged within her like a raging tide, but she knew she must not cry, must not reveal even the slightest trace of resentment at this moment. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and quickly stood up. Beside the empty courtyard, Little Seven, who had lost a hand, had already fallen unconscious. Blood gushed like a spring from the severed wrist, yet no one paid any attention.
Chu Qiao swiftly tore a piece of cloth, pressed on the acupoints, and deftly bandaged the wound to stop the bleeding. After finishing, she hoisted Little Seven onto her back and gritted her teeth as she headed toward the rear courtyard.
Just as she stepped out of the courtyard gate, a cold voice suddenly spoke sternly, "Stop! Who gave you permission to take her away?"
Chu Qiao looked up and saw that it was Zhu Shun, the man who had whipped her and locked her up for three days. The child frowned slightly and replied calmly, "The Fourth Young Master did not say to kill her."
"Nor did the master say to release her!" Zhu Shun glared coldly at Chu Qiao. For some reason, the scene from that day on Jiuwei Street kept appearing in his dreams—the child's calm inquiry about his name after being whipped always left him restless. He found it ridiculous that he would fear such a young, lowly slave, yet a voice deep within his experienced heart warned him: if he didn't eliminate this child early, she would become a serious threat sooner or later.
"Presuming to guess the master's thoughts—you have no regard for your own life! Men, seize these two insolent little slaves!"
Two servants immediately stepped forward to grab Chu Qiao's arms. She quickly dodged backward, and in the struggle, Little Seven let out a muffled groan. The blood that had just been stanched began to flow once more.
"Who dares come closer? I serve the Fourth Young Master! Do you all have a death wish?"
Zhu Shun sneered, "You haven't even gotten a feather, yet you're already acting like an arrow of command. Who knows if the Fourth Young Master will even remember you tomorrow morning? How dare you use that to intimidate me! Go, seize these two children and teach them a harsh lesson!"
Chu Qiao's eyebrows shot up. With Little Seven on her back, she retreated like a young leopard, her eyes darting anxiously and her brow furrowed deeply.
Just then, a voice suddenly spoke from behind Zhu Shun. A tall, elegant youth stood before the front courtyard screen wall, dressed in a dark green python robe, his back to the crowd. He was accompanied by four attendants, the leader of whom, no more than eleven or twelve years old, said with displeasure, "Steward Zhu, weren't you supposed to inform Young Master Huai for my Crown Prince? Why are you dallying here? It seems you have plenty of free time."
Zhu Shun was taken aback and hurriedly turned around, bending his waist so low it seemed to reach his crotch, bowing and scraping as he said, "Young Master Yan, it's just that the servants are disobedient. I apologize for the embarrassment."
"Is disciplining your servants more important than attending to my Crown Prince? Zhu Shun, it seems you've lost your mind—your audacity could swallow the sun and moon!"
Zhu Shun was terrified. He kowtowed to the ground and hastily said, "This humble one wouldn't dare, this humble one wouldn't dare! I know my mistake."
"If you know your mistake, why are you still standing here?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Shun immediately stood up and dashed toward Zhuge Huai's study as if his pants were on fire. The servants of the Zhuge residence quickly stepped aside, and one of them cautiously said, "Young Master Yan, please wait in the flower hall."The youth in brocade robes nodded slightly, then slowly turned around. His eyes were as dark as ink, sweeping across the front courtyard. When his gaze fell upon Chu Qiao, his eyes narrowed slightly as if recalling something, and he strode directly toward her.
Chu Qiao’s expression remained calm as she cautiously took two steps back. Seeing her retreat, Yan Xun halted, pondered for a moment, then retrieved a white porcelain bottle from his sleeve. Carved with delicate orchid patterns, the bottle appeared exquisitely crafted. The youth extended his hand, offering it to her with a slight nod, indicating she should take it.
Chu Qiao scrutinized Yan Xun from head to toe. The scene from the hunting grounds that day flashed before her eyes once more, causing her mind to drift momentarily. Out of caution, she did not step forward.
Yan Xun was momentarily taken aback, then a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He bent down, gently placed the porcelain bottle on the ground, and turned to lead his attendants into the flower hall.
"Uh..." A faint moan sounded from behind. Xiao Qi, in a daze, caught sight of Chu Qiao’s face. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, filled with unmistakable fear as she sobbed, "Sister Yue’er... Xiao Qi... is Xiao Qi going to die?"
Chu Qiao crouched down, clutching the porcelain bottle tightly in her hand. Her small frame tensed, and her gaze turned somber as she looked toward the main residence of the Zhuge estate. Slowly but resolutely, she said, "Xiao Qi, I promise you, you will be fine. Nothing will ever happen to you again."
––––
Dong’er has struck another cruel blow. Please forgive me.
But this is an inevitable part of the journey. Only through this will Xiao Qiao resolve to stay and seek revenge. Stay calm, everyone.
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