Chapter 20

Proofreader :- Mim

“Already asking for leave so soon?”

In the study of the Duhu Mansion, Lu Han set aside the map of southern Jiangnan, which was marked with various annotations.

“Yes, yes…” Steward Tang replied with a deep bow, his posture deferential. “Technically, this matter is against protocol and shouldn’t bother you, my lord. However, since she was recommended to the mansion by the royal grandson himself, I thought it prudent to bring this to your attention…”

“And what is the reason for her leave request?”

“Her aunt threw herself into the river early this morning,” Steward Tang explained. “She’s worried about leaving the two young children to handle the burial alone and has requested a day off to help arrange the matters.”

“Threw herself into the river?” Lu Han frowned. “Could she not endure the cold and hardships of Mingyue Tower?”

“It wasn’t that,” Steward Tang sighed. “She was an unfortunate woman with a tragic fate.”

The circumstances of Madam Zhu’s life were no secret in Mingyue Tower. Even the local thugs and hooligans knew that a fresh ‘pretty thing’ had arrived—one they all took turns exploiting.

“Her surname was Zhu, a concubine taken in by Li Qiaonian. During the exile, she sold her dignity and body to feed her two children, earning herself a terrible reputation. Even after arriving at Mingyue Tower, others used her past against her, continuing to humiliate her…” Steward Tang shook his head. “Unable to endure the disgrace, she entrusted her children to someone else and threw herself into the river.”

Lu Han remained silent for a long time after hearing this, then sighed.

“She was a brave and devoted woman.”

“To save her children, she sacrificed her pride and body. And for her children, she ultimately gave up her life.” Lu Han shook his head in pity. “How old are her children?”

“The older one is twelve, and the younger is eleven,” Steward Tang replied, his face softening with sympathy. “Now that she’s gone, it’s hard to say how they’ll survive in Mingyue Tower.”

“Bring them into the mansion,” Lu Han said decisively. “Assign them some tasks to do.”

Steward Tang wasn’t surprised by this decision—his master had a soft heart. Bowing, he replied, “You are truly benevolent, my lord. I will see to it immediately. And regarding Li Zhi’s leave request?”

“Let her go,” Lu Han replied.

Carrying out Lu Han’s orders, Steward Tang made his way to Li Zhi’s courtyard.

Li Zhi was outside, inspecting a small wooden token engraved with the Zhu family name under the morning light. When she saw the steward enter, she tucked away the token and greeted him with a composed bow.

The brilliant morning sunlight rising in the east cast a warm glow over the western courtyard, lighting up the girl’s poised figure.

Steward Tang couldn’t help but pause.

There was one thing he hadn’t told his master. For a newly arrived servant—especially an exiled one—he had taken a considerable risk in relaying her request to Lu Han. Though part of the reason was her recommendation by the royal grandson, there was also something about Li Zhi herself that compelled him.

Steward Tang hadn’t risen to his position as the mansion’s head steward—respected by all the servants—by being naive. He could see through Li Zhi’s calculated flattery, but he didn’t mind it. In fact, it made him feel pleasantly flattered. Word had spread that she had already managed to befriend most of the maids in her courtyard, despite being a former noblewoman. Her adaptability and resilience spoke volumes about her character.

He believed someone as intelligent and striking as Li Zhi wouldn’t remain confined to Mingyue Tower for long.

It never hurt to form a good connection with someone who had potential.

Smiling kindly, he conveyed Lu Han’s decision to Li Zhi.

“…The master has approved your leave request. I also informed him about Madam Zhu’s situation, and he has graciously agreed to bring her two children into the mansion to work.”

“Thank you, Steward Tang!” Li Zhi’s face lit up with genuine gratitude as she bowed deeply.

Steward Tang waved her off and strolled leisurely out of the courtyard, hands clasped behind his back.

—-

After sending off the steward, Li Zhi quickly packed some food and hurried to the riverbank.

By the time she arrived, a crowd had gathered to gawk.

Madam Zhu’s lifeless body had been pulled from the river and left on the bank, covered with a worn bamboo mat that the two siblings had likely scavenged from somewhere. The onlookers pointed and whispered as they watched Xiangsheng and Cien digging a shallow grave near their shack with makeshift tools.

Li Zhi pushed through the crowd and stood in the center, her voice calm but firm as she addressed them.

“The Commander (Duhu) is a merciful man and has taken pity on my two younger siblings, granting them shelter and work in the mansion. I ask that you kind villagers show respect for the deceased and allow her some peace in her final moments. My siblings and I will always remember your kindness.”

She bowed deeply to the crowd.

After a moment of silence, the onlookers began to disperse. Soon, only the three siblings remained on the riverbank. Xiangsheng continued digging furiously, his head down, while Cien stood helplessly by the grave, her red, swollen eyes filled with tears.

Li Zhi knelt beside Cien, gently stroking the girl’s head. She took out two soft, white steamed buns from her bag and handed them to her.

“Eat these, and once you’re strong enough, we’ll bury Aunt Zhu together, alright?”

Cien’s tears flowed freely as she clutched the buns and nodded earnestly.

After comforting the younger sibling, Li Zhi walked over to Xiangsheng.

“Xiangsheng,” she called softly, holding out another steamed bun from her bag. “Eat something first.”

Xiangsheng didn’t look up, his hands gripping the tool tightly as he worked. His voice was tense and clipped as he spoke through clenched teeth.

“Mother isn’t buried yet. I can’t eat.”

Hearing this, Cien hesitated, stopping mid-bite.

Li Zhi didn’t scold or pressure him. Instead, she asked, “Do you want to take Aunt Zhu back to the capital someday?”

“Of course I do,” Xiangsheng replied, finally looking up, his dark eyes locking onto hers.

“Then you know how difficult that road will be,” Li Zhi said. “That’s not something that can be done out of sheer willpower alone.”

“…”

“One step at a time,” she continued gently. “Don’t rush. Here—eating this is the first step.”

Xiangsheng stared at her for a long moment before silently taking the bun.

Li Zhi smiled encouragingly as he began devouring the food ravenously. Seeing her brother eat, Cien followed suit, nibbling on her own bun.

As the two children ate, Li Zhi stayed by their side, offering clean water to help them swallow.

It had likely been a long time since the siblings had eaten a full meal. The six steamed buns Li Zhi had brought from the kitchen were devoured completely.

Afterward, Li Zhi picked up a tool and joined the siblings in digging the grave.

With no money for a proper coffin, they could only wrap Madam Zhu’s body in the tattered bamboo mat and bury her in a simple grave. By the time they finished, the sun had set, casting golden ripples across the river’s surface.

Xiangsheng and Cien stood silently by the grave, their faces solemn. Cien repeatedly wiped away her tears with her sleeves.

Knowing how difficult this moment was for the children, Li Zhi suggested, “Let’s gather some pretty stones from the river to decorate Aunt Zhu’s grave. That way, it won’t look so bare.”

The three of them spent the next few minutes while searching for stones with unique patterns and colors, collecting large and small ones. To prevent the stones from being taken by others, they buried them in a circle around the grave. They also found a sharp rock, and with another stone, they carved the words “Grave of Madam Zhu” into it.

The task of engraving the headstone was entrusted to Li Zhi. She carefully etched the characters, her focus unwavering. Once she finished inscribing the name, she was about to call Xiangsheng and Cien to help lift the stone into place, but Xiangsheng silently stepped forward on his own.

The thin, wiry boy wrapped his arms around the massive stone, two feet tall and three feet wide. With a deep breath and a surge of strength, he lifted it off the ground.

Step by step, Xiangsheng carried the stone to Madam Zhu’s grave, placing it down with deliberate care.

Li Zhi’s face remained composed, but inwardly, she was astonished.

The stone had to weigh at least fifty pounds, a load that even an adult man would struggle to lift without straining. Yet twelve-year-old Xiangsheng handled it as though he were carrying a mere watermelon.

She couldn’t help but think he might have a natural talent for martial arts. However, given their father’s status as a former Chancellor, it was unlikely that Xiangsheng, born into a scholar’s lineage, would willingly choose the path of a warrior—a profession often looked down upon compared to the prestige of scholars.

Still, that was a matter for a future so distant it wasn’t worth contemplating now.

—-

Li Zhi led the siblings back to the Duhu Mansion. The gatekeeper, having received prior notice, let them pass with a glance.

Steward Tang arranged for Cien to stay in a courtyard shared by the younger maids, while Xiangsheng was sent to a remote courtyard for male servants.

Cien clung to Li Zhi’s hand, her face full of worry. “Sister, will Brother be bullied?”

Li Zhi reassured her with a smile. “Xiangsheng’s strength is worth ten men. Who would dare bully him?”

Having seen Xiangsheng lift the stone so effortlessly, Li Zhi wasn’t concerned about him being ganged up on. As a newly arrived twelve-year-old errand boy, he wasn’t likely to draw attention or provoke others.

At Li Zhi’s request, Cien was assigned to Xuan Zhi Courtyard, where she joined the other general labor maids under Li Zhi’s supervision.

—–

The news of another new maid quickly reached the ears of Miss Lu Xuan, the only daughter of the Duhu Mansion. Curious, she summoned both Li Zhi and Li Cien to the inner courtyard.

This was Li Zhi’s first time stepping into the inner quarters of Xuan Zhi Courtyard—an area normally off-limits to general labor maids.

Compared to the ornate chambers of the Li family’s young ladies in the capital, Lu Xuan’s room could only be described as modest.

Aside from a vase of plum blossoms on the table and two bird-and-flower paintings on the walls, the room was devoid of vibrant colors. The shelf, which should have been adorned with trinkets and cosmetics, was instead crammed with poetry and scholarly texts.

Seated on the couch was Miss Lu Xuan, holding a hand warmer in one hand and a book spread open on the table before her. She looked at Li Zhi and Cien with mild curiosity.

“So, you’re the daughters of the Li family?” Lu Xuan asked.

Her voice was soft and gentle, like dried cotton wool warmed by sunlight.

“Miss,” Li Zhi replied with a bow, her tone cautious but polite, “after my father’s conviction, I can no longer claim such a title. It is only thanks to the Commander’s benevolence that my siblings and I have a place to stay.”

“As the daughter of an official family myself, I can imagine how you must feel,” Lu Xuan sighed. “I’ve heard about you and your siblings. Don’t worry, at least here in the Duhu Mansion, you’ll have enough to eat, drink, and be safe.”

“Miss, I will devote myself fully to serving you,” Li Zhi said earnestly.

Not missing the cue, the ever-perceptive Cien immediately mimicked Li Zhi’s bow.

“What books did you study at home?” Lu Xuan asked, intrigued.

Li Zhi replied humbly, “I’ve read many books but am not proficient in any of them.”

“Have you read Chi Song Yu Tan?”

Li Zhi quickly searched her memory but couldn’t recall the book’s title.

“Yes, I have,” she answered smoothly. “It’s an unforgettable work. The author is truly talented.”

“Exactly!” Lu Xuan’s face lit up with excitement. “If he’s not a reincarnation of the Star of Literature, I can’t imagine how a mere mortal could write something so brilliant! The day I finished reading Chi Song Yu Tan, I almost forgot to eat. Even when I lay down to sleep, every word and phrase haunted my mind—”

“The book is indeed captivating,” Li Zhi agreed, her tone filled with just the right amount of admiration. “When I came across it by chance, I couldn’t put it down and read it straight through the night. Unfortunately, all I’m left with now is a lingering sense of awe—I’ve forgotten most of the actual content…”

“That’s fine!” Lu Xuan said eagerly. “If you want to read it again, I can lend you my copy.”

“Miss, if you’re willing to part with it, I would be honored,” Li Zhi said, her voice full of gratitude.

“But once you finish, you must share your thoughts with me,” Lu Xuan added.

“Of course.”

And just like that, to the astonishment of the other maids, Li Zhi walked out with Lu Xuan’s favorite book, Chi Song Yu Tan.

This marked the beginning of a friendship between Li Zhi and Lu Xuan.

Winning over such an innocent and kind-hearted young girl was child’s play for someone like Li Zhi. If only Xie Lanxu were even one-tenth as straightforward, she wouldn’t still be making no progress with him.

Thanks to her newfound connection with Lu Xuan, Li Zhi was quickly promoted to a third-class maid in the inner courtyard.

While she still performed manual labor, her tasks were now limited to cleaning and tidying inside the mansion, sparing her from the bitterly cold river washing duties. In the freezing depths of winter, the inner courtyard—equipped with warm fire basins—was nothing short of paradise for the mansion’s servants.

As she moved about the mansion for work, Li Zhi took the opportunity to familiarize herself with the layout. Before long, she discovered the location of the Bamboo Courtyard on the eastern side, where Xie Lanxu was staying.

Since arriving, Xie Lanxu had kept a low profile, using his supposed “leg injury” as an excuse to remain unseen.

Li Zhi couldn’t figure out what Xie Lanxu was scheming, but one thing was clear: he wasn’t planning to live out the rest of his days in quiet seclusion at Mingyue Tower.

Perhaps, like Xie Lanxu, she too needed to bide her time and remain patient.

However, as often happens, life had other plans.

Barely two days after settling into the Duhu Mansion, Xiangsheng fell ill with a strange disease that frequently afflicted exiles.