Meeting the enemy (repair)

Within two days, several minor incidents occurred at the Lin residence.

One of them was the matter of rehiring a tutor for Lin Xu. Although Lin Fu didn't quite believe that his own daughter would repent, as a father, he was still overjoyed and contacted several well-known and virtuous teachers in Mujing City, but unsurprisingly, he was politely refused by all of them.

Lin Xu was renowned in the past and had driven away several teachers. It was truly a difficult task to invite a great scholar to lecture again.

However, there happened to be a vacancy at the Imperial Clan Academy. Most of the students at the academy were members of the imperial family and nobility, and sometimes the children of high-ranking officials were also admitted to study there. Lin Fu had been in office for several years and had a good reputation. Before long, someone he knew recommended him to the academy as a professor.

The people of Dayu were open-minded and both boys and girls could attend school. Moreover, Lin Fu was an official of the fourth rank and had an old acquaintance with Sun Yaoren, who was the then Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. Therefore, after several twists and turns, the matter of Lin Xu entering the clan school was finally settled.

Secondly, the personal maid of the concubine Qi suddenly contracted the plague for some unknown reason and died within half a day of the onset of the disease.

Panic gripped the household. Because Zui Zhi had served Qi Shi closely before her death, the household physician dared not neglect her and quickly isolated her in a side room, prescribing a treatment for malaria. She was cared for by the maids day and night, and all her clothes and belongings were burned. The room where Qi Shi usually lived was fumigated and cleaned daily.

The epidemic was a serious matter, and the servants in the mansion, having received their orders, naturally dared not slacken their efforts in the slightest. They isolated Lady Qi for several days in a row, and only after more than a month had passed and they were certain that no one else in the mansion had been infected did they finally stop.

Thirdly, compared to the first two incidents, it was nothing more than a trivial matter at the time.

It was so small that it didn't attract anyone's attention at first, but even half a year or several years later, whenever Lin Xu recalled the scene that day and the decision he made at the time, he would still feel a chill and break out in a cold sweat.

From that day on, she realized that she was all alone.

The road ahead stretched into the vast Black Sea, its boundless expanse shrouded in eerie killing intent.

Behind her was a sheer cliff with jagged peaks clinging to her spine; the slightest hesitation would leave bloody marks.

Every step is arduous; how can one afford to make a mistake?

From that day on, Lin Xu developed a habit of never letting go of his dagger, even when he was sleeping.

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With the start of the new school year approaching, books, paper, and other supplies were needed. Zhiyuan, a new maid at Luoya Residence, was very clever and managed to buy all the necessary items in just a few trips.

The midday sun was blazing, and it was extremely hot. Lin Xu noticed that Zhi Yuan's face was flushed red from the heat as she went in and out through the curtains, and he smiled and said:

"Although the enrollment date has been set, there are still a few days to go. You should rest during the midday sun. Why are you in such a hurry?"

Zhiyuan was originally a lowly servant girl who helped out in the kitchen. She was clever and, although she was only twelve years old, she was quick-witted, brave and resolute, and very likable.

She waved the sheet of Xuan paper in her hand, seemingly unconcerned about the beads of sweat dripping down her cheeks, and gave a polite bow with a smile:

"I'm so happy for you, Miss. I've heard that all the students at the Imperial Academy are relatives of the emperor, and the teachers are all great scholars. You're sure to gain something from your trip. I don't know many characters, so I can only focus on these items. I've found the most fashionable writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones in the city. I've prepared them in advance and can also check if anything is missing."

Her words were pleasing, and she appeared diligent and intelligent, so Lin Xu casually took off the jade hairpin from her ear and gave it to her as a reward.

Zhiyuan accepted the reward with great gratitude, and then immediately went out to check the items.

The hall was empty for only a short while before the noisy chirping of cicadas drifted in from outside the courtyard. Lin Xu was reclining on the bed, about to close his eyes for a nap, when he suddenly heard a "thump".

When he opened his eyes, he saw Qingwu, who had been silently serving him in the corner of the hall, kneeling on the ground with red eyes.

Before she could speak, Qingwu kowtowed several times to the ground.

"Thank you so much, Miss, for sparing my life. I was foolish before and committed a heinous crime... Please punish me, Miss! From now on, Qingwu is willing to serve you faithfully until death, Miss, and will never have any other thoughts."

The small, thin body huddled on the ground, its voice trembling, making it all the more pitiful.

Lin Xu then recalled that many years ago, on a bustling street, Qingwu had also knelt on a dirty straw mat outside the servants' quarters.

Beside her were several children of similar age, their necks bound with ropes. The servants held whips and shouted that the girls were cheap and would be sold for money.

Such a thin and small person, his face was covered in dust, but when he looked up, his eyes were clear and bright.

That was the look on her face after being rescued by Lin Xu, filled with admiration and gratitude.

“You’ve been with me since you were little, so our bond is quite special. The Qi family’s use of your family’s lives to blackmail you is understandable, but from now on you must be careful in everything you do and keep your guard up. If you are loyal, I will not treat you unfairly.”

Qingwu kowtowed hard to the ground, and when she raised her head again, her eyes were filled with tears. She resolutely said:

“This servant was foolish and only now sees clearly that you were merely hiding your abilities before, concealing them from everyone in the manor. Now, you have effortlessly eliminated Qi Shi’s right-hand woman and placed her under house arrest, unable to move an inch. After this experience, she will probably have to think twice before plotting against you again. Moreover, Miss, you have been so magnanimous in sparing my life and even saving my father and brothers. With such courage and magnanimity, this servant is willing to give her life for Miss and protect her with my life.”

After Qingwu explained everything clearly that day, Lin Xu immediately took her to Huanshui Village.

After several searches, they finally found Qingwu's father and brothers.

The two of them lived in a dilapidated thatched hut, with a burly man guarding them; that was the man sent by Qi to keep watch.

There was still half a packet of snow wormwood powder left. Qingwu slipped into the kitchen and, taking advantage of his unpreparedness, used the medicine to kill the big man.

After finishing the task, they happened to find a family at the end of the village who had contracted the plague and were burning their old clothes. Lin Xu had an idea, so he ordered Qingwu to cover her mouth and nose, pick up the half-burnt clothes, and throw them into the thatched hut.

This was originally a test, but unexpectedly, Qi took the bait. That very night, she became suspicious and couldn't help but send Zuizhi to investigate.

The epidemic was ferocious; without precautions, there was no chance of survival once infected.

Meanwhile, Qingwu's father and brothers had already been secretly settled in a neighboring town by her, where they were given manual labor jobs. Compared to before, when their lives were in Qi's hands, they were much safer. Qingwu was extremely grateful, and her words came from the bottom of her heart, so she naturally believed them.

Just as Qingwu said, the Qi family will definitely calm down a lot recently after losing Zuizhi, their right-hand woman.

Many servants in the manor had watched Lin Xu grow up and had a deep affection for him. With just a few ambiguous hints about their concern that his stepmother might be infected with the plague, they meticulously cleaned Qi's room from top to bottom. Not only were all of Qi's food, clothing, and daily necessities replaced, but even her favorite spices could no longer be used. They had to be steamed and fumigated every day, resulting in an unpleasant smell.

Dealing with someone like Qi, confining her to her room and being unable to manage the overall situation, was the most painful thing for her.

The Qi family will eventually pay the price for all the ways they harmed me in the past; this is just the beginning.

She gently closed her eyes. This was merely a tiny stumbling block on her path of revenge. If danger lurked even within the mansion, how could she afford to be careless on the long road of vengeance beyond?

The most important thing right now is to have your own trusted confidants.

After this incident, she believed that Qingwu was genuinely repentant, and that Qingwu, who had been with her since childhood, was meticulous and cautious in her work and could be put to good use.

The newly arrived Zhiyuan is clever and used to work in the kitchen. Qi Shi especially loves cooking, and the places she spends most of her time, besides her room, are the mansion's kitchen. Having already poisoned food once, Qi Shi can no longer be careless. With someone like Zhiyuan in front of her, and who is on good terms with the former kitchen servants, she can gather a lot of information.

But she knew that she was still lacking a layer of protection.

Lin Fu was a civil official who was not good at forming factions and had almost no enemies. Over the years, his household had been filled with ordinary servants and had never had any secret guards. Now that she needed to find more clues, she naturally needed someone with skills by her side. After thinking it over, Lin Xu thought of her cousin, Liang Zhengyuan, who was living in the mansion.

Liang Yingzhi was the fourth among the grandchildren of his maternal grandfather's family. He had been practicing martial arts since childhood and was destined to become a military officer. This was one of the reasons why his maternal grandfather sent him to the Lin family for upbringing.

Although he was not good at writing, he had heard that since entering the Mujing training grounds, his martial arts skills were among the best in the capital. Even the guards accompanying him had trained in Hecheng since childhood and were highly skilled. Moreover, Lin Xu and he were related as siblings, so their relationship was naturally extraordinary.

However, Yingzhi had only been there for half a year, so it was inconvenient for her to ask for him now. Besides, she was currently burdened with the secret of revenge, and if she accidentally alarmed her maternal grandfather, it would probably cause him worry.

Just as he was worrying, Lin Xu suddenly remembered something else.

In her past life, she happened to pass by the martial arts training ground and was approached by a young master there. He was fair-skinned and had a sharp tongue. When she ignored him, he made sarcastic remarks in front of a group of noble young men, which made everyone burst into laughter. Among them was Dou Yanzhou, the eldest son of the Dou family.

At that time, there was a guard in the martial arts arena who looked very upright and spoke up to stop the man.

Afterwards, she was grateful and intended to thank everyone after they left, but she saw Dou Yanzhou berate the guard mercilessly.

"...You worthless life, how dare you provoke the Duke's grandson? If I had known you were so useless, I should have sold you off back then."

Later, she secretly inquired about the guard's background. It was said that he had been sold to the Dou family as a guard in his early years, and later had the opportunity to be transferred to the martial arts training ground. His name was Zhao Qi. Because of this, he offended the powerful figures at the training ground and eventually disappeared.

She felt quite disappointed at the time, and felt guilty whenever she thought about it.

Judging by the time, this person should still be on duty at the martial arts arena. The guards at the arena are highly skilled; if we can rescue him, we might be able to recruit him—a win-win situation.

With this in mind, Lin Xu ordered Qingwu to prepare some refreshing and thirst-quenching iced drinks, and then rode in a sedan chair to the martial arts training ground.

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Under the blazing sun, Lin Xu, dressed in a light purple gauze dress, was already sweating profusely from the bumpy ride.

As they descended the bridge, they saw banners billowing and dust flying everywhere. On the vast battlefield, several men on horseback were galloping about, their attire and demeanor suggesting they were from aristocratic families.

She searched for Liang Zhengyuan in the crowd, but couldn't find him. Just then, she felt a warm touch on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Liang Zhengyuan, clad in armor, patting her shoulder with a smile in his eyes, looking somewhat surprised.

"What brings you here today, Xu'er?"

Liang Zhengyuan was not alone; several elegantly dressed young men followed behind him, presumably those who practiced at the martial arts field daily. She glanced at them quickly, but didn't recognize any faces in the crowd. Her heart calmed down, and a gentle smile appeared on her face.

“My brother got a fever a few days ago, and to avoid causing concern, and since we had nothing else to do, I brought some refreshing perilla drink. Since everyone is here now, come and have a taste.”

When everyone first saw that Lin Xu was a stranger and that she was behaving intimately with Liang Zhengyuan, and when they heard the two address each other as brother and sister, they all greeted her with smiles.

Lifting the food box, they found bowls of crystal-clear perilla soup inside. Having practiced their kung fu under the scorching sun for half a day, they couldn't resist any longer and quickly shared the perilla soup with smiles.

Lin Xu chatted with the group for a while and learned that they were all close friends of Liang Zhengyuan. Since they were all around the same age, they became even closer.

Liang Zhengyuan was worried that she was weak and couldn't stand the sun, so he took her to rest in the shade next to the martial arts field. Looking into the distance, several guards stood by with their horses under the scorching sun, their faces already tanned dark.

Zhao Qi's face appeared among the guards.

Lin Xu's heart stirred, and she exchanged a glance with Qingwu behind her. Qingwu then made an excuse to leave, and everything was done as she had instructed.

Liang Zhengyuan only stayed with her for a short while before mounting his horse. The fine red steed had a glossy coat and a very robust physique. She had only ever seen her joking cousin before, but this was the first time she had ever seen him so spirited.

The rider loosened the reins slightly, and the horse galloped away, kicking up clouds of yellow dust behind him. Even among the crowd, he rode incredibly fast, his figure and the horse standing out remarkably, vaguely resembling his maternal grandfather.

After Qingwu had been gone for a while, she looked back with some worry. And what she saw was an unexpected figure.

She couldn't help but feel a tremor in her heart.

She never expected to encounter the instigator of all her suffering in her past life, her true enemy—the Dou family, who was also the person she had been professing her love for just a few days ago.

Amidst the billowing dust, Dou Yanxun, adorned with a jade hair ornament and wearing a white brocade robe with subtle patterns that fluttered in the wind, held a fan in his right hand. His serene face stood out starkly against the backdrop of the menacing armor of the crowd.

For some reason, the moment their eyes met, Lin Xu remembered her words to her father that she would not marry anyone but Dou Yanxun, and couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

In her panic, she turned her face away, but she could still feel the burning heat of that person's gaze coming from the side.

He seemed to be looking at her.

She composed herself and looked back again.

But Dou Yanxun had already shifted his gaze and was slowly walking up to the teahouse next to the training ground. Perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her, but the person on the steps had a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, as if he were wearing a smile that was hard to decipher.