The next morning, Tao Yao was awakened by crying and cursing outside the door.
The West Garden was home to her fellow servants, all seasoned veterans who never meddle in other people's business, especially since this was Hu Yanwang's territory.
Tao Yao didn't want to get involved at first, but then she suddenly thought of Zhu Jiayu.
If she were here, would she go and check on her?
Some ideas, once they are born, quickly take root and sprout, disturbing one's peace of mind.
Tao Yao closed her eyes and thought, she would count to ten. If they were still not gone after she counted to ten, she would go out.
The count of ten was quickly reached, but the crying and cursing outside the door not only did not stop, but intensified. Tao Yao got up, put on her shoes and went out. It was only then that she could see the scene outside the door clearly.
The guards standing in the courtyard were whipping a little girl. Her body was covered in bruises, but she only dared to cry and did not dare to run away.
Tao Yao walked over and discovered that the guard was actually an acquaintance of hers, the second brother who had shown her the way to the East Courtyard that night.
She sweetly called out "Second Brother" and asked with a smile what was going on.
The second brother said, "She sneaked out of the shed, who knows what she's going to do! Don't you think I should teach her a lesson? This is none of your business, go back to your room and get some more sleep."
After he finished speaking, the little girl sobbed and said, "I didn't mean to do anything..."
The little girl was adorable, but she was blind in one eye, and where her hands should have been, there was nothing. Her two arms were like lotus root segments, one of which was bent at an odd angle in front of her.
Tao Yao immediately realized that she wasn't born this way, but rather that she hadn't been sold and had been turned into this state by Hu Yanwang's men.
She looked away and turned to her second brother, saying tactfully, "Normally, I wouldn't interfere with how you discipline her, but she'll be going down the mountain soon, right? If you hit her too hard and she gets too tired to move, Master Hu might blame you..."
These kids in the shed were all going to the city to beg early in the morning. On a good day, they could earn at least a hundred taels of silver. King Hu looked at them like they were his own eyes. Although he beat and scolded them all the time, he never allowed anyone to hit them too hard and delay their journey down the mountain to the city.
The second brother then seemed to wake from a dream, and came to his senses: "You're right!"
He glared at the little girl and snapped, "Get out of here!"
The little girl glanced at her timidly, then thanked Tao Yao profusely before taking her leave. She sobbed, "Sister is a good person, she will be rewarded."
Tao Yao was taken aback by her words, and in the next instant, the little girl had already run far away.
She was about to return to her room when the housekeeper called her back.
The steward brought over a portrait for her to identify. The portrait depicted the youngest daughter of the governor of Jiangzhou. He asked her if she recognized her and if she had ever seen the young lady in the portrait.
"Who is this? I've never seen her before," she whispered.
The housekeeper sighed heavily, walked past her into the courtyard, and then pushed open the doors of everyone's houses one by one, asking them if they recognized the people in the painting.
Tao Yao stared at his back for a long time before turning around and asking her second brother, "I've never seen anything like this before. Isn't the steward usually very calm? Why is he in such a hurry today? I saw bubbles coming out of his mouth."
The second brother thanked her for her previous reminder and felt that she was one of his own, so he suddenly stopped hiding anything and said, "I heard that it is the person that Young Master Rong is looking for. Last night, the steward gave the order. Judging from this, he is willing to search every beggar in the entire capital city to find out about that young lady."
Tao Yao said "Oh," thanked him, and then went back into the house.
Later, he found an opportunity to go to Zhu Jiayu's place and tell her the news.
"Okay, I understand." Zhu Jiayu nodded. "Come to my place fifteen minutes after the banquet begins tonight. You know where the shed is, right?"
Tao Yao's heart pounded wildly; she could hear the sound of her own heartbeat all around her. After a long while, she finally calmed down and forced a composed expression, saying, "I know. We're going to...?"
Zhu Jiayu nodded: "The banquet will be held tonight, and there won't be as many people on night patrol, making it an excellent opportunity."
Hu Yanwang hosted a banquet to welcome Rong Heng, and also planned to reward his men. Shu Jian had already inquired with the steward and found out that there would only be about twenty people patrolling and guarding the entire courtyard.
Tao Yao said okay, then asked her, "Was what you said that day true?"
Zhu Jiayu was taken aback for a moment, then realized what she was asking and said, "Of course it's true. I don't lie to children."
Tao Yao lowered her head and muttered, "You're a liar."
Zhu Jiayu had previously said that he was not a good person.
But she was perfectly fine.
But this time, she believed that Zhu Jiayu wouldn't lie to her.
...
As evening fell, a cold wind howled fiercely.
In the frosty white sky, the mountains and rivers lay silently in the wind, their rough gray-brown hues like dried ink on rice paper, or like the lingering echo of a long, drawn-out cry of a crow.
Rong Heng went to Yichang Garden, found Hu Yanwang, and asked, "I wonder how things are going with the matter that Master Hu promised to do for me? Is there any news about that Miss Su?"
Hu Yanwang frowned slightly, then smiled and offered him tea: "Young Master Rong, don't be anxious. I have already given the orders. Please wait a while, and you will surely receive news. I have ordered people to prepare delicacies, osmanthus wine, and pepper liquor in the hall. Why don't you come with me? I'm sure that after we finish drinking the fine wine, there will be some progress on Miss Su's matter."
Even though Rong Heng was unwilling, he had no choice but to comply with his request.
After all, we still need his help in this matter.
The banquet hall was very lively today, and the scale was much larger than yesterday. Yesterday was just a simple welcome party for Rong Heng, but today a grand banquet was held. Compared to yesterday, the latter was naturally more extravagant.
When the banquet began, Wei Qinglou got up to pour wine and apologized to Hu Yanwang, saying that his young mistress was even more ill and could not get up to attend the banquet. He asked for his understanding and not to blame him.
When the arrogant young master apologized like this, King Hu felt truly comforted and didn't say anything more.
Rong Heng stared at him coldly, and after a long while, he silently drank a cup of wine.
He naturally knew this was Wei Qinglou. If it were anywhere else, he would have already started planning. But right now, what he needed to do was the most important thing, and he couldn't afford to cause any unforeseen complications.
So he simply pretended not to know Wei Qinglou and Zhu Jiayu, and didn't bother to care what they were up to.
Inside the hall, everyone was chatting and laughing, clinking glasses and exchanging toasts; outside in the courtyard, a group of men sat around a stove, roasting wine and eating meat, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
They rarely leave the mountains, and they are always on guard duty, patrolling the compound at night. Such a pastime is truly a rare treat for them.
Amidst the lively atmosphere, Zhu Jiayu waited for a quarter of an hour before Tao Yao arrived as promised.
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