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Qin Sang lowered her raised chin, took a towel and wiped her face with her eyes down: "What are you planning by putting all the servants together? And those two families you inquired about, whose families are they?"
Lingding had carefully noted down the official titles of the two families. Knowing that Qin Sang would ask, he answered smoothly: "One is Lord Fang from the Salt and Iron Bureau, and the other is Lord Liu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites."
"The Salt and Iron Commission...the Ministry of Rites?" Qin Sang chuckled as she read. The official positions were quite high, suggesting the other guests were also of considerable status. But how could it not be laughable that people from the Ministry of Rites were out here on Wuyou Island indulging in pleasure? Those people were always spouting about benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, saying a gentleman should be upright, but it was all just empty rhetoric.
Then, she thought of Xie Sui'an and Xie Jingze.
The most surprising discovery this time was that Xie Jingze was also a guest on Worry-Free Island. Moreover, the person he coveted and adored was the original owner's own sister—Su Lan'er.
No wonder Madam Song looked at me like that when she first saw me. Perhaps it was because she had seen Su Lan'er's portrait and because Su Lan'er looked somewhat similar to me? Later, she threw a tantrum late at night, wanting to sell the maid, and then she came to see me specifically. So that's the reason. She's a pitiful person after all.
I wonder what those two brothers are doing now.
She slowly rolled off the bed: "What time is it now? Has the time for paying respects to the mistress passed?"
Lingding frowned slightly, looking somewhat embarrassed: "Miss, it's already past Chen Shi (7-9 AM). Granny Liu has been waiting for you for so long and you haven't woken up, so she went to pay her respects to the mistress and apologize on your behalf..."
She had Ying'er help her get dressed, clearly not taking that Liu Mama seriously, and instructed Lingding, "Go and see if Uncle Qin is here today. If he is, ask him to come to the flower hall to wait. If he isn't, then forget it."
Lingding responded and left. After washing up and getting dressed, Qin Sang was a little dazed. She walked to the door and saw that the sun was shining brightly and early summer had arrived. Suddenly, she felt a little lost.
It hadn't rained recently, but the flowers and plants in the yard were still lush. She stared at a wildflower for a while, then turned and went to the study.
She recorded the people and events on Worry-Free Island through drawing or writing, including the matchmaker Song, the magical little teahouse, Fang Min who disappeared from Lu Tong Academy, the giant lizard that she later encountered, Xie Jingze whom she accidentally met, and a woman who looked like her sister Su Lan'er.
And that masked man.
She drew the masked man.
Then he examined it closely, his brows furrowing slightly.
If this masked man is not the lord of Worry-Free Island, then who is he, that he has such great power to command him?
Now it seems that this island is a high-class clubhouse provided by Kyoto to high-ranking officials and nobles, and it must have far-reaching connections. The fact that I unintentionally wandered in and was able to leave unharmed is likely due to the influence of the Prime Minister's residence.
On the other hand, for them to give face to the Prime Minister's Mansion, it would only be if the Prime Minister's Mansion posed a threat to them.
So, does Xie Zhongxu know where this place is?
Does he know that his beloved grandson has also fallen into this mess and become a pawn manipulated by others?
She sat back in her chair for a while, preparing to go to the Prime Minister's office to inquire about the situation, when Liu Mama returned.
She stood arrogantly in front of Qin Sang, who frowned.
Granny Liu smiled and said, "Miss, you should stay in the courtyard and rest for a while and not go out."
Why?
With a fake smile on her face, Granny Liu said, "Miss has only been here for two days, yet she goes out every day. After all, we are a noble family, not some small country gate where you can come and go as you please. The mistress said that since Miss has adapted, she should stay at home to learn etiquette, tea tasting, and flower arranging, so that when she goes out in the future, people won't say that our Prime Minister's mansion has failed in its education."
That's not wrong. Someone like Qin Sang is indeed not good enough for those high-class families.
She thought about it and decided that she would go there another time.
She glanced indifferently at Granny Liu, who immediately pointed to a petite, withered, and thin old woman beside her and said, "This is Granny Zhao, the matron in charge of teaching etiquette in the mansion. For the next few days, young lady, you will be learning from Granny Zhao."
Qin Sang then looked at Granny Zhao. Judging from her appearance alone, she was no kind person. She had phoenix eyes with drooping corners, high cheekbones, and downturned mouth, giving her a fierce look.
She smiled and said, "I'm used to being wild in the countryside, so I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, Granny. Please come in with me."
She turned and walked into the house.
But after taking only two steps, Granny Zhao called out to her, "Miss, wait a moment!"
Qin Sang stopped and turned around, only to see Liu Mama looking smug, her chin slightly raised, while Zhao Mama was already walking forward with small, quick steps.
He first slapped her hard on the back, then kicked her left leg hard as she stepped forward, and said coldly, "Women from wealthy families pay attention to their posture. You must keep your back straight and your steps upright. Never slouch or look listless. That is the most unrefined thing to do."
Granny Zhao's kick was quite forceful. Qin Sang felt a series of sharp pains in her calf. She glared at the short old woman with hatred, but the old woman had an upright and stern look on her face, like a cold judge, and didn't even look at her directly.
She immediately realized that this wasn't someone sent to teach her manners; it was clearly that wicked Granny Liu who had sent such a cruel woman to torment and bully her.
She could tolerate the restrictions imposed on her by this powerful family, but she couldn't stand the bullying of petty people. So she cried out "Ouch!" and fell to the ground.
Granny Liu, who had been smug just moments before, suddenly changed her expression.
Granny Zhao was also somewhat bewildered, staring at Qin Sang sitting on the ground, watching her painfully touch her ankle.
What's going on? They've already kicked him all that, and then they start pretending to be injured and falling down?
The old nanny immediately realized that Qin Sang was not the timid and easy-to-bully person people described; she was clearly a rogue and a scoundrel!
Seeing this, Ying'er quickly squatted down to help check Qin Sang's injury. She lifted her skirt and saw a faint red mark.
Liu Mama's face darkened even more. In the process of teaching etiquette, it was common for her to correct the young ladies' movements and cause minor bumps and bruises. Even proper young ladies from noble families would not dare to be so delicate and unable to endure hardship. But this outsider was so frail and weak? A little red mark had caused such a big fuss, and all the maids in the courtyard had seen it.
Unconvinced, she stepped forward with a smirk and looked down at him coldly, saying, "Miss, you don't need to play such childish games with this old servant. Even if you complain to the mistress about such a minor injury, this old servant will have a valid reason."
Supported by Ying'er, Qin Sang stood up with a soft hiss: "What the old woman said is absolutely right, it's just a minor injury..." Before she finished speaking, she had already taken advantage of everyone's inattention and quickly dropped a small stone, a commonly used hidden weapon, from her sleeve, which she flicked towards the old woman's kneecap.
With a startled cry, Granny Zhao knelt down, only to see another pebble hurtling towards her face. She quickly closed her eyes, and the pebble struck her squarely on the forehead, instantly raising a large, bright red lump on her sallow, withered forehead!
Granny Liu and all the maids in the courtyard were stunned. No one could see where the stone had come from, but they all looked at Qin Sang in disbelief. Their intuition told them that the person who used the hidden weapon was this girl Qin Sang from the countryside!
Granny Zhao clutched her forehead, groaning in pain, while Qin Sang made no attempt to hide her martial arts skills, saying with a half-smile, "Oops, my hand slipped. Granny, since it's just a minor injury, let's call it even. Tsk, it seems Granny Zhao and I are not meant to be. We ended up both injured the moment we met today. Perhaps our horoscopes don't match." She turned to Granny Liu, "Please go and tell the mistress to send a tutor who is compatible with me. Remember," she smiled, "someone who is pretty and kind."
"You...you actually..." Granny Liu gritted her teeth in anger, but the other party was, after all, a distinguished guest personally sent by the Prime Minister to be brought back, so she dared not criticize her too much. She could only grit her teeth and step forward to help Granny Zhao up.
Qin Sang was too lazy to deal with the two of them, so she turned around and went back into the house, saying as she walked, "If you want to find the teaching nanny, hurry up, I have something to take care of."
After speaking, he stepped across the threshold and leisurely walked into the inner room.
After sitting down on the couch, Ying'er found some ointment for her, but Qin Sang stopped her, saying, "Let's leave it like this for now. It's not that I'm being unreasonable, but we should leave some evidence."
Ying'er understood and put the ointment back.
Just then, Lingding finally returned, saying that Qin Baoyun was already waiting in the flower hall. Qin Sang didn't delay, and told her to take the ebony carved box that had been prepared in advance, and then went to the flower hall.
Along the way, she whispered instructions to Lingding, saying whatever came to mind: "I guess I won't be so free after today. The First Madam is sending a tutor to teach me manners, so I'll probably be confined all day. From now on, I'll probably only be able to communicate with Uncle Qin by letter. I'll leave this errand-running to you." She added, "But this is also a good thing. I need to learn some etiquette so that no matter which household I marry into, I won't be criticized or controlled by others for such trivial matters... Speaking of which, later we'll go back and organize the list of men I've made that I can marry, and then find out what the Prime Minister thinks..." She couldn't help but sigh, "Oh, it's a real headache, so many things to do."
Lingding listened and nodded. After hearing her last complaint, she smiled and said, "Let's take it one step at a time. We have plenty of time."
Qin Sang nodded as well.
Suddenly, the two heard someone shout, "Hey!"
Qin Sang turned her head and saw Xie Xiao.
He's drinking in this pavilion again; he must be so bored.
"May Fourth Uncle be blessed." Qin Sang had no choice but to step forward and bow respectfully.
Xie Xiao sneered, "Trying to sneak out again?"
“No,” Qin Sang replied, “I’m just wandering around the courtyard.”
Xie Xiao laughed: "Then you're just like me, an idle person. Come over and try this cherry wine that your fourth uncle brewed himself. It's fresh out of the cellar, sweet and delicious, a perfect way to cut through the richness of the wine! Try it, and if you like it, I'll have someone bring a few jars to your yard."
Qin Sang looked slightly puzzled. What kind of uncle would encourage a young lady to drink excessively?
Xie Xiao laughed heartily: "Still pretending with me? The whole mansion knows you came home drunk yesterday!"
Qin Sang's gaze swept over his fingers holding the wine pot; they were slender, fair, and lacked the bone structure of a typical man, instead resembling the smooth and soft skin of a woman.
She stepped onto the steps, walked up to the pavilion, and sat down next to Xie Xiao. Without saying a word, she picked up the cup of wine that the servant had poured for her, took a sip, and found it to be sweet. She then drank it all in one gulp.
"It's indeed fine wine, Fourth Uncle's skill is superb." She smiled sweetly, her innocent appearance making her likable to everyone.
Xie Xiao kept staring at her, and when he saw that her face quickly flushed with a faint blush from drinking, making her even more beautiful, he was momentarily lost in thought.
Seeing this, Qin Sang pretended not to know, but coughed lightly and said, "Fourth Uncle is quite leisurely. I heard that Young Master Sui'an is at home studying for the autumn examination. Why is Fourth Uncle not interested in the imperial examination?"
Xie Xiao withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, and smiled, "Not everyone wants to be an official. I think being a leisurely person is quite nice. What's wrong," Xie Xiao looked up, "Do you look down on Fourth Uncle?"
Qin Sang had no time to flatter or deceive anyone. She said what she was thinking. She said, "Of course I don't look down on Fourth Uncle. I'm just curious. Fourth Uncle was born into a family like the Prime Minister's Mansion. It's as if he stood on the shoulders of giants. He could easily pick the fruits that others couldn't pick in their entire lives. Yet Fourth Uncle is so disdainful. He is indeed carefree and his mind is beyond the reach of ordinary people."
After listening, Xie Xiao remained silent for a while before laughing: "This is the first time I've heard someone describe having no ambition in such a refreshing and elegant way. Is this how you managed to bewitch Xie Sui'an?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Sang chuckled: "It's all baseless, Fourth Uncle, be careful what you say."
Xie Xiao looked at her: "What, you don't like him? Well, I don't like him either. He's almost eighteen! He's still like a brainless child, always making a fuss and being useless!"
Qin Sang lowered her eyes and poured herself another glass of wine. In her mind, she was thinking that this person's temperament and personality were too different from the masked man on Wuyou Island. Apart from the vague similarity in his hands and figure, she found it hard to compare the two.
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