Continue the performance
The next day, at noon, he took his personal attendant and went out temporarily, leaving Zhi Qiu to arrange her time on her own.
He returned at dusk. He carried a light blue woman's garment and headed straight for the small house. He knocked on the door, and when it opened...
He threw the clothes at her, turned his head away, as if he was too embarrassed to face her. Was it because he was shy or embarrassed?
She looked bewildered, holding the clothes and raising her eyebrows at him, "General, what do you mean by this?"
He glanced at her disheveled hair and said, "Change your clothes, fix your hair, and then get in the car." He turned and walked out the door without giving her any response.
"?" She picked up the clothes and examined them for a few moments. Look at the fabric, look at the embroidery and the material. Isn't this the maid's uniform from Jingxin Courtyard? What is he doing with this?
She pondered for a while, and finally obediently changed into it, styling her hair simply into a bun. The green dress was very flattering and made her look slender.
She then reluctantly boarded the carriage. Peng Feizhe, dressed in simple gray clothes, noticed her attire and couldn't take his eyes off her. He moved aside to let her sit next to him.
She sat down, keeping a distance between them, and obediently placed her hands on her knees.
Seeing that Zhi Qiu had sat down, he said, "Let's go."
The carriage started moving, at a moderate speed, and it would take about four or five minutes to reach the destination.
"General, why did you bring a maid's uniform from Jingxin Courtyard?" She looked at the pattern on the sleeves, which was indeed the embroidery of Jingxin Courtyard.
He replied, "Don't you always say that your master is cruel and heartless? I'd like to see what kind of person he is."
"?!!" She frowned and her expression became serious, but then quickly relaxed, afraid that he would notice.
She never expected him to do this so suddenly, and she began to get annoyed. The Miss Pang in Jingxin Courtyard was a fake! The real one was here. She usually relayed information about him back to the courtyard through the teahouse so she could plan the next steps. His sudden performance caught her off guard. Firstly, she hadn't informed the servants how to respond, and secondly, how could she portray "Miss Pang" as truly ruthless?
"If the general wants to know, he can just ask me. Why bother to come in person?" She suppressed her nervousness.
He said in a deep voice, "Seeing is believing. Do you want to go and see if she is really as cruel as you say?"
“Ah…indeed…” She was speechless, glancing at Peng Feizhe, who was leaning against the window frame, resting with his eyes closed.
He was wearing the clothes of a male servant in the Jingxin Academy, and his hair was simply tied up in a bun. His face was clean and his features were handsome.
He suddenly spoke up: "I thought about it for a long time last night. It's better to see for myself than just listen to your words, so I went to inquire about her early this morning. I went to Jingxin Courtyard and got two sets of clothes. If we disguise ourselves as servants, it will be easier for us to get close to her, and I will also be able to better understand her character."
"Ah...haha..." She chuckled dryly, but inside she was already in a complete panic.
You really went to great lengths to think about this, catching me completely off guard!
"The general is clever." She gave a thumbs-up in praise.
He opened his eyes but only glanced at her, a faint hint of satisfaction on his face. He rarely saw her dressed like this, and he was somewhat pleased and pleased.
"Why did the general go at this time? Wouldn't it have been better to go at night or during the day? Why did he choose to go at dusk?" she wondered.
His smile turned into a faint silence, his eyes looking at him like he was an idiot. "Going at night? If you get caught, you'll be labeled a flower thief. We found out during the day that she comes out for a walk in the evening and stays indoors to recuperate at other times."
"I see." She nodded in understanding, but still looked somewhat anxious.
The car slowed down until it came to a stop.
"General, we've arrived at the back gate," the coachman said.
"Okay." He replied, then looked at her, "Get out of the car and go to the hospital."
"good."
The two got out of the car and faced a vermilion door. The paint on the back door was peeling, indicating that it was quite old.
She asked with a worried expression, "General, are you sure they won't recognize us? What if we're caught and brought before Miss Pang for questioning?"
He didn't seem to care much, acting as if he didn't care at all and was very bold, saying, "What's there to be afraid of? I'll take responsibility if anything happens."
"But this..." she hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.
He saw her worry. "If she wants to punish you or me, I'll reveal my identity, and then let's see what she can do to me."
She sighed deeply, "Alright." She stepped forward and pushed open the back door. The surroundings were cold and quiet as she entered.
This is the backyard, mostly overgrown with grass and trees, rarely visited by anyone. There's only a small tiled house and a small archway leading to some unknown place. If she remembers correctly, a short walk from here leads to a pavilion and a lake. That's a place she often admires; it's quiet and beautiful, and she often goes there to relax.
Jingxin Courtyard was quite large, roughly the size of a third-rank official's residence. She had been away for some time. Now that she was back, she was quite familiar with the place, though she didn't know all the layouts. She had always been confined here to practice trivial matters like playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
Her father only visits once a month, and her childhood sweetheart doesn't come to see her often anymore. She's fourteen now. She's almost of marriageable age and will soon be getting married, but she's unwilling and reluctant to marry him. The person she's always loved has always been her childhood sweetheart. Her heart has never changed, and it never will.
She glanced around, then turned to him and asked, "General... what's your plan next?"
“Go to the courtyard. I heard she likes to go there.” He looked at the archway leading to the courtyard. “You’ve been here before, you should know how to get there. Lead the way.”
Well, she knew this would happen.
She then led him through a long red corridor, around several houses, until they reached a beautiful spot. The two stood under an archway, gazing at the picturesque scenery.
The evening sun reflected on the lake, creating golden ripples. A pavilion sat on the lakeside, surrounded by lotus leaves. The water was crystal clear, and fish swam freely, occasionally leaping out of the water to break the calm surface and add a touch of life to the tranquil scene.
Different colored wind chimes hung from the four corners of the pavilion, their melodious sounds filling the air as the breeze gently blew through them, creating a beautiful scene. Inside the pavilion sat a young woman in a flowing dress, her brown hair flowing in the air, adorned with a precious golden headdress.
On the cobblestone path leading to the pavilion, two maids in green, carrying red platters, were preparing to serve exquisite food. Suddenly, Peng Feizhe pulled her behind the archway. She looked at him with puzzled eyes at his stealthy behavior.
Then several male guards walked past them; they were merely there to maintain order or patrol for security.
After they all left, the two of them peeked out again to look at the scenery.
"Go out and meet her." He narrowed his eyes and locked onto the girl in the pavilion, but he couldn't see her clearly because she was too far away.
"???" Bro, do you want to hear what you're saying?
"Wouldn't it be suicide for me to go out? I've been sneaking out for so long." She said in a low voice, speechless.
He confidently declared, "Don't be afraid, I'll keep you alive with me here."
She retorted, "Even if I don't die, she'll beat me half to death!"
"..." He glanced down at her, his eyes narrowing slightly as he lowered his voice: "Are you going or not?"
Not to be outdone, she looked back and questioned, "Then why didn't the general go? Is he afraid of her?"
He scoffed coldly, his expression full of disdain: "Afraid of her? What is she anyway?"
She quickly pressed, "Then why don't you go out? Why are you making me go out instead?"
Seeing that she was still resisting and disobeying his orders, he said with some dissatisfaction, "You know this place well, don't you? As a woman, you'd be better able to get close to her, wouldn't you?"
“…Then…” She was speechless and unable to refute him. Indeed, if he were to intervene, he would keep the male servants at a distance, given his own nature.
"How can I step forward?" She reluctantly accepted the task, looking disillusioned and unwilling.
He suddenly grinned mischievously and showed her a pebble in his hand. "See that?"
"Hmm?" she asked, looking at the pebble with a puzzled expression.
He then threw the pebble at the two maids carrying the tray, hitting one of them squarely. The maid cried out in pain, dropping the tray she was carrying, and fell to the ground, clutching her leg and crying in pain.
Seeing the situation, she felt sorry for the maid. She turned and glared angrily at Peng Feizhe, her brows furrowed as she whispered, "Is this how you handle things? Throwing that young girl to the ground?"
Seeing that she was angry, his tone remained unchanged and even had a teasing quality: "Otherwise, she wouldn't have come. What? Feeling sorry for them?"
"you……"
"Hey! What are you doing? You've ruined the young lady's food. Don't you want to live?" A man in charge shouted angrily, drawing the attention of the busy people around him.
The maid who had fallen to the ground slowly got up, her calf swollen with a small bump, and her eyes filled with tears.
The maid, her voice trembling with tears, said, "Steward He, I didn't mean to... I..."
Another maid carrying the tray looked at her worriedly, not daring to make a sound, standing there blankly. Suddenly, Zhi Qiu was pushed away by a large hand, and she looked at the hand that pushed her.
"Go ahead, I'll handle it, don't worry too much." He raised his hand and waved to her, signaling her to hurry up and help him out.
She glanced at him expressionlessly and said, "Oh."
She then stepped forward. Butler He was still scolding the maid, who lowered her head and listened to the reprimand without daring to resist. Seeing the situation, Zhi Qiu felt a surge of anger. She stood behind Butler He, her brows furrowed in displeasure.
"Butler He, why are you so harsh on a young girl? The food is gone, so be it. She didn't do it on purpose. Why make things difficult for her and scold her?"
Butler He turned around and glanced at her, sizing her up a few times. He felt a sense of pressure and familiarity. Butler He was around forty years old, with some gray hair and a somewhat aged appearance.
Butler He was immediately displeased when he saw someone meddling in his business. "Who do you think you are? Isn't it perfectly reasonable for me to discipline a servant on behalf of my master? And you..."
"What's all this noise about?" A clear, cool girl's voice interrupted Butler He.
The young girl, dressed in a light blue silk dress, with pale golden eyes, wide-open almond-shaped eyes, and a fair face, approached with curiosity. Two maids in purple robes stood beside her, and she exuded an air of nobility.
Upon seeing this person, Steward He quickly bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Miss."
The girl merely glanced arrogantly at the others before her gaze fell upon the pastries on the ground. "Who did this?" she asked, her voice cold and tinged with anger.
The maid knelt on the ground, trembling with fear, and said, "I didn't mean to, please forgive me, Miss..."
"Drag her away and whip her." The girl's cold voice carried displeasure.
Zhi Qiu said, "Miss, she didn't do it on purpose. Please let her go."
"Hmm?" She looked up and shifted her gaze to the person who had spoken, and was first taken aback and then surprised by their appearance.
"How could you..." she said, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"This servant, Zhi Qiu, greets Your Highness." She gave a simple bow, her eyes fixed firmly on her.
The young lady swallowed hard, staring intently into Zhi Qiu's eyes. She hadn't received any news that her master was coming back! Why? Why did she suddenly appear like this?
She was completely baffled, and when she thought about her words and actions just now, she wished she could kneel down and beg for forgiveness immediately.
Just as she was about to say something to ease the tension, Zhi Qiu spoke first: "Miss, this servant Zhi Qiu has returned to apologize. I hope you will forgive this servant for leaving without permission." After she finished speaking, she knelt down on the ground, her eyes fixed intently on her mistress's.
The young lady looked at her in surprise, her pupils shrinking. "You...you..." Then she understood the general meaning from Zhi Qiu's eyes. Zhi Qiu frowned and kept hinting at something behind her.
She straightened her posture, arrogantly turned her face away, and said, "If you know you're wrong, get up. I'll punish you with a year's salary."
"Yes." She stood up, her eyes still gesturing something.
Keep acting! Keep acting! Someone's there.
The young lady looked directly into those almond-shaped eyes, and the two seemed to have engaged in a spiritual exchange.
The young lady noticed a figure at the right archway and asked with a somewhat somber expression, "What do you want to say now that you've returned?"
"Since I left, I have had nightmares day and night. I know I have done wrong, so I have come today to atone for my sins." She pretended to be sad and raised her hand to wipe away her tears with her sleeve.
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