Chapter 7 Xue Han
The Earl of Yongqing stared blankly at the boy in scarlet robes.
Who do you want to see?
Sixth Sister?
Is it... illegal to find a lost granddaughter?
"Lord."
The boy placed the teacup on the table, the soft sound pulling Yongqingbo back from his wandering thoughts.
"I wonder why Lord Xue wishes to see my granddaughter? That girl is new to the countryside and doesn't know any manners—"
The young man smiled and said, "Your Excellency may have heard that foreign spies have been active in the capital recently. Since your granddaughter has been missing for ten years and has suddenly been found, it is my duty to see her with my own eyes so that I can feel at ease."
Upon hearing the word "spy," Earl Yongqing's heart skipped a beat: "Lord Xue is joking."
The boy's smile vanished: "Whether it's a joke or not, we'll only know after we see it."
The Earl of Yongqing was furious, but dared not refuse any longer, and hurriedly ordered someone to invite Qiuheng over.
On the way to the front hall, the steward, who had been instructed, told Qiu Heng about the young man's identity: "The person who wants to see the Sixth Miss is Lord Xue Han, who is in charge of the Imperial City Guard. Although this Lord Xue is not yet twenty, he is ruthless and unpredictable in his actions. The Sixth Miss must be careful with her words and deeds."
"Imperial Envoy Xue Han?"
The steward asked in surprise, "Have you heard of Sixth Miss?"
"No, I just think the name sounds nice."
The manager swayed.
Oh no, this country girl is so bad at being careful with her words and actions!
Qiu Heng silently quickened her pace.
In the later Great Xia Dynasty, she often read books that recorded this period, and Xue Han, the Imperial Envoy, was an indispensable figure.
This man was born a beggar and was adopted by Xue Quan, a eunuch known as the "Hidden Prime Minister," thus rising to prominence. His most famous good deed was saving the crown prince from a fire, which disfigured him. Another recorded act was his execution for murdering Prince Fu.
Why would someone like that specifically request to see her on the second day after she arrived in the capital?
As Qiu Heng stepped into the hall, she immediately saw the young man sitting opposite the Earl of Yongqing.
She was very young, with a clean and aloof demeanor, completely different from the image she had been portrayed in books.
Xue Han also saw the girl at the door, and his indifferent gaze changed slightly.
"I haven't met Lord Xue yet."
Qiu Heng curtsied and said, "Greetings, Grandfather. Greetings, Lord Xue."
"Lord Xue, this is the granddaughter we just found." Earl Yongqing said with a smile.
The boy stood up and took a step closer to Qiu Heng.
Qiu Heng noticed a pair of black boots, and then a voice rang out: "Sixth Miss Qiu, there's no need for such formalities."
It's a voice that matches her temperament—clean, clear, and making it difficult to guess her emotions.
Before examining the girl's appearance, Xue Han noticed her scent first.
People loved fragrance; clothes and bedding were scented, and incense was burned while playing the zither and sipping tea. Even ordinary women who couldn't afford gold and silver jewelry couldn't do without sachets. In this prosperous and elegant capital, there were few like the young woman before them who wore clothes without any fragrance.
Then, his gaze fell on her face.
Having heard that the Qiu family's daughter was exceptionally beautiful, Xue Han was not surprised by her beauty. What struck him more was the resemblance between the girl and the people from the Yongqing Marquis's mansion.
The image of Master Qiu flashed through the boy's mind; there was some resemblance, but not much.
"Did Miss Qiu only arrive in the capital yesterday?"
"yes."
"You were living in the southern countryside before?"
"yes."
Upon hearing this, the already anxious Earl of Yongqing became even more nervous.
The Imperial City Guard is truly terrifying; the news of Sixth Sister's return has already reached their ears.
"Sixth Miss Qiu—" The young man's voice paused slightly, "Before the Earl's mansion went to look for her, did she know that she was not his biological daughter?"
"I don't know."
“But I heard that Qiu Liu was already five years old when she went missing, so she should have some memories.”
Qiu Heng could sense that after he said those words, the boy's gaze became more focused, not missing a single change in her expression.
Is the Imperial City Guard really that dedicated to catching spies?
"My adoptive mother said she was terrified when she met me," Qiu Heng answered every question.
"Is that so?" The young man lowered his gaze. "I'll trouble Miss Qiu to extend her hand."
A pair of jade-white hands stretched out, with slender fingers, free of calluses from labor or martial arts practice, except for a small mole next to the tiger's mouth of the right hand.
The boy stared intently at the hands.
Uncle Yongqing held his teacup, forgetting to drink and forgetting to put it down.
"Miss Qiu Liu... must have been treated well by her adoptive parents."
As the boy uttered those words with a smile, the tense atmosphere in the room eased.
Qiu Heng met the boy's eyes and slowly said, "Lord Xue is right, my adoptive parents treated me like their own child."
Xue Han looked at the Earl of Yongqing and nodded slightly: "I apologize for disturbing you. It is my duty, and I hope the Earl will not take offense."
"How could that be? That granddaughter—"
"Lord, you have found your granddaughter who was lost for many years, and your family is reunited. This is a joyous occasion," Xue Han said, bowing slightly.
Only then did Yongqing Bo feel relieved. He politely saw the person off and was then invited to Qiansong Hall by someone sent by the old lady.
The old lady was restless and, upon seeing the Earl of Yongqing, eagerly asked, "My lord, what brings the Imperial City Guards here?"
"I heard that our family has found our sixth daughter to rule out the possibility that she is a spy." In front of his wife, Uncle Yongqing no longer hid his anger.
If it were the residences of Fang Xiang or Commander Han, would the Imperial City Guard, no matter how powerful, come knocking on their door like this? They're just taking advantage of the Yongqing Earl's lack of influence.
The old lady was taken aback: "You've only just returned, and the Imperial City Guard already knows?"
"It's probably because you took Sixth Girl to the Marquis of Changchun's residence today, and then an accident happened on the street, which reached the ears of the Imperial City Guard."
“I said this girl is unlucky, but the Earl always speaks up for her.”
The next day, Qiuheng came to Qiansong Hall to pay her respects, and the old lady said, "The Earl's mansion is quite different from the countryside. You should focus on learning the rules and etiquette first, and you don't need to come to pay your respects for now. Granny Zhu—"
A woman stepped forward: "This servant is here."
"I'm entrusting Sixth Sister to you."
"yes."
"Everyone, disperse."
On the way back, Fifth Sister Qiu Ying glanced at Qiu Heng, who was some distance ahead, and said with sympathy, "Granny Zhu is the strictest. Sixth Sister is probably going to have a hard time."
Fourth Miss Qiu Fu glanced at her: "You're such a worrywart. She comes from the countryside and doesn't know proper manners. If she goes out with us in the future, she'll only bring shame to the Earl's mansion."
"Fourth Sister is right." Qiu Ying wisely refrained from saying anything more.
Despite the distance, Qiu Heng overheard the conversation.
Was Granny Zhu very strict?
The young girl glanced at the woman walking beside her out of the corner of her eye and frowned slightly.
She has no time to waste learning the rules.
Zhu Mama quickly revealed the air of a governess: "A lady of noble birth, every gesture, every movement, every sitting and lying down is proper. Sixth Miss, please walk a bit first so that I can take a look."
There's so much to say about gait, stride size, and so on. This first lesson is sure to leave a deep impression on Sixth Sister.
Qiu Heng nodded and walked gracefully for a while.
"Sixth Miss, please sit."
"Sixth Sister lies down."
"Sixth Sister, rise."
...
Granny Zhu stared in disbelief, speechless.
Qiu Heng asked gently, "Does this meet Granny Zhu's requirements?"
Suppressing her shock, Granny Zhu said seriously, "Sixth Miss has some basic skills, but she still needs to refine them to live up to the old lady's expectations. How about this, Sixth Miss, stand for an hour to solidify your posture."
A coldness appeared in Qiu Heng's eyes.
It turns out that teaching her manners and etiquette was secondary; the main point was to intimidate her.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com