Uncle Xiang said with difficulty: “His Highness also gave instructions when he left this morning, but just now Miss Mu Lian said that Miss had injuries and needed to eat more to replenish her nutrition, so we prepared all this.”

“Mu Lian?” Qing Xia frowned lightly upon hearing this, asking in a heavy voice: “That woman from the Mulian tribe who betrayed her people?”

“Uh…” Uncle Xiang was stunned, thought for a moment, then stammered: “Yes, yes, that’s her.”

Qing Xia raised an eyebrow. She had been so busy these days that she had actually forgotten about her. Speaking of which, the Penglai incident was caused by her tip-off. Although she couldn’t be certain whether she was an accomplice of the Mohists or had discovered it by accident, it could be determined that this woman harbored no good intentions toward her. She had never been a magnanimous person, and toward this woman who had nearly caused her death, she felt not even a trace of good will. She said in a heavy voice: “How can she be in the prince’s manor? Isn’t she affiliated with the military department?”

Uncle Xiang frowned and said: “Miss Mu Lian frequently comes and goes from the prince’s manor. She’s not a military department person, nor is her military registration with the Yan Character Battalion.”

“Then why does she always follow by His Highness’s side?”

“Miss Mu Lian seems to be a servant of the Grand Elder,” said Qing’er from the side. She added rice to Qing Xia’s bowl and continued: “She’s always searching for medicinal materials in various places, and reportedly seems to be inquiring about the whereabouts of the Shangqiu lineage.”

Qing Xia frowned slightly and said nothing more, thinking to herself: Could she be searching for good medicine to treat Qin Zhiyan’s illness? For some unknown reason, she always harbored great prejudice and wariness toward this woman – perhaps because she had suffered at her hands.

After breakfast, Qing Xia wanted to go to the accounting office to check the books. She treasured this opportunity Qin Zhiyan had given her. Even though she had no greed for these powers, she truly wanted to share some burdens for him and gradually understand his life. But before she reached the accounting office, she saw groups of maidservants coming and going from Qin Zhiyan’s study. Qing Xia raised an eyebrow and asked in a heavy voice: “What are they doing?”

Uncle Xiang was also stunned and called over a maid to ask: “What are you doing?”

The maid was only fifteen or sixteen years old, with red lips and white teeth, quite clever-looking. She said: “We’re airing out the books. Miss Mu Lian said the books in the study are about to get infested with insects, so she wants us to dry them properly.”

Qing Xia remained expressionless as she lightly raised an eyebrow, paying no attention, and said in a heavy voice: “Uncle Xiang, let’s go.”

They had only taken a few steps when they saw several servants huddled around two horse carts, discussing something in low voices. Uncle Xiang, seeing Qing Xia’s unpleasant expression, quickly called out: “Hey! You’re not doing your own work – what are you all gathered here for?”

Several servants, seeing Qing Xia, hurriedly bowed their heads in respect, saying reverently: “These are the furs and medicinal materials brought back from Xichuan this time. Miss Mu Lian said to take advantage of today’s good weather to send them to the palace for the various masters.”

At this point, even Uncle Xiang’s expression became awkward. He quickly dispersed the several servants, then turned around, rubbing his hands while explaining to Qing Xia: “Miss, this… this…”

“No need to explain,” Qing Xia’s face was dark as water as she shook her head, saying: “It’s not your fault. Come with me to the accounting office.”

All the way through flower gardens and willow groves, past artificial mountains and ponds everywhere, they finally reached the accounting office in the front courtyard. Who would have thought that just as they reached the doorway, an account book was suddenly thrown forcefully from inside. A sharp, clear female voice angrily shouted: “How do you do your work? This account is missing over thirty thousand taels of silver in entries – do you think I’m a decorative fool? Or do you no longer want this job at Prince Xuan’s manor?”

A middle-aged man in his forties rolled and crawled out, picked up the account book from the ground, turned back to kneel on the ground, and frantically said to the person inside: “Miss Mu Lian, there’s a great drought in the east, water transport is blocked, the waterways have all dried up, the silver temporarily can’t reach the accounts – it’s definitely not embezzlement on my part! Even if I, Song Quan, had the courage of the heavens, I wouldn’t dare deceive you, Miss Mu Lian!”

“Disappear from my sight immediately! If the silver doesn’t arrive within three days, prepare for your entire family to be thrown into the Wei River!”

“And you, get out together!”

There was a loud thud, as if someone had been kicked hard in the chest. A thin, twenty-something man stumbled backward violently, falling toward Qing Xia and the others. The man came at great speed. Uncle Xiang and the others cried out in alarm and scattered. Just as the man was about to fall to the ground with the back of his head heading toward a protruding boulder by the roadside…

Suddenly, Qing Xia’s hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the man’s collar. Her body remained motionless as a mountain, her face dark as water, her eyes sharp and fierce. A long wind blew, Qing Xia’s robes billowed, her black hair flew, her expression icy cold like an ice sculpture carved from snow.

“Be careful.”

A low female voice slowly rang out, carrying a trace of snow-like coldness that seemed especially loud in the deathly silent courtyard. Having escaped death, the man’s legs trembled as he suddenly fell to his knees with a thud, calling out shakily: “Thank you, Miss, thank you, Miss.”

Servants who had come upon hearing the commotion gathered in various corners of the front courtyard, peering from walls and door cracks, quietly waiting for a storm to arrive.

“Who is it?” A slightly raised voice came from the accounting office, but showed no intention of coming out to take a look.

If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain. Qing Xia sneered coldly, raised an eyebrow, turned and strode into the accounting office.

Mu Lian wore a black robe, her skin like snow, sitting upright in the accounting office’s comfortable chair. On both sides sat more than twenty stewards and bosses of various merchant houses affiliated with Prince Xuan’s manor, each holding an account book in their hands, seemingly waiting for her inspection. Having already heard Qing Xia’s voice, Mu Lian still kept her head buried in the account books. After quite a while, she slowly raised her head, a faint smile at the corners of her mouth, her eyes sweeping over Qing Xia with contempt as she said to a servant beside her: “I wondered who had come – it turns out to be the famous Noble Consort of Southern Chu. Please sit, serve tea.”

Qing Xia didn’t move, her back straight, neck slightly raised, looking down at the composed Mu Lian from above, smiling faintly: “No need. I never drink tea offered by those who are enemies rather than friends. Miss Mu Lian need not bother.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Mu Lian raised an eyebrow, her snow-white skin contrasting with her bright red lips as she curved them slightly, saying indifferently: “In that case, my hospitality is lacking. I still have business to attend to – Consort Chu may leave.”

The news of Qin Zhiyan nearly losing his life for Qing Xia in the Battle of Bailu Plains had already spread throughout the world. Who in this entire manor didn’t know? Given Qin Zhiyan’s character, that he could act so impulsively, then afterward disobey Prince Qin, and even bring Qing Xia back to the manor, entrusting all the manor’s authority to her – the implications were crystal clear. Yet she still persisted in calling Qing Xia “Consort Chu” over and over again. Her intentions were obvious.

Qing Xia said nothing and showed no anger. She walked forward slowly, took something from her waist, and slowly placed it on the desk.

Everyone looked down in unison and saw lying on the desk a string of keys to the various storerooms of the prince’s manor. These items had always been managed by the manor’s head steward, Uncle Xiang. When Qing Xia entered the manor, Uncle Xiang had handed these over to her – everyone in the manor knew this at the time, but these external servants and stewards didn’t know. Now seeing these items actually in this woman’s hands, who wouldn’t understand what this represented? One by one, they quickly stood up and respectfully bowed to Qing Xia.

Qing Xia didn’t even glance at the surrounding stewards, her eyes fixed tightly on Mu Lian’s eyes as she said with a faint smile: “Without proper name, words carry no weight; without weighty words, actions cannot be stable. Miss Mu Lian, having experienced two countries and three generations, with such a clever and intelligent mind soaked in over twenty years of military blood and water, surely understands what the wisest course of action would be now.”

Mu Lian’s gaze was cold as she stared coldly at the woman before her. Two flames of anger slowly rose in her eyes. She slowly stood up and said in a heavy voice: “Well said – without proper name, words carry no weight. But I wonder what the illustrious Noble Consort of Southern Chu is really after, lingering daily within Prince Xuan’s manor of Great Qin?”

Qing Xia smiled faintly, saying carelessly: “I once lived in the northern lands and heard the Xiongnu people have this saying: ‘Deer lower their heads to graze, eagles raise their heads to look north.’ Only those with short-sighted vision constantly obsess over immediate matters. I haven’t even settled accounts with you for your treachery and betrayal of your people to join the enemy, yet you come here to criticize me – don’t you find that laughable?”

Mu Lian flew into a rage, angrily saying: “What right do you have…”

“My being able to stand here today gives me that right!” Qing Xia suddenly raised her eyebrows, angrily declaring: “People should have self-awareness – don’t try to covet things that don’t belong to you. Without ability, you must accept your fate. When schemes fail and conspiracies are exposed, you must admit defeat! Brief verbal disputes and secretly directing some servants to serve you while others are away cannot demonstrate your value. One mountain cannot contain two tigers, two suns cannot shine on the same day. Moreover, in my eyes, you were never considered an opponent.”

Mu Lian’s face turned livid, her fists clenched tight as she angrily shouted: “Zhuang Qing Xia!”

“Is that name yours to call?” Qing Xia said coldly: “You’re just a traitorous slave who has betrayed your country, once served as a military prostitute for Great Qin, and are now someone else’s household slave – what right do you have to stand here? What gives you the authority to bare your fangs and brandish your claws at Prince Xuan’s manor’s external stewards? You merely rely on being a servant of the Nanjiang Grand Elder of Witchcraft and Medicine, borrowing the opportunity of frequently delivering medicine and messages to His Highness to interfere in the manor’s affairs large and small. Not only do you fail to recognize reality, you can’t even position yourself properly! A lowly commoner wanting to climb above her masters, presumptuous and arrogant, vicious in your methods – according to Great Qin law, you should have your eyes gouged out, tongue pulled out, hands severed, feet chopped off, corpse exposed in the wilderness, dying without an intact body!”

“And you!” Qing Xia suddenly turned around to face the crowd of external stewards and managers of Prince Xuan’s manor, her eyes cold as she angrily said: “You have failed Prince Xuan’s trust! You disgrace yourselves as servants of Prince Xuan’s manor! Dignified external managers, yet you let a lowly subordinate order you around and summon you at will! You can’t recognize who the real master is, can’t distinguish right from wrong, can’t tell black from white – are your eyes just decorations?”