After changing her clothes and preparing to leave silently, she suddenly heard a commotion in the courtyard. The child raised an eyebrow, and her movements involuntarily paused.

The sound of knocking came from the door, and Huan’er lowered her voice outside, calling softly, “Xing’er, good news!”

Opening the door, Huan’er rushed in with an excited face, smiling as she said, “Xing’er, there’s good news. Do you want to hear it?”

The child was small, sitting on the chair looking somewhat comical. She poured a cup of tea and drank it with proper decorum, “Go ahead.”

“Xing’er!” The little maid pouted unhappily, “Do you want to hear it or not? You don’t even look excited.”

The child smiled faintly, “If you want to tell me, just tell me. Even if I said I didn’t want to hear it, you’d still tell me anyway.”

“Hmph, I won’t argue with you, but this is good news.” Huan’er smiled, “Steward Zhu from the outer estate was caught in the act of having an affair with a newly favored songstress from the inner estate. Even the Third Madam and the Eldest Young Master were alerted. That songstress has already been thrown into a well, and Steward Zhu was given thirty lashes. How about that? Isn’t that good news?”

The hand holding the teacup froze momentarily. The child sat on the chair, her face as calm as an ancient well, undisturbed by ripples. Her eyes, black as ink, slowly narrowed, quietly concealing all emotions and sharpness. She nodded solemnly, “Indeed, that is good news.”

The little maid said indignantly, “Exactly! Zhu Shun has always been arrogant, relying on his position to bully others. Which of us servants hasn’t suffered from his abuse? Just like how your Jing family’s children were sent to the Old Master—he was partly responsible for that. Today he got a severe beating, which shows heaven is fair, and gives us some satisfaction for the grievances in our hearts.”

The child’s expression remained unchanged, her voice smooth with a hint of deliberately suppressed depth, “Having an illicit affair with a songstress from the inner chambers, yet only receiving thirty lashes for such an offense seems far too lenient.”

“That’s exactly right!” Huan’er said, “Just now, the Seventh Madam was so upset that she went to the Fourth Young Master to seek justice. Unfortunately, our Young Master has never been willing to manage these affairs. With the First Madam and the Master not in the residence, everything is decided by the Eldest Young Master. And Zhu Shun is the Eldest Young Master’s man, so…”

Chu Qiao nodded and slowly said, “Alright, I understand. Huan’er, thank you for telling me.”

Seeing that the child’s expression seemed off, Huan’er’s voice softened, becoming slightly awkward as she asked uneasily, “Xing’er, are you feeling unwell? Should I find a doctor for you?”

“No need,” Chu Qiao smiled faintly, reassuring her, “I’ll be fine after some rest.”

“Oh,” Huan’er nodded and left the room. As soon as the door closed, the child’s face immediately darkened.

Even this couldn’t bring him down?

Then, she would have to take action herself. Chu Qiao slowly bit her lip as she sat in the chair. It seemed all plans needed to be redeployed.

The door to Outer Estate Steward Zhu Shun’s courtyard was tightly shut, but even from a distance, one could still occasionally hear the man’s pig-like screams. Passing servants lowered their eyes and heads, with none daring to look openly, but their expressions of schadenfreude couldn’t be hidden—they looked happier than when receiving their annual wages.

Zhu Shun lay naked on his bed, howling like a ghost and a wolf while continuously cursing the two servants applying medicine to him, as if they were the ones who had beaten him into this state.

“Your grandmother! Are you trying to kill me with pain?!”

One of the servants, his face covered in sweat, cautiously appeased him while saying, “Steward Zhu, you have to bear with it. The flesh has stuck to your trousers; we must tear it off.”

The room faced water on the east side, with a few sparse shrubs. A sharp dagger inserted along the window silently picked up the window latch during the man’s screams. The child, holding a self-made folding crossbow, slowly stood up, aiming at the man’s head.

This type of crossbow originated from South Africa, passed down from a jungle tribe. Its design was ingenious, capable of being disassembled and folded, with accurate short-range shooting while remaining silent. Years ago, when Chu Qiao was on an undercover mission abroad, she had used such a crossbow to infiltrate a private party with strict surveillance for guns and ammunition, ultimately killing the target. This crossbow was not only easy to carry but also extremely lethal—a skilled hunter could kill a full-grown tiger with it, showing its terrifying power. In the era of cold weapons, this was practically custom-made for assassins. Zhu Shun was very fortunate; he was about to become the first person to die under this super-weapon that transcended time and regions.

Just then, a man suddenly rushed in with panic, shouting, “Steward Zhu, Steward Zhu!”

“What are you shouting for?” Zhu Shun exploded with anger, “Are you calling for a funeral? I’m not dead yet!”

The servant quickly said, “Steward Zhu, someone has come from the separate courtyard. The Old Master is asking why the little female slave you promised to send hasn’t been delivered yet?”

Zhu Shun was taken aback and immediately tried to jump up. However, before he could say a word, he fell back down with a thud and began wailing like a ghost. While crying, he said, “That girl probably won’t work out. The Fourth Young Master won’t release her. I’ve prepared ten newly bought little slaves at Xile Courtyard. Take them away.”

“Yes, I understand,” the man replied, turning to run out.

Zhu Shun shouted, “Remember to tell the Old Master that I’ve fallen seriously ill. I’ll pay my respects to him once I recover.”

Outside the window, the crossbow was gradually lowered. The child’s eyes darted as another idea came to mind.

Perhaps there was another way to eliminate these two people—without bloodying her hands, clean and neat.

As soon as the earthen prison of Xile Courtyard was opened, a foul stench assaulted the senses. The steward from the separate courtyard who came to collect the slaves frowned, pinching his nose as he said, “What kinds of things are these? Are such goods worthy of being presented to the Old Master?”

The servant who had come earlier immediately bowed and said, “Slaves are hard to come by these days. As soon as they hear it’s for our Zhuge Manor, the prices skyrocket. Even these few were obtained through our Steward Zhu’s ingenuity. Rest assured, once they’re cleaned up, each will be a little beauty. The Old Master will be delighted when he sees them.”

“Enough, stop talking nonsense. Bring them out. I don’t have time to waste with you here.”

The children inside hadn’t seen sunlight for a long time. Since they were bought, they had been confined here, their hair disheveled, their faces dirty and terrified. They covered their eyes and huddled together like a group of small animals.

The steward from the separate courtyard glanced at them and then frowned, “Weren’t there supposed to be only ten? Why are there eleven?”

“Really?” The servant quickly counted and then said, “Perhaps Steward Zhu remembered incorrectly. I’ll go back and ask.”

“Forget it, don’t ask. I don’t have the time. Take them away!”

Several strong men stepped forward, pushing against a child’s body as they shouted angrily, “All of you, follow along!”

The children were frightened, and some began to cry softly.

“Anyone who dares to cry again will be cut down with a knife! How dare you defy us!”

The family servant shouted while relying on his master’s authority. As he spoke, he grabbed one of the cleaner-looking children. Just then, that child suddenly turned around and bit the man’s wrist fiercely. The man screamed and let go, and the child immediately fled like a rabbit, swiftly escaping!

“Ah! One’s running away! Chase, catch that one!”

The servants of the Zhuge Manor, seeing the direction in which the child was running, were immediately alarmed. One grabbed the steward from the separate courtyard and shouted, “Steward Zhu, that way leads to the Fourth Young Master’s Qingshan Courtyard. We can’t go there!”

“It’s just catching a slave, what’s there to fear?” Steward Zhu shouted angrily, pushing away the servant’s hand and chasing after the fleeing child.

Today’s first update, and the second update coming later.