“Useless!” Qiu Shu roared in anger.

The maid hurriedly picked up the booklet from the floor and silently placed it back on the table, not daring to say a word.

She lowered her head as far as it would go.

Qiu Shu was so angry she cried, her eyes filled with bloodshot veins, looking far from appeased. She had clearly already agreed with Zhu Yao that as long as she participated, she would definitely be selected through those connections. Now her older sister wouldn’t allow her to participate, which was more painful to her than losing her life.

Moreover, three years ago during the courtesan queen selection, she couldn’t participate because she was too young. Now that she had finally come of age, if she didn’t participate this year, she would have to wait another three years. By then, who knows if she would already be married—how could she participate then?

The more she thought about it, the more furious she became!

She continued shouting at the maid: “Useless thing, get out!”

The maid worried she might do something dangerous, so she hesitated to leave, saying timidly: “Miss, please don’t be angry. The Empress must be doing this for your own good. Please don’t harm your body. Besides, the matter is already settled. Why doesn’t Miss just let it go?”

“You dare speak to this young miss like that!” Qiu Shu grabbed the maid’s hair. “A lowly servant like you—believe it or not, I’ll cut out your tongue?”

The pain from her hair made the maid’s entire face scrunch up, her voice carrying a crying tone: “Miss, spare my life.”

“Get out!”

The maid fell to the ground with a thud, her body prostrating low as she said: “This servant knows Miss is angry and knows she shouldn’t speak too much, but Miss must still care for your own health!”

The ball of fire in Qiu Shu’s chest burned fiercely. The more someone tried to persuade her, the angrier she became. Yet this maid kept courting death by walking right into the line of fire.

“Get out! If you don’t leave now, this young miss will take your life right now.”

“Miss…”

“Someone!” Qiu Shu shouted loudly toward the door.

Immediately, two servant boys guarding the courtyard responded and entered, seeing a maid kneeling on the ground with disheveled hair while their own miss was burning with rage.

How lamentable!

The two servant boys didn’t dare make a sound.

Qiu Shu ordered: “Drag this maid who doesn’t know life from death outside, slap her mouth fifty times, then cut out her tongue and throw her out!”

Eh!

The two men froze, looking at each other, truly frightened by such an order.

The maid’s eyes bulged wide, her soul seemingly departed, and before she could even beg for mercy, she had already fainted.

She had wanted to speak kind words to comfort her miss, never thinking that every sentence she spoke at this moment was courting death.

Qiu Shu viciously kicked the maid’s thigh: “Why aren’t you dragging her out yet!”

“Yes, yes, yes.” The servant boys didn’t dare say more and hurriedly carried the person out.

Qiu Shu’s health was already poor. After this episode, her complexion turned as pale as a sheet of white paper. As if she hadn’t vented enough, she began smashing things in the room.

Every object in the room that could be smashed was shattered into pieces by her with a crash!

Throughout the entire night, no one dared go in to persuade her—not even Qiu Shu’s parents entered.

When there was fire in one’s heart, perhaps it would be better once it was vented.

When day broke, Qiu Shu had indeed calmed down considerably. Looking at all those things she had smashed to pieces in the room, she had never felt so satisfied!

Today was the day of Yanjing City’s courtesan queen selection. Before dawn had even broken, one could already hear the sounds of firecrackers and fireworks coming from outside.

The streets and alleys all became lively because of this.

Qiu Shu calmed her emotions and ordered someone to dress and make her up.

Because she was going to Saixian Tower.

Even if she couldn’t participate, she was unwilling to miss watching it.

After an elaborate toilette, the pallor on her face was covered with rouge, and she deliberately changed into the clothing she had prepared for the courtesan queen selection.

Looking at herself this way, her appearance was quite good.

She left the house and took a sedan chair to Saixian Tower.

At the same time—

Li Shiyan had already obtained a seat at Saixian Tower and changed into an elegant, refined robe, preparing to go out.

Xiao Luzi ran in and said quietly: “Young Master, everything is prepared. The sedan chair is waiting at the back gate right now.”

Because the Marquis of Kangding had given orders not to let him leave, Xiao Luzi had secretly arranged all of this.

Li Shiyan glanced at him: “Good thing I didn’t raise you for nothing.”

Xiao Luzi chuckled, then looked outside again, saying worriedly: “But the Marquis ordered that you not leave. Right now the courtyard is full of people. How will Young Master get out?”

Li Shiyan already had a plan. His chin lightly pointed at a large chest in the room, looking like a crafty old strategist as he said: “In a moment, go out and call someone in. Tell them to carry that chest to the back gate.”

“The chest? Young Master, what are you planning to do?”

“What do you think?”

“This servant is dim-witted and doesn’t understand.” Xiao Luzi looked completely baffled.

Li Shiyan looked completely like someone lamenting that iron wouldn’t become steel. He glared at him with utter disdain, raised his hand and heavily slapped his forehead: “Are you stupid!”

Xiao Luzi covered his forehead: “This servant…”

“In a moment I’ll hide in the chest and have them carry it to the back gate. That way I can leave, can’t I!”

With this explanation, Xiao Luzi suddenly understood, his eyes lighting up: “So that’s it! Young Master, you’re so clever. How come I didn’t think of that?”

“Stop the nonsense.” Li Shiyan frowned, then leaned close to whisper a few more words in his ear, then urged him: “Alright, hurry up and go.”

“Right away!” Xiao Luzi went out with his back bent.

The courtyard was still the same as yesterday, full of surveillance people, pairs of eyes staring at the door as if they wanted to bore several holes through the gate.

Xiao Luzi deliberately cleared his throat and said: “Young Master says there’s a chest of old books in the room. He wants a few of you to come in and carry the chest to the back gate.”

Those people looked at each other, and finally three people came out and followed Xiao Luzi into the room.

Li Shiyan was nowhere to be seen in the room. They only saw that the bed curtains had been lowered, with a person vaguely lying on the bed.

And that chest was placed right beside the bed!

Xiao Luzi said: “Be gentle, Young Master is still sleeping.”

“Yes.” The three servant boys moved to the bedside and were working together to lift the chest when one of them inadvertently glanced at the large bed obscured by curtains. Fortunately, Xiao Luzi immediately blocked the way, urging: “Stop looking and hurry up with your work. If Young Master wakes up and you haven’t finished your task, you’ll definitely suffer for it.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

The three servant boys knew their young master’s temperament and hurried to work.

The chest was very heavy and extremely difficult to lift.

“Why is this chest so heavy?” Someone said this.

Xiao Luzi said: “It’s all books, of course it’s heavy. Stop your chatter and hurry up.”

Under persistent urging, several people carried the chest to the back gate and set it down.

Each was covered in sweat with reddened palms.

They completely failed to notice that Li Shiyan was hidden inside the chest.

After those servant boys left, Xiao Luzi looked around and quickly opened the chest.

Li Shiyan had nearly suffocated to death!