“Something terrible has happened! A terrible thing has happened, Miss! The Earl’s residence is facing a catastrophe—the Earl’s residence is facing a catastrophe…”
In the silent early morning, a shriek tore through the tranquility of the room.
The parrot hopping about on the pepperwood parrot stand beneath the corridor eaves fluffed up in alarm. The delicate laughter in the room abruptly ceased, and everyone’s eyes turned toward the newcomer, who had rushed in with a deathly pale face and thrown herself into the little mistress’s arms.
“Miss, this is terrible! The sky is falling! The Embroidered Uniform Guard has surrounded the residence to confiscate it!”
The words sent shock through everyone present.
Qiuxiang, who had been combing the little ancestor’s hair before the dressing mirror, accidentally knocked over the makeup box. She grabbed the newcomer excitedly and demanded, “Shiqin, what did you say? Have you lost your mind? Our Earl Wending’s Residence is the household of a founding marquis, and Earl Wending was personally ennobled by the late Emperor. The Earl holds a high position in the Grand Secretariat and enjoys deep imperial favor. How could the residence be confiscated? And by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, no less? Surely you had a nightmare and are still muddleheaded from sleep—you haven’t woken up yet, have you?”
Shiqin, trembling in Qiuxiang’s grasp, shook her head repeatedly, her voice frightened and shrill.
“N-no! Sister Qiuxiang, how would I dare deceive the Miss about such a life-and-death matter? Earlier, you told me to go to the kitchen and bring the Miss her meal, didn’t you? Just then, I happened to run into Nanny Wu, who had gone to visit her daughter, on her way back.
“She, she, she… She rushed back into the residence looking terrified and said that she had encountered the Embroidered Uniform Guard surrounding our Earl’s residence outside the main gate, preparing to confiscate it.
“I didn’t dare delay, so I came straight to report it to the Miss. And, and on my way back, I saw Madam already leading the Eldest Young Master toward the front courtyard. There can’t be any mistake!”
“Oh, heavens! The sky is falling!”
“They’re really going to confiscate the residence? What should we do? What are we supposed to do, Miss?”
The little girl everyone called Miss looked about six or seven years old. She was small and delicate, with red lips, pearly teeth, picturesque brows and eyes, and a sweet, charming appearance.
From the moment Shiqin rushed in to deliver the news until now, not the slightest trace of panic could be seen on the little girl’s face.
Sitting on a round stool, she withdrew her gaze from the bronze mirror on the dressing table. She touched the golden hair rings that had just been placed on the two little tufts atop her head. Her dangling feet stopped swinging, and she lowered her head to stare at her wrist, poking it again and again with her little claw.
【Xiaoyi, Xiaoyi.】
【I’m here.】
【What does it mean to surround a residence and confiscate it?】
【Confiscation of a residence refers to a punishment from ancient times, under the monarchic system, in which an official who committed a crime would blah blah blah… The final results included beheading, exile, being sent away to serve in a frontier garrison, and female family members being confiscated and sent to the Directorate of Music, along with a series of other punishments.】
Thank goodness for the little bracelet Mom had left behind. Thank goodness for the invisible virtual-screen function and mental communication, which would not disturb outsiders. It truly was the perfect cheat ability essential for a kid’s survival.
With the great building about to collapse and the nest overturned so that no eggs could remain intact, everyone felt that the sky was falling when their own mistress was still playing with her hand. They could not help sobbing and wailing. In an instant, this small world had descended into chaos, while the parrot beneath the corridor eaves continued shrieking wildly.
As the little mistress’s personal senior maid, Qiuxiang felt her heart ache and tears well up at the sight of her mistress.
Ever since Second Madam had left, their Miss’s temperament had changed drastically. She was always fond of sitting alone in a daze and playing with her hand. Now, with the Earl’s residence in imminent danger and the Embroidered Uniform Guard notorious throughout the capital, nine out of ten households they confiscated failed to survive intact.
With their Miss in such a state, what would become of her in the future?
Faced with the sobbing filling the room, Qiuxiang’s heart sank lower and lower. She wondered whether she should take advantage of the fact that the chaos had not yet reached them, gather some gold, silver, and portable valuables, and flee with the Miss.
Even if it cost her life, she would protect the little mistress and keep her safe.
“All right, stop crying, all of you! What use is crying? While Madam and the Eldest Young Master are dealing with them in front and the Embroidered Uniform Guard has not yet arrived, we must think of a way to protect the Miss!”
“Boo-hoo… But Sister Qiuxiang, they’re the Embroidered Uniform Guard! We can’t even truss a chicken. How can we possibly stand against them?”
“Exactly, Sister Qiuxiang. The Miss is so young, and Second Young Master isn’t here either. We…”
“All right, stop arguing! Everyone, listen to me!”
Amid the frantic standoff, Chaochao, who had just finished communicating with Xiaoyi, suddenly spoke up and interrupted the turmoil filling the room.
To avoid ending up in the terrifying circumstances Xiaoyi had described—having her residence confiscated, being beheaded, exiled, or punished as a criminal—Chaochao decisively made her choice.
“What are you panicking about? Sisters, don’t be afraid. With me here, I will definitely protect all of you. Just watch me!”
Mom had said that dignity existed only beneath the edge of a sword, and truth existed only within the range of a cannon. A proactive attack was the best defense. Since she did not want to experience the terrifying confiscation of the residence, let alone the even more horrifying and tragic events that would follow, then she would simply kill the Emperor and take the throne herself!
Once she blasted that old Emperor with a single cannon shot, she would like to see who would dare confiscate her residence.
The smart bracelet’s PP shopping function was incredibly powerful. It even offered free shipping. Interstellar Express—mission accomplished without fail. There was nowhere it could not deliver.
Since that was the case, what did the kid have to fear?
Her little mouth happily hummed the dig-dig song she had learned from Xiaoyi. Her little head swayed, and her dangling feet moved along with the spellbinding “Dig, dig, dig” song. Her claws flew across the screen under everyone’s watchful eyes.
She decisively swiped past the pages where she usually bought cola, fried chicken, and little cakes. At last, she stopped on a catalog filled with weapons of every color, all gleaming with a cold metallic sheen. Chaochao began to laugh mischievously.
【This awesome laser cannon looks great! One shot can flatten everything within a radius of fifty kilometers? It’s lightweight, and even an idiot can operate it. Mm, this is the one!】
There were countless zeroes before the decimal point in the balance on her smart bracelet, so Chaochao did not even need to consider whether she could afford it. She placed the order without hesitation.
What followed immediately, however, was a screen filled with flashing red warnings.
【Warning, warning. Juvenile permissions insufficient. Juvenile permissions insufficient…】
What was going on? Why did the warning say her permissions were insufficient? She clearly had tons of money!
Chaochao poked her smart assistant repeatedly.
【Xiaoyi, come out and explain.】
Xiaoyi’s voice was no longer as gentle as usual. It was stiff and formal.
【According to interstellar regulations, the inheriting host is a juvenile under the age of ten. For the host’s physical and mental well-being, the previous owner locked the device into—Child Mode.】
Chaochao was stunned, and in an instant she felt like crying.
Oh, come on! How could Mom cheat her own kid like this?
Unwilling to give up, Chaochao thought that if she could not buy a laser cannon, she would lower her expectations and purchase the old-fashioned airplanes and cannons Mom had mentioned.
The kid swiped across the page again and selected an item to order. The result…
The page flashed red once more.
【Warning, warning. Juveniles are not permitted to purchase lethal or cross-era weapons. Juveniles are not permitted to purchase lethal or cross-era weapons!!!】
Fine. So having money was useless. She could not buy a starship, could not buy a laser cannon, and could not even buy the old antiques—airplanes and cannons.
What use was this lousy PP shopping app?
Chaochao was feeling depressed when Qiuxiang’s concerned voice came from beside her.
“Miss, Miss? Don’t be afraid. Even if it costs me my life, this servant will protect you.”
Shiqin, who had run over to deliver the news, along with Shiqi, Shishu, and Shihua, who were also second-grade maids, were the four maids with the character shi in their names. Like Qiuxiang, all four had received kindness from Chaochao’s mother to varying degrees. That was why Chaochao’s mother had promoted them to serve at her daughter’s side, intending only to leave her daughter some protection after she departed. Naturally, they were loyal and reliable.
Hearing Qiuxiang’s words, the four girls’ terrified hearts immediately found something to cling to. They knelt across the floor and nodded one after another, voicing their resolve.
“Miss, don’t panic. Before the bad people arrive, we servants will protect you and run out. We’ll go find Second Young Master.”
Find her father, who had gotten drunk every day and never came home after her mother left?
That could wait. Compared with her father, the people before her were equally important to Chaochao.