The young girl’s hair was jet black, her lashes thick but straight rather than curled. Her skin was as smooth as a freshly peeled egg, though her frame was painfully thin.
Before Wei Zhao could speak, Jiang Yihuan timidly shuffled over and sat beside him. Like a little puppy wagging its tail, she smiled ingratiatingly.
“Wei Zhao~”
“Don’t address me by my given name.”
“All right… Wei Zhao.”
Wei Zhao frowned.
“Your brother, Jiang Qianli, is a complete scoundrel. I doubt he’ll behave himself during his exile, so I brought you here. If he causes any trouble, I’ll take it out on you. I didn’t bring you here so you could enjoy yourself. Forget every pleasant thing you’ve imagined. Know your place—you are nothing more than a prisoner.”
Jiang Yihuan’s eyes immediately welled with tears.
“Wei Zhao… are you really punishing family members for one person’s crimes?”
“I am! If your brother behaves himself, I won’t touch you. From now on, you’ll stay in this courtyard. Don’t even think about escaping. Understood?”
Her dark eyes quietly studied him.
The man possessed an imposing bearing, sword-like brows, and bright, star-like eyes. Even sitting casually, his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs were impossible to ignore.
“I understand. Can I go to sleep now?”
Wei Zhao nodded.
“Go.”
After such a long journey, this silly little goose must be exhausted.
Just as she was about to leave, two soft fingers caught hold of his sleeve.
A blush spread across the girl’s face.
“L-let’s… sleep together. You can sleep with me. I’ll help you take your clothes off.”
Zhu Xian covered his face.
Had she already forgotten everything he’d warned her about?
Wei Zhao abruptly stood and grabbed her by the collar, intending to throw her outside.
Rip!
The collar tore clean off.
The little girl tumbled onto the floor.
Holding the torn half of her collar, Wei Zhao stared at it in confusion.
How did it rip so easily?
Jiang Yihuan lay on the floor crying in pain, refusing to get up.
He reached for her sleeve instead.
Riiip—
This time, all that remained in his hand was a tangled bundle of threads.
The girl burst into tears again.
“Wei Zhao, I’m already your cooked duck—I can’t fly away! At night, you can do whatever you want with me, but please don’t ruin my clothes. I only have two sets.”
Wei Zhao: “…”
Zhu Xian quickly explained,
“Young Master… Miss Jiang’s clothes are extremely old and thin. They simply can’t withstand… your strength… or any pulling.”
Jiang Yihuan hugged her knees and held up one pale wrist.
“Pay me for my clothes… Waaaah… Brother, where are you?”
Her hair was disheveled, tears stained her cheeks, and her clothes hung in tatters. She looked utterly pitiful.
Feeling slightly awkward, Wei Zhao asked,
“You came from Wu Prefecture. That’s famous for producing silk and brocade. Why are you wearing coarse cloth?”
“I raised ten speckled hens, five ducks, and two big white geese in the countryside. I’d cared for them for over half a year, but government officers confiscated every one of them. They didn’t even leave me a single egg.
“I don’t have the strength to farm, so I survive by digging wild vegetables. I’ve nearly stripped the entire back mountain bare.
“Why do you think that is?
“Do you think I was born loving wild vegetables?”
“You had to raise chickens and dig for wild vegetables? Jiang Qianli earns an official’s salary. Didn’t he send you money?”
“He did… a little. But I also had to support my blind great-uncle, so it wasn’t enough.”
“That useless Jiang Qianli can’t even afford to support his own sister.”
“Don’t say that. Before my brother became an official, life wasn’t bad.
“He’s handsome and heroic. Wealthy married ladies fancied his looks, so he’d sneak out at night to keep them company.
“Thanks to that, I got to eat well every day.”
Zhu Xian was utterly dumbfounded.
Jiang Qianli was renowned as a poor scholar who had risen through merit—a man supposedly noble and incorruptible.
He’d done that?
Wei Zhao, meanwhile, recalled Jiang Qianli once claiming to admire him.
The thought made his stomach churn even more.
Before he could respond, an elderly nanny entered from outside and bowed respectfully from afar.
“Greetings, Eldest Young Master. You seem to be in excellent spirits today.”
“What is it?” Wei Zhao asked expressionlessly.
“Tomorrow, the Old Madam is hosting the Flower Festival banquet. Many daughters of distinguished families have been invited. She hopes Eldest Young Master will attend as well.”
“Tell Grandmother to stop acting like a matchmaker and earn herself some virtue instead.”
The old nanny flushed in embarrassment.
“Young Master, that’s rather harsh. The Old Madam is your elder. She’s only concerned about you.”
“I’ve already told her my marriage is none of her concern. Yet she keeps trying to pair me up.
“If that isn’t pimping, what is?
“Or perhaps she’s become a human trafficker?”
The nanny sighed repeatedly.
Whenever the eldest young master unleashed his sharp tongue, he spared absolutely no one.
Her eyes then fell upon Jiang Yihuan on the floor.
“And this young lady is…?”
Jiang Yihuan clung to Wei Zhao’s leg.
“Hello, Granny. My name is Jiang Yihuan. I’m Wei Zhao’s… Wei Zhao’s…”
She couldn’t finish the sentence.
The nanny understood immediately.
So the eldest young master has secretly taken in a young mistress.
And she’s even kneeling on the floor serving him?
The young master certainly has… unusual tastes.
She chuckled awkwardly.
“What a lovely young lady. Anyone would adore you.”
Then she hurriedly excused herself.
Wei Zhao tried to shake his leg free.
“Let go.”
Jiang Yihuan obediently released his leg.
Only to wrap both arms around his lean, muscular waist instead.
No matter how infatuated the noble ladies of the capital were, they only dared admire him from afar.
None had ever dared touch him directly.
Wei Zhao exploded.
“Zhu Xian! What are you standing there for? Get her away from me! I’ll kill her tomorrow!”
Zhu Xian quickly dragged Jiang Yihuan away, stuffed her into a guest room, and locked the door behind her.
“Miss Jiang, you’re the family member of a convicted criminal. You’re our master’s prisoner. Please stop provoking him!”
Jiang Yihuan answered with a quiet, “Oh.”
Curling up on the bed, she muttered to herself,
“Brother, wait for me. As long as Wei Zhao doesn’t kill me, I’ll find a way to bring you back to the capital.”
Wei Zhao worked in his study until sunset.
At night, no matter how many lamps were lit, they could never compare to daylight. Since he valued his eyesight, he put away his books.
Just as drowsiness overtook him, frantic shouting erupted outside.
“Fire! Fire! Hurry and put it out!”
A servant rushed over.
“Young Master! Arsonists have set the estate ablaze! The guest quarters are burning the worst!”
Wei Zhao’s face darkened.
Jiang Yihuan was staying in the guest quarters.
By the time he arrived, flames had already engulfed the building.
The servants were focused solely on extinguishing the fire.
He shouted angrily,
“Are you all fools? Why aren’t you rescuing the person inside?”
The servants exchanged helpless glances.
“Young Master… w-we…”
From inside came a tearful cry.
“Wei Zhao! Wei Zhao! Hurry and save me! I can’t come out! I’m not wearing any clothes!”
Wei Zhao strode straight into the blazing room.
The fire inside was even fiercer, already threatening to reach the bed.
The girl sat on the bed wrapped tightly in a brocade quilt, sobbing.
“My clothes were on the rack. They’ve all burned up. The maids aren’t here, and there are only men outside. I don’t dare go out.”
One smooth, rounded shoulder slipped free of the quilt, which barely concealed her delicate figure.
Without hesitation, Wei Zhao wrapped the quilt securely around her.
Then he shouted toward the doorway,
“Everyone turn around and close your eyes! Anyone who disobeys dies!”
Not a single servant dared ignore the order.
The entire guest courtyard had gone up in flames.
Only Wei Zhao’s heavily guarded main residence remained untouched.
Carrying her in his arms, he brought her to the east wing of the main courtyard.
Jiang Yihuan poked her head out from the quilt.
“Wei Zhao? Wei Zhao?”
“Are you trying to summon ghosts? Quiet down!”
His mood was anything but pleasant.
The fire had been set by Jiang Qianli’s accomplices.
Claiming they were eliminating the traitorous Wei Zhao to “cleanse the emperor’s court,” they had attempted to assassinate him multiple times.
Most of them had already been captured.
Only a few remained at large, skulking through the night committing acts of arson.
Jiang Yihuan asked timidly,
“…C-could I borrow a set of clothes from you?”
Wei Zhao looked up—
Then immediately stiffened and looked away.
He had forgotten she was wearing only a thin undergarment, one that barely covered her body.
Jiang Yihuan covered her face as though only just realizing it herself.
“According to propriety… now that you’ve seen me like this… does that mean I can’t go on living anymore?”
Wei Zhao removed his outer robe and draped it over her.
“So seeing you like this means you can’t live anymore?”
He said calmly,
“No matter the circumstances, your life is always more important than your reputation.
“If anyone dares mock you or humiliate you…
“Kill them.”
Jiang Yihuan burst into tears.
“…Waaah… H-how could I kill anyone?
“When I lived in the countryside, I was always the one being bullied.
“The livestock I raised were taken away.
“The bean sprouts I planted were all pulled out.
“I was so scared that all I could do was hide inside.
“And now…
“I don’t even have a single piece of clothing left.”
Wei Zhao fell silent.
She had been bullied that badly in the countryside?