“If you’d been this obedient from the beginning, things would have been much easier. I wouldn’t have had to waste such a precious poison.”
Shen Xia sighed, sounding genuinely helpless.
Qianzhu was so furious that she nearly coughed up blood, but at this moment, she did not dare argue.
Slowly, Shen Xia took out another packet of medicinal powder, mixed it with water, and handed it over.
“This is only half of the antidote. As for the rest… that depends on my mood.”
After drinking it, the pain tormenting Qianzhu immediately disappeared.
She wanted nothing more than to tear apart Shen Xia’s smiling face, but the thought of the remaining antidote forced her to suppress the impulse.
Shen Xia raised a hand and smoothed Qianzhu’s disheveled hair before leaning close to her ear.
“Qianzhu, as long as you sincerely work for me, I don’t mind helping you obtain a place in the palace.”
The moment she heard those words, Qianzhu’s pupils contracted violently.
For the first time, fear appeared in her eyes as she looked at Shen Xia.
How… How did she know her true goal?
Shen Xia’s hand slid downward, casually straightening Qianzhu’s collar as well.
“I know that Old Madam Shen promised you that, as long as you keep a close watch on me, you’ll accompany Second Miss Shen into the palace in the future. Your ambitions have never been confined to tiny Nanli Island. What you want is to enter the capital and the imperial palace.”
Most of the maids in the Shen Family harbored thoughts of attaching themselves to Shen Duancheng.
Although he was old and promiscuous, becoming one of his concubines was still preferable to serving others.
Qianzhu, however, seemed to hold Shen Duancheng in contempt. She paid far more attention to Shen Yi’s future entry into the palace. Considering that noble families often sent attendants to accompany palace candidates, it was not difficult for Shen Xia to deduce Qianzhu’s true objective.
“Don’t worry. I won’t expose your ambitions to Second Sister, as long as your loyalty belongs to me. Not only will I keep your secret, but I’ll even help you achieve it.”
“So, you understand what you should and shouldn’t do now, right?”
Shen Xia patted her shoulder again.
Her voice sounded exceptionally gentle, yet Qianzhu broke out in a cold sweat.
“This servant… understands.”
…
“Seventh Miss, I’ve already dismissed the other servants. I’ve also concealed today’s matters from Old Madam Shen and Master, so you may do as you please. However, Third Miss Shen, Ninth Young Master, and Concubine Wang all hate you deeply now. You should be careful.”
When Qianzhu returned, her tone had become noticeably more respectful and even somewhat fearful.
Most likely, she had secretly visited a physician, only to discover that her so-called poison had no available cure. That was why she now regarded Shen Xia with such caution.
“I understand.”
Sitting beneath the light of an oil lamp, Shen Xia flipped through a book and answered calmly.
She knew very little about this world, so she could only rely on reading to learn more.
“Oh, right. About Li Xiao…”
Remembering the matter, Shen Xia immediately looked up at Qianzhu.
“This servant has already spoken to Master about it. He said… that Li Xiao is nothing more than a slave being housed in the Shen Family. As long as he isn’t tortured to death, you may do whatever you wish with him.”
Upon hearing that, Shen Xia’s fingernails scratched a mark across the page.
Shen Duancheng thought she had taken Li Xiao away in order to torment him?
Then again, that made sense.
The entire world believed that the Jiang Family had already been wiped out and that Li Xiao would never be capable of making a comeback. Bullying him could even earn favor with the Empress and the Emperor.
No wonder that after Li Xiao eventually rose to power, the Shen Family became the first target of his revenge.
Seeing the irritation on Shen Xia’s face, Qianzhu tactfully said, “This servant will take her leave now. I’ll be staying in the outer courtyard. If Seventh Miss needs anything, simply call for me.”
The moment Qianzhu left, Hu Jiuchi entered the room reeking of alcohol.
He let out a drunken burp and casually sat down on the doorstep.
“So, little girl, you’re actually Shen Duancheng’s daughter.”
There seemed to be a trace of disappointment in his voice.
“Does the senior know him?”
“Not personally. I’ve only heard of his reputation. In his early years, he built his fortune by exploiting and plundering fishermen. Later, he preserved himself by attaching himself to the imperial court. He’s cunning, shameless, and despicable. People in the martial world look down on him.”
Hu Jiuchi cursed as he spoke.
“I agree.”
Shen Xia nodded along.
“Hm?”
Now it was Hu Jiuchi’s turn to be confused.
Why was she agreeing with him?
“Being part of the Shen Family doesn’t mean I support Shen Duancheng. Senior Hu, are you satisfied with the wine I’ve prepared for you?”
As she spoke, Shen Xia opened a nearby cabinet.
Inside stood rows upon rows of wine she had secretly taken from the Shen Family’s wine cellar and modified during the previous night.
The sight of the cabinet packed full of liquor immediately swallowed up the words that had been on Hu Jiuchi’s tongue.
He had originally planned to declare righteously that he wanted nothing to do with anyone from the Shen Family and that she should give up any hopes she had regarding him.
But after seeing all that wine…
He felt that there were plenty of people with the surname Shen. It would be unfair to condemn them all because of one man. Shen Duancheng was Shen Duancheng, and Shen Xia was Shen Xia.
Clearing his throat, he adopted a serious expression.
“Yesterday, you said you wanted me as your master. Do you want me to teach you martial arts?”
Shen Xia shook her head and pointed toward Li Xiao, who was sweeping the courtyard.
“What do you think of him, Senior?”
From early morning onward, Li Xiao had been cleaning the courtyard without uttering a single word, working diligently like an old ox.
The moment Hu Jiuchi saw him, his gaze changed.
Stroking his beard, he pretended to be confused.
“Well now, that boy isn’t bad. But he’s only a servant. Why are you going to such lengths to help him?”
“Senior Hu, you’re well informed. Since you know all about Shen Duancheng, there’s no way you don’t know that the person I’m introducing to you is General Jiang’s grandson and His Majesty’s Tenth Prince.”
Shen Xia met his gaze directly.
The feigned confusion instantly vanished from Hu Jiuchi’s face.
This girl truly had no interest in speaking indirectly.
“I…”
“Senior, although I know you’re not afraid of the imperial court and have the means to avoid its pursuit, teaching Li Xiao still carries risks. So I promise you this: if you’re willing to teach him, you’ll be able to drink a new kind of wine every single day, wines you’ve never tasted before in your life.”
Shen Xia’s tone was utterly sincere.