Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The next morning.

"Ah, I'm so sleepy." Xiao Qingxue crawled out of the covers, groggily sat up, yawned mightily, her eyes brimming with sleepiness. She looked to the bedside; her mother was already up and dressed.

"Sweetie, get up quickly, we have important matters to attend to today," Xiao Luolan placed her daughter's clothes at the head of the bed and gathered the books from beside her pillow onto the table.

Xiao Qingxue rubbed her eyes, glanced at the daylight, the sky already bright. Last night, she and her mother had read through most of the borrowed books – poetry, travelogues, stories from all directions, famous poems and songs of Great Chu, scenic spots, and several noble families. Of course, she also realized a small, harmless mistake she made.

For instance, she should address her mother as 'Ah Niang' or 'Niang Niang' and 'Mother' in formal situations.

It sounded similar to a dynasty from Xiao Qingxue's memory, but this was Great Chu, and in this era, papermaking was already well developed. The books her mother brought last night were blue-covered thread-bound books, indicating that printing technology was also quite advanced and becoming commonplace, gradually breaking the monopoly of knowledge by noble families.

The imperial examination system established by the court further undermined the foundation of these families.

The rise of the new elites from humble backgrounds was swift, as they eagerly sought to dethrone the noble families from their positions in the court, like vultures eyeing their prey.

Xiao Qingxue didn't need to guess how fierce the conflict between the old and new factions in the court would be.

This was what she gleaned from the books, with further conjectures based on her knowledge of history.

The signs of troubled times were already quite evident.

In a nation with endless internal strife, natural disasters, and displaced people, it's easy for local powers to gradually slip away from central control. Thinking of this, Xiao Qingxue thought of their benefactor, Clan Leader Zhou, or rather, Military Governor Zhou, Zhou of Youzhou – whatever his title might be.

Xiao Qingxue was both happy and worried.

She was glad that in the upcoming turbulent times, they had made an acquaintance with Clan Leader Zhou and even formed a connection, which could at least offer them some protection.

The worry was, if Zhou Xu was indeed a powerful military governor who acted independently of the central government's directives, then he would undoubtedly be seen as a thorn in the side of the imperial court. Such military governors, possessing real power but lacking the title of a prince, were likely to be restrained or even punished by the central army sent by the court. It was uncertain how powerful Zhou Xu really was.

Xiao Qingxue fretted to the point of losing a few strands of hair, realizing their lack of information. However, delving deeper could easily be misconstrued as spying on military secrets.

It's better to avoid such matters.

Can one truly have both fish and bear's paw? At least for now, they were under Zhou Xu's protection. In times of chaos, no place was entirely safe. Everyone was at the mercy of the overwhelming currents of history.

Last night, taking advantage of Fang Yun's slumber, Qingxue quietly discussed their situation with her mother, preparing her for the uncertain future. However, this left her restless and fatigued in the morning.

Seeing her daughter's sleepy, tear-stained face, Xiao Luolan couldn't resist kissing her and applying ointment to her forehead before dressing her.

Qingxue yawned again, noticing the dark circles under her mother's eyes. She regretted burdening her with tales of ancient turmoil.

"I can put on my shoes," Qingxue insisted, bending to tie them just as Fang Yun brought water for washing.

After freshening up, her sleepiness vanished.

Fang Yun's assistance had indeed been invaluable.

For instance, in doing their hair.

Skilled with her hands, Fang Yun quickly styled their hair beautifully. Qingxue admired her own hair, adorned with two pearl hairpins. Without Fang Yun, she would have struggled for a long time and with lesser results. The bruise on her temple was fading, likely to vanish in half a month.

Fang Yun meticulously packed their luxurious clothes into a trunk. As a personal maid, she always rose early, tidying up their bedding and preparing herself before cleaning and airing their shoes. The workload was lighter compared to her time at the Li residence.

Additionally, being the personal maid of noble ladies, the military governor's attendants treated her kindly, often lending a hand. In the mornings, she was allowed to use warm water first and even shared the same breakfast as them, with meat soup and flatbread – a luxury compared to the meager noodle soup and small steamed bun she used to get at the Li residence.

So Fangyun secretly speculated that her new mistress must have a good relationship with the military governor, as even her newly arrived maid was taken care of by the governor's attendants.

As the mistresses had not indicated any plans to go out, Fangyun brought their breakfast to the room and waited for them to finish. As she was about to clear the tray and dishes, she heard her new mistress, Madam Xiao, softly calling her.

"Fangyun."

Fangyun bowed her head and curtsied, "Mistress, do you have any instructions?"

Seeing the young girl's forehead still bruised, Xiao Luolan applied some ointment to her forehead. This ointment, given by the station's medic, was very effective; her daughter's bruise on her forehead had already improved a lot.

Fangyun, smelling the faint fragrance, blushed and dared not lift her head to look at her new mistress.

Madam Xiao was indeed very gentle.

"Fangyun, do you know where we can exchange money?" Xiao Luolan put away the small medicine jar, planning to pawn some items for cash. Without money, it was inconvenient to go anywhere, and she also needed to provide a monthly allowance for the young girl.

"Yes, there's a money exchange in the county," Fangyun replied.

Xiao Luolan said, "You'll lead us there. We're planning to go to Langge in Youzhou, so we need to buy a carriage. You're knowledgeable, so remind us if we need to buy anything along the way."

Fangyun curtsied again, "Yes, mistress."

When they left, Xiao Luolan did not see the familiar figure of Thunder Tiger among the group of cavalrymen.

Thunder Leopard, seeing Madam Xiao come out with Xiao Qingxue and her personal maid, and noticing her gaze searching among the cavalrymen as if looking for someone, approached and asked, "Madam Xiao, are you looking for Thunder Tiger?"

"Do you know where he has gone?" Xiao Luolan was only familiar with Thunder Tiger among the group of cavalrymen.

Lei Bao interjected, "I am Lei Hu's cousin, Lei Bao. Lei Hu had an accident last night and is recovering. Does Madam Xiao need anything?"

"Lei Langjun, we wish to go out. Could you escort us?" Xiao Luolan found herself requesting help from Lei Hu's cousin.

"No problem," Lei Bao responded. He sent one of the Lei family's riders to inform the head of the family that Madam Xiao was leaving, then followed her with two other riders at a discreet distance, acting as her escort.

With three tall, sword-bearing riders accompanying her, Xiao Qingxue felt a strong sense of security.

As they left, a little beggar lurking in a corner ran to an official, who instructed the child to keep watching them while he rushed to inform the magistrate.

With the regional commander still in Cang County, Dou Yaoming's heart was in his throat. He had ordered his officers to keep watch over the inn and report any movement immediately.

Xiao Qingxue followed her mother, curiously observing her surroundings. A broad, well-trodden dirt road stretched into the distance. Rarely were there tall buildings along the road. Their inn was the tallest and most prominent in the area, neighbored by a few food and drink establishments, all with black-gray roofs and earthy yellow walls. Most of the women in the streets wore tight-sleeved tunics and narrow skirts, without sleeves extending past the wrists, and in muted colors like indigo, black, and the natural hue of hemp, paired with hemp shoes.

The men either wore headscarves or hairpins, with some in long robes and others in short hemp shirts over hemp trousers. Children played in the streets, running with paper kites.

Vendors lined the sides of the road, calling out to sell their goods.

For Xiao Luolan, this was also her first time stepping out in this era. She and her daughter observed their surroundings, but without money, they could only look.

Unbeknownst to them, as they discreetly surveyed their surroundings, the people on the street were equally curious about the nobles who had suddenly appeared among them.

Especially today, under the intense sun, the nobles' skin seemed to glow, their brightly colored dresses making even the breeze seem fragrant as they passed, their beauty indescribable, like celestial beings from a storybook.

Xiao Luolan quickly noticed the unusual attention and felt her face flush, unaccustomed to such scrutiny.

Xiao Qingxue, holding her mother's hand and aware of her gentle and shy nature, asked Fangyun, "Fangyun, how much longer until we reach the store?"

"It's just around the corner," Fangyun pointed ahead.

Once inside the store, Xiao Luolan placed a prepared jade bracelet on the counter, while Xiao Qingxue silently looked down at her toes.

Xiao Luolan gently touched her daughter's head.

"The jewelry adorning their heads was never truly theirs. Furthermore, she had considered the high cost of carriages in ancient times and the many purchases that lay ahead. Desiring a considerable amount of silver in exchange, she thus decided to part with her jade bracelet."

"Upon noticing the arrival of a noble, the pawnshop owner was initially startled, but quickly composed himself, smiling warmly, 'Madam, what would you like to pawn?'"

"Xiao Luolan pushed the bracelet towards the owner, 'This bracelet.'"

"The owner carefully lifted the bracelet with a silk cloth, admiring its radiant green hue, flawless curvature, and its resemblance to a tranquil, deep pool. After a thorough examination, he inquired, 'Would you prefer a redeemable or non-redeemable pawn? The latter fetches a higher price.'"

Xiao Luolan: "Non-redeemable, then."

"The owner, noticing the armed guard behind the noble, stroked his sparse beard thoughtfully before offering, 'I can give you twenty-five silver taels for it.' This was the highest amount he was willing to offer."

"That should be quite a sum, Xiao Luolan thought. Remembering that Lei Hu had only spent two silver taels on Fang Yun, she felt that twenty-five taels for the bracelet seemed reasonable."

Xiao Luolan: "Let's settle on that price, then. And could you exchange some of it for copper coins for me?"

"The owner put away the jade bracelet and counted out twenty-four silver taels and seven hundred wen, handing them to the noble in two separate money bags."

"The owner explained, 'Currently, one silver tael only exchanges for about six to seven hundred wen. In peaceful times, it was worth a thousand wen. I'll give you the money bags for free; no need to purchase them.'"

Xiao Luolan: "Thank you. Having money does bring some peace of mind." She beckoned Fang Yun over, "Fang Yun, here's your monthly allowance."

Fang Yun was flustered: "My lady, I... I have not served you long enough to..."

"It's alright, take it. You can buy whatever you need." Xiao Luolan knew the young girl needed money for her parents' medical treatment and was about to accompany them to Youzhou, where she would certainly need funds.

Fang Yun, with tears in her eyes, bowed deeply: "Thank you, my lady."

Xiao Luolan handed Fang Yun her monthly salary and then stored the silver pieces in her daughter's sachet, dividing two hundred copper coins into each of the two money bags, handing one to her daughter.

Xiao Qingxue neatly tucked away the sachet and took the money bag.

To cheer up her daughter from the recent disappointment, Xiao Luolan said with a smile, “Consider it your pocket money.”

This instantly brightened Xiao Qingxue's mood.

Xiao Luolan looked at her with a gentle and tender gaze.

Outside, Zhou Xu observed them for a while before turning to Zhao Qingshan and asking softly, “What are some poems that beautifully describe the waters of Jiangnan?”

Surprised, Zhao Qingshan queried, “Why does the lord ask such a question?”

Zhou Xu, looking at his unromantic advisor, earnestly said, “Don’t you think Madame Xiao resembles the spring waters of Jiangnan?”

Hearing his lord’s words, Zhao Qingshan’s face contorted briefly, he shuddered violently, stepped back a few paces, and covered his face with his fan.

Too cheesy! He couldn't stand it!