The Consequences Of Accidentally Flirting With A Paranoid Empress (Transmigration Into A Book) - Chapter 2

Inside this tent, there was a small suspended stove set up overhead, with a bonfire burning beneath it for warmth. The firewood crackled as it burned, sparks leaping from the flames, bringing He Xiu’s scattered wits back to her a little.

“I don’t think doing that is very appropriate. Maybe you won’t get the gold, and it might even be very dangerous.” He Xiu looked at the beautiful older sister in front of her and could only tell the truth.

After all, there was another life-and-death crisis hidden beneath her false identity.

“Is that so? Why don’t you tell me?” Zhuo Mingke’s slender fingertips toyed with a string of white jade bodhi beads, making a faint, clear, pleasant sound.

He Xiu looked left and right before stepping forward. Across the desk, her eyes could not help drifting toward the beautiful older sister’s sapphire earrings. Lowering her voice, she said, “Actually, I have a secret. Sister, don’t you think that as Da Liang’s hostage prince, I look like a little girl?”

Clearly, He Xiu did not realize that her hair was currently full of bits of hay and that her little face was gray and dirty. Otherwise, she would not have been so full of confidence.

As soon as she said this, the sound of the white jade bodhi beads being moved came to an abrupt stop. The tent fell into dead silence.

Zhuo Mingke lowered her eyes, her expression shifting slightly. Her gaze landed on the small, dust-covered face in front of her, then slowly met those fluttering eyes. They were like glossy black grapes ripened in a distant oasis, with thick, curled lashes. There was indeed a little less heroic spirit there, making her look more like an overly delicate young girl.

“If Sister sends me off to exchange for the reward money, they’ll definitely check the identity of Da Liang’s hostage prince. When that happens, we’ll both be finished.” He Xiu’s slender hands were still bound by iron rings. Her little head drooped and rested right on the edge of the desk as she sighed miserably, feeling that she had run straight into a dead end from the very start. She was definitely doomed.

What transmigrator could be as unlucky as her, becoming a hostage sent by a defeated nation to its enemy?

“Why would you reveal such an important part of your identity?” Zhuo Mingke studied this slim young girl, never having expected that there would come a time when she miscalculated.

Da Liang’s hostage was actually a fake prince. This matter concerned two kingdoms and might even reignite war.

He Xiu raised her eyes and looked at the excessively calm beautiful older sister. A little embarrassed, she answered, “I don’t have a choice either. If you really took me to exchange for the reward, the authorities might suspect you of fraud. Then I’d drag Sister down for nothing. So instead, why don’t I work for Sister to repay you?”

By now, He Xiu had already deeply understood that being an enemy kingdom’s hostage was a fate worse than death. Perhaps she was not even as well off as livestock.

Hearing this, Zhuo Mingke returned to her senses. Her eyes were dark as lacquer, and her lashes cast shadows beneath them. She said quietly, “With your identity, if you stay with the caravan to work, I’m afraid you won’t be able to endure the hardship.”

This young girl was a hot potato. She could not be kept.

“Sister, I’m not afraid of hardship. As long as you can give me a mouthful of food, I’ll be endlessly grateful!” Once He Xiu heard this, she thought to herself that sure enough, this beautiful older sister was much softer-hearted than that fierce auntie. She was simply a living bodhisattva in the flesh.

Zhuo Mingke looked at the little dirty face before her, slowly turned her gaze away, and in the end changed her mind. “Fine. Then you can try.”

This matter concerned secrets within Da Liang’s imperial family. Perhaps it was not entirely without profit. It only required a different arrangement.

Soon after, Feng Sanniang came in from outside and heard the instructions. She only felt that this little thief was far too good at scheming, actually managing to stay in the caravan.

The caravan had its own rules. They never took in outsiders, because they could very well be spies sent to gather information.

The Zhuo family did business everywhere, north and south, across all lands. A tall tree attracted the wind, and it was inevitable they would encounter black-hearted bandits who killed and robbed goods. They had no choice but to be extra cautious.

But since Miss Zhuo had already permitted them to take in the little thief, Feng Sanniang could only obey and unlock the iron rings for her.

“It is late now. Take her to find a separate tent. I need to bathe.”

“Yes.”

After coming out of the tent, He Xiu’s hands were finally freed. The corners of her mouth lifted, her happiness impossible to hide. She followed Feng Sanniang with a lively air, rejoicing at having survived a disaster. She decided she had to repay the beautiful older sister properly.

But when He Xiu’s gaze fell on the buckets of water the maids were carrying into the tent, her smile instantly stiffened.

Strange. Why did those buckets look so much like the bucket she had scooped water from earlier after choking?

“Little thief, what are you standing there for?” Feng Sanniang asked, very alert.

“Nothing. The desert is short on water, so the water in those buckets should be for drinking, right?” He Xiu asked, pretending to be calm.

Feng Sanniang looked at the gray, shabby little thief as if she had never seen the world and grumbled in disdain, “Ignorant little thing. Even if our Miss Zhuo washed her face with gold, it wouldn’t be strange, let alone using a few buckets of water.”

Hearing this, He Xiu’s face turned bright red. She silently thought that some embarrassing things were better off forgotten quietly by herself.

Especially something like drinking the beautiful older sister’s bathwater. If she said it out loud, this auntie might instantly treat her like a little pervert and pinch her to death on the spot!

The night was deep. The stars and bright moon drifted and changed across the sky. In another border city camp, torchlight reflected off cold, hard curved blades, making them especially striking.

The general who had been arrogant and overbearing during the day was now tied up tightly. A bloody gash deep enough to expose bone marked his fleshy cheek, leaving him in an extremely sorry state.

The deputy generals and others were even paler than dirt, trembling with fear. Not a trace remained of their earlier bullying, swaggering ruffian air.

“Border city commander Li Da and the others failed in their duty to guard the Da Liang captives, privately accepted bribes, bought and sold military supplies, and passed off inferior goods as good ones. Their crimes cannot be pardoned. Behead them on the spot at once!”

“My lord, this lowly general was only muddleheaded for a moment and careless for a while! A Da Liang hostage prince of that age definitely could not have run far. How did this become bribery and selling military supplies? I’ve been wronged!”

The person in the lead looked coldly at Li Da and sighed. “You should have thought about it. If the Zhuo family could come to you to handle business, they must naturally have ways to control you. Besides, our Da Yue also has other noble interests involved. Greed that knows no bounds is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Seventy percent is not something a mere border city commander like you can swallow just because you want to.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the deputy generals and soldiers were the first to lose their heads. Thick blood soaked into the sand.

Li Da’s expression changed drastically. His palms secretly tightened around the ropes binding him as he tried to struggle, his manner turning truly humble. “My lord, this lowly general has a private treasury of silver that I can offer you. I ask for nothing else. I only hope you will spare my life.”

As for that ruthless, smiling-tiger woman, Li Da absolutely would not let her off!

The moment those words came out, the gleaming blade paused slightly.

Beneath the moonlit night, cold light shone. The wind and sand had quieted, and far off on the horizon, the sky gradually revealed the pale white of dawn.

In the morning, the caravan busied itself packing luggage and preparing food. Among them, a small, slender figure ran about, pouring soup for everyone and handing out naan with great enthusiasm.

Everyone drank the hot soup and ate the naan, only belatedly realizing—who was this little shorty again?

Little shorty He Xiu was wearing coarse cloth clothes. Because she was too small, the cuffs at her wrists and ankles had been rolled up in layers. Her long black hair was tied into a bun, revealing a clean, fair face. Her smile was bright and dazzling. Clearly, she had not yet tasted the hardships of work and was full of energy.

Still, He Xiu kept feeling as if something was staring at her. She turned her head and met the sharp, bright gaze of that auntie in the distance. Instantly, the back of her neck began to ache faintly, very much like the burning sting after gua sha.

Feng Sanniang ate her naan, still feeling that the little thief had a problem. Unable to feel at ease, she muttered, “Miss Zhuo, that little thief’s origins are unknown. How can you be so kind as to let her come and go freely?”

Inside the carriage, Zhuo Mingke took a small sip of ginseng soup. Her gaze moved away from the letter, and she raised her eyes slightly to look at the small, thin figure weaving through the crowd. Calmly, she said, “There is no rush. If she has other intentions, it will not be too late to deal with her then.”

After all, right now, no one knew that Da Liang’s hostage prince was in her hands.

Hearing this, Feng Sanniang said no more. According to the rules of the road, thieves and pickpockets should have both hands chopped off. Only then could they be punished as a warning to others.

The sun slowly rose. The caravan set off in orderly fashion. He Xiu had no means of transportation of her own, so she hitched a ride on the cart carrying the haystacks to save her strength.

Several days passed like this. Gradually, they could see an oasis city far in the distance, and even the wind no longer felt quite so dry.

Just as He Xiu was rejoicing that she would no longer have to chew naan until her cheeks hurt, a wanted notice blown by the wind slapped right onto her face.

For the caravan to enter Da Yue’s imperial capital, inspections and identity checks were required. So when Feng Sanniang saw the official guards coming forward, she did not find it surprising.

But the official guards were all holding portraits. Feng Sanniang recognized the little thief at a glance, and shock surged through her heart.

Seeing the official guards holding curved blades and about to inspect the haystacks, Feng Sanniang could not help breaking out in a cold sweat.

At this moment, He Xiu, whose vision was completely dark, also felt her heartbeat speed up. She did not dare open her eyes.

After the curved blades sank into the haystacks and searched them repeatedly without finding anything, the official guards withdrew. Feng Sanniang was a little surprised, and her gaze darted everywhere as she tried to find someone.

Where had that slippery little thief run off to?

Before long, the carriage at the front of the caravan rolled toward the city gate. The official said courteously, “Miss Zhuo.”

As soon as he spoke, the carriage curtain was lifted. In the dim interior, Zhuo Mingke’s clear, exquisite beauty was revealed. The bright pearl by her ear swayed faintly, shining like the sun. She looked like a noble lady from a painting. With gentle brows and eyes, she asked, “Do you need to come inside and inspect?”

“There is no need to trouble you. Let them pass.” The official stared dazedly at such a nation-toppling beauty, feeling as if his breath had stopped. In the end, however, he did not lose his head enough to offend her.

The Zhuo family was a famously wealthy clan among all the kingdoms, and they were also honored guests of Da Yue’s powerful nobles.

If one could marry the only daughter of such an enormously wealthy family, then for her future husband, being granted a marquisate or becoming a minister would be as easy as turning over one’s hand.

The carriage curtain fell. The official could not help stealing another glance, but he suddenly seemed to vaguely see Miss Zhuo’s skirt concealing someone. He froze.

He must have seen wrong just now. This Miss Zhuo was still unmarried. Surely she would not play around in such an absurd manner, right?

The wheels rolled onward. Zhuo Mingke’s fingertips turned the pages of a book, her brows and eyes lowered, her expression returning to cold silence. The gentleness from before was nowhere to be seen.

Outside, Feng Sanniang rode over on horseback and slowly caught up. Through the small window, she lowered her voice and said, “Miss Zhuo, if that little thief has disappeared without a trace, could she cause trouble?”

After all, Da Yue and Da Liang had been at war for many years, and the fighting had only just ended. That hostage could be considered a spoil of war.

“She is in the carriage. There is no need to make a fuss.”

“What?”

Feng Sanniang even suspected there was something wrong with her ears. That little thief was far too clever and slippery!

At this moment, the extremely clever and slippery He Xiu was curled up so tightly that her limbs had gone a little numb. Her delicate, upturned nose smelled the faint scent of sandalwood, while her gaze rested on the lotus embroidery of the skirt before her. The gauzy fabric swayed like mist, as beautiful as clouds at sunset.

Putting everything else aside, the beautiful older sister’s taste in clothing was truly excellent!

Although women’s dresses were long and complicated, and their bodies were only cinched at the waist with a sash, the beautiful older sister was tall and well-proportioned.

On ordinary days, she did not look bulky at all. Instead, she carried an ancient, elegant stillness, like a fragrant beauty adorned with sweet herbs. She probably had a habit of bathing and burning incense.

As He Xiu thought and thought, the three horribly inappropriate words “bathwater” suddenly popped into her mind without warning. Her whole face flushed bright red.

Her dark history completely ruined the atmosphere!