The Consequences Of Accidentally Flirting With A Paranoid Empress (Transmigration Into A Book) - Chapter 3

The caravan’s carts and horses slowly traveled down the long street. Hooves clattered in waves, and all around them came the rise and fall of vendors hawking their wares, mixed with the jingling of camel bells and the cries of beasts, carrying an exotic charm.

After a while, He Xiu noticed that her hands and feet had gone numb. It felt as if countless ants were biting her, making her terribly uncomfortable.

“Sister, can I come out?”

“Mm.”

Zhuo Mingke, who had been thinking about something, came back to herself. Only then did she remember the young girl who had been hiding there all this time. As she shifted slightly, her skirt swayed faintly. Lowering her eyes, she looked at those glossy black grape-like eyes, blinking pitifully at her, and was momentarily dazed.

That sort of playful, innocent expression was indeed something only a young girl could reveal so naturally.

He Xiu crawled out with difficulty, raising her hands to rub her arms and loosen her stiff muscles. Her gaze landed on the spacious interior of the carriage. It was wide enough for someone to lie down in, truly luxurious.

However, He Xiu discovered that the beautiful older sister had changed into a new pair of pearl earrings today. They were shaped like water droplets, dazzling and radiant, adding a touch of bright, dignified elegance to her.

It seemed the beautiful older sister had a different matching set every day. What a feast for the eyes.

“That was so dangerous just now. Thank you for saving my life, Sister!”

“No matter. You have now entered Da Yue’s imperial capital. In a while, you will need to make a trip to the Imperial City Bureau.”

Hearing this, He Xiu froze completely. She had thought that after traveling for so many days, they had already left the enemy kingdom behind.

Who would have thought they had taken the initiative to enter the enemy’s main base? He Xiu looked at the clear and beautiful older sister before her and thought to herself that she must be joking, right?

Zhuo Mingke calmly watched the young girl’s expression change from delight to shock. Her eyes seemed to be covered in dust, growing somewhat dim, innocent and pitiful like something that had been abandoned. Zhuo Mingke’s pale fingertips toyed with her bodhi beads as she explained, “Enemy hostages are usually assigned to do hard labor such as herding sheep and horses. Although I can let you work in the Zhuo residence, it must be done properly and with a legitimate reason. You cannot remain a wanted criminal. So I can smooth things over with silver at the Imperial City Bureau on your behalf. Are you willing?”

In Da Yue, captives could be bought and sold with money. Da Liang’s hostage prince was naturally no exception; the price would simply be higher.

After all, Da Yue would not support Da Liang’s hostage prince in comfort. They would only treat her as a trophy, use her to flaunt their victory, and squeeze value out of her.

However, the identities of a wanted criminal and Da Liang’s hostage prince were completely different. Zhuo Mingke had already weighed the advantages and disadvantages of both and made her decision.

Only then did He Xiu recover a little spirit. She nodded repeatedly and answered gratefully, “I’m willing. I’ll definitely repay Sister’s great kindness in the future!”

In an unfamiliar place where she knew no one, the beautiful older sister was willing to help her so generously. He Xiu felt that she truly had to be a living bodhisattva!

Hearing this, Zhuo Mingke did not answer. Her brows and eyes lowered as she thought to herself that a Da Liang hostage prince stranded in enemy territory, in terms of return versus investment, should be quite profitable as long as nothing unexpected happened.

When they reached a corner, He Xiu jumped down from the carriage and waved goodbye, without the slightest worry on her face.

The beautiful older sister had promised to come find her, so she definitely would not go back on her word!

Through the carriage curtain, Zhuo Mingke looked at the young girl’s smiling face. She was like a little bird fluttering brightly in the wind. Zhuo Mingke slowly withdrew her gaze. Once the report from Da Liang arrived, perhaps she could verify the girl’s true identity and further circumstances.

After the caravan’s carts and horses vanished around the street corner, He Xiu belatedly thought of a problem.

Where exactly was the Imperial City Bureau?

Very soon, He Xiu discovered that she did not need to look for the Imperial City Bureau at all, because her wanted portrait was posted all over the street.

And so, just like that, He Xiu was easily escorted to the Imperial City Bureau by enthusiastic citizens. Her head was full of thoughts about how she should explain breaking through layer upon layer of blockade to reach the imperial capital, but unexpectedly, the other side did not interrogate her at all. They simply sent her straight to prison.

With the complete set of iron door, iron window, and iron shackles, He Xiu easily became the youngest prisoner in the Imperial City Bureau’s dungeon, her future uncertain.

Da Yue’s wanted notices everywhere were then invalidated. A turbulent, dangerous undercurrent silently dispersed without a sound.

For the entire half month that followed, He Xiu did not see the sun. Her whole person wilted.

By the time He Xiu was brought out, she finally learned that she was being exiled to the Gobi Desert to herd sheep and do hard labor.

He Xiu realized that things were not looking good. What happened to the beautiful older sister spending money to redeem her?

The iron chain clattered. He Xiu resigned herself to being chained and led onto the prison cart when suddenly, an official raised his hand and pointed, saying, “A wealthy household wants to buy an official slave from the court and is willing to spend a large sum. This one is quite good. Don’t send him to the Gobi Desert yet.”

And so, when He Xiu was taken down from the prison cart again, she was a little dazed.

Those clerks did not say much or question the official. Enemy captives registered by the court as slaves had always come with many restrictions.

That was why, in general, people did everything possible to privately sell them in the border cities beforehand. Most of them would then be falsely reported as having died of illness on the way during escort.

Once a captive entered the imperial capital and was registered as a slave, very few wealthy households were willing to spend money to buy them back, because they could not be casually killed, nor could they be resold and passed along. There was very little profit to skim.

He Xiu was led out through a small passage at the back of the government office. She raised her head and looked at the unfamiliar middle-aged uncle before her. His face was covered in a thick beard, and he looked fierce and menacing. Her footsteps paused.

The officials exchanged documents, stamped and signed them, then tucked the snow-white silver ingots into their pockets. They smiled so widely their mouths could not close, and with great respect, they handed the iron chain to the uncle before leaving the alley.

He Xiu’s eyes were full of wariness as she asked, “Who are you?”

The uncle looked serious and unsmiling as he sized her up. “Naturally, I am the master who spent money to buy you.”

“Wait. But the person I made an agreement with hasn’t come yet.” He Xiu felt that the middle-aged uncle looked somewhat ominous. She glanced left and right, her heart anxious.

She had never imagined that she would be this popular. She had really been careless.

“You’re a hostage sent here by a defeated nation, yet your temper isn’t small. Looks like you’re asking for a beating!” The middle-aged uncle gripped the iron chain in his palm and tugged without explanation, too lazy to waste time.

He Xiu nearly stumbled and fell, barely managing to steady herself. She was unwilling to follow his movement.

If she left the Imperial City Bureau with this uncle, the beautiful older sister might not be able to find her!

As the two of them stood locked in a stalemate, He Xiu wrapped both hands around the chain, kept her distance, and circled around him, refusing to cooperate.

The uncle’s expression grew ugly. He had not expected the little fellow to be so stubborn, like a slippery little loach. He could only raise his other large hand and reach out to press her down.

Unexpectedly, the back of his hand received a firm bite, and blood welled up. The uncle was so angry his teeth clenched, and he immediately stopped being polite.

With a violent tug of the iron chain, He Xiu ultimately did not have that much strength. When her entire body was lifted up, she had no power to resist at all.

“Help! Help!” He Xiu shouted and yelled, so anxious that sweat broke out on her cheeks, but it was no use.

Just then, a carriage stopped at the entrance of the alley. The curtain swayed faintly, and from within came a woman’s clear, gentle voice, like snowmelt flowing from a glacier. It was unhurried, yet especially soothing.

“I didn’t expect that after being locked in the Imperial City Bureau for half a month, you would still be so good at making a fuss.”

“Miss Zhuo, I’m afraid this boy will be trouble if you buy him back.”

As soon as the words fell, He Xiu lifted her head and immediately saw the beautiful older sister inside the carriage. Her eyes were dazzled by a flash of shifting light, and only then did she discover that today, Zhuo Mingke was wearing a pair of naturally emerald-green jade earrings by her ears, elegant and beautiful.

At once, He Xiu stopped running and stopped making a fuss. She obediently let herself be tied up and put into the carriage, feeling a little too embarrassed to look at the uncle.

Strangely enough, the beautiful older sister was such a gentle, tolerant living bodhisattva, yet the auntie and uncle at her side looked more like villains than the last.

The carriage slowly traveled down the long street. The incense burner burned quietly. Zhuo Mingke lowered her eyes in silence, her slender jade-like hands reading through the letter from Da Liang. The portrait inside looked very similar to the young girl, and the description also matched.

However, there were no clues at all regarding the young girl’s false identity. Clearly, it was hidden very deeply.

The struggle within Da Liang’s imperial family was notoriously ruthless even among all the kingdoms. They might even collude with foreign enemies to seize the throne and slaughter members of the imperial clan.

As a result, Da Liang had suffered years of defeat and compensation in wars against outsiders. The waters here were far too muddy, so for now, it was best to watch quietly and see what changed.

He Xiu lightly sniffed the sandalwood scent inside the carriage, feeling especially at ease. Her gaze rested on the clear, graceful beautiful older sister. With black hair and snowy skin, ice-like flesh and jade-like bones, her entire body seemed to give off a pale, cold-jade radiance. Not even the most precious gemstone could steal attention away from her.

Thinking of the misunderstanding earlier, He Xiu said in a small voice, “I’m sorry. I thought that uncle was a bad person. I didn’t bite him on purpose just now.”

Hearing this, Zhuo Mingke raised her eyes slightly and met the young girl’s reserved, shy expression. Thinking of her lively resistance earlier, which was such a contrast, Zhuo Mingke’s demeanor grew even more gentle as she replied, “You don’t need to blame yourself. He is a steward from the outer residence. He had not seen you before, so he did not know the specifics. This was my oversight.”

Perhaps this young girl was not as simple as she appeared. Otherwise, she likely would not have been able to survive in the Da Liang imperial family under a false identity until now.

Thinking this, a patient expression instead appeared on Zhuo Mingke’s jade-white face. When this lamb, pretending to be docile, one day lay low long enough to reveal its sharp teeth, it would surely be very interesting to break its bones one by one and tame her.

Perhaps Zhuo Mingke’s voice had answered too gently and kindly, because He Xiu only grew even more embarrassed, completely unaware of the beautiful older sister’s ruthlessness.

“Actually, Sister can call me Ah Xiu. That sounds more intimate. After all, my life was saved by Sister, so from now on, I’ll do anything.”

“There is a difference in age between you and me. Such a form of address may be somewhat lacking in respect.”

Seeing the beautiful older sister acting so steady and elder-like, He Xiu smiled brightly and obediently coaxed, “How could it be? Sister looks just as young as me at a glance!”

This was not a lie. He Xiu felt that the beautiful older sister should only be around eighteen or nineteen. In modern times, she would be right in the bloom of youth.

Hearing this, Zhuo Mingke laughed softly. Her palm closed the letter and placed it into a box. In a gentle voice, she said, “I am not as young as you. Da Yue and Da Liang differ greatly in writing and customs. There will be many things you must learn in the future. If there is anything you do not understand, you may come and ask me.”

Looking at the beautiful older sister’s gentle and considerate manner, He Xiu felt even more that she was beautiful, kind-hearted, and virtuous. With passionate resolve, she answered, “Don’t worry, Sister. I’ll definitely study hard and repay your kindness!”

If she did not study properly, it would probably be very difficult to pay off her debt to the beautiful older sister.

After all, earlier, He Xiu had witnessed the entire transaction in which she was sold. That thick stack of silver notes must have been an astonishing amount.

Not to mention the money used to smooth things over with the minor officials. He Xiu finally had a direct understanding now: the beautiful older sister’s family had a lot of money.

She was a hostage sent by Da Liang. Just her disappearance alone had caused an uproar, as if it might ignite war between the two kingdoms at any moment.

Yet at this moment, she could actually be redeemed from the Imperial City Bureau so easily. Clearly, the beautiful older sister’s family background was not as simple as just being rich.

In the past, He Xiu had only heard rumors online about rich women and wealthy older sisters. Now that she had witnessed one with her own eyes, she finally understood what it meant to be a frog at the bottom of a well.

No wonder that fierce auntie had despised her for being ignorant. It turned out she had just been telling the truth.