Ch 8: How Shy

What is it?

Lin Che’s pupils involuntarily constricted.

According to the Original Owner’s memories, the Second Prince committed suicide by hanging, but he didn’t leave him anything.

But judging from the Empress’s expression, it seemed like he should have brought back something.

“Your Majesty, the Second Prince did not entrust your humble servant with anything.” Lin Che answered truthfully.

“Oh?”

Jiang Li’s face seemed to flash with a moment of doubt.

“Then what did my Second Imperial Brother say to you before he died?”

“Also, nothing. No relics, and no time to say last words.” Lin Che shook his head again.

Jiang Li looked straight at Lin Che, then slowly leaned against the Dragon Throne, and coldly said:

“Then tell me, tell me everything about your ten years as a hostage, in detail.”

“Yes—”

Lin Che didn’t fabricate anything, after all, he still had the Original Owner’s memories.

Moreover, the ten years as a hostage were too profound.

The Original Owner and the Second Prince were trapped together in the Hostage Mansion. At first, Ministers and members of the Imperial Family from Yan Yun Kingdom came to question them.

Later, they gradually stopped coming.

If anyone came to the Hostage Mansion, they mostly came to insult and ridicule them. Especially during the holidays, it seemed that some Ministers had relatives who died on the battlefield.

As long as they arrived at the Hostage Mansion, they would definitely use various methods to beat and scold them.

Of course, they dared not really kill the Original Owner and the Second Prince.

But one day, the Original Owner discovered that the Second Prince hadn’t gotten up yet at noon, so he went to knock on the door.

Upon opening the door, he found the Second Prince had committed suicide by hanging.

Then a group of guards were alarmed and rushed in.

The Original Owner was also taken into custody, and only saw the Second Prince again on the day of his burial.

In the days that followed, someone accompanied the Original Owner constantly, fearing that he would also commit suicide by hanging.

That way, Yan Yun Kingdom would not even have a last bit of buffer.

After slowly finishing his account, although he was recounting the Original Owner’s experiences, Lin Che also felt a pang of sadness.

After listening, Jiang Li also fell silent, and after a long time, she said:

“Did the Second Prince truly have no unusual actions before his death? Did you not notice, or did he say something to you that you forgot?”

“Your humble servant can swear, truly not.”

Lin Che immediately began to swear, and he was even more puzzled. Jiang Li seemed to care very much about the Second Prince’s last words.

Could it be that I should have brought back something?

Or?

Did the Original Owner actually bring something back, but I just didn’t inherit that part of his memory?

“Since that’s the case, you may leave now.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Lin Che could clearly feel Jiang Li’s low spirits, so he quickly took his leave.

I need to think carefully about whether I really forgot something.

After Lin Che left, the Imperial Study became quiet again.

At that moment, two figures slowly emerged from behind the screen in the Imperial Study.

To be precise, one person was behind, pushing a wheelchair for the Useless Person in front.

The person standing behind was a woman with a cold expression, and the person in the wheelchair was Qian Linggong.

Jiang Li obviously already knew they were there, and asked:

“Legalist, were his words true or false?”

“Replying to Your Majesty, your servant witnessed the entire event. Baron Jing’an was not lying; what he said should be true. A person suddenly receiving so many rewards will have a relaxed mind; he showed no signs of lying.”

Jiang Li lightly furrowed her delicate brows: “Could it be that the Second Prince truly did not entrust him with any relics?”

Qian Fazheng thought of something else and immediately said:

“In the Grand Hall, he said he was going to bring back the Second Prince’s corpse; he lied. He wanted to escape. He believed that Tian Du was not a place he could stay long, he wanted to live, so he wanted to leave Tian Du.”

“Oh? Interesting!”

Jiang Li’s bright eyes lit up slightly, and her slender fingers gently rubbed together. She whispered:

“Blade Servant—”

“Yes.”

The cold-faced woman responded in a low voice, her voice truly like a blade or a sword.

“Select your best hands to watch Lin Che closely. Report all his actions to me.”

“Yes.”

Blade Servant gave a simple reply.

Jiang Li picked up her pen and wrote a Secret Edict quickly.

“Give this Secret Edict to Lin Che and see what his reaction is.”

“Yes.”

Legalist didn’t know what the Empress wrote, but he seemed to guess something:

“Your Majesty—could it be that you think he…”

“Let’s try it. I have a feeling that this Lin Che will be different.”

…

Jing’an Mansion.

Lin Che strolled leisurely around his mansion, feeling very satisfied.

Although it was located in the Outer City, it was also situated on the bustling Zhuque Street.

The mansion had a front yard and a back yard, a stream, artificial hills, pavilions, and towers—it was truly a good place.

I never thought that one day, I would be able to live in such a good place.

“That, that…who…”

Lin Che looked at the fifteen maids following behind him. He didn’t know their names yet, so he pointed at the tallest maid in the front.

“Yes, you. What is your name?”

“Replying to Master, my name is Xiao Qing.”

“Xiao Qing. What’s your full name?” Lin Che asked curiously.

“Your servant is the descendant of a guilty official, sent to the Imperial Palace’s women’s prison, and does not have a full name. Thanks to the Empress’s grace, I am able to serve Master.” Xiao Qing said softly.

Lin Che nodded. So these people are all descendants of guilty officials.

Men are sent to the army, and women are sent to the Imperial Palace—I’ve encountered this kind of thing as well.

When he was guiding the maids through the mansion, he was also secretly observing them. He found that Xiao Qing had the best etiquette and was also caring toward the other maids, unlike other maids who would show ecstatic expressions.

Xiao Qing looked only seventeen or eighteen years old, but she seemed to have seen quite a bit of the world.

“Xiao Qing will do. From now on, they will be under your care.”

“Look, we haven’t prepared anything yet, you should also take care of everything.”

Lin Che said, and directly took out three thousand taels in silver notes, handing them to Xiao Qing.

“Go. Buy whatever the mansion is lacking. Tonight, gather everyone, and we will have a good meal together.”

“From now on, this will be our home.”

Upon hearing this, many maids’ eyes turned red, and tears could not help but fall.

They were all descendants of guilty officials, either implicated or from poor families, sold to the palace at a young age.

Now that the Empress is in power, the idea of being favored by the Emperor after he got drunk and then rising to the top like a Phoenix is impossible.

Their fate is to die in the palace or be rewarded to meritorious officials.

However, they often heard that those sisters who were given away as rewards lived inhuman lives.

Which master wasn’t full of official authority, beating or scolding them constantly?

The idea of a master and servants eating together was unheard of.

Although their contact with Lin Che was very short, they could tell that he was truly different.

It seems that he really treats them as people.

“Hey, why are you crying?”

Lin Che felt strange. Why are these children crying?

Xiao Qing’s eyes were also red. “Wipe your tears. As I said, each of you go and be busy. After finishing your work, help your sisters. Go.”

“Yes—” A group of maids went to work.

They are well-trained and quite obedient; they’re just a little too thin.

That evening, Lin Che summoned all the servants, a total of thirty people.

Lin Che announced on the spot that Xiao Qing would be in charge of all matters in the mansion. A temporary Steward!

Among the fifteen guards, there was one named Dazhuang, whose cultivation level was the highest, having reached Qi Condensation Realm Minor Accomplishment.

From now on, Dazhuang would be in charge of the guards.

They were called guards, but they also included some of the mansion’s heavy labor.

Dazhuang was a simple and honest man, simply nodding his head blankly:

“Master tells me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

During the meal, everyone was very restrained.

Lin Che didn’t mind, after all, tonight was just for everyone to get to know each other.

In the future, masters and servants should maintain some distance.

After dinner, Lin Che sighed that the meal was truly awful.

It seems I’ll have to hire a chef tomorrow.

Anyway, he planned to stay here for three months; he might as well enjoy it while he could.

When he gave Xiao Qing three silver notes, he discovered that spending this money did not deduct his Skill Points.

Then there’s nothing to worry about.

“Xiao Qing, are you full? Let them clean up. Come with me.”

Xiao Qing seemed to have suddenly thought of something, her pretty face inexplicably flushed red. She gently bit her tender red lips, unconsciously clamped her legs, shyly lowered her head, and followed…

Master, is he already in a hurry for me to warm his bed on the first night?

She knew this day would come, after all, she was the best-looking among the maids.

Especially her round buttocks; the other sisters used to joke about her, saying that they were so round that they didn’t know which man they would end up pleasing.

But Master is so eager.

This is her first time; what should she do?

So shy~

Should I use the shameful things I learned in the Imperial Palace’s women’s prison to please Master?

So shy~ so shy~~ Xiao Qing