Chapter Five The Woman in Black

  Inside the Luoxue Pavilion, the Wisteria flowers were in full bloom, and the orchids below were lush and green. Pang Luoxue strolled slowly along the winding path paved with pebbles, lost in thought. She had claimed that she was going to recite books at night just to amuse her mother, but in reality, having been reborn, how could she have forgotten all about them? Thinking about tonight's banquet, Pang Luoxue's eyes suddenly turned solemn, fearing that the evening would not be enjoyable after all. She thought back to the previous banquet and couldn't help but feel a little excited.

  "Miss, where have you been? The lotus root and leaves have been looking for you for a while. Why didn't you bring a thermos flask? Your hands are so cold, they must be frozen! I'll get someone to make ginger soup for you right away."

  "I went to Mother's place with my sister, and I had Lotus and Lily send out for silk threads. Don't worry, Zixi," I said with a sweet smile. Zixi was someone sent by Mother, and she was also of marriageable age. Lotus and Lily, on the other hand, had grown up with me since childhood and were loyal. However, if I wanted to take revenge, I wouldn't be able to do it without capable helpers. Never mind, let's just observe for now and take things one step at a time. To those who oppressed me in my past life, I will definitely make you pay back tenfold, a hundredfold."

  "Second Miss, the mistress said that this peony embroidery is not urgent, you don't have to stay up late to embroider it. Just now, the mistress called me over to bring a few pieces of satin, which will be just right for making new clothes for the young lady. After the young lady has taken a look, I'll call the seamstress to prepare some samples for her to choose from."

  "You go back to your mother and tell her I've taken note."

  "Yes, you go first."

  Back in the house, I saw that several pieces of plain colored brocade had indeed been placed on the table, and they were exactly what my mother liked. The white silk was interwoven with peony patterns, mixed with silver threads, and the designs floated faintly in the sunlight. The light purple ones were embroidered with a few strokes of begonia flowers. I looked at the embroidery of the begonias and felt that the technique was so familiar. So I called Lian Ou to ask, and it turned out that they were indeed made by my mother's hands. Even on these small pieces of cloth, my mother's love and care could be seen everywhere. Unfortunately, my mother was too gentle, which was why she had been harmed by them in secret.

  "Put away the fabric, and tomorrow ask the embroidery girl to draw a pattern for me to see." I looked up at the sky and saw that it was still early, so I might as well go out for a stroll on the street, also good for relaxing my mood, no need to watch them putting on airs in their play, really tired.

  "Lotus root, bring me my scarf and change into a casual outfit at home. Miss is going out."

  "Miss, didn't you say you were going to embroider the peony picture today? Why are you going out now, Miss? Are you not planning to take us with you?" Upon hearing this, both of them immediately perked up and put on a pitiful expression.

  The two were twins and had grown up with me since childhood, so they were naturally more intimate. I remembered that when I first got married, the two of them were given away as maids to a distant place by Wang's mother-in-law. It seemed that it was also for the sake of making way for Pang Luoyu, cutting off my left and right arms. It was pitiful that they had been ill since their youth and died early in life. The two were simple-minded, and my path in this life would be bumpy and unsmooth. I thought about whether to cultivate them as my assistants. So I smiled and said, "How can I not bring you? You've grown up with me since childhood. If I sneak out without bringing you, I don't know how much resentment you'll hold against me in your hearts."

  The two of them were naturally pleased, so they tied up their long hair and put on a set of men's clothes belonging to her brother. They then slipped out secretly from the back door together.

  Dong Qin country, the people have always been open-minded. Although it's not as good as Bei Yan country, it's much better than Xi Ling country and Nan Zhao country. This young master's attire with two small servants doesn't stand out too much.

  As the capital of Dongqin, it is naturally bustling and extraordinary. The lotus root and lotus leaf are also childlike in nature, finding everything novel and exciting, yet they also know to closely follow me and protect me from being swept away by the crowd. The three of us walked towards the lake shore, where the grass was long and the orioles were flying, truly a scene of willows on the lake embankment intoxicated by the spring mist, making people reluctant to leave.

  "Save me..."

  As I walked to the entrance of a small alley, I faintly heard it, and then carried lotus root and lotus leaves inside. In front of a temple gate that was so dilapidated, there were dots of crimson all the way to the door. I wanted to push the door in, but was blocked by the lotus root and lotus leaves.

  "Little master, you must be careful, it's so quiet here, if something happens, how can we explain to the mistress? If there's any danger, how can we account for it to her?"

  Watching them with anxious faces, I was also the me of my previous life. Today, I am at home concentrating on embroidery to pass the time. What happens today in this life is truly unknown. Since heaven has given me a chance to relive, what's there to fear?

  "You're with me, what are you afraid of? If he's shouting for help, how can he have the strength to harm us? If you're afraid, then wait here while I go."

  The two of them, seeing me so persistent, gritted their teeth and said "I'll go with the young lady, I'm not afraid!" Looking at the two people's identical expressions, I burst out laughing. These two maids still have some guts. They're promising material. I reached out to push open the door, following the bloodstains to find the haystack behind the Buddha statue. A woman in black was lying in a pool of blood, with a dagger stuck near her chest. I reached out to brush aside the hair in front of her eyes, but didn't expect her to slap my hand away. Her breathing was already weak, yet she still seemed so alert. This girl looked quite elegant and refined, not like some kind of evil villain.

  "Lotus root, you take the silver ticket and buy a house nearby, lotus leaf find a doctor to treat this girl's injury, hurry up, don't drag your feet, or she'll run out of breath soon."

  I helped her up and let her lean on me, she was only a few years older than me. After waiting for a while, Lotus had already taken care of everything, holding the deed to the house and the land, and had found a horse-drawn carriage to take the injured person away. We turned into two alleys and arrived at the house, where Lotus Leaf was already waiting outside with a doctor, carefully lifting her into a room for treatment. Since we had to wait anyway, I took Lotus and Lotus Leaf on a tour of the house. The house looked quite good, but the spider webs everywhere indicated that it hadn't been occupied for some time. The structure of the house was excellent, with a harmonious layout, showing grandeur and magnificence, like a military general's residence, with plum blossom pillars everywhere. I had no idea how much silver Lotus had spent on this place. Inside, there was a garden that had already declined, but upon closer inspection, its structure was indeed beautiful, seemingly designed by a talented lady, exuding a warm and elegant atmosphere, with a sense of grandeur. The person who designed this garden must have had a deep understanding of the natural world; if I were lucky enough to meet them, they would surely be an extraordinary individual. Walking through the long corridor, we reached the inner chamber, where spider webs and dust filled the air, but looking up, I faintly saw the words "Qi Manor". Qi Manor? Could this be the former residence of General Qi? No wonder it had such a grand atmosphere; unfortunately, General Qi was loyal to the country, but was wrongly accused of embezzling military funds. Thinking about this, I suspected that this matter was related to the King of Jin; humph, he truly is a scourge. In my past life, I must have been blind to have been deceived by him. Thinking about this, my fists clenched tightly together in indignation.

  "Master, the doctor says that young lady is out of danger, but she hasn't woken up yet due to excessive blood loss. It's getting late now, so I suppose Master should head back to the manor too. Lian Ye and the doctor will stay here to take care of her, while I'll escort you back."

  I looked up at the sky and it was already evening, I remembered that there's a good show tonight and I really can't miss it. So I said "When the young lady wakes up, quietly send someone to tell me, don't disturb anyone, got it? At the banquet later, think of a way to sneak out of the mansion, go to the old woman's place to buy some servants, clean the house and leave, let's go back first." There's indeed a surprise waiting in the mansion.