Chapter 13 To Bring the Continuous Beatings
Zhu Shun, after all, has been in the Zhuge Residence for more than a decade, an age that not even dogs there have lived as long.
Although his nature isn’t moral, he recognized the fact that Jin Zhu and Jin Si who struggled for favor had implicated him since they were under his wing. He feared that Zhuge Yue would not really believe him, and misunderstand that he was guilty of the crime and had deliberately framed Jin Si with that evidence.. So he kept this in mind, and did not let the hall kill her. However, he wanted to wait until tomorrow when the young master would no longer pay it any attention.
At night, the courtyard was deathly still. In the pitch-dark firewood room Jin Si’s flesh was torn up filled with whip marks. She looked like she was subjected to the full penalty. Chu Qiao stood in front of her, picked up a scoop of water from a nearby bucket and splashed it into her face.
Jin Si slowly woke up and saw Chu Qiao so she immediately became furious. She fiercely growled, “You little s.l.u.t! You dare come to see me!
Chu Qiao seemed serene standing in front of her, quietly listening to the woman loudly cursing for a long time before lightly smiling, “If you really want to die, you can continue to shout.”
Jin Si’s clothes were stained with blood, her face was pale as her chest heaving up and down, and her eyes were full of resentment.
Chu Qiao shook her head, before slowly speaking, “You shouldn’t hurt a tiger’s heart, the tiger is dangerous. I had long warned you, but today you have been repeatedly went against me. If not for you tracking me, how could you end up in this fate? All of this, you only have yourself to blame, why be resentful towards me?
“Little s.l.u.t, I will not let go of you!”
Chu Qiao sighed and said: “Do you really want to die then?
Jin Si was surprised for a moment as Chu Qiao continued, “Unfortunately, the 4th young master refused to save you. It seems you can only go to the lake to accompany Big Sister Jin Zhu. “
As her voice fell Jin Si face went several shades of white. She looked at Chu Qiao, her eyes suddenly showing a trace of desire to survive. Tightly staring at Chu Qiao, she spoke quickly, “Xing’er, you and I have no complaints recently and no hatred. Lin Xi’s death was a Jin Zhu’s idea. I just echoed what she said. You can undoubtedly understand this and will certainly be able to save me. I beg you, save me I do not want to die! “
After her words, she could not help but tremble and cry. Chu Qiao sighed, put down a parcel she had behind her back and said with a low voice, “Do not cry, do you think I came here tonight to talk about the old days? Your sin does not warrant death. Since it is I who harmed you today. At this point, I will not let it be. Put this dress on, I’ll send you out.
Chu Qiao came forward to untie the rope that is around Jin Si’s body.
Jin Si was overjoyed and then quickly spoke, “Can I escape? The Residence is guarded so tightly.”
“Do not worry, I bribed the guards at the backdoor. The master will go back home. You are but a little maidservant, no one will look into this. As long as you escape from the Residence, you will be able to keep your life.”
Jin Si followed behind Chu Qiao as the two turned towards the window. Next to the Hongshan Courtyard was the Bi Lake rockery. Suddenly they heard the sound of distant footsteps. It was one of the guarding servants, coming to patrol.Theywere surprised and squat down low on the ground. Unable to continue, Chu Qiao turned around and handed a small parcel to Jin Si, “I will go lead those people away, you quickly make your way to the West Gate of the backyard. That’s where the gatekeeper I have bribed is. You go and as long as you say my name, they will let you leave. Here is some items for your journey and clothing. They belong to Big Sister Zhi Xiang before, I do not know if you can wear them or not. Next, there is not much money, I could only come up with these, you take care of yourself, do your best.
She finished speaking and then turned away to the other side deliberately making noise so that the patrol guards could hear. She swiftly led them away.
Jin Si opened the parcel, seeing that there was only a few copper inside ,that wasn’t even enough to buy a roast goose she could not help but frown. She also saw a piece of clothing that was not torn but dirty and ugly to death. It also exuded a strange smell, making one’s heart flutter. She thought of herself as a good maidservant, but now she has to improperly run out as a fugitive. She was saved by that evil Jing Xing’er, even with all she has done. She couldn’t bare to be a hypocrite and lose a lot of face.
She took out the few coppers, then threw the parcel on the ground. She did not worry about her escape. When they found her gone, she still wouldn’t implicating Chu Qiao.
Cold wind blew ,blowing the hems of the clothes. It was the coldest month of frost, the sky was sprinkling with light.
At this moment, in Zhu Shun ‘s room, a man’s heavy breathing and a woman’s tender voice was spread throughout , with unceasingly immoral talks that could muddy velvet ears.
That winter night, the guards had long been lazy and went to find a warm place to take a nap. A child’s little body was standing quietly in front of the door of Zhu Shun, she did not make the slightest movement.
After finishing her arrangements, Chu Qiao was squatting on the side door of Zhu Shun. In the dark night, a pair of eyes like a dark gem, flashing wisdom and calm glory. Suddenly, a man’s funny humming sound abruptly sounded, then, a rustling of dress could be heard. Chu Qiao held a stone, facing the door to throw it in.
Bang, Ping, the sound was not loud, but it was enough to make it heard to the people inside. Zhu Shun said, “Who is outside?”
Chu Qiao did not answer, but picked up a stone, and slammed it on the door.
“Come!” The man said irritably, “It’s the middle of the night, who is it?”
The door was opened, but not a figure could be seen. Zhu Shun was surprised and frowned. He stuck his head and as soon as he lifted his heel, he stumbled on a rope immediately falling down loudly.
“Oh!”
Zhu Shun screamed, but the next curse words did not leave his mouth before a dark bag appeared in his vision, and it suddenly went black. The man was shocked, and finally realized that something was wrong. Shouting, stretched out his hand to randomly grasp around him.
The dim light of the night was rich and the cold was pressing, Chu Qiao had her dagger in her hand. Her eyes were sharp, and her mouth taunt. Facing his big fat hand, she instantly swung her dagger!
Shanshan! Screams immediately rang into the sky. Zhu Shun shook his broken wrist and rolled on the ground. Chu Qiao did not prolong her stay, she left quickly towards the west flower shrubs.
From behind, came the guards’ noisy footsteps, there was also a woman screaming.
“What’s going on?” “What happened to you?”
An untidy woman came out of Zhu Shu room pale with fright, “We did not see it clearly, but the height was not high, it seems, seems to be a child.”
“Which side did they escape?”
“Towards the west.”
“Chase!”
More than 10 feet pa.s.sed by in front of her. Chu Qiao reduced her body as much as possible, squatting in the gra.s.s waiting for the guards to gradually leave and for the surroundings to slowly quiet down. The child patted the dust from her body, stood up, and leisurely left the area. Her figure unexpectedly had a different kind of calm.
After arriving at the center of the rock garden in the Hongshan Courtyard she saw a small parcel thrown haphazardly on the ground. Sneering at it, she picked up the parcel and walked towards Qingshan Courtyard. Carefully climbing into the room from the rear window, then changing into a white soft cotton robe. Since coming under Zhuge Yue’s care, she moved out of the slave’s backyard and was admitted to the Qingshan Courtyard servant room. Outside the noise were getting louder and louder, the torches spread everywhere, illuminating half of the sky.
Chu Qiao loosed up her hair and rubbed her eyes. With a pair of sleepy eyes, she opened the door just in time to run into a few of the other little maidservants.
“What happened over there?”
Several small maidservants that were 13-year-old to 14 years old, but with a status that was not as high as Chu Qiao, were at a loss shook their head. At that time, they’ve only just listened to the Hall sounded as the door opened. A few people ran quickly past them.
Zhuge Yue looked black, as he looked at the disheveled Chu Qiao andothers.The went to the guards that came from the outside, “What happened, why are you so noisy?
“Master, outside the house there were a.s.sa.s.sins. Zhu Guanjia’s hand was cut off , the Guard at the West Gate caught Jin Si girl who was trying to escape. She has been escorted back to the Hall under the guards’ careful watch.”
Zhuge Yue was surprised for a moment, then actually took up the mouth and chuckled, “As the saying goes, the dog will be anxious to jump off the wall. I did not expect Jin Si’s temperament to be quite staunch.
That bodyguard looked at Chu Qiao carefully, before speaking, “When that Jin Si girl was arrested she was shouting that Xing’er had harmed him. She didn’t do it.”
After he spoke, all eyes suddenly were concentrated on the body of Chu Qiao. Chu Qiao’s little face suddenly wrinkled, a pair of misty eyes full of grievances blinked, almost to tears. She turned to looked at Zhuge Yue, sadly speaking,: “4th young master, Xing’er, Xing has been sleeping in the room, I, I did not …”
“Master, Xing’er has not been out in the room, we all were here to see.” A third maid suddenly stepped forward.
As her voice fell, several other maidservants testified ,for the defense of Chu Qiao.
Zhuge Yue nodded, said to the servant: “Tell the Hall, if that woman keeps talking nonsense, then they do not have to go to trial. Just directly throw her into the Pavilion Lake where the stars will listen to her drivel.
The servant nodded quickly and retreated.
Zhuge Yue looked at the little maidservants all together, “Then you all go back to sleep.” He then turned and went back to his room.
Chu Qiao, still looking wronged, stood there without moving. A few small maidservants came to tug on Chu Qiao’s hand and said, “Xing’er, you do not have to be afraid, we will give testimony. She won’t be able to wrong you again.”
Chu Qiao nodded her head, her voice pure like a pear flower beneath the rain, “Thank you sister.”
The night approached three, the night wind was whistling and blowing, and today was the first anniversary ,of the killing of the Jing Family, and finally in the evening the price has been paid in blood.
However, this blood was far from enough.