16 Stripping Before the Enemies (1/2)
The male servant looked pleased as he handed a copper basin to her. ”Go get some water from the upper stream, head over to the second carriage, get some rose water and hibiscus dew from Sister Jinyan, mix them together and then send it in. Remember not to contaminate it with your dirty hands. Alright, that's all. I'll go help Her Highness get changed.”
There was gloat in the servant's face as if he had just found the perfect scapegoat. Needless to think, because of the condition of her face, Pei Yuan was in an extremely terrible mood. Also, since she had always been bossy, those attending to her would just be in for a tougher time; any right-minded servant would avoid getting close to her. Why else would this fellow be willing to pay his way out?
”Have you turned into a statue?” he asked sarcastically, seeing that Meng Fuyao wasn't receiving the basin.
She raised her brows, looked at the basin and smiled, before reaching for her money sack inside her sleeves.
”You foo–” the male servant paused, his eyes slowly opening wide.
On the hollow of Meng Fuyao's palm sat a golden leaf that couldn't have weighed under 100 grams.
According to Taiyuan's currency system, 50 grams of gold could be used to exchange for 20 silvers, and one silver could be exchanged for 1000 coins. It was an amount that even three years of slogging in King Qi's court would not get him.
He inhaled a deep, cold breath, his face blank.
Meng Fuyao waved her golden leaf in his face. ”Recognize this?” she asked kindly.
Staring at it with a face as white as a sheet, he staggered, ”It's... it's gold...”
His reaction gathered a grin from Meng Fuyao. ”Yes, this is 100 gram of gold, enough for you to feast on the most expensive dishes in Yanjing's finest inn consecutively for a month.”
She smiled and loosened her fingers, allowing the golden leaf to fall to the ground.
As the servant subconsciously bent his body down, Meng Fuyao's boots reached the leaf first.
She picked her leaf up and pushed it to the servant who was staring blankly at her and holding the basin. ”I'll trouble you to go get some water from the upper stream, head over to the second carriage, get some rose water and hibiscus dew from Sister Jinyan, mix them together and then send it in. Remember not to contaminate it with your dirty hands. Alright, that's all. You may go.”
She flicked the bottom of the basin up toward his face, and asked in the exact manner as he had earlier, ”Have you turned into a statue?”
When she raised her foot slightly, the golden leaf sparkled amid the dust, as if enticing him with a seductive gaze.
With his teeth clenched and hands trembling, the male servant steadied the basin and strode over to the stream.
Not following after him, Meng Fuyao simply lifted her brows and muttered, ”What a pity...”
She kicked under the golden leaf, and it flew up and onto her palm. She kept it unhurriedly before shaking her head gently. ”If you've had the backbone to reject me, I would've given this to you for real. Now... you don't deserve it.”
She spun her index finger, on which the string of coins was dangling off, causing it to spiral out of control. Clap– half a month's worth of inexpensive meat had dropped to the ground, where the leaf had had been.
”Take your meat money back. Do you know why meat in Yanjing's stew stalls is so cheap? Rat meat is what they serve, I heard.”
With a laugh, Meng Fuyao turned to leave and quickly disappeared into the shade like a passing breeze.
The cluster of trees in which she disappeared into was completely still.
Some time later, a faint shadow emerged from behind a tree. It was the man in white, his robes clean and lips cherry red.
He turned, with a look of interest, toward where Meng Fuyao was. ”It's been hard on you,” he spoke lightly.
A response came immediately, ”Fulfilling your orders comes first, and not even death can get in the way, what's more, a little humiliation.”
It was that very snobbish young servant, and by his feet sat the glistening copper basin.
Except, his demeanor now was a complete opposite of what he had portrayed earlier.
”What do you think?” the man in white asked, after quite some time.
After some thought, the servant replied, ”You sensed nothing from that pull earlier?”
”I did,” he answered with a meaningful look in his eyes. ”The angles of Pei Yuan's scars came from a skill that's out of the ordinary. This lady may be hiding her abilities well, but I did feel a little something when saving her.”
”But,” he continued with a smile, ”From that pull, I'm certain that she's not one of Qi Xunyi's.”
”Why?”
”Do you think they deserve someone like her?” the man in white sighed deeply, yet with a vague smile.
”An amazing individual...”
Yuan Zhaoxu had been observing as Meng Fuyao was fleeing the scene. Seeing her vanishing into the autumn mountain range with a light and graceful motion resembling that of a bird, he broke into a soundless smile before strolling toward the advisor's carriage.
”Move slow and follow Qi Xunyu to Yanjing. I'll take her first to prevent getting into their line of sight and into trouble.”