Chapter 9: 009 真相，细细筹谋

Once human curiosity is piqued, one feels restless until the mystery is solved. Mu Qi, not minding that Qiaoyu was currently combing her hair, lowered her head and reached out to pull open all the drawers on the dressing table.

"Oh, Miss, slow down, be careful not to pull my hair and hurt me." Qiaoyu was focused on the combing, so she was startled when Mu Qi suddenly ducked her head, her hand clutching a small lock of hair and pulling it upward.

Mu Qi ignored her, rummaging through the contents of the drawers, and responded nonchalantly, "I'll finish combing later."

There wasn't much in the drawers, mostly just small trinkets of gold and silver. Mu Qi took them out one by one to inspect them, only to find that nothing was particularly special; compared to Mu Wanqing's golden hairpin, these items didn't even count as high quality. Could it be that Caidie had only stopped by unintentionally, and she was merely overthinking it?

"Miss, what are you looking for? Shall I help you find it?" Seeing that Mu Qi was visibly disappointed, Qiaoyu couldn't help but ask.

As if she hadn't heard, Mu Qi fell into deep thought for a long while before speaking: "Did my father or mother leave any mementos for me?"

Confused as to why her Miss would suddenly ask this, Qiaoyu shook her head. "I do not know. I was sold into the Marquis's manor when I was ten. Perhaps Steward Mu knows; if not, I shall go and fetch him." The Steward Qiaoyu referred to was Mu Sang, the man who had bought her years ago to serve the young lady.

"Forget it, I'll ask later. You said you entered the manor at ten; how could your parents bear to sell you as a maid? And how is it that you know how to ride a horse?" Mu Qi was not a naturally suspicious person, but for the sake of security, she felt it necessary to know more about those around her.

Hearing her Miss ask, Qiaoyu thought of her childhood past, and a happy flush rose to her face. "My family used to run a security bureau. I traveled north and south with my parents since I was small. I never liked girlie things; instead, I was very interested in horse riding, dancing with blades, and wielding spears. I could ride a horse alone by the age of six. The tragedy happened six years ago..."

As Qiaoyu spoke, the happiness on her face was replaced by sorrow, and her eyes grew red. "Six years ago, my parents were escorting a very important shipment with me. But on the road, we encountered a gang of bandits. My parents and the others fought desperately to protect the cargo, but in the end, they were overwhelmed by numbers. The guards fell one after another. My father used all his strength to throw me onto a horse's back and struck a dagger into the horse's flank to make it run. By the time I turned back crying, I saw a sharp sword piercing through my father's body. After that, I met Steward Mu. Seeing that I knew some martial arts, he bought me to serve you, Miss."

Qiaoyu spoke through her sobs, but she managed to tell the whole story without breaking down completely; her tears simply fell incessantly.

Mu Qi hadn't expected Qiaoyu to carry such a grudge. She thought of a little girl who had been cherished by her family and disliked needlework, only to have her entire life trajectory altered by tragedy, forced into servitude. Reality was truly cruel.

She pulled out a handkerchief for Qiaoyu to wipe her tears, patted her hand, and comforted her: "The dead are gone, and you must be strong to live. Don't worry, you have me from now on. I will help you avenge your grudge. It's just a few small bandits, isn't it? Just wait until your Miss wipes out their entire nest."

Wiping her tears, Qiaoyu let out a small chuckle upon hearing Mu Qi's words. "Miss, I find that you have changed. You've become much more capable than before."

Mu Qi raised an eyebrow. How could she not change, given the circumstances!

"People grow up. Now, hurry and dry your tears; we have a good show to watch later." She had slept very well last night; she wondered if the others in the manor had spent a sleepless night.

After finishing her washing, Mu Qi went to the outer room and saw the low table laden with food. Today's breakfast was exceptionally sumptuous, featuring not only bird's nest porridge but also various pastries and side dishes. It seemed these servants were quite adept at reading the wind; she had certainly established her authority in the manor yesterday.

"Let's eat together," Mu Qi said, sitting down and addressing Qiaoyu, who was standing behind her to serve. Having been used to independence in her past life, she was truly unaccustomed to this way of life where one needed service just to eat a bite of food.

How could Qiaoyu dare to sit? She hurriedly declined, "Miss, I serve you. I will eat after you have finished." It was the rule that maidservants could not sit at the table, and Qiaoyu naturally did not dare to overstep.

Mu Qi ignored her refusal and placed a bowl on the opposite side. "There are no such rules in front of me. Besides, if you wait until I'm finished, you'll be wasting my time since I have to go out shortly."

Since the words had been put that way, Qiaoyu dared not say no. She walked over cautiously, picked up the bowl, filled it with a few pieces of pastry and a bit of tea, glanced at the bed, and after a moment of hesitation, still not daring to sit, she ended up squatting beside the table to eat.

Mu Qi glanced at her but ignored it, focusing on her meal.

Once Mu Qi had finished eating, Mu Sang was already waiting outside the door. "Mu Sang, come in."

"Yes, Miss."

As the voice fell, Mu Sang entered, lifting the curtain and bringing a chill with him. Perhaps due to a sleepless night, his dark face looked somewhat weary, though his spirit remained high.

Looking at the man who had followed her since General Mu, Mu Qi felt a hint of respect in her heart. "Mu Sang, from today on, I shall call you Uncle Mu. I hope you will be as loyal to me as you were to my father. From this day forward, you are the steward of this Marquis's manor."

Mu Sang was stunned for a moment, then knelt on the ground, his voice trembling slightly. "Thank you, Miss, for your trust in this old servant. This old servant will surely protect you even at the cost of my life."

Mu Qi nodded with satisfaction. "Rise, Uncle Mu. How did the matter I entrusted to you yesterday go?"

Mu Sang handed a register to Mu Qi. "Reporting to Miss, these are all the old subordinates who followed General Mu. They were sent away to various manors by Lady Leng a few years ago. I summoned them back overnight and have arranged them in various locations."

Mu Qi looked at the dense handwriting, which detailed each person's name, age, and the manor they had been exiled to—fifty-nine people in total. Although the number wasn't large, quality was more important than quantity in soldiers. These were men who had been trained on the battlefield; the burly guards in the manor were naturally no match for them.

"Mm, you did well with this, Uncle Mu. Also, Uncle Mu, I want you to help me find someone. Her name is Cuihua, Wang Er's wife. If I am not mistaken, she should have been silenced, but there is always a chance. Send someone to search thoroughly."

Qiaoyu had already told Mu Qi the details of the pig cage incident. The morning before yesterday, after Mu Qi finished breakfast, she had somehow fainted. Coincidentally, Qiaoyu had been called out by Nanny Huang, who served Lady Leng Ruimei. When she returned, she found that both Lady Leng Ruimei and the Sixth Miss, Mu Xiaoqing, were in the room. Mu Qi was lying on the bed in her undergarments, and a disheveled man was kneeling on the floor.

The man was the manor's servant, Wang Er. He had a fair complexion and looked somewhat like a scholar. Kneeling by the side, he kept begging for mercy, claiming that Mu Qi had called him over and insisting that it was Mu Qi who had seduced him.