A Maid Dressed As A Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role (Transmigration) - Chapter 22.1

The marriage alliance between the Liang and Chu families, besides being a match of good looks and equal status, clearly had a political agenda. The two old foxes of the families had likely considered their options carefully before finally choosing each other. Now, with Chao Mu’s interference, would the marriage still happen or not? The Chu family, who valued their reputation the most, would be disgraced if they went through with the marriage but would lose their most suitable political partner if they didn’t. Therefore, the two families would naturally “thank” Chao Mu—they might even “thank” her entire family! The Liang family might even wake up in the middle of the night, stomp their feet in frustration, and mutter the princess’s name as a sign of their “gratitude.”

A’Zhi looked at Chao Mu, her thoughts starting to stir. If the little princess would give her freedom deed, A’Zhi would genuinely thank her. She would pray for Chao Mu’s success and long life whenever she lit incense and prayed to Buddha.

Perhaps her gaze was too obvious. Chao Mu turned back to her. “Hmm?”

“The deed of freedom for Xiao Que, did you really just give it away?” A’Zhi asked tentatively.

Chao Mu slowly blinked. “Yes.”

Xiao Que naturally couldn’t stay in the estate. She was a maid with ties to the Liang family, and she was still dreaming of becoming the young master’s concubine. Someone like that, with a little encouragement from the Liang family, would not hesitate to betray her mistress. How could Chao Mu keep such a risk by her side twice? Since Xiao Que wanted to go back to the Liang family so badly, she might as well be sent back with a free citizen’s status, just to spite the Liang and Chu families.

“Why are you suddenly asking?” Chao Mu looked at A’Zhi, glanced in the direction where the Liang family’s carriage had left, and then understood, drawing out her last word. “Oh~”

A’Zhi’s ears felt warm. She lowered her head and stood properly, but didn’t say anything.

Chao Mu leaned in and asked in a soft, gentle voice, “A’Zhi wants her deed of freedom too~”

A’Zhi’s face was burning hot, but she boldly replied, “Yes.” If she had said no, with the little princess’s manipulative nature, she might pretend not to understand her politeness and not give her the deed at all. Who would she cry to then?

Chao Mu put her hands behind her back, her fingers joyfully twirling together where A’Zhi couldn’t see. Her face, however, remained blank, and she was unusually agreeable. “Then, A’Zhi, if you ask me just a little bit, I’ll give it to you.”

That simple? A’Zhi was immediately on high alert. But her body instinctively straightened up as she looked at the little princess, her eyes brightening with a newfound energy. “The princess means what she says?”

Chao Mu put her hand over her heart, a look of complete sincerity on her face. “Of course not.”

A’Zhi, “…

Then what are you even talking about?

A’Zhi’s shoulders slumped, and she lowered her head again. She wasn’t disappointed. She hadn’t held out much hope to begin with. If the little princess had been that easy to talk to, A’Zhi would have been even more unsettled. The little sweet pastry was a typical case of a sweet exterior and a dark interior. Giving Xiao Que her deed of freedom was likely a way to make her a better troublemaker in the Liang household, as a free citizen was much harder to handle than a slave.

As for A’Zhi herself, she still had value to the little sweet pastry. Until that goal was accomplished, she wouldn’t easily give up her ultimate bargaining chip. After all, for a donkey, you had to dangle a carrot in front of it to make it work harder. The deed was the carrot dangling in front of A’Zhi.

Perhaps seeing that A’Zhi was too quiet, Chao Mu looked at her seriously. “A’Zhi.”

A’Zhi looked up. Chao Mu’s eyes curved into crescents. She reached out and tucked a stray strand of A’Zhi’s hair behind her ear, lightly twisting it with her index finger. “Then, A’Zhi, if you do something for me, I’ll give you your deed.”

A’Zhi was a little stunned, her gaze falling on Chao Mu’s wrist. The goose-yellow sleeve had slid down, revealing a pale, slender, and delicate wrist that looked like it would break with a hard squeeze.

Chao Mu withdrew her hand, the smile in her eyes undiminished. She said softly, “Become the steward.”

“However,” Chao Mu said, grabbing the hem of her dress. By the time A’Zhi’s mind came back, Chao Mu had already stepped over the threshold. She turned back to look at A’Zhi, who was still standing outside. “If you really want it, I can give you your deed today.” She stood just inside the Qi Estate’s gate, with the high walls of the estate behind her and her back to the sun. A’Zhi stood outside, in the light, with the free, open street behind her. The mistress and maid looked at each other across the threshold.

A’Zhi pursed her lips and looked at the lonely and delicate Chao Mu before she spoke. “Does the princess mean what she says this time?”

Chao Mu suddenly laughed, her shallow dimples intoxicating. She held out her right pinky finger to A’Zhi. “Then I’ll make a pinky promise with you, and this time, I really mean it.”

A’Zhi took a few steps forward, crossed the threshold, and stood in front of Chao Mu. After some hesitation, she finally held out her pinky. “Okay.”

Chao Mu hooked her pinky around A’Zhi’s and shook it. “When A’Zhi becomes the steward, I’ll give her her deed. This is our pact. I will not go back on my word.” She pressed her thumb against A’Zhi’s, stamping the promise. With their hearts connected by their fingers, A’Zhi felt the “seal” branded onto her own heart, making it flutter gently, as if a mark had been seared onto it.

Chao Mu was happy. Her footsteps were light as she walked into the light of the courtyard. She began to recite the Lessons for Women in a slow, gentle voice. “I am foolish and slow by nature, but I am blessed by…” She turned to look at A’Zhi. “Blessed by A’Zhi’s favor~” she sang. “…and rely on…” She patted her heart with a blissful look. “…rely on my own gentle personality~”

Gentle? A’Zhi, “…” She really didn’t want to go to the Imperial Academy with her. Chao Mu was even willing to change the Lessons for Women.

As she followed Chao Mu into the courtyard, A’Zhi secretly glanced down at her right hand, feeling a sense of having been tricked. People in the palace tricked her to take her life, so A’Zhi’s guard was extremely high. But the little princess seemed to be trying to trick her into an emotional bond. She was trying to trick her into the most precious loyalty between a mistress and a servant! Hah! A’Zhi wasn’t going to fall for it!

A’Zhi tried to ignore the faint, warm scent of the little princess and the lingering cool touch on her temple. She kept repeating to herself: My goal is my deed of freedom, my freedom, and growing old with my flowers!

In truth, “steward for a deed” was something the mistress and maid had already silently agreed upon. But now that it had been said out loud, it seemed to carry a strange sense of security and assurance. It was like a verbal agreement had turned into a written contract. This gave A’Zhi even more motivation. At the very least, the little princess had told her her goal, instead of “forgetting” to tell her, as she had done with the Xiao Que incident.

Regarding Xiao Que’s release, A’Zhi had already moved on after eating the two pastries the little princess had given her. She wasn’t a petty maid. She knew what was important. A’Zhi just felt that the little princess was becoming less and less secretive about her dark heart around her. However, in a partnership, that might not be a bad thing… right?

After the guests left, Chao Mu was supposed to read. In four days, she would be taking the entrance exam for the Imperial Academy, and Chao Mu wanted to “try hard.” …If A’Zhi hadn’t walked past the window and seen her asleep on the desk, she might have actually believed it.

While Chao Mu was sleeping, A’Zhi still had work to do. The post-banquet tasks were just as tiring as the preparations. She couldn’t relax for a second. Now was the time to make a profit. Only an idiot would let someone else handle it and rest themselves!

For a formal banquet like this, where prominent noblewomen from the capital were invited, a smart person wouldn’t cut corners to make a profit beforehand. If anything went wrong or something was missing, causing the banquet to fail and the mistress to lose face, the person in charge would lose their life. The real time to make a profit was after the banquet. When the guests had left and the host was happy about the banquet’s success, the servants could find a way to make some money.

For example, the things the masters ate and used could be reported as being returned, but they would secretly be sold at a high price. Then, she could come up with an excuse like “it was chipped, damaged, or had a fee deducted,” and the price difference would all go into her pocket. Additionally, many flowers were used today. The Qi Estate couldn’t possibly have grown them all; they must have been bought from a specialist. Now that they were no longer needed, they could be returned for a fee. The food and wine rewarded by the palace, once used, were no longer accounted for and could be sold. The chefs in the kitchen might steal a cup or two, but they were too timid to take more. A’Zhi, however, could take those things, repackage them, and sell them!

She was very familiar with this kind of work and had never made a mistake. To survive in the palace, you had to pay people off, and if you weren’t a little “greedy,” you wouldn’t be able to save any money. But she never took too much, because being too greedy would only draw attention and lead to her downfall. This was probably why she had never gotten into trouble. No one cared about the small amount of money she was taking; it was beneath them. But for A’Zhi, a little here and a little there added up. Especially since her money box was almost empty! Any amount, no matter how small, was a lot to her.

A’Zhi was mentally rubbing her hands together, counting her money, but her face was still impassive and showed no extra emotion. To outsiders, she was always the composed, cold, and formal head maid who was unfazed by favor or disgrace.

“A’Zhi, you’re amazing. The banquet was so well-done that even Steward Qi (Qi Shilei) couldn’t find a single mistake.” Cui Cui was overjoyed today. It was her first time seeing so many noblewomen and other family’s maids. It had been an eye-opening experience.

“I am still young and inexperienced. I can’t compare to Steward Qi’s thoroughness. I still have a lot to learn in the future,” A’Zhi said, giving the usual polite and humble response, her eyes catching sight of Zhi Yuan coming over.

This time, Steward Qi hadn’t caused any other trouble besides encouraging Xiao Que to plead with Chao Mu. He probably understood that this was the little princess’s first banquet since returning to the capital. If there were any major problems, the palace would step in, and it would only be a matter of time before their methods traced it back to him. Steward Qi just wanted to get rid of A’Zhi. He didn’t need to take such a huge risk and put his own life on the line. So he used the little princess’s “soft heart” to have her let Xiao Que in. Xiao Que was bought by Steward Qi to serve Chao Mu. When he bought her, he must have asked about her history and, knowing she was from the Liang Estate, had her cause a scene at the banquet. His goals were twofold: first, to make Chao Mu offend the Liang and Chu families, and second, to create a rift between A’Zhi and Chao Mu.

A’Zhi was the one who had punished Xiao Que and sent her to the back courtyard. By having the little princess release her, it would seem like she was disrespecting A’Zhi, the head maid, thus creating a division between the mistress and servant. If A’Zhi had been a strong-willed person who valued her status as the head maid of the Xiangyang Courtyard and her reputation, and was a bit more extreme, she might have actually fallen for the steward’s scheme. Unfortunately, A’Zhi and the little princess were on the same side, and A’Zhi didn’t truly care about her status as a head maid.

As for why Zhi Yuan was coming now, A’Zhi had a good guess.

Sure enough, Zhi Yuan walked up to A’Zhi and Cui Cui and smiled. “I never would have thought Miss A’Zhi could be so capable at such a young age. To handle a banquet this big so flawlessly is a pleasant surprise.”

“I am a fool. It’s all because the princess is a great teacher,” A’Zhi said, pushing the responsibility onto the little princess. Chao Mu would definitely back her up, and Zhi Yuan wouldn’t dare to ask Chao Mu about it directly. Whether she knew what she was doing or not, A’Zhi would just say the little princess taught her, so no one would be suspicious.

Zhi Yuan’s face stiffened. Steward Qi and his plan were to drive a wedge between the mistress and maid. Seeing A’Zhi’s attitude, he knew their plan had failed. Zhi Yuan didn’t get angry and just smiled. “Miss A’Zhi, you’ve worked hard these past few days to prepare for the banquet. Steward Qi thinks that the remaining cleanup and hard labor can be handled by the other servants. Miss A’Zhi, you should rest a bit.” He recalled Steward Qi’s words as if reciting them. “It’s not right for a young girl like you to do all the hard work. If that were the case, what would the steward and the other servants be for?”

Hard work? Heavy labor? A’Zhi knew it! They were here to steal her profits! When Zhi Yuan arrived, even before he opened his mouth, A’Zhi knew exactly what he was here for. And now that she had heard him, she wasn’t surprised at all. Steward Qi must have thought she was too young to understand the complexities and was coming to her under the guise of “sympathy” to steal the post-banquet profits. If she were to let him, she would have done all the hard work and received no benefits, while Steward Qi would have done nothing and gotten all the rewards by just saying a few words of praise. He was a shameless old man. He probably felt too ashamed to come himself, so he sent Zhi Yuan, who was closer in age to her.

Cui Cui also felt that Zhi Yuan and Steward Qi had bad intentions because A’Zhi’s eyes had lit up when she talked about returning the flowers, and she hadn’t seemed tired at all. Cui Cui didn’t know how to handle the situation, and she didn’t understand the details, but she stood obediently behind A’Zhi, learning seriously and not causing any trouble. It was always best to listen and watch.

A’Zhi smiled and puffed out her chest, maintaining their professional facade. “Thank you for your concern, Steward Qi. I am young and strong, and this is the time for me to learn. I don’t feel tired at all.” She continued, “I am also a person who likes to finish what I start. If I stop halfway, it will be on my mind, and I won’t be able to sleep well. And if the princess asks about it, I won’t be able to give her a proper report.” A’Zhi gave a slight bow to Zhi Yuan. “I hope Steward Qi will be understanding.”

“You…” Zhi Yuan was speechless. He didn’t know what to say next. Everything he had just said was taught to him by Steward Qi. He had been able to say it so smoothly because of that, but now that A’Zhi’s actions were different from what he had expected, he didn’t know how to respond. He could only say bluntly, “This is Steward Qi’s order, and he’s doing it for your own good. Why don’t you want to take a break?”

Letting go of the work now would truly be the act of a fool who didn’t want to make a profit.

“I am a servant. It is my good fortune to work for my mistress. How can I talk about taking a break?” A’Zhi blinked. “Of course, this is also what the princess wants.” He used Steward Qi to pressure her, and she used the princess to push back.

“Then you wait here. I’ll go back and ask Steward Qi what he has to say,” Zhi Yuan said, unable to deal with her anymore. He turned around and left.

A’Zhi smiled as she watched him go, mentally sneering, What a fool. How did someone like that manage to stay by Steward Qi’s side and be trusted, even being mentored by him? A’Zhi was confused. She turned to Cui Cui and whispered, “Discreetly find out what the relationship is between this Zhi Yuan and Steward Qi. Are they relatives?”

“I haven’t heard anything,” Cui Cui said, knowing at least the surface-level information. “Zhi Yuan just arrived. He said his family was very poor, and Steward Qi took pity on him and let him stay. I haven’t heard that they’re related.”

“Is it really that simple?” A’Zhi was skeptical. It couldn’t be. You wouldn’t tell anyone about this kind of profitable work unless they were a trusted confidant, and a confidant would have to be smart, not a naive boy like Zhi Yuan. Steward Qi must have been very confident that the Qi Estate was under his control and that the little princess wasn’t a difficult person. That was why he let Zhi Yuan run errands by himself. If this were any other estate, Zhi Yuan wouldn’t have lasted long and certainly wouldn’t have been able to act so arrogantly.

Seeing A’Zhi frown in thought, Cui Cui said, “Then I’ll go and ask around privately.” Cui Cui looked at the flowerpots behind her. “So, should we really wait for Steward Qi’s reply?”

A’Zhi looked calmly at Cui Cui and patiently guided her. “What do you think we should do?”

Cui Cui bit her lip, her round eyes widening as she became bolder. “We shouldn’t wait for him. The banquet was your responsibility to begin with. You were in charge of the preparations, so you should be in charge now. The princess agreed to this.”

“That’s right,” A’Zhi said with a hint of satisfaction. She reached out and patted Cui Cui’s head as if she were a student. “You have to remember, the only master in this estate is the princess. Just listen to her.”

Cui Cui’s round eyes curved into a smile. “Okay.”

“But A’Zhi,” Cui Cui said gleefully, “when you blinked just now, you looked so much like our princess.”

A’Zhi, “Hmm? I look like the princess?” O.O?

Cui Cui confirmed, “Yes, you look exactly like her.”

“…”

The two women chatted as they continued to give orders to the servants, with no intention of waiting for Steward Qi’s reply.

When Zhi Yuan returned to Steward Qi’s quarters, he found the steward standing at the door instead of sitting inside, looking over the accounts, which showed how important he thought this matter was.

“What did she say? Did she agree?” Steward Qi asked.

Zhi Yuan slightly hunched his shoulders, feeling a bit guilty that he had failed. “No, she used the princess to block me.” Zhi Yuan repeated their conversation from beginning to end, watching Steward Qi’s expression. He then whispered, “Godfather, it seems that the little slut isn’t easy to deal with. She’s completely unyielding.”

Steward Qi slowly turned the jade thumb ring on his left hand with his right. “I figured as much.” Anyone who could manage a banquet this big so flawlessly was clearly not a simpleton.