A Maid Dressed As A Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role (Transmigration) - Chapter 34

What? You miss A’Zhi?

Cui Cui looked outside and then at the princess. A’Zhi was right there, just ten steps away. Cui Cui’s eyes lit up with a sudden realization. Is this what it means to be a confidant? Like a heart separated from the body, you feel pain the moment you are apart?

Cui Cui was just a small maid who had never been trusted before. This was the first time she had been this close to a master. She had never known what it felt like to be a confidant. But now it was different. A’Zhi was a role model. She would work hard, and one day she would be a trusted confidant and a source of pride for A’Zhi! Cui Cui’s back straightened, her eyes firm and bright. She walked proudly like a white swan.

A’Zhi came back and saw her, a look of confusion on her face. She turned to look behind her, but no one was there. What’s gotten into Cui Cui? Why is she acting like she’s facing an enemy when it’s just us?

“Princess, it’s time to eat,” A’Zhi called to Chao Mu.

Chao Mu had already composed herself. She put away her napkin and was a sweet little pastry again. “Okay” she said softly.

The cook on the estate was chosen by Mama Rou. He was more skilled at making northern dishes than fancy ones. The table was filled with steaming plates of stewed pork with cabbage, cold radish salad, chicken with mushrooms, and fried pancakes. The food’s rich colors made them all hungry.

But Chao Mu had grown up in a noble family and was used to small, delicate dishes. This was the first time she had seen plates as big as a washbasin. She was shocked. Chao Mu picked up her chopsticks and looked at A’Zhi, blinking slowly. “A’Zhi, I can’t eat all this.”

A’Zhi got the hint and immediately said, “Cui Cui, Chen Cheng, you can eat with us. We shouldn’t waste all this food.”

Chao Mu nodded. “Yes, everyone, sit down. We’re not at the Qi manor, so we don’t have to follow so many rules. We’re all family, so let’s eat together.” Even though they were sitting at the same table, each of them had their own chopsticks, as well as a pair for serving.

Cui Cui was a little nervous, but Chen Cheng was quick. He thanked the princess with a smile and sat down, gesturing for Cui Cui to do the same. This was also a way to build trust with her confidants. Cui Cui might not have understood, but Chen Cheng knew exactly what was happening. The princess and A’Zhi were treating them like family, which was why they were allowed to eat together. Chen Cheng had been neglected ever since he came to the manor. Now that he was being trusted, he was so grateful. He picked up his chopsticks and asked Chao Mu and A’Zhi, “When we go to the next estate this afternoon, should we bring a few more guards? I’m worried four won’t be enough.” He added, “We only got through this morning because they weren’t prepared. But after this, the other estates will surely be ready for us. It might not be so easy to get in.”

A’Zhi looked at Chao Mu. She was still sitting with a straight back, even when she was eating. In terms of etiquette, A’Zhi was no less than any noble lady in the capital. “We have the princess with us,” A’Zhi said.

Chen Cheng and Cui Cui both looked at Chao Mu with expectation in their eyes. Chao Mu took a bite of her pancake and looked at A’Zhi, giving her a little hum.

A’Zhi used the serving chopsticks to pick out the few pieces of spinach from the radish salad and put them in Chao Mu’s bowl. “We’ll need to ask the princess to send someone to the capital’s magistrate’s office to make a plea.” A family like the Qis had the power to punish their own servants, but the princess had just returned to the capital, and she didn’t have a harsh image. She had to show weakness to make others lower their guard.

A’Zhi had a feeling that the princess was fishing for something. She didn’t know who she was fishing for, but she had a general idea of what her plan was. The fact that the managers on the estates were embezzling money was a shameful family matter. By all rights, it should have been handled behind closed doors, but the princess was a soft-hearted person who couldn’t be cruel. So she would hand it over to the magistrate’s office to be dealt with.

She was a royal princess. If she was so “weak and incompetent,” A’Zhi knew the royal family would not stand idly by. As long as the royal family got involved, they could find all the corrupt people, not just in one estate but in all of them. At the same time, the Qi family’s accounts would be audited. In the future, no one would be able to use the finances as a way to harm the family, since all the accounts would be out in the open.

A’Zhi thought she was helping the Qi family in a way, saving them from being accused of “recruiting soldiers and forging weapons.”

Chao Mu looked at the spinach in her bowl and then at A’Zhi. She blinked, put down her chopsticks, and picked up a piece of mushroom she knew A’Zhi didn’t like. She put it in A’Zhi’s bowl and said, “A’Zhi, what will I do without you in the future?”

She’s doing this on purpose, A’Zhi thought.

A’Zhi looked at the biggest and juiciest mushroom in her bowl. Her right eyelid twitched uncontrollably.

Chao Mu raised an eyebrow. She picked up the spinach from her bowl with a straight face and ate it, then looked at A’Zhi.

A’Zhi’s eyes widened. Does the little princess really not like spinach? She doesn’t seem to. Was she just messing with me last time? Under the princess’s gaze, A’Zhi forced a smile and ate the mushroom. She didn’t like the taste. She held her breath, chewed it twice, and swallowed it. Then she ate a large mouthful of rice to get rid of the taste.

When she saw Chao Mu about to pick up her chopsticks again, A’Zhi quickly took the serving chopsticks and bowed slightly. “What would you like to eat, Princess? I’ll get it for you.” I’ll get it for you! Anything you want! Just stop hurting each other!

Chao Mu’s eyes curved into a smile. She pointed to a dish. “I want that pancake.” A’Zhi laughed to herself. She knew the little princess was doing this on purpose. She wanted her to get her food, to revolve around her.

Even though Chao Mu had A’Zhi serve her, she ate slowly, which didn’t affect A’Zhi’s meal. After lunch, Chao Mu was sleepy. A’Zhi told her to go back to the manor to rest.

“I might not…” A’Zhi was about to say that she might not go back to the manor tonight, but she saw the princess’s wet eyes and pursed lips. She sighed and changed her words. “I might not get back in time today, so please ask the doorkeeper to leave the gate open for me.”

“Okay,” Chao Mu said, leaning against the window, one hand on the ledge and the other holding the curtain up. She looked down at A’Zhi, her voice soft and sleepy. “Come back soon, A’Zhi. Don’t work too hard.”

A’Zhi nodded and bowed. She handed her her hand warmer. “I know, Princess. Please go back and rest.” When the curtain fell, A’Zhi went to the front and told Cui Cui, “Drive the carriage slowly on the way back. Don’t let it be too bumpy for the princess. When you get back, stay with the princess and don’t leave her side. And keep an eye on what’s happening at the manor.”

“Are you saying…?” Cui Cui’s eyes widened.

A’Zhi frowned and shook her head, cutting off her ominous words. “Just in case. A head maid must always be on guard and careful. Do you understand?” She was training Cui Cui in advance. If she wanted to be a good head maid, she had to be careful. The situation with Steward Qi was a good opportunity to train her.

Cui Cui nodded seriously. “Okay, I understand. I’ll remember everything.”

A’Zhi smiled. “It’s fine.”

Cui Cui’s eyes lit up. She knew A’Zhi was just trying to scare her! But as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, A’Zhi said softly, “You’ll get used to it.”

Cui Cui’s eyes welled up with tears.

After seeing Chao Mu off, A’Zhi didn’t rest. She went straight to the next estate with Chen Cheng. The east suburb estate would have a new manager by tomorrow. It was hard to find a three-legged toad, but managers with two legs were everywhere. As long as the pay was good, it was easy to find a good manager. If they were not doing a good job, they could be easily replaced, with no emotions involved.

As Chen Cheng had expected, when they arrived at the next estate, the manager was ready for them. The gate was shut, and no one was allowed to enter.

“This is interesting,” Chen Cheng said.

The estates in the east suburb were all profitable, so Qi Shilei had put his trusted people in charge of them. The manager of this estate was named Zhou. A’Zhi remembered that Steward Qi’s wife was also named Zhou, so this manager was probably Madame Zhou’s brother. The manager probably didn’t have time to create a fake ledger, so he had resorted to the most basic but effective method: closing the gate so A’Zhi couldn’t get in. That way, she couldn’t audit the accounts!

The doorkeeper pretended to know nothing, and A’Zhi and her group couldn’t get in. They would have to go to another estate first, which would give him enough time to fix the books.

But A’Zhi was a step ahead. Just as she arrived, officers from the capital’s magistrate’s office showed up, and they had three accountants with them.

“You must be Miss A’Zhi. I’m their captain, and my name is Qi,” the captain said, bowing to A’Zhi. A’Zhi bowed back and looked at the twelve people he had brought with him. “Is this the princess’s doing?”

The captain couldn’t say much. “I was told that the princess just returned to the capital, and she shouldn’t have to worry about these things.”

A’Zhi understood. It was either Grand Princess Chao Yang or the emperor himself. If it was the former, she was probably just trying to protect the young princess from being bullied by her servants. If it was the latter, it was to protect the royal family’s reputation. The princess was so weak that she had to go to the magistrate’s office to have a servant punished. What would people say about the royal family? A’Zhi guessed that the three accountants were sent by the royal family. Qi Shilei’s corruption was not new, but the authorities had never looked into it. The fact that the royal family had been alerted within an hour of them sending people to the magistrate’s office showed that their attitude toward the princess was ambiguous. It was hard to tell what the emperor’s intentions were.

A’Zhi wasn’t going to try to guess what the emperor was thinking, but she was good at using the resources she had. She looked at the closed gate and smiled, her voice soft. “Break it down.” If the gate was closed, she would break it down!

Manager Zhou was hiding behind the door, listening. “It’s quiet now?” he asked his men. He couldn’t see anything outside, so he had to rely on his ears. A moment ago, he heard people talking. Why was it so quiet now? Were they leaving? His men thought so, too. “They’ve probably left since they couldn’t see you.”

“But I didn’t hear a carriage leave,” Manager Zhou said, confused. They looked at each other, tiptoed, and moved closer to the door to listen.

Before he even got to the door, he heard a man’s voice shout, “Break it down!”

“What?!” Manager Zhou was dumbfounded. He stared, wide-eyed, as his thick door was rammed open. The two door panels swayed in the cold afternoon wind. The officers from the capital’s magistrate’s office were not new to this kind of “business.” They had even brought a ramming log on a cart. Their equipment was very complete.

They had also brought shackles and handcuffs, of course. They could handcuff the person as soon as they caught them, so A’Zhi didn’t have to worry about a thing. The efficiency was incredible. In one afternoon, A’Zhi and Captain Qi had broken down five doors and captured at least three managers, including Steward Qi’s eldest son. He had been arrogant, saying that his accounts were in order and could withstand any scrutiny. But when the three accountants looked at his ledgers, he was stunned. The “perfect” fake accounts he had created were full of holes in the eyes of real experts. One of the kind accountants felt a little pity for the young man. He even taught the estate’s accountant how to make better fake ledgers. The accountant was thrilled and learned a lot. When the officers asked him if he had learned anything, he nodded happily. “I’ve learned so much this time.” The captain was also happy. “Good. Now you can use what you’ve learned for the rest of your life in our jail.”

The accountant was shocked. What?! He had made such a big fake ledger. He couldn’t possibly be let out. Even if he were to receive a reduced sentence, he would have to spend the rest of his life working for the government.

A’Zhi’s work was a great success, and she wouldn’t even have to do anything tomorrow. When she returned that night, she and the little princess tallied up the embezzled money. They found about thirty thousand taels in scattered cash, and the rest of the money had been used to buy properties and houses. But now, it all belonged to the princess. The princess, who was already rich, was now even richer. A’Zhi looked on, her mouth watering with envy. The princess was no longer a little golden pastry; she was a golden Buddha, shimmering with golden light.

“Steward Qi was quiet all afternoon,” A’Zhi said, bringing over a basin of water and dipping a soft cloth in it. She handed it to the little golden Buddha… no, to the little princess.

Chao Mu was counting her money. She looked up at A’Zhi. A’Zhi lowered her head and gently dabbed Chao Mu’s face with the warm cloth. “It was Zhi Yuan,”

 Chao Mu’s voice was muffled through the cloth. Mama Rou’s messenger had found Zhi Yuan. Zhi Yuan had just found out that he was Steward Qi’s illegitimate son and was already filled with resentment. Now that he knew Qi Bao was in trouble, what do you think he would do? He would hide the news. The more miserable Qi Bao was, the happier he would be. Why should he suffer for so many years while Qi Bao was spoiled like a prince? They both had the same father. Why was he the one who was wronged?

The officials also wanted to keep the matter quiet, so they had successfully captured all the managers without anyone noticing. Steward Qi didn’t usually go to the estates, so he didn’t know that two of his sons were already in jail and the third was being controlled by the officers and couldn’t send out a message.

But when A’Zhi came back that night, Steward Qi probably had a good idea of what was going on. A’Zhi finished wiping Chao Mu’s face, washed her hands, and took a small amount of face cream from the dressing table. She rubbed it between her palms to warm it up before gently applying it to Chao Mu’s face. The little princess sat on the embroidered stool, her head tilted up, her eyes closed in enjoyment. A’Zhi looked at her, and in the dim lamplight, she could see Chao Mu’s long eyelashes fluttering like black butterflies. Her skin was so soft, pink and white. A’Zhi didn’t dare to pinch her. She just gently rubbed her cheeks with her palms, going over her soft, pink lips and her delicate chin.

The face cream had a pleasant scent. As A’Zhi turned to wash her hands, she secretly sniffed the scent on her palms. It was warm, like the scent of Chao Mu. When A’Zhi smelled this scent, she couldn’t pinpoint what it was made of, but she would immediately think of the little pastry. A’Zhi lowered her eyes and slowly washed away the scent on her hands.

“A’Zhi,” Chao Mu called.

“I’m here,” A’Zhi replied.

Chao Mu beckoned her over. A’Zhi felt like a golden Buddha was calling to her. Her back straightened, and she quickly dried her hands, trying to keep a calm expression as she walked over. “What is it?”

“You’ve worked so hard, A’Zhi,” Chao Mu said, looking at the deeds spread out on the table. She pointed at them with her pinky finger. “I want to give you one of these estates and have you manage it for me.”

A’Zhi took a breath, and her eyes widened. What did she just hear? What did she just hear!

Chao Mu’s eyes curved into a smile. She looked up at A’Zhi. “You learned how to manage accounts, so you might as well put your skills to use.”

A’Zhi tried to be humble. She didn’t want to seem greedy. “I’m just doing my job, Princess.”

“Oh~” Chao Mu drew out the word. Her beautiful, slender fingers picked up the deeds one by one. “Since you said so, then I won’t give you one.”

A’Zhi was shocked. Why are you not following the script?! She was just being polite! She didn’t even dare to say a second sentence! A’Zhi stared at Chao Mu.

Chao Mu burst out laughing. She looked up at A’Zhi, her dimples deep. “A’Zhi.” The candlelight from the high candle holder fell into her clear, moist eyes, looking like stars in the Milky Way, or lanterns floating on a river. They were so bright they were mesmerizing. Her simple, clear eyes, with the flickering candlelight, looked like charming, flirtatious peach blossom eyes.

A’Zhi’s face turned red. She looked down at her shoes, her ears hot. “It’s not easy for a servant to make a little money.” She didn’t want a whole estate. Even five taels would have been enough. A’Zhi was never greedy. She only wanted a little, not a lot.

Chao Mu smiled. “I’m just playing with you.” She looked at A’Zhi’s red ears. “But I won’t give you an estate. You might not have time to manage it.” It would be difficult to take with her when she left, anyway.

Chao Mu looked down and took out a one-thousand-tael bill from under the deeds. She pushed it toward A’Zhi with her index finger. “Here~”

“These are mine,” Chao Mu said, gesturing to the deeds. “That one is yours. I’ll give Cui Cui and Chen Cheng their rewards publicly after they’re done with their work.”

A’Zhi looked down at the bill.

Chao Mu’s voice was soft. “This is just for you.”

A’Zhi didn’t know whether to take it or not. It was too much. The amount was too big. On one hand, it was what A’Zhi deserved. If it were someone else, they would have probably skimmed a little from the top. But on the other hand, A’Zhi shouldn’t take it. She was doing this for her indenture, and they had already agreed on a price. Why should she take more?

While A’Zhi was struggling, Chao Mu had already organized the deeds and put them in a chest. She hugged the chest and mumbled to herself, “Where should I put this? Where should I put this?” She finally put it in the secret cabinet behind her pillow, and the key was in the little pouch embroidered with lilies.

“I…” A’Zhi looked at Chao Mu, made up her mind, and said, “Why don’t you just give me ten taels?” The amount was too big. She was embarrassed to take it. To the little golden pastry, it was just a little gold dust, but to A’Zhi, it was enough for her to live a life of ease.

“Okay,” Chao Mu said, her voice clear. She took out ten taels of silver from her pouch and put it on top of the bill.

A’Zhi was shocked. Why are you adding ten more?

“You!” Chao Mu said, playfully scolding her. “You want ten more taels when I’ve already given you a thousand. Only I would dote on you this much.”

A’Zhi was completely dumbfounded.

Chao Mu was ready to wash her feet. “Take it, take it. There won’t be a next time.” A’Zhi had just gotten an extra ten taels because of one sentence. The money came too easily, and she felt a little dazed.

A’Zhi took the one thousand and ten taels of silver, feeling a pang of guilt. I have to be extra good to the little princess before I leave! she thought. If freedom wasn’t so important, she would never leave such a generous master.

Chao Mu smiled faintly as she watched A’Zhi take the bill. Then she sat on the edge of the bed, shaking her feet, which had just been washed. “A’Zhi~” she called.

A’Zhi came over.

“Can you put on some hand cream for me?” Chao Mu asked, holding out her hands, her fingers spread out like a cat’s paw. In the winter, her skin was dry, so Chao Mu would put on hand cream every morning and night.

A’Zhi was happy to help. “Of course!” she said. 

For one thousand and ten taels of silver, she would even put on foot cream!

After A’Zhi finished, both of them were satisfied. A harmonious peace filled the room.