Chapter 1

The Governor’s Mansion

Year 9 of the Sui Dàyè era, September 17th, Honghua County

This day was the day that the new governor of Honghua County, Li Yuan, would select servants for his household. The pay was generous, and every 1st and 15th of the month, one could return home to visit family. Therefore, before the sun had even risen, a long line had already formed outside the governor’s mansion, consisting of young men and women, as well as some older individuals, all hoping to be chosen to work for the governor’s household. Many of them were from the same county, and many were familiar with one another, speaking in small groups as they waited for the gates of the mansion to open.

As the first light of dawn began to appear on the horizon, a woman hurriedly approached, her skirt in hand, looking around in the long line as though searching for someone.

A woman at the front of the line waved at her and called out, “Chunxiu, come over here, I’m here!”

The woman called Chunxiu showed a joyful expression and hurried over. She stood behind the other woman, panting as she placed a hand on her chest and said, “I nearly ran myself to death.”

The other woman looked at her with some reproach and said, “Didn’t I tell you last night to come early? Why are you so late? There must be at least two hundred people ahead of us now. If you’re further back, by the time it’s your turn, the governor’s mansion might already be full. What will you do then?”

Chunxiu raised her slender eyebrows and replied, “How was I supposed to know there would be so many people? It’s just a servant selection, not a selection for a consort!” She laughed and took the other woman’s arm. “Besides, I have my sister Jirong helping me. I’m not afraid.”

“Ah, you!” Jirong found it amusing, pinching her nose and saying, “Alright, hurry up and stand properly. It should be opening soon.”

Just as Chunxiu was about to respond, a soft voice came from behind, “Everyone here is supposed to queue in order. Since you arrived late, you should stand at the back. How can you just skip ahead?”

Hearing this, Chunxiu’s face darkened immediately. Turning to see who had spoken, she sneered, “I wondered who it was. Turns out it’s a wild girl picked up from a tiger’s den. Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?”

The woman standing behind Chunxiu was petite and beautiful, but her face was somewhat pale and lacked color. She shrank back slightly under Chunxiu’s glare, but then summoned the courage to say, “I’m not a wild girl. And besides… you’re in the wrong here. I didn’t say anything wrong.”

“You’re still talking?” Chunxiu glared fiercely, hands on her hips. “I’m standing right here. What are you going to do about it, wild girl!” She emphasized the last three words, making them sound particularly harsh.

“You... how can you be so unreasonable?” The other woman’s voice trembled, but Chunxiu scoffed dismissively. “You want to reason with me? Why should I reason with a wild girl like you? You’d better shut up, or don’t blame me for not being polite.”

Jirong also spoke up, “Meixue, it’s just one person cutting in. It won’t take your spot. Why do you care so much? We’ve known each other since we were little, played together. Don’t tell me you don’t have any regard for the relationship between us.”

The three of them were all from the same village. Jirong’s family had been doctors, but by the time it passed to her father, his abilities were ordinary, and he had only learned a little. He treated minor illnesses, but the money he earned wasn’t enough to support the family, so he opened a tea shop to help with the expenses. Chunxiu’s father was a butcher in the village and was quite domineering. Chunxiu grew up influenced by him, developing a similarly tough personality.

As for Meixue, her father made a living by farming a few acres of inherited land. Life was tight, and because he was poor, he hadn’t married until he was in his thirties. Once, while hunting in the mountains to make some money, he found a newborn Meixue in a tiger’s den. He took her in, begging others for milk to feed her, and when he couldn’t get any, he made rice porridge to fill her stomach, barely managing to raise her.

Because of her poor background and the fact that she had been picked up from a tiger’s den, many people in the village looked down on Meixue and often referred to her as a wild girl behind her back. Chunxiu was one of them.

Meixue bit her lip and said softly, “In any case… what she’s doing is wrong!”

Chunxiu, feeling anger rise in her chest, shouted, “No one else is saying anything, yet you can’t stop talking! Do you think I’m easy to bully?” With that, she raised her hand to slap Meixue.

Meixue didn’t expect her to act so quickly. She was unable to dodge in time, and just as she was about to be humiliated, a figure quickly stepped forward, grabbing Chunxiu’s arm tightly, preventing her from slapping Meixue.

Chunxiu glared angrily at the woman who had intervened. She was unfamiliar, someone who didn’t look like she was from the village. After struggling to free her arm, she snapped, “Who are you, and why are you interfering in our business?”

The woman raised an eyebrow and said, “No particular reason. I just can’t stand seeing someone who is clearly in the wrong still act like a shrew and make a scene in public!”

Chunxiu glared at the plain-looking woman and retorted angrily, “I’m in the wrong? What a joke. I had Jirong come ahead to save a spot for me. What’s wrong with that? But this wild girl insists on making trouble. I’m just teaching her a lesson so she’ll remember not to cause trouble in the future!”

“Then, I suppose she should thank you?” Before Chunxiu could respond, the woman continued, “If that’s the case, go ahead and slap her. But I advise you to think carefully. If you strike her, you’ll be committing the crime of public brawling. If this is reported to the county magistrate, the district magistrate, or even the governor, you won’t come out unscathed!”

“That’s right.” At this moment, a handsome young man stepped forward and added, “Anyone involved in a public brawl will receive ten lashes. If the situation is severe, fifty lashes!”

Chunxiu was shaken by their words and responded harshly, “You... don’t think you can scare me!”

The woman smiled faintly and said, “Whether I’m scaring you, you’ll find out soon enough.”

Seeing this, Jirong quickly stepped in to smooth things over, “Alright, alright, Chunxiu was just joking. She and Meixue are from the same village, she wouldn’t really hit her. Don’t take it seriously.” Then, she secretly tugged at Chunxiu’s sleeve. Chunxiu, somewhat stiffly, said, “That’s right, I was just kidding.”

After she finished speaking, Jirong took Meixue’s hand and said earnestly, “We’re all here to find a good job at the governor’s mansion to help our families. Chunxiu didn’t mean to be late. I apologize on her behalf. Meixue, please don’t hold it against her.”

Although Jirong wasn’t particularly kind to her on usual days, Meixue wasn’t a stubborn person. Seeing Jirong speak so gently, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse and nodded, “Alright, then.”