"Beat her to death, this insolent little wench!"
In the courtyard, Granny Gu directed two young servants, her fleshy face quivering with rage.
The servants, armed with wooden planks, relentlessly beat Dong Mei's legs until they were bloody and mangled. Dong Mei's voice, hoarse with pain, gradually weakened.
Finally, unable to bear the agony, Dong Mei's eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
Xing Jiahui, who had been watching from the side, became flustered. "Granny Gu, is she dead?"
Granny Gu stepped forward and felt for Dong Mei's nose. "Don't worry, young lady, she's still breathing."
Xing Jiahui, her face pale at the bloody sight, hesitated before waving her hand. "Enough, Granny. The lesson has been taught. Let her go."
"This is just the beginning," Granny Gu said with a smile. "Haven't you seen how the servants in our Prime Minister's manor, when they make mistakes, are confined to the woodshed or whipped? It's far more severe than this, yet they all recover. This little slut needs a proper lesson, or she'll never learn!"
Xing Jiahui pondered this, her expression softening. "Then do as you see fit. This is too gruesome for me. I'm returning to my room."
She pushed open the door and retreated, wanting no part in it.
Granny Gu gestured to the two servants. "Continue the beating!"
The servants, steeling themselves, struck with renewed ferocity, as if intending to beat Dong Mei to death.
This would not do. Their objective had not yet been achieved; Dong Mei could not die yet.
Rong Zhi, after much thought, decided to seek out the steward.
As she left, Granny Gu also ordered the servants to stop and instructed them to find a doctor for Dong Mei. She then left as well, but this was after Rong Zhi had departed, and Rong Zhi was unaware of it.
Xia Yunting had few social connections, so the servants in the General's manor were much more leisurely than those in other households. When Rong Zhi found the steward, he was in the back courtyard, watching a gardener tie ropes around a tree trunk to protect it from freezing in winter.
Just as Rong Zhi was about to approach him to plead for Dong Mei, she heard footsteps behind her and thus remained hidden.
When the person behind her appeared, Rong Zhi was surprised to see Granny Gu. From her direction, it was clear she was here to see the steward.
Could it be that Granny Gu was here to argue with the steward again about Dong Mei?
However, Rong Zhi was mistaken. Granny Gu's expression was respectful. Upon seeing the steward, she didn't speak but gave him a meaningful look. The steward then rose and followed Granny Gu to a secluded corner.
Granny Gu said, "I've taught her a lesson. From her condition, she won't be getting up for at least ten days to half a month."
"Mm," Xia Jin nodded, appearing quite satisfied.
"I played the bad cop, the villain, while you reaped all the benefits," Granny Gu said with a sly smile, a hint of displeasure in her tone.
"If there were no benefits for you, would you have agreed to cooperate with me?" Xia Jin asked with a trace of disdain.
Despite his words, he still handed Granny Gu a piece of silver. Granny Gu accepted it with a smile and left cheerfully.
Rong Zhi, watching from the shadows, saw it all clearly. She was puzzled. She had initially thought that Xia Jin had brought the four girls to seduce Xia Yunting to create a balance of power with Xing Jiahui. But judging by Granny Gu's actions towards Dong Mei and Xia Jin's involvement, what was so special about those four girls that Xia Jin would go to such lengths for them?
Given the circumstances, seeking the steward for help was futile, as he was the one who had ordered the punishment. When Rong Zhi returned, she found Dong Mei had been brought back. Xia He and Qiu Ju were tending to her, one applying medicine, the other bringing hot water. Dong Mei's eyes fluttered open, her face as white as paper.
"Chun Tao, you went to get help, but you couldn't save Dong Mei. She's almost beaten to death."
Qiu Ju wrung out a damp cloth and wiped sweat from Dong Mei's forehead, her words laced with blame.
Rong Zhi sighed dramatically. "I'm just a maid, what can I do? I originally wanted to find the steward to plead for her, but I couldn't."
Hearing this, Xia He and Qiu Ju couldn't help but feel a sense of shared despair, like "the rabbit dies, the fox grieves." Indeed, no matter what, they were merely at the mercy of others.
Dong Mei remained in bed all day. Granny Gu even came to urge them to work.
"You're making such a fuss over being hit twice with a plank? Get up!" she said, reaching to drag Dong Mei off the bed.
"Granny, she's in no condition to work. I'll do her share of the work, is that alright?" Qiu Ju stepped in front of Dong Mei. Xia He looked furious and made to grab Granny Gu, but Rong Zhi stopped her.
"Oh, so you sisters are so devoted? Then you shall all be punished together. You'll do the work in the front courtyard as well, and you won't be allowed to eat until it's done!"
She cast a triumphant glance at them, an expression that said, "What can you do to me?" Seeing Xia He and Qiu Ju's grim faces, she left with satisfaction.
"It seems we won't have good days ahead of us," Xia He and Qiu Ju exchanged a look, a bitter smile of shared misfortune on their faces.
They toiled until late that night, without a single bite to eat. By the time the lamps were lit, Xia He and Qiu Ju's eyes were drooping. Only Rong Zhi didn't seem affected, but to avoid arousing suspicion from the other two, she feigned exhaustion.
"Are you hungry? I'm starving."
Qiu Ju weakly rubbed her stomach. "Let's go to the kitchen and get something to eat."
Rong Zhi nodded. Even Granny Gu, however unreasonable, wouldn't deny them food, would she?
As if on cue, when the three of them reached the kitchen, they found only empty basins and cold stoves. Not even a crumb of steamed bun was visible.
The girls were stunned. Xia He exclaimed, "Are they trying to starve us to death?"
"Never mind, let's cook it ourselves."
Rong Zhi rolled up her sleeves. Xia He and Qiu Ju had no choice but to accept the reality and start cooking. Xia He stoked the fire, and Qiu Ju added water. Just as everything was falling into place, Xia He suddenly sighed, "Today is my birthday, and it's passing by like this."
Qiu Ju gasped, "Today is my birthday too!"
Rong Zhi said, "You two share a birthday? How coincidental. Why don't we make some longevity noodles?" She found some flour and began kneading the dough.
Qiu Ju turned to Rong Zhi, her expression strange. "Chun Tao, today is your birthday too. Did you forget?"
Rong Zhi's hands, which were kneading the dough, paused. With a placid expression, she replied, "After all the work we've done today, I'm lucky if I remember my own name..."
Her words didn't arouse suspicion in Xia He and Qiu Ju. They fell silent, their minds dwelling on their uncertain futures.
Rong Zhi suddenly asked, "Do you think Dong Mei's birthday might be today too?"
The other two exchanged glances. "It's very possible."
A thought suddenly sparked in Rong Zhi's mind: perhaps Xia Jin had found these four girls precisely because their birthdays were the same.
Once this idea took root, Rong Zhi began to connect the dots. A person's destiny, their eight characters (bazi), were said to be significant. In the past, when the National Preceptor of Tian Que Kingdom was at the height of his influence, many sects claiming to be from the Xuanmen (Mystic Gate) emerged, some rumored to be able to dispel evil spirits, others said to be able to alter the balance of yin and yang, and some even claimed immortality. As the legends grew more fantastical, while some were undoubtedly charlatans, a portion of them were believed to be genuine, all of which revolved around one thing: the eight characters.
According to their teachings, a person's eight characters dictated their fortune, their luck, and their misfortunes. Poor eight characters could not only bring bad luck to oneself but also to those around them.
Rong Zhi was not an expert in these matters, but she had heard of their power. Thinking about it this way, Xia Jin's motive for bringing four inconspicuous and unrelated girls into the General's manor began to make a little more sense.
Rong Zhi made four portions of longevity noodles. Upon their return, she specifically asked Dong Mei if today was her birthday. To her surprise, their guess was indeed correct.
"How did you know today was my birthday?"
Dong Mei's voice was still hoarse. She looked at the bowl of longevity noodles placed before her, her surprise evident.
Indeed, Rong Zhi's suspicion was confirmed.
"We all share the same birthday."
Xia He gestured around at everyone. Qiu Ju, unaware of the implications, was still happy. "It seems we're truly fated to be together."
Rong Zhi asked, "Do you remember how you were found originally?"
Xia He recalled. "I don't know. After I was sold by the human trafficker, I was kept confined, and then I was brought here."
"Me too," Qiu Ju's experience was the same as Xia He's.
"I was doing well at my previous employer's, but then the master suddenly said I was clumsy and didn't want me anymore. So I was sold here."
Dong Mei's tone didn't suggest she was lying. Rong Zhi had initially thought Dong Mei had been driven out for seducing her master at her previous job. Now, it seemed that wasn't the case.
It appeared that their arrival here was deliberately orchestrated by Xia Jin. He hadn't simply chosen four girls at random; it was premeditated.
With this realization, Rong Zhi became perplexed again. Why would Xia Jin want these four girls to antagonize Xing Jiahui? She had no immediate answer.
Regardless, at least there was now a lead; she wasn't just stumbling around blindly anymore.
The next day, while working, Rong Zhi paid particular attention to the layout of the General's manor.
She didn't understand feng shui or metaphysics, but in her previous life, she had made a few friends in that field. By observing the surroundings, she might be able to discern something.
After observing for most of the day, Rong Zhi admitted that she couldn't figure anything out.
In her previous life, she had only learned a superficial understanding from her friends. In this life, she had been diligently studying medicine, and even that superficial knowledge had faded. It seemed she would have to approach Xia Yunting.
"Eight characters? Feng shui?"
Upon hearing these terms, Xia Yunting was also somewhat bewildered. "I'm not familiar with the art of feng shui. Currently, within the entire Tian Que Kingdom, there are no such people."
This outcome did not surprise Rong Zhi. It would be a miracle if anyone knew.
"I'm only suspecting, not certain. But if we don't know why Xia Jin is doing this, how can we prevent any potential harm?"
Xia Yunting pondered. "Before coming to the General's manor, Xia Jin managed businesses for the maternal family of the Grand Tutor's wife. I have his background information here."
He then called out, "Chen Xing." Chen Xing appeared as if from nowhere and pushed open the door.
She wondered where such a large man had been hiding.
"General, what is it?"
Xia Yunting said, "Tell her Xia Jin's background."