Chapter 521 - Three-way Battle (V)

Chapter 521: Three-way Battle (V)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The night was completely silent. There was a refreshing iciness in the corner outside the city of Xiangyang District, making one’s pores shrink.
Taxue who was dressed in the uniform of the female battalion waited in the dark for a while. The bushes in the distance rustled.
Not long after, a tiny figure wearing thick, black clothes emerged from the bushes.
The strange person was unusually short. He was only one head taller than the dense bushes outside the city when he stood up. If he bent down and wormed himself into the bushes, one would not notice his trace at all. He fumbled his way through to where Taxue was and made a strange chuckling sound.
He spoke mystifyingly in a hoarse and grating voice, “You’re even more precious than the princess in the palace. It’s really difficult to meet you.”
Taxue was originally leaning against the corner of the city wall. Seeing the man walking towards her, she uncrossed her arms and hurled a bag at him.
“This is the stuff that you want. Just take it and leave.” Taxue threw the bag into the man’s arms and turned to leave.
“Wait a second, little lady.” The short man snickered and asked with a weird voice, “I heard that Xiangyang District is incredibly affluent. Even the priceless colored glaze has originated from this place… You’ve served the Young Master personally for so many years. Don’t you have any bits and pieces of information? The information that you provide every time is useless. Do you think you’re brushing a beggar off?”
Taxue glanced at him sideways and looked down at the man indifferently. “I’ve always ignored beggars. If they dare to pester me, they’ll definitely die even more miserably. If you’re a beggar, how do you think I’ll brush you off? I’m just her little servant girl. I can’t even enter places like her study, so I can’t obtain anything useful. I’ve already tried my best…”
Seeing that Taxue was a bit flared up, he hurriedly appeased her, “Don’t be mad, little lady. I’ve only said that because I’m helpless. You haven’t provided anything useful in the past few years, so the higher-ups are angry. If you continue to slack, we both will face the music. You don’t want your pretty sister to end up in a place like that and be ruined, right?”
Taxue sneered and replied coldly, “You’re really useless. You’ve threatened me with the same trick over and over again.”
The man smirked and admitted brazenly, “It doesn’t matter if the trick is old, as long as it’s useful. I heard that Liu Xi treats you very kindly and generously. He can take you in as a mistress in the future. If you can give birth to a son and a daughter, considering the sentiments between a master and a servant, you’ll have a comfortable life. Your sister is the only card I have in my hands. If I don’t hang onto her tightly, why would you work yourself to death for me when you’re so smart?”
Taxue looked disgusted and lowered her head, as if she was thinking about what the man said and considering something.
The man continued, “Forget it. I heard that the colored glaze is very valuable and it belongs to the Guannei Official, Xugong. It’s difficult for ordinary people to get their hands on it. Now, the barbarians in the North borderline have bought all of them at a high price. I’m not asking you to give me the colored glaze, but you have to find a way to obtain the methods of producing the baked bricks. Don’t tell me that you can’t even do this when you’ve been serving Liu Xi for years.”
Taxue pursed her lips and a look of struggle flashed across her eyes, as if she was struggling emotionally.
After a while, she said, “I’ll try my best, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll get it. You know that Liu Xi is extremely alert. She doesn’t trust anyone but herself. I can’t even get to know her secrets. She has probably hidden the methods of producing the baked bricks somewhere. I can only try my best… Come back again in six months…”
“Half a year?” The man’s voice suddenly became high-pitched.
Taxue sneered. “Half a year’s time is already very tight. Liu Xi is no longer the kid who can be easily fooled. She’s as sharp as an old fox now. She’ll even suspect the tiniest abnormality. If I’m exposed, the last pawn that you’ve planted beside her will be useless. Who will pass on her news to you in the future? Xunmei has already defected. Don’t expect her to be useful.”
The man hesitated and struggled internally. He still felt that half a year’s time was too long.
Taxue continued, “She takes me wherever she goes and the district headquarters are usually strictly guarded. Had she not gone out for war this time, how can I get the opportunity to contact you? Half a year’s time is tight enough. If you think it’s too long, you can find yourself another pawn!”
The man almost choked upon hearing what Taxue said.
If planting a pawn was that easy, would Taxue and Xunmei be the only ones all these years?
Xunmei had long ridden Liu Xi’s coattails. She had gotten married and started a new life.
Fortunately, Xunmei did not know any confidential information. Otherwise, how could she be kept alive?
Taxue was different. She was cruel and merciless. She had helped them with a lot of confidential matters.
Talents were difficult to raise. Talents who could disguise themselves to avoid being discovered by Liu She were even more difficult to raise.
Although Liu She had become crestfallen for a period of time due to the passing of his beloved wife, his ability in guarding and clearing a residence was not for show. He had quietly gotten rid of the pawns planted in his residence. They died miserably. His method of killing was diabolical.
He had clearly vented his sorrow over his wife’s death on those pawns.
Even if Liu She had gone to Hu County later, the two women, Gu Zhen and Bai Die, were guarding the Liu residence. They were still impervious.
He had spent so much effort in keeping these two pawns.
He was unwilling to give Taxue up now.
He could only grit his teeth and agree. “Okay. I’ll give you half a year’s time. You must obtain the methods of producing the baked bricks.”
Taxue nodded. Her aloof face became somewhat gentler.
After that, she asked, “Is my sister doing well now?”
The man replied petulantly, “She’s living a princess-like life. She’s well.”
“That’s good.” Taxue looked gloomy, but she heaved a long sigh of relief.
Before leaving, the man asked again, “Does Liu She really not have any other daughter in the Liu residence?”
Taxue replied, unperturbed, “No. Hasn’t Liu She married off his only daughter born of his mistress into the royal family?”
The man muttered under his breath and left with Taxue’s bag.
He did not forget to irritate her before leaving.
“Taxue, we’ve known each other for more than 10 years. I’ll say something that you and I both already know. Don’t be silly like Xunmei. We have to be loyal to our master to secure a good life in the future. Remember that we’re the most obedient dogs the master has. We can only bark if she asks us to. Otherwise, we’ll be mad dogs if we bark furiously at random. Don’t be drawn over by Liu Xi…”
The man wormed himself into the bushes again when he had finished speaking.
The wind blew. The darkness had covered Taxue’s strange and glum face.
“My master? Who says that I’m loyal to your master or Liu Xi…”
After a while, a distant laugh disappeared into the night wind.