Chapter 9

Chapter 9

My heart stirred.

At that time, I didn’t know that the Fifth Princess was violent and notorious for her cruelty.

I simply felt that neither the Lin family nor Zhao Pu would be so kind-hearted. They were selfish and hypocritical to the core; if there were anything good to be had, they would never let it fall into my lap.

“I’m not going, and you don’t need to force me. If I enter the palace, I’ll assassinate the Emperor the moment I find an opportunity and drag the entire Lin family down to the grave with me!”

Zhao Pu fell silent for a moment.

“That maidservant named Qiuyan is very loyal to you. She tried to bring word to you, but she was punished for it. She’s currently locked in the woodshed.”

In the darkness, my eyes grew hot as tears welled up.

So, I wasn’t that worthless after all. It turned out someone had fought for me when I didn’t even know it.

But I didn’t fully trust him. I remained silent, looking at him coldly.

Zhao Pu said, “I do not speak lightly, but when I do, it is the truth.”

He was a noble young master of the Duke’s Mansion; he possessed that kind of pride.

There was a ninety percent chance his words were true.

I looked at him and said each word through gritted teeth:

“You people truly are! Des! Pi! Ca! Ble!”

I laid out my demands: give Qiuyan her deed of indenture and a hundred taels of silver, then let her go. For myself, I wanted a thousand taels of gold, ten shops, and a hundred treasures. If these conditions were met, I would enter the palace. Otherwise, there was nothing to talk about.

Zhao Pu agreed.

Not long after, I saw Qiuyan. She knelt on the ground to thank me.

I helped her up, my heart feeling warm.

I thought to myself: as long as you stay true to yourself, you will naturally encounter a good person who can truly see you at the right time. Searching for a pathetic scrap of sincerity among a crowd of rotten people is simply taking the wrong path.

Qiuyan told me everything she knew.

“The Fifth Princess has already broken the legs of several study companions. She loves hearing people scream in agony, especially those noble ladies who pride themselves on their status. If you enter the palace, Miss, speak less and observe more. You must be cautious at every turn.”

She racked her brain to tell me more about the Fifth Princess.

Unfortunately, she was just a maidservant; she could only hear snippets of information regarding the nobility.

Her eyes reddened with guilt.

“Miss, I’ve let you down. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have to wade into these muddy waters.”

Actually, I had lied to Zhao Pu.

The moment I heard that the Fifth Princess was Song Duhe’s cousin, I was already tempted.

But Song Duhe had told me that all warfare is based on deception; until the final moment, one must never let the opponent guess their trump card.

I hadn’t quite understood his words back then, but after years of struggling to survive, I knew one thing: a deal offered too eagerly is no deal at all.

Only if the Lin family was begging me would I be able to extract more benefits.

If I were the one begging them, I would be constrained by them at every turn.

Entering the palace was exactly what I wanted.

That night, as I lay on the bed racking my brain for a way to save Song Duhe, feeling as though my tears had run dry, a wild fantasy flashed through my mind: how wonderful would it be if I could come into contact with more powerful people? That way, I could learn to climb upward. I could seek revenge not only for myself but for Song Duhe as well.

At that moment, the desire for power swelled to its peak in my heart.

And then, Zhao Pu arrived.

Hearing him speak of the Fifth Princess, my heart pounded wildly, yet I suppressed it ruthlessly. I forced myself to be calm, calm, and calm again, lest joyful tears flow out and be noticed by him.

I comforted Qiuyan.

“It has nothing to do with you. Without you, they would have found another way to force me into the palace.”

As Qiuyan was leaving, she managed to think of one last thing: “Miss, it might actually be a good thing that you are illiterate. I heard the Fifth Princess hates people who can read the most. Since you can’t read, you might actually get along with her.”

I froze for a moment, then couldn’t help but smile.

What a coincidence.

By now, I was well-read and could write a fine hand of calligraphy.

Song Duhe had taught me bit by bit.

He never looked down on me for being slow or for my poor memory; instead, he praised me for how firmly I retained what I did learn.

When I wrote my first character, he praised the horizontal stroke for being straight and my wrist for being steady, saying I was a natural-born scholar.

You see, the same person can be called a fool by some and a genius by others. The evaluation changes based solely on the likes and dislikes of the one teaching.

But I was still me. I was still Lin Zhi.

Therefore, those who hate you will not start liking you just because you do something right.

And those who love you will still think you are wonderful even if you make a mistake.

Thus, one should stay far away from unsuitable people and situations.

I nodded gently, thanking her for her kindness.

“Alright, I will definitely survive in the palace. You take care as well.”

Qiuyan didn’t plan on returning to her hometown. Her parents had sold her to a human trafficker; she was clever and had long since seen through their heartlessness.

Now that she had a hundred taels of silver, she could travel around and do the things she wanted to do.

I also asked her to help me find something. If she encountered any trouble, she was to send word to me in the Capital.

She agreed, her heart full of expectation as she looked forward to a bright future.

My heart felt full, and I was genuinely happy for her.