The Duke Yan Mansion covers a vast area and has numerous servants, so a piece of land was enclosed on the west side of the mansion for the lower servants to live, known as the West Wing.
Tang Xiaobai walked out from the West Wing, and after walking north along the corridor for over a hundred steps and then east for dozens of steps, she arrived in front of a delicate courtyard with red tiles and green roofs.
"The Second Miss is here!" A maid at the door greeted her with a smile.
"Is my sister inside?" Tang Xiaobai asked.
"She's inside!"
Embraced by everyone, Tang Xiaobai entered the courtyard gate and immediately saw a girl in red under the crabapple tree, holding a scroll in one hand and a brush in the other.
Though the sky was not particularly bright today, the moment this girl raised her head and looked over, everything around seemed to brighten inexplicably.
Thirteen or fourteen years of age, with bright eyes and white teeth, black hair, and red lips, the golden embroidered lapel of her scarlet gauze dress shimmered, and when her eyes swept over, she was more dazzling than the flowers of spring.
"Sister!" Tang Xiaobai called her.
This beauty of extraordinary appearance was none other than her current elder sister, Tang Jiaojiao, also an important female supporting character in the book—
The malicious kind.
As a malicious female support, Tang Jiaojiao didn't have a good temper and didn't treat her younger sister kindly, not showing any pleasant expression: "Go play by yourself, don't cause trouble!" she said and then lowered her head to browse the account book.
Tang Xiaobai did not beat around the bush and straightforwardly stated her request: "Sister, I want to move Ding Shiqi to my side!"
Tang Shigong, the Duke Yan, gained his title through military merit and, along with his elder son Tang Ziqian, had been guarding the border for years, leaving only his wife and daughters in the Capital City Duke Mansion.
The Duchess, Gu family, was frail and often sick, so the internal and external affairs of the mansion were managed by the Duke Yan's advisor Zhou Xun and his eldest daughter Tang Jiaojiao.
She wanting a servant was not a big issue as long as Tang Jiaojiao agreed.
However—
"No!" Tang Jiaojiao rejected her without lifting her head.
"Why didn't you at least ask why before saying no?" Tang Xiaobai was not convinced.
Tang Jiaojiao nodded, willing to comply: "Why?"
"Because—"
"No."
Tang Xiaobai took a deep breath.
She was an adult and shouldn't argue with a child, calm, calm...
"Why not? How is it no?" Tang Xiaobai calmly asked.
"Not suitable physically."
Physically?
Tang Xiaobai was startled.
The book mentioned that after Qin Xiao was favored by the Pingyang Princess, it was Tang Jiaojiao who actively sent him over to please the Princess.
Could it be?
Qin Xiao was only twelve years old, still a child!
Tang Xiaobai suppressed the anger in her heart and frowned: "He is still young, there is no issue of physique, I am not asking him to do anything!"
Tang Jiaojiao gave her a surprised glance: "Aren't you asking him to be a guard? A guard looking like a dried radish isn't presentable? Wouldn't it be embarrassing for our Duke Yan Mansion to bring him out? Can't we afford strong servants? Or can't we afford food?"
Turns out it was not as she thought...
Tang Xiaobai choked and murmured: "He is still young, he'll grow—"
A nine-year-old girl earnestly saying someone twelve is young, it seemed rather amusing.
Tang Jiaojiao couldn't help but chuckle, pinching the soft face of the little girl, saying: "Ding Shiqi is loyal and brave, I will make sure someone takes good care of him, he will not be neglected, and as for moving him by your side, it requires thoughtful planning—" seeing Tang Xiaobai's expression of protest, she added, "There are still many unclear details, like the origin of the assassin, how he got into Duke Yan Mansion, how Ding Shiqi appeared in the rear garden, how he knocked out the assassin, what happened after you left, none of these are clear, how can we let him approach you casually?"
That made a lot of sense.
Tang Xiaobai nodded and said: "I've asked him all of this—" and then repeated Qin Xiao's answers.
Tang Jiaojiao listened and scoffed, "He's tricking a little kid like you!"
Tang Xiaobai frowned, she was not a kid.
"This matter still requires interrogation by the County Government people, what do you know? Can you tell if he's lying?"
Tang Xiaobai couldn't help but snort.
How could she not tell? She could immediately tell Qin Xiao was lying!
So what? Even if he lied, she had to cover it up for him.
Why was it his fault for being the heroine's brother!
Qin Xiao, as a character in the book, had only slightly more scenes than her, collectively describable in three words: beautiful, weak, tragic.
A genuine tool who'd done nothing bad but suffered continuously, ultimately not meeting a good end.
What evil thoughts could a tool have?
But Tang Jiaojiao's arrangements were correct, the procedure needed to be followed, otherwise Qin Xiao couldn't clear his suspicion.
Just needed to add one more thing: "They should ask, but make sure not to trouble him!"
Tang Jiaojiao nodded: "Of course, until something inappropriate is found, he saved you, and our Duke Yan Mansion will not mistreat a loyal servant!"
...
Though she got the promise of the eldest miss, Tang Xiaobai was still not at ease.
After pondering for a bit, she headed back to the West Wing.
The West Wing is where the lower servants live, the buildings are simple, and the people are chaotic, but wherever the Second Miss walked, the servants naturally retreated.
Thus, the two figures standing outside Qin Xiao's door were particularly conspicuous.
Tang Xiaobai frowned, stopped her steps, and casually beckoned a nearby servant to inquire: "Who are they?"
Those two were dressed in brown and armed, their outfits highly consistent, clearly organized.
"Replying to the Second Miss, they are the constables from Wannian County, brought by County Captain Xue—"
"County Captain Xue?" Tang Xiaobai couldn't immediately recall the title.
"County Captain Xue is the County Magistrate of Wannian County, the County Magistrates mostly oversee arresting criminals and solving cases, County Captain Xue also brought a Chief of Evil, they came to question Ding Shiqi—" as he spoke, he pointed to the closed door.
Tang Xiaobai's heart tightened.
County Government people? Came so quickly? She hadn't yet taught Little Qin how to speak!
"How long have they been inside?"
"Almost an hour."
Tang Xiaobai's heart tightened again.
Just such a matter, and they were still questioning after an hour?
Could they potentially be asking about Qin Xiao's ancestors from eighteen generations ago?