Palace Coup III

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Cui’er remained frozen in place, stunned. Xie Miaoxuan, unwilling to indulge her spoiled behavior, continued to reprimand her, “I see you constantly pining for the masters of this and that household. Perhaps it’s because you’ve reached that age of longing for spring. Serving by my side must be holding you back. I’ll find a servant boy to match you—consider it fulfilling your wishes.”

Upon hearing this, Cui’er was greatly alarmed, her complexion instantly paling. Madam Nian had promised her that once they reached the clan, the lady had agreed to find a match for her, saying she could choose any young master in the clan. She simply could not fail now.

If she left Xie Miaoxuan’s side now, what value would she have? Besides, she still hoped Xie Miaoxuan would give her a generous dowry.

Xie Miaoxuan clearly saw Cui’er’s eyes darting nervously and inwardly snorted coldly. What kind of fool was this original self, unable to see such treacherous intentions?

Under Xie Miaoxuan’s dark, piercing gaze, Cui’er hastily lowered her head, tenderly touching her face, still swollen from the beating, and timidly dismounted the carriage.

“Do you think I’m wrong?” Xie Miaoxuan asked, glancing toward Xie Yuanju, who stood nearby with a cold expression.

“No, the lady’s actions this time are quite fitting. Those with hearts higher than the sky, if kept close without proper discipline, can cause trouble,” Xie Yuanju replied.

Upon hearing this, Xie Miaoxuan subtly raised an eyebrow. Had he noticed Cui’er’s inappropriateness?

Xie Yuanju’s gaze lingered briefly on Xie Miaoxuan’s face before shifting to the jeweled embroidery on her shoe. That fleeting glance had startled him.

The young lady’s elegant eyebrows and cloud-like hair framed skin that glowed with a healthy pale pink. Her eyes, moist and hazy with the distinctive softness of the south, contrasted sharply with their black-and-white clarity—like glass beads brought as tribute from foreign lands: cold and emotionless.

Their eyes met. After striking the maid, she casually twirled her wrist with a subtle pressure, looking down with dignified grandeur as if a serene Bodhisattva seated high on a cloud, imposing a chilling presence.

There was something different about her now.

Xie Yuanju lowered his head, voice deep and steady. “What orders do you have for me, lady?”

Since Xie Yuanju boarded the carriage with Xie Miaoxuan, she had been observing him. He was slender-waisted and long-legged, making the spacious carriage suddenly feel cramped. His refined features bore an expression of indifference, his demeanor cool and aloof — a stark contrast to the stereotypical image of a man of divine strength she had imagined.

His large hands hung at his sides, fingers long and veins subtly raised — undoubtedly strong hands.

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Though one could not tell whether he had slain the tiger with his left or right hand.

In this era where appearance mattered most, a servant naturally would not wear delicate makeup like a noble master. Despite his rough hemp clothing, his aura could not be concealed. His long eyebrows merged with his temples, blending youthful refinement with mature composure.

To grow up like this was exceedingly rare.

At present, people were judged by their looks, even officials. Those unattractive were often dismissed.

Had he been born into a wealthy and influential family, one could only imagine how many maidens’ hearts he would have stolen.

Xie Miaoxuan replied evasively, “A servant with ambitions higher than the sky is indeed prone to causing trouble if kept close. But I wonder, would a servant with lofty ambitions also cause problems if kept nearby? What do you think?”

Her words sent a chill through Xie Yuanju.

Could it be she had seen something?

His expression flickered briefly, but his voice remained calm and composed. “The master saved me from peril. I would never act against the family’s interests. I will fulfill every order given by the master before his passing.”

Xie Miaoxuan smiled, the dimples at the corners of her mouth faintly visible.

Everyone called Xie Father “Langzhu,” but he referred to the master as “family head,” showing great respect. Even minor landowners could be called Langzhu, but “family head” was a title reserved for the head of a clan.

He had clearly separated the first and second branches of the family.

Xie Father’s last words were many, but his greatest concern was her marriage. He had clung to life, forcing Xie Yuanju to promise he would marry Xie Miaoxuan before he finally passed.

Thinking this through, Xie Miaoxuan no longer dwelt on the matter. She nodded dispassionately. He was indeed loyal—to Xie Father.

Whether he was loyal to her, the lady, was not a matter to be concerned with now.

She said seriously, “Later, I will order the camp to be set here for rest. I want you to lead men disguised as bandits to attack our group. Your task is to seize all the wealth I brought from Nanhai Commandery. There is an estate on the outskirts of the capital. Transport all the valuables there. Take this jade disk; someone will be waiting to receive you.”

At this point, she was grateful she had previously prevented Xie Yuanju from becoming part of the household troops. If he had been openly among them, he would surely have become the leader, given his martial prowess; no one would have defied him.

So Xie Miaoxuan deliberately kept him suppressed, assigning him only the most menial tasks.

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To be precise, Xie Yuanju had rarely shown his face before Madam Nian and her husband. With a face covering, those people would be even less able to identify him.

Receiving Xie Miaoxuan’s orders, Xie Yuanju asked no questions, only pondering for a moment before saying, “Even if I take some men disguised as bandits, most of the troop will remain. When the two sides clash, they will resist to the death, causing unnecessary casualties.”

“Then don’t let them resist to the death,” Xie Miaoxuan smiled more freely at the corner of her lips, speaking plainly. “I know many in the household troops follow you loyally. Arrange for a few to move through the forest, lighting fires in the bushes. This dense forest, with its uneven terrain, will make it hard even for keen-eyed people to see clearly, creating an illusion of a larger force.”

“As for those who remain in the troop, warn them beforehand that once your attack begins, they should shout that they are overwhelmed and feign panic, scattering into the forest. Later, you can regroup. Our Xie family troops have suffered heavy losses and morale is low—it’s only natural for them to collapse when they know they can’t win.”

Xie Yuanju kept his head lowered after hearing her plan. Xie Miaoxuan didn’t know what he was thinking and could only watch the top of his dark hair.

After a long pause, he finally asked, “And what about you, lady?”

“Me?” Xie Miaoxuan raised an eyebrow.

Before her lay two choices: live freely at her estate or enter that clan full of schemers and then escape.

Xie Miaoxuan was not foolish; she naturally chose the life she controlled.

“Of course, I’ll go with you.”

Her tone was firm, the ending lingering softly. Xie Yuanju didn’t know why, but he felt his ears heat up. Though he knew her words were unambiguous, his heart skipped a beat.

Had Xie Miaoxuan looked down at him then, she would have seen the tips of his ears flush red.

“Later, during rest, I will call those sent by the clan together, so you can bind them all in one place to ensure they don’t escape and alert others. Once the tail is cleared, we can leave them be.”

“Very well, but if you go with me, lady, word might spread that bandits have taken you away. That reputation…”

“Reputation only matters when you truly care. For a lady, the greatest impact of reputation is on marriage. Don’t I have you for that?”