Chapter 39: Volume 1, Chapter 39: Signing the Deed of Servitude

Luo Xian shook his head, "I don't know about that either. I only heard it mentioned in passing by the city gate guards, and they wouldn't say any more. But if you want to investigate, Miss Rong, just have He Huai and Jing Chu do it."

Rong Luoge didn't know whether Luo Xian's words were true or false—he'd told her a piece of news but only tossed out bait, clearly meaning to lure her in.

She nodded gently but said nothing more.

Luo Xian escorted her to Xi Cheng and looked at her before she got out of the carriage, "Miss Rong, there's something I probably shouldn't say, but we do have some acquaintance, so I must remind you—Xi Cheng is a mixed crowd. Take care to stay safe."

"Many thanks." Rong Luoge stepped down from the carriage and looked at Luo Xian, "If I have need, I'll trouble Chief Escort Luo then."

Luo Xian had been waiting for exactly those words. The eldest young lady of the Zhen Guo Gong Fu had some real capability, so naturally he wanted to be on good terms with her. He laughed heartily, then turned the carriage around and left.

Rong Luoge returned to the residence. The amount of information she'd dealt with today was enormous, and she needed to sort through it carefully.

She changed into a comfortable cherry-red everyday robe and entered the study, took out paper and brush, and began writing down today's news: Madam Ming had entered the palace to cause trouble for Consort Ming, and the Ming Da Jiangjun Fu would likely make a move within the next couple of days, so she needed to send someone to watch Liu Yuniang's movements nearby.

The Emperor was wary of the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince fell ill every year, but from what she could see of his strong and sturdy appearance, he didn't seem like someone who would fall ill frequently. This likely involved the struggle for the succession and his pretense before the Emperor—she needed to keep this in mind.

Apart from that, there was also the conflict between Chu Ke and Rong Dai, brother and sister, at the Guo Gong Fu, which involved Rong Yan's broken leg. Thinking of this inevitably brought to mind what Ling Yuying had said—that the characters on the seal were not Owl Kingdom script.

A seal bearing non-Owl Kingdom script was connected to Di Yue Nu, which made things even more interesting. So what exactly were the origins of this seal and Di Yue Nu?

Rong Luoge looked at the paper densely covered in writing, her brows tightly furrowed. Originally these matters had little to do with her, but Han Yifeng and Rong Dai clung to her like sworn enemies, and now that the seal was in her hands, she had already stepped into this quagmire. Emerging unscathed was probably no longer possible.

Apart from Rong Ling Shan, no one knew the seal was with her. For now she was quite safe—after all, Rong Ling Shan had kept this item for so many years without giving it to anyone, so she must have her own misgivings.

Luo Xian had said that Xi Cheng now had many more merchants from out of town. If it were an ordinary matter, he certainly wouldn't have gone out of his way to point it out, which meant this was no ordinary affair.

Rong Luoge had a feeling that this seal had an extraordinary origin. She put the item away safely, then summoned He Huai and asked him to investigate the matter of out-of-town merchants appearing in Xi Cheng.

With that matter settled for now, Rong Luoge finally noticed she was a bit hungry. She was about to call for Cang Yun when she suddenly remembered that Cang Yun was still at the old residence, so she had to go to the kitchen herself. It seemed this house still needed a few more maids.

Though the food was plentiful, the cook's skill was clearly inferior to the one next door. Rong Luoge grew even more determined to find a good cook. In this life, eating and drinking were paramount, and she absolutely would not shortchange herself on that account.

Even after eating, she couldn't rest—she still had to draw blueprints for the Crown Prince.

Sigh!

Entering the study once more, Rong Luoge began drawing the blueprints for the bomb. Of course it wouldn't be as powerful as those of later generations—after all, current technology had its limits, and the gunpowder formula would need some modifications. Saltpeter, charcoal, sulfur—each item slid through her mind as the sun gradually tilted westward, and Rong Luoge noticed none of it.

At this time the Crown Prince had just emerged from the palace. He looked up at the golden sun sinking in the west, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Go to Xi Cheng."

Shi An was taken aback. "Your Highness, if you go to Xi Cheng now, I'm afraid you won't be able to return tonight."

Tomorrow morning, Your Highness still has to enter the palace.

Han Xinglan's dark eyes were deep and heavy. He said nothing but strode out.

What else could Shi An say? He hurried to follow, though he couldn't help muttering to himself—His Highness had never visited Xi Cheng this frequently before. Ever since Miss Rong moved there, wasn't His Highness going a bit too often?

Riding through streets and alleys, they arrived at Xi Cheng. Han Xinglan entered the residence, and the people in the house, not expecting His Highness to come at this hour, immediately bustled about.

Shi An promptly had someone prepare a meal, then went to attend to His Highness. Seeing His Highness seated in the stone pavilion in the courtyard, he immediately went over to serve, but after waiting a long time, His Highness still hadn't told him to fetch Miss Rong.

He simply couldn't figure it out—His Highness had traveled half the city to come here, yet didn't even see Miss Rong. What had His Highness come here for?

Shi An muttered in his heart but didn't dare ask a single question. He stood to one side with his head bowed.

On the other side, by the time Rong Luoge finished the blueprints, the moon was already high in the sky. She stood up and felt the ache in her back and waist. She put the blueprints away to hand to the Crown Prince tomorrow, and then this errand would be settled between them.

After washing up, Rong Luoge fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, completely unaware that Han Xinglan was also next door.

Meanwhile, not far away across an alley, Liu Yuniang's residence had been placed under surveillance by people sent by Madam Ming. All the maids and serving women in the house had been taken away.

No matter how miserably Liu Yuniang cried, no one would open the door for her. Even the surrounding neighbors, seeing this display, dared not step forward and invite trouble—everyone avoided her.

That day when Ming Yuhua had come to cause a scene, everyone already knew that the person keeping Liu Yuniang was no ordinary figure—they just hadn't expected someone this powerful.

Rong Luoge only heard about it the next morning when Jing Chu came to report.

"By the time it happened, it was nearly curfew. Madam Ming's people moved quickly—the maids and serving women in the house were all put on a carriage and taken away, and the house was put under watch. Last night Liu Yuniang did make quite a scene, but the people guarding the house shut the door, and no matter how she cried and raged in the courtyard, they didn't respond," Jing Chu reported to the eldest young lady. "Because the incident occurred after the eldest young lady had already retired, I did not dare enter the inner quarters, so I waited until this morning to report."

Rong Luoge nodded—so not having Cang Yun around was genuinely inconvenient. Because the addresses she'd left for Ling Yuying and Rong Ling Shan were at the old residence, Cang Yun couldn't come back for now. After all, the person receiving letters there had to be someone she trusted.

After much thought, she still needed to find a few maids, but finding ones whose backgrounds she truly knew was not easy.

"Are they still watching over there? Has the Great General stepped in?" Rong Luoge asked.

"As of before I came, the Great General had not yet appeared," Jing Chu said.

Rong Luoge set down her bowl and chopsticks and looked at Jing Chu. "Keep having people watch."

"Yes." Jing Chu nodded and accepted the order.

Rong Luoge thought for a moment, then looked at him and asked, "If I wanted to find a few maids with some martial skill, ones I could trust, could you find people on your end? The kind who serve closely are different from you all—they'd need to sign a deed of servitude with me."

This kind of deed of servitude was different from the contracts signed with Jing Chu and the others. Jing Chu and He Huai had signed ten-year contracts—after ten years, they would be free. But someone who signed a deed of servitude had no freedom unless she chose to release them.

Only with people who had signed such a contract would Rong Luoge dare to use them given her current situation. Otherwise, bringing in someone with divided loyalties would only be inviting harm upon herself.