Chapter 974: First Volume_Chapter 974: A Personal Maid Is Half a Concubine

First Volume_Chapter 974: A Personal Maid Is Half a Concubine

But he would soon be able to meet Qin Feng, and for Zhang Chao, all the suffering he had endured before was worth it. If the most ideal situation came to pass, he might even become the national hero who saved the entire Great Di.

Just then, a graceful young girl suddenly pulled back the door curtain and walked in.

The girl looked young and lively, dressed in a light-green ru skirt, with a silver hairpin in her hair — clearly the daughter of a wealthy family at first glance.

Recalling that the Qin Family had four young ladies in total, Zhang Chao did not dare slight her. He hurriedly rose to bow, keeping his head lowered the whole time, not daring to rashly look up and study the girl's appearance.

Although the customs of Great Di were open, Liang Kingdom prided itself as a "Land of Rites and Music." Staring directly at the other party's female relatives — especially an unmarried young lady — was an extremely rude act.

Zhang Chao was cautious and careful, terrified that one careless move might offend Qin Feng. Forget the peace talks and the war, his very life might be lost here.

Qin Feng had already gone to war with Great Di; killing a mere Minister of Rites would be nothing more than a flick of the wrist.

Seeing Zhang Chao's reaction, Xiao Xiangxiang was startled too. She hurriedly stepped aside and said nervously, "M-My Lord, what is the meaning of this? This maid absolutely cannot accept such a grand courtesy."

Maid?

Hearing the girl's self-address, Zhang Chao was momentarily stunned. He hurriedly raised his head to size up the woman before him — she wore gold and silver, her clothes were exceedingly fine and costly. How could she possibly be just a little maid?

Wait!

Zhang Chao's heart jolted. Could it be… that the woman before him was Qin Feng's personal maid?

Only a personal maid would receive such treatment.

A personal maid was equivalent to half a concubine. And although Qin Feng already had a marriage alliance with the daughter of Duke Ning of Liang Kingdom, the marriage had not yet been completed. So in theory, this personal maid before him was actually the person closest to Qin Feng.

Thinking of this, Zhang Chao grew even more nervous. Qin Feng had always acted with great foresight and hidden meaning. Deliberately sending his personal maid to receive Zhang Chao was surely an intentional test of Zhang Chao's sincerity. If Zhang Chao showed even the slightest impropriety, he would surely invite a thunderous retaliation.

Zhang Chao hurriedly lowered his head even further, more constrained than before.

"May I ask how this young lady should be addressed?"

Hearing this, Xiao Xiangxiang hurriedly explained, "My Lord, you shame this maid. This maid is only a little girl by the Marquis's side — how would she dare call herself a young lady?"

Zhang Chao shook his head repeatedly. "Miss, you are far too modest. Though you are a maid in name, by the side of Marquis Qin, you are naturally a precious twig and jade leaf."

As an old minister in the Great Di officialdom, Zhang Chao was naturally deeply shrewd yet still perfectly smooth. As the saying goes, the maids in a Wangye Fu and the attendants by a Princess's side are all top-tier tough characters. If one were to act without restraint simply because the other party was a maid, retaliation would surely follow. And given the current circumstances, let alone facing Qin Feng's personal maid, even dealing casually with any attendant by a member of the Bei Di Imperial Clan required careful handling.

Seeing Zhang Chao's attitude so resolute, Xiao Xiangxiang did not press the matter. She said softly, "This maid has no given name. In the Qin Family, she goes by Xiangxiang."

Xiangxiang? Such an intimate-sounding address must surely be an affectionate nickname between Qin Feng and this girl. Even if Zhang Chao were given a hundred guts, he would never dare call the woman before him Xiangxiang.

He hurriedly bowed and said, "A servant takes her master's surname — then you would be Miss Qin."

Xiao Xiangxiang had wanted to argue further, but the words reached her lips and she swallowed them back. After all, the Qin Family had no direct daughters, and the four young ladies all had different surnames. As the saying goes, a servant takes her master's surname — strictly speaking, Xiao Xiangxiang naturally bore the surname Qin. So on the matter of family name, there was really nothing to dispute.

It was the word "Miss" that left Xiao Xiangxiang a little overwhelmed.

Xiao Xiangxiang gently bit her thin lip and answered shyly, "I heard from the generals at the Front Line that you bear the surname Zhang, my Lord? It looks to be getting late — let this maid take you to have some breakfast."

Zhang Chao had long been so hungry his chest stuck to his back, but he carried heavy responsibilities on this trip. As the saying goes, the more one does, the more mistakes one makes — so the safest course was to do nothing at all. Therefore, facing Xiao Xiangxiang's kind offer, Zhang Chao hurriedly declined.

"Many thanks for Miss Qin's kindness, but this official is not yet hungry. May I ask when Marquis Qin will receive this official?"

Xiao Xiangxiang found it a little embarrassing to say. After much hesitation, she answered in a small voice, "Not today, I'm afraid. The Third Miss is unwell, and the young master is attending to her in the Back Courtyard — it's not convenient to see guests. As for the Eldest Miss, she is looking after the Third Miss's adopted son and is also temporarily unavailable to see guests."

"Since Lord Zhang has already arrived, please rest at ease and wait. In a little while, this maid will have people arrange food and lodging for Lord Zhang."

Zhang Chao felt a strange stirring in his heart. The woman before him was Qin Feng's personal maid — and what sort of man was Qin Feng? With his own strength, he could even drive the entire Great Di into a desperate corner. The personal maid of such a lord of the land should, by the principle that a servant shares her master's honor, be extremely arrogant and overbearing. Yet the woman before him was gentle, refined, and perfectly proper.

From the small one sees the large; from the servant one sees the master. It seemed Qin Feng was not the brutal tyrant of rumor, but a very reasonable man.

Thinking of this, Zhang Chao felt as if he had taken a reassuring pill. As long as he met Qin Feng and laid out the pros and cons, he reckoned Qin Feng would not refuse him every last bit of face.

To curry favor with Qin Feng, Zhang Chao hurriedly inquired, "May I venture to ask Miss Qin — has the Third Miss contracted some illness? Or perhaps been injured? Changshui County is a small place and likely has no fine physicians. This official can return at once and bring the best Physician from Great Di to treat the Third Miss."

Hearing these words, Xiao Xiangxiang's face instantly flushed red, and she hurriedly shook her head. "N-no, that won't be necessary."

Zhang Chao still thought Xiao Xiangxiang refused so quickly because she worried Qin Feng would lose face. He hurriedly explained, "Being able to treat the Third Miss would count as a small token of this official's regard. I would absolutely not use it to press any advantage, nor would it have any connection to the matter of the State Peace Talks with Marquis Qin."

"I only ask Miss Qin to go and inform Marquis Qin of this matter."

Seeing Zhang Chao's attitude so sincere, Xiao Xiangxiang's face grew even redder. She said softly, "Lord Zhang has misunderstood. The Third Miss's illness is merely… a private ailment, so…"

Hearing this, Zhang Chao suddenly understood and hurriedly lowered his head. "It was this official who spoke out of turn."

Although he now understood the Third Miss was suffering from a "woman's ailment," Zhang Chao could not help muttering to himself. Such a thing was no serious illness — she would recover in a few days. Why must Qin Feng personally attend her at her side?

Besides, a fierce and ambitious hero like Qin Feng — how could he stay by a female relative's side without moving simply because of a private ailment? If word of this got out, would it not disgrace the name of a true man?

But on second thought, Zhang Chao felt he was being ridiculous. That Qin Feng was famously protective of his own, and treated those close to him especially well. Moreover, he had heard that the Third Miss of the Qin Family was the Mingyue Princess of Liang Kingdom, and she too had a marriage alliance with Qin Feng. Therefore, if the Third Miss so much as lost a single hair, Qin Feng would be terribly anxious.

This Qin Feng truly could not be explained by ordinary reasoning.