The next morning, news of Lady Consort Shi Zhao's execution, the emperor's brother's concubine spread throughout the city.
"I can't believe it! For two years, a venomous snake was roaming around the palace! "
"Are you talking about Consort Shi Zhao? I saw her in person when I replaced their carriage driver before. I couldn't believe such a lady like herself would murder his husband."
"Eh..? Did they already behead the murderer of General Shi Feng? I even watched it two years ago."
" That's what I thought too. I heard it from my cousin who was working at the palace that Lady Consort was an accomplice. when I heard that, I couldn't believe it myself."
"You cannot really tell the wolf in sheep's clothing."
All this conversation was heard by a small child who was hiding at the nearby table.
Liam was hiding because she saw Aunt Shao Mei earlier. Aunt Shao Mei was the wet nurse who forced her to drunk her milk when she was a baby. Growing up, she had a great grudge towards that granny, so she acted spoiled whenever she was around. However, this granny knew how to make her obey.
(A/n: Aunt Shao Mei was not really a granny, she was five years older than Lady Lhi, Liam's mom. But Liam had a grudge to her, so she kept calling Aunt Shao Mei the granny.)
If Aunt Shao Mei saw her, she would spank her to death. Remembering what happened days ago when Aunt Shao Mei found her in the streets, she was carried like a sack, and she was treated like a punching bag. She cried to her mother after the spanking, but her pretty mother was also angry at her. When she first sneaked out, all people in De's residence panicked at first. But because of her continuous routine of sneaking out, the De residence people got used to it. However, it did not save Liam from spanking.
Hearing the conversation, Liam could not help but linked it to the boy. The boy was very pitiful.
Then a rough hand suddenly pinched her ears.
"YOUNG MISS LIIIII.....I FOUND YOU!" Aunt Shao Mei said with her narrowed, wrinkled eyes.
'ohhh shittt!!! Why this granny here?! Did she just entered the store over there?!'
Aunt Shao Mei picked her up while still pinching her ears.
"Even you are the young miss of De family, I will still spank you until that little mind of yours got hold of yourself!"
Aunt Shao Mei was not scared that she was hurting the precious child of De's family. This child was really mischievous. She did not listen to her grandparents, even to her parents, to her elders, but she listened to Aunt Shao Mei for some reason. That's why the De family allowed her to do everything to little Li. Even spanking. With this arrangement, Aunt Shao Mei was pleased to oblige.
The truth was Liam was scared of this granny. She could see herself from this granny whenever she was scolded. She remembered how she scolded her niece and nephews in her past life.
'So this what my niece and nephews felt like!' Liam now knew of the reason why her niece and nephew pretend sleeping whenever she visited their home.
"I will not do it again, Aunt Shao Mei! Little Li will not do it again! Please, Aunt Shao Mei! Little Li will be good...huhu" Liam used the weapon her nieces and nephews used against her in the past whenever they did something terrible or acting spoiled. With her cute, adorable, teary-eyed face, she was sure Aunt Shao Mei would take pity on her as she used to whenever her niece acted like this to her.
As expected, Aunt Shao Mei's heart softened.
Though she lightly hurt this child physically, she dearly loved her. Everyone in De residence loved this child. But she was the only one who could discipline her. She remembered the last time she spanked this child. The servants ignored her for the whole day and took pity on the child.
Did they not know how her heart pained whenever little Li cried out in each hit? She felt like she was the one who was being hit! But she knew the servants also agreed silently that sometimes this child needs discipline, especially sneaking out. What if something happened to their young miss? Or was she taken away and got sold? They would never forgive themselves if that happened to their young miss.
So Aunt Shao Mei strengthened her resolve and dragged the child away. But this time, her pinched was softer. Looking around, she did not see the little servant that was supposed to serve their young miss.
"Where's Xiao Min?" Aunt Shao Mei looked at little Li.
She warned Xiao Min that she had to tell them as soon as possible if their young miss sneaked out. Now that their young miss was outside with no servants around, Aunt Shao Mei was furious.
Later she would punish this child's personal servant!
Liam bit her lip. Xiao Min was in her room. Passed out! Earlier, when she was about to sneak out, Xiao Min saw her. She tried to compromise with Xiao Min to not tell anybody, but her little servant was adamant about stopping her from sneaking out. Having no choice, she hit the back of Xiao Min's neck to make her unconscious. She learned it in her past life when she attended that self-defense against attackers.
But of course, she pressed it multiple times after failing five times. But the little Xiao Min was so trusting to Little Liam and just laughed, saying it tickles. For the sixth try, she finally succeeded.
Knowing what's going on in Aunt Shao Mei's mind, she pleaded for Xiao Min's pitiful fate later.
"Aunt Shao Mei, little Min doesn't know! I hit her, and she passed out! I really want to go out alone! Punish me for little Li is very bad. Do not hurt Xiao Min!"
Liam felt guilty for that little servant. She did not want to implicate others, especially a small child.
"Hmph! She was supposed to serve you whenever you are! She was supposed to take the arrow for you! Do not take the blame for the servant!" She reprimanded little Li. But in her heart, she was moved. The De family was really kind. Even their young miss was so mischievous she was kind and even thought of her servants.
Liam smirked inwardly. Seeing Aunt Shao Mei twitching her mouth like she was fighting not to smile, she knew she hit Aunt Shao Mei's soft spot.
And true to her thoughts, Aunt Shao Mei punished her softly.
On that day, she forgot her reason for sneaking out: check up on the boy's execution and his relation.
******
Liam lived every day like a child. She tasted every food in this era could give. She played. She sneaked and teased all servants.
Of course, as a lady of De's family, she must also study music, art, literature, and even shitty embroidery. She enjoyed them all except for the last one.
As she was being pampered, she treated all the servants, grandparents, and parents really well. She even acted as a cute child just to satisfy them. She liked this family. However, this family of hers was very, Very, VERY protected.
(A/N: want to add 'so much?XD)
They never let her go outside. Even the were festivals, banquets, or parties.
They isolated her in her courtyard. Their reason?
" My daughter was born ten times more beautiful than me..imagine the havoc and war you will create." - mommy Lhi said.
"I may rebel against the emperor if he saw you and asked your hand for one of his sons. " - daddy.
"No one can match my granddaughter!"- grandparents.
"She will cause trouble" - Aunt Shao Mei.
"We will be punished!" - servants.
"I'm just going outside, not marrying !" - Liam.
Until now, that's why, passed in the marriage age, sweet sixteen, she had never gone outside.
That's what they thought.
Checking out her list, Liam smiled evilly. Never once she forgot the reason she was born here. To find out and fulfill her regrets!
To make sure of it, she made a list.
√ enjoy every festival
√ be a servant in a day
√ ride the horse backward
√ stand in the shooting range
√ draw anything in Aunt Xiao Meng's face
√ be a boy in a day
√ run in the courtyard naked (done before I reached 10)Etc.
All those things checked were already done. And every mission was a heart attack towards the De residence.
_sneaked in Imperial palace and be a servant in a day
_sneak in Emperor's room and snatch anything
_write a love letter to the empress
_wear the Empress's crown ( it will be done once I felt like I need to die or I'm in my last breath)
_seat in Emperor's chair (same the reason above)
_crack a joke in the imperial court
_have party-party with the ministers
_be a princess for a day
_flirt with the emperor shadow guard (just wink is OK)
_spit in the imperial court
_make the general wear a princess gown (hard to do, need a plan)
_make a prince wears female servant clothes (hard to do so its OK even his sleeping)
The list above was her next mission. She wrote everything she wanted to do. It's hard, she knew, but she needed to do everything she wants in this lifetime to reincarnate without flaw in the next lifetime!
'Hahaha! With this list, I'm sure I will return successfully!'
Liam imagined the sing of praises of little Jack and Jill.