Chapter 72

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Chapter 72: Each Takes What They Need

The next day, dawn broke.

Ming He opened her eyes and saw the bright red of a tall tree, momentarily unsure of her surroundings. She quickly recalled that she had gotten married the day before.

Looking down, she found a soft and warm body nestled against her. Chu Yi Qing had unknowingly kicked off the quilt and rolled into her arms, wrapping around her like an octopus. No wonder she had slept so restlessly the previous night, as if haunted by a ghost.

"Hey, Chu Yi Qing, wake up!" She propped herself up on her elbow, but the warm body in her arms continued to cling to her, making her head ache slightly.

Ming He gently patted her face with her typically cool hand. The woman grumbled in her sleep and slapped Ming He’s hand away, flipping over without showing any sign of waking.

"Chu Yi Qing, are you a pig?" Ming He fell silent, a playful smile hovering on her lips, finding the situation amusing. She abandoned her usual early rising habit and contentedly leaned back, patiently waiting for the sleeping woman to wake.

About half an hour later, Chu Yi Qing stirred slightly, opening her eyes, still drowsy. When she finally focused on Ming He’s gaze, a flicker of surprise crossed her face. She clearly wasn’t quite accustomed to her new role.

"Miss Chu, good morning!" Ming He couldn’t help but smile.

"You…" Chu Yi Qing’s expression changed. She wanted to ask why she was in Ming He’s arms in such an intimate position, then realized her sleeping posture was typically like this. She had forgotten the previous night due to her frustration.

"Good morning," she replied through gritted teeth, "Isn’t the Young Master going to the escort agency?" With their wedding being recent, it was the perfect time to take over the position of the escort leader under the name of the governor of Jiangnan. This was an opportunity to strike while the iron was hot.

"I’m on my way now," Ming He laughed brightly, slowly getting up and adjusting her robes before turning to head out.

Before walking out the door, she turned back and smiled at Chu Yi Qing with interest, her smile unexpectedly sunny. "I just find that Miss Chu seems to have a good constitution. You don’t feel cold at all."

After saying that, she stepped out of the room, a cheerful expression on her face.

Chu Yi Qing was momentarily stunned, unsure of what Ming He meant. A gentle breeze wafted in from the window, bringing a coolness with it. It struck her to look down and realize that her clothes were loose and had revealed quite a bit of her figure, and she had just been facing Ming He when she got up.

The quilt had fallen away to who knows where.

This meant Ming He had seen everything clearly, and she even seemed to enjoy teasing her.

The woman’s expression changed unpredictably, and she suddenly chuckled softly. Ming He, very good; she would remember this!

Jiangnan was the richest and most prosperous region in the world, and the Zhenyuan Escort, being the premier escort agency in Jiangnan, was naturally affluent and splendid, holding a notable reputation in the martial world.

Ming He walked through the lengthy corridor, past rockeries, small bridges, and lotus ponds, stepping through the large black nanmu doors guarded by stone lions at the agency, her figure swaying slightly as she entered.

Following closely beside her was Si’er, her maid, who dressed as a man and was skilled in martial arts, lowering her head in submission. The escort guards on either side greeted her respectfully, calling out to their Young Master, although only they knew what was hidden behind their respect.

Ming He remembered this being her first visit to the escort agency since adulthood. The wutong trees swayed gently in the wind, rustling as she walked by.

Maintaining a warm smile, she headed straight for the main house of the agency, undisturbed by the gazes of the escort masters passing by, and sat down in the main seat with a casual flair, tossing the red seal, which symbolized her identity as the escort leader, up and down. “Where’s Shishu?”

She asked a nearby escort master.

Today was her day to inherit the position of escort leader, so all the escort masters had gathered to pay their respects, yet Zhang Gui, that old man, was surprisingly absent.

Ha! Ming He smiled. This was becoming more interesting.

“Second Master caught a cold after the banquet and is probably still bedridden,” replied a knowledgeable escort master.

"I see," Ming He tilted her head. "Then let’s not worry about him; the ceremony continues." Did they think they could hold onto power by feigning illness? How naive.

"But…" An escort master, clearly one of Zhang Gui’s trusted aides, hesitated, wanting to speak further.

"Do you have any objections?" Ming He still wore a sweet smile, appearing gentle and cultured, but in the eyes of the escort master across from her, it felt as though she were poisoning him, creating a chilling fear that left him without the courage to respond.

"No… none," the escort master unconsciously lowered his head, forced into a respectful smile.

"That’s good," Ming He caught the red seal that fell from the air with a warm smile. "From now on, I will be the leader of the Zhenyuan Escort."

It was merely a ceremony, but in the martial world, such formalities were scarce; it was more of a proclamation and announcement.

As the rightful Young Master, it was only natural for her to inherit the position after her father’s demise. Previously, due to her frailty and youth, the Second Master, Zhang Gui, had temporarily taken charge of the Zhenyuan Escort. However, now that she was married, taking over required just a word.

"Yes, we pay our respects to the Master," the other escort masters bowed their heads, their expressions varied but their tone respectful.

"Master?" Ming He frowned. "My father passed away not long ago; you should call me… just ‘Miss’." She actually found that title quite distasteful.

But why hadn’t she thought “Young Master” sounded bad before? A strange thought flickered through her mind.

"Yes, Miss Ming." The escort masters quickly acquiesced, but one of them added, "What about the title for the Second Master…?" Didn’t that disrupt the hierarchy?

"Just add a ‘Big’ in front,” Ming He waved her hand dismissively. “If there’s nothing else, you may all leave to get back to work." She mimicked Chu Yi Qing, raising her head proudly to issue the command. “The accountant can stay."

"Yes." The escort masters exchanged glances, sensing that their Young Master seemed quite different compared to before, though they couldn’t pinpoint exactly how.

"What can I do for you, Miss Ming?" The accountant stood awkwardly, feeling uncertain in front of the young person reclining carelessly. An inexplicable sense of intimidation made him lower his stance.

"How many years have you been managing the accounts?" Ming He asked lightly.

"Thanks to the Master’s trust, it has been over twenty years," the accountant replied, trembling a bit.

"Over twenty years, huh." Ming He took a sip from the cup in her hand. "That seems to be older than my age."

Not wasting time, she cut straight to the point. "Have you noticed anything unusual in the escort agency recently?"

"Unusual?" The accountant paused, not understanding Ming He’s meaning.

"Alright, just bring me the account books; you can leave." Ming He lightly withdrew her gaze, dismissing him without further words.

"Yes." The accountant retreated with confusion.

Ming He watched him leave with unclear eyes. In her memory, her father had encountered an ambush and died while escorting a secret shipment just half a month ago. Her father was highly skilled in martial arts, and with the reputation of the Zhenyuan Escort, it shouldn’t have ended in total destruction.

According to the usual pattern, that Zhang Gui would definitely not be completely uninvolved in this matter.

The entire escort squad had been annihilated at the hands of the Black Wind Bandits, and a person like Zhang Gui, with limited martial skills and shallow scheming, couldn’t possibly have commanded such a powerful group without some financial dealings.

"Young Master, I have brought the account books," Si’er entered, holding a thick stack of ledgers.

Ming He looked up, feeling slightly annoyed. There were so many, how long did she have to look at them? Deep down, she felt that these matters were pointless, but she couldn’t express why they felt meaningless. It just felt strange since her marriage.

She picked a book, opened it, and after glancing at a few lines, realized she couldn’t understand it; it was an ancient account book, and how could a modern person like her interpret it? She silently grumbled.

Outside, the wutong trees were blown by the wind, scattering leaves and branches.

Hmm? What was she thinking just now? Ming He blinked, feeling a bit dazed. She had been wondering how to read the account books? Shaking her head, she returned to the dense text on the pages.

As night fell, Ming He rubbed her aching forehead, gathered a portion of the account books, and prepared to go home to read. Was this just a matter concerning Zhang Gui? She muttered to herself, her mind unsettled by the odd feeling that lingered.

The residence was brightly lit, signaling dinner time. Ming He adjusted her robe and sat down at the table, asking the servant beside her, "Where is… Yi Qing?" She had originally intended to call for Miss Chu.

"The lady is resting in her room," the servant replied respectfully.

Resting? It was still early; did the governor’s daughter really go to bed this early? Ming He thought of something and smiled genuinely from the heart.

After finishing dinner and washing up, she stepped into the room and saw a graceful figure curled under the brocade quilt, breathing evenly, clearly asleep.

However, Ming He had grown accustomed to playing a gentle and refined persona in front of others since childhood. Her acting skills were superb, so she knew very well whether Chu Yi Qing was truly asleep or not.

She approached and sat by the bed, her cool hands familiar with the contours of Chu Yi Qing’s face, causing a momentary fluster in the woman’s breathing.

Ming He smiled silently as she continued to gently caress, as if she were admiring a priceless jade, filled with curiosity and delight.

"Ming He!" The woman in the bed suddenly sat up, fury glinting in her eyes. "What do you want to do?" She had gone to sleep early to avoid Ming He, yet this person was even bolder than she had imagined.

"I’m not doing anything. I just missed you so much today. I didn’t expect my dear wife to go to bed early, so I could only touch you a little to relieve my longing,” Ming He looked at her with an innocent expression.

"You…" Chu Yi Qing was momentarily speechless. She clenched her fists, taking a moment to suppress her anger, "What exactly do you want?"

Ming He stared at her, her eyes glimmering. "I have a small favor to ask of Miss Chu."

"What favor?" Chu Yi Qing gripped her fists tightly, her fingertips turning pale with anger.

"Miss Chu comes from the family of the governor of Jiangnan; although you are a concubine’s daughter, you should be able to read account books," her tone was confident and strategic. "I would like to ask Miss Chu to help me look over some account books."

"Some?" Chu Yi Qing’s eyebrows knitted together, feeling something was amiss. "How many is ‘some’?"

"It won’t be many." Ming He chuckled, meeting her steely gaze. "But it won’t be too few either. Besides, you have nothing else to do in the residence."

"So this is why Young Master decided to marry me?" Chu Yi Qing sneered. She thought she had been the one plotting, only to discover she was the one being used.

"Isn’t it about each taking what they need?" Ming He smiled kindly. "In two days, it will be your return home day. As a response, I will accompany you back and support you in your family, acting as a pillar behind you."

"What are you talking about?" Chu Yi Qing stared at her like she was an idiot, surprisingly finding her anger dissipating. "Do you really think I will face many difficulties on my return day?" It seemed absurd.

"Wouldn’t you?" Ming He blinked innocently, looking a bit like a naive sweetheart. "But you are a concubine’s daughter; shouldn’t you have stepmothers and half-sisters who look down on you? From your father and mother to the housemaids, they should all hold you in contempt, just as they say in romantic tales."

Why else would she schemingly marry her?

Chu Yi Qing fell silent. "I will help you review the account books tomorrow. I’m tired; I want to sleep." She turned over, her brow signaling clearly that no one was to disturb her.

Ming He had achieved her goal, so she decided not to act childishly any longer. She simply gazed at Chu Yi Qing’s back, finding it all the more interesting. The return home day was approaching!