Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting with a Chronicle of Tragic Love

She didn't look at Jiao Si, but faced Wang Xifeng directly, gave a curtsy, and slowly began to speak.

Her voice remained as gentle as ever, but now carried an undeniable firmness.

"Second Madam, there are some things you've misunderstood about Brother Jiao, and you've also misunderstood me. Now that we've run into each other, why don't we... just talk things out?"

Wang Xifeng raised an eyebrow, crossed her arms, and looked at her noncommittally.

Ping'er took a deep breath, raised her head, and calmly met Wang Xifeng's sharp scrutiny.

"First of all, the claim that Brother Jiao 'kidnapped' me is not true."

Her voice was slightly hoarse, as if she were recalling the unbearable events of that night.

"That night... Second Master and Miss Duo were on a covered boat... when Second Madam caught them in the act."

"After hearing a few words of nonsense, Second Grandmother got so angry that she hit me with a stick."

"I have always been loyal and have never had any improper thoughts, yet I have been unjustly wronged and my reputation has been ruined. In a moment of anger and confusion, I... I went to the Qinhuai River and jumped off the cliff."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng's eyes flickered, and the fingers of her arms tightened slightly.

The scene from that night instantly flooded my mind.

She remembered her rage, Ping'er's cries under the blows, and the fleeting sorrow that crossed her heart when she heard that Ping'er had jumped off a cliff and "died."

Ping'er continued speaking, her tone tinged with relief and gratitude.

"It was Brother Jiao who happened to be at the bottom of the cliff and saved me. When I woke up, I had forgotten everything that had happened before, and I only knew that my name was Lu Yanping."

"Brother Jiao didn't know my identity. He just thought I was a poor soul in distress, so he took me in and let me stay at Fengping Courtyard to recuperate."

She paused, looked at Wang Xifeng, her eyes clear.

"It was when you first came to this courtyard looking for Brother Jiao, Second Grandmother, that I hid under the bed, heard the sound and saw the shadow, and suddenly... suddenly remembered everything."

Wang Xifeng recalled her trip to Fengping Courtyard, where she had tried to seduce Jiao Si, but he had firmly refused.

I was curious at the time, how could anyone refuse such delicious food delivered to their door?

Now that I think about it... it was Ping'er all along!

"I remembered everything, but..." Ping'er's tone carried a hint of determination.

"But I have no intention of returning to Rongguo Mansion."

"Second Grandma, it's not that I resent the beating you gave me, it's just... I'm tired."

"In the Duke's mansion, there is scheming and vigilance day after day. The masters fight, and the servants fight too. I have served you so carefully for so many years, and in the end, an unexpected disaster has turned my loyalty of more than ten years into a joke."

"I...don't want to live like that anymore."

As Wang Xifeng listened, the mockery on her face gradually faded, replaced by a deep sense of shame.

She stared at Ping'er, as if she were truly getting to know this personal maid who had been with her for many years for the first time.

Power? Struggle? Scheming?

In Wang Xifeng's view, this was precisely where the joy of life lay, a battlefield to prove one's worth and take control of one's own destiny.

She couldn't understand how anyone could willingly give up the dignity and potential glory of the Duke's mansion.

She was silent for a moment, then snorted coldly, though her tone was not as sharp as before.

Everyone has their own ambitions, and I won't stop you.

"To be honest, I recognized you back when we were on the top of Plum Blossom Mountain. I had a suspicion then."

"If I wanted to stop you, I wouldn't have given your indenture and release certificate to Jiao Si back then."

She paused, a hint of reluctance flashing across her face.

"If you think it's better outside, then so be it. Just don't be too ashamed to come begging to me later when you encounter difficulties."

A hint of gratitude flashed across Ping'er's face.

Wang Xifeng's words seemed resolute on the surface, but in reality, they were telling her to come to her anytime if she encountered any difficulties.

After thinking for a moment, she spoke again.

"There's a second thing."

"Second Madam, the IOU for Wang'er's loan was something I left with Granny Zhou and gave to Brother Jiao as evidence."

Her eyes revealed earnestness and worry.

"But I did this not to harm Second Madam, nor was it a conspiracy with Brother Jiao to plot against you. On the contrary, I was afraid."

"I'm afraid you'll continue doing this without any scruples."

Her voice lowered.

"How many families have been ruined and destroyed by loan sharking?"

"The misappropriation of public funds only creates a bigger and bigger hole. How can it remain completely sealed off forever?"

"Second Madam, you are very clever; you've kept these things a secret all along. But in this world, there are no secrets that stay hidden forever."

"The old lady and the master and mistress are turning a blind eye now, but what if one day this matter is exposed by the enemy, or the hole becomes too big to be filled and it comes to light? How will you deal with that? How will the Rongguo Mansion deal with that?"

Ping'er raised her head, her eyes already glistening with tears.

"I gave Brother Jiao those pieces of evidence in the hope that he could punish you and make you behave a little."

"I know this idea is naive, and probably useless. But I really don't want to see you make one wrong step after another, and end up completely destroyed, Second Madam!"

The final call, tinged with a sob, was a testament to the genuine care and concern that remained from years of master-servant affection.

Wang Xifeng fell completely silent.

She turned her back and gazed at the old tree in the courtyard swaying gently in the night breeze, remaining silent for a long time.

Ping'er's words were like a needle, piercing her long-held illusions about power and means.

The risks and consequences she had deliberately ignored were now laid bare before her eyes by her closest loved ones.

Are you angry?

A little.

But more than anything, she felt a sense of bewilderment that she couldn't quite explain, and even a hint of lingering fear.

After a long time, so long that Jiao Si almost thought the conversation was about to end in silence, Wang Xifeng slowly turned around.

Her expression had calmed down considerably, but something even more complex and difficult to understand was churning deep within her eyes.

She didn't look at Ping'er again, but turned her gaze back to Jiao Si and asked a question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time.

"What happened at the top of Plum Blossom Mountain?"

"In that desperate situation, the Princess of Chang Le County escaped, the local troops collapsed, and the Japanese pirates besieged the mountain. Everyone said you were dead. How did you survive?"

She paused, her gaze sweeping between Jiao Si and Ping'er.

"And how did you two meet again? I remember at Huai Shang Yun Lou, this 'Miss Lu' beside you ran away as soon as she saw me."

This question clearly touches on a deeper secret.

Ping'er and Jiao Si exchanged a glance, and Jiao Si nodded slightly.

Ping'er pursed her lips, seemingly considering her words.

Finally, she took a deep breath.

"At the top of Plum Blossom Mountain, before the martial arts test began, I saw Second Madam there, and I was really flustered. I was afraid that you would recognize me on the spot, and I was also afraid... that I would cause Brother Jiao unnecessary trouble."

She paused, her gaze seemingly returning to that day.

"So I found an excuse to leave the crowd and hide at the foot of Plum Blossom Cliff, in a secluded place. I thought I would quietly come back after the martial arts test was over and the crowd had dispersed."

Jiao Si's brows twitched slightly upon hearing this.

Ping'er continued, her tone tinged with disbelief.

"Unexpectedly, in a secluded, sheltered spot at the foot of the cliff, I encountered a young monk..."