Marrying a treacherous official

Huo Xi stood on the stone steps, watching intently as the guards carried the vermilion box into the courtyard.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind:

"Why is there such a loud commotion outside in the middle of the night?"

Chunxuan peeked out from the moon gate, pretending not to know anything, and deliberately stalled for time, saying:

"What are you doing so suspiciously? And what's in those vermilion boxes?"

"The General's Military Treatise"

Caught red-handed, Huo Xi glanced warily in the direction she had come from, and only after confirming that no one was around did he calmly respond:

"The Tiger Wing Army rectified its military discipline overnight and removed the general's tent. There was nowhere to put these military books, so I moved them to the outer study."

"No wonder you're all still busy even though it's pitch black."

Chunxuan walked to the door of the outer study, peeked inside, and muttered, "The study is full of Master's books, is there any room left to store the boxes?"

Huo Xi looked at her suspiciously, increasingly sensing something was wrong. "It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Chunxuan glanced at him and said irritably, "Isn't this just me on night duty in Madam's room? I came out to check when I heard the commotion in the outer courtyard."

"Then why aren't you leaving?"

"How stupid! Are you really unaware or just pretending? You don't even know this, yet you dare to ask me."

Chunxuan pretended to be coy and didn't look at him. She turned around and saw the guards carrying two vermilion boxes into the outer study.

Huo Xi keenly heard the rustling footsteps coming from afar and immediately realized that he had almost fallen for her trick!

"Quickly, move all the boxes onto the wagon!"

The guards realized what was happening and quickly carried the box out of the outer study.

Seeing this, Chunxuan rushed forward to block the door, gripping the lattice door tightly with both hands, refusing to let go. "Don't come any closer! If anyone bumps into me, I'll make you pay!"

"I'm sorry."

After saying those words behind her, Huo Xi wrapped one arm around her waist, lifted her up, and carried her away from the doorway, urgently shouting to the guards, "Hurry up!"

The guards struggled to lift the heavy vermilion box across the threshold.

Seeing that they were about to escape, Chunxuan kicked her legs back with all her might and shouted, "Put me down!"

Huo Xi held her with one arm suspended in the air. He had already offended her, and he didn't care if he offended her even more thoroughly.

"Get in the carriage and let's go!"

"It's past midnight, what are you doing?"

Yunji arrived just in time as the vermilion box was being loaded onto the carriage. She walked steadily to the guards and issued a command with an air of authority:

"Stop it, all of you!"

Huo Xi put Chunxuan down and led the guards to kneel on the ground.

Chunxuan strode up to the lady and fiercely complained:

"Madam, I heard a commotion in the outer courtyard and came out to investigate. I saw the guards putting the master's military books into the outer study. I was thinking that if there was no room to put them in the room, we could move the boxes to Madam's accounting room for storage. But Guard Huo got anxious and insisted on taking all the vermilion boxes away."

After all, she was an "old hand" who had been by the lady's side for a long time. She had been used to being influenced by what she saw and heard every day, and when she spoke, she was so eloquent that she was absolutely flawless.

Yun Ji coldly looked at Huo Xi, who was kneeling on the ground, and asked, "What's in the box?"

Huo Xi bluntly reported, "General, you have military books in your army."

Yunji gave the order, "Open it."

"I regret that I cannot comply."

Huo Xi stood stiffly with his back straight, his inner shirt already soaked with cold sweat.

"The general's military treatise contains a large number of letters from the garrison, as well as city defense maps of various counties in the northwest. Your subordinates must strictly abide by the rules of secrecy and must not open the general's box. Please forgive me, Madam."

"Guard Huo, there's no box in Qinghui Courtyard that I can't open."

Yunji repeatedly reiterated to him, "This is not the Privy Council, nor is it the Tiger Wing Army's main tent. Once the box enters this courtyard, I will be responsible for all of your belongings."

She gave Chunxuan a wink, signaling her to open the box, then turned away from Huo Xi and said:

"If you can glean letters and maps just by glancing at the cover of the old man's military treatise, then these confidential documents shouldn't be considered secrets."

Chunxuan and her maid walked to the vermilion box and lifted the lids from the left and right sides respectively.

The chest full of gleaming silver was terrifying. Suddenly, someone's hand trembled, and the lid slid down, concealing the silver inside perfectly.

Chunxuan and her maid knelt on the ground.

Huo Xi resignedly closed his eyes, only to hear his wife give the order again:

"Carry these three vermilion boxes into the inner courtyard's accounting room."

"Your subordinate would never dare to comply."

Huo Xi pleaded with his wife, "If the general finds out that the box is not in the outer study and investigates further, he will surely blame you, Madam."

Seeing that he couldn't get around this point, Yunji slowly explained the reasoning to him.

"The contents of this box are neither in the Privy Council nor in the Tiger Wing Army, but were carried into the master's outer study. That is the master's private collection."

She advised him, "All private possessions inside the courtyard are under my jurisdiction. This is not only a rule of Qinghui Courtyard, but also something the master promised me. Why blame me?"

Huo Xi was rendered completely humiliated by her words and dared not utter a single word in rebuttal.

Yunji issued him an ultimatum:

"Either you have the guards carry the box in, or I'll have Granny Kong find some maids to carry it in. But if word gets out, you'll surely die."

Chunxuan was so frightened that tears welled up in her eyes. She looked at Huo Xi anxiously, hoping that he would quickly bow his head and admit his mistake to his wife.

Huo Xi was doomed to die anyway, so all he could do was try to keep the matter from getting out.

"I will immediately order someone to carry the crimson box into the First Madam's tent."

After Yunji returned to the inner courtyard, she had Chunxuan summon Huachao for a meeting.

She didn't rush to speak, but instead looked at the timid maid standing to the side, who dared not raise her head, and asked gently:

"What's your name?"

"My name is Xiao Kui."

"Was he a servant transferred from Beizhuang?"

"Exactly."

Seeing that the lady had spoken in this way, Hua Chao guessed what she was planning to do and said considerately:

"Xiao Kui's mother was once the hairdresser of the late Madam, and her father was once the groom of the late Madam. Later, the couple were transferred to Beizhuang and served the fields in the village with great care."

"Xiao Kui has an older brother named Yin Xiang, who is a skilled farmer and is now the head of the farmland in Xia Liangqu."

Chunxuan handed a cup of hot tea to the maid, who quickly put down the bag of roasted melon seeds she was carrying and respectfully offered the tea to the madam.

Yunji took the cup of Biluochun tea, took a small sip, and said, "If Granny Kong asks what happened last night, what will you say?"

The young maidservant, guarding the inner courtyard, couldn't possibly be unaware of what was happening there; she could only reply truthfully:

"All I know is that Master sent Guard Huo to deliver something to Madam, and Madam was very happy to receive it. I don't know anything else."

Yunji put down his teacup and said:

"From now on, your name will be Xi Kui. You will work in the room with Chun Xuan and can go out to guard the door. I have other important matters to tell them."

Xi Kui smiled, her eyes crinkling with delight at the Madam's high regard for her. "This servant obeys."