Chapter 2: The Duke’s Daughter Can Hear Thoughts

The Duke of Song’s Mansion

A home of wealth and luxury, where gold, silver, money, and silk were as common as dirt, it was something that a farmer’s son who had lived a life of poverty could never imagine.

The enormous courtyard, the long stone steps, Xun Li finally understood the feeling of Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden.

Big! It was truly so big!

“You will live here from now on, bathe three times a day, and make sure that not a speck of dust touches the floor, understand?”

Entering the main hall, Song Zisu leaned down and smiled faintly at Xun Li.

Song Zisu had to admit that Xun Li was a rare beauty, if he wasn’t the Crown Princess’s spy, Song Zisu would have really considered executing him on the spot!

“Then… can we eat now?” Xun Li tilted his long, white neck, he was only concerned about whether he could eat his fill, he didn’t care about being a bed warmer anymore.

Song Zisu’s snow-white face turned black, “…”

Was he really the Crown Princess’s spy? He looked like a vixen, but he sounded so silly?

Xun Li was also suspicious: He had heard them say that the Song family had boundless influence in the court, and Song Zisu, the eldest daughter, was even more powerful, commanding an army of tens of thousands!

But how come she wouldn’t even let him eat breakfast, was she a Taurus, a stingy iron rooster?

Song Zisu was speechless at Xun Li’s gradually disappointed gaze, she, the General Zisu, had never been looked down upon by anyone, “Go change your clothes, the servants will naturally lead you to eat.”

At the same time, a white light shot out from the stone lion outside the door, entering Song Zisu’s brow and disappearing.

“Oh~” Xun Li was unenthusiastic, he had to wait a while? It seemed that the eldest daughter of the Song family wasn’t very kind to her maids.

“Hmm? Who’s talking?” Song Zisu watched Xun Li’s back as he walked further and further away, the voice in her head also faded away.

In a short while, the guard came in.

Song Zisu: “Have you investigated?”

Guard: “I have investigated, Xun Li is just a commoner’s son, not the Crown Princess’s spy, and he has no connection to the officials.”

As the guard finished his report, he made a gesture of slitting his throat to Song Zisu, “Should I have my men take care of him?”

Song Zisu waved her hand, casually saying: “No, let him be a bed warmer.”

The guard didn’t understand, wasn’t his mistress averse to men? When did she become interested in maids?

After the guard left, Song Zisu stayed in the main hall, reviewing the battle reports from the border that the scouts had sent.

“The Emperor has only been on the throne for three years, the border is still unsettled, but now she is summoning all the generals back to the capital to discuss the issue of granting fiefdoms and titles, it’s a bit too hasty.” Song Zisu muttered to herself, not treating Xun Li, who was back to sweep the floor, as an outsider.

To be precise, she treated him as a person.

The birds are gone, the good bow is hidden away, the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked; isn’t this a simple truth? The old Emperor wants to take back the power of her sisters who fought for her kingdom!

Taking back their power is a small matter, I bet she’ll be even more ruthless in the future when she settles the score!

The voice in her head rang out again, Song Zisu was shocked!

What! The Emperor wants to use the granting of titles to kill her loyal subjects? Even though there are countless examples throughout history of powerful ministers being executed, Song Zisu didn’t want to believe that the Emperor, who had been her comrade-in-arms for over a decade, would kill her sisters!

Xun Li paused as he held the cleaning cloth, he noticed Song Zisu’s unusual behavior, but he didn’t think much of it.

What’s wrong with the eldest daughter of the Song family? Could it be that she has figured something out, and realized the Emperor’s sinister intentions?

In my opinion, even if the Emperor is a fool and doesn’t settle the score with her old loyal subjects, her descendants will have to do it to secure their throne! Either they surrender their power and show their loyalty, or they are falsely accused and their entire families are executed!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Outside the Duke of Song’s Mansion, a sudden clap of thunder echoed!

Song Zisu could no longer remain calm! If the voice in her head was telling the truth, the current Emperor would make her, Song Zisu, the first to fall!

And the assassins she had encountered these past few days, they might not have been sent by the Crown Princess, but by the Emperor herself!

“Hmm? Hmm…” Song Zisu suddenly walked over to Xun Li, who was lying prostrate on the ground, and said nothing.

What are you looking at me for? I’m working, aren’t I? Could it be that the eldest daughter of the Song family is hungry and saw the bun in my arms?

“Here…” Xun Li handed the large meat bun in his arms to Song Zisu, his face pained.

Xun Li was used to being hungry, he was thinking of having it as a midnight snack to fill his stomach!

Is it him? Isn’t he just a farmer’s son who’s a maid? How can he have such insight?

Song Zisu took the bun, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and began to eat it.

“Next time, don’t hide your food, the Duke’s Mansion has plenty of money, we don’t lack the food for you maids.” Song Zisu said as she ate, unwilling to share even a bite with Xun Li, leaving him to stare longingly.

“Oh…” Xun Li’s impression of Song Zisu was set, unchangeable!

You have plenty of money, but you don’t even eat breakfast yourself! You’re stingy, and you like to act cool!

If Song Zisu hadn’t been holding back, she would have almost spat out a mouthful of blood and executed Xun Li on the spot!

“The Huns are rampant now, harming the people’s livelihood on the border, I don’t know what to do.” Song Zisu silently walked back to her desk, and this sentence was naturally said to Xun Li on purpose.

The Huns can plunder the resources of the Central Plains, it’s simply because their cavalry is fast, the Central Plains soldiers either can’t defeat them, or they can defeat them but can’t catch them.

But if you really want to solve the problem at its root, there are three ways: 1. Relocate the people to the border; 2. Send grain to the border; 3. Build the Great Wall.

But it would be a huge project that would require a lot of manpower and resources, and it would need to be done gradually.

Song Zisu thought she would get some suggestions, but she didn’t expect to get the solution to the problem directly!

“Good!” Song Zisu laughed heartily, even though it wasn’t the gentle and watery tenderness of a woman from Earth, it still made Xun Li’s eyes widen.

I have to say, this eldest daughter of the Song family is truly beautiful, much prettier than some of the pretentious “little fairies.”

But Song Zisu was unhappy… Beautiful? Pretty? Aren’t these words used to describe men? Could it be that Xun Li’s hometown has a custom of not distinguishing between men and women?

Before Song Zisu could think further, the Emperor’s edict summoning her to the palace arrived!

“General Song has been guarding the border for many years, I am very pleased, now I have obtained a delicacy from the Western Regions, thinking of General Song, I specially invite you to the palace to drink together!” “By Imperial Decree!” The eunuch’s shrill voice grated on Xun Li’s ears, but Song Zisu was used to it.

“General Song, please!” The eunuch stood by the carriage, waiting respectfully.

Song Zisu didn’t rush to leave, she stood up straight, came to Xun Li’s side, and pinched his delicate and soft cheek: “Wait for me to come back!”

“Hahaha!”

The carriage drove away, Xun Li’s face was like a bitter gourd.

What’s wrong with the eldest daughter of the Song family? What are you waiting for me to come back for? Are you going to steal my bun again?

Song Zisu, who could still hear Xun Li’s thoughts in the carriage, coughed awkwardly.

“Miss, what’s wrong?” The guard asked with concern.

Song Zisu rubbed her forehead: “Nothing, it’s probably because it’s cold, I should put on more clothes.”

The guard was confused, she only knew that the Duke’s Mansion had a new bed warmer, and her mistress had become strange.