Chapter 508: Chen Zhao Extra Story (Third)_2
 

I saw no less than three young officers were infatuated with her, often sending her gifts, all of which she accepted.

But she was extremely against Wei Qi, because whenever he saw her accepting gifts from the military officers, he would immediately mock her, his words piercingly harsh.

Whenever this happened, I would always step forward to support her, provoking her further.

Latterly, those young military officers stopped appearing, and the Commander moved his office to the outer courtyard, also decreeing that women were not allowed to go to the outer courtyard anymore.

But one time, I saw my third sister climb out over the courtyard wall again. I was curious where she was going, and how she planned to come back.

As luck would have it, the Commander was just coming in from the outer courtyard. I hurriedly told him about my third sister’s climbing over the wall.

I saw the Commander’s face change drastically. He quickly rushed into third sister’s courtyard to confirm it, then checked where she had climbed out from the wall, and then loudly called his guards to go and catch her.

I had never seen the Commander so flustered before, and I felt a pang of jealousy in my heart.

Two hours later, third sister was brought back, with one hand being held by the Commander himself, while her other hand was eating a string of sugared gourds.

I subtly examined the Commander’s face, found he looked stern, but his expression didn’t seem angry.

After that, a few more maids were added to third sister’s courtyard who followed her every step incessantly.

And the original servants and maids never reappeared after that.

Even the pre-existing dancers residing in the same courtyard were whipped as punishment.

The following autumn, the Commander was ordered to go out to fight the bandits and was away for several months.

Us concubines, having nothing to do, were playing cards in the room.

The maids and older women in the mansion also began to shirk their duties, lazing around in their rooms warming themselves by the fire and refusing to go out to guard the door.

No one knew when third sister managed to escape from the Commander’s Mansion and never returned.

When the maids realised she was missing, the entire mansion was shocked.

I was puzzled, the Commander’s mansion had had such good days, why did she insist on escaping? She really must have been out of her mind.

A month later, the commander returned to the mansion.

He was in full armor with an angry face, having part of his beard cut off, looking absolutely fierce.

The steward of the mansion was trembling in fear, kneeling on the ground as he reported the news of the dancer’s escape.

The Commander closed his eyes and contemplated for a moment, then waved his hand, calling for the steward to receive punishment outside, and then he got up and went to third sister’s courtyard where he stayed for a long time before coming out.

When he emerged, he was holding a letter, he stared at me for a long time before ordering someone to drag me away and flog me.

I was inexplicably beaten with fifty heavy strokes until I passed out, then dragged away to be healed.

After that, I was sent out of the Commander’s Mansion.

Luckily, my father had made a friend in the mansion, who had me sent to a medical clinic for treatment and notified my parents.

My parents and younger brother arrived quickly. They didn’t ask about my condition, instead, they blamed me for offending the Commander and causing him to scold my father.

They also kept asking me where third sister had gone.

How would I know where she went.

Within a year, my father was dismissed from his post, the charge being bribery and embezzlement of tax silver.

Fortunately, the amount my father embezzled was small, and he managed to fill the gap in a timely manner. Otherwise it wouldn’t just be dismissal, but exile or execution.

My parents were furious, blaming third sister for all of it, saying if she hadn’t run away, our family wouldn’t have such bad luck.

Now that he lost his position, our lives were over.

They angrily searched everywhere but couldn’t find her.

After a year passed like this, one day, eldest sister came to visit our parents and told them she’d seen third sister in Qinchuan County.

She also said that she was living lavishly in the city, accompanied by the two sons of her adoptive parents, not knowing how happy she was.

My parents were furious and immediately set out with several servants for Qinchuan County.

Eldest sister led them to third sister’s courtyard, then she stood outside and silently watched as our parents marched in.

Not long after, our parents came out. They went to the County Government and reported that their daughter had hung herself.

In cases like this, especially when parents kill their children, it’s not uncommon, the County Magistrate just let the Wuzuo inspect it, then declared it a domestic dispute, not a case.

I didn’t feel good about it and asked eldest sister why she just watched as our parents killed third sister, even if they just beat her up, they didn’t need to go that far.

Eldest sister only coldly replied, “People like her, who disobey their parents and ignore human relations, do not deserve to live.”

I looked at the gentle eldest sister, who spoke the most ruthless words, all my hairs stood on end.

Latterly, my father, under my uncle’s recommendation, joined the King’s service and became a staff member in the City King’s Mansion.