"Your servant has no intention of offending Madam. I beg Madam's forgiveness!"
Zhenzhu knelt on the ground, her back trembling slightly with fear.
Her explanation was meticulously crafted, leaving Feng Jin unable to find fault with it for the moment.
"Madam, for the sake of her filial piety, please forgive her this once," said Granny Sun, stepping forward to intercede. Her face was a mask of shrewd calculation.
Speaking a few good words at this moment would easily win favor and trust from others. Granny Sun was truly a social butterfly, a skill Feng Jin found hard to match.
After a pause, Feng Jin said faintly, "Although it stems from filial piety, this inn is a place for dignitaries to rest. You placing this prayer lamp here is an offense. Even if it's understandable, a punishment is still necessary. For the sake of your commendable filial piety, you are punished to change all the water in the pond."
"This is also to send away all the bad luck you brought and redeem your sins."
As these words were spoken, the crowd below erupted into murmurs, with a significant portion accusing Feng Jin of deliberately making things difficult, stating that changing all the pond water was an impossible task.
"Your servant obeys," Zhenzhu replied indifferently, her tone betraying no emotion.
With the matter settled, Feng Jin had no desire to linger and rose to leave.
"Young Madam, how can she change all the water in the pond? And she's just a young girl, making it even more difficult."
Caiqing also felt that the task was utterly impossible. How could one person change all the water in a pond cleanly?
This was clearly deliberate harassment, though she dared not voice these thoughts in front of Feng Jin.
"If it were easy to accomplish, why would I have her do it? Besides, water is formless. Whether it's changed or not, no one will know."
"But if Young Madam herself cannot determine if the water has been changed, and you send that palace maid to change the pond water, how would we know if she actually did it?"
A pond full of water sits there. Who can tell if it's the original water?
If she didn't change the water but insisted she did, they wouldn't be able to ascertain the truth.
Wouldn't that make Young Madam's punishment ineffective and meaningless?
If anything, she might as well have punished the maid by making her clean every corner of the inn. Tasks that could be verified at a glance would be simpler and prevent her from cheating or slacking off.
"How do you know I won't know if she changed the pond water?"
"Ah... Young Madam, you've confused me."
Her mind was now filled with water and ponds. She was completely bewildered, not understanding what Feng Jin meant.
"So stupid! I've been teaching you for so long, and you still can't grasp it. Did being with Lu Shi these past few days make you dumber?"
After all the effort to make her slightly more insightful, she hoped Lu Shi wouldn't make her regress. That would mean all her teaching was in vain.
"Young Madam, please don't tease your servant."
"You will go to the pond and watch for half an hour, then you must leave, and no one else is allowed to go there. Do you understand?"
Caiqing nodded with a blank expression. Although she didn't understand the purpose of Young Madam's instructions, she believed that everything Young Madam did was right. She was just too foolish to comprehend it.
Having agreed, Caiqing went to watch by the pond...
...
"Slap..." A crisp slap echoed sharply in the quiet room.
The half of Zhenzhu's face that was struck immediately reddened and swelled. She knelt there, her expression serene, as if it were not she who had just been hit.
"You are truly foolish. I thought you were the cleverest among them, but I didn't expect you to be so muddled. This is an Eastern Chu inn. Before we arrived, I warned you countless times to be extremely careful before reaching the capital of Eastern Chu, and not to cause even the slightest trouble!"
"But look at you. First, Cui'er and those two other wretches tried to escape and were caught. If I hadn't immediately executed them, all of you would have died. And you still dared to secretly light prayer lamps for them. If it had been exposed, your death would be too light!"
Granny Sun's face was filled with anger. If they weren't in Eastern Chu territory, where every move was subject to others, she would have dealt with Zhenzhu long ago.
"Granny, please forgive me. It was my foolishness... Please spare me this time."
Zhenzhu, terrified, kowtowed several times. Soon, a large red swelling appeared on her forehead.
"Enough, get up!" Granny Sun waved her hand dismissively, "Eastern Chu has already dealt with this matter. If I punish you further, I will be inviting criticism. Go and accept the punishment as discussed today."
With the situation as it was, Granny Sun had no reason to punish Zhenzhu further. She could only let her follow through with the earlier arrangement.
However, that punishment was not simple. It would serve to remind Zhenzhu to never make such a mistake again.
"Your servant obeys."
After agreeing, Zhenzhu staggered to her feet and retreated.
"Sister Zhenzhu."
As soon as she stepped out, Zhenzhu heard a hushed call. She looked around and saw a corner of clothing peeking out from behind a pillar. She walked over.
"Xiao Qi, why are you here?"
"Sister Zhenzhu, you're finally out. I've been waiting here for a long time and didn't see you. I thought I would never... never see you again!"
Xiao Qi was the youngest among them and the most innocent in disposition.
"It's alright, Xiao Qi. Don't cry. I'm out, aren't I?"
Zhenzhu softened her tone and gently comforted Xiao Qi.
"I... I was just afraid you'd never come back, like Sister Cui'er."
Cui'er and Sister Zhenzhu were the ones they cared about the most. Now that Sister Cui'er was back, she didn't want to lose Sister Zhenzhu.
The mention of Cui'er caused Zhenzhu's heart to clench. She pulled Xiao Qi into an embrace, "Let's go back."
"Sister, I'll help you change the water in the pond. It will take you a very, very long time by yourself. If we do it together, it will be faster."
"Xiao Qi, if I'm being punished and you help me, we'll both be discovered and punished. Haven't you learned the rules from before?"
"I... I..."
Xiao Qi lowered her head, tears welling up in her eyes. She choked out, "I... I don't want to go back alone. Sister Cui'er is gone, and I'm scared by myself. Sister, just let me stay with you."
"Then... alright!"
She couldn't bear to refuse Xiao Qi any longer, so she let her stay by her side. "But you must remember, no helping, understand?"
"I understand." Xiao Qi nodded.