After the Great Dao died

Chapter 5 Alive

Most of the government slaves were descendants of disgraced officials, and their status was extremely low.

In the "Great Li Commentary", their status was hereditary and perpetual, generation after generation, with almost no possibility of changing their status, and they were treated like livestock.

The law does not protect government slaves, who can be bought, sold, given away, or rewarded at will.

In many strictly regulated mansions, government slaves were strictly forbidden from having direct contact with their masters and could only do heavy labor. Even serving as maids or servants for their masters was never their turn.

Therefore, it is a grave sin to contact the Lord's house without permission.

At this moment, silvery clouds drifted down. Chen Lingxi stood outside the octagonal pavilion. Lin Longyue glanced at him only once, and several guards stepped forward from a distance, waiting for Lin Longyue's order to deal with Chen Lingxi.

Chen Lingxi gritted her teeth and lowered her head.

Lin Longyue took another sip of tea and remained silent, as if waiting for Chen Lingxi to speak.

A few breaths passed, and the government slave in the snow seemed to finally muster his courage.

"Please forgive me, Miss!" He still bowed his head, but said, "Chen Lingxi is a descendant of the Chen family from Linchuan. She is well-versed in poetry and literature and is skilled in flower arranging."

Later, because her maternal family offended the emperor, she was demoted to a government slave.

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath, letting the cold snowflakes fall into her collar. Her voice, though tinged with fear, was clear and steady:

"The official slaves were confined to the back room for about two years, and dared not overstep the bounds in the slightest."

However, while clearing the snow yesterday, I happened to see the old locust trees in the garden, the winter plum blossoms defying the frost, and the white calyxes covered with snow. They were born in the bitter cold but their spirit remained undiminished, which perfectly matched the spirit of "the steadfast and strong cypress, which is only seen in the cold of winter" in the "Ode to Snow".

I have also heard that Miss and Princess are fond of flower arranging, so I have dared to gather herbs from the garden and use damp clay as a base to try making this vase... Not to offend, but simply because I feel that the vitality of nature is eternal, and I wish to offer my humble skill to your esteemed presence.

He paused slightly, his voice lowering, but each word was clear:

"The official slave knew his lowly status and dared not deny the crime of offense, but..."

He suddenly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the swirling snowflakes to meet those cold eyes in the pavilion:

"Did you examine the white calyx closely, Miss?"

Lin Longyue raised an eyebrow and finally looked at him.

Chen Lingxi continued, "The white calyx grows under the snowdrift in the corner of the wall. Its stem is as thin as a hair, and its petals are as thin as a cicada's wing. To the average person, it is nothing more than a wild grass."

Yet its roots are firmly planted three feet deep in the frozen soil, unyielding even when covered in snow, and unbreakable by the wind—this morning, my servant saw it while brushing away the snow; the flower buds were still green. This humble creature, however, has stirred within me a spirit of struggle.

He was silent for a moment, but then seemed to have made up his mind: "As a government slave, I am destined to die."

Since flower arranging offers a glimmer of hope, like white calyxes falling on snow... I might as well give it a try.

At this point, Chen Lingxi suddenly stopped speaking, and simply bowed her head deeply: "Lingxi, please punish me, Miss."

The pavilion was quiet for a moment.

The charcoal crackled, while the snow fell silently.

Lin Longyue put down her teacup, the bottom of which touched the stone table with a very soft "tap".

Her gaze swept over the guards who were bowing and standing in the distance, and then fell back on Chen Lingxi.

"You do have some literary talent." Her voice was still cold, but it had lost some of the biting chill from before: "Using plants and trees to symbolize integrity, and using humble origins to express unyielding spirit, no wonder the princess likes those vases, and says that the noble ladies in the palace would also like them."

She stood up, her crimson cloak brushing against the stone bench, and slowly walked to the pavilion.

The sunlight reflected off her face, and her fair complexion revealed a faint hint of amusement.

"The Chen family of Linchuan... I know, only a few members remain in the entire family." She tilted her head slightly: "Your father, Chen Yanzhi, once served as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. He composed 'Ode to the Winter Plum' at the Qionglin Banquet, and the Emperor himself praised it as 'admirable for its pure and noble character,' isn't that right?"

Chen Lingxi stiffened: "...Yes."

"Then do you know..." Lin Longyue's gaze suddenly sharpened like a knife: "A mere government slave cannot be said to have noble character, much less be said to be unyielding."

Chen Lingxi remained silent for a moment, then whispered, "The official slave knows."

"Knowing this, why take the risk?"

Chen Lingxi raised his face, and snowflakes landed on his eyebrows and eyelashes, turning into tiny, sparkling water droplets.

"Because this servant wants to live."

His voice was soft, yet exceptionally frank: "Steward Zhao used government slaves to test medicine. Of the eleven government slaves, only two remain. There is no other way. If they do not seek to live, Chen Lingxi will surely die when Steward Zhao returns."

Lin Longyue stared at him.

A few moments later, she suddenly stood up, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

She stepped out of the octagonal pavilion, stood before Chen Lingxi, and looked at him intently: "You know that I don't get along with my elder brother?"

Chen Lingxi remained silent.

Lin Longyue asked again, "Do you know that I have always disliked Zhao Yong?"

"Do you know that within the Baosu Marquis's residence, only I can spare your life?"

Chen Lingxi remained silent throughout.

Lin Longyue was half a head shorter than Chen Lingxi, but she seemed to be looking down at Chen Lingxi: "She's just a mere government slave, living in the back room of the North Courtyard, and usually only comes into contact with the lowest-ranking people in the Marquis's mansion, yet she can see so much..."

"Moreover, you have a talent for flower arranging... and even... when Princess Wu Zheng, the bodyguard, used his Silver Bone technique to intimidate you, you were able to break free... This proves that your aptitude is also excellent, and you can learn martial arts!"

"Indeed, a rare and valuable government slave!"

Her tone seemed to contain a hint of appreciation, and several guards not far away quietly retreated a few steps.

They probably thought Lin Longyue would no longer deal with Chen Lingxi.

But in the next instant, Lin Longyue's face suddenly turned frosty, and her blood and qi surged like a tide!

A faint red glow could be seen flowing beneath the skin of the back of her hand, like molten copper flowing in her veins.

The icy air drifted down and landed around her, only to dissipate completely!

An intense pressure fell on Chen Lingxi!

"You're just making unfounded assumptions about me. How can you know... I won't kill you!"

The young lady from the Marquis's mansion had murderous intent in her eyes.

Chen Lingxi took a deep breath...

"Because Miss aspires to manage the household!"

Facing the surging killing intent in Lin Longyue's eyes, Chen Lingxi's back was taut as a bowstring, yet she uttered a startling remark!

"If Miss wants to kill me, it's merely crushing an ant, but even an ant has some use!"

"If you spare me today, I may gain some assistance in the future; but if you kill me, it will only be to see some filth and stain the snow in front of the pavilion."

The wind whipped up snowflakes, which rushed into the pavilion, and the charcoal fire crackled.

Lin Longyue's qi and blood slowly converged, and the crimson light gradually faded.

"You do have some courage." She turned and stepped into the pavilion, her sleeve brushing against the stone table as she picked up a teacup. "From today onwards, you will move out of the back room and temporarily reside in the servants' quarters in the west courtyard. I will give you a courtyard so you can arrange your flowers. As for Zhao Yong, you don't need to concern yourself with him."

Send a vase of flowers to our institute every three days; the style must be new and the meaning must be clever.

Chen Lingxi relaxed his shoulders and bowed, saying, "This servant obeys."

Lin Longyue paused, her gaze falling on the gradually calming snow outside the pavilion. Her voice remained clear and cold, but now carried an undeniable air of authority: "Besides that... I grant you permission to go to the Martial Arts Academy and have He Duan, the Imperial Envoy, select a martial arts manual for you. You may begin to study it on your own."

I want to see if you truly have any talent in martial arts. If you are worthy of cultivation, I might be able to find a way out for you in the future.

Upon hearing this, Chen Lingxi's heart skipped a beat. He suppressed his surging joy and bowed deeply, saying, "Miss Xie!"

Overjoyed, he immediately thought of Liu Changle, who was still trapped in the back room and shared the same plight as him.

If it weren't for Liu Changle's care during these two years, even if he hadn't died, his life would have been much more difficult.

Two days ago, Liu Changle was still preparing medicine and taking care of him.

Taking advantage of Lin Longyue's seemingly still-comfortable mood, Chen Lingxi mustered her courage, raised her head, and began to speak: "Miss, this servant has another request... Please come to the room..."

That's enough.

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Longyue interrupted him mercilessly.

She turned around, her gaze sweeping over Chen Lingxi like an icy blade, the faint hint of easing from before completely gone.

"Chen Lingxi, you must remember your place. I have already made an exception by giving you a chance to live. You are not in a position to ask for more now."

Her tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority: "Do what I tell you to do, prove your worth, and put your other thoughts aside for now."

After saying this, Lin Longyue stopped looking at him and said to the maid waiting outside the pavilion, "Take him to the west courtyard to settle down. Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), take him to the martial arts academy."

He then waved his hand, signaling him to step back.

Chen Lingxi swallowed back the words she was about to say.

As the snowfall subsided, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds, adding a touch of brightness.

Lin Longyue stood up, draped in the crimson cloak, and walked into the depths of the corridor.

Halfway there, she seemed to suddenly remember something and said to the maid following behind her, "Send some tea and snacks to our guest, Mr. Jiang Yuan. Don't neglect him."

The two walked away.

Chen Lingxi looked towards the west courtyard and slowly exhaled a breath of white air.

In the distance, the sound of the evening drum echoed from the bell tower, its deep, resonant echoes sweeping across the Marquis's residence.

He still felt pain in his internal organs, but the chill of impending death finally dissipated.

-

Back in the north courtyard's rear room, Liu Changle seemed to still be working and had not yet returned.

The maids from the west courtyard were waiting outside the door.

Chen Ling looked around the house where she had lived for about two years, but found that there was nothing she could take with her.

He wanted to leave a letter for Liu Changle, but there was no paper or pen in the room.

After a moment's thought, Chen Ling poured out the ashes from the incense burner and piled them into three characters...

"Live on."