Chapter 507: Chen Zhao Extra Story (Third)_1
 

Soon after, a scream echoed from the courtyard.

I was startled and quickly ran to the doorway to investigate.

What I saw scared me half to death. My younger sister was dragging the young master of the Xiao family by his ear to the entrance.

Wei Qi was silently following behind them, looking a bit dejected.

I was confused and yelled out, “How could you be pulling on the young master’s ear?”

My sister paid no attention to me, and continued to drag the Xiao’s young master out the gate before shouting, “If you dare to do this again, I’ll break your legs!”

Wei Qi and the young master of the Xiao family then quickly ran off, heads hanging low.

I was somewhat puzzled, and seeing my sister turning toward me, I was so scared that I turned and ran.

Later I found out that my sister had been bathing when the young master of the Xiao family and Wei Qi had broken in on her.

I thought that would be the end of it, but the chief commander caught wind of the event.

That day, all the concubines watched as the young master Xiao was whipped ten times.

It was only then that I realized just how indulgent the commander had been towards my sister.

I considered myself experienced in such matters and knew that this man undoubtedly had ulterior motives.

My sister had her own courtyard. She could freely move between the inner and outer yards, but couldn’t venture beyond the mansion gates because soldiers guarded the entrance, allowing only certain people through.

Her lifestyle was also different from the others. We only received three dishes per meal, while she was served four, with two of them being meat dishes.

Also, when there was a feast, she didn’t entertain the officers like the rest of us. She only associated with a group of entertainers.

But these entertainers lived in the large, chaotic courtyard with poor food – even worse off than we concubines.

I felt worried, considering the disputes I had with her. Would there be a day when she would enact her revenge upon me?

As a result, I quietly stayed in the commander’s mansion for over a year. During this time, many concubines were sent away by the commander, and new ones were brought in.

By this time, I was one of the old-timers in the mansion. As long as I didn’t wander into the areas guarded by the soldiers, I was free to roam just like my sister.

One day, mother suddenly came to see me, saying that my younger brother, Xubao, also wanted to become an official. She wanted me to put in a good word with the commander.

I shook my head, saying the commander was not an easy man to persuade.

In reality, it had been a long time since the commander had seen me.

However, he often visited my sister, sometimes even having meals in her courtyard.

Mother was a bit upset, asking if I had grown a stiff wing (become too proud) and hence was unwilling to help.

I was in a difficult position, yet I didn’t want to be looked down upon by my family, so I said I would give it a try.

At noon, when I was sure the commander would not be around, I stealthily entered my sister’s courtyard.

Her courtyard was large with no specific plants or flowers, but there was a tall pavilion. Standing on it, one could look outside the mansion.

I looked around and saw my sister sitting silently in the pavilion, gazing outside.

I lifted my skirt and climbed onto the platform. Following her gaze, I saw a group of young military officers standing outside, all of them looking dashing and youthful.

A jolt went through my heart. Could it be that my sister had a crush on one of the military officers?

At that moment, my sister turned around and asked, “What are you doing here?”

I smiled awkwardly and sat down on a stone bench, “Mother asked me to take care of you and said she’ll send you a quilted cotton outfit when she has time.”

My sister gave a snort of laughter, turned her face away, and said nothing.

I said, “Sister, mother wants you to talk to the commander and help find Xubao a job.”

My sister replied, “I don’t have time.”

Feeling frustrated, I said, “The commander treats you so well, why won’t you just ask him? If Xubao becomes an official, won’t that bring honor to you too?”

My sister snapped, “Get lost! Don’t bother me with your family’s petty problems.”

I was furious, pointing at her, I shouted, “No wonder mother called you ungrateful, it’s true! Now that you’ve gained some status, you don’t even acknowledge your family.”

My sister coldly glared at me, making me so uncomfortable that I angrily stormed off the platform.

A few days later, several dancing girls moved into my sister’s courtyard, and a gatekeeper was stationed at the entrance.

I tried to enter but was stopped by the gatekeeper. She said, “You need to obtain the young lady’s permission first.”

Feeling helpless, I had to turn back.

By the second year, many exotic flowers from the Western Region had been planted in the mansion’s garden. The flowers were very beautiful, and we would occasionally twine them into our hair.

One day, I observed a young military officer presenting my sister with a handful of loquats, which she joyfully accepted and returned his gesture with a sweet smile.

I was thrilled and wanted to get a closer look at the officer, but he left quickly.

From then on, I began to keep a closer eye on my sister’s activities.

That’s when I noticed that she had an icy demeanor towards me, but acted very friendly towards the young, handsome officers, always greeting them with a smile.