TKTWC 04

Chapter 04

Ill Intentions

After Governor Liu left, Madam Qian hurried to comfort her daughter: “Your father was just trying to scare you. If you don’t meet the right person for now, we won’t force you to marry.”

“I know.” Liu Yi also knew her father wouldn’t be so unreasonable, but she could vaguely sense his attitude.

Since childhood, her father had doted on her—letting her disguise herself as a boy, improve the farmland, and build irrigation works, indulging all her unconventional pursuits. But that was because he was the Governor of Yuyang Commandery, the master of the region. Everything his daughter did was under his protection.

But now that war had broken out, he felt he could no longer keep her safe. So before leaving, he wanted to place her in the hands of someone he deemed stronger and more capable—someone else to protect her.

Even if he wasn’t forcing her to marry, in essence, he was still handing her from one man to another.

Liu Yi had complicated feelings about this… Of course she wouldn’t blame her father for it, but she was destined to disappoint his good intentions.

Making an excuse to take her leave from her mother, Liu Yi crossed the courtyard and headed back to her room, intending to take care of some matters at hand.

For the past two years, she had spent an hour or two every afternoon recording the memories and knowledge from her previous life.

Over time, even the most profound memories would fade. Recalling them daily also helped her stay connected to her past life.

Lost in thought, she suddenly heard some clanking metallic sounds ahead—

Liu Yi instinctively looked up. To her shock, a troop of soldiers in chainmail, bearing weapons, was boldly marching into her family’s courtyard in broad daylight!

The leader was over eight chi tall, large and sturdy, directing his men: “You few, search over there.”

Liu Yi realized in an instant—these were the supervising officers her father had just mentioned, sent to transport the grain!

But shouldn’t they be at the government office with her father? Why had they come to her family’s inner courtyard, and why were they searching?

Without a moment’s hesitation, Liu Yi blocked the way in front of those soldiers and shouted sternly.

“Who goes there! This is the inner courtyard of the Commandery Governor’s residence, where the ladies reside. You may not trespass!”

The leader turned his head at the sound of her voice.

He appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties, with not a hair out of place and a neatly trimmed mustache—giving off an impression of being both young and seasoned, clearly a minor officer.

“Family members?” His gaze unabashedly swept over Liu Yi from head to toe, finally stopping at her face. “Your clothes are rather plain.”

Then he nodded toward the men behind him, gesturing in the direction behind Liu Yi: “Search over there.”

Not a shred of hesitation at all!

“Who dares!” Liu Yi immediately snapped off a slender tree branch at hand, using it as a blade, and thrust it toward those men.

Whoever took a step forward, she thrust a step toward them.

The soldiers clearly hadn’t expected Liu Yi to be so fierce right off the bat, and they were momentarily stunned.

After all, she was a family member of the governor. Without a direct order to forcibly enter, they didn’t dare act rashly.

The mustached man finally fell silent too, only staring at her with a sinister gaze.

The two sides remained locked in a standoff—

They didn’t identify themselves, and Liu Yi pretended not to know who they were.

She was confident there was nothing incriminating in the residence, but since they wanted to search, they surely had ill intentions. She couldn’t just let them have their way!

“Master He!”

She heard a call from afar—it was Governor Liu, hurrying over with several people, out of breath.

He came up and smiled apologetically at the mustached man: “Your subordinate was on his way to the government office when I heard that Master He had arrived at my humble home first. I turned my carriage around immediately and came back, but I still missed you!”

Then he pointed at Liu Yi: “This is my unworthy son, young and ignorant. Please forgive him, Master He.”

Liu Yi immediately seized the opportunity to back down. Before Master He could make an issue of it, she dropped the branch and performed a deep, humble bow.

“This junior failed to recognize a great figure. Please forgive me, Master He!”

“Get down now, what trouble are you children causing!” Governor Liu scolded.

“Yes, sir!”

The two played along in tandem. Liu Yi played the deferential role and took the chance to retreat into the inner courtyard, vaguely hearing her father talking about hosting a welcoming banquet for Master He.

She didn’t dare waste a moment. She took a detour to find her mother, briefly explained the situation, and asked her mother to help hide all the valuables in the house.

From that brief encounter, Master He had commented on her clothing and mentioned searching—so she guessed he was after evidence of corruption.

But heaven knew her father was truly not a corrupt official. Aside from the occasional chicken or fish sent by villagers to thank Liu Yi, he had never accepted anything.

Even during the once-every-several-years “Filial and Incorrupt” selection, when people lined up to send gifts to the residence, he never took a single coin from anyone. In the late Han, when corruption was rampant, he was truly a breath of fresh air.

Why would anyone suspect him? Was someone framing him? Liu Yi couldn’t judge for now.

Still, her father was an official with a salary of two thousand dan of grain—his income was substantial, and he did have some small hobbies that cost money.

Normally no one would care, but if someone wanted to nitpick, it could be used against him. So she asked her mother to temporarily hide those things.

“I understand.” Madam Qian also came from a prominent local family and understood immediately. She set to work right away.

They split up. Liu Yi went to her room to hide some things that shouldn’t exist in the Eastern Han.

She had barely finished putting them away when the door was roughly pushed open—

“Searching by order!” Several soldiers strode in. This time, they must have received clear orders—no longer something Liu Yi could stop with a single branch. They rudely used their long swords to flip open her bookcases and jab under her bed!

In no time, the entire room was ransacked.

Outside, of course, was even more chaotic. Who knew how many men had come? Besides the rooms of Liu Yi’s family, the servants’ and maids’ quarters were also searched.

Footsteps, screams, and door-smashing sounds rang out one after another!

“Run! The residence is being raided!”

“…The soldiers are coming to arrest us and chop off our heads!”

The servants jostled and pushed each other, all trying to rush toward the door.

Most of them had worked peacefully in the residence their whole lives and had never seen such a scene.

Liu Yi quickly climbed to a high spot, grabbed a flowerpot by the corridor, and smashed it heavily to the ground.

The pot exploded with a loud “smack!” as shards of clay scattered in all directions. The panicked crowd finally stopped, staring blankly at her.

“It’s just a routine search. Everyone, don’t panic.” Liu Yi’s voice was low and steady as her gaze swept over the crowd.

“Even if something really happened, I, Liu Yi, promise you that it will not involve any of you.”

“Now, everyone stay calm. After the search is over, go back to your rooms and rest. Unless necessary, do not go out tonight.”