When the strength of the enemy and his side was greatly disparate, Yi Qing gave up the futile resistance and chose to cooperate.
After leaving the city, Deng Xiao seemed to heave a sigh of relief. He squatted down and groped on the bottom board of the carriage. Without knowing which mechanism he had opened, he took out a bundle and threw it into Yi Qing's arms. "Change into this!"
Yi Qing opened the bundle. Inside was a set of dark blue coarse cotton clothes that were about five or six - tenths new. It seemed that only a girl from a poor family would wear such clothes.
"Change your clothes and let your hair down," Deng Xiao said. "You're now the maid I've bought. Got it?"
Yi Qing thought, "I know shit!"
It was really uncomfortable for her to wear someone else's clothes for no reason and pretend to be a maid.
But when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Yi Qing unfolded the clothes and then began to undo the five - bat - patterned buttons on her collar.
Jushuang was greatly shocked and quickly pressed down her hand. "Madam, you..."
"It's okay," Yi Qing said calmly.
"Then, you get out!" Jushuang looked at Deng Xiao.
"He has nowhere to go and doesn't dare to get off the carriage," Yi Qing said as she had already undone two buttons.
Not to mention that Deng Xiao was a eunuch. Even if he were a man, in such a situation, was there any room for her to bargain?
In the face of life safety, what did reputation matter?
Deng Xiao stared at Yi Qing's actions with a half - smile. He stared until she finished changing. Seeing that Yi Qing remained calm from beginning to end without showing the slightest embarrassment, a look of admiration flashed in his eyes. "Yi Qing, you're really something."
"Thank you for the compliment. I think so too. If I were a man, I would have fallen in love with myself long ago."
It's a pity it's useless on you, a dead eunuch.
Deng Xiao was stunned for a moment and then burst out laughing. "Interesting, really interesting. I originally thought that Xiao Jinghan's death was a pity. Now seeing you, I feel even more pity."
"You think Xiao Jinghan's death is a pity? As the emperor's confidants, don't you want him dead so that no one will compete with you for the emperor's favor?"
Deng Xiao said, "The premise of competing for favor is that the country and its mountains and rivers still exist."
Although he might have stained his hands with blood and harmed countless people, he wouldn't take the initiative to provoke someone like Xiao Jinghan, who was the backbone of the country.
Yi Qing nodded. "Well said. I didn't expect that you could see things more clearly than many so - called gentlemen. You're a... true villain."
Deng Xiao laughed again.
He didn't realize that he had laughed almost as much today as he had in a whole year before.
Yi Qing made him re - define and re - examine women. It turned out that not all women were the kind he hated.
"Happy?" Yi Qing raised her eyebrows.
"Not bad," Deng Xiao nodded.
"Then can I make a request?"
"No."
"Okay." Yi Qing leaned against the side wall of the carriage again and pretended to sleep with her eyes closed.
Deng Xiao said, "You can plead with me. Maybe I'll agree."
Yi Qing said calmly, "I'm afraid my son will worry about me since I've disappeared like this. If it's convenient, could you let me write a note for him?"
"Is he really Xiao Jinghan's son?" Deng Xiao suddenly asked.
Yi Qing was speechless.
Why did everyone doubt this!
"Do you think the emperor is a fool?" she said expressionlessly with a wooden face.
"I don't think the emperor is a fool. I just think that you might be able to deceive the world. If you were to fake it, I believe you could make it so real."
"Thank you for the compliment," Yi Qing couldn't help rolling her eyes. "He's Xiao Jinghan's son."
If you don't believe it, go and ask him! Go to hell, you dead eunuch!
"So he's really his son. That's so boring."
Yi Qing was so angry that she closed her eyes and ignored Deng Xiao.
Deng Xiao took out the Four Treasures of the Study from somewhere. He also made a small table rise from the bottom board of the carriage and said coldly, "Write. Don't try to play any tricks! I don't want to use those methods of the Jinyiwei on you. After all, you're quite interesting and to my taste."
"Beautiful faces are all alike, but an interesting soul is one in a million," Yi Qing said.
You can't appreciate even the most beautiful women, so you can only appreciate interesting ones. Humph.
She held the pen, thought for a while, and then drew a picture.
Deng Xiao looked down and didn't understand. He frowned and said, "Didn't you say you were writing a letter? Don't try to fool me and use this way to pass on information!"
Yi Qing said, "I'm illiterate. Do you think that since we got in this carriage, apart from knowing who you are, I know any information that can be passed on?"
Deng Xiao said, "Explain it to me. What does it all mean!"
Yi Qing pointed at the simple - drawn figure on it. "Me! Smiling."
Deng Xiao stared at it. "It's not you. She has no hair."
Yi Qing said, "I was too lazy to draw it. The meaning is there."
Deng Xiao pointed at the thing beside it. "What's this?"
"A stool. It's a homophone for 'wait'. Altogether, it means telling him to wait for me." Knowing that Deng Xiao would surely ask clearly, she pointed at the house beside it. "The General's Mansion. Wait for me to go home. This is a broken bowl. Every time I break a bowl, I would say 'broken bowl, may you be safe', so it means 'wait for me to go home. I'm safe'. Any more questions?"
Deng Xiao said, "It's quite unique. Since you're illiterate, why don't you let me write for you?"
"I'm illiterate, but doesn't my son know that? What's the difference between you writing for me and someone else writing for me? How would he know it was really written by me?"
Deng Xiao was impressed by this unique way of passing on information. He nodded. "Okay, I'll grant your request."
If anyone could crack this secret signal, he would kneel to them!
He folded Yi Qing's letter, gave a few instructions to the coachman, and had someone send it out.
"Okay, I've granted your request. Now it's your turn to help me."
"Go on. What do you want me to do as a maid?"
Deng Xiao's face darkened, and a fierce look of killing flashed in his eyes. "Because my mother has been drugged!"
Yi Qing's first reaction was that Deng Xiao even had a mother?
No, to be precise, he actually still recognized his mother?
Generally speaking, those who were sent to the palace to be castrated basically had no family. They took this path only when they couldn't survive. After all, physical mutilation was considered a lifelong curse here. No one would take this path unless they had no other choice.
Among the few who had families, they would sever ties with their families out of resentment after entering the palace.
Deng Xiao, with his vengeful character, still recognized his relatives after becoming wealthy and was so nervous. This really surprised Yi Qing.
"Is this the reason why you fled from the capital?" Yi Qing suppressed her thoughts and asked calmly.
"Yes," Deng Xiao gritted his teeth. "She took advantage of my mother's kindness to get close to her, then kidnapped her and drugged her. She threatened me with my mother and forced me to make it seem like I had disappeared and defected."
"Do you know that if the emperor blames you..."
"I can't care about that," Deng Xiao said. "My mother is my only relative! So she can't have any mishaps. If you can help me save my mother, I'll owe you a favor. You can order me around once in the future."