"I absolutely did not mean to offend Madam. I beg Madam's forgiveness!"
Zhen Zhu knelt on the ground, her back trembling slightly with fear.
Her explanation was so complete that Feng Jin could find no fault with it for the moment.
"Madam, for the sake of her filial piety, please forgive her this once."
Granny Sun also stepped forward to persuade her, her face full of shrewd calculation.
Speaking a few kind words at this moment should easily earn her favor and trust from others. Granny Sun was truly a social butterfly, a talent Feng Jin found difficult to match.
After a pause, Feng Jin said faintly, "While it was a display of filial piety, this inn is a place for officials and nobles to rest. By releasing the wish lantern, you have caused offense. Even if it is excusable, a punishment is still necessary. Given your commendable filial piety, I shall punish you by having you replace all the water in the pond."
"This shall also serve to send away all the bad luck you brought, and atone for your sins."
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd below erupted in discussion, with a majority saying Feng Jin was deliberately making things difficult, and that replacing all the water in the pond was an impossible task.
"Your servant obeys." Zhen Zhu replied in a flat tone, her emotions undetectable.
With the matter settled, Feng Jin saw no reason to linger and rose to leave.
"Young Madam, how can one person change all the water in a pond? And for her, a young lady, it is even more difficult."
Cai Qing also felt that the task was simply impossible. How could one person clean out all the water in a pond?
This was clearly deliberate torment, though she dared not say such words in front of Feng Jin.
"If it were easy to do, why would I have her do it? Besides, water is formless. Whether it has been changed or not, no one will know."
"So, if even you yourself cannot determine if it has been done, and you send that palace maid to change the pond water, how are we to know if she did it?"
A pond full of water is right there. Who can tell if it is the original water or not?
If she didn't change the water and insisted that she had, they wouldn't be able to discern the truth.
Then, wouldn't the punishment the young madam devised be useless and ineffective?
If it were up to her, it would be better to punish the palace maid by having her clean every corner of the inn. After all, something that can be seen with the eyes is simpler and prevents her from cheating or slacking off.
"How do you know I can't tell if she changed the pond water?"
"Ah... Young Madam, you've confused me."
Her mind was now filled with water and ponds. She was utterly bewildered, unable to grasp what Feng Jin was trying to say.
"You're so foolish! I've been teaching you for so long, why can't you grasp it? Don't tell me spending time with Lu Shi lately has made you dumber."
After all the effort to make her slightly smarter, she hoped Lu Shi hadn't made her regress. That would mean all her teaching was in vain.
"Young Madam, please stop teasing your servant."
"Later, you will go to the pond and watch. However, you are only to watch for half an hour, then you must leave, and no one else is allowed to go near. Do you understand?"
Cai Qing nodded blankly. Although she didn't understand the purpose of the young madam's instructions, she believed that everything the young madam did was right. It was simply that she was too foolish to comprehend it.
After acknowledging the order, Cai Qing went to the pond to keep watch...
...
"Slap..." A crisp slap echoed loudly in the silent room.
The half of Zhen Zhu's face that had been struck immediately swelled and reddened. She knelt there, her expression calm, as if it were not she who had just been hit.
"You are truly muddled. I thought you were the smartest among them, but I didn't expect you to be so foolish. This is the inn of Eastern Chu. Before we arrived, I repeatedly warned you to be extremely cautious before reaching the capital of Eastern Chu and to avoid causing any trouble!"
"But there, first Cui'er and those three wretched girls tried to escape and were caught. If I hadn't decisively executed them, all of you would have died. And you still dared to secretly light wish lanterns for them. If you had been exposed, your death would have been well-deserved!"
Granny Sun was furious. If they weren't on Eastern Chu territory now, where every move was controlled by others, she would have already dealt with Zhen Zhu.
"Granny, please forgive me. It was my foolishness... Please forgive me this once."
Zhen Zhu was so terrified that she kowtowed several times. Soon, a large patch on her forehead became red and swollen.
"Enough, get up!" Granny Sun waved her hand dismissively, "Eastern Chu has already dealt with this matter. If I punish you again, I will give them grounds for gossip. You will go and accept the punishment as stated."
As things stood, Granny Sun had no reason to punish Zhen Zhu further. She could only let her go and do as previously instructed.
However, that punishment was not a simple one. It might teach Zhen Zhu a lesson and prevent her from making such mistakes in the future.
"Your servant obeys."
After agreeing, Zhen Zhu staggered to her feet and retreated.
"Sister Zhen Zhu."
As soon as she stepped outside, Zhen Zhu heard a hushed voice calling her. She looked around and saw a corner of clothing peeking out from behind a pillar. She moved closer.
"Xiao Qi, why are you here?"
"Sister Zhen Zhu, you're finally out. I've been waiting here for a long time and you wouldn't come out. I thought I would never... never see you again!"
Xiao Qi was the youngest among them and the most innocent-hearted.
"It's alright, Xiao Qi, don't cry. I'm out now," Zhen Zhu said gently, her voice softening as she comforted Xiao Qi.
"I... I was just afraid you would never come back, like Sister Cui'er."
Of them all, Cui'er and Zhen Zhu were the ones she cared about most. Now that Sister Cui'er was back, she didn't want to lose Sister Zhen Zhu as well.
The mention of Cui'er sent a sharp pang through Zhen Zhu's heart. She reached out and pulled Xiao Qi into a hug. "Let's go back."
"Sister, I'll help you change the pond water. It will take you a very, very long time alone. If we do it together, it will be faster."
"Xiao Qi, if you help me and we get caught, you'll be punished too. 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 follow you."
"Then... alright!"
She couldn't bear to refuse Xiao Qi any longer, so she allowed her to stay by her side. "But you must remember, no helping, understand?"
"I understand." Xiao Qi nodded.