For the first time since Liu Tián Qǔ began training, she missed a day of training. However, Liu Tián Qǔ was in too good of a mood to be bothered by it.
Although Liu Tián Qǔ had got not one bit of sleep the night before. She felt incredibly rejuvenated. All the fatigue she had experienced the night before at the memorial was completely gone. Liu Tián Qǔ was in an extremely great mood. Spring was in the air, the flowers were blooming, the sun was shining brightly, and the weather was beautiful.
However, there was no time for Liu Tián Qǔ to sit around enjoying spring. There was much to be done.
Liu Tián Qǔ first made her way to the main kitchens to see her Head Chef and check out her new baker. She wanted to make sure that Head Chef Yin was on top of the ball.
Liu Tián Qǔ entered the front courtyard of the main kitchen just in time to see Head Chef Yin chasing someone out of his kitchen. It was a young washer maiden. This particular young washer maiden Liu Tián Qǔ had already taken note of. She was one of the people who showed deep anger and dark jealousy when Liu Tián Qǔ had announced that Hòu Dao and her assistant Lì Qiáng were going to be trained as Doctors.
'Humph, this young maiden must be dismissed from my residence before the end of the day. She appears to be too ambitious to stay here.' Liu Tián Qǔ thought to herself as she watched the washer maiden.
Liu Tián Qǔ remembered the instructions she gave the Head Chef yesterday. To chase away anyone who did not belong in the kitchens. Liu Tián Qǔ looked at the young maiden's uniform and saw she was one of the washer maidens who washed the clothing of the residents who lived in Liu Residence. Why was she trying to get into the kitchen?
Liu Tián Qǔ silent walked up behind the woman the Head Chef had chased out of the kitchen. Maybe it was because of the many dramas, movies, web novels, and books that Liu Tián Qǔ watched and read in her past life. Or perhaps it was because the young maid was showing signs of a schemer.
These were signs that Liu Tián Qǔ had long learned to detect in her past life. Liu Tián Qǔ felt nothing but bad vibes from the young maiden.
Liu Tián Qǔ clasped her hands behind her back and adopted and aura of authority and command as she waited for the young woman to turn around.
The young washer maiden had refused to leave even though she was thrown out of the main kitchen. Liu Tián Qǔ stood behind the young woman and watched the young woman as the young maiden stood fists clenched at her sides, in the front courtyard of the main kitchen watching the kitchen doors.
Running footsteps sounded behind Liu Tián Qǔ. The sound of the footsteps caused the young maiden to spin around quickly. When the young maiden saw Liu Tián Qǔ standing behind her watching her, she jumped in shock and fright.
Liu Tián Qǔ gave the young woman a look before she too turned around to see who was running up behind her. It was the Housekeeper, Zhou Yu, an older heavy set woman, and three house guards.
The young maiden turned pale with fright when she saw this. The Housekeeper, Zhou Yu, the older woman, and the guards came to a stop before Liu Tián Qǔ and bowed in greetings.
After they finished their greetings, Liu Tián Qǔ turned around to face the young washer maiden and asked, "If I am not mistaken, you are a washer. Would you like to explain to me why you are away from your post and here in the courtyard of the kitchens?"
Hearing the voices out in the front courtyard of the kitchens, Head Chef Yin came outside to see what was going on. The young maiden gaze kept flickering between Liu Tián Qǔ and the guards. She began trembling in fright. When the trembling young maiden didn't answer, Liu Tián Qǔ looked at the Head Chef and asked, "Head Chef Yin, I saw you chasing this young maiden out of the kitchen earlier. Would you like to explain to me what is going on here?"
The Head Chef came forward and bowed before saying, "To answer Young Master Liu, five days ago, this young washer maiden began hanging around the kitchens. After yesterday I began chasing her away." The chef said, giving Liu Tián Qǔ a meaningful look.
"I chased her away yesterday, but she returned today. This is the second time I chased her away for the morning. She claims she wants to help out in the kitchen," Head Chef Yin once again gave Liu Tián Qǔ a meaningfully look as he explained, "The problem with that is that she does not belong in the kitchen, so I chased her away."
"I understand," Liu Tián Qǔ nodded and said.
Liu Tián Qǔ turned around and looked at the Housekeeper. "Housekeeper Gao you're here," Liu Tián Qǔ said.
"Yes, Young Master Liu," the Housekeeper bowed.
"I saw Housekeeper Gao hurrying over with house guards, is there something wrong?"
"Yes, there is Young Master Liu. This is Supervisor Hai. She is the supervisor over the washers." Housekeeper Gao introduced the heavy set older woman who ran over with her to the kitchens.
The older woman stepped forward and bowed as she greeted Liu Tián Qǔ.
Liu Tián Qǔ nodded in acceptance of supervisor Hai greetings and to return her greetings.
The older woman then step back and allowed Housekeeper Gao to continue, "Supervisor Hai came to find me a while ago. She had been having a problem with one of her workers who kept vanishing from her post. Supervisor Hai verbally reprimanded the worker twice already. Since multiple verbal warnings didn't work, the work worker will now be beaten." Housekeeper Gao reported.
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"And just who might that person be?" Liu Tián Qǔ asked unnecessarily. Everyone standing there already knew who the person was.
"It's the young maid standing behind you," the Housekeeper gestured towards the maid.
Liu Tián Qǔ turned to the young maiden once more. The young maiden stood there extremely pale and visibly trembling in fright. Sweat had broken out on her forehead, and she had started to cry.
"I will give you one more chance to defend yourself." Liu Tián Qǔ told to the young maiden. "I want to hear what you have to say for yourself."
The trembling young maiden's eyes darted all around as she began to stutter out an answer, " I... I wanted to... I want to learn how to cook."
"Did you inform your supervisor you were interested in cooking and asked her to inquired if a transfer to the kitchen could be made for you?" Liu Tián Qǔ asked the young maid.
The young maiden's skirts were clenched in her fist as she shook her head like a rattle drum," I...I, I
"Did you speak to the Housekeeper or the Butler regarding your desire to learn how to cook?" Liu Tián Qǔ cut the maiden's stuttering off and continued to question the maiden who couldn't seem to form a proper answer.
Again the young maiden's head shook like a rattle drum. No, she didn't ask.
Looking past the maid to the Head Chef standing behind the maid. Liu Tián Qǔ ignored the kitchen staff who were all peeking out the kitchens watching the show.
Liu Tián Qǔ asked the Head Chef, "Head Chef Yin, did this young maiden make a formal request to you to be transferred to the kitchen so she could learn how to cook?"
"No, she did not, Young Master Liu, she just began popping up in the kitchens claiming she wanted to help out." The Head Chef said.
Liu Tián Qǔ looked at the young maid and said, "Is that so?"
However, the trembling crying young maiden didn't respond. Her eyes were locked on the house guards.
Liu Tián Qǔ removed her hands from behind her back and quickly bought her hands together in front of her in a loud clap to get the young maidens' attention before once again clasping her hands behind her back.
The sudden move startled young maiden, causing her to shriek and flinch back in shock and fear. Her eyes jerked over to Liu Tián Qǔ.
Seeing that she once again had the young maidens' attention, Liu Tián Qǔ said, "Good, now that I have your attention, let me see if I understand you correctly. Several days ago, you suddenly decided you wanted to learn to cook, however, instead of requesting permission from your superiors to be allowed to transfer to the kitchens.
You decided to abandon your work, ignore the warnings of your supervisor, and came to hang out in the courtyard of the main kitchens? Why didn't you go to the kitchens in the garrison and asked the chef there since Head Chef Yin chase you out of the main kitchens?" Liu Tián Qǔ suddenly asked, changing her questioning and catching the young maid off guard.
"I...I for... I forgot to ask him," The studdering young maid manage to say.
"You forgot. You claim that you want to learn to cook, but you forgot to ask?" Liu Tián Qǔ eyes, face, and voice turned ice-cold. Red flags went off in Liu Tián Qǔ's mind. Although her instincts didn't light up or scream at her, Liu Tián Qǔ still felt as if her instincts were trying to tell her something.
More importantly, it concerned Liu Tián Qǔ that the young woman didn't want to learn how to cook from the chef in the garrison, but insist on working in the main kitchen's.
Since this started five days ago, then if the young maiden had ulterior motives, it wasn't targeted at the four martial families. The young maiden was targeting me. Liu Tián Qǔ thought to herself.
Liu Tián Qǔ had carefully observed the young maiden from the moment she arrived in the front courtyard of the kitchen. She was 85% sure the young maiden was up to no good.
"Guards," Liu Tián Qǔ called for her house guards. When the house guards stepped forward and bowed, Liu Tián Qǔ asked, "Is Commander Jiang still in residence?"
"Yes, Young Master Liu. However, he is preparing to leave." One of the guards who had stepped forward said.
"Good, quickly drag this maid over to the garrison and turn her over to Commander Jiang. Her punishment is to be carried out, and she is to be questioned. I want to know why she tried to wiggle her way into the main kitchens. Housekeeper Gao, Zhou Yu, and Supervisor Hai will follow you. They are to thoroughly search the young maid well before she is turned over to the Commander." Liu Tián Qǔ commanded.
The face of the maiden blanched white when Liu Tián Qǔ ordered the young maiden to be searched confirming what Liu Tián Qǔ thought all along. That the young maiden wanted to play a game that she wasn't qualified to join.
"Yes, Young Master Liu," the guards bowed. Two guards stepped forward, they each grabbed one of the young maiden's arms and began dragging her to the garrison. By this time, the panicked young maiden had started screaming her innocence and tried to escape from the guards. However, the screaming young maiden was no match for the guard.
As Housekeeper Gao, Zhou Yu, and Supervisor Hai turned to hurry after the guards who were dragging the screaming and crying young washer maiden away. Liu Tián Qǔ grabbed Housekeeper Gao's arm, and Liu Tián Qǔ also halted Zhou Yu in her tracks.
Liu Tián Qǔ quickly said, "Follow the guards very closely, if the young maid drops anything. Or try to dispose of anything quickly retrieve it. Take it over to Doctor Ru and have him identify whatever it is the young maiden tried to dispose of. The same thing applies if you search her and find anything on her. Do you understand?"
The wise and knowledgable Housekeeper nodded her head with a knowing and understanding look in her eyes and said, "I understand, Young Master, don't worry, I will keep close watch if this situation turns into what we are suspecting. I will make sure the proper punishment is carried out. I will personally handle this matter for you, Young Master." Zhou Yu also nodded her head in understanding.
Liu Tián Qǔ quickly released them and said, "Good, now hurry and go. Quickly."
"Make sure to follow closely," Liu Tián Qǔ called after the running figures of the Housekeeper and Zhou Yu as they bolted out of the courtyard of the kitchens quickly chasing after the guards that was dragging the young washer maiden to the garrison.
The tall, stout Head Chef stood frozen near the doorway of the main kitchen. He appeared to be utterly shellshocked.
The dazed Head Chef looked at Liu Tián Qǔ and said, "You're... you're suspecting her of nefarious intentions?"
Liu Tián Qǔ turned and looked in the direction of the Head Chef. Looking past the Head Chef, she made a point of looking at the kitchen staff who had no longer made a pretense of peeking. They were now practically hanging out of the doorway of the main kitchen and the side kitchens. However, they quickly scrambled back inside when Liu Tián Qǔ's gaze, which was still ice-cold, settled on them.
Seeing that the kitchen staff understood her silent command to get back to work. After the kitchen staff scrambled back into the kitchens, Liu Tián Qǔ then looked over to the Head Chef and said, "I sincerely hope that I am overthinking things and that I can am being overly paranoid. However, that young girl gave me a bad feeling. If there is one thing that I have learned in life is to always follow my instincts. They saved me too many times for me to disregard them."
The Head Chef stood there, shaking his head. He looked as if he didn't know what to say or do. It was the top of the morning, and the day had just started. However, the chef already looked as if he was ready to end the day. The poor Head Chef look like he needed a stiff drink.