Liu Tián Qǔ nodded and carefully said, "After negotiating, the Emperor granted me the leave to form a bigger Army."

Lady Wu Yǐn Rán stared a Liu Tián Qǔ with big round eyes and said, "I don't understand! Unless you are of the Imperial family, why would the Emperor allow you to form such a huge army so close to his seat of power!?"

Lady Wu Yǐn Rán grew up in a military family, she understood the possible consequence of someone being allowed to amass such a big army so close to the Imperial seat of power. The only way the Emperor would allow it is if the army was under Imperial control.

The Eldest daughter and youngest daughter's watched Liu Tián Qǔ and their mother with big wide eyes.

Liu Tián Qǔ watched Lady Wu Yǐn Rán eyes grow even wider as she said, "Unless..."

Liu Tián Qǔ quickly cut Lady Wu Yǐn Rán off and said, "Lady Wu Yǐn Rán whatever conclusions you draw. I ask that you keep them to yourself for now. When I am ready to reveal my true identity, you will know for sure who I am."

Liu Tián Qǔ knew that Lady Wu Yǐn Rán thought Liu Tián Qǔ was of the Imperial family, and that was why the Emperor allowed Liu Tián Qǔ to build such a big army so close to his seat of power. Liu Tián Qǔ felt it would be more convenient for her if Lady Wu Yǐn Rán thought this way. So she didn't try to correct the misconception that Lady Wu Yǐn Rán had that Liu Tián Qǔ was of the Imperial family.

With big wide eyes, Lady Wu Yǐn Rán nodded and said, "I understand, Young Master Liu."

Liu Tián Qǔ quickly changed the subject and said, "I would like you to find seven young ladies amoungst the servants in my Residence and take them as your apprentices. The housekeeper can help you with that matter. You will be compensated well for training these ladies. In return for training these seven ladies, I will buy you a clothes shop in the best area of the shopping district and sponsor you in getting your business up and running."

Lady Wu Yǐn Rán waved her hands and hurriedly said, "Young Master Liu there is no need, you have done so much for my family and me already, I dare not!"

Liu Tián Qǔ looked at the flustered young mother and quietly said, "Lady Wu Yǐn Rán I am talking about a fair business transaction here. I am asking you, a woman of nobility, to lower yourself to teach seven slave women the secret skills of your craft. I am asking that you generously impart this knowledge to them without belittling them, degrading them, or treating them disrespectfully. How many noblewomen would lower themselves to that extent?"

"I am aware that I am asking a lot of you, so I dare not cheat you. You will be changing the lives and fates of the slave women that you will teach. These women will one day buy their freedom and leave Liu Residence. Now think of the lives these women would be able to live after being blessed to learn from you? The knowledge these women obtain from you will change their lives, so what is a shop? I still think I will get the better part of this bargain." After making her offer, Liu Tián Qǔ sat and silently waited for Lady Wu Yǐn Rán's answer.

Lady Wu Yǐn Rán didn't answer right away. After staring wide-eyed at Liu Tián Qǔ for several heartbeats, Lady Wu Yǐn Rán quietly sat thinking for several moments before she asked, "What do you plan on doing with these woman after I finish training them?"

"The woman that you agree to train will have to sign a seven-year contract. Those that buy their freedom will be contracted to work for Liu Residence until their seven-year contract is up. Every one of the women will be paid a very high wage. No one will be cheated. They will have to agree to train others after you finish training them. I will also invest in those that wish to open up their own business." Liu Tián Qǔ answered.

After hearing Liu Tián Qǔ's answer, Lady Wu Yǐn Rán immediately nodded her head and said, "I agree."

"Good," Liu Tián Qǔ bowed and said, "Thank you, Lady Wu Yǐn Rán. With the seven additional people that you will be training. Moderations will have to be made to your Pavillion. Being that construction didn't start yet. I will go see Construction Manager Kuo regarding this matter."

With a slight frown, Lady Wu Yǐn Rán shook her head and said, "The designs we created for the Pavillion will already allow for a big Pavillion. I don't think we should make it any bigger. The Pavillion we design should be able to hold more than ten people. Including myself, there will not be more than ten people, so it should be fine as it is."

"Okay, if Lady Wu Yǐn Rán thinks so, then we will leave things as is." Liu Tián Qǔ said.

Liu Tián Qǔ and Lady Wu Yǐn Rán talked a bit more concerning the design and plan of the Pavillion before Liu Tián Qǔ turned her attention to Lady Wu Yǐn Rán eldest daughter, Wu Dòu Zhì.

"Wu Dòu Zhì several days ago, I had a meeting with Command Jiang. I spoke to him regarding your wish to learn martial arts. He tasked Deputy Commander Hēi Tài Yáng with finding someone amoungst the house guards to begin your training."

Liu Tián Qǔ smiled at the complete joy that lit up Wu Dòu Zhì's face. "Really?! I'm really going to be able to start training?" Wu Dòu Zhì anxiously leaned forward in her seat and asked, " When? When can I begin?"

Liu Tián Qǔ chuckled and said, "Deputy Commander Hēi Tài Yáng is looking for someone suitable amoungst the house guards who has experience training young people. Give him a few days, I am sure he will find some suitable by then."

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Wu Dòu Zhì looked as if she could barely contain herself, her face was flushed red, and sparks of happiness and joy lit up her eyes. She fidgeted around in her seat as if she was barely keeping herself from jumping up and running to go find Deputy Commander Hēi Tài Yáng right away.

With a smile on her face, Liu Tián Qǔ looked over to Lady Wu Yǐn Rán and said, "Commander Jiang also informed Deputy Commander Hēi Tài Yáng that Wu Dòu Zhì training must take place around her class lessons at the Imperial academy. So there is no need to worry that her martial arts training will interfere with her class lessons."

Lady Wu Yǐn Rán looked over to her daughter and smile before saying, "Good, I want her to continue her lessons at the academy, so that is very good." Although Lady Wu Yǐn Rán tried to hide her worry behind her smile. Liu Tián Qǔ was able to detect the hints of anxiety deep in her eyes.

After lunch and tea with the Wu family, Liu Tián Qǔ went to the big hill to see how things were going with the Agricultural Manager and the servants on the hill. However, everyone was too busy running back and forth harvesting fruits and sending the fruit off to the charmed underground storage. Liu Tián Qǔ decided not to disturb anyone and left them to their work. She quietly descended the hill. At the bottom of the hill, Liu Tián Qǔ almost ran over a young maiden with a broom who was sweeping in the area.

Liu Tián Qǔ sent then young maiden with a message to Sōng Hé Píng. She sent the maiden to tell Sōng Hé Píng that if Liu Tián Qǔ didn't return to her courtyard by sundown, then Sōng Hé Píng could go ahead and retired for the night.

A short time later, Liu Tián Qǔ vanished into the hidden enclosure. Liu Tián Qǔ spent the rest of the late afternoon and evening packing away Big Madam Chen Treasures into a transporter.

By sundown, Liu Tián Qǔ was still storing away the treasure of Big Madam Chen's treasure room. Torches were lining Big Madam Chen's treasure room. So Liu Tián Qǔ lit the torches and kept on working deep into the night.

Liu Tián Qǔ was hungry and tired, but she was determined to get every packed away before the night was over. Midnight came and left as Liu Tián Qǔ continued packing away Big Madam Chen's treasure into a transporter.

It was after dawn, when Liu Tián Qǔ finally finished packing away the last trunk of treasure. Liu Tián Qǔ spent the whole night cursing Big Madam Chen. Liu Tián Qǔ was sweaty, tired, miserable, and her stomach was hurting once again. She was smelly, starving, very upset, and pissed off. Liu Tián Qǔ had vowed to start carrying snacks in one of her transporters. She was just too hungry, but first, she wanted to get clean.

After packing away the last trunk, Liu Tián Qǔ rushed to her chambers to bath and changed her clothes. She wanted to take a bath before Sōng Hé Píng reported for morning duties.

A short time later, Liu Tián Qǔ entered the chambers of her courtyard to find a worried, exhausted Sōng Hé Píng up and waiting for her. By the bags under the young girls' eyes, it was clear that the poor girl stayed up all night waiting for Liu Tián Qǔ to return. Liu Tián Qǔ felt guilty upon seeing the worried tired young girl.

"Hé Píng!" Liu Tián Qǔ exclaimed in surprise and astonishment. "I sent word back that if I didn't return by sundown last night, you were to retire for the night. Did you not get my message?"

The tired young girl's head nodded up and down, "I did get it, Young Master. However, there was a lot to be done, so I took the time to clean and organize everything. By the time I was done, it was already midnight. So I thought since I was already up, I might as well wait for you to come back just in case you need my help. When you didn't return I got worried, I wouldn't have been able to rest anyway, so I waited for you."

"Aiya, silly child, you look more tired than I do," Liu Tián Qǔ said. "Take the day off to rest, go have breakfast with your brother, then go rest. Don't worry about me. I am tired too. So I am going to wash up and rest as well," Liu Tián Qǔ lied. Liu Tián Qǔ felt that if she said otherwise, the tired young girl wouldn't leave.

"Sōng Hé Píng next time I send word to go rest, make sure you listen to me, okay? Otherwise, you will tire yourself out, and you won't be able to be of much help." Liu Tián Qǔ lightly scolded the young girl with a gentle smile on her face.

Sōng Hé Píng shook her head and said, "Young Master, I don't need rest. I can perform my duties."

"Sōng Hé Píng, listen to what I saying, okay? When a person is too exhausted, they don't think as clearly or work as well. They also react slower."

"What if you burn yourself making tea or fall and injure yourself. Go have something to eat and then go rest. If you feel better later this evening, then you could come over and help. Your brother will be spending the day at Wang Royal Manor taking care of the horses over there and learning. So he won't be back until later. Go visit with him now and have breakfast with him before he leaves, then go and rest, okay?" Liu Tián Qǔ ordered in a firmer voice.

Sōng Hé Píng was still hesitant to leave so Liu Tián Qǔ said, "I'm am hungry. If you want to do something before you retire, then stop by the kitchen and tell the Head Chef to have someone deliver breakfast in half-hour. Make sure to tell him to send something light. My stomach is not feeling too good. I am going to wash up, so be sure to inform the Head chef that if I'm not here when the food bearers come to deliver the food, they may leave it and return."

Only then did Sōng Hé Píng obediently bid her farewell. Sōng Hé Píng first went to the kitchen and passed Liu Tián Qǔ message to the Head chef before going over to have breakfast with her brother.

For the next three months, since the stables of Liu Residence would be under construction, Wang Fèn Yǒng gave Liu Tián Qǔ leave to keep her horses stabled in Wang Royal Manor. Each day, her stablehands would report to the stables of Wang Royal Manor to take care of the horses and also to be mentored.

Since Liu Tián Qǔ moved Sōng Hé Píng out of the way, Liu Tián Qǔ took a nice long relaxing bath. The sun was high in the sky by the time she crawled out of her bathing pool, groomed herself, and got dressed in a gorgeous silk teal and dark green Yishang. The Yi was teal with a dark green collar and cuff. The Yi also had beautiful intricate embroidery on the shoulders. The Shang was dark green with intricate teal embroidery on the lower half of the Shang. The sash was teal with dark green embroidery on the tips of the sash.

Liu Tián Qǔ then went to fill her hurting hungry belly. Liu Tián Qǔ was in the lounge of her courtyard at the low table eating when suddenly there was a knock on the open door.

"Enter," Liu Tián Qǔ said as she swallowed down the spoonful congee she just put in her mouth.

A fluster, heavy breathing, red face Housekeeper Gao swiftly entered, causing Liu Tián Qǔ to involuntarily rise from her seat in alarm. Liu Tián Qǔ grew so alarm at the state of the housekeeper she wasn't even aware that she was still clutching her spoon in one hand and her chopsticks in her other hand. "Aunty Gao, what is wrong?" Liu Tián Qǔ immediately asked.

From since the day Liu Tián Qǔ met the housekeeper, never has she seen the housekeeper get fluster in such a manner. The housekeeper rode the tides of many storms in the palace and had learned to be calm even when facing a storm. She was one of the most calm people Liu Tián Qǔ ever met. Seeing her so flustered, Liu Tián Qǔ immediately knew that something was very wrong.