Chapter 127 -
As they walked further into the camp, the rich, savory scent of boiling broth and roasted meat drifted through the chilly air. Yueqing stopped in her tracks, her nose twitching.
"Where is that smell coming from?" she asked, turning to her new guard.
Lu Yue gestured toward a massive clearing nearby, where dozens of large iron cauldrons were steaming over open fire pits. "That’s the supply and service area, Young Madam. All the servants and workers sent from the capital and nearby towns are divided up to keep the camp running. One group helps the doctors treat injured soldiers, another group sets up the tents and keeps the camp clean, and others spend all day grinding herbs, making medicine, and cooking meals for the army."
The moment Yueqing heard the word cooking, her eyes lit up.
"Take me there," Yueqing said immediately, smoothing down her fitted dark blue riding robe. "I want to inspect where they prepare the food."
"Right away, Young Madam!" Lu Yue replied with a bright grin, leading the way.
When they arrived at the outdoor kitchen area, the place was packed with intense activity. Dozens of servants were rushing around carrying heavy sacks of rice, chopping thick wooden logs, and stirring giant pots of stew.
However, as Yueqing scanned the busy crowd, her eyes landed on a shady spot beneath a large wooden awning.
Sitting comfortably on a row of overturned supply crates was a small group of older, senior female servants. Instead of helping with the massive mountain of work, they were casually cracking melon seeds, giggling, and tossing the empty shells straight onto the ground. Right in front of them, two tiny, young maidservants who couldn’t have been older than fourteen, were struggling to lift a massive, scalding-hot iron pot full of soup, their arms shaking violently under the weight.
Whenever the young girls slowed down, one of the seated servants would bark at them, ordering them to hurry up while calling them lazy and useless.
A sharp, dangerous spark flared in Yueqing’s eyes.
[Oh ho ho!] her inner voice cheered, rubbing its hands together in pure delight as a sinister grin spread across her mind. [Look at these bullies! They are practically begging for a villainess to drop out of the sky and ruin their whole day! System Nine, open my account! It’s time to farm some serious Villain Points!]
Yueqing turned slightly toward Lu Yue, a mischievous, icy smirk settling onto her lips. She looked her new guard up and down with a dark, confident gleam.
"Lu Yue," Yueqing purred softly, her voice dropping into a thrilling, dramatic tone. "Are you absolutely sure you can fight?"
Lu Yue blinked, taken aback by the sudden, wicked expression on her mistress’s face. "Uh... yes, Young Madam! I beat five men last week, remember?"
"Good," Yueqing smiled, stepping forward with a slow, deliberate march that practically radiated pure malice. "Because you’re about to get into it. I’m going to need your hands for a lot of slapping."
Without waiting another second, Yueqing marched straight into the center of the kitchen area, ready to start absolute chaos.
Yueqing marched right up to the shade where the group of lazy senior servants sat.
Clank!
With a swift, ruthless kick of her leather boot, Yueqing sent one of the wooden supply crates flying. The senior servant sitting on it let out a sharp shriek as she tumbled backward into the dirt, her lapful of melon seed shells flying everywhere.
Silence fell over the kitchen grounds. The young maids carrying the heavy soup pot froze, their arms trembling, while the other seated bullies scrambled to their feet in shock.
"Who do you think you are?!" the ringleader—a plump, sharp-tongued senior maid named Auntie Zhang—yelled, rubbing her bruised hip. But when she raised her eyes and took in Yueqing’s fine silk-lined riding robes and regal demeanor, her words caught in her throat.
"I am Su Yueqing," Yueqing announced, resting her hands on her hips and tilting her chin up with absolute, unapologetic arrogance. "The Young Madam of the General’s Manor."
The servants instantly bowed low in panic, murmuring greetings.
[System Nine, record this!] Yueqing cackled internally, her inner persona wearing a tiny villain crown and doing a victory dance. [Look at me terrorizing the working class! Pure, unadulterated evil! Give me my Villain Points!]
[System 009: Alert: Host’s action has been logged as ’Intervening to stop the abuse of overworked child servants.’
Villain Points Earned: +5.
Favorability Points with Camp Workers Earned: +20.]
[WHAT?!] Yueqing’s mind screeched, her internal persona slapping her own forehead. [Favorability points?! Why am I getting favorability points for being a rude, arrogant tyrant?! System, fix your math! I’m trying to be ruthless!]
Ignoring her inner breakdown, Yueqing pointed a slender finger right at Auntie Zhang’s nose.
"You," Yueqing sneered, playing the role of a cruel noble lady for all it was worth. "You sit there stuffing your mouth while these tiny little things break their backs? How dare you look so comfortable when I, the Young Madam, am standing here in the dust?!"
Auntie Zhang’s face went pale. "Y-Young Madam! We were just resting for a short moment—"
"Silence!" Yueqing snapped dramatically. "Lu Yue!"
Lu Yue stepped forward instantly, her eyes sparkling with absolute delight at the drama. "Yes, Young Madam!"
"These women clearly have too much energy and far too little discipline," Yueqing ordered, crossing her arms and looking down her nose at the bullies. "Since they love sitting around so much, tie their aprons to those wooden post beams over there! Make them kneel on dry corn cobs and peel five sacks of raw garlic each! If I see one melon seed near their mouths before sunset, slap them until their faces match their foolish pride!"
"With pleasure, Young Madam!" Lu Yue grinned, stepping forward with impressive speed.
Before the senior maids could even try to run, Lu Yue grabbed two of them by their collars and forced them down. With swift, expert martial arts movements, she hauled the bullies over to the post beams.
Meanwhile, a short distance away near a crackling fire pit, another figure stood quietly watching the entire scene unfold.
It was Li Mei.
She had been standing near the rear medical tent, holding a small basket of dried herbs. Her soft, delicate white-lotus appearance stood out against the rough background of the military camp.
In the capital, Li Mei had always heard rumors of Su Yueqing being a spoiled, rude, and ruthless woman who treated everyone beneath her like dirt. She had expected Yueqing to cause chaos and bully the weak the moment she arrived at the border. But as Li Mei watched her now, her soft eyes widened in utter confusion and reluctance.
Underneath all her dramatic shouting and ruthless orders, Yueqing hadn’t punished the innocent young maids at all. In fact, she had just freed those poor fourteen-year-old girls from hours of backbreaking labor and placed the actual abusers under strict punishment. Her ’wickedness’ was oddly... protective.
Li Mei bit her lower lip, a complex, bitter feeling rising in her chest as she watched Yueqing march over to the young, trembling maids, snatching the heavy soup ladles right out of their hands.
"You two, go rest and wash your hands," Yueqing bossed the young girls around with a sharp huff, trying her best to sound menacing. "From now on, I am supervising this kitchen! Anyone who slacks off or tries to bully the weak will answer to my guard’s fists!"
The young maids stared at her with wide, teary eyes filled with deep gratitude. "T-Thank you, Young Madam! You are so kind!"
"I am NOT kind!" Yueqing gasped, her eyes widening in absolute horror. "I am cruel! I am a nightmare! Go away before I make you peel garlic too!"
[System 009: Notice:
Villain Points Earned: +10.
Favorability Points from Kitchen Maids Earned: +50.
Favorability Points from Li Mei Earned: +15.
Total Progress: Host is accidentally becoming the most beloved woman in the Northern Border Camp.]
[NOOOOO!] Yueqing’s inner persona collapsed onto the floor, banging her fists against the ground in utter defeat. [WHY IS EVERYONE MISUNDERSTANDING MY EVIL INTENTIONS?! WHY AM I GETTING FAVORABILITY FROM THE WHITE LOTUS HERSELF?! I JUST WANTED TO BE A MEAN SUPERVISOR!]
Unaware of her internal despair, Lu Yue came trotting back over, clapping her dusty hands together after tying up the bullies. "All set, Young Madam! What are your orders now?"
Yueqing grabbed a large wooden ladle, holding it up like a royal scepter while standing proudly in front of the steaming cauldrons.
"Now," Yueqing announced, trying to regain her dignified villainess composure, "we taste the soup. And if it lacks salt, heads will roll!"
From beside the fire pit, Li Mei gripped her herb basket a little tighter, staring at Yueqing with conflicted eyes before slowly turning back toward the medical tents, thoroughly rattled by the unexpected side of the Young Madam.