14 Be prepared to die!

She squealed as a cockroach dared to fall on her head and she violently swatted it a way shaking and trembling in fear. No matter how amazing she was, she was still a 21st century woman who hated cockroaches, she could stand many insects but cockroaches and millipedes were not one of them. Insects she could stand included ants, spiders and praying mantis, even crickets and grass hoppers. Despite being fine with all these common insects she still feared cockroaches like they were demons requesting for her soul. She relaxed as the roach scurried away into the darkness .

The snake curled around from her hand towards her head. It hissed and rested its head on her collar bone, its cold scaly skin gave her goose bumps and made her involuntarily shiver. It took everything she had not to shake off the snake. Normally when she thought of snakes she thought of poisons and her body had not built up enough immunity, and the fact that this snake in particular was close to her neck which shielded some major blood vessels scared her more. She really was not ready to die yet.

She quickly made her way through the tunnels watching her footing so she would not slip and twis an ankle. She was not ready to risk anything, if the assassins caught up to her she had to be in top shape so that she would be able to run away again.

"So, do you know that pretty boy?" She asked trying to lift the quiet and slightly creepy atmosphere, but the snake didn't seem to have heard her. She sighed combing her hair with her fingers, she was talking to a snake! Was she maybe mentally ill?

[That's offensive, mistress.]

Her brain blanked out, and unable to process the fact that the snake seemed to be speakin in her head she screamed "What the hell!?"

Meanwhile at the Liu manor ....

Liu Qing drunk his medicine and a bowl of soup wrapped in warm blankets, he glanced outside to see his concubine mother kneeling, she could not come into Liu Lian's quarters when the mistress was out as it was not appropriate so she had decided to show her gratitude in another way, determined to thank Liu Lian when she got back.

"Young master would you like more soup?" Mei Li asked the young boy who sniffles as he drank the mushroom soup prepared by Liu Lian's servants, she shook his head slightly intimidated by the number of servants around trying not to offend any of them.

He was not used to it, his mother's courtyard was so bare as she wasn't as favoured as the other concubines despite being able to bear the prime minister his third son, he had been badly treated by concubine Mei whenever he had to pay his respects. She had denied his mother of her monthly allowance regularly and so they couldn't afford such a lavished courtyard like that of his eldest sister. Seeing his mother's suffering due to concubine Mei he tried not to offend someone else. Unknown to him, Liu Lian was like him before her engagement was given and she was more than happy to have such a cute person in her courtyard.

"When is Jie Jie coming back?" He asked a whisper as he turned away from Mei Li.

"My lady will be home soon please wait a bit young master."

"But my mother is kneeling outside, can not she come in now?" He asked hoping that they would stop bullying his mother.

"I'm sorry young master, but only my mistress can do that." He stared outside for a bit longer and then he noticed concubine Su arrive with a proud expression. She wore an elegant white dress adorned with pearls and silk, highly expensive material that normal concubines couldn't afford to buy. To her, concubine Mei wasn't smart enough and now concubine Mei had fallen out of favour it was her turn. Her daughter, Liu Luo Ling walked briskly behind her wearing a beautiful white dress like her mother. It was now their turn to strut like peacocks and annoy Liu Lian like mosquitoes.

Mei Li frowned slightly, "take young master back." She said to the third class maid who nodded and ushered the young master out through the back door. Concubine Su wasn't stupid, she should know by now that crossing Liu Lian would only lead to her death.

"Guards! Capture that maid! She dared to plot against the young master!"

Never mind, she's the most stupid person in this book! Courting death in such a dangerous fashion, be prepared to die!