Liu Ti醤 Q� nodded and carefully said, "After negotiating, the Emperor granted me the leave to form a bigger Army."

　　Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 stared a Liu Ti醤 Q� 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 Y衝 R醤 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 Ti醤 Q� and their mother with big wide eyes.

　　Liu Ti醤 Q� watched Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 eyes grow even wider as she said, "Unless..."

　　Liu Ti醤 Q� quickly cut Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 off and said, "Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 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 Ti醤 Q� knew that Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 thought Liu Ti醤 Q� was of the Imperial family, and that was why the Emperor allowed Liu Ti醤 Q� to build such a big army so close to his seat of power. Liu Ti醤 Q� felt it would be more convenient for her if Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 thought this way. So she didn`t try to correct the misconception that Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 had that Liu Ti醤 Q� was of the Imperial family.

　　With big wide eyes, Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 nodded and said, "I understand, Young Master Liu."

　　Liu Ti醤 Q� 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 Y衝 R醤 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 Ti醤 Q� looked at the flustered young mother and quietly said, "Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 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 Ti醤 Q� sat and silently waited for Lady Wu Y衝 R醤`s answer.

　　Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 didn`t answer right away. After staring wide-eyed at Liu Ti醤 Q� for several heartbeats, Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 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 Ti醤 Q� answered.

　　After hearing Liu Ti醤 Q�`s answer, Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 immediately nodded her head and said, "I agree."

　　"Good," Liu Ti醤 Q� bowed and said, "Thank you, Lady Wu Y衝 R醤. 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 Y衝 R醤 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 Y衝 R醤 thinks so, then we will leave things as is." Liu Ti醤 Q� said.

　　Liu Ti醤 Q� and Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 talked a bit more concerning the design and plan of the Pavillion before Liu Ti醤 Q� turned her attention to Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 eldest daughter, Wu D騯 Zh�.

　　"Wu D騯 Zh� 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 H-i T鄆 Y醤g with finding someone amoungst the house guards to begin your training."

　　Liu Ti醤 Q� smiled at the complete joy that lit up Wu D騯 Zh�`s face. "Really?! I`m really going to be able to start training?" Wu D騯 Zh� anxiously leaned forward in her seat and asked, " When? When can I begin?"

　　Liu Ti醤 Q� chuckled and said, "Deputy Commander H-i T鄆 Y醤g 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."The author`s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

　　Wu D騯 Zh� 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 H-i T鄆 Y醤g right away.

　　With a smile on her face, Liu Ti醤 Q� looked over to Lady Wu Y衝 R醤 and said, "Commander Jiang also informed Deputy Commander H-i T鄆 Y醤g that Wu D騯 Zh� 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 Y衝 R醤 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 Y衝 R醤 tried to hide her worry behind her smile. Liu Ti醤 Q� was able to detect the hints of anxiety deep in her eyes.

　　After lunch and tea with the Wu family, Liu Ti醤 Q� 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 Ti醤 Q� decided not to disturb anyone and left them to their work. She quietly descended the hill. At the bottom of the hill, Liu Ti醤 Q� almost ran over a young maiden with a broom who was sweeping in the area.

　　Liu Ti醤 Q� sent then young maiden with a message to SMng H� P韓g. She sent the maiden to tell SMng H� P韓g that if Liu Ti醤 Q� didn`t return to her courtyard by sundown, then SMng H� P韓g could go ahead and retired for the night.

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

　　By sundown, Liu Ti醤 Q� was still storing away the treasure of Big Madam Chen`s treasure room. Torches were lining Big Madam Chen`s treasure room. So Liu Ti醤 Q� lit the torches and kept on working deep into the night.

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

　　It was after dawn, when Liu Ti醤 Q� finally finished packing away the last trunk of treasure. Liu Ti醤 Q� spent the whole night cursing Big Madam Chen. Liu Ti醤 Q� was sweaty, tired, miserable, and her stomach was hurting once again. She was smelly, starving, very upset, and pissed off. Liu Ti醤 Q� 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 Ti醤 Q� rushed to her chambers to bath and changed her clothes. She wanted to take a bath before SMng H� P韓g reported for morning duties.

　　A short time later, Liu Ti醤 Q� entered the chambers of her courtyard to find a worried, exhausted SMng H� P韓g 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 Ti醤 Q� to return. Liu Ti醤 Q� felt guilty upon seeing the worried tired young girl.

　　"H� P韓g!" Liu Ti醤 Q� 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 Ti醤 Q� 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 Ti醤 Q� lied. Liu Ti醤 Q� felt that if she said otherwise, the tired young girl wouldn`t leave.

　　"SMng H� P韓g 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 Ti醤 Q� lightly scolded the young girl with a gentle smile on her face.

　　SMng H� P韓g shook her head and said, "Young Master, I don`t need rest. I can perform my duties."

　　"SMng H� P韓g, 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 Ti醤 Q� ordered in a firmer voice.

　　SMng H� P韓g was still hesitant to leave so Liu Ti醤 Q� 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 SMng H� P韓g obediently bid her farewell. SMng H� P韓g first went to the kitchen and passed Liu Ti醤 Q� 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 F鑞 Y襫g gave Liu Ti醤 Q� 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 Ti醤 Q� moved SMng H� P韓g out of the way, Liu Ti醤 Q� 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 Ti醤 Q� then went to fill her hurting hungry belly. Liu Ti醤 Q� was in the lounge of her courtyard at the low table eating when suddenly there was a knock on the open door.

　　"Enter," Liu Ti醤 Q� 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 Ti醤 Q� to involuntarily rise from her seat in alarm. Liu Ti醤 Q� 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 Ti醤 Q� immediately asked.

　　From since the day Liu Ti醤 Q� 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 Ti醤 Q� ever met. Seeing her so flustered, Liu Ti醤 Q� immediately knew that something was very wrong.