“Eunuch Fuquan is right,” Rongrong said, lowering her gaze. “But I am of humble status and have nothing to offer in return for Prince Yuanbao’s kindness.”

“Of course, you have something,” Fuquan said loudly, then quickly softened his tone when Rongrong looked at him.

He tried to appear nonchalant, but his excitement was evident.

Fuquan quickly regained his composure and continued, “When the Crown Prince personally went to the Marquis’s residence to bring you back, he mentioned that Prince Yuanbao was fond of you and wanted to invite you to the East Palace to keep him company.”

“But my cooking skills are not good enough to serve Prince Yuanbao in the East Palace,” Rongrong protested.

Fuquan waved his hand dismissively. “You shouldn’t underestimate yourself. It’s all about fate. Your skills may not be the best, but even the top chefs in the palace can’t always satisfy every need.”

Seeing Rongrong begin to waver, Fuquan pressed on. “I understand you’ve just been released from the Marquis’s residence and might not want to be tied down.

Prince Yuanbao doesn’t want you to be a servant either. If you come to the East Palace, you would be paid monthly and could leave whenever you wish.”

Fuquan spoke lightly, but Rongrong knew that entering the palace meant entering a world with deep and complex rules.

Once inside, leaving wasn’t so simple.

“If you’ve made up your mind, I’ll go inform the palace. If you’re not interested, then you can leave.”

Leave?

Without Fuquan’s help, would she even get to see Yuanbao?

Yesterday, they had frequented the noodle stand where Yuanbao might have returned with the Crown Prince.

But how long would she have to wait?

A day, two days, three days, or even longer? Even a day might be too long for her grandmother.

Doctor Wang was a renowned practitioner.

Even if his skills weren’t as high as Doctor Qin’s, he was still very capable.

If he said her grandmother wouldn’t survive, he wasn’t lying.

“Miss Xue, have you made up your mind?” Fuquan asked, getting up and putting on his hat.

He glanced at Rongrong, who stood still with a frown, and then headed for the door. He told Wang An, “See Miss Xue out.”

“Wait,” Rongrong finally made up her mind as Fuquan urged her.

Her grandmother’s condition couldn’t be delayed any longer.

If her hesitation now caused her grandmother’s death, Rongrong would never forgive herself.

Since Fuquan said there would be no need for a binding contract and she would be paid monthly, she could leave once Yuanbao lost interest in her.

Fuquan’s eyes glinted with excitement when he realized Rongrong was agreeing to his proposal, though he managed to keep a neutral expression.

“Miss Xue, have you thought this through? A promise is a promise. Don’t let me send a message and then refuse once you leave.”

“Don’t worry, Lord Fu. If I’ve made a promise, I won’t go back on it. I’m just unsure about what I can do in the Eastern Palace, as I’m not very skilled.”

“Just like in the Duke’s residence, you’ll be taking care of the daily needs of the Young Master Yuanbao. The meals will be handled by Wang An. You only need to oversee things occasionally.”

Rongrong asked, “Was there no nurse in the palace before who took care of Young Master Yuanbao?”

Fu Quan shook his head, a hint of helplessness on his face. “I mentioned this before. Though Young Master Yuanbao seems lively, he’s actually quite aloof like the Crown Prince and doesn’t let people get close easily.

When he was born, the Empress selected four experienced nurses for the Eastern Palace, but Young Master Yuanbao cried every night and could only sleep when held by the Crown Prince.

Since then, the Crown Prince has personally taken care of Young Master Yuanbao’s needs.”

The fact that the Crown Prince personally cared for Yuanbao?

Rongrong found it hard to believe, but it made sense.

No wonder Yuanbao was alone when she saw him at the hot springs villa.

No wonder the Crown Prince never played with Xie Yuanchu for long each night and always went back early.

Yuanbao must have been waiting for him to return before he could sleep.

The Crown Prince indeed wouldn’t let just anyone get close.

The three sisters from the Court of Reverence failed to succeed because they approached too boldly.

It seems Yuanbao had the same issue.

Rongrong wondered what it was about her that made her fit so well with the Crown Prince’s taste in her past life and Yuanbao’s temperament in this life.

Fu Quan was in a very good mood and became more cheerful as he spoke. “It’s great now that you’ll be taking care of Young Master Yuanbao. The Crown Prince will have less burden.”

“You flatter me, Lord Fu. I’m just doing some physical work. I can’t really ease the Crown Prince’s worries.”

“You’ll see in time whether you can ease his worries,” Fu Quan said with a meaningful smile. “Life is precious, and we can’t delay any longer. I’ll go into the palace to ask Dr. Qin for help. I’ll send someone to take you back to prepare.”

Fu Quan’s reminder made Rongrong realize something.

She quickly bowed to Fu Quan and said, “Thank you, Lord Fu. If Dr. Qin can’t come, having a skilled acupuncturist would be very helpful as well.”

Dr. Qin is the physician who attends to the Emperor.

It’s not easy to have him see someone like Grandma Xue.

“Don’t worry. Dr. Qin is currently seeing Young Master Yuanbao. With Yuanbao’s request, he will surely come over immediately.”

So Doctor Qin is currently taking Prince Yuanbao’s pulse?

The Emperor truly dotes on his grandson.

Rongrong felt a mix of emotions and bowed to Fuquan before leaving with Wang An.

Fuquan watched Rongrong’s figure disappear before heading out himself.

He suddenly wondered how Rongrong knew about Doctor Qin’s current status in the palace.

But this question wasn’t important.

Fuquan didn’t dwell on it and went straight to the palace.

As someone who valued face, only he, as a servant, had to lower himself to do the dirty work.

---

Wang An, following Fuquan’s orders, arranged a carriage to take Rongrong home.

Feicui, who accompanied Rongrong in the carriage, asked with concern, “Miss, did you manage to see the doctor?”

Rongrong nodded. “Let’s go home first and help Grandmother clean up. The doctor will be coming soon.”

Feicui agreed.

“Since the doctor has been called, why do you still seem so troubled?”

“It’s nothing,” Rongrong said, lowering her head.

She knew Feicui was aware of her plans to enter the East Palace.

She felt an inexplicable heaviness in her heart, as though trapped in a dense web.

And yet, being caught in this web didn’t seem to be too painful.

Was the East Palace frightening?

Of course, it was terrifying—one life could be lost, and another could be in danger.

But every time she thought of the East Palace, her feelings were strangely complex.

It had once been a place of joy and laughter for her.

The people there, like Feicui, Liuli, Fuquan, Wang An, and even the helpful Yuanbao, were kind to her.

And he—the one who kept people at a distance—had allowed her to stay in the East Palace, which meant he didn’t entirely dislike her.

“You’re really a sentimental person,” Feicui said, handing Rongrong a handkerchief.

It was then that Rongrong realized she had been crying without realizing it.

Feicui reassured her, “Since the doctor has been called, Grandmother’s illness will surely be fine. Don’t worry.”

Rongrong felt disoriented.

In the past, when she was in the East Palace, Feicui had always encouraged her to stay calm.

Hearing her do so again now felt like a dream.

The carriage soon arrived at the entrance of Wutong Alley.

As Rongrong got out, she saw Mei Ningxiang walking out from Huaihua Alley.

In the past, whenever Mei Ningxiang went anywhere, Yu Jingming followed.

Now, seeing Mei Ningxiang alone, Rongrong noticed a sense of loneliness about her.

Mei Ningxiang saw Rongrong and stopped at the entrance of the Sycamore Flower Alley.

The two exchanged a glance from across the street but didn’t speak.

Rongrong gave a slight nod and then went into the house.

Feicui lagged behind, giving Mei Ningxiang a long look before following Rongrong inside.

After waiting in the Eastern Palace for so long, Rongrong felt exhausted.

She spoke briefly with Xue Xiaoshan before going back to her room to rest.

Feicui helped by washing and cleaning Grandma Xue, while Xue Xiaoshan stoked the fire and Chunxing prepared the meal.

The porridge for Grandma Xue had been simmering since morning and didn’t need much attention.

Chunxing’s cooking skills weren’t great, and there were many things to handle at home, so she decided to make noodles for lunch.

Xue Xiaoshan, who wasn’t much help with other tasks, was a good hand at keeping the fire going, so he helped monitor the stove.

Chunxing poured water into a large iron pot and, having a moment to spare, began stir-frying the noodles.

The household didn’t have much food.

Only two chickens were bought for Grandma Xue, which were slaughtered in the morning.

Grandma Xue could only eat some of the chicken meat, so the leftover wings, feet, head, and neck were chopped into small pieces.

Chunxing marinated these pieces with rice wine, sesame oil, pepper, and bean powder, and also cut up some sour radish from the pickle jar and a few winter bamboo shoots.

She heated oil in the pan, added scallions, ginger, and garlic, then put in the chicken pieces.

Once they changed color, she added the sour radish and bamboo shoots.

When the stir-fry was done, the noodles in the iron pot were also ready.

“Miss, the noodles are ready,” Chunxing called out from the yard.

After a short nap, Rongrong felt a bit better.

Seeing Chunxing bringing out the stir-fry, she smiled and said, “Now even Chunxing can cook!”

Chunxing stuck out her tongue and said, “I just followed your usual method, but my cooking isn’t as good as yours.”

Indeed, it wasn’t perfect—the oil in the pan was too hot, and the chicken pieces were added too late, so some edges were a bit burnt.

But overall, it was quite good.

Xue Xiaoshan carried the noodles out to the yard.

Seeing that Jadeite was still feeding Grandma Xue in the room, Rongrong said, “The noodles shouldn’t sit for too long or they’ll stick together. Let’s eat first, and we can cook a fresh batch once Feicui is done.”

“And what about this bowl?” Chunxing asked.

“Second Brother can have it,” Rongrong said, pushing the bowl of noodles towards Xue Xiaoshan. “Didn’t you feel you didn’t eat enough yesterday?”

Xue Xiaoshan blushed, surprised that his sister had noticed his embarrassment about not having enough to eat the day before.

Rongrong took another empty bowl and set aside some stir-fry for Jadeite.

After finishing their meal, Chunxing washed the bowls while Rongrong and Xue Xiaoshan went into Old Madam Xue’s room.

They asked Feicui to come out for a meal, leaving the siblings to talk privately.

“Brother, after today I’ll have to go work. I’m leaving Grandmother and the family’s affairs to you,” Rongrong said.

Xue Xiaoshan was initially taken aback by this sudden news.

After a while, he said sadly, “You’re going back to the Duke’s residence? Rongrong, you’ve just redeemed yourself; you really can’t… If Grandmother knew, she’d be heartbroken.”

“Grandmother’s condition is partly my fault. Besides, I’m only going to work; if it can save Grandmother’s life, it’s not a bad trade-off.”

Xue Xiaoshan felt helpless and could only watch as his sister made this decision, unable to stop her.

He knew he couldn’t resolve their problems and was forced to let his sister go to work.

Rongrong, understanding his concerns, didn’t mention the East Palace directly, allowing him to think she was going back to the Duke’s residence.

“I have some silver left here, not much—just a couple of taels. The ham I’ve been curing will be ready in half a month. Brother, take it to Huibin Restaurant and give it to Manager Feng; he will buy it. Last time I sold it cheaply, but this time it’s top quality, so each piece should fetch ten taels. Just keep it for me.”

Even if the future in the East Palace was uncertain, she wouldn’t lack silver.

Xue Xiaoshan wasn’t as optimistic as Rongrong. “Do you think the doctor will be able to cure Grandmother?”

Indeed, even though Doctor Qin was skilled, he wasn’t a miracle worker. It was best to be prepared for the worst.

“If Grandmother… doesn’t make it, Brother, don’t go back. Stay in the capital, find a smaller place when this house lease ends, and use the remaining silver to start a small business or go back to school. It’s all good.”

“Rongrong, don’t worry about me. You should…”

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

Feicui, who was eating noodles outside, put down her bowl and went to answer it.

Rongrong and Xue Xiaoshan followed. It was Liuli at the door.

Rongrong had always thought Liuli and Feicui’s names were similar, and seeing them now side by side, their heights and builds were almost identical.

If not for their different facial features, people might think they were cast from the same mold.

“Miss Xue, the doctor is here and ready to examine the old lady.”

Doctor Qin stood behind Liuli, dressed in dark blue official robes.

He looked like an ordinary doctor, with no airs of superiority.

“Doctor, please come in.”

Rongrong, not in the mood for pleasantries, led Doctor Qin inside.

Doctor Qin wasted no time.

He entered the room and began examining Old Madam Xue.

Everyone in the room was anxious, fearing Doctor Qin might say the same thing as Doctor Wang.

Fortunately, after the examination, Doctor Qin simply said, “Needles.”

With that, his two apprentices opened the box they had brought, revealing various silver needles of different lengths and thicknesses.

Doctor Qin asked everyone to leave, keeping only his two apprentices in the room to assist.

Although they were sent out, everyone crowded around the door, peeking inside.

Rongrong was looking in when someone tugged at her sleeve from behind.

Turning around, Rongrong saw it was Liuli.

“Miss, let’s go. The master is waiting!”

The master is waiting?

Did the Crown Prince already know she was coming to the Eastern Palace?

Even though she had mentally prepared herself many times, she still felt some hesitation.

“Are we leaving right away? I haven’t finished packing, and I don’t have news about my grandmother yet. I need to know the situation there before I can leave with peace of mind.”

Liuli sighed slightly. “Miss, your filial piety is commendable, and I wouldn’t want to rush you. However, as we are on duty, and Lord Fu Quan has instructed me to take you back to the Eastern Palace immediately, I can’t disobey. Everything is ready in the palace, and you don’t need to prepare anything.”

Given this situation, Rongrong had no choice but to agree.

It was better not to disturb everyone in the house by delaying further.

After taking one last look at Dr. Qin, who was still working in the house, Rongrong silently followed Liuli to the carriage, and they headed straight to the Eastern Palace.

On the way, Liuli explained Rongrong’s duties.

As Lord Fu Quan had said, she would be handling the daily care of the Young Master Yuanbao.

Yuanbao attended classes in the Imperial Study every day, had lunch in the palace, and napped at the Empress’s place before returning.

Sometimes, if the Crown Prince had a lot of state affairs, Yuanbao might even stay in the palace until after dinner.

The duties of a palace maid for daily care were indeed just about managing the “rise” and “reside.”

The carriage moved smoothly, and they soon arrived at the Eastern Palace.

Rongrong followed Liuli through the side door and was about to start her duties in Yuanbao’s quarters when she learned something surprising: Yuanbao’s quarters were the same as the Crown Prince’s.

Rongrong found it hard to accept at first but quickly understood.

Since Yuanbao could only sleep soundly with the Crown Prince, it made sense they wouldn’t need separate chambers.

“Liuli… Will I need to keep watch over Young Master Yuanbao at night?”

“Of course,” Liuli replied. “I will be on duty outside the hall at night, while the inner hall will be your responsibility.”