Chapter 13 : Inviting Miss Xue to the Palace

In the morning, a servant from Madam Xue’s side, dripping with dew, arrived.

The servant said, “Today we need to go to the Censor’s residence for tea. Miss, you must dress carefully.”

Xue Qingyin, still half-asleep, rested her chin on her hand and let the maid beside her comb her hair and pick out jewelry.

After all the fuss, it was already approaching noon.

At noon, both He Songning and Xue Chengdong were away, so only Xue Qingyin and a few others dined together.

Madam Xue washed her mouth and hands, took a handkerchief, and casually wiped her hands while saying, “Go to my room and bring a set of jewelry for the second miss.”

Xue Qinghe lifted her head, “No need, Brother… has already prepared it for me.”

Madam Xue’s expression changed slightly.

Xue Qingyin, holding her arm, coquettishly said, “Mother, I’m so sleepy.”

Madam Xue’s expression softened, “Your lazy nature… Fine, you can nap in the carriage later.”

Just as she spoke, a young servant rushed in, flustered.

Madam Xue frowned, “What is it?”

The young servant, still in shock, stammered, “Someone from the palace has arrived…”

“From the palace?” Madam Xue was puzzled.

Xue Chengdong held a relatively high position, but Madam Xue wasn’t the main wife and had a reputation for being jealous, coming from a merchant family, and spoiling her daughter excessively. As a result, she didn’t have much standing among the other ladies.

It was unlikely that any noble from the palace would favor her.

So the arrival of someone from the palace was a surprise that never involved their family.

“Yes, they came to invite the eldest miss!” The servant said, sweating profusely.

Everyone turned to look at Xue Qingyin.

Xue Qingyin was confused, “Huh?”

The one who came to fetch her was an elderly maid.

“I am a servant from the Mingyi Palace in the palace. I’ve been ordered to bring the eldest miss to the palace.” She even emphasized the word “eldest miss” to avoid any confusion.

Xue Qinghe’s maid was both envious and resentful.

Xue Qingyin, however, was thinking, What is Mingyi Palace?

The old maid showed her palace token and hurriedly urged Xue Qingyin to leave.

Madam Xue suppressed her concerns and watched Xue Qingyin depart.

Her daughter had never been to the palace… who knew what could happen?

Taking a deep breath, Madam Xue said, “We should go as well.”

The invitation to the Censor’s residence was already arranged, and it wouldn’t do to break that appointment.

At the Censor’s residence, Xue Qinghe and her maid couldn’t help but feel out of place.

“That’s the Censor’s daughter over there, and that one seems to be the daughter of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat…”

Maid Qiuxin had some experience but not much. As she spoke, her voice trembled.

Xue Qinghe also felt nervous.

She would have rather stayed in her own little courtyard…

Madam Xue led them to the Censor’s wife and said lightly, “This is our second miss, who loves reading and rarely goes out, so she doesn’t recognize many people…”

Xue Qinghe and her maid immediately felt embarrassed.

Wasn’t Madam Xue implying that her daughter wasn’t presentable?

The Censor’s wife clapped her hands and said, “This is easily solved. My daughter enjoys making friends, so let her take her around, and she’ll be familiar with them in no time.”

The Censor’s daughter, a graceful and elegant young woman, came forward, as her mother instructed, to accompany Xue Qinghe.

This only made Xue Qinghe and her maid feel even more awkward.

While Xue Qinghe struggled to fit in, Qiuxin whispered to her, “We feel so out of place here… I wonder what it’s like for the eldest miss in the palace?”

Xue Qinghe paused.

Xue Qingyin’s usual arrogance wouldn’t work in the palace, and perhaps her performance would be even worse than Xue Qinghe’s…

The small bit of embarrassment she had evaporated, but more worry replaced it.

What if Xue Qingyin got into trouble in the palace and dragged the family down?

Xue Qinghe grew more anxious as she thought about it.

Entering the palace was a troublesome affair.

How big is the imperial palace?

After getting off the carriage, Xue Qingyin felt like her legs were going to give out.

The old maid deliberately sped up, not caring whether Xue Qingyin could keep up.

Fine, she decided to slow down and take her time admiring the palace surroundings.

This was like a free tour of the Forbidden City… how wonderful!

The old maid intended to give her a lesson on the palace’s grandeur, expecting to see Xue Qingyin struggling to catch her breath.

But…

Xue Qingyin wasn’t fazed. Instead, she was leisurely enjoying the scenery.

The old maid scowled, quickly turned back, and harshly urged, “Miss, hurry up!”

Xue Qingyin shook her head. “I’m delicate. If I walk too fast, I might collapse in front of you. Will you take responsibility if I die?”

The old maid was stunned.

She was a servant of Concubine Wan, a favored lady, but didn’t dare take responsibility for that.

She hurriedly caught up with Xue Qingyin, muttering, “What are you saying, Miss? My life is nothing compared to yours.”

Reluctantly, the old maid slowed her pace.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at a gate labeled “Guangshun Gate.”

Beyond the gate lay a row of palaces, magnificent and beautiful.

A faint incense scent wafted in the air, and palace maids in elegant dresses passed by, their skirts fluttering.

“Please wait here. I will go inform them,” the old maid said before leaving.

Xue Qingyin didn’t mind. She sat on the ground, enjoying the fresh air and gazing at the clear sky, feeling peaceful and relaxed.

When the old maid returned, she was shocked. “Miss, why are you sitting on the ground?”

Xue Qingyin tilted her head and asked, “Is it not allowed to sit on the palace floor?”

“…Of course not.” But the old maid was taken aback by how at ease Xue Qingyin seemed.

Didn’t she fear losing face?

“I’m just a bit tired. Please help me up, ma’am.” Xue Qingyin looked at her sweetly.

The old maid gritted her teeth, and though she was reluctant, she bent down to help Xue Qingyin up.

Xue Qingyin’s body leaned on the old maid’s arm.

The old maid nearly staggered.

Was this… revenge?

But who would dare exact revenge on her?

The old maid dismissed the thought and cursed Xue Qingyin as being straightforward and rough in nature.

Eventually, Xue Qingyin was helped into the Mingyi Palace’s main hall.

Upon entering, Xue Qingyin saw several young women. They all turned to look at her, their expressions first full of astonishment, then deeper shock.

It was Xue Qingyin!

They had seen her running off in tears the day she was humiliated during the kite flying incident. How was she now appearing so confidently in Mingyi Palace?

“Alright, the guest has arrived.” The elegant woman sitting at the head suddenly spoke.

“Quick, pay your respects to the princess.” The old maid nudged Xue Qingyin.

Xue Qingyin frowned but still followed the order and bowed.

Well, one must know their place.

After the formalities, the lady smiled gently, “No need for such formalities.”

Xue Qingyin thought, Couldn’t you have said that earlier?

“Come here, Yanyan. See who you get along with, and keep her as your study companion.”

“Yanyan,” a girl around Xue Qingyin’s age, with a delicate face and jingling silver bells on her head, was introduced.

Xue Qingyin didn’t know who she was, but the others quickly recognized her.

“Your Highness, the Fourth Princess.”

Xue Qingyin was stunned. The Fourth Princess? Was she really the one to choose her as a study companion?

Xue Qingyin had no interest in this role.

The Fourth Princess was known in the book for her arrogant, cruel nature, and had tormented Xue Qinghe.

Fear had become reality…

“I want her.”

Xue Qingyin looked up and saw the Fourth Princess pointing directly at her.

“Being chosen by the Fourth Princess is a great honor. Don’t you thank her, Miss?” the old nanny smiled.

Xue Qingyin cursed in her heart, bowed and said, “I am really overwhelmed by the princess’s favor.”

The fourth princess stared at her and smiled.

Finally, the fourth princess chose another girl, who was said to be the daughter of the Imperial College’s chief winemaker, named Xie Yiyi.

After Xie Yiyi was chosen, she was really happy.

“Okay, you can go and have fun by yourselves.” The lady said gently. The

fourth princess took Xue Qingyin and the girl away.

After leaving the door, the fourth princess suddenly turned around and asked Xue Qingyin, “Is this your first time in the palace?”

Without waiting for Xue Qingyin to answer, the fourth princess said again, “Do you know who that is inside?” The fourth princess pulled up the corner of her mouth: “It’s Concubine Wan.” Concubine Wan

?

Isn’t that the mother of King Wei?

The description of her in the book is that she is a favorite concubine of a generation.

She is indeed born beautiful, and with her gentle temperament… she is a flower of eloquence that is quite popular with the emperor.

However, this Concubine Wan is gentle on the surface, and vicious on the inside.

“Do you know why I called you into the palace today?” The fourth princess laughed even louder, “You don’t really think I want to choose you as my study partner?”

The fourth princess showed a look of seeing a joke: “Because the prince of Wei wants to marry you, but Concubine Wan doesn’t want to. So I thought of a compromise and pretended to call you into the palace, saying that I want to see what kind of woman you are. In fact, I pushed you to me and asked me to torture you into a ghost… The prince of Wei will naturally not like you anymore.”

These words made Xie Yiyi on the side break out in a cold sweat.

Xie Yiyi couldn’t help but turn her head to look at Xue Qingyin.