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After Yao Huang lay down in bed, Ah Ji quickly finished tidying up herself. Once the light was extinguished, she skillfully slipped into the bed beside Yao Huang, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling as she looked at her young mistress. She whispered, “In the more than a month that you’ve been away, Young Master Li hasn’t come to visit Young Master even once. It’s clear that all those times he came before, it was just to see you.”
Her older sister had always said that Li Tingwang liked their young mistress. At the time, both she and Yao Huang hadn’t believed it, but now it seemed her sister had found the evidence.
Yao Huang’s mind drifted to the image of Li Tingwang’s tall and upright figure, and his teasing face, still smiling foolishly after she had struck him with a cane.
If it had been Yao Huang who had been struck by someone she disliked, she would have been furious and filled with hatred. But Li Tingwang—could it be that he really liked her?
But so what? Yao Huang didn’t want to marry someone who spent all his time trying to provoke her.
“Whatever he thinks doesn’t matter. I’m going to marry Prince Hui. From now on, no one should mention him again, whether in front of people or behind their backs. He’s just my brother’s good friend.”
After a peaceful night’s sleep, Yao Huang had breakfast with her family the next morning.
After the meal, Yao Zhenhu set off on a mule toward the Eastern camp, while Yao Lin rode another mule to the martial arts academy in the western part of the city to study and practice. Luo Jinhua took Qiaoniang to the silk and satin shop to buy some fine fabric for her daughter’s wedding dress and some jewelry that could be presented as gifts. Since the family’s conditions were modest, they couldn’t even afford a proper dowry fit for a princess, so the couple decided not to stretch beyond their means. They would simply do their best to provide their daughter with what they could.
The four maids, including Huamei, stood in the courtyard, waiting for Yao Huang’s orders.
But instead of calling them, Yao Huang went to the back garden with Ah Ji. After a quarter of an hour, Ah Ji returned to the front courtyard. She glanced at the four maids and said to Chunyan, “The young mistress wants to speak with you. Come with me.”
Chunyan panicked. Why was she the first one called?
With a nervous heart, she crossed the main hall, and as she stepped over the threshold of the back door, she looked up and froze.
She saw the future princess consort, Yao Huang, wearing a simple linen dress, sleeves rolled up as she crouched in a vegetable patch. The young green cabbage seedlings were only about the height of a fingertip, and Yao Huang, with her plump, fair arm exposed, was skillfully pulling out the weeds one by one.
This scene triggered a memory for Chunyan. It was something her grandmother and aunts used to do back at their family’s home before she entered the palace.
But Yao Huang was a noble lady, soon to be the princess consort—how could she be doing something like this?
Ah Ji turned back and asked, “What are you standing there for? Come on.”
Chunyan quickly suppressed her surprise and followed Ah Ji toward the vegetable patch.
Next to the patch was a small bench where Yao Huang sat, looking at the tense and uneasy Chunyan. She smiled and asked, “What’s the matter? Are you afraid of me?”
Chunyan quickly shook her head.
Yao Huang twirled the weeds she had just pulled from the soil, speaking casually, “No need to be afraid. I’m actually easy to get along with. As long as those around me do their duties well and don’t spoil my mood, there won’t be any trouble. As for the beating and scolding… Ah Ji has been with me for over ten years, and I haven’t laid a hand on her once.”
Ah Ji chimed in, “That’s right, the young mistress is the kindest. She’s never even scolded me.”
Chunyan nodded quickly, “Yes, I will always keep to my duties and never make the young mistress angry.”
Yao Huang smiled and continued, “You should all be aware of my family’s situation. Now, tell me about yourself. Start with your background—where you’re from, when you came to the palace—and make sure to mention the important parts.”
Chunyan took a deep breath and began to speak softly.
Every so often, the palace would send out officials to select palace maids from the common people, requiring them to come from clean backgrounds and have respectable appearances.
Chunyan was born in a farming family. At the age of thirteen, she participated in the selection process. After entering the palace, she spent half a year learning the proper etiquette, and then she was assigned to the Shangyifang to learn needlework. This year, she was ready to graduate, just in time for the princess consorts to reward palace maids. Chunyan was selected by Concubine Du.
Yao Huang asked, “Can you make finished clothes?”
Chunyan responded, “Yes, I can. I specialize in Su embroidery and Shu embroidery. I am proficient in twenty-four types of stitches, and I am still working on perfecting over thirty other types.”
Ah Ji was silent, but Yao Huang smiled and said, “Good. I have two pieces of fabric. I’ll have Ah Ji bring them to you later so you can make a set of summer clothes for her. I want to see how skilled you really are.”
Chunyan finally relaxed, relieved to have something to do.
The second person called over was Qiuchan. Qiuchan had learned accounting in the palace, and when Yao Huang gave her a few problems, Qiuchan answered them fluently. It was only natural that she was assigned the task of managing the accounts.
Returning to the front yard, Qiuchan, like Chunyan, felt a great weight lift from her shoulders.
As Ah Ji led Bailing away, Huamei interrogated Qiuchan once more. Seeing that Qiuchan’s answers were consistent with Chunyan’s, Huamei felt more confident.
Unexpectedly, Bailing, who had gone to the back courtyard, stayed for a full quarter of an hour—almost as long as the combined time of Chunyan and Qiuchan.
When Ah Ji brought Bailing back, Huamei stared at her intently. The way she looked at Bailing made her uneasy, as though there were a secret being revealed. Bailing, even though she had no secret to hide, felt a sense of discomfort and repeatedly tried to avoid Huamei’s gaze. It wasn’t until Huamei’s figure disappeared through the back door that Bailing finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Yao Huang also conducted a routine questioning with Huamei. Huamei answered simply, and Yao Huang didn’t press further.
Yao Huang asked, “Bailing is good at hairstyling, what are you good at?”
Huamei, though appearing humble, was inwardly proud. “This servant does not possess skills in needlework or any particular craft, but my memory is quite good. I have memorized the rules and etiquette. While in Yikun Palace, I assisted my aunts in managing the palace affairs and supervising the palace maids and eunuchs. The princess would often take me along during her outings, as I’m quick-witted. I can remember the maids and eunuchs from other palaces just by seeing them once.”
Yao Huang smiled and said, “The Noble Concubine has been so kind to me, even willing to give me such a clever maid like you.”