The Blue Camp commander was gloating, the Secret Guard leader looked sullen, my brother was full of pride, and there I was, my face flushed with embarrassment.

The Crown Prince looked at me, puzzled.

“Your face…”

I quickly forced a shy smile and explained,

“Your servant was worried about Your Highness, but since the main gate was tightly closed, I had no choice but to crawl through a dog hole to investigate. That’s how I got these scratches.”

My brother looked at me as if to say, “Do you really expect me to believe that?”

The Crown Prince seemed to be thinking, “Could this girl be a fool?”

To avoid suspicion, my brother was quickly ushered back into the carriage.

I swallowed nervously and quietly asked him,

“Brother, was the perch delicious?”

Unexpectedly, he curled his lips and replied,

“Delicious? Not at all. There were so many bones, picking them out made my hand cramp. Braised pork is still better!”

Tsk, this rustic fellow really is destined never to enjoy the finer things in life.

After we returned to the Eastern Palace, rewards poured in like a tide. I knew most of them were meant for my brother.

He had completed the mission excellently, and since he was injured, the Crown Prince ordered him to rest.

Even I was given a break and didn’t have to serve the Crown Prince closely for a while.

Still, I was a bit worried that after the mission ended, the Crown Prince might dismiss me. As an unofficial member, I hoped I wasn’t just a temporary worker.

While I was still worrying about my future, rumors began circulating in the Crown Prince’s residence. People said that during the banquet at the Prince of Anyang’s mansion, the situation was perilous, and I had risked my life to save the Crown Prince. With such great merit, and the Crown Prince’s favor, I would surely be made a secondary consort in the future.

I didn’t really believe these rumors, but some people did.

One day, I was hiding in my room, nibbling on a pork knuckle, when the Crown Princess sent someone to question me.

“You saved the Crown Prince’s life. How should I properly reward you?” she asked, looking at me with a half-smile.

My eyes lit up. As I touched the fading scars on my face, a wish list immediately formed in my mind.

“Protecting the Crown Prince is my duty as a servant. How could I ask for a reward?” I said.

The Crown Princess curled her lips triumphantly, as if thinking, “I knew you wouldn’t dare ask.”

But she was still too young, too naive.

I abruptly changed my tone.

“But if the Crown Princess insists on rewarding me, it would be disrespectful to refuse!”

“Gold, silver, and jewels have already been given by the Crown Prince, so there’s no need for the Crown Princess to repeat that. If you want to reward me, please give me something I don’t already have.”

My mind raced as I calculated quickly.

“I was injured saving the Crown Prince, so this counts as a work injury. They say a woman’s face is more important than her life, so the Crown Princess could put some thought into this matter.”

“I’m not greedy. If the vassal states present the Crown Princess with ten or eight bottles of Jade Complexion Cream made from Tianshan Snow Lotus^[1]Tianshan Snow Lotus is a rare medicinal herb from Xinjiang, China, often used in traditional Chinese medicine for its rarity and supposed healing properties.Jade Complexion Cream is a traditional … Continue reading, that would be enough for me.”

“Although pork knuckle is good for beauty, eating too much is too greasy. If the Crown Princess could reward me with a few pounds of bird’s nest, sea cucumber, peach gum, and fish maw^[2]Bird’s nest, sea cucumber, peach gum, and fish maw are luxury delicacies often associated with nourishing and beautifying effects in Chinese cuisine., I wouldn’t know how to cook those, so please also reward me with a soup chef.”

“Of course, rouge and powder can’t be missing; otherwise, how could I cover the scars on my face? The Crown Princess naturally wouldn’t give me some cheap makeup. I think the kind you presented to the Empress last time is quite good.”

“Also… eh, Crown Princess, are you alright? What’s wrong? Crown Princess!”

The Crown Princess’s teeth were clenched and chattering, but her face wore a sinister smile. She pinched the flesh on the arm of the head maid beside her and asked,

“Am I hearing things? Am I dreaming? Why doesn’t it hurt at all?”

The head maid grimaced in pain and said,

“Crown Princess, please stop! You’re pinching your servant. This little minx is clearly provoking you!”

At that moment, a voice suddenly came from outside.

“I advise the Crown Princess to speak directly. She has a problem with her brain and can’t understand your roundabout words!”

From outside the door came a chorus of greetings to the Crown Prince.

The scene depicts a humorous and tense interaction involving the Crown Princess, her maids, and the protagonist, with some playful provocation and interruption.

“The servant is not greedy. If the vassal states present the Crown Princess with ten or eight small bottles of Jade Complexion Cream made from Tianshan Snow Lotus, that would be enough for me.”

“Although pork knuckle is good for beauty, eating too much is too greasy. If the Crown Princess could reward me with a few pounds of bird’s nest, sea cucumber, peach gum, and fish maw, I wouldn’t know how to cook those, so please also reward me with a soup chef.”

“Of course, rouge and powder can’t be missing; otherwise, how could I cover the scars on my face? The Crown Princess naturally wouldn’t give me some cheap makeup. I think the kind you presented to the Empress last time is quite good.”

“Also… eh, Crown Princess, are you alright? What’s wrong? Crown Princess!”

The woman delivering the reward looked at me in disbelief.

“Do you think this is lard, handing out a whole jar? This is Tianshan Snow Lotus, and even the Crown Princess only got a small jar. Almost all of it was given to you, and you still think it’s too little?”

Her spit sprayed all over my face, and I quickly covered my head to dodge it.

“If you don’t want to give it, then don’t! Why get so angry?”

After the woman left, the Crown Prince unexpectedly came into my room. He picked up the jar of Jade Complexion Cream and sniffed it.

“You really have some skill. The Crown Princess is so stingy, yet you managed to squeeze out these few bottles from her!”

He weighed two bottles in his hand.

“I also helped you a bit. Consider these two bottles as a thank-you gift. Anyway, you can’t tell good from bad!”

I was speechless. This wasn’t the Crown Prince-it was clearly highway robbery!

“If the Crown Prince wants it, he can just take it directly from the Crown Princess. Why act like a greedy servant?”

He smiled helplessly.

“What do you know? If I want something from the Crown Princess, I have to exchange it for other things. It’s very troublesome. You’re different-I can just reward you with three carts of pork knuckles!”

The Tianshan Snow Lotus Jade Complexion Cream gifted by the Crown Princess was indeed a fine product. As soon as I opened the bottle cap, a fragrant aroma filled the room.

But she only gave me a tiny jade bottle, about the size of three fingertips.

“This little?” I muttered.

The old woman delivering the gift looked at me in disbelief.

“Do you think this is lard, handing out whole jars? This is Tianshan Snow Lotus! Even the Crown Princess only got a small jar, and almost all of it was given to you. You still think it’s too little?”

Her spit sprayed all over my face, and I quickly covered my head to dodge it.

“If you don’t want to give it, then don’t! Why get so angry?”

After the woman left, the Crown Prince came into my room again. He picked up the bottle of Jade Complexion Cream and sniffed it.

“You really have some skill. The Crown Princess is so stingy, yet you managed to squeeze out these few bottles from her!”

He weighed two bottles in his hand.

“I also helped you a bit. Consider these two bottles as a thank-you gift. Anyway, you can’t tell good from bad!”

I was speechless. This wasn’t the Crown Prince-it was clearly a highway robbery!

“If the Crown Prince wants it, he can just take it directly from the Crown Princess. Why act like a greedy servant?”

He smiled helplessly.

“What do you know? If I want something from the Crown Princess, I have to exchange it for other things. It’s very troublesome. You’re different-I can just reward you with three carts of pork knuckles!”