The room was arranged just like the one Shen Ruyi had stayed in when she first became a low-ranking servant: beds lined along the walls, ten in total, one per person.
Shen Ruyi and Xing Yu were still placed in the same room, their beds right next to each other.
From the outside, the residence looked like a grand mansion in the capital, though the construction was rough.
But beyond the shadow wall, it was entirely different.
Aside from a front courtyard with a hall for gatherings, there was a large open area resembling a military training ground, enough to accommodate hundreds of people.
The inner courtyards resembled former military barracks, with rooms like dormitories—ten beds per room.
Shen Ruyi and the other low-ranking maids lived in the third courtyard. From the second courtyard, a commotion could be heard.
“The maids in the front courtyard have been bathed in shifts and given a set of clothes each. The clothes are identical, so previous status is no longer visible. The young ladies and first- and second-class maids are displeased, and the attending matron is scolding them.”
A young maid who had gathered the information whispered it to the others.
Once the second courtyard maids finished changing, the third courtyard maids followed the two matrons, split into adjacent courtyards.
Upon entering, they saw a large bathhouse, confirming Shen Ruyi’s suspicion that this place was formerly a military camp.
Shen Ruyi, who hadn’t bathed or changed clothes for over half a month, didn’t hesitate. She quickly stripped and went into the water.
Using the bath soap provided, she and Xing Yu washed each other hurriedly—delaying would mean using someone else’s bathwater.
Her body, still slender and undeveloped, gave her an advantage in the communal bath.
After washing her hair, Shen Ruyi felt lighter by several pounds, utterly refreshed.
Each maid received a uniform outfit—identical for everyone, no choice involved.
Shen Ruyi and Xing Yu quickly dressed, dried their hair partially, and left the bathhouse.
It was late May in the lunar calendar—summer—so there was no risk of catching a cold.
The old clothes were collected by the attendants.
The next day, the women rested inside the residence. That night, Madam Tian appeared again.
“Tonight, rest well. Tomorrow someone will come to take you to the military camp.”
She spoke briefly, then left without regard for the shock her announcement caused.
“Ruyi, are you nervous? I’m so nervous… I don’t know what kind of man I’ll marry, or what his temperament is like.”
Even the usually composed Xing Yu fidgeted nervously, twisting her sleeve.
Shen Ruyi’s mind was equally tangled—these days had left her feeling alternately anxious and numb.
If she were marrying someone familiar, Shen Ruyi might have feared him but still hoped for the best. Now, all she felt was fear of the unknown.
The soldiers surely knew their identities. Would anyone secretly look down on them as low-ranking maids? Or would they simply obey imperial orders?
This was a strictly patriarchal, feudal society—marriage meant a lifetime commitment.
Given her current status and the reason for marriage, even if her husband were a tyrant, she would have no choice but to live in that “hell” forever.
Although told to rest, Shen Ruyi tossed and turned, hearing sighs and creaking beds around her, and thought bitterly: Few of us will sleep well tonight.
By midnight, she resorted to a technique from her previous life for instant sleep—“reviving sleep.”
She needed rest; her body had lagged in development due to past neglect.
Even with years of supplemental nutrition, her early deprivation showed—her figure was smaller than peers, and her low-ranking servant diet hadn’t helped.
Without proper sleep, dark circles would only add to the effect.
Accepting that she had only one path, she resolved to prepare herself, determined to navigate this thorny path with sufficient rations and money, striving for a better life despite the obstacles.
Whether it was the mental preparation or the “reviving sleep,” Shen Ruyi eventually fell into a deep, restful slumber.
She was awakened by sounds in the courtyard, soon joined by the other maids rising one by one.
“Ruyi, get up! You’re the last one!”
Half-awake, she was shaken awake by Xing Yu.
“Up already? So early?” Shen Ruyi rubbed her eyes, sat up, and stretched.
Most of her roommates had already left the room; only a few, like herself and Xing Yu, were adjusting final details.
She quickly washed and dressed with Xing Yu’s help, and when she reached the plaza outside the first courtyard, only the last few were arriving.
In the front rows were the young ladies and first-class maids, dressed identically to herself. Shen Ruyi lowered her gaze, moving quietly to the back.
Soon, Madam Tian emerged from the main hall, accompanied by two generals in military uniforms, exuding a commanding presence.
The maids dared not breathe audibly.
“Outside the residence, there are carriages. You will follow these two captains to the military camp. After that… your fate is in their hands.”
The two captains silently inspected the maids, then walked ahead. The maids hurried to follow.
Outside, a row of carriages awaited, similar to those that had brought them from the capital.
Ten people per carriage. The wheels clattered as the carriages carried them toward an unknown future.
Inside, the maids were silent, barely breathing, lost in their thoughts.
With a soldier’s command, the carriages gradually slowed to a stop.
At the end of this chapter, Shen Ruyi is about to be taken to the military camp for marriage arrangements, highlighting her anxiety, the strict hierarchy among women, and the oppressive tension of feudal society.