“Li Zhu, your cold has almost cleared up these past few days. Duke Ruikang said you must return to duty tomorrow.”
“Thank you for letting me know, Sister Mei Xiang.”
As she spoke, Li Zhu took half a tael of silver from the original body’s meager savings and pressed it into Mei Xiang’s hand.
Mei Xiang declined, “What are you doing? I was just passing on a message. This isn’t necessary.”
Though she said this, the force of her refusal wasn’t particularly strong.
Li Zhu held her hand firmly, “Sister Mei Xiang, I’m new to Funing Palace and don’t understand many things. If I make any mistakes when I return to duty tomorrow, I hope you’ll guide me.”
Mei Xiang sighed, “It’s not about guidance. We’re both low-ranking cleaning palace maids. As long as we do our work properly and don’t try to get close to those above us, we won’t commit any offenses.”
Li Zhu nodded obediently.
Considering the silver in her hand, Mei Xiang kindly reminded her, “Sister Li Zhu, you’re truly beautiful, but that’s not necessarily a good thing in Funing Palace.”
The phrase “truly beautiful” couldn’t fully capture Li Zhu’s beauty. Mei Xiang only knew that in her five years in the palace, she had never seen anyone more beautiful than Li Zhu.
She was truly like Yaochi Xianzi – every time Mei Xiang saw Li Zhu, she couldn’t bear to look away.
“Why?” Li Zhu asked.
Mei Xiang lowered her voice, “Do you know why you were transferred to Funing Palace?”
Li Zhu paused. In her memories, the original body had been working in Sibao Bureau. Though beautiful, she was timid and socially awkward, and had offended some female official, leading to her reassignment to Funing Palace.
Normally, being a palace maid in the emperor’s residence was better than serving elsewhere. However, this emperor had a violent temper, so the palace staff in Funing Palace had to be extremely careful.
Li Zhu had been transferred because a second-rank palace maid had died in Funing Palace.
Li Zhu was brought in as a replacement.
“I heard… a palace maid died.”
“Exactly. That palace maid was personally sentenced to death by the Emperor.”
A look of disdain appeared on Mei Xiang’s face as she continued revealing the truth, “She relied on her beauty and tried to seduce His Majesty. The Emperor was furious and ordered her to be beaten to death.”
Li Zhu felt uneasy. Was working in Funing Palace really this dangerous?
“So I advise you – if you want to stay alive, don’t follow in her footsteps.”
Hearing this, Li Zhu nodded repeatedly. She hadn’t had such intentions anyway.
Mei Xiang patted her hand and said, “You should rest well now. I need to return to duty.”
“Alright, thank you so much for today, Sister Mei Xiang.”
Mei Xiang smiled and left the room.
Alone in the room, Li Zhu felt a headache coming on! What kind of situation was this!
A simple cold had easily taken the original body’s life, and Li Zhu, a model youth from the 21st century, had been dispatched through transmigration like this.
Three days had passed since she arrived here, and Li Zhu still hadn’t fully sorted everything out.
Well, since I’m here, I might as well make the best of it, Li Zhu comforted herself.
Besides, she wasn’t completely unlucky – at least this face was extremely beautiful.
Li Zhu had looked in the bronze mirror. This body’s face was sixty to seventy percent similar to her original face, but the current one was more refined and charming.
Touching the small mole at the corner of her eye, she wondered whether this face would bring fortune or misfortune in the palace.
Though one shouldn’t lack awareness of potential dangers, Li Zhu had never been the type to worry excessively about the future.
Eat well, drink well, and you’ll have the strength to handle whatever challenges come your way.
After a lovely afternoon nap, Li Zhu’s “roommates” had all finished their shifts.
That’s right, as the lowest-ranking palace maid, Li Zhu had five other palace maid “roommates.” Six people slept on a large shared bed in one room, with almost no privacy.
“Li Zhu, come down quickly to eat,” Mei Xiang said.
Li Zhu inwardly shed two streams of clear tears—the food for third-class palace maids made her not even want to get out of bed.
“Ah, coming, coming.”
Li Zhu obediently climbed down. Though the food was terrible, she couldn’t skip it.
After the bland meal, everyone cleaned up their bowls and chopsticks and began chatting.
Li Zhu sat on her small stool and listened attentively.
“Hey, all the consorts have been in the palace for three months now, and the Emperor hasn’t favored a single one. Those consorts must be crying from waiting.”
Fanglan looked disapprovingly at Xia’er. “You really should fix this habit of speaking without restraint. Matters concerning our masters are not something we should discuss.”
Xia’er quickly patted her own mouth. “I got carried away.”
Another palace maid chimed in, “But do you know about Xu Zhaorong?”
Xia’er nodded. “Yes, yes. I heard she’s a talented woman famous throughout the capital. I don’t know why she was only granted the title of Zhaorong.”
Mei Xiang snorted with a laugh. “Although Xu Zhaorong is talented and beautiful, her maternal family, Yongping Houfu, only has her father serving in court, and he holds only a fifth-rank idle position.”
“So that’s how it is.”
But Li Zhu, sitting to the side, froze.
Xu Zhaorong, Yongping Houfu…
It sounded so familiar—wasn’t this the heroine of the last novel she read before she transmigrated?
Li Zhu timidly asked, “What is Xu Zhaorong’s name?”
After she asked, everyone shook their heads.
They truly didn’t know Xu Zhaorong’s name. Even if she was just a young lady from a fallen marquis household, she was still a noble daughter. Her maiden name naturally wasn’t something a lowly palace maid like them was fit to know.
Mei Xiang said, “I only know Xu Zhaorong has some kind of literary name, I think it’s Qing Shuang Jushi.”
Li Zhu was certain now—she hadn’t just transmigrated; she had transmigrated into a book!
Mei Xiang noticed Li Zhu was a bit distracted, but she didn’t pay it any mind and continued discussing Xu Zhaorong.
“I also heard that Xu Zhaorong is the number one talented woman in the capital, and her appearance is even more pure and ethereal.”
“That’s not false,” Fanglan nodded as if she knew something.
Xia’er was surprised. “Sister Fanglan, have you seen Xu Zhaorong?”
“I saw her once in Yu Garden.”
“Wow, so Sister Fanglan, your courage isn’t small either! You actually dared to look up and see a master?” Xia’er teased.
Everyone laughed.
“Fanglan, quickly tell us, is Xu Zhaorong really that beautiful?”
“She is indeed beautiful.”
When it came to beauty, Mei Xiang could think of no one but Li Zhu, so she couldn’t help but ask, “Then tell us, who is more beautiful, Xu Zhaorong or Li Zhu?”
The room fell silent, and everyone’s gaze focused on Li Zhu, who was lost in thought.
Li Zhu also heard someone call her name.
She looked dazedly at Mei Xiang and the others. “What’s wrong?”
All five were captivated by Li Zhu’s face.
How could a person look like this?
It was simply unfair!
After a long while, Fanglan spoke, her words coming from the heart. “It’s still… Li Zhu who is more beautiful.”
Although Li Zhu didn’t know how the conversation had turned to this topic, she was still very happy.
After all, who doesn’t like being praised?
No one in the room questioned Fanglan’s conclusion.
Because they could not imagine what a face more beautiful than Li Zhu’s could possibly look like.
Li Zhu is derived from Tan Li De Zhu, symbolizing that the brave will ultimately obtain something precious.