Tian Xi delivered the message she was tasked with and returned happily, clutching the gold and silver bean leaves.
To be honest, the newly minted bean leaves from the Silver Workshop Bureau were quite attractive, exuding a festive air.
Inside the Western Side Hall, Zhuang Cairen, who should have been beaming with joy, instead looked as wilted as frostbitten eggplants, her spirits entirely dampened.
The travelogue she had been halfway through reading was set aside. Zhuang Yunlan propped her chin on one hand, resting her elbow on the table as she brooded.
“Is Mistress worried that if you don’t handle the duties well, the Crown Princess will be displeased?” Shaoyao shooed the cleaning palace personnel farther away, and the four major palace maids gathered around the table to help Zhuang Yunlan share her worries.
Zhuang Yunlan sighed.
A small shrimp joining a big shot’s project team—wasn’t it obvious that any credit would have nothing to do with you, but any mistakes would definitely be pinned on you?
Zhuang Yunlan didn’t want to be that kind of scapegoat.
Her gaze swept over the faces of the maids.
Haitang was a mix of excitement and confusion; Shuixian and Furong were half-worried, half-pleased. Only Shaoyao was the most composed.
Sometimes, Zhuang Yunlan felt Shaoyao had the demeanor of an unflappable strategist, unfazed by favor or disgrace.
With such a cheat-code brain right in front of her, only a fool wouldn’t use it.
Zhuang Yunlan asked her, “What do you think I should do?”
Shaoyao did not disappoint. After a moment’s thought, she said, “This servant believes that since His Highness the Crown Prince mentioned you in front of Her Highness, this is an immense honor. Even if Mistress truly does not wish to step into the spotlight, there is no reason to refuse. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain to His Highness. Since you cannot refuse, then perhaps you should wait for the Crown Princess to summon you? If there truly is any important matter, the one making decisions will surely still be the Crown Princess. At most, you can seek her guidance more frequently, doing everything according to her instructions—not seeking merit, but striving to avoid fault.”
Zhuang Yunlan thought Shaoyao’s words made sense. For a slacker who had no desire to compete for the title of “outstanding employee,” this was indeed the best solution.
Zhuang Yunlan nodded, embracing the solemn resolve of a warrior setting off on a journey from which there was no return, and awaited the Crown Princess’s summons.
The summons arrived the very next day.
It was delivered by the same palace maid who had come to comfort her the day the Crown Prince’s Jieyu was taken away.
“This servant pays respects to Mistress Zhuang,” Ma Nao’s back was even straighter than that day. She curtsied, her tone flat as an emotionless machine, and said, “The Crown Princess has words to speak with Mistress Zhuang. Please follow this servant.”
Having said that, she stepped aside, waiting for Zhuang Yunlan to rise and follow her.
Mama Hu had said that although Mistress Zhuang seemed docile now, once she came into contact with power, she might not remain the same.
The Crown Princess was the epitome of benevolence and kindness, so it fell to them, the servants, to help Her Highness maintain her standing and make Zhuang Cairen aware of the vast gulf between her and the Crown Princess.
An Imperial Concubine was still a concubine. And since she was a concubine, she must not presume to act presumptuously before the principal wife.
Zhuang Yunlan did not keep Ma Nao waiting long. She untied the sachet filled with petals from her waist and left with Ma Nao.
She wasn’t blind to Ma Nao’s intent, but honestly, she felt this was just fine.
If Ma Nao had come speaking to her warmly and eagerly, that would have made her inwardly apprehensive.
Better to keep things normal. Normal was good.
Upon entering the main hall of the rear courtyard, Zhuang Yunlan paid her respects to the Crown Princess and then waited for her to speak.
Zhuang Yunlan understood: the Crown Prince sending someone to inform her of this matter was to allow her time to prepare, not for her to show off in front of the Crown Princess.
"On such a cold day, Cairen Zhuang must have been chilled on your way here. Please sit and have some tea to warm yourself," said the Crown Princess, who was naturally somewhat frail. Having pondered over the Crown Prince's request for her to manage palace affairs, she had expended considerable energy and could no longer hold herself upright. She could only recline halfway on the rosewood luohan bed, leaning against a cushion as she spoke with Zhuang Yunlan.
A palace maid from the main hall brought over a round stool. Zhuang Yunlan expressed her gratitude, then lowered her head and obediently took her seat.
The Crown Princess said, "Cairen Zhuang, you must know that I am now with child and often lack energy. Many matters inevitably become overwhelming. Usually it's manageable, but the affairs of the New Year festival cannot be delayed. So I thought of asking you to assist me. What do you think?"
Zhuang Yunlan quickly assumed an expression of humble trepidation.
The Crown Princess reassured her, "You needn't worry too much. Many matters will be overseen by the female officials to help us keep an eye on things. Besides, even His Highness thinks highly of you. Even if Cairen Zhuang doesn't trust herself, surely you trust His Highness? Moreover, I will be here to handle everything."
As she spoke these words, the Crown Princess smiled gently, her already soft, full-moon face appearing even more serene.
Had someone else spoken these words, Zhuang Yunlan might have taken them as a warning to know her place and not meddle in affairs beyond her station. But coming from the Crown Princess, Zhuang Yunlan knew she genuinely meant to comfort her.
Though if any major incident truly occurred and reached The Emperor, the Crown Princess certainly couldn't protect her, this reassurance still served as a small comfort.
Zhuang Yunlan resolved to follow Shaoyao's advice—to seek instructions whenever possible and minimize errors to the greatest extent.
However, the actual situation turned out much better than she had imagined.
She was truly just assisting the Crown Princess with some trivial and tedious minor matters, most of which had already been organized by the responsible female officials before being presented to the Crown Princess's Hall.
Take, for example, the making of New Year garments and jewelry.
There were established rules for how many sets of clothing and jewelry each rank of concubine in the Eastern Palace could have for the New Year festival—even down to the type of thread and embroidery patterns used on ceremonial robes.
Zhuang Yunlan only needed to wait for the Shangfu Bureau officials to take the concubines' measurements, then review the reported quantities of fabric required, checking for any calculation errors, before submitting them to the Crown Princess. Matters like sealing and stamping documents afterward required no concern from her.
Zhuang Yunlan even benefited from this duty by getting an early look at the designs for her new garments and jewelry.
But what she enjoyed even more was dealing with the Shangshi Bureau.
For the grand New Year banquet, the Crown Princess would certainly attend the feast in the inner palace. Whether the Zhaoyi of the Crown Prince would attend, Zhuang Yunlan didn't know, but lower-ranking consorts and concubines like them would definitely remain in the Eastern Palace for their meal. Thus, the Shangshi Bureau also submitted the menu for the small banquet to be held in the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Princess had no appetite, so the task of sampling dishes fell to Zhuang Yunlan. She was to select the tasty ones and report them to the Crown Princess for final decision.
All those dishes she had never even heard of before, Zhuang Yunlan tasted them all today—each one still warm as it entered her stomach.
In the end, even the Crown Princess followed her lead and ate an extra bowl of porridge. Zhuang Yunlan felt Mama Hu's gaze toward her had warmed slightly.
Before her departure, the Crown Princess even personally escorted her to the hall's entrance.
Zhuang Yunlan ate to her heart's content and walked out of the main hall feeling refreshed. On her way back to Chenghua Hall, she felt that even the sunlight today was exceptionally bright and warm.
So far, aside from the requirement to report to the Crown Princess on time for duty—which was not particularly favorable to her—nothing else about this job troubled her.
With a weight off her mind, Zhuang Yunlan walked briskly toward Chenghua Hall. Even before she approached the Western Side Hall, she spotted Haitang standing outside, looking around from a distance.
"Master," Haitang said upon seeing her, quickly stepping forward to greet her. "The Crown Prince has come to see you. He’s inside writing calligraphy."