Having rushed back in a breathless blur alongside the Crown Prince, coupled with the bone-jostling journey and the constant mental strain of keeping her guard up around him, Nanzhi hadn’t gotten a proper night’s sleep in three whole days.
Now that the Crown Prince was out of sight, the tension that had gripped her all the way back finally had a chance to uncoil.
Gazing out at the sea of bowing servants kneeling in the courtyard, a dull ache throbbed at her temples. Lacking the energy to deliver any introductory speeches, she simply waved a hand to dismiss them all.
Once the courtyard cleared out, she sat quietly in a chair, closing her eyes as she pressed two fingers to her temples. The wave of homesickness she had forcibly suppressed throughout the journey instantly rushed forward, crashing over her in a tide.
She missed her mother. How was her mother holding up now that she was gone? Was she still weeping and breaking her heart over her?
She also missed the attentive and thoughtful Zhutai. If Zhutai were here right now, she would be gently massaging her shoulders to melt away this pounding headache.
And then there was little Hongzhu, that sweet girl who always loved clinging to her side. Not seeing her anymore, the child was bound to cry her eyes out.
What about him? Wondering how he was taking all this.
She and Wen Tingyue could be considered childhood sweethearts who had grown up together. At first, she hadn’t realized he harbored romantic feelings for her, treating him purely as an older brother. But when she reached her coming-of-age year, Wen Tingyue had laid his heart bare before her.
Though caught off guard at first, she figured Wen Tingyue was a dependable man, and marrying him seemed like a sensible, comfortable path—so she eventually accepted his proposal.
Her mother had been exceptionally pleased with the match, wishing only for her daughter’s happiness above all else. Her father, however, hadn’t been entirely keen on it, but out of respect for her mother’s wishes, he hadn’t outright rejected it either.
She certainly held a fondness for Wen Tingyue, though it hadn’t quite blossomed into deep love; it was built mostly on mutual respect and appreciation. She had genuinely expected to marry him one day and live out an ordinary, peaceful life—all of which had been ruthlessly shattered by the Crown Prince and her own father.
At the mere thought of her father, Nanzhi knitted her brows, a chilling cold settling deep in her chest like winter’s frost.
Her father had sacrificed her without a second thought, treating her as nothing more than a tool to curry favor with the Crown Prince. Such a father was utterly worthless.
Noticing her distressed expression, Qingyu grew rather anxious. Stepping closer, she asked in a low, worried voice: “Milady, are you feeling unwell?”
Nanzhi shook her head, offering a faint gesture to let Qingyu know she was fine. Rising to her feet, she walked over to a low daybed, lay down, and closed her eyes once more.
Warm afternoon sunlight spilled through the window, bathing Nanzhi’s fair face in a soft glow. For some reason, Qingyu couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that the young lady’s complexion looked a shade too pale, the natural flush of her lips fading into a faint, worrisome tint that tugged uncomfortably at her heart.
Is the young lady unhappy?
The thought flickered through Qingyu’s mind. But seeing Nanzhi lying there with her eyes closed, she refrained from pressing further. Turning around quietly, she retrieved a light silk blanket from inside and tiptoed back over, draping it gently across Nanzhi’s resting form.
Once she finished, Qingyu stationed herself nearby as a silent guard, casting frequent, watchful glances down at Nanzhi.
Before long, Qingyu caught the sound of approaching footsteps outside. Stepping out to investigate, she spotted the familiar figure of Eunuch Chen returning.
Several young maidservants trailed close behind Chen Ruizhu. Catching sight of Qingyu, Eunuch Chen smiled and asked, “Where is the young lady? Is she inside?”
“Eunuch Chen, are these maidservants meant to serve our Mistress?” Qingyu asked with her customary deadpan expression.
After receiving a confirming nod from Eunuch Chen, Qingyu glanced over the line of young girls and said, “I’ll go inform our Mistress.” With that, she turned and walked back into the inner chamber.
Sensing the movement, Nanzhi’s long, dark eyelashes fluttered open. Seeing Qingyu step back inside, she softly inquired, “Has Eunuch Chen returned?”
“Mistress,” Qingyu reported, “Eunuch Chen has brought several personal maidservants for you to choose from.”
Hearing this, Nanzhi rose from the daybed and walked out to the main hall. The moment she emerged, Eunuch Chen’s shrill, polite voice rang out: “Milady, this servant has brought a few maids over for your inspection. See if any of them are to your liking.”
“You’ve gone to a lot of trouble, Eunuch Chen.” Nanzhi offered a slight nod of acknowledgment before settling gracefully into a chair nearby.
With a welcoming smile, Eunuch Chen replied, “This is all by His Highness’s command. Take your time looking them over. If none of them catch your eye, this servant will find another batch for you.” He then turned and beckoned to the girls standing behind him. “Come forward at once and pay your respects to the Milady.”
“This servant pays respects to the Milady.” The six maidservants stepped forward in unison and offered a respectful bow.
“Raise your heads.” Nanzhi’s gaze swept over them, observing each girl with a subtle, thorough inspection. Among the six, she immediately noticed a maid dressed in apricot robes whose eyes flashed with thinly veiled resentment the moment she lifted her chin.
While the girl was certainly attractive enough, her mind was clearly unsettled.
Skipping past her, Nanzhi’s eyes landed on the young woman clad in purple standing nearby. Noting her proper posture and clear, steady gaze, Nanzhi drifted off for a brief second—in that fleeting moment, she almost fancied she saw the shadow of Zhutai in this stranger.
Extending a finger, she pointed to her. “You may stay.”
Then, she gestured to the woman standing right next to her in the purple robes. “You stay as well.”
The second maid possessed an amiable, good-natured face with soft, rounded cheeks and a pair of endearing dimples that appeared whenever she smiled, giving her an instantly winning charm.
Lifting his eyelids, Eunuch Chen politely inquired, “Milady, would you care to select a few more?”
Nanzhi shook her head slightly. “Just keep these two for my personal service. As for the rest, Eunuch Chen can arrange them as you see fit.”
“This servant Ziyun thanks the Mistress!”
“This servant Fendai thanks the Mistress!”
The two girls spoke in unison to express their gratitude. The one in purple was Ziyun, eighteen years of age and known for her steady, calm temperament; the round-faced maid was Fendai, sixteen, making her the exact same age as Nanzhi.
Fendai could barely contain her joy. Never had she imagined that a young lady as peerless as a celestial being would choose her, and her voice trembled slightly with suppressed excitement.
“Very well. Since the Milady has chosen you two, you must serve her with all your heart from this day forward,” Eunuch Chen instructed the pair carefully before turning back to Nanzhi. “Milady, I will have Mother Xu handle the placement of the remaining four.”
Hearing this, the apricot-robed maid knitted her brows in displeasure. She hadn’t been terribly keen on being sent here by Eunuch Chen in the first place; harboring secret, romantic ambitions toward the Crown Prince, she had dreamed of serving him directly one day, not waiting hand and foot on some other woman.
Yet now that Nanzhi had passed her over, Xing’er felt a burning sting of resentment. She could accept Ziyun—after all, Ziyun was widely recognized as the most composed and capable of them all.
But what on earth made Fendai special? She and Fendai had never gotten along, yet the mistress had picked Fendai while completely ignoring her! A dark look of discontent flashed across Xing’er’s eyes.
What right does she have to look down on me?
Nanzhi’s gaze brushed past her unawares, choosing to let it slide for now. As long as the girl kept a low profile and stayed out of trouble, she wouldn’t bother making an issue of it.
If she didn’t…
“Proceed as Eunuch Chen suggested,” Nanzhi said, withdrawing her gaze as she addressed the head eunuch.
With a beaming smile, Eunuch Chen replied, “Then this servant will take his leave. If Milady has any further instructions down the road, simply send someone to fetch this servant.”
With that, Eunuch Chen stepped out of the hall. Mother Xu quickly stepped forward to lead the four unchosen maids away, leaving behind only Qingyu, Ziyun, and Fendai alongside Nanzhi.
Nanzhi regarded the two newly selected maids with a gentle gaze, her tone as soft and soothing as a spring breeze: “I don’t have many complicated rules here. Just remember one thing above all else—know your place and keep things peaceful.”
“This servant understands!” the two chorused together. Fendai, in particular, found herself blushing under Nanzhi’s warm, liquid gaze, instinctively lowering her head as the tips of her ears turned a bright crimson.
The mistress is so gentle and gorgeous that even a woman like me gets flustered, she thought.
Ziyun, on the other hand, quietly observed that while their new mistress appeared warm and approachable on the surface, an underlying layer of cool, distant detachment seemed to envelop her.
A fresh throb of pain struck Nanzhi’s temples, bringing a wave of fatigue. Pressing one hand against her temple, she massaged the aching spot.
Noticing her mistress’s distress at a glance due to her sharp attentiveness, Ziyun softly offered, “Mistress, are your temples aching? Would you like this servant to massage them for you?”
Before Nanzhi could open her mouth to reply, a sudden flurry of footsteps echoed sharply from outside the hall.