At dawn, A Meng and A Jiang arrived at Luan Yi Pavilion.
Although both Luan Yi Pavilion and Qing Xuan Pavilion were residences for members of the imperial family, they were completely different. Luan Yi Pavilion had green-tiled roofs, upturned eaves, beautiful palace lanterns, and a courtyard filled with trees and flowers. Everything about it showed its elegance and noble status.
The palace doors opened, and Bao Shu walked out of the pavilion. Her brightly colored dress flowed over the jade steps, while the finely carved incense ball hanging from her waist made a soft jingling sound.
Bao Shu lowered her eyes and looked at the two palace maids bowing before her. There was a trace of contempt in her eyes.
“I know you’re curious. You’re wondering how I offended the princess but am still allowed to serve her.”
She took out a recommendation letter and waved it in front of A Jiang and A Meng.
“Did you see it clearly?”
A Jiang immediately recognized the bright red seal. It belonged to the Princess of Yan.
She quickly lowered her head even more.
“So it was the Princess of Yan who recommended you. Everyone knows that the Princess of Yan is now in charge of the inner palace. Since you have gained her favor, you will surely be promoted in the future. It is truly our good fortune to know you.”
“I really don’t care about being a palace maid.”
Bao Shu smiled. A small beauty mark could be seen beneath her eye. Her smile looked gentle, but there was also a proud and arrogant air about her.
“The positions you fight so hard to get mean nothing to me. Unfortunately, someone tried to use the tricks of the inner palace against me, and I fell into their trap the first time I entered the palace.”
That day, her family had taught her exactly how to behave and what to say when meeting Princess Bao’an. There was no way she could have made a mistake.
After thinking carefully about what had happened, Bao Shu concluded that the problem must have been the embroidery piece given to her by the palace maid who had a skin rash.
“Did you do everything I told you to do?” Bao Shu asked.
A Jiang quickly answered, “We’ve done everything! We poured water on her bedding, hid needles in her bed, put small stones inside her shoes, and put grass leaves into her bowls.”
A Meng added, “We gave her all kinds of work from both the inner and outer palace. Even after working until midnight, she still couldn’t finish everything.”
A Jiang continued, “We don’t speak to her, and we don’t let her see Liangdi either. We leave her alone in the courtyard. She can’t live properly, but she can’t die either.”
A Meng nodded eagerly.
“Yes, yes. If she dares to resist, we’ll beat her until her body is covered in bruises and blood, even tearing the flesh beneath her clothes.”
“Enough, enough.”
Bao Shu had no interest in hearing more about the miserable life of a low-ranking palace maid. She had never needed to do such things herself.
In her eyes, a little money was enough to make these people turn against each other and do the dirty work for her.
That day, Qunqing had caused her to be publicly punished by the princess, making her lose all her dignity. Bao Shu had never been willing to accept such humiliation.
She took out a handful of gold beads and handed them over.
“Since she used the palace’s methods against me, you should use the palace’s methods to punish her properly. Let her enjoy the ‘good life’ she chose for herself.”
“I have plenty of money. Come back to me when the job is done.”
The gold beads fell into their hands, and A Jiang and A Meng left while thanking Bao Shu again and again.
As soon as they turned the corner, the two girls huddled together and counted the beads.
“Eight, nine… Oh my goodness! She gave us nine gold beads. What a lucky find!”
A Jiang quickly put the gold beads into her small pouch.
“I don’t know why, but I feel like this money is burning my hands.”
A Meng said with disdain, “Bao Shu is just rich and foolish. Didn’t Sister Qing say that any money we received should be considered a reward for our work?”
“You really believe that?” A Jiang replied. “She offended Bao Shu, and now we’re the ones getting the money. Why would Bao Shu give it to us? There isn’t anyone in this palace who doesn’t accept bribes.”
“I think this is another test from Sister Qing. We’d better be careful when we return tonight. She might beat us again.”
The two exchanged a look and hurried back to Qing Xuan Pavilion.
They soon found Qunqing and blocked her path. Qunqing stepped back and almost spilled the water from her bucket.
“Sister Qing, we did exactly as you told us. Bao Shu really gave us nine gold beads, and she even told us to keep making your life difficult.”
The two girls held the gold beads up with both hands.
“We wouldn’t dare keep them for ourselves. Please take them, Sister.”
Qunqing was silent for a long time.
A Jiang secretly looked at her and saw Qunqing staring down at the gold beads. Her smiling eyes showed a little pride and disdain.
She casually said, “This is money for my dignity. I don’t want it.”
With that, she picked up the bucket and walked away.
“Dignity… What does that mean?”
The two girls looked at each other. They had never met anyone like her before.
A Meng followed Qunqing and quickly took the bucket from her hands. At the same time, A Jiang grabbed a cloth and began wiping the railing with an eager smile.
“We found out everything Sister asked us to investigate. Bao Shu was introduced to the princess by the Princess Consort of Yan.”
“The Princess Consort of Yan?” Qunqing found this strange.
First of all, Xiao Yunru was not a spy from Southern Chu. If she were, there would have been no need for Crown Prince Zhao to force the princess to submit to the Prince of Yan every day. Wouldn’t the Princess Consort of Yan, who was already close to the Prince of Yan, have been more useful?
Xiao Yunru was also a sensible person who handled things carefully. On the day Princess Bao’an and Bao Shu had their argument, Xiao Yunru had witnessed everything.
Based on her personality, she should have separated Bao Shu and Yang Fu to prevent them from becoming enemies. There was no reason for her to send Bao Shu back to Princess Bao’an.
Unless Bao Shu’s family background was so powerful that even Xiao Yunru could not make the decision herself.
Or perhaps this was not Xiao Yunru’s idea at all.
If the person who recommended Bao Shu completely ignored Yang Fu’s feelings, then that person certainly could not be the Prince of Yan.
A figure suddenly appeared in Qunqing’s mind.
Luan Yi Pavilion was known to be a hiding place for Southern Chu spies. With Princess Bao’an helping them cover their activities, their work there was much easier.
Could Lu Huating have thought of this?
Could he have deliberately placed Bao Shu there to watch the princess’s every move?
Qunqing decided that she needed to remind Lin Yu-Chia to be careful. She also needed to tell her spies not to speak with Princess Bao’an unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, they might all be exposed and end up implicating her.
While Qunqing was thinking, A Jiang spoke again.
“Sister Qing, we also overheard something else. Bao Shu is trying very hard to persuade Princess Bao’an to fight for a higher position so that she can have a place in the harem in the future.”
“Princess Bao’an said that she wants to marry the Crown Prince. But our Liangdi is already there. How can a princess become a concubine?”
“Bao Shu then told her that the position of Crown Princess would definitely belong to the princess, and that our Liangdi was not worth worrying about. She told the princess to just listen to her.”
“She even said that if our Liangdi didn’t know her place and tried to compete with the princess, she was confident that the princess would win.”
“Princess Bao’an didn’t answer her.”
A Jiang looked worried.
“Sister Qing, do you think they’re planning to harm our Liangdi?”
Qunqing showed no surprise.
Instead, she simply asked, “The sleeping quarters have high walls. How did you hear all that?”
“I stepped on A Meng’s shoulders and climbed over the wall. Then I quietly moved closer.”
A Meng immediately complained, “You’re so heavy! Can’t you eat less? You got my new clothes dirty.”
Seeing them argue again, Qunqing quickly interrupted.
“And then?”
“They said… our Liangdi is always too outspoken and often makes mistakes. Even when good opportunities come to her, she doesn’t know how to take them.”
“They also said that every time she meets the Emperor, she ends up offending him. They said that the Emperor’s old feelings for her would eventually disappear.”
“Bao Shu told the princess to win the Emperor’s favor. Then, compared to our Liangdi, who wouldn’t say that the princess came from a higher family and knew better how to behave?”
After hearing this, Qunqing turned around and walked away.
A Meng and A Jiang kept the gold beads as payment for their work and happily continued cleaning for her.
Lan Yue, who was inside the pavilion, had witnessed everything. She was both shocked and angry.
Qunqing had only been here for a few days, yet she had already become so good at winning people over.
The difficult chores Lan Yue had given Qunqing were now being taken over by other people.
Fortunately, Ruochan soon came out of her room. She exchanged a few words with A Meng and A Jiang, then picked up a broom and began sweeping the fallen leaves.
Lan Yue angrily slammed the window shut.
In Nanyuan, Qunqing rolled up her sleeves and began picking rue.
As she pulled out the weeds, she thought about the conversation between the princess and Bao Shu.
It was not surprising.
In her previous life, the princess had also told her that she wanted to become the Crown Princess.
Before the Li family moved to Huaiyuan, they had lived in Chang’an.
Li Xuan’s birth mother was related to the royal family. When Li Xuan was young, he sometimes accompanied his mother to the palace to pay respects. During those visits, he met Yang Fu several times.
Compared with the Prince of Yan, Yang Fu was much more familiar with the Crown Prince. They had grown up together, so they had a close childhood relationship.
Even after they grew up, Yang Fu still called him “Brother Xuan,” just as she had when they were children.
Because of this, Qunqing had always believed that Yang Fu liked the Crown Prince. She had never thought that the princess would become involved with the Prince of Yan.
Qunqing had always thought that Yang Fu refused the Crown Prince’s marriage proposal after the incident at the temple because the Crown Prince was already married in Huaiyuan.
His wife, Zheng Zhiyi, did not want Yang Fu to become Crown Princess and rank above her.
Yang Fu was proud of her status and refused to become a concubine.
The two could not agree, so the matter was left unresolved.
But now that Qunqing thought about it again, that was certainly one reason, but there was another important reason she had overlooked.
Between Yang Fu’s rejection of the Crown Prince and the time she later begged him to fight for the position of Crown Princess, an important event had happened.
Xiao Yunru had led the Xiao family army to seek a marriage alliance with the Prince of Yan.
The Emperor then gave her the title of Princess Consort of Yan.
Therefore, Yang Fu’s determination to become Crown Princess might have come from a hidden resentment toward the Prince of Yan.
Once she understood this, Qunqing’s mind became much clearer.
She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.
Princess Bao’an’s lack of sincerity would eventually hurt everyone around her.
Qunqing no longer hated Bao Shu. Instead, she felt a little sorry for her.
However, one thing Bao Shu had said caught her attention.
Compared with the princess, Zheng Zhiyi came from a humble background and did not know how to survive in the palace. Her words and actions could easily cause trouble for herself.
Qunqing remembered that during a rare palace banquet, Zheng Zhiyi had indeed spoken carelessly and angered both the Emperor and Empress Ma.
Because of this, the budget for Qing Xuan Pavilion had been reduced. Even Liu Sishan, the skilled cook, had been transferred away.
At dawn, Qunqing entered the main hall carrying a bucket of water.
Lan Yue glared at her.
“Didn’t you see that Liangdi is sitting here? Go outside and sweep the courtyard.”
“Let’s clean inside first, then outside. Otherwise, the dust will get into the hall.”
Qunqing did not back down. After bowing, she began wiping the screen.
At the same time, she quietly watched Zheng Zhiyi.
Zheng Zhiyi was still wearing her underclothes. She sat in front of the mirror and played with crickets.
Almost every day, she started playing before she had even finished dressing and continued until night.
In this huge palace, Lan Yue had to find all kinds of new things to keep her entertained.
Zheng Zhiyi’s grandfather had once told her that she was as beautiful as a flower.
When she was still living in her mountain village, surrounded by familiar people, Zheng Zhiyi had believed him.
But after the Li family conquered the country and brought her into the palace as a concubine, she realized that it had all been a lie.
She felt that she was nothing.
She had neither talent nor beauty.
Everyone in the palace secretly said that she was completely unworthy of the Crown Prince.
A faint fragrance filled the room, easing the strange restlessness in Zheng Zhiyi’s heart.
Looking into the mirror, Zheng Zhiyi saw Qunqing kneeling on the floor. She used both hands to push a cloth across the floor, carefully wiping every golden floor tile.
Qunqing was slender, and even her kneeling posture looked graceful.
She also worked with such serious attention that she naturally attracted people’s eyes.
It had been a long time since anyone had cleaned the floor so carefully.
Zheng Zhiyi became fascinated and could not stop watching.
She even wondered if being a palace maid would be less troublesome.
“What does that smell like?” Zheng Zhiyi asked.
Qunqing looked up.
“This servant added some rue to the water, so…”
“Did I give you permission to speak?”
Lan Yue slammed her comb onto the table.
Qunqing was clearly good at winning people over, and now the very situation Lan Yue had feared had finally happened.
“Who gave you permission to show off in front of Liangdi? Get out!”
“Come here.”
Zheng Zhiyi waved Qunqing over, giving the exact opposite order.
“Rue? Where did you get it?”
Lan Yue was speechless.
Qunqing pushed the bucket in front of Zheng Zhiyi and answered sweetly, “Reporting to Liangdi, I picked it in Nanyuan. Actually, Nanyuan is very large. It’s just a pity that it has become covered in weeds…”
“Wipe it again. Let me see.”
Zheng Zhiyi suddenly interrupted her.
Qunqing had originally wanted to get closer to Zheng Zhiyi, but now she could not figure out what Zheng Zhiyi was thinking.
She had no choice but to continue wiping the floor.
Suddenly, Zheng Zhiyi jumped down from her stool.
She grabbed the cloth from Qunqing’s hand, knelt on the floor, and began wiping it herself.
She looked as if she were performing a formal bow before the palace entrance.
She wondered if cleaning the floor was really that enjoyable.
“Liangdi, what are you doing?” Lan Yue cried out in alarm.
“If someone sees you…”
Qunqing was also shocked.
She quickly helped Lan Yue take the cloth away from Zheng Zhiyi.
At that moment, a burst of laughter came from outside.
Shouxi walked into the hall.
“Did you already know that His Majesty had issued an imperial order? You received the news ahead of time?”
He suddenly sniffed the air and smiled.
“What a lovely fragrance.”
Shouxi was a eunuch who served the Crown Prince.
Zheng Zhiyi looked up at him, still confused.
Lan Yue quickly pulled her to her feet.
After standing there for a while, Zheng Zhiyi finally remembered to bow.
“Eunuch Shouxi.”
Qunqing knelt beside the screen.
A bad feeling suddenly rose in her heart.
Could it be that the banquet she had caused by offending the Emperor was finally coming?
She had not even had time to properly teach Zheng Zhiyi how to behave.
As expected, Shouxi soon read out the imperial decree.
Emperor Chenming and the Empress had summoned Consort Zheng and the Crown Prince to have lunch together.
A formal family banquet had been arranged despite everyone’s busy schedules.
Qing Xuan Pavilion immediately became busy.
Whenever a Crown Prince’s consort went to see the Emperor, there were many preparations to complete.
She had to wash her face, rinse her mouth, change her clothes, comb her hair, and put on her makeup.
All four senior palace maids had to help her.
However, Zheng Zhiyi had only met the Emperor twice during the past year.
Because of this, Lan Yue and the other palace maids were not very familiar with the proper procedures.
Naturally, everyone became flustered.
Zheng Zhiyi was sweating from nervousness. Seeing Qunqing still kneeling on the floor, she said, “Why are you still cleaning? Hurry and come help me!”
Qunqing washed her hands and quickly went to Zheng Zhiyi’s side. She carefully arranged Zheng Zhiyi’s hair.
A Jiang asked, “There is a war in the west, and the Emperor is extremely busy. Why would he suddenly summon Liangdi? Could it be that Liangdi made Princess Bao’an so angry that she became ill, and now the Emperor wants to punish her?”
Lan Yue rolled her eyes. “Are you stupid? This is a family banquet. The Emperor only invited the Crown Prince and Liangdi. He didn’t invite anyone else. Liangdi is the Crown Prince’s only consort here. She has no official title or status. Why would the Emperor need to protect her?”
With Lan Yue’s help, Zheng Zhiyi regained her confidence. Her eyes brightened as she applied red lip color.
“The Emperor and Empress have always treated me kindly. They definitely aren’t trying to lecture me. They’re probably trying to lecture Li Xuan instead!”
“I am his lawful wife. Instead of coming to see me, he has time to go to Yang Fu’s place to make tea, cook wine, and trim flowers for her. Is that reasonable?”
Lan Yue paused before saying, “Liangdi, the past is the past. Now the Emperor is the ruler, and His Highness is the Crown Prince. Please try not to complain about His Highness in front of the Emperor. I’m afraid it will cause a misunderstanding between you and His Highness.”
“I finally have a chance to see the Emperor and Empress, and I can’t even complain?” Zheng Zhiyi did not understand.
“If my grandfather hadn’t helped the Li family back then, there wouldn’t be a Li Xuan today!”
She suddenly looked up and was startled.
The anger between her brows disappeared.
In the mirror, her hair had been piled high, revealing her smooth forehead.
Zheng Zhiyi had always liked this elegant hairstyle, but none of the palace maids knew how to arrange her hair this way, so she had eventually given up.
While everyone was talking, Qunqing remained silent. Her hands, however, moved quickly and efficiently.
Seeing the satisfaction in Zheng Zhiyi’s eyes, Qunqing picked up the silk flowers from the box and gently said, “Liangdi’s silk flowers are already a little old. Fresh flowers would look much better.”
Zheng Zhiyi rolled her eyes.
“They’re old, and you still want me to wear them? I saw Princess Bao’an wearing gold jewelry. Do you think Yang Fu deserves gold while I only deserve these cloth flowers?”
Qunqing was speechless for a moment.
Zheng Zhiyi never followed the usual way of thinking.
After working as a strategist for several years, Qunqing had always been very careful about priorities. She could hardly believe that Zheng Zhiyi was arguing about jewelry when they were already running out of time.
She even began to sweat.
Qunqing couldn’t help remembering her previous life.
Back then, she had worked behind the scenes with Zheng Zhiyi while helping the princess compete for the position of Crown Princess.
She had barely needed to do anything.
Zheng Zhiyi had destroyed herself.
Her biggest problems were her romantic nature and her careless mouth.
But since Qunqing had chosen to hide in Qing Xuan Pavilion, there was no way for her to turn back now.
“Gold and jade are ordinary worldly things, while fresh flowers are full of life.”
Before Zheng Zhiyi could say anything else, Qunqing gently lifted her chin with one finger to stop her from speaking.
Then she placed a gold hairpin beside the silk flowers.
“If you don’t believe me, Liangdi, compare them yourself.”
“The flowers do look prettier… but they’re obviously old.”
Zheng Zhiyi looked unhappy.
“Even if there were fresh flowers, they probably wouldn’t be sent to me. Aren’t all the good things reserved for Yang Fu?”
Whenever Zheng Zhiyi remembered the flower that Li Xuan had cut for Yang Fu in Luan Yi Pavilion, her expression darkened.
Qunqing said, “At this time of year, the camellias and hosta flowers beside the palace moat are in full bloom. People often go there to enjoy them. If you pick some and put them in a jade vase, they can stay fresh for quite a while.”
Zheng Zhiyi was silent for a long time.
Her expression became complicated.
“I haven’t left the palace in so long. How would I know about these things?”
Back then, she had traveled a long and difficult journey to Chang’an. But before she had even seen the whole city, she was locked inside the palace.
She wanted to go outside, but Li Xuan refused to let her.
He told her that there were many spies outside.
“Lan Yue, since you’re leaving the palace today, pick some hosta flowers for me,” Zheng Zhiyi ordered.
Lan Yue gave Qunqing an angry look.
She forced a smile and said, “Of course. There’s also the lotus flower cake from Lingxinji. It’s His Highness’s favorite. He buys it every year when he comes to Chang’an. I’ll buy some for him too.”
The group hurried out of the palace.
Qunqing helped Zheng Zhiyi into the carriage.
Then she suddenly grabbed Zheng Zhiyi’s hand.
“If you want His Highness the Crown Prince to favor you, remember this. During the banquet, never say the words ‘your Li family.’ If you want to complain, bite your lip. If you really can’t hold it in, just say, ‘I miss my father!'”
Qunqing had only enjoyed a few peaceful days here. She really did not want the cook to be transferred away.
Zheng Zhiyi was stunned by the palace maid’s bold behavior.
Qunqing had grabbed her hand so tightly that it almost hurt.
She quickly pulled her hand away.
“How dare you! Why are you so talkative?”
She looked at Lan Yue.
Lan Yue’s face was serious, but surprisingly, she did not scold Qunqing.
“Liangdi, what she said isn’t wrong. Please be careful…”
The carriage carrying Zheng Zhiyi slowly moved away.
Qunqing turned to Lan Yue.
“If you’re busy picking flowers and buying snacks outside the palace, I can help you.”
Lan Yue gave her a forced smile.
“Fine. Since you’re so good at pleasing people, then go.”
As she spoke, she pushed a small pouch of loose silver into Qunqing’s hand.
“Remember this. Buy three boxes of pastries and bring them back to me. Not one box less, or you’ll regret it.”
The familiar city of Chang’an appeared before Qunqing’s eyes.
Shop signs lined both sides of the streets. Pavilions and buildings stood one after another. The loud voices of vendors were just as lively as she remembered.
One stall owner shook a small rattle drum.
At another stall, several children gathered around to choose melons.
Qunqing covered her face with a veil and followed the crowd through the West Market.
In the past, performers in the West Market would walk through fire hoops and perform all kinds of tricks.
But after the country fell and Chang’an fell into chaos, those traveling performers disappeared.
Now, there were only one or two ragged beggars sitting near the stalls, eating the food they had begged for.
Qunqing walked a little farther.
Suddenly, she saw a huge crowd ahead.
There were rows upon rows of people, with so many heads that she could barely see the end.
People were lining up from the second floor of a restaurant all the way down to the street.
Qunqing suddenly had a bad feeling.
She looked up.
The restaurant’s sign clearly read:
Lingxinji.
There were at least a hundred people standing shoulder to shoulder in line.
Qunqing’s blue-green skirt swayed as she walked toward the end of the line.
But after reaching what she thought was the end, she realized that it wasn’t the end at all.
There were even more people waiting around the corner.
She stopped and turned around.
Then she asked a young man, “Young master, are these pastries really that delicious?”
“What kind of question is that, miss? If they weren’t good, why would I be standing here waiting in line?”
Qunqing looked toward the restaurant.
“But there are so many people. Can the shop really make enough for everyone?”
“That’s why each person can only buy one. They only sell two hundred portions a day.”
The people in line immediately began complaining.
They said the workers at Lingxinji were too slow and that they were almost dying from the heat while waiting outside.
Qunqing immediately understood.
Even if she joined the line now, she could only buy one box at most.
She needed three.
And if she waited in this line, she might not even return to the palace before the gates closed.
Lan Yue knew this was an impossible task.
She had deliberately set a trap for Qunqing.
Qunqing thought for a moment.
Then she took out a small gold bead from her sleeve and handed it to the young man.
“Young master, would you be willing to give up your place?”
The young man stared at her.
“W-What do you mean? You want to buy the pastries I’ve already bought?”
He pointed at himself.
“No way! I woke up early this morning and waited all this time to get them.”
But he couldn’t stop looking at the gold bead.
Finally, he said, “If you want me to buy them for you, that’s possible. But you’ll have to add another ten taels of silver.”
Unexpectedly, Qunqing turned around and walked away.
“That’s too expensive.”
She had other plans for her money.
“Hey, young lady!”
The young man called after her.
“You look like you’re from a respectable family. How can you be so rude? If you don’t want to wait in line, that’s fine, but why complain about the price?”
Qunqing ignored him.
She continued asking the people in line.
One after another, they shook their heads and refused.
Even an old man with a cane rolled his eyes at her.
Qunqing thought to herself, So what if they’re shameless? My face is covered anyway. If I ask a hundred people, surely I’ll find someone willing to trade.
Sure enough, someone called out from farther away.
“Wife! You pay for my place. I’ll take the deal!”
The woman had insisted on having some pastries before returning home because her son was seriously ill.
The pastries could be bought again tomorrow, but gold and pearls were rare.
The two quickly completed their deal.
There was also a seven-year-old boy who had been sent by his parents to wait in line.
He was also willing to trade his place for a gold bead.
Qunqing bought him a sugar figurine and told him to wait by the roadside after buying the lotus flower cakes.
Soon, Qunqing had found three people.
She took her basket and headed toward the West Market.
A young man dressed in black brushed past her.
He wore an ordinary outfit, but there was a deerskin-covered sword hanging from his waist.
His clothes looked simple, yet his sharp and powerful presence could not be hidden.
He glanced at the long line.
Then he looked at Qunqing’s back.
After thinking for a moment, he took a large gold ingot from his pocket and walked straight toward the woman who had just traded her place.
The woman looked embarrassed.
“I already promised that lady. She said she would give me another ten taels of silver when she came back…”
The young man took out another gold ingot.
The woman immediately agreed.
The two quickly exchanged places.
The woman covered her face with her sleeve and hurried away in embarrassment.
The tall, strong young man stood openly in the line.
He raised one hand to shield his eyes from the blazing sun and calmly waited.