The magnificent palace buildings slowly came into view, then disappeared behind them. They stood like huge beasts with their heads raised high and their backs against the vast, gloomy sky.
Memories from the first half of Qunqing’s life flashed through her mind.
Chang’an was often rainy. When she was eleven, the young girl would sit by the attic window, looking outside with a bored expression. All she could see was the same gray sky.
From downstairs came the sounds of wine cups clinking and people laughing. The guests were praising her older brother, Shi Yuming, for his talent in poetry.
But those poems had actually been written by her.
Her mother had forbidden her from showing off or attending banquets. The only way she could take part in the poetry games was by secretly giving her poems to her brother.
Then she could only sit upstairs and listen as everyone praised him for poems that she had written.
“Erlang, why haven’t we seen your sister?”
Whenever someone asked, Shi Yuming would casually answer according to their mother’s instructions, “Sixth Sister doesn’t like being around crowds.”
“Young lady, you’re far too shy!” an elder said sternly. “A woman may not need to be extremely talented, but the young ladies of Chang’an are all expected to be well-rounded. Your father is only a sixth-rank official. She needs to see more of the world so that people won’t look down on her when she gets married. You have such a talent for poetry. Why don’t you teach her?”
Someone else laughed.
“How do you know he hasn’t tried? Sixth Sister is strange. I’ve hardly seen her since we were children. Maybe he’s afraid she’ll expose his weaknesses and make him lose face!”
Qunqing’s breathing became fast and hot. It felt as if there were a fire burning inside her chest.
When the poetry game began, Shi Yuming excused himself and quickly ran up to the pavilion.
He reached his hand under the curtain and waved it up and down, telling her to hurry and write.
Qunqing put her brush to the paper. Instead of writing a poem, she deliberately spilled ink across the page and scribbled all over it before stuffing the paper back into his hand.
Shi Yuming returned to the table and opened the paper.
There was only one thing on it—a drawing of a turtle.
He had no choice but to make up a poem himself.
A moment later, just as Qunqing had expected, loud laughter came from downstairs.
Shi Yuming had completely embarrassed himself.
In the middle of everyone’s laughter, they suddenly saw the angry young woman standing on the stairs.
The ink-covered brush she had thrown down from the pavilion lay nearby.
The matter ended with her mother taking her to a quiet room in the study.
Her mother questioned her about what she had done.
Qunqing refused to admit that she was wrong.
Her usually gentle and calm mother suddenly became furious and slapped her hard across the face.
“Do you think you’re so great just because you’ve read a few books?”
It was the first time her mother had ever hit her.
Zhu Ying’s anger shocked Shi Yuming, who had come over to stop her.
He stood there, staring at his mother in disbelief.
Qunqing covered her burning cheek and crouched down, hiding among the bookshelves.
Being seen by Shi Yuming while her mother was beating her was even more humiliating than the beating itself.
“Come out,” Zhu Ying ordered sternly.
Qunqing only hid deeper between the shelves.
The smell of damp ink filled the air around her. Somehow, the familiar smell helped calm her down.
Shi Yuming tried to pull his mother away, while their grandfather also came over to stop the argument.
But when he failed to persuade his mother, his father suddenly grabbed Shi Yuming by the collar and dragged him outside.
Not long after, the sound of a leather belt hitting flesh came from the courtyard.
The old man’s beating was harsh and merciless.
At first, the boy stayed silent.
But eventually, he cried out like a wounded animal.
“Sixth Sister wanted to write the poem for me herself! She wanted to hear what everyone thought of it! What did I do wrong…?”
“I was wrong! I shouldn’t have told Mother!”
“I was wrong! I was wrong!”
Grandfather seemed to be silently competing with Zhu Ying, neither willing to back down.
Finally, Grandma could no longer stand it.
She put Qunqing down, hurried out into the courtyard, and told Grandfather to stop beating Shi Yuming.
Only then did he stop.
He turned and glared angrily at Zhu Ying.
That evening, Qunqing and Shi Yuming met again.
Shi Yuming’s face was bruised and swollen.
Neither of them paid any attention to the other.
But when Qunqing saw how swollen and bruised her brother’s once-handsome face had become, she could barely stop herself from laughing.
As they passed each other, Shi Yuming said angrily, “Mother said that you’re not as smart as other people, Sixth Sister. Since you didn’t study well, don’t try to show off and embarrass yourself.”
Shi Yuming touched his swollen cheek again and continued casually, “Mother is right. Of all the girls I’ve seen, you’re the worst. You’ve always been quiet and fierce since you were little, and you never listen to me. No one will want to marry you when you grow up!”
Qunqing turned around and walked away.
Behind her, Shi Yuming quickly called out, “Hey, wait!”
He swallowed his embarrassment and added, “Look at the table. Father left something for you.”
Qunqing turned around and saw a large, peeled persimmon under the candlelight. It was wrapped in her grandfather’s old, faded handkerchief.
Her grandfather, Shi Yu, was a brave general of Great Chu. He was tall and strong, standing at the entrance of the alley like an iron tower.
The first time he pulled back the kite Qunqing had flown over the wall, she was afraid of him. There had always been an awkward distance between them.
Her grandfather was a quiet man and did not know how to express his feelings to his daughter. So he used a simple way to show his love.
The food and toys he left under the lamp were always meant for her.
His love was like this persimmon—quiet but sincere.
Qunqing picked up the persimmon, took it to her embroidery room, and slowly ate it.
She silently accepted his apology and comfort.
…
A few days later, Qunqing overheard her grandfather and mother arguing in their room.
It seemed to be about her again.
Her grandfather had secretly refused a palace messenger without telling her mother.
She heard her usually quiet grandfather say, “Why should we drag her into this mess again?”
Her mother’s voice was cold. “Then why don’t you ask her yourself?”
Her grandfather answered firmly, “Let her live a normal life. In two years, she can get married, have children, and live peacefully in Chang’an.”
Get married?
But who would she marry?
Lin Yujia?
The person she hated the most, who was always lecturing her?
Qunqing imagined herself marrying Lin Yujia, having children, and living with him in a small house where they would depend on each other.
She immediately got goosebumps.
She could not bear the thought.
Qunqing rushed to the stables. She could not get onto Shi Yuming’s horse, so she mounted her own donkey and hurried toward the palace gates.
She was going to find the palace messenger and tell him that she was willing to enter the palace.
Her mother had once accidentally revealed the truth to her.
She knew that her mother had forced her to study and spend hours learning embroidery every day because she wanted Qunqing to enter the palace and have a chance to become a female official.
The palace was unfamiliar and frightening, but it was still better than marrying Lin Yujia.
As the sun slowly disappeared below the horizon, Qunqing finally caught up with a red-robed eunuch outside Anfu Gate.
But the eunuch told her that he was not the palace messenger. The real messenger had already returned.
Qunqing had missed her chance to take this year’s selection.
“You’ll have to wait two years,” the eunuch said.
Qunqing was terrified that she would be forced to marry Lin Yujia in two years.
She grabbed the eunuch’s sleeve and begged him repeatedly.
“So you’re Zhu Ying’s daughter?” the old eunuch said.
He had white hair and a white beard. He looked at her carefully and smiled.
Then he asked someone to bring him a brush.
He added a few strokes to the official register.
Qunqing watched as her name slowly appeared on the page beneath the red sunset.
The eunuch said, “This old servant is helping His Majesty’s seventeenth daughter, Princess Bao’an, choose a study companion. As the princess’s study companion, you can enter the palace as well. Come to Yi Garden ten days from now and take part in the selection. If the princess chooses you, that will be enough.”
Ten days later, Qunqing secretly left home and tied her donkey to a post outside Yi Garden.
Inside the waterside pavilion, more than a dozen young noblewomen were sitting together.
Their dresses, shawls, and round fans were all made in the finest styles of Chang’an. Beautiful embroidery covered their clothes.
They were all beautiful and proud. From time to time, they laughed together, making the pavilion look even more lively.
Qunqing looked down at her own sky-blue silk dress.
Suddenly, someone touched the back of her hand.
It was Wei Ran, the daughter of the Grand Secretary.
After the embarrassing incident at the banquet, Qunqing had unexpectedly become well-known. Many invitations had been sent to her home.
Although Qunqing was not allowed to reply to them, Wei Ran kept writing to her.
She became Qunqing’s only close friend.
Today, Wei Ran was dressed beautifully. Thin gold lines decorated her eyelids.
She looked at Qunqing with confusion.
Qunqing immediately understood.
To enter the palace, she needed to dress more properly.
Her clothes were too simple.
Wei Ran turned around and took off her earrings.
Ignoring Qunqing’s attempts to refuse, she put them on Qunqing herself.
“My mother made me wear so many earrings today. How tacky! I was already planning to take them off.”
As she spoke, she took out a thin hairpin and placed it in Qunqing’s hair.
Wei Ran quickly grabbed Qunqing’s wrists when she tried to remove the jewelry.
Then she stared at Qunqing’s face and teased her.
“Oh—Sixth Sister, you’re blushing.”
The wind blew across Qunqing’s warm cheeks.
Her mind felt like it was boiling.
She was not used to receiving such kindness and did not know what to say.
Luckily, laughter came from the waterside pavilion and saved her from the awkward situation.
Qunqing said, “Go talk to them.”
“Should we go together?”
“I won’t go,” Qunqing said. “If they start talking about singing, dancing, calligraphy, or painting, I don’t know anything about those things. It will be awkward.”
Wei Ran frowned.
“Your mother is still forcing you to embroider for four hours every day? I’ll have my mother talk to her sooner or later. You’re a noble young lady, not a palace maid! As long as your embroidery is good enough, why do you need to spend so much time on it?”
She looked at Qunqing’s fingers.
“Look at those calluses. Is she deliberately making things difficult for you?”
Qunqing said, “It takes me so long because I can’t embroider very well.”
“Can’t embroider well?”
Wei Ran’s eyes widened.
“Are you showing off? Are you trying to make the rest of us feel bad?”
She shook her head.
“I think your mother simply has very high standards. She used to serve the eldest princess, so her standards are probably much higher than everyone else’s.”
“Besides, I think your mother favors your brother a little. Look at how she treats you compared with how she treats Erlang.”
Qunqing could not help defending her mother.
“My mother treats me well.”
If Zhu Ying had truly treated her badly, she would never have taught Qunqing how to read or tried to help her see a wider world.
Wei Ran lightly slapped Qunqing’s arm.
“You’re just like your mother’s little dog. You agree with everything she says!”
The two girls looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Wei Ran looked toward the pavilion again.
Qunqing understood that she wanted to talk with the other young ladies.
Socializing was an important part of life for the noblewomen of Chang’an.
“Go ahead,” Qunqing said. “Hurry.”
“Are you really okay by yourself?”
“I’m fine. I’ll come find you when it’s almost time.”
Qunqing’s eyes were fixed on the artificial hill in the distance.
A young eunuch was struggling to control a horse. The horse kept turning its head and snorting, refusing to move.
The eunuch was sweating heavily from the effort.
It was a beautiful white horse.
Qunqing was immediately captivated by it.
Her grandfather had always forbidden her from riding horses, so she had to pretend to be a proper young lady to please him.
Only when she secretly went out with Shi Yuming could she ride his horse.
But Shi Yuming would only let her ride for two rounds before making her get off.
Then she could only watch as her brother proudly rode away on his horse.
Now, seeing the white horse, Qunqing could not resist.
After Wei Ran entered the pavilion, Qunqing quickly walked toward the artificial hill.
She bowed to the confused eunuch.
Then she stood on her toes and gently placed one hand on the horse’s muzzle.
With her other hand, she slowly stroked its mane.
Shi Yuming had taught her how to handle horses.
The restless white horse gradually calmed down.
It stopped snorting and lowered its head.
Then it rubbed its nose against Qunqing affectionately.
The young eunuch was delighted.
“The horses in the garden are usually handled by the stable workers. If you don’t mind, you can ride this one back to the stables. I’ll lead the way.”
That was exactly what Qunqing wanted.
She quickly mounted the horse.
She gently guided the white horse and tried to keep its hooves from making too much noise.
The horse seemed to understand her.
It carried her smoothly through the covered walkway, past the pavilions, and into the stables like the wind.
But the moment Qunqing loosened her grip on the horse’s sides, it suddenly galloped out of the stable and headed straight back toward the pavilion.
The exhausted young eunuch leaned against the stone where the horse had been tied and shouted after her,
“It must be bored and doesn’t want to stay tied up! Madam, let it run a few rounds, then bring it back!”
It seemed that Qunqing was not the only one who had been bored.
The white horse had been bored too.
Before the selection began, Qunqing rode around several times.
Only after she had enjoyed herself enough did she finally tie the horse up.
She reluctantly stroked its mane one last time, dusted off her clothes, and walked back toward the waterside pavilion.
Her heart was beating a little faster.
Even if she wasn’t selected today, at least she had gotten to ride a horse.
The trip had not been a waste.
But when Qunqing returned to the pavilion, she froze.
All the noblewomen who had been chatting inside had come down.
They were standing quietly in a line along the path.
More importantly, they were all staring at her.
Their expressions were different.
Only Wei Ran looked excited, though she seemed hesitant to say anything.
Qunqing stopped.
She could not understand what was happening.
Her heart began to panic. She was afraid that she had accidentally caused some huge trouble.
But because she was usually calm, none of her fear showed on her face.
Then the most dazzling young woman among the group slowly stepped forward.
She was like a beautiful lotus rising from the water.
She wore a red-and-gold ruqun, a traditional Chinese dress.
Her fluffy hair was decorated with fan-shaped gold ornaments.
Her skin was smooth and pale, her lips were bright like plum blossoms, and her eyes sparkled like they were filled with stars.
She walked straight to Qunqing, grabbed her wrist, turned toward the other girls, and loudly announced,
“Did you all see that? I’ve chosen her.”
…
Later, Qunqing became a study companion in Luanyi Pavilion.
Princess Bao’an explained that she had disguised herself as the daughter of an official and joined the selection among the noblewomen.
She wanted to secretly observe how they behaved when they thought no one was watching.
But none of them had impressed her.
“They all think they know everything. They always want to be better than everyone else, but in reality, they don’t know anything. How boring.”
“Then I saw you.”
Yang Fu stopped fanning herself and looked directly at Qunqing with her bright eyes.
“Among all those people, I noticed you immediately.”
She smiled.
“You’re different from everyone else. You’re like… Congxi of Great Chu!”
Congxi was the legendary thirteenth prince of the Kingdom of Liuli.
He rode a white horse, was extremely handsome and brave, and after his death, he became a guardian of the heavenly realm.
No one had ever praised Qunqing like that before.
She had never thought she was special.
In fact, there had been times when she believed that she was worse than other people.
Princess Bao’an’s praise felt like a small spark landing on her head.
It lit up her entire face.
Qunqing did not know how to respond.
Her eyelashes lowered and trembled.
Her mind was in chaos, like boiling water bubbling inside her.
During her time as the princess’s study companion, Qunqing never slacked off.
Although she was called a study companion, she was actually more like a maid and playmate.
She had to make kites, make river lanterns, play Go, and play polo.
There were many things the princess wanted to learn and do, and Qunqing had to learn them too.
From then on, the Imperial Palace became many things to Qunqing.
It was the blue sky above Tonghua Terrace, where officials gathered to pay their respects.
It was also the place where she sometimes saw Lin Yujia’s resentful eyes.
It was where she spent countless hours practicing horse riding and archery.
It was where her mother sent her winter clothes and letters of advice.
It was also where Princess Changping gave her beautiful palace clothes and jewelry.
The first time Qunqing received the magnificent clothes and jewelry, she was so shocked by their beauty that she hid the clothes under her bed.
But Yang Fu refused to let her hide them.
She pulled Qunqing’s hand inside the pavilion and insisted that she change into them.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
She looked at Qunqing with a bright smile.
“It’s just like my sister…”
It was Princess Bao’an’s carefree smile.
Princess Yang Fu loved playing, but she hated studying.
Every day, Qunqing had to force herself out of bed and drag Yang Fu out with her to study. She would stand beside her and watch her write crooked characters, while secretly completing the same assignments in her mind over and over.
How could she not even answer such a simple question?
Yang Fu sat at the desk, her head slowly dropping.
“Sitting is so uncomfortable. Let me lie down for a little longer.”
Then she lay down and fell asleep.
She did not wake up until the sun was already high in the sky.
She suddenly sat up, tears already forming in her eyes.
“What time is it? What am I going to do?”
Qunqing stood in the morning sunlight and placed a stack of policy essays on the desk.
They were written in the princess’s handwriting, carefully copying Qunqing’s own writing.
“Don’t do this again…”
Before Qunqing could finish, Yang Fu suddenly burst into laughter through her tears.
Qunqing spent three years helping Princess Bao’an with her studies.
She would write everything out herself first, then make Yang Fu memorize each lesson word by word and write it down from memory.
It was the only way to make the princess understand her lessons.
It also slowly changed the Grand Tutor’s expression from anger to relief.
At the end of the Shengping era, the Northern Rong invaded Great Chu.
The Grand Tutor was so desperate that he struck his head against a pillar in court while begging the court to take action.
But even his desperate warning could not stop Crown Prince Zhao, Princess Bao’an’s older brother who was ruling the country in the emperor’s absence, from trembling as he stamped the imperial seal.
News had arrived from the battlefield.
The Emperor of Great Chu and Princess Changping, who had gone to oversee the war, had been captured by the Northern Rong.
The Northern Rong Khan demanded that the seventeenth princess, Princess Bao’an, marry him before he would release the emperor.
How could Princess Bao’an’s life possibly be compared with the safety of the entire country?
When the news of the marriage alliance reached the palace, Yang Fu stopped eating and soon became sick.
Qunqing tried to persuade her to eat.
But Yang Fu’s eyes were filled with despair.
She pushed Qunqing’s hand away.
“Go home. I love you the most, so I won’t let you come with me to Northern Rong as part of my dowry.”
“It would be better if I died sooner. Then I wouldn’t have to marry that sixty-year-old man…”
Before she could finish, she burst into tears.
Qunqing refused to leave her.
For two days and two nights, she searched through the palace almanacs, desperately looking for a way to help.
Finally, she found a solution.
Before the marriage decree was officially announced, Qunqing strapped her sword to her back, hugged the almanac, mounted a horse, and rode away.
The memory of secretly entering the palace that night remained frozen in her mind like a dream.
She only remembered the palace gates opening one after another, countless torches lighting the dark night, and surprised faces flashing past her.
Finally, she reached Crown Prince Zhao.
The regent was wearing a dragon robe and frowning.
“What did you say? Before my elder sister went north, she sent a letter to Prince Consort Lingyun?”
“Yes!”
Qunqing hurriedly took out the letter.
“My mother once served Princess Changping. Before the princess left, she secretly gave my mother a letter. I found it at home.”
“Before leaving, Princess Changping ordered Prince Consort Lingyun to lead his troops north in case something went wrong.”
“General Lingyun agreed. He also ordered Li Feng, the military governor of Huaiyuan, to lead his troops south at the same time.”
“The two armies are already on their way. Judging by their speed, they should be able to rescue the Emperor soon.”
Crown Prince Zhao’s lips trembled with excitement.
Qunqing continued,
“The seventeenth princess is famous throughout the country for her beauty. The Northern Rong are demanding her as a concubine on the battlefield. They are deliberately trying to humiliate Great Chu.”
“If Your Highness really sends the princess to them, you will only be allowing them to humiliate the imperial family.”
“What will the people of Great Chu think?”
“Do you think I don’t feel ashamed?” Crown Prince Zhao said anxiously. “Bao’an is my sister. How could I be happy about sending my own sister away in a marriage alliance?”
“But Father and my elder sister are in their hands!”
“If I cancel the marriage now, what if the barbarians kill them?”
Qunqing was only fifteen years old.
Her hands trembled as she presented the almanac.
“The wedding date is extremely unlucky. It conflicts with the fate of the nation.”
“This servant begs Your Highness to change the wedding date and send Princess Bao’an to Qingjing Temple for twenty days of prayer and meditation.”
“As long as the princess agrees to go there, the Northern Rong will have no reason to cause trouble.”
“If General Lingyun and Military Governor Li can reach the north and rescue the Emperor within those twenty days, Princess Bao’an will not have to sacrifice herself.”
“Great Chu will also avoid the humiliation of sending its princess to the Northern Rong.”
The Crown Prince finally stamped the imperial seal.
Qunqing carried twenty days of hope with her and rode back to the palace.
The night was as dark as ink.
When Qunqing’s horse reached the front of the palace, she saw Yang Fu standing outside the door.
Only a short while ago, Yang Fu had been lying on her bed, barely alive.
Now she stood there holding a lantern and waiting for Qunqing.
Her hair was messy.
The dim lantern light fell over her thin nightclothes and her bare feet standing on the cold blue bricks.
Tears filled her eyes.
Qunqing dismounted and softly said,
“Princess, you don’t have to marry them anymore.”
“Qingqing!”
Yang Fu burst into tears.
She rushed forward and hugged Qunqing, crying with relief and happiness.
…
The memories flashed through Qunqing’s mind.
The corners of her lips slowly lifted into a smile, but the smile soon disappeared.
After giving her advice, Qunqing accompanied Yang Fu and several palace maids to Qingjing Temple for twenty days of quiet meditation.
But no one expected what happened next.
The two loyal ministers who were supposed to rescue the emperor became new enemies instead.
They rebelled on the way.
They captured the emperor and Princess Changping, then marched south with their armies.
The nineteen-year-old Crown Prince Zhao received the news in advance.
He immediately fled south with the entire palace and his concubines.
He was in such a hurry that he barely had time to put on his shoes.
The two girls were completely forgotten in the remote Qingjing Temple.
By the time they learned what had happened, Daming Palace had already fallen under the control of the Li and Lingyun families.
Qunqing and Yang Fu hid inside Qingjing Temple.
They managed to escape the massacre that happened when the palace fell.
But they could not escape Li Huan.
He rode into the temple and became obsessed with Princess Bao’an.
Qunqing lost her first life there.
The memories of her young love and hatred were still clear.
And the events of the final day of her previous life remained deeply buried in her heart, impossible to forget.
There was one thing Qunqing could not deny.
Yang Fu was a princess.
She was only a palace maid.
In the eyes of powerful nobles, it was normal for servants to die protecting a princess.
Qunqing had never been special.
Princess Bao’an had once said that Qunqing was special because a princess was like a vine.
A vine needed something to hold onto.
That person had once been Qunqing.
But things had changed.
Now Yang Fu could rely on someone much more powerful—Li Huan.
Even though they were separated by hatred and bloodshed, and even though Qunqing stood between them, Princess Bao’an could still fall in love with him.
…
Qunqing followed Madam Zhang through the familiar doorway.
As she entered, she caught sight of Baoshu kneeling at the entrance, looking sorrowful.
Then she entered Princess Bao’an’s bedchamber.
Luanyi Pavilion was crowded with people.
There were three seats at the head of the room.
The Princess Consort of Yan had temporarily left her seat, leaving the middle one empty.
To the right of the empty seat sat a thin, dark-skinned girl who looked about fourteen or fifteen.
She wore green clothes and had one leg resting high on the armrest of her chair.
Her skirt spread out like a fan, revealing her embroidered shoes.
She looked at the Princess Consort and said mockingly,
“Princess Consort, do you have such a small bladder? You’ve gone to relieve yourself several times this morning.”
Her maid quickly lowered her legs and told her to sit properly because her posture was too rude.
“I won’t put them down!”
“Why can a princess from the former dynasty act so arrogantly, while I, the Crown Prince’s concubine, can’t even have a moment of peace?”
The girl in green was Zheng Zhiyi, the first wife whom Crown Prince Li Xuan had brought from the north.
Qunqing looked at Zheng Zhiyi’s face for a moment.
Zheng Zhiyi had been her defeated rival in her previous life.
After Qunqing entered the palace in her previous life, Princess Bao’an told her that she wanted to become Crown Princess.
But the Crown Prince was already married.
His first wife was Zheng Zhiyi, who had been given the title of Liangdi.
It was Qunqing who had personally taken Zheng Zhiyi’s chance away and given it to Princess Bao’an.
On the left side of the empty seat sat Princess Bao’an.
No matter how beautiful her clothes were, they could no longer bring back the lively spirit Yang Fu once had.
She held a cat in her arms, her face gloomy.
Whenever someone mentioned the fall of the country, it upset her.
Zheng Zhiyi seemed determined to provoke and embarrass her.
Suddenly, the white cat let out a loud cry.
Madam Zhang pushed Qunqing forward.
“Your Highness has been waiting for a long time. The last palace maid has arrived.”
The room suddenly became silent.
Only the cat’s soft meowing could be heard.
Qunqing knew that Princess Bao’an was looking at her carefully.
She could almost feel the joy, excitement, and old grievances rushing toward her like a wave.
In their previous lives, they must have been overwhelmed with emotion at this moment.
Yang Fu slowly reached out her hand.
But then she remembered that she had to pretend not to know Qunqing.
She quickly hid her trembling hand inside her sleeve.
“Madam Zhang, she…”
She paused.
“Send her to my palace to serve me.”
Just as Madam Zhang opened the official register, Zheng Zhiyi interrupted.
“She already has three maids. Why does she need another one?”
“Madam, four palace maids are required according to palace regulations,” Madam Zhang explained.
“Then why does the Crown Prince, a noble prince, have only three concubines?”
Madam Zhang hesitated.
“If you want another one, Madam, you can…”
“Then I’ll take another one.”
Zheng Zhiyi suddenly pointed at Qunqing.
“I want her too.”
The moment she finished speaking, Princess Bao’an, who had been sitting quietly like a sick cat, suddenly became angry.
“The Crown Prince said that my rank is higher than that of the Princess of Da Chen. Why should I listen to the nonsense of people who have nothing to do with me?”
She looked at Madam Zhang.
“Write it down.”
Madam Zhang’s brush stopped awkwardly in midair.
Then Qunqing suddenly spoke.
“This servant does not want to serve Princess Bao’an.”
Her voice was clear and firm.
The entire room fell silent.
No one expected a low-ranking palace maid to dare say such a thing to a noble princess.
Madam Zhang stared at her in shock.
“What did you say?”
Qunqing raised her eyes and calmly looked at Yang Fu.
She repeated,
“This servant does not want to serve Princess Bao’an.”
She had spent half of her life following Yang Fu, protecting her, and becoming the light she could rely on.
But now, after ten years together, it was time for them to go their separate ways.