After leaving the main chamber, Kan'er went straight back to the tea room.
In this short span of time.
The day's duty roster for the tea room had already been filled, with everyone busy with their own tasks, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones.
Just as they were talking, Kan'er entered.
The room fell silent abruptly.
Everyone seemed as if they had been struck dumb, their expressions varied.
The Crown Princess had been married into Donggong for over a year without any signs of pregnancy, and now she had transferred such a young palace maid to the front courtyard.
Those who understood knew exactly what was intended.
But in this world, which proper wife could truly and willingly send someone to her husband's bedside?
So, over the past month, while Kan'er seemed to have settled smoothly into the tea room, she had actually been subtly isolated by the others.
Just like now.
No one took the initiative to speak to her.
Kan'er was content with the peace and quiet, ignoring the complex looks in their eyes as she returned to her spot, picking up the fire tongs to adjust the charcoal in the brazier.
Half a quarter-hour later, the Crown Princess led her attendants to Kunhe Palace.
With nothing to do for the moment, the tea room staff were idle.
Kan'er took some leftover tea leaves from a nearby shelf to brew a cup of tea, casually doing some needlework to pass the time.
After sitting for a while, she got up to stretch her limbs.
Unless necessary, she rarely spoke.
In this regard, she seemed no different from before.
But everyone could still tell that Kan'er had changed.
In the past, when she sat, her shoulders were hunched and her head bowed, as if she wished she could vanish into the ground at any moment.
She appeared petty and servile.
Now, it was different.
Her back was straight, exuding a natural grace and elegance. Even when she lowered her head to do needlework, she seemed serene and gentle.
And there was an occasional calmness in her eyes.
It didn't look like the eyes of a servant at all.
Instead, it resembled those of the noble ladies in the palace.
"Not even anything yet, and she already acts like a mistress."
Xiahe sat on the kang by the window, sipping tea while exchanging glances with Qiuju across from her, whispering in a low voice.
Qiuju followed her gaze.
The young girl was stretching her limbs by the back window.
As she extended her arms, her clothes lifted and fell, tightening and loosening, outlining the curves of her waist, hips, and chest in full view.
It was startling to behold.
Qiuju blushed and averted her gaze, thinking to herself how this girl had developed such a figure at just fifteen.
"Hey, do you think…"
Xiahe tugged at her sleeve, then cupped her hands in front of her chest, mimicking a bouncing motion.
"Would His Highness like someone like that?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Qiuju turned pale.
She covered Xiahe's mouth with her hand, her voice trembling as she spoke.
"Are you crazy?!"
How could they speculate about His Highness's preferences?
How many heads would it take to atone for such talk?!
Xiahe also realized she had said the wrong thing.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, she quickly glanced out the window.
Making sure no one was outside.
She sighed in relief and didn't dare say any more.
But she couldn't help wondering in her heart.
Why had the Crown Princess taken a liking to Kan'er?
With someone as divine as His Highness, even if he were to take a concubine, he should be matched with a refined and elegant woman.
Not someone like this…
Xiahe glanced at Kan'er and curled her lip disdainfully.
Half an hour later, the Crown Princess returned.
Second-class Palace Maid Qingrong came to hurry along the tea and snacks, saying that Lady Cao, Jin Chenghui, and Lady Qin had come to pay their respects to the Crown Princess.
Kan'er was busy tending the fire when Qingrong looked at her.
"Kan'er, you go serve the tea as well."
Before Kan'er could speak, Xiahe raised her voice first, "What? Have her serve tea? She's just the one who boils water!"
Qingrong frowned.
"This is the Crown Princess's order. Are you dissatisfied with the Crown Princess?"
The words were too heavy.
Xiahe immediately knelt down. "This servant wouldn't dare!"
Qingrong ignored her and looked at the others in the tea room.
"I am here to deliver an order, which means I have received instructions from our mistress. None of you are new to palace duties.
You should all remember well in your hearts what should and shouldn't be asked. I don't want to hear such words again in the future!"
All the young palace maids in the room responded in unison.
Qingrong said to Xiahe, "You won't be serving tea today."
With that, she left after uttering, "Be quick about it."
Kan'er came out from behind the wind stove to fetch the pastries.
Xiahe stood up, glaring at her fiercely.
"First you took Bailuo's job, and now you're taking mine. Song Kan'er, you're really something!"
Bailuo was the one who previously tended the wind stove.
Kan'er glanced at her, too busy to bother.
The Crown Prince was aloof by nature, and currently, there were only three concubines in the Donggong's rear courtyard: Lady Cao, Jin Chenghui, and Lady Qin.
Lady Zheng's move was clearly intentional, meant to have her serve Lady Cao and the others, so that even if she gained status in the future, she would still feel inferior in front of them.
It had been the same in her past life.
Even when she had received favor back then, Lady Zheng would use various methods to remind her that once a servant, always a servant.
And out of fear of Lady Zheng, she truly acted as the other intended, often feeling ashamed of her origins.
As a result, for a long time afterward, she lacked confidence when interacting with Lady Cao and the others.
However, as she grew older and looked back, she realized that she had been blinded by her origins back then.
It was true that she came from a servant background.
That couldn't be changed.
But from the moment she bore a child and became the Crown Prince's Fengyi, she and Lady Cao and the others shared only one identity.
That is, they were all the Crown Prince's concubines.
Lady Zheng repeatedly used her origins to control her, but wasn't she also reminding the Crown Prince that his woman was once a servant?
Moreover, she was, after all, a person of Jiarong Tang.
Yet Lady Zheng had her serve Lady Cao and the others to humiliate her, but who was truly being humiliated?
Back then, she was too young and had been worn down too harshly in the rear courtyard, so she had neither the mind nor the energy to think in this direction.
As her thoughts wandered, the tea and pastries were ready.
Kan'er and a few others carried the items to the main room.
In the hall, Lady Cao and the other two had just finished paying their respects.
Zheng Mingzhi had granted them seats, and Kan'er and the others, under the guidance of two second-class palace maids at the door, entered to serve tea.
"Oh, no wonder they say Jiarong Tang is a place of outstanding people. Look, even a random tea server can be born with such stunning beauty."
As soon as they entered, a clear, bright woman's voice rang out.
It was Lady Cao.
She sat in the first seat on the left, with an oval face, downturned eyes, elegant and beautiful features, and an open, generous demeanor.
She appeared to be a straightforward and open-minded person.
Kan'er placed the teacup on the small table beside Lady Cao, pretending not to know she was being spoken of, and kept her head bowed dutifully.
"I'm talking about you."
Lady Cao tapped twice on the small table.
Kan'er looked up as if overwhelmed by the favor, and curtsied to Lady Cao.
"Greetings to Lady Liangyuan."
If Lady Cao's earlier remark was intentionally made to annoy Zheng Mingzhi after noticing the palace maid's figure,
At that moment, upon clearly seeing the girl's appearance, Lady Cao was genuinely dazed for an instant.
Even though she herself was a woman.
She couldn't help but sigh inwardly: her demeanor was rich and her bearing distant, gentle and genuine; her skin was delicate and smooth, her bones and flesh perfectly proportioned.
Truly a peerless beauty.
Almost as soon as they met face-to-face, Lady Cao understood what the Crown Princess was scheming, and her hand involuntarily tightened.
That Zheng woman is something else.
She actually wants to push someone into His Highness's presence!
Lady Cao clenched her silver teeth, quickly composed herself, then with a flicker of her eyes, she touched her ear and looked at Zheng Mingzhi.
"My, even her voice is so pleasant."
"When did the Crown Princess acquire such a charming girl here? We didn't see her yesterday when we visited."
Jin Chenghui from across the room said, "Turn around and let us have a look too."
Jin Chenghui was born lovely, with a fair, round face, a delicate nose, and vermilion lips. Her peach-blossom eyes shimmered with allure, and her figure was quite slender.
Kan'er turned around and bowed to her and Lady Qin.
The reactions of the two women were identical to Lady Cao's.
It was Lady Qin who regained her composure first.
"She truly is a charming girl."
Lady Qin was the daughter of Qin Zhe, a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy.
Influenced by her family's scholarly heritage, she exuded an air of refinement, her dignified brows revealing a gentle and graceful demeanor.
She was an elegant, almost ethereal beauty.
"The Crown Princess is truly unkind."
Jin Chenghui, having regained her senses, pouted.
"Such a little beauty should have been shown to us earlier to feast our eyes upon, yet she kept her all to herself."
"Who says otherwise?"
Lady Cao chimed in.
"It's the rules of Jiarong Tang that are good—the people below keep their mouths shut. If such a peerless beauty were in my courtyard, I'm afraid word would have spread long ago."
As they say, for a woman to thrive in the inner chambers, she must first learn to speak well and understand what others are saying.
Lady Cao's seemingly affectionate and flattering words made it appear as though she had a close relationship with the Crown Princess.
In reality, she was subtly mocking Jiarong Tang for hiding something unspeakable while elevating herself, highlighting her own straightforward and upright conduct.
Unlike the Crown Princess, who preferred to conceal and hoard things.
No wonder Nanny Pang always said that Lady Cao enjoyed speaking with sarcasm and hidden barbs. In just a few sentences, she had already woven in multiple veiled attacks.
According to protocol, palace maids were to withdraw after serving tea.
But at this moment, the topic was centered on Kan'er.
Under such circumstances, she certainly could not leave.
Kan'er stood there, pretending to be shy and feigning ignorance of their conversation.
Zheng Mingzhi pretended not to notice the sarcasm in Jin Chenghui and Lady Cao's words.
Smiling, she looked at Lady Qin. "You see, just because I have an extra tea-serving maid here, the two of them are already making a fuss."
Lady Qin replied, "The palace maids in the Crown Princess's residence are as graceful as jade. It's understandable that these two elder sisters are eager to admire such beauty."
"And you? Do you also wish to admire beauty?"
Zheng Mingzhi said meaningfully.
Lady Qin covered the corner of her mouth, her expression faint.
"Your Highness jests. Whether this humble concubine wishes to admire beauty is not important. What matters is whom the Crown Princess wishes to have admire it."
The atmosphere in the room visibly tensed.
Lady Qin's senior palace maid noticed the fading smile in the Crown Princess's eyes and nearly collapsed to the ground in fright.
Kan'er appropriately lowered her head.
Zheng Mingzhi set down her teacup and smiled lightly.
"Lady Qin's words are rather intriguing. It's merely a tea-serving servant. What do you mean by whom I wish to have admire her or not? Weren't you the ones who started this conversation?
Now you're shifting the blame onto me. I'd like to know, Lady Qin, whom do you think I wish to have admire this maid?"
Lady Cao and Jin Chenghui were delighted to watch the drama unfold.
Lady Qin choked back her words.
"This humble one is foolish and spoke out of turn. I beg the Crown Princess for forgiveness."
Zheng Mingzhi knew they had guessed the reason why that little minx Kan'er was here, but so what?
This matter concerned the Crown Prince.
No matter how much Lady Cao and the others speculated, they dared not speak further.
As for that little minx Kan'er, before the child was born, she would not make this matter public, nor would she grant this lowly servant any rank.
Thinking thus,
Zheng Mingzhi did not spare a single glance for Kan'er.
She only looked at Lady Qin and said, "Look at what you're saying. When did I ever accuse you of anything? To start begging for forgiveness like this—those who don't know might think this Crown Princess is petty and narrow-minded."
"Reporting to the Crown Princess!"
Xiao Dongzi, the eunuch responsible for running errands at Jiarong Tang, rushed into the courtyard. Before he even reached the doorway, he announced loudly.
Zheng Mingzhi frowned.
But before she could open her mouth to reprimand him, she heard Xiao Dongzi say, "Crown Princess, Eunuch Hai has come to deliver His Highness's oral decree!"
Zheng Mingzhi no longer had any mind for Kan'er.
She immediately led Lady Cao and the other two out to greet him.
When the Crown Prince issued a decree, palace servants were to listen alongside their masters. Kan'er and the other servants in the room also followed to the courtyard.
Before long, Hai Shun arrived.
He wasted no time.
After paying his respects to Zheng Mingzhi, he quickly scanned the courtyard.
Spotting the young palace maid kneeling there, whose very posture seemed to exude an air of grace and charm, Hai Shun cleared his throat.
"By His Highness's oral decree: Kan'er of the Song family, residing at Jiarong Tang, is virtuous, gentle, and elegant, and has greatly pleased this Prince. From this day forth, she is hereby conferred the seventh-rank title of Zhaoxun and granted residence in the eastern side hall of Yongxu Courtyard—"