At the same time, inside the Eastern Palace study.
Pei Jinyan stood with his back to the attendant reporting to him, his expression shifting between light and shadow.
“You’re saying you don’t know who climbed into my bed last night?”
Ying Qing looked ashamed as he bowed to the Crown Prince.
“It is my incompetence.”
Pei Jinyan waved his hand dismissively: “That woman is of little consequence, but my Jade Ring—you must find it for me.”
Frowning, he looked at Ying Qing: “Do you understand?”
Ying Qing responded solemnly: “I obey your command.”
Pei Jinyan turned away, only to notice that after receiving his orders, Ying Qing had not left.
“Is there something else to report?”
Ying Qing hesitated for a moment before speaking: “Your Highness, although I have not yet identified exactly who that woman was yesterday, I… I have discovered which palace she belongs to.”
“Speak.”
“She is from the Empress Dowager’s Palace of Longevity and Peace.”
The Palace of Longevity and Peace?
Pei Jinyan’s eyes once again conjured the image of a begonia flower.
In the blink of an eye, Pei Jinyan’s gaze settled on Ying Qing.
He remained silent for a long time, his stare burning so intensely it could make one tremble.
Yet Ying Qing dared not move a muscle, quietly awaiting Pei Jinyan’s instruction.
However, Pei Jinyan only said: “Good, I understand.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Ying Qing’s face; he had expected…
But since his master had spoken, he had no grounds to question it.
“Then I shall take my leave.”
The moonlight was hazy and serene, the entire Eastern Palace sinking into silence. In the depths of winter, no birdsong could be heard outside, and inside the study, Pei Jinyan forbade anyone from lighting charcoal, leaving the room cold and somewhat desolate.
Pei Jinyan stood before the window lattice, his face as cold as frost.
The back of his head seemed to have struck something, throbbing faintly with pain.
The scratches on his back were one thing, but on his shoulder—a neat row of small bite marks. One glance was enough to know it was done by a woman.
He reached out, touching his shoulder through his clothes.
“Bold enough to climb into my bed, yet too cowardly to leave a name. Truly impressive.”
“The Palace of Longevity and Peace, is it? Sooner or later, I will drag you out.”
Outside the window, frost was swept up by the winter wind, swirling in the air for a long time before barely settling to the ground.
Another spring in Zhaojing had arrived.
Since the Empress Dowager appointed Nianyao as a senior palace maid, her status within the Palace of Longevity and Peace had risen accordingly.
Those who had secretly bullied Nianyao before now cautiously avoided crossing her path.
Those who wished to curry favor with her now affectionately called her “Sister Nianyao” at every turn.
Yet within the Palace of Longevity and Peace, there was only one person who treated her exactly as before.
Someone who had never bullied her, yet now treated her the same as everyone else in the palace—Mama An, who served by the Empress Dowager’s side.
Mama An was extremely senior, rumored to have been the Empress Dowager’s personal maid when she first entered the palace.
Now, after decades of weathering storms, even a young maid had matured into a seasoned matron, becoming the most favored servant by the Empress Dowager’s side.
Previously, the Empress Dowager had explicitly decreed that Nianyao should learn etiquette under Mama An’s guidance.
Nianyao naturally dared not slack off.
However, Mama An seemed like a second Empress Dowager—always stern and unsmiling, her actions swift and decisive.
If Nianyao made any mistake, the cane would come down without hesitation.
Without the slightest leniency.
Yet Nianyao bore no resentment toward this strict Mama An. Even when her hands bore fresh wounds, she would still bring pastries she had made herself in the small kitchen and personally present them to Mama An.
In just over ten days, Mama An’s gaze toward Nianyao held a hint of approval.
If the fourteen years in the Jiang residence taught Nianyao the pride of an official’s daughter,
and the two years of suffering in the palace, where she often went hungry, taught her to humble herself and endure endlessly,
then these days under Mama An’s guidance taught Nianyao how to survive in the palace.
Even the Empress Dowager was slightly surprised to see Mama An like this.
“It seems this little girl suits your taste quite well.”
Mama An felt a bit embarrassed by the Empress Dowager’s remark.
She recalled that day when Nianyao delivered a clean, swift slap.
A faint smile appeared on Mama An’s face as she did not evade the Empress Dowager’s words.
“This old servant finds that girl rather interesting.”
With just that statement, Mama An said no more. If Nianyao were any other palace maid, she might have recommended her to the Empress Dowager.
But Nianyao was that person’s daughter.
A flicker of regret passed through Mama An’s eyes.
The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment. “This person will be of use to me later. Zhuer, you may train her with confidence.”
Mama An was taken aback. If not for the habit cultivated over the years of holding her tongue,
she might have already asked the Empress Dowager what she intended to use Nianyao for.
However, Mama An was merely a servant who followed her master’s orders.
She bowed her head. “This old servant understands.”
The Empress Dowager thought for a moment, then looked up at her, remembering something. “In a few days, Prince Nan will enter the palace and must come to Shouning Palace to pay his respects.”
She paused and instructed, “Keep her away. Do not let Prince Nan catch sight of her face.”
Mama An understood clearly. “This servant understands.”
Prince Nan was the current emperor’s fifth brother, stationed in the southwest.
On the battlefield, he could be called peerlessly brave.
But privately, even five-year-old children on the streets knew that the current Prince Nan was notoriously lustful, with countless concubines in his residence. Even during campaigns, he would bring back several stunning beauties to imprison in his mansion.
Whether willing or unwilling, once he set his eyes on someone, there was only one outcome.
Back then, Prime Minister Jiang had overruled all opposition to convict Prince Nan on behalf of a common woman without status or background, confining him to the border for ten years.
Now, those ten years had passed.
Even the Empress Dowager worried that if Prince Nan saw Nianyao, he would forcibly take her regardless of her status as a palace maid.
She was even more concerned that upon learning Nianyao’s identity,
he would pour his hatred for Prime Minister Jiang onto Nianyao.
Thus, unbeknownst to Nianyao,
in recent days, tasks like tidying the inner chambers and preparing tea and snacks had been significantly reduced.
Nianyao, however, was happy to take it easy. Normally, she not only had to do the work of a senior palace maid but also learn etiquette under Mama An’s guidance.
Though she felt she improved every day, it was exhausting. Each day, she would return to her room and fall asleep immediately.
Now, Nianyao finally had the chance to read the reply letter from He Jingzong that Qīng’ér had given her.
The letter mentioned that her younger brother and sister had been taken to the He residence.
He, still unmarried, publicly referred to Brother Zhang and Zhaozhao as his distant cousins.
Brother Zhang’s leg, having been discovered in time, had been bedridden for several days. In a while, he would be able to get out of bed without hindrance to his movement.
Zhaozhao, now eight years old, had been assigned a female tutor by him to teach her writing.
Even the last two lines of the letter were messages written separately by Zhaozhao and Brother Zhang.
Nianyao gazed at the childish strokes, her eyes brimming with tears.
It was alright.
Thankfully, they were all safe now.