Pei Yunshu stopped in her tracks, observing the slight agitation on the other’s face after she called out that name.
“So you’ve already been sent to my cousin’s side,” Pei Yunshu sighed softly, appearing somewhat regretful.
“Come here.”
Pei Yunshu beckoned to Yue Mei, who hurried over to stand beside her. Pei Yunshu did not reprimand her for the presumptuous gesture, merely allowing the maid to walk just half a step behind her.
“I originally went to Mother to ask for you back. Although my courtyard isn’t short of people, I felt a connection with you and thought, since the courtyard isn’t lacking in servants anyway…”
Pei Yunshu looked at Yue Mei. “It’s just a matter of preparing one more person’s belongings, something I don’t particularly mind. But when I went to Mother, she said the maids by my cousin’s side weren’t good enough. Hearing me praise you, Mother insisted on sending you to my cousin’s side.”
Yue Mei already knew why she had been sent to serve the young mistress. When she found out, she was naturally unwilling. She had inquired and heard that the young mistress was also favored in the mansion.
Favored? No matter how favored, she was still just a cousin—how could she compare to Pei Yunshu, with whom Yue Mei shared a past connection?
“Mother said that when you went to my cousin’s side, you would serve as a senior maid. I thought that wouldn’t be too unfair to you, as I already have senior maids by my side.”
A senior maid? But after arriving at Jiang Liuyan’s side, all she did was menial chores—how was that anything like a senior maid?
Catching a glimpse of Pei Yunshu’s expression, Yue Mei lowered her head, her eyes reddening. “After I came to serve in this courtyard, the young mistress only assigned me miscellaneous tasks.”
“Is that so? Mother should have spoken to my cousin about it. Yue Mei, you needn’t worry too much. Since you’ve just arrived at my cousin’s side, becoming a senior maid right away would indeed invite jealousy and resentment. Besides, my cousin is different from me—she places great importance on rules and propriety. You must be careful not to displease her.”
She had been sent to her cousin’s side, yet it was the eldest young mistress who favored her. Yue Mei hadn’t expected such a mix-up to happen so soon after arriving at the mansion.
“Since you’ve come all the way to my courtyard and walked this far with me, you must be feeling the heat. There’s still some Sushan left in the small kitchen. You should try some.”
“Such a precious thing—how could it be given to a servant like me? Wouldn’t that be wasteful?” Yue Mei was startled. Sushan was something she had only heard of but never seen before, until she entered the Guogong Mansion and saw a small bowl delivered to Jiang Liuyan’s courtyard yesterday.
Snow-white with a milky fragrance, exuding a chill, the bowl was placed in a basin filled with ice to prevent it from melting in the heat.
“What waste? It’s all going into someone’s stomach anyway.”
Feeling the heat, Pei Yunshu simply had someone serve the Sushan before preparing to leave. “Yue Yun, take Yue Mei to the kitchen to have some.”
After calling out the name, Pei Yunshu did not immediately walk away. “Ah, I forgot—this name was one I had in mind for when you came to my courtyard. Now that you’ve gone to my cousin’s courtyard, let her give you a new name instead, lest she become displeased later.”
Seeing the faint melancholy and helplessness in Pei Yunshu’s expression, Yue Mei realized that, despite hearing about the close relationship between the eldest young mistress and her cousin after entering the mansion, there seemed to be more to the story.
Yue Yun led Yue Mei to the small kitchen and gave her a bowl of Sushan.
“Miss Yue Yun,” Yue Mei said, noticing Yue Yun’s youthful appearance and childlike demeanor, and recognizing her as someone easily fooled.
“Do you all get to enjoy this on ordinary days as well?”
Sushan was softer than ordinary pastries. Scooping a spoonful into her mouth, the sweet flavor with a hint of chill spread across her lips and tongue.
“Of course not, but after it was delivered, the young lady couldn’t finish it all, so she shared it with the people in the courtyard.”
Yue Yun wasn’t very familiar with this person and simply treated it as casual conversation. The young lady had instructed her to bring the person over for a treat and send them away afterward, so she was just following orders.
Watching Yue Mei’s figure disappear into the distance, Yue Yun turned back to report, “Young lady, she’s gone. That person seemed a bit unhappy.”
Pei Yunshu was sipping warm mung bean soup—this was the coolest drink she could have. As for the Sushan, every courtyard had received some. Even if her portion was the largest, it was only half a bowl more than others. Since she couldn’t eat it, she gave it all to the young maids in her courtyard.
In truth, her mother had sent a share to Jiang Liuyan’s courtyard that was no less than what Pei Qingwan received.
But someone like Yue Mei, no matter how well her own mistress treated her, could never compare to the slightest favor from others.
As long as she was unhappy by Jiang Liuyan’s side, she would remember that if it weren’t for Jiang Liuyan’s interference, she would have been enjoying a comfortable life in her own courtyard.
“That girl is pitiful too, now an orphan. When you have free time, befriend her and look out for her a little.”
Though Yue Yun didn’t quite understand, she simply took it as the young lady’s instruction. “Alright.”
After Yue Yun left, Yue Hua cleared the white porcelain bowl in front of Pei Yunshu. “Young lady, is it alright to send Yue Yun? That girl has always been a bit simple-minded. What if she says something wrong again?”
“What could she possibly say wrong? Precisely because she seems simple-minded, others are more likely to believe her. It’s just a few words—it depends on whether others believe them or not.”
Jiang Liuyan sat by the window embroidering, her wet nurse attending to her. When Jiang Liuyan came to the Guogong Mansion, she only brought her wet nurse and two young maids—the people she felt closest to.
“Young lady, that girl Yue Mei—could she be planted here by the eldest young lady? Why not find an excuse to send her somewhere else?”
“No, she wouldn’t have such intentions. I still understand what kind of person Pei Yunshu is.”
Jiang Liuyan lowered her head to embroider the handkerchief in her hand. “I was wondering why they would remove the senior maid by my side at this time and send Yue Mei over.”
So it was something Pei Yunshu no longer wanted.
“Young lady, the Madam of the Guogong Mansion is arranging a marriage for you. She surely won’t let you suffer.” The wet nurse knew that Madam Jiang was seeking a marriage match for their young lady. She naturally understood her young lady’s high aspirations, but having the Guogong Mansion as backing was already the best possible outcome for her.
“Won’t let me suffer? Do you know why they want to marry me off? It’s just because they’re worried I’ll block Pei Yunshu’s path.”
Jiang Liuyan lowered her gaze and snipped the thread. “Wet nurse, I’ve long grown accustomed to it.”
But she refused to accept her fate. She was smarter and more talented than Pei Yunshu. And Pei Yunshu? Aside from her face, she had nothing. Yet even so, Pei Yunshu could easily surpass her.
There was only one thing. Jiang Liuyan looked at herself in the bronze mirror and gently curved her lips. It had been some time since she last saw the Crown Prince. It was time to pay him a visit.
Zeng Lun came quietly, without even alerting Madam Jiang. When Pei Yunshu saw Zeng Lun standing before her, she was first astonished. With Zeng Lun’s status, there was nowhere in the entire capital he couldn’t go. Yet wherever this senior eunuch went, wasn’t he always surrounded by attendants?
Even when visiting the Guogong Mansion, Madam Jiang would have to bring servants ahead of time to greet guests. Yet now, Zeng Lun had appeared so quietly in her courtyard without even alerting the servants.
Either Zeng Lun possessed exceptional martial skills, coming and going like a shadow, or there were Xie Yanchuan’s confidants within the Guogong Mansion.
“Eunuch Zeng, what brings you here? You didn’t even send anyone to announce your arrival.” Pei Yunshu collected her scattered thoughts and rose to speak with Zeng Lun. A man like him, full of schemes, was not to be underestimated.
“Your Majesty said that if someone were sent to announce it, it would inevitably cause a commotion, which would only bring unnecessary trouble to Miss Pei.”
Indeed, Xie Yanchuan truly considered every detail for her sake.
“Teacher, he even thought of such things.”
If Xie Yanchuan suddenly bestowed lavish gifts upon her, it would indeed cause her significant trouble.
“Your Majesty naturally thinks of everything for you. He was concerned that the sun has been particularly harsh these past few days and feared you might not bear the heat. So, he specially retrieved a piece of cold jade from the treasury for you to carry with you, hoping it would bring some coolness.”
Zeng Lun presented the jade, did not linger long, and left in a hurry after leaving only a letter.
Pei Yunshu opened the sandalwood box in her hand. Inside was a brocade pouch. She picked it up, and a piece of cold jade fell into her palm, cool yet smooth to the touch. The jade was simple, adorned only with swirling cloud patterns.
Pei Yunshu slowly rubbed the jade in her hand. She had seen this jade before. Jade nourishes people, and she had always been fond of coolness. She once saw this jade in Xie Changyan’s possession, who said it was bestowed by Your Majesty to the Eastern Palace.
She had thought Xie Changyan would give it to her, but in the end, the jade ended up in Jiang Liuyan’s hands.
What if it was meant for her all along? What if Xie Yanchuan had prepared it for her from the very beginning?