Led towards the study, Zhe Junwu thought clearly in her heart: if the Crown Prince became angry at her later, she must not dodge. If she dodged, she would likely be beaten even more severely.
Passing through several arched doorways, they walked deeper into the residence. After traversing about four gravel paths, Zhe Junwu was finally led to the study. Eunuch Liu pointed to a eunuch around fourteen or fifteen years old and said to her, “This is Xiao Sheng. You’ll work with him.”
Xiao Sheng looked utterly ordinary—so plain that his entire face was forgettable. Zhe Junwu made an effort to glance at him a few more times, afraid she might forget him later. Xiao Sheng, perhaps accustomed to this, smiled and said, “It’s fine. After a few days of familiarity, you’ll remember.”
Zhe Junwu felt a bit embarrassed and called out, “Brother Xiao Sheng,” then picked up the bucket, ready to fetch water and wash the rags.
Eunuch Liu, having brought her here, couldn’t stay to supervise their floor cleaning. He had other matters to attend to, so he instructed Xiao Sheng, “Take good care of Junwu. She’s just arrived and doesn’t understand anything yet.”
Xiao Sheng nodded quickly. Once Eunuch Liu left, he led Zhe Junwu into the study.
This study was where His Highness the Crown Prince read. It didn’t contain anything particularly important—aside from books, there were only more books—so when the Crown Prince was absent, eunuchs and palace maids could come to clean. As for the Crown Prince’s small study to the east, only Eunuch Liu was permitted to enter.
Xiao Sheng’s greatest aspiration was to become like Eunuch Liu one day. He worked diligently and handled tasks with flexibility. Having already heard about Zhe Junwu, whom Eunuch Liu had brought, he noticed that although she tried to appear calm, there was still a trace of fear on her face. Deciding to extend a kindness, he whispered while wringing out a rag, “Don’t be afraid. I know what you’re worried about, but think about it: you’ve been here for several days already, and His Highness hasn’t lost his temper. Grandpa Liu feels quite assured, which is why he dared to bring you to the study.”
Upon hearing this, Zhe Junwu actually found it reasonable. Having grown up in the countryside, she knew that whenever relatives visited any household, the whole village would know by the same day, if not the next. As a “special” person who had come to Donggong, wouldn’t the Crown Prince, as the master here, be aware of her presence?
Since she hadn’t been driven out yet, did that mean the Crown Prince tacitly permitted it?
Zhe Junwu’s expression instantly relaxed a little. Seeing she was clever, Xiao Sheng didn’t say more and handed her the rag he had just washed. “Here, let’s mop the floor first.”
Zhe Junwu quickly took the rag and began kneeling to scrub the floor. The study floor was made of wood—though she didn’t know what kind—but it was easy to clean, and the water dried quickly after wiping. As she stood up, wiping sweat from her forehead and preparing to wash the rag, she heard footsteps outside. Xiao Sheng’s face changed, and he hurriedly signaled with his eyes for her to kneel.
Zhe Junwu’s heart tightened, knowing the Crown Prince had returned.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, a pair of dark green boots appeared before her eyes. The boots were embroidered with gold thread, seemingly patterned with a flower, but the Crown Prince walked too swiftly, his steps like the wind. She only caught a hurried, rough glance and couldn’t make out what flower it was.
After the Crown Prince passed, Eunuch Liu followed behind and gestured for Xiao Sheng and Zhe Junwu to withdraw. The two quickly picked up the wooden bucket and retreated backward, but unexpectedly, His Highness spoke, “Stop.”
He was in the midst of his adolescent voice change, his tone slightly hoarse. The two words “stand still” carried no particular emotional weight, yet Zhe Junwu inexplicably sensed a hint of dissatisfaction, causing her breath to catch. She quickly lowered her head and stood properly, bucket in hand.
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes. “Are you the new palace maid? Look up.”
Zhe Junwu softly acknowledged and slowly raised her head. Eunuch Liu stood nearby, sweat beginning to bead on his back. He had prepared for so long, all for this day.
In Eunuch Liu’s mind, he was fairly certain he had guessed correctly this time. But until His Highness gave a clear word, his heart would remain suspended.
The room fell into silence. Those below dared not breathe loudly, while the one above gritted his teeth in anger.
The Crown Prince was furious just looking at Zhe Junwu’s face.
He had always been one to conceal his emotions, especially as he grew older. He never voiced his likes or dislikes outright, lest others exploit his preferences to engage in unsavory schemes.
But not speaking meant his servants had to infer his wishes.
At first, Eunuch Liu had managed to guess correctly. The Crown Prince despised flashy, ostentatious appearances and those who relied on their looks to curry favor. Eunuch Liu cleverly brought back some plain-looking individuals from the Imperial Household Department.
But this fool was truly foolish—year after year, for three or four years, he never adapted! The people he initially brought back could only be described as ordinary, but later, the servants and maids he selected grew uglier and uglier. Every time the Crown Prince returned to Donggong, he felt as if something was wrong with his eyes.
Fortunately, he had never paid much attention to servants, which allowed him to ignore the situation all these years.
But a year ago, Eunuch Liu actually brought back someone with pockmarks. The Crown Prince couldn’t hold back and cursed, “What an ugly thing.” If Eunuch Liu hadn’t served him since childhood, the Crown Prince would have gladly ordered him dragged out and beaten to death.
Thankfully, this year, he finally seemed to have learned his lesson. He sent someone to bring back a maid who wasn’t ugly and vaguely hinted at it to the Crown Prince in a roundabout way. Though His Highness said nothing outwardly, inwardly he thought Eunuch Liu had finally come to his senses.
But what the Crown Prince had meant was to bring back someone who wasn’t ugly—not someone who looked like this!
He cast a disgusted glance at Zhe Junwu’s face. Catching it from the corner of his eye, Eunuch Liu’s legs gave way, and he knelt straight down.
As soon as he knelt, Zhe Junwu and Xiao Sheng hurriedly followed suit. Three faces turned pale in unison.
The Crown Prince knew that if he sent this one away now, Eunuch Liu would likely bring back more “ugly things.”
Why had he chosen such a fool as his chief eunuch? If not for his loyalty, he would have had him beaten to death long ago.
The Crown Prince had a terrible temper. At fifteen, his disposition had been described by the Emperor and Empress as brooding. The angrier he grew, the less he showed it on his face. He merely stared at Eunuch Liu with a sinister expression, causing the eunuch to tremble all over.
The Crown Prince snorted, about to send Zhe Junwu off to work somewhere out of his sight, when suddenly, the sound of flapping wings came from outside. The green-feathered parrot he had picked up in Jizhou flew in, poked its head through the doorway to glance at the pretty young maid, and then the creature spoke: “Junwu—”
The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes once more.
Zhe Junwu suddenly heard her own name, the voice somewhat familiar. Anxiously raising her head, she saw a green-feathered parrot outside the door staring at her, its beady eyes wide and unblinking. Perhaps because the scene was too surreal, she even forgot where she was and blankly called out, “Mao Mao?”
As soon as she spoke, the parrot—which had just been cautiously peeking around—immediately perked up with pride. It flew straight over, crashed into her arms, and called out again, “Junwu ah—”
Holding the green-feathered parrot, Zhe Junwu felt a sudden sense of bewilderment.
How did this heartless parrot end up in Donggong?