Since the Crown Prince found Zhe Junwu quite pleasing, her days settled into a steady rhythm. During the day, she would go to the aviary to attend to General, occasionally being summoned to bring the bird for a stroll before His Highness, then returning to bed punctually each night.
Perhaps because her face satisfied His Highness, or perhaps because of General, she was able to visit His Highness’s small study from time to time—a privilege not even granted to the four senior palace maids. Zhe Junwu began to sense her own uniqueness.
Among the four senior maids, setting aside the other three for now, Chunyin, who managed His Highness’s clothing, should have been able to serve before him. However, His Highness had been accustomed to using eunuchs since childhood, so she was only tasked with managing items, while dressing and serving meals were left to the eunuchs.
Thus, none of the four senior maids could see His Highness often—so while other masters’ palaces might have both eunuchs and maids as heads, in Donggong, the only head servant was Eunuch Liu.
Zhe Junwu arrived at Donggong in September, and it wasn’t until October that she untangled these hidden relationships. Gradually, she came to realize something: the Crown Prince was a willful person.
He didn’t care how things were done in other palaces; he only cared about what he liked or disliked. He favored Eunuch Liu, so he kept using him, and paid no mind to others.
Zhe Junwu quietly reflected: it seemed she had stumbled upon great luck, as she hadn’t yet incurred His Highness’s displeasure. When she entered the small study to fetch General, His Highness would occasionally speak a few words to her, making her the maid who saw him most often.
But this uniqueness was prone to stir trouble. In mid-October, another maid moved into her room. This maid was Qiuyin’s apprentice, named Yurong.
The name was given by Qiuyin, indicating she was quite fond of her. Zhe Junwu had seen Yurong before; she was only thirteen this year, with a pointed chin and some spots on her face that, from a distance, resembled pockmarks.
Yurong had previously lived with Qiuyin. Although Zhe Junwu had exchanged a few words with her, they weren’t familiar. The two met in silence; Zhe Junwu smiled at her and then lowered her head to focus on her own tasks.
She was sewing socks, a task assigned by Chunyin. Among the palace maids, Chunyin was closest to Xia Yin. After Zhe Junwu began following Xia Yin, Chunyin no longer ordered her around as before, but still entrusted her with minor tasks.
Zhe Junwu could sense that many maids wanted to help Chunyin with the socks, but she had specifically assigned the task to her as a gesture of closeness and favor.
So the socks had to be done well, without letting down Xia Yin or Chunyin. She was diligent and meticulous in her work. As night fell, she lit a lamp and carefully embroidered the dragon pattern on the socks, afraid of making even the slightest mistake.
Yurong called out from her bed, “How much more do you have? Do you need help?”
Zhe Junwu dared not accept.
She smiled shyly, “No need, I’m almost done.”
To her surprise, Yurong’s face instantly darkened. She threw her pillow onto the bed with a thud. “Who wants to help you embroider anyway? Just because you can see His Highness in the study thanks to a beast, you think you’re so high and mighty.”
Zhe Junwu stared at her blankly, understanding that she was venting her temper. She could only explain, “It’s not about being high and mighty. I really am almost finished and didn’t want to trouble you.”
But Yurong turned over, pulled the covers over herself, and ignored her.
Zhe Junwu thought it over and decided she wasn’t in the wrong. That was just how she was—once she believed herself right, she could be stubborn. Of course, she wouldn’t dare act that way toward her master, but with Yurong, she had her own little calculations in mind.
So she stopped speaking, pushing the matter with Yurong out of her thoughts, and focused intently on embroidering the dragon claws on the socks.
Once the socks were finished and she confirmed there were no flaws, she let out a sigh of relief, carefully storing them in her small chest. After a moment’s thought, she placed the chest on the inner side of the bed, while she slept on the outer side.
Only after doing all this did she suddenly remember Yurong again. It wasn’t for any particular reason—she simply realized she had actually dared to hold a grudge against Yurong.
When she first arrived, she had been bullied so badly in the miscellaneous courtyard that she hadn’t even dared to make a sound. She quietly scolded herself, feeling like she was “a petty person getting above herself.” But this feeling wasn’t bad—no wonder everyone wanted to climb higher.
She drifted off to sleep in a daze. The next day, when she went for breakfast, Xia Yin and Chunyin asked her, “Did you have a falling out with Yurong?”
“Falling out” meant quarreling.
Zhe Junwu nodded. “How did you know?”
Chunyin said, “Yurong has been glaring at you several times, you little fool.”
Zhe Junwu thought for a moment and replied earnestly, “Then she must have been glaring at me from behind, otherwise I would have noticed.”
Xia Yin thought she was truly naive and said with a laugh, “She takes after Qiuyin’s temperament—very petty. You should avoid her.”
Zhe Junwu swore to herself! This was definitely another instance of taking sides! So Chunyin and Xia Yin were not on good terms with Qiuyin!
She quickly nodded. “But didn’t she used to live with Sister Qiuyin before?”
Xia Yin patted her thick bangs. “You’ve grown bolder now, daring to ask questions.”
But she didn’t explain what had actually happened. Zhe Junwu didn’t press further—she knew when to stop. After the meal, Chunyin and Xia Yin had tasks to attend to, so she went to the aviary alone. On the way, she ran into Qiuyin walking by herself.
Zhe Junwu greeted her, and Qiuyin nodded coldly before walking away with a string of keys in her hand, her attitude a stark contrast to her previous friendliness.
So they were now at odds.
Zhe Junwu sighed, watching her leave before continuing on her way. Entering the aviary, she skillfully fed the General, then went to feed the brown-feathered parrot.
The brown-feathered parrot—yes, it didn’t even have a name, a pitiful little creature no one cared about. Zhe Junwu simply called it Little Brown. The General harbored a deep grudge against Little Brown. If it weren’t for the birdcage separating them, preventing the General from flying in to peck, Little Brown would surely have been stripped of all its feathers.
As usual, after cleaning the birdcages, she was about to go to Xia Yin’s side to see if there was anything she could help with when she saw Xiao Sheng being led into the aviary by a young eunuch. The eunuch eagerly brought him before her and said, “Sister Junwu, Brother Xiao Sheng is looking for you.”
Zhe Junwu… Zhe Junwu wasn’t quite used to being called “sister,” especially since the eunuch was clearly a few years older than her.
But after telling him several times not to call her that, he still hadn’t changed his ways, so she let it go.
Xiao Sheng, on the other hand, was clearly accustomed to being called “brother.” He smiled warmly and said to the eunuch, “I need to speak with your Sister Junwu for a moment. You may leave now.”
The eunuch bowed and left.
Zhe Junwu asked curiously, “What is it?”
Xiao Sheng looked genuinely happy for her. “Grandpa Liu told me to come and tell you that this afternoon, you don’t need to look after the general. Instead, go to the small study to grind ink for His Highness.”
This single sentence stirred up a thousand waves. The task of grinding ink for His Highness had always been handled by Eunuch Liu. Why was she suddenly being asked to do it?
Xiao Sheng said, “Grandpa Liu didn’t explain, and I didn’t ask, but I think it’s definitely a good thing.”
It truly was a good thing. Zhe Junwu asked, “Do I need to go now?”
It would be best to go now. Xiao Sheng replied, “His Highness just returned from Nanshu Fang and went to the martial arts field first. When he comes back later, he’ll definitely review his studies and read memorials. He’ll need ink then, so you should go and familiarize yourself with it as soon as possible. The more familiar, the better.”
Zhe Junwu’s first thought was to go and inform Xia Yin. Xiao Sheng didn’t want to make things difficult for her. “Go ahead. Grandpa Liu said this afternoon, so it’s not that urgent. I’ll wait here for you.”
Zhe Junwu hurriedly ran to tell Xia Yin. This time, Xia Yin was truly shocked, her words sharp. “Has that tight-fisted Eunuch Liu started to loosen up? He’s actually willing to give up this task, and to you of all people.”
The more Xia Yin spoke, the more frightened Zhe Junwu became. But Xia Yin reassured her, “It’s fine. Eunuch Liu is the best at reading His Highness’s intentions. If he’s sending you, it must be His Highness’s wish. Just go. And don’t worry about offending him—he’s as shrewd as they come. He won’t hold a grudge against a simple-minded girl like you.”
Zhe Junwu nodded. “Alright.”
She quickly ran back and followed Xiao Sheng to the small study. Inside, His Highness had indeed not arrived yet. When His Highness wasn’t present, except during cleaning, they were not allowed to enter the study. So, Xiao Sheng led Zhe Junwu to the small room next door.
The small room held many tea sets and other decorative items, specifically for serving His Highness during his studies. Everything was neatly arranged, and Zhe Junwu even spotted many lanterns.
Xiao Sheng brought out the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from behind a screen. “Give it a try.”
Zhe Junwu tried. Nervously holding the inkstone with one hand, she picked up the inkstick with the other and slowly began grinding it in the inkstone.
Xiao Sheng said, “You need to add a bit of water.”
Zhe Junwu quickly added a little water.
Xiao Sheng instructed her, “When grinding, be gentle. It’s fine to press down a bit harder, but go slowly and keep the pressure even.”
When Eunuch Liu arrived, he saw this scene and smiled. “His Highness knows you’re not experienced. Just get the general idea.”
Zhe Junwu and Xiao Sheng quickly greeted him.
Eunuch Liu beamed, though inwardly he was cursing. His Highness’s temperament had grown increasingly peculiar lately. In the small study, Eunuch Liu had always been the one to grind ink, and he had been doing it perfectly well. Who would have thought His Highness would glance at him and say, “Change someone else.”
Change to whom?
Eunuch Liu had been so terrified he almost knelt on the spot. But after serving His Highness for so long, he knew His Highness liked others to guess his thoughts, yet he didn’t want them to guess too much.
So, when trying to read his mind, one had to strike a balance. This time, after His Highness spoke, he fell silent. Perhaps he simply didn’t want Eunuch Liu to grind ink anymore, and anyone else would do. Or perhaps he already had someone in mind but didn’t want to say it outright. Guessing correctly was fine, but guessing wrong would likely earn him another scolding as a fool.
Based on his years of experience, Eunuch Liu believed His Highness’s intention leaned toward the first possibility.
He was simply tired of seeing Eunuch Liu and wanted someone else.
But who?
Replace Eunuch Li? Replace Xiao Sheng? Replace the four hidden attendants of spring, summer, autumn, and winter?
Eunuch Liu was not foolish enough to bring a fox into his own den. Instead, he leaned more toward Zhe Junwu.
This face pleased His Highness greatly. If His Highness was satisfied, he too was satisfied. Zhe Junwu was honest, newly arrived, and had been brought in by him. He could still teach and win her over.
So Eunuch Liu sent Xiao Sheng to fetch Zhe Junwu.
Yet, deep down, he still felt discontented. Who wouldn’t feel a sense of disparity?
Ever since His Highness discovered that a beautiful face could cover half of it, he had grown increasingly impatient with those like them, whose faces were plain and unremarkable.
Eunuch Liu then led Zhe Junwu into the study with a beaming smile. “Just focus on grinding the ink. I’ll watch over you from the side. Nothing will go wrong.”
Zhe Junwu expressed her gratitude. “Thank you, Gonggong.”
Thus, when the Crown Prince returned, he found Zhe Junwu in his study. Raising an eyebrow, he thought Eunuch Liu had handled the matter well. He saw no issue with her grinding ink—she was honest, obedient, and her face was just right, usually so quiet as to be almost unnoticeable, far better than Eunuch Liu’s increasingly unsightly face.
This year was unusually hot; October was even warmer than September. Returning from the martial arts field, the Crown Prince was drenched in sweat. Eunuch Liu and Eunuch Li attended to His Highness, helping him change his clothes and shoes. Xiao Sheng added more ice to the basins in the four corners and continuously fanned with a fan. Then, Eunuch Li bent over to take the food box from the kitchen eunuch at the door, handing a bowl of chilled mung bean soup to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince downed it in one gulp, finally feeling some relief.
On such hot days, he usually avoided the martial arts field. But today was different. While studying, the Emperor suddenly visited Nanshu Fang. The First Prince stepped forward to flatter him, praising His Majesty’s archery skills as unparalleled—why could the First Prince flatter so boldly? Because he was the Emperor’s first son, and the Emperor held him in higher regard. When the First Prince was young, the Emperor had personally taught him archery.
Even after his own birth, due to certain rumors, the Emperor showed no particular fondness for him and never taught him archery.
Later, when he became the Crown Prince and had a tutor, the Emperor was too busy with state affairs to pay attention to his sons. Thus, among all the princes, only the First Prince received the Emperor’s personal instruction.
The Crown Prince secretly sneered at the time, thinking the First Prince sometimes lacked propriety. Even though the Emperor was their father, it was unbecoming for a son to praise his father so excessively.
Yet the Emperor ate it up and suddenly felt inclined to inspect their archery skills.
Archery was the First Prince’s forte. Knowing this, the Crown Prince had practiced diligently. This time, he still managed to outdo the First Prince, but the victory was narrow, with only a slight difference.
This left the Crown Prince displeased. He wanted an absolute, decisive victory over the First Prince, not just a marginal win.
So, upon returning, he went to practice archery again. Suffering in the sweltering heat didn’t bother him. Afterward, he still had to study and review the assignments from his tutor.
The Crown Prince was busy all day long.
Living such a demanding life, he naturally followed his whims. If, after writing a satisfactory piece of calligraphy, he looked up and saw Eunuch Liu’s face, it would inevitably dampen his spirits.
He hadn’t minded before, but now he couldn’t bear it. Even though Zhe Junwu wasn’t yet fully skilled at grinding ink, he felt she could be given time to learn.
Naturally, one day of familiarity was enough. If she still didn’t know how to grind ink after two days, then she would be replaced—he didn’t like fools.
Fortunately, Zhe Junwu proved herself capable. When it came to being clever and deft with her hands, she had never fallen short. She quickly mastered the technique, and Eunuch Liu nodded imperceptibly before retreating outside the door.
When His Highness studied, he disliked having too many people around, so only one person was allowed to serve inside.
Zhe Junwu kept her eyes lowered, her mind focused, not daring to make any mistakes. From the time she began grinding ink in the afternoon until dusk, Eunuch Liu entered to light the lamps and then asked, “Your Highness, would you like to have your meal now?”
The food had long been delivered and was waiting outside. However, the Crown Prince felt he hadn’t yet memorized one essay thoroughly and shook his head. “Not yet.”
He continued reciting his lessons.
Zhe Junwu continued grinding ink. Only after the Crown Prince had fully memorized the essay did he call for the meal.
The dishes had been replaced several times—not simply reheated, but freshly prepared. Some dishes, once reheated, lost their freshness. Knowing His Highness’s habit of delaying meals, the small kitchen always kept dishes ready.
After the master finished eating, the leftover dishes could be given to the servants. Zhe Junwu had never tasted food meant for the master before, but this time she got to try it.
Eunuch Liu attended to His Highness, while Zhe Junwu went to the back with Xiao Sheng to eat. They weren’t eating the leftovers from His Highness’s meal just then, but the dishes that had cooled while His Highness was studying.
Reheated several times, they finally reached the mouths of servants like them.
Zhe Junwu took several bites of cured meat—she craved meat. She didn’t care much for the green vegetables on the plate.
Xiao Sheng understood her well. Some palace maids came from relatively decent backgrounds, but eunuchs never had good origins. If their families weren’t impoverished, who would willingly come to the palace to have their lineage severed?
Xiao Sheng’s family was poor, and he was sold into the palace. Zhe Junwu, now somewhat familiar with him, said, “When we were sold, there were twelve girls and one boy. We were sold for two or three pecks of rice each, but he alone was sold for four pecks. So he changed his name to Sidou, even giving up his surname.”
This was resentment toward his family. But Xiao Sheng held no resentment.
“I was the youngest in my family. They sold everyone else before selling me. I was originally supposed to be sold as a servant to a wealthy household, but by some twist of fate, I ended up in the palace.”
Both had been sold, and they understood the feeling well. She felt a slight melancholy.
When they returned to the small study, His Highness was already reading. Eunuch Liu motioned for her to enter quietly, mouthing the words, “Gently—”
Zhe Junwu nodded. She entered and began grinding ink softly, but just as His Highness finished reading and looked up, Eunuch Liu intuitively brought water over. The Crown Prince moistened his throat, then casually asked Zhe Junwu, “What were you thinking when you came in just now?”
When she came in?
Zhe Junwu shook her head in confusion. “Your Highness, this servant doesn’t recall thinking of anything.”
The Crown Prince said, “You were—or rather, what were you thinking before you came in?”
Zhe Junwu grew uneasy.
Did His Highness have such a habit of probing deeply? Eunuch Liu also felt nervous—His Highness had never asked him such questions before.
The Crown Prince was merely acting on a whim. After all, a pair of clear eyes had suddenly shown a trace of sorrow. Having finished his tasks and feeling idle, he didn’t mind asking.
“What were you doing earlier?”
Asked so directly, Zhe Junwu roughly understood and replied, “We were originally having a meal, then Xiao Sheng came, and we chatted for a bit. This servant mentioned what happened on the way when I was sold.”
She then recounted Sidou’s story and concluded, “Sidou hates his parents, but Xiao Sheng doesn’t.”
The Crown Prince slowly took a sip of tea. “Then do you hate your parents?”
Zhe Junwu honestly analyzed her own feelings. “I hated them at first, but the woman who bought me said that being sold might at least give me something to eat. My father and mother could only rely on the heavens for food. If the heavens were unkind now, they might starve to death before me.”
The Crown Prince smiled. This was an honest girl, and easy to placate. He then taught her a lesson: “Sidou resents his parents, likely because there were other siblings at home who weren’t sold—only he was, and he was the first to be sold, so naturally he resents them. As for Xiao Sheng, he was the last in the family to be sold, having gained an ‘advantage.’ As for you… you were the first to be sold, and sold without a clear reason, yet you can still live peacefully. That can only be described as foolish.”
After saying this, he thought of the First Prince again. The Crown Prince reflected that the reason he despised the eldest prince was because he disliked how he acted coy after gaining an advantage.
It was different from those who had been sold.
Zhe Junwu dared not refute at all. If she was called foolish, then so be it. Once sold, she couldn’t escape, and harboring resentment toward them was useless.
However, the Crown Prince had already relaxed for a quarter of an hour—yes, he had strict study hours and could only relax for a quarter of an hour at most. After that, he had to return to his tasks.
After finishing his studies, he began practicing calligraphy. Only after writing a hundred large characters could he rest. Zhe Junwu was finally able to leave. She actually admired His Highness the Crown Prince greatly. Throughout the half day, from the time she arrived at the study until now when she left, His Highness had not rested at all.
After attending to His Highness, Eunuch Liu came to speak with her.
“From now on, you will serve His Highness by grinding ink in the small study. There’s no need to go to the flower and bird room anymore.”
Zhe Junwu acknowledged with an “Aye.” Eunuch Liu felt a bit envious of her. She was the first to taste the crab, having caught His Highness’s attention with such a face. If she performed well, she might have great prospects in the future.
Moreover, luck was truly important for a person. Eunuch Liu had originally thought that after His Highness realized he wanted a palace maid like Zhe Junwu, he would carry out a purge in Donggong. But His Highness didn’t. Eunuch Liu had even prepared to bring back a group of palace maids with neat foreheads, but since His Highness didn’t give the order, he couldn’t act on his own.
According to the rules, new personnel would only enter Donggong next year. By that time, no matter how foolish Zhe Junwu was, she would have already established herself, right?
So, for a person, luck was truly important.
Furthermore, compatibility between people mattered. Eunuch Liu had noticed that Zhe Junwu suited His Highness the Crown Prince’s temperament well. This was evident from how His Highness was willing to chat with her during his free time.
Thus, Eunuch Liu also regarded Zhe Junwu with special favor. His master’s preferences were his preferences. He felt that at this rate, the tasks of dressing and washing His Highness might eventually fall into the hands of this young girl.
When that happened, there would be quite a spectacle. He didn’t mind—his own position was unshakable—but he could already imagine how much hostility she would attract.
At that time, he would step in to discipline her a bit, and this young girl probably wouldn’t turn against him.
Eunuch Li’s scheme was well-calculated, and he was confident of success, but Qiuyin and Yurong could no longer remain calm. Qiuyin came to find Yurong that evening, bringing Zhe Junwu some pastries as well. Yurong whispered, “I was in a bad mood yesterday, so my temper flared up a bit. Please don’t be angry.”
When Chunyin and Xia Yin learned of this, they smiled and patted her head, saying, “Junwu, you’ve really grown up quickly.”
Author’s Note:
The second update will be before 12 o’clock.
His Highness is not a perfect male lead, as he is still in his youth.
Youth, after all, is a period when one hasn’t fully grown up and struggles to understand the world. He is a growth-type male lead, and his most obvious trait is being awkward—unaware that he is obsessed with looks.
Also, I forgot something very important!
Did I not tell you the male lead’s name?
His surname is Qi, and his given name is Dianqing.