Jiang Zhuoying immediately fell silent, only playfully blinking her eyes.
“Ahem, when your family’s servant came looking for me yesterday, the clinic had just closed, but he insisted on inviting me outside the city.”
“Naturally, I didn’t dare to come alone, so my husband accompanied me.”
Jiang Zhuoying nodded in understanding. So that was how it was—it was indeed necessary for a woman to be cautious when traveling at night.
Liu Zhiyou smiled at her again. “In that case, rest well. We shall meet again if fate allows.”
Jiang Zhuoying returned the smile. “Very well, A You, take care on your way.”
…
Qi Fan personally escorted Gu Yunci out of the main hall.
Gu Yunci was the son of the Prince of Shen and currently served as the Vice Minister of Justice.
“Then I shall return to the city with A You.”
“Mm.”
“Tsk, is that girl really unrelated to you?”
Qi Fan gave him a cool, piercing glance. “Completely unrelated.”
The man facing him rubbed his nose and, hearing movement, turned his head and waved. “A You, come quickly. Didn’t you want to see Zhuozhuo for a long time?”
Liu Zhiyou stepped forward and bowed to Qi Fan, then said with a smile, “What a coincidence.”
“Where’s the coincidence?” Gu Yunci raised an eyebrow, seemingly puzzled.
Liu Zhiyou looked at him. “The name is a coincidence. I heard the girl in Your Highness’s residence is also named A Zhuo.”
“A Zhuo?” Qi Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, his brow tightening.
Gu Yunci glanced at him in surprise. “You don’t even know her name?”
If he didn’t know the girl’s name, why was she staying in the main room?
The man shot him a look and then nodded to Liu Zhiyou. “You may go as you please.”
With that, he turned and walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.
Jiang Zhuoying took some jade skin ointment from the narrow-necked bottle and tried applying a little to the back of her hand.
It wasn’t that she distrusted the female physician from earlier, but after experiencing the “fake pox disease” incident, she knew she had to be even more cautious in the future.
If the jade skin ointment didn’t suit her complexion and she applied too much at once, wouldn’t it lead to unforeseen consequences?
After tidying her appearance, she sat back down on the edge of the bed.
The Second Prince was aloof and seemed unwilling to let her stay. If she wanted to remain here long-term, she would have to think of a plan.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, a knock came from outside the door.
Then came the easily recognizable, high-pitched voice: “Miss, are you free? If it’s convenient, please respond. I’ll come in now.”
Jiang Zhuoying was momentarily stunned. With a slight turn of her head, she caught sight of her delicate, oval face in the bronze mirror, along with the hairstyle she had just arranged.
After a moment’s thought, she removed the hairpin from her head, letting her hair cascade down instantly.
Her black hair reached her hips, making her appear paler and more haggard than before.
Jiang Zhuoying stood up and said in a soft voice, “Is that Eunuch Chu? This servant is coming.”
She rose to open the door, and standing there was Chu Yixin.
She gave a slight curtsy. “Are you looking for this servant, Eunuch? Does His Highness have any instructions?”
Chu Yixin curled his lips into a smile, but his eyes swiftly scanned her from head to toe.
His master had just sent him to check on this girl. If she had mostly recovered, he was to send her back.
But the girl looked pale and frail, as if she hadn’t fully recovered.
Jiang Zhuoying held her breath. If she wasn’t mistaken, this Eunuch Chu was likely here to send her away.
After rising from her curtsy, she suddenly staggered, as if on the verge of collapsing.
“Oh dear, Miss, you’re still unwell. Why bother with such formal courtesies? Please sit down and rest quickly.”
Chu Yixin reached out to support her, simultaneously dismissing his earlier thoughts.
With his support on her arm, Jiang Zhuoying slowly made her way to the armchair and sat down.
Appearing frail and weak, she gave Chu Yixin a faint smile, her voice barely audible: “Thank you, Eunuch Chu. May I ask what brings you to seek out this humble maid?”
Chu Yixin pondered briefly before lowering his voice to speak quietly.
“Miss, for saving Zhuozhuo, His Highness has bestowed numerous gifts. I came to inform you that these rewards will be delivered shortly.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhuoying deliberately rose again: “This humble maid thanks His Highness for his generosity, but…”
“This was merely a small effort, something I should have done. I feel unworthy to accept these rewards.”
Chu Yixin disagreed with her modesty and whispered in persuasion: “Miss, your heart is kind, but since you saved Zhuozhuo, you are now a benefactor to the Second Prince’s household.”
A benefactor?
Jiang Zhuoying’s eyes flickered – she had an idea…
“Eunuch Chu, in that case, this humble maid should go express gratitude to His Highness the Second Prince in person.”
Receiving gifts and expressing thanks – nothing could be more ordinary.
She needed to meet the Second Prince in person to have room for maneuver.
What she feared most was if the Second Prince didn’t appear again while she was immediately sent back, leaving her with no further strategies.
Having already revealed her appearance, if she were to meet again as Miss Jiang from the Rui Guo Gong Manor, these matters would be difficult to explain.
Chu Yixin hesitated but eventually nodded.
The girl spoke correctly – having received rewards, it was indeed proper to express gratitude according to etiquette.
Although the girl’s background was somewhat peculiar, her temperament appeared quite gentle.
“Shall I then escort you to express your gratitude?”
Jiang Zhuoying nodded repeatedly: “I trouble you, Eunuch Chu.”
…
Jiang Zhuoying followed him to the study in the courtyard.
The scent of simple eaglewood was even stronger inside the room, finally revealing the source of the fragrance she had noticed on the Second Prince.
Entering the study, she found the Second Prince seated sternly behind the desk, his expression cold as he looked down at something.
Following Chu Yixin’s gesture, Jiang Zhuoying advanced several steps before lowering her head and slowly kneeling: “Your Highness, this humble maid has come to express gratitude.””
“Express gratitude?” Perhaps from long silence, the man’s voice sounded slightly hoarse.
“Indeed. According to Eunuch Chu, Your Highness has bestowed numerous gifts upon this maid due to Zhuozhuo. I specially came to express my thanks.”
Jiang Zhuoying paused briefly before continuing: “While passing through the courtyard earlier, I noticed Zhuozhuo appears well. Might I inquire if any conclusions have been reached regarding that pond matter?”
The man tossed aside the scroll in his hand, slightly narrowing his eyes as he directly regarded the girl kneeling in the room.
Her black hair flowed like tide, her frame too delicate for her clothes.
His voice returned to its usual coldness: “The pond indeed had issues.”
Leaving it at that, he offered no further explanation, instead shifting the topic: “How come you’re skilled in carp keeping? Who taught you?”
Keeping her head lowered, Jiang Zhuoying softly delivered the explanation she had prepared in her heart.
“This maid didn’t learn from anyone. I merely discovered by chance that I have a particular affinity for red carps, and can vaguely understand their intentions from their words and actions…”
The explanation was somewhat mystical, but having previously resided within a red carp herself, wasn’t that even more mystical?
Therefore, Jiang Zhuoying maintained a calm expression, gently narrating her story in a soft voice, regardless of whether the Second Prince truly believed her.
After all, if he didn’t ask, that would be the end of it. If he did ask, this would be her explanation.
The man did not press for further details, instead asking again, “Were you sent by Jiang Zheng’s daughter?”
Jiang Zhuoying was momentarily taken aback before lifting her head. “Indeed, this humble maid was sent by Miss Jiang to deliver gifts of gratitude.”
With her delicate oval face, cherry lips, upturned nose, and pallid complexion, such a rare beauty of a maid who also excelled at raising carp—how could such a coincidence exist in this world?
The man narrowed his eyes slightly. “What is your name?”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhuoying tightened the fists she had been clenching, her voice soft as she replied, “Your Highness, this humble maid is named Jiang Zhuo.”
“Jiang as in river, Zhuo as in scorching heat.”
At these words, even Chu Yixin, standing beside the desk, had a change in his expression.
Zhuo?
This girl’s appearance was far too coincidental. Not only his master, but even he couldn’t help but suspect something.
No wonder his master wanted to send her away quickly.
“Hmm, you may leave.”
Jiang Zhuoying heard the command but remained kneeling on the spot, making no move to depart.
“Miss Jiang?” Chu Yixin called to her.
Jiang Zhuoying suddenly bent forward, bowing deeply. “This humble maid… might I decline those rewards?”
“Decline the rewards?” the man repeated slowly, his tone slightly heavier. “Then what do you want?”
Jiang Zhuoying pressed her lips together, her fists suddenly clenching tight. “Your Highness, the Second Prince, being of noble imperial blood… if this humble maid ever faces danger in the future, I only wish that Your Highness might save my life.”
Upon hearing this, a strange glint flashed in Qi Fan’s dark, pond-like eyes.
The room fell into complete silence, with no one speaking for a moment. The clear, bitter scent of eaglewood seemed to grow stronger.
“What trouble have you gotten into?”
Jiang Zhuoying breathed a slight sigh of relief—things were developing exactly as she had hoped.
“Your Highness is wise. This humble maid was sent by Miss Jiang to deliver gifts of gratitude to the Second Prince, but…”
“But the most important piece among them, the jade carving of Carp Leaping Over Dragon’s Gate, has been shattered, and the other treasures have gone missing. This humble maid… dares not return.”
Hearing this, the man glanced sideways.
Chu Yixin immediately bowed and reported, “Master, this girl did bring many gifts of gratitude yesterday, but they were shattered right at the entrance.”
Jiang Zhuoying seized the opportunity to add, “This humble maid was too timid, trembling all over from fear of the guards at Your Highness’s gate. My fingers slipped, and I dropped those treasures to the ground.”
“It was all this humble maid’s fault, I am too useless…”
Both master and servant behind the desk turned their gaze toward her.
Jiang Zhuoying knelt on the floor, her Peach Blossom Eyes glistening with tears. From time to time, she lifted her hand to wipe them with her sleeve.
Not only did her face show sheer panic, but the circle of snow-white bandage around her neck was also particularly conspicuous.
The man seemed to finally take proper notice of the bandage. He frowned, recalling that when he saw her outside the gate yesterday, the young girl had been kneeling similarly on the ground.
But her neck hadn’t been marred by that eyesore back then.
The sharp gaze felt almost tangible, and Jiang Zhuoying naturally sensed it. As she wiped her tears, she seemed to accidentally brush against her neck…
The next moment, a soft, pained whimper broke the silence in the room.
The man remained silent for a beat before finally asking, “What happened to your neck?”
The young girl obediently softened her voice. “Your Highness, yesterday this humble maid… accidentally bumped into the guard’s blade…”
“It was entirely this humble maid’s fault. Your Highness must not blame the guard.”
If that guard’s blade had been just an inch off yesterday, she didn’t know if she would still be kneeling here now.
At the thought, she shuddered with lingering fear.
The words she had just spoken contained no outright deception—only… a carefully reframed delivery.
Chu Yixin swiftly leaned close to her master’s ear and reported in a hushed tone.
“Ahem, my lord, Xie Ling and Pei Yun were the ones guarding the entrance yesterday. Xie Ling has already informed this servant that they believed Miss Jiang was a spy sent by the Third Prince, deploying a honey trap…”
Author’s Note:
Our Ying Bao is an expert at playing the delicate, helpless maiden~[pitiful][pitiful][pitiful]