Ci’er had kept that notebook pressed under her pillow for half a month.
The streets and alleys around Taiping Bridge had also been fully surrounded by soldiers for half a month.
The neighborhood head led his men to search door-to-door, questioning over a hundred households one by one.
Ultimately, they filtered out three men who had acted suspiciously on New Year’s Eve.
The first two were homeless drifters commonly seen around the area who loved to loiter on the streets.
They were quickly ruled out.
That left only a peddler who roamed the streets and alleys.
On the night of the crime, someone saw him running back to his shack with disheveled hair.
By early the next morning, he had disappeared, not even taking his carrying pole with goods.
Neighbors said this peddler had just moved in half a month prior and never spoke to anyone.
What baffled them more was how he managed to vanish into thin air when the soldiers had the outside surrounded as tight as an iron barrel.
Xie Yunjin dispatched men to pursue the suspect at various city gates and ferry crossings.
However, as it was the end of the year, the garrison troops were lax, and travel permits were not strictly checked, leaving them with absolutely no leads for the time being.
The siege troops withdrew, but the Hidden Posts did not.
The commoners of Luojing City said nothing, but their hearts were suspended in anxiety, constantly feeling that this matter was far from over.
In the blink of an eye, it was the seventeenth day of the first lunar month in the Seventh Year of Yongxing—the day of the maid selection at the Prince Mansion.
Before dawn, the maid selection office bustled with activity.
The girls were frantically busy washing up, changing clothes, and applying makeup.
Aunt Cui led two older female servants to inspect each room one by one.
“Move faster, don’t dawdle!
Today is a big day!”
Ci’er pushed open the window.
The morning mist had yet to disperse, and the wind carried a faint floral scent.
Overnight, the old apricot tree in the maid selection office had bloomed with a canopy of flower buds.
The interwoven pink and white added a touch of fresh elegance to the gloomy courtyard that had been lingering in the shadow of the recent murder.
“Miss!” A Tao ran in.
“Aunt Cui just sent word.
The ox carts heading to the Prince Mansion have arrived outside.
Hurry up and pack, we are setting off.”
Ci’er responded and sat down before the vanity.
The copper mirror reflected her face, her features docile and harmless.
She picked up the lipstick, lightly dabbed it on her lips, and pressed them together.
Then, she took out the pair of pearl earrings Xie Yunjin had given her and slowly put them on.
“You look so beautiful, Miss,” A Tao praised sincerely from the side.
Ci’er smiled, stood up, and straightened the hem of her clothes.
“Let’s go.”
Under the spring morning light, about twenty Maid candidates gathered together.
Every single one had drawn their brows and painted their eyes, wearing their absolute best clothes.
They looked at each other, terrified of being outshone.
Ci’er wore a light, soft spring shirt, adorned with that beaded hairpin.
She struck a perfect balance of plain elegance and charming allure.
Neither too heavy nor too light, she didn’t seem to compete for attention, yet her clear beauty was striking, forming a unique grace of her own.
Aunt Cui walked over from the corridor, her gaze doing a lap around Ci’er’s face before she nodded in satisfaction.
“Alright, don’t just stand there in a daze.
Get on the carts.”
The ox carts departed from the maid selection office, traversing Vermilion Bird Street, the most bustling thoroughfare in Luojing, and headed toward the Nine-Bestowments Royal Mansion.
Ms.
Cui stepped off the cart first, with Ci’er following behind.
Looking up, the vermilion-painted mansion doors were so high one couldn’t see the top, and the gilded roof tiles gleamed with a cold light, like the open maw of a giant beast.
The Maid candidates formed two lines and walked toward the side gate, their steps so tiny and cautious as if they were afraid of crushing an ant.
“Be careful, all of you,” Ms.
Cui lowered her voice.
“Once you enter this gate, you must abide by the rules of the Prince Mansion.
If you can catch the eye of a noble, it will be your good fortune.
But if you make a mistake, no one will cry foul on your behalf…”
The girls chimed in unison to voice their compliance.
Ms.
Huanfang Pavilion was located in the inner courtyard of the Prince Mansion, exclusively used for the female family members’ banquets.
Guests had also arrived for today’s selection.
Several noble ladies from the Capital who were well-acquainted with the Prince Mansion had received invitations from Consort Liu and came to join the fun.
Several older female servants stood at the door with solemn expressions, their sharp gazes sweeping back and forth over the Maids.
“The Xie Residence’s status is not like that of ordinary families.
Selecting a Maid requires rigorous picking and layers of testing.
Since you can stand here, your appearances, temperaments, and skills are naturally top-notch.
But today, the concubine and the Young Master are personally overseeing the event.
Whether you can stay…
will depend on your true abilities.”
The Young Master had also come?
The girls immediately grew tense.
Some tightly gripped their handkerchiefs, some quietly straightened their collars, and some pursed their lips to even out their lipstick.
The expressions on their faces didn’t look like they were here to be servants; they looked more like they were here to be brides.
Obviously, every Maid candidate had received Aunt Cui’s “pointers” and was well aware of the true purpose behind this selection.
Ci’er slightly lowered her eyes, her peripheral vision sweeping into the pavilion.
Liu Tingyue sat at the head seat, wearing a purplish-red jacket and skirt, adorned with a gold inlaid jade hairpin.
She exuded the composed bearing of a Family Head’s wife.
Looking at her features, she was worlds apart from the cautious and timid Prince’s concubine of the past.
Truly, power nurtured a person.
Xie Chen sat at a prominently elevated seat beside Liu Tingyue.
Dressed in a jade-white brocade robe, he was handsome and aloof.
A cup of tea by his hand had already gone completely cold, yet he hadn’t touched it.
He just sat there, as if a barrier surrounded him, shutting everyone else out.
Ci’er only took one glance before retracting her gaze.
This Young Master still had the same old virtue.
Sitting amidst a crowd, he was like an ice sculpture dug out from a snowy mountain, giving off an aura that screamed strangers should keep away—and acquaintances should keep away, too.
“Next, Shen Ci’er.”
Shortly after.
Ci’er smoothed out her clothes and walked in with her head bowed.
From the threshold to the center of the hall, it was twelve steps.
She could feel the gazes landing on her—sizing her up, scrutinizing her, picking her apart.
She took them all in stride, not a single muscle in her face twitching.
“I am the Maid Shen Ci’er.
Greetings to the concubine, the Young Master, and the mesdames.”
Liu Tingyue did not immediately tell her to rise.
She looked at the birth chart in her hand, her brows twitching slightly.
The year of Guihai, the thirtieth day of the tenth month, at midnight…
This was a dark day.
Not only did it signify a Pure Yin Water Destiny, but there was also a saying calling it the “Nine Yin Gathering Evil.” Among all the Maids participating in the selection this year, this birth chart was by far the most inauspiciously yin.
Liu Tingyue inspected Ci’er all the way from the crown of her head down to the tips of her shoes.
“Raise your head.”
Ci’er did as she was told.
Liu Tingyue looked at her for a moment, then waved her hand indifferently, signaling for the examination to begin.
Ci’er washed her hands.
As she took tea leaves from the canister, her fingertips paused on them.
This was this year’s new tea.
Unfortunately, it had not been stored well and had grown damp; once brewed, its fragrance would be muddy.
She remained silent, taking ten percent more tea leaves than usual.
She poured boiling water over them from a high angle, using the intense heat to suppress the dampness.
Soon, the tea soup entered the cups, and a delicate fragrance curled through the air.
The drifting steam framed her like a fairy floating out of the misty rain, making her look increasingly stunning.
The first cup of tea was offered to Liu Tingyue. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“Please enjoy the tea, concubine.”
Liu Tingyue raised her chin, having her Maid take it.
She didn’t speak, but a lady seated at the banquet suddenly spoke up, “Oh my, this young lady looks rather familiar.”
This was the wife of the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Lady Li.
She interacted closely with Liu Tingyue.
Every few days, they would make plans to admire flowers, listen to operas, or drink tea.
On the surface, they flattered each other, but in secret, they constantly competed, each harboring her own schemes.
Liu Tingyue glanced at her.
“Why do you say that, Lady Li?”
Lady Li wore a smile, her gaze lingering non-stop on Ci’er’s face.
“Don’t you think so, Your Highness?
The charm between this young lady’s brows and eyes holds an indescribable resemblance to Zhaozhao of the Wei family from years past.”
The pavilion instantly fell dead silent.
The Wei family!
That Wei family—where a woman served as the head of the family, possessing immense wealth, only to be bizarrely wiped out overnight—once had a reputation that echoed throughout the world.
And the legitimate daughter of the Wei family, Wei Yinzhao, was not only exceptionally beautiful but had also became renowned throughout the Capital City by threatening to “marry” the Princely Heir as her husband.
Everyone’s gazes simultaneously fell on Xie Chen.
His long eyelashes drooped slightly, quietly concealing the emotions in his eyes, his handsome features making it impossible for anyone to look away.
Liu Tingyue pursed the corners of her lips, her voice unhurried.
“Lady Li, you must have remembered wrong.
Zhaozhao of the Wei family passed away five years ago.
We can’t go around recognizing people recklessly.”
Though she said this, her gaze toward Ci’er sharpened significantly.
The face didn’t match.
The age didn’t match either.
But the bone structure and aura really did bear a slight resemblance.
“Your name is Shen Ci’er?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Where in Lingchuan are you from?
Do you still have family or relatives?”
“To answer Your Highness, I grew up in the South Market of Lingchuan Prefecture City.
My father was a castrator, making a living by castrating the neighbors’ livestock.
Later, both my parents passed away.
My uncles exploited our family line’s end, swallowed our property, and ruthlessly sold me off for cheap.
Fortunately, Your Highness is benevolent and widely recruited female servants.
Only then did I have the opportunity to enter the Prince Mansion to serve.”
Ci’er knew well that Liu Tingyue was probing her.
She smoothly recited the fabricated background she had memorized by heart, taking the opportunity to flatter Liu Tingyue along the way.
It sounded as if she were speaking from the very bottom of her heart.
Several ladies at the banquet exchanged glances.
Some covered their mouths and noses with their handkerchiefs.
Liu Tingyue stared at her face and nodded faintly.
“Lingchuan’s Cloud Mist tea is the most renowned.
Do you know its secrets?”
“Cloud Mist tea must be picked before the morning dew dries.
The buds and leaves must be slender and uniform, with a prominent downy fragrance.
It must go through withering, roasting, rolling, and drying, and must not be touched by iron implements throughout the entire process.”
“A girl from a castrator’s family understands these elegant matters?”
“To answer Your Highness, my maternal grandfather’s family used to be tea merchants.
They later fell into decline, which is why my mother married my father.”
Liu Tingyue pressed further, “Do you know which gods must be paid respects to when Lingchuan’s new tea hits the market?”
“When the new tea hits the market, one must pay respects to the two gods of the mountains and waters at Meiwu.”
“How are they respected?”
Ci’er thought for a moment and said earnestly, “On the night before the market opens, the Chief must bring four types of water—Clear and Bright rain, Dragon Boat Festival spring water, Midsummer stream water, and Autumn dew—up the mountain to offer sacrifices.
However, this is all ancient history.
Since I can remember, tea farmers have long abandoned this practice.
They believe more in Mei Xianfu.
Every year, when the first batch of tea is harvested, they first splash three cups into the plum grove.
Everyone says Mei Xianfu is a glutton who needs to be coaxed.
If she is coaxed into a good mood, the year will bring favorable weather.”
Liu Tingyue’s expression eased slightly, and she raised her hand.
“Rise.
I was merely asking casually.”
“Yes.”
Ci’er remained submissive with lowered eyes, picking up the second cup of tea and walking toward Xie Chen.
He lifted his eyes to look at her.
His familiar gaze was aloof and calm, yet it felt as if it wanted to carve out the rebellious bone hidden beneath her tame exterior and see through the purpose of her trip.
Ci’er’s heart tightened slightly.
“Young Master, please have some tea.”
She knew everyone was watching her, yet she still chose to take a risk.
As she handed over the tea, she made her hand tremble, causing the cup to tilt slightly downward—