“Mother, may I rename them?”
Ji Shuyou nodded casually.
These two had been given their names following the tradition of the third-rank maidservants. Now that they were going to serve her daughter closely, it made sense to give them new names.
“Of course. They will belong to you from now on, so their names should suit your preference.”
Doukou and Qingtai were delighted. First-rank maids in the Prince’s Mansion were usually given names following the Princess Consort’s style, mostly with plant or flower motifs—like Furong, Qiangwei, Shaoyao, and Moli.
For the matriarch, her maids were named Mingxiang, Mingyan, Mingcha, Minglu.
Other second-rank maids had names like Tengluo, Bohan, Baxiang, Fangcao. Apart from the older maids serving the matriarch, most first-rank or more prominent maids had double-character plant-themed names.
Each batch of maids and attendants tended to have similar naming patterns. For this batch of young girls assigned to the county princess as companions, their names were Doukou, Qingtai, Lingjiao, and Huixiang.
This was the Princess Consort’s habit, but now that the girls would serve the young mistress, it was natural to give them new names.
Shen Yunshu tilted her head, thought for a moment, and carefully looked at the two girls. She climbed down from the couch and approached Qingtai first.
“I’m not as elegant and refined as Mother; I don’t favor flowers and plants. But you two are so lovely, you deserve names with good meaning.”
Looking at the delicate and poised Qingtai, she said, “Linlang—like fine jade. From now on, you will no longer be the moss underfoot, but a beautiful jade on the platform.”
Linlang’s heart leapt. The county princess had given her such a beautiful name. She hurriedly knelt and bowed.
“Thank you, County Princess, for the name!”
Shen Yunshu then turned to Doukou, observing her small, round face and big blinking eyes. Suddenly, the words linglong ke’ai—“exquisite and adorable”—sprang to mind.
“You are so adorable, so I shall call you Linglong!”
“Thank you, County Princess, for the name Linglong!”
Linglong’s eyes curved in a joyful smile. The county princess had a small appetite, but she always shared treats with Linglong. She loved the county princess dearly!
The matriarch, Shen Laofuren, smiled and teased gently: “Such meaningful names! Much fancier than the usual string of flowers and plants in our mansion. You say you like to be low-key, yet not a single thing you do is low-profile! Even the maids’ names are so grand!”
Ji Shuyou hesitated for a moment.
Shen Laofuren noticed and reassured her: “There’s nothing to worry about. The current Emperor is wise, and our family being overly modest would be a problem. Forget about Zhen’s friendship with the Emperor. Huaiwen and Huaijin are with the Crown Prince; Shuer is friends with Princess Le’an. The Emperor’s intentions are clear. Pretending to avoid attention now is meaningless. Does she think anyone can’t tell?”
She knew that giving Linlang and Linglong such prominent names, even containing the character “Wang,” would normally be unusual—typically reserved for maids of noble households. But Yunshu had been personally honored by the Emperor at her first-birthday ceremony, so accepting these names was fitting. After all, such favor aligned with the Shen family’s accomplishments.
Linlang and Linglong were thrilled to have caught the young mistress’s attention. Shen Yunshu was equally happy to have her personal maids—her own people to make life easier in the future.
For some reason, she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness toward these two young girls. Were they perhaps familiar from a past life?
As the lady of the mansion, Ji Shuyou had business to attend to and soon left. Shen Yunshu stayed with her grandmother for a short while longer at Heji Hall, then returned to her own courtyard to let the elders rest.
..
The next day.
‘Tadadada’—the sound of horse hooves echoed along the road in the outskirts of the capital. Linglong lifted the gauze curtain of the carriage and checked the sky.
“We’re almost there. Are you still feeling hot, County Princess? Shall I pour a little more water?”
Although riding in the carriage, the heat was oppressive. Linglong worried her mistress might suffer from the sun and frequently reminded Shen Yunshu to drink water.
“Linglong, don’t worry. I’m fine. Luckily, Qinghua Temple isn’t too far—just half a day’s journey. Otherwise, if you gave me so much water and there’s nowhere to change, it would be a real embarrassment.”
Shen Yunshu set down the book she had been idly reading and reclined on the carriage’s specially designed beauty couch. Her elbow rested on a Yun brocade pillow as she propped up her delicate chin, teasing Linglong.
Linlang giggled. “County Princess, please don’t mind Linglong. It’s her first time going out; she’s just nervous.”
Linglong, flustered, grabbed Linlang by the waist playfully. “You’ve been out before! Why are you teasing me? I’m just worried the County Princess will get too hot. It’s so sweltering—what if she can’t handle it?”
Linlang laughed uncontrollably. “Alright, Linglong, I was just teasing. If you keep messing around, be careful you don’t roll out of the carriage!”
She patted Linglong’s hand away, then reached into the bottom of a golden nanmu cabinet to pour a small cup of mung bean water for her.
“Here, you were hotter than anyone else. Drink this to cool down. If you overheat and faint, it would inconvenience the County Princess.”
Linglong drank it all in one gulp. The cool water relieved her anxiety.
After all, it was their first time traveling a bit farther, and excitement had left her dry-mouthed.
Fortunately, the County Princess always treated her maids well, especially the personal attendants. They had everything they needed in the mansion and were never mistreated. Even during travel, the princess allowed them their own tea cups. She never constrained their playful antics.
The wet nurses and young servants often said that only through eight lifetimes of merit could they serve in the Zhenbei Prince’s Mansion. Personal attendants for the county princess, like Linlang and Linglong, were even more fortunate.
Linglong agreed. County Princess Yunshu wasn’t one to act haughty. She didn’t treat them like mere maids but more like childhood companions.
Shen Yunshu didn’t mind their excitement—they were still little girls.
Though she had been outside before, it was always with her parents. Her personal maids, being young themselves, had rarely left the Zhenbei Prince’s Mansion.
This time, even if Qinghua Temple wasn’t far, it was still on the outskirts of the imperial capital—a rare trip farther afield. Some nervous excitement was only natural.