Yan Zhenying went to Mrs. Song’s room. “Aunt, did Big Sister just come back? She was walking so fast I called her, but she didn’t answer. I thought I was seeing things.”
Mrs. Song leaned on the table, looking troubled, and didn’t reply.
Yan Zhenying felt awkward.
Yan Ci came in wearing his official uniform. “Zi Gui is back?”
Mrs. Song looked at him with complaint. “What’s the use of coming back now? She has already returned to the palace.”
Yan Ci frowned. He didn’t know in advance; the servants had to inform him. He came as soon as he could but was still late.
Seeing Mrs. Song worried, he said, “She’s only been in the palace for a few days. If she can go out on her day off, it means someone is taking care of her there.”
“Can it be good?” Mrs. Song still complained. “She’s already a seventh-rank official in the Eastern Palace. Among our brothers, she’s the first to hold an official position.”
The couple’s conversation made Yan Zhenying uncomfortable. She bowed to Yan Ci and left.
On her way back, she felt sorry for herself. People said Mrs. Song treated her like a daughter, but she wasn’t really. When a real daughter returned, the difference was obvious. Mrs. Song would never worry about her the same way.
She thought of her mother who died early, her stepmother who ignored her, and her grandmother who only taught her to please the children of another branch. In this wide world, she had no one.
Yan Shide came after school to play with his second sister. Seeing her unhappy, he asked what was wrong. Yan Zhenying didn’t answer, but her maid said, “The eldest sister became a palace maid, but the second sister failed the exam last year. She feels inferior.”
“She didn’t pass by her own talent. The elder sister’s nanny came from the palace and probably gave her hints,” Yan Shide said casually to cheer her up. “Even if she memorized the answers our eldest brother gave her, she still couldn’t remember them. That would make her the real fool.”
Earlier, when Yan Zigu passed the palace exam, Yan Shiwen returned from the National Academy and suggested celebrating for Zigu. The three brothers, plus Ding Miaoshuang, drank tea and chatted in the garden. Yan Shixue realized the eldest sister was clever; he had wrongly thought she was uneducated because she grew up with grandparents.
Later, jokingly, the couple claimed the credit, which made Yan Shide misunderstand that Zigu had cheated to pass. His casual remark caused his brother some trouble.
After Yan Zhenying left, Mrs. Song silently cried. Yan Ci held her, and she cried on his chest. “I’m afraid the Noble Consort will use her. What should we do?”
Yan Ci comforted him, saying it wouldn’t happen.
“Something abnormal is going on. Her going to the Eastern Palace feels unusual,” Mrs. Song said, looking up. “You should write to our parents, ask them to return to the capital. Father can request the officials; they will agree.”
“Okay, I’ll write right away.”
The Noble Consort replaced the purple flowers in the hall with ordinary peonies. Zhou Hong didn’t understand. The Noble Consort explained, “The Crown Prince likes purple flowers, so we keep them in the Eastern Palace for him.”
“Why does the Second Brother like these girly things?” Zhou Hong said dismissively. “Mother Consort is his mother-in-law, yet he dares compete with her for flowers.”
“It would be embarrassing if told.”
“Enough. He’s your brother; don’t speak nonsense,” the Noble Consort scolded jokingly. “I didn’t think carefully. The Crown Prince doesn’t often walk around the Eastern Palace. He needs fresh flowers to entertain himself.”
She hoped that when the Emperor visited Yulu Hall, he would notice the change and understand her grievance. But Zhou Hong could already see the difference; the Emperor never mentioned it.
The Noble Consort wanted everyone to think she was the most favored in the harem, but often, the Emperor ignored her thoughts.
The Princess talked with her brother in the palace. She saw him looking at a painting and asked smiling, “Did the Emperor get another master’s artwork?”
“The Crown Prince painted it,” Zhou Yuanzai said. The painting showed a young couple smiling at a child, with peonies under the window.
“Is that you and Lan’er?” the Princess asked.
Zhou Yuanzai nodded. “He was only three. I waved to him, Lan’er waved to him. He always went to Lan’er, then returned to me, then back to her, and still looked back smiling at me. That little rascal did it on purpose.”
He recalled the past with a smile.
“The Crown Prince is clever to remember this at three,” the Princess said, looking at the painting. “The peonies are so lifelike.”
“He said purple flowers remind him of the ones often in the palace with Mother,” Zhou Yuanzai said, putting the painting away carefully. “Lan’er died seven years ago. I barely remember her face. The Crown Prince’s painting reminded me. They say married couples are close, but it’s just like this.”
“You don’t want to feel sad,” the Princess sighed. “Looking at Lan’er’s painting, I realize we are aging, but she is forever young.”
“You are not old, sister,” Zhou Yuanzai comforted her. “Your husband likes it very much.”
“Stop teasing me,” the Princess said. Her husband was three years younger; they were indeed loving.
Later, the siblings talked about Yan Zigu. Zhou Yuanzai laughed, asking if the Princess advised clever girls to become palace maids.
The Princess thought and realized, “I just said it casually, and she actually believed it.” She became curious and called Yan Zigu to see her.
Someone returned saying it was the palace maid’s day off. Yan Zigu hadn’t returned yet.
“The Crown Prince seems pleased with her,” the Princess laughed. “That’s partly my credit as her aunt.”
She watched if Lan Siyu had contact with her in the Eastern Palace. “If that boy notices her, the Emperor might arrange a marriage later. That would be a good thing.”
“Let her be,” Zhou Yuanzai said. “Choose another girl.”
The Princess hesitated. “Does the Emperor want to keep her for the Crown Prince?”
“Not yet, we’ll see.”
Because the Crown Prince was weak, he hadn’t trained palace maids. He wasn’t interested in the current girls. Last time Zhou Yuanzai saw Yan Zigu, she was lively and clever. If the Crown Prince liked her, keeping her as a junior consort was fine.
Yan Zigu didn’t know any of this. She chatted at the palace gate. The guards checked her large package. She said it was just clothes, no forbidden items.
The guards pressed it and confirmed there was nothing hard inside. She also offered food boxes.
“Thank you for your hard work guarding the gate,” she said.
“Master Yan is generous,” they said.
“It’s nothing. We help each other outside,” Yan Zigu said and carried her packages in.
At her residence, her roommates were away. She organized her things and returned to the Eastern Palace to resume work.
Qian Ming saw her and rolled his eyes. “You’re back, so I’ll leave. You take night duty tonight.”
“No problem,” Yan Zigu agreed. “But for future night duties, we need a schedule. Otherwise, it’s chaotic, and even His Highness wonders why it’s always me.”
“What do you mean?” Qian Ming was surprised by her firm tone.
“We are equals. If we can’t agree, we can ask Zhang Gonggong to be a referee. He can assign shifts fairly.”
Qian Ming knew she wanted a solution. “Fine, do as you like.”
“Since you agree, I’ll make the schedule. Everyone is responsible for their shift. I’ll also list all the areas a palace maid should manage, assigning responsibility clearly.”
“I came later. Whatever you say goes. If duties aren’t done later, it’s not my fault,” Qian Ming said, handing all chores to Yan Zigu.
Yan Zigu also assigned tasks to Cui Yun. Cui Yun thought Yan Zigu had become assertive but still got the short end.
“I’m not making it hard for you. When I leave, you’ll be in charge of many things. You’ll get promoted,” Yan Zigu said.
She planned to assign two junior maids to help, giving them a chance to stand out.
“I understand,” Cui Yun said.
“Don’t thank me. Thanks for not holding grudges and reminding me when Qian Ming opposed me. Most people in the palace are good,” Yan Zigu smiled.
She gave Cui Yun an agate ring and Yun Yan and Shan Lian a pair of agate earrings. Yun Yan had been her duet partner in the Imperial Garden.
Yan Zigu had chosen her own team in the Eastern Palace. She had good relations with Zhang and her own subordinates. She was a familiar face to the Crown Prince and was satisfied.
Two days later, she caught her roommate. “You asked me to find out, but you didn’t check yourself. Aren’t you afraid the effort was wasted?”
She leaned against the door, acting like a gatekeeper.