Seeing Bai Yu’s tearful, damp-eyed face, Ling Jingshu herself felt a pang inside, and said quietly in comfort, “Bai Yu, do not overthink things. Since we are here, we must make the best of it. Whatever others can do, I can do the same.”
Bai Yu wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve and forced a smile. “Miss is right — just now this servant was only letting her mind run away with itself.”
Her mistress already had enough hardship serving in her duties; she absolutely must not let her mistress worry over her and lose focus.
The two of them had been together for many years, and Ling Jingshu knew Bai Yu’s nature better than anyone. Seeing her force a smile, Ling Jingshu felt all the more tender-hearted within. Yet she kept her voice deliberately light and cheerful. “By the way — guess what duty I have been assigned.”
Bai Yu rallied her spirits. “Is it tending to hair and clothing?”
Ling Jingshu deliberately teased Bai Yu with a helpless sigh. “The ones who tend to my hair and clothing are you — I have never done such things myself. Fortunately, Her Majesty the Empress did not make things difficult for me; otherwise, I would have declined even at the risk of a punishment. I cannot very well let Her Majesty go out to receive people with a lopsided, crooked hair arrangement!”
Bai Yu burst out laughing despite herself.
Just then, Qiao Yun walked in carrying the food box.
Ling Jingshu smiled and called out to her. “Qiao Yun, come sit down as well — I have something important to announce.”
In the palace, the three of them — mistress and maids — had grown to rely on one another with something of a kindred spirit. The distance between Qiao Yun and Ling Jingshu had also closed considerably. Hearing this, Qiao Yun did not hesitate with false modesty, but answered briskly and sat down.
Ling Jingshu recounted everything that had just happened in detail. “…Starting tomorrow, I will officially take up my duties.”
Tending to plants and flowers — now that was a light and leisurely assignment indeed.
Bai Yu was overjoyed to hear it. “This duty does suit Miss perfectly. Back in Dingzhou, Miss always loved tending to plants and flowers most of all — especially growing peonies.”
“Bai Yu, serving in one’s duties and growing flowers at home are entirely different things,” Qiao Yun remarked with considerable levelheadedness. “At home, it made no difference whether the flowers grew well or poorly. If a plant withered and died, it could simply be discarded. Every single plant in Jiaofang Palace, however, has been chosen and arranged according to Her Majesty the Empress’s preferences. There can be no mistakes.”
Ling Jingshu gave a nod. “Qiao Yun is right. I will carry out my duties with care.”
Empress Xu was watching closely with keen eyes, waiting for her to err — she could not afford the slightest carelessness or negligence.
Seeing Ling Jingshu respond with such careful gravity, Qiao Yun quietly breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
Her mistress was the one with standing, and yet she could take in the counsel of the maids around her, and always kept those by her side in her heart. That was truly a rare thing!
……
The following morning.
Ling Jingshu dressed in a set of green palace robes, combed her hair into a simple, neat style, and left her face without any powder or rouge. She regarded herself in the bronze mirror, and was quite satisfied with the fresh and unadorned reflection looking back at her.
To dress in full splendor and vie for the most striking appearance would be a deliberate affront to Empress Xu’s eyes — and an invitation of trouble upon herself. Not one of the female officials in Jiaofang Palace was a lamp that burned without oil either.
Even Bai Yu said quietly, “Miss has only just arrived. It is better to keep a low profile in speech and conduct for now.”
Ling Jingshu smiled and gave a soft hum of agreement. “The two of you should also endure a little inconvenience for a few days — stay in the room. Once we have a clearer sense of how things stand within Jiaofang Palace, there will be time enough to go about.”
Empress Xu had already shown her exceptional favor by allowing her to bring personal maids into the palace. For Ling Jingshu to march around everywhere with her maids the very day she arrived would be far too conspicuous and presumptuous.
Bai Yu and Qiao Yun both nodded their assent together.
Ling Jingshu went to Luo Yan’s room.
She knocked on the door and waited a short while before Luo Yan opened it, saying without warmth, “You are early.” Hmph — rushing over to collect her duties and her people, is she!
Ling Jingshu acted as though she had heard nothing amiss in those words, and replied with a pleasant smile, “Thank you for the trouble, Sister Luo Yan.”
One does not strike a smiling face with one’s fist!
No matter how displeased Luo Yan was within, she dared not make difficulties openly, and answered with a skin-deep smile. With great reluctance, she led Ling Jingshu to the place where the duties were carried out.
Each morning, Empress Xu waited in the main hall to receive the various consorts who came to pay their respects. After the consorts departed, the head eunuch and the female officials of Jiaofang Palace would go in one by one to report the day’s minor matters.
Jiaofang Palace housed many maids, and each female official had a sizable number of people under her command. The room where the female officials assembled their staff and distributed duties was located not far from their quarters.
……
More than ten maids stood in two rows, perfectly aligned, listening to Luo Yan’s instructions.
The maids kept their eyes forward, though the corners of their gazes stole furtive, uneasy glances at Ling Jingshu, who stood to one side with a quiet smile.
The palace was the fastest place in the world for news to travel. Ling Jingshu had entered Jiaofang Palace the day before, and within half a day the word had spread throughout the entire compound.
Now Ling Jingshu had come with Luo Yan — it was plain she was here to take over Luo Yan’s duties…
“This is the newly arrived Female Official Ling. From this day forward, all the potted plants and flowers within Jiaofang Palace will fall under Female Official Ling’s supervision.”
With that, Luo Yan pointed out a few maids and then turned to Ling Jingshu. “These are the ones who have been tending to the plants and flowers on a daily basis. Now that you have taken on this duty, it is only right that these maids report to you. Whatever needs to be done each day — ask them.”
There had been eighteen maids in all. Luo Yan had selected only six to hand over; she kept the remaining twelve and led them away.
The six maids bowed together. “We pay our respects to Female Official Ling.”
Female Official Ling! What a novelty, this form of address.
Ling Jingshu offered a gentle smile. “We will be seeing one another every day from now on — there is no need to be so formal.” Then, one by one, she asked for the maids’ names and ages.
The oldest of the six was around twenty-four or twenty-five; the youngest was sixteen or seventeen. Most were ordinary-looking, with the exception of one who was bright-eyed and pretty, and whose tongue was the quickest of them all — her name was Hong Mei.
Ling Jingshu wore a pleasant expression throughout, her voice soft and gentle, and she had all the appearance of an even-tempered person.
Hong Mei’s mind was quick and her boldness the greatest of the group. After a few exchanges, she shifted her direction. “Female Official Ling, there is something you may not yet know. In fact, the total number of maids originally assigned to tend the plants and flowers was nine. But Luo Yan Female Official only selected six of us — the three she kept back are actually the most skilled at growing flowers. With three fewer people, I am afraid we will be stretched too thin to manage everything. Female Official Ling really ought to go and have words with Luo Yan Female Official about this — otherwise, you will be the one taking a loss right before your very eyes…”
The smile on Ling Jingshu’s face faded. She fixed her gaze on Hong Mei, and there was an unmistakable coldness in her eyes.
Hong Mei’s heart gave a sudden lurch, and her voice died away on the spot.
“Your name is Hong Mei?” Ling Jingshu asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hong Mei forced a smile. “Yes, I…”
“How old are you? How many years have you been in the palace?”
“I am eighteen, and I have been in the palace for four years.”
Ling Jingshu’s expression remained composed, but her tone grew steadily colder. “You have been in the palace four years — where did all the palace rules go? Did you learn nothing in those four years but how to stir up trouble and sow discord with your words? Are you deliberately saying such things because you want to see me and Sister Luo Yan squabble over some trifling matter?”
The rapid-fire rebuke made Hong Mei break out in a cold sweat, and she dropped to her knees with a thud.
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