The first person had a graceful figure and beautiful features, wearing a water-pink cross-collar gauze jacket with a goose-yellow pleated skirt below. Her long hair was piled high, with a gold-inlaid jade hairpin in the center and pure gold tassels hanging on both sides. As she walked slowly, the golden pearl tassels swayed in the sunlight, creating dazzling brilliance that made the young lady appear even more dignified and graceful.
Qin Yining had met this person once before—she had seen her when accompanying the demon empress to Changchun Mountain. This was Li Yanyan, the youngest daughter of Duke Anguo.
The second person had a delicate figure and walked with willow-like grace. She had a powdered face with peach-colored cheeks and a pitiful expression. When she looked at people, her beautiful eyes first revealed three parts shyness, like an adorable little cat that inspired affection. Combined with her crimson plain brocade jacket, it further highlighted her long, snow-white neck and lustrous black hair—even the white jade ornaments in her hair seemed to lose their luster compared to her porcelain-white skin.
Qin Yining had never seen her before, but couldn’t help but secretly praise—this was truly a jade beauty refined by the waters of Jiangnan. Compared to her, Qin Yining felt like a rough man!
What Qin Yining didn’t know was how Li Yanyan and Gu Chang felt when they saw her with her hair loosely arranged, wearing only everyday clothes yet unable to conceal her beauty.
Li Yanyan approached first and bowed to Qin Yining: “Sister Qin, it’s been so long.”
“Sister Li.” Qin Yining returned the courtesy.
Li Yanyan sighed: “I’ve already heard about what happened to Sister Qin’s family. Please accept my condolences.”
“Thank you, sister.” Qin Yining only smiled politely in response.
Li Yanyan introduced: “This is Miss Gu, whose given name contains the character ‘Chang.’ Her grandfather is Imperial Tutor Master Gu.”
“So this is Miss Gu—how rude of me.” Qin Yining courteously bowed again.
Gu Chang said with apparent honor: “Sister, please don’t humble Chang’er so.”
Her eyes fell on the palm-sized white rabbit in Qin Yining’s arms. “Sister is naturally beautiful—even without adornment, you have a beauty that could topple cities. Seeing sister holding a little jade rabbit, I truly feel I’m unworthy of the name ‘Chang.'”
Qin Yining found this rather cloying. “Miss Gu speaks too highly. Names carry the expectations and blessings of elders. Miss Gu has the beauty of a celestial fairy—how could you be unworthy of the character ‘Chang’?”
Upon hearing this, Li Yanyan smiled.
She had met Gu Chang several times before and though they knew each other, they weren’t close, because she felt that Gu Chang appeared pitifully weak on the surface but was extremely affected inside. She didn’t like associating with people of such temperament. Now seeing Qin Yining immediately counter Gu Chang’s saccharine words to her face, Li Yanyan couldn’t help but feel secretly pleased.
As the three were talking, three nannies and a group of palace servants filed out from Yucui Palace.
The leading nanny was in her early forties, plump and white, like a large steamed bun with a painted smile. The two nannies behind her were clearly of lower rank based on their clothing.
Nanny Zhan took the opportunity while supporting Qin Yining to whisper in her ear: “The leading one is His Majesty’s wet nurse, Nanny Jiao. The other two are palace nannies who teach etiquette.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Yining imperceptibly nodded.
When they approached, Qin Yining forced herself to smile and bow despite her fatigue: “This young woman greets the nannies.”
Li Yanyan and Gu Chang also bowed.
But before Qin Yining could complete her bow, the plump Nanny Jiao supported her: “We dare not receive Miss’s courtesy.”
Nanny Jiao instead performed a deep bow to Qin Yining: “This slave is the Jiao family, here on His Majesty’s orders to serve Miss.”
Clearly, Nanny Jiao’s courtesy shocked everyone present. Everyone there was shrewd—how could they not understand what this represented?
For His Majesty to send his own wet nurse to personally serve a maiden entering the palace for selection—even though their country’s current situation was unusual and the selection process had been severely shortened—selection was still selection. His Majesty’s intentions with this gesture were utterly transparent.
Li Yanyan’s gaze became somewhat complex.
Gu Chang lowered her eyes and bit her lower lip.
The other two nannies also bowed to Li Yanyan and Gu Chang, then each led their temporary mistresses into Yucui Palace for accommodations.
Nanny Zhan, who was only responsible for accompanying and escorting, could now only bow and withdraw.
Who knew what His Majesty was truly thinking—he had specifically ordered that Qin Yining be arranged in the main hall of Yucui Palace, while the other two were placed in the east and west side halls.
Upon reaching the hall, Nanny Jiao led two palace maids and two eunuchs to solemnly bow to Qin Yining.
“We slaves pay our respects to Miss.”
Qin Yining, holding the little rabbit, sat in the seat of honor and received their courtesy, then personally helped Nanny Jiao to her feet.
“Nanny, please don’t be so formal.”
“Miss absolutely mustn’t do this. When this slave came, His Majesty told this slave to serve Miss well. This slave has never seen His Majesty arrange things for anyone else, nor seen His Majesty care so much about any woman—not even Noble Consort Shu. Therefore, this slave knows that in our Emperor’s heart, there is only you. Those other two are merely going through the motions to receive consort positions. You are the future Empress!”
At this point, Nanny Jiao smiled as she bowed: “This slave congratulates Miss here and now.”
The four palace servants also bowed: “Congratulations Miss, felicitations Miss.”
“I lack talent and virtue—how could I bear such honor? Nanny, please don’t speak so.” Qin Yining instructed them all to rise.
Nanny Jiao pointed to the two palace maids: “These are Xingyu and Fuxue, who previously served tea in Yangxin Hall. His Majesty specifically assigned them to serve Miss.”
The two young palace maids immediately kowtowed to Qin Yining.
Nanny Jiao then pointed to the two young eunuchs, only twelve or thirteen years old: “These are Little Yangzi and Little Ningzi. Both are disciples of Eunuch Lu, also specifically assigned by His Majesty to serve Miss.”
“We slaves pay our respects to Miss.” Xingyu, Fuxue, Little Yangzi, and Little Ningzi all bowed to Qin Yining once more.
“Enough, all of you rise.”
With each explanation from Nanny Jiao, Qin Yining’s head ached more. Whether it was due to her irritable and resistant mood or her fever symptoms worsening, she now felt extremely impatient. Yet she couldn’t bear to make things difficult for these people who could only obey orders, so she simply said: “I’m somewhat tired and would like to rest for a while.”
“Yes, the bedchamber has been properly arranged. Eunuch Lu has already gone to summon the imperial physician, who will be able to treat Miss shortly.”
Xingyu and Fuxue supported Qin Yining on either side as she entered the room.
Nanny Jiao directed Little Yangzi and Little Ningzi to attend to their tasks.
Xingyu originally wanted to help Qin Yining change clothes, but Qin Yining considered that this wasn’t her own home and there might inevitably be social obligations. Being too comfortable in her dress would be improper, so she declined. She lay down fully clothed on the beauty couch by the window, placed the well-behaved Er’Bai on her stomach, and gently stroked Er’Bai’s head with her uninjured hand.
Fuxue brought a thin blanket to cover her. Whether from weakness or genuine fatigue, Qin Yining’s movements gradually slowed, and she dozed off in a daze.
She didn’t know how long she had slept when she suddenly felt that a wild beast was staring at her!
Qin Yining’s instincts, honed from years in the mountains, couldn’t be lost. She immediately awakened with a start, only to see an enlarged face before her eyes.
Startled, Qin Yining quickly pushed the person away, but forgetting that she habitually used her right hand and that her right shoulder was still injured, she pushed the large man so hard that he fell backward. Her shoulder wound also reopened, causing her to immediately hiss in pain. Her drowsiness completely vanished, and blood gradually seeped through the light azure fabric on her shoulder.
Eunuch Lu helped the fallen Emperor to his feet.
The guards behind loudly rebuked: “How dare you!”
Yuchi Yan was somewhat disheveled, but seeing the bloodstain on Qin Yining’s shoulder, his face immediately went white with shock. He turned and angrily said: “You are the ones who dare!”