How to manage these four maids bestowed by Consort Du—Yao Huang had her own plans. She told her parents and older brother to continue living as they had before. They certainly couldn’t live in their own home while reading the faces of a few maids.
After dinner, brilliant rosy clouds filled the sky’s edge. Yao Huang took A’Ji walking circles in the back courtyard to aid digestion.
A’Ji was only fourteen and couldn’t keep things to herself. Finally having the opportunity to be alone with Miss, she immediately asked the biggest question on her mind: “Miss, when you marry, will you leave me at home or take me with you to the prince’s residence?”
The Yao family had four servants total—she and her mother and sister made up three. Things like washing clothes, cooking, and cleaning rooms—her mother and elder sister did almost everything. Only she, from childhood, had been arranged by the mistress to stay at Miss’s side, wholeheartedly serving Miss.
If Miss married an ordinary person or even someone like Li Tingwang, a Captain’s son, A’Ji was confident she would be taken along. Now that Miss was to become a princess consort and had better maids at her side, A’Ji felt Miss would probably abandon her, this country girl, to avoid her clumsy mistakes bringing Miss shame at the prince’s residence.
Yao Huang smiled: “What about you—do you want to go to the prince’s residence?”
A’Ji’s eyes reddened: “I do, but I also don’t. I can’t bear to leave Miss, yet I’m afraid I haven’t learned palace rules and will make mistakes at the prince’s residence.”
Yao Huang: “There’s still a month until the grand wedding. Hua Mei and the others can teach you.”
The palace selection was for three princes. The Ministry of Rites had long since begun preparing the three weddings by imperial order, and auspicious dates had been calculated. Prince Hui’s was set for late April, Prince Qing’s for August, and Prince Kang, marrying for the second time, would complete his wedding in early December.
A’Ji said happily: “So I can go too?”
Yao Huang: “Of course. Those four from Hua Mei are all outsiders. Only you are of one heart with me. I’m still counting on you to watch them for me.”
A’Ji’s heart steadied: “Good! I promise not to let them steal a single needle or thread from Miss!”
Yao Huang wasn’t in a hurry to explain the true meaning of “watching.” She only emphasized: “No matter how well they’ve learned rules and etiquette, or what talents they possess that you lack, as long as you do well the tasks I assign you, you’ll forever be my head maid—no one can supplant you. What you need to do next is hold your head high before them and fully display a head maid’s authority. You can order them around, but they cannot order you. Don’t let them look down on you.”
Thinking of Hua Mei’s arrogance—even daring to manage Miss taking an afternoon nap—A’Ji said indignantly: “Miss, rest assured. I was intimidated by their manner before, so I yielded to them. In the future, if there’s another like Hua Mei, I’ll slap her first!”
What a joke! Miss had grown up this big without suffering any grievances. There was no reason she should become timid after being ennobled as a respected princess consort.
As the evening glow darkened and night enveloped everything, Yao Huang finally returned to the west wing.
The four from Hua Mei came out to greet her.
Yao Huang: “The kitchen is over there. There’s water left in the pot. Each of you fetch water to wash up. After tidying yourselves, rest early.”
Bai Ling, Chun Yan, and Qiu Chan didn’t dare make a sound. Hua Mei remained calm and composed, as if she had already forgotten the afternoon’s punishment, saying respectfully: “Let us servants first attend to Miss.”
Yao Huang looked toward A’Ji.
A’Ji’s momentum surged. She scolded Hua Mei: “It’s you again! Why so many words? When Miss tells you to do something, just do it. Don’t be long-winded!”
Hua Mei’s chest heaved. She glared at the half-worn cloth shoes on A’Ji’s feet for quite a while before gritting her teeth: “This servant knows her error. I’ll never dare again.”
She was indeed somewhat afraid of Yao Huang now—afraid that Yao Huang, coming from a small household and not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth, would punish her arbitrarily while in her own home.
Hua Mei decided to endure for now. Once Yao Huang married into the prince’s residence and entered the palace to pay respects to Her Ladyship, after receiving Her Ladyship’s lesson, she would use Her Ladyship’s authority to manipulate her.
Yao Huang seemed not to take her second offense to heart, smiling: “No matter. You’re just afraid of failing Her Ladyship’s instructions and are eager to serve me. It’s just that I’m not yet familiar with you all. Tomorrow morning, after I’ve separately questioned each of you, I’ll arrange tasks according to your strengths.”
Finishing, she went directly to the north room.
A’Ji went to the kitchen to fetch water, not giving the four palace maids a proper glance.
Hua Mei observed her completely different bearing from their afternoon interaction and said to Bai Ling in a low voice: “Obviously someone backed her up. Must we actually listen to a minor maid from now on?”
She was a second-rank palace maid of Yikun Palace! Noble young ladies attending flower banquets in the palace didn’t dare give her an attitude!
Consort Du’s meaning was clear—have her control Yao Huang and train Yao Huang into a Prince Hui’s consort who would obediently listen to Her Ladyship’s words.
Bai Ling was honest and dutiful, the diligent but clumsy type who didn’t win masters’ favor. So this time leaving the palace, she hadn’t received any secret orders from Consort Du.
Bai Ling didn’t dare defy the future princess consort, nor dare offend Hua Mei. When Hua Mei whispered to her, she mumbled for a long while not knowing how to answer.
Hua Mei: “…”
A’Ji returned carrying a copper kettle, passing by the four without a sideways glance.
In the north room, Yao Huang loosened her own hair. She first stood before the washing stand to rinse her mouth and wash her face, then sat at the edge of the heated platform using another copper basin to wash her feet.
A’Ji sat on a stool, cradling Miss’s fair and tender feet while rubbing them, saying quietly: “With Miss gone, I couldn’t even sleep well. When I went to find my mother, she snores when sleeping—it gave me a headache.”
No wonder elder sister’s complexion improved so much after marrying A’Gui—it was all from escaping Mother’s snoring.
Yao Huang smiled: “I missed you too.”
At age four, she had moved from her parents’ room to the west wing. First she shared a room with Qiao Niang, then after age seven it became A’Ji. Every night they had to talk a great deal before willing to sleep.
After Yao Huang lay in her bedding, A’Ji also quickly tidied herself. With one blow of the lamp, she expertly burrowed into the bedding beside Yao Huang, her almond eyes blinking as she looked at her own miss, saying quietly: “During the month-plus Miss was away, Young Master Li didn’t come to play with Young Master even once. This shows that coming so frequently before was all to see Miss.”
Elder sister had long said Li Tingwang liked their miss. She and Miss didn’t believe it, but unexpectedly elder sister had found proof.
In Yao Huang’s mind appeared Li Tingwang’s tall, upright figure and a playful face that could still grin foolishly after taking a stick from her.
If it were Yao Huang and she’d been hit by someone she detested, she’d be furious and hateful to death. For Li Tingwang to act that way—did he truly like her?
So what if he did? Yao Huang didn’t want to marry someone who spent all day finding ways to vex her.
“Never mind what he thinks. I’m marrying Prince Hui. From now on, in public and private, don’t mention him again. He’s just my older brother’s good friend.”
After a good night’s sleep, upon rising Yao Huang first accompanied her family for the meal.
After the meal, Yao Zhenhu rode one mule to the Eastern Great Camp. Yao Lin rode the other mule to the martial academy in the west of the city to study and practice martial arts. Luo Jinhua took Qiao Niang to the silk shop to buy her daughter several bolts of good fabric for making clothes to wear as everyday garments after marrying into the prince’s residence. Additionally, she needed to buy two presentable jewelry pieces for her daughter.
This was their family’s condition. Even digging up the burial goods from the Yao family ancestral graves wouldn’t gather a complete dowry befitting a princess consort’s status. The couple simply didn’t try to keep up false appearances—doing their best to buy more things for their daughter would suffice.
The four from Hua Mei stood in the courtyard awaiting Yao Huang’s orders.
But Yao Huang took A’Ji to the back courtyard. Shortly after, A’Ji came to the front courtyard, looked at the four women, and said to Chun Yan: “Miss is calling you over for questioning. Come with me.”