After waiting a long time, I went to collect the meal box, and a maid said, “Oh, the Qin Concubine has a new maid again.”
As soon as the words fell, I was surrounded…
I had already transformed into a maid with just passable features. Can’t you not stare at me like this? I smiled: “I should go back, or the supervisor will scold me.
The palace maids burst into laughter: “Who would be idle enough to scold the master of the Cold Palace? What’s your name?”
“Xiaohua.”
“That name sounds lowly. Xiaocao would be better.”
You call me Xiaocao, your name is lowly. I suppressed my eye roll and laughed: “Xiaohua needs to go back.”
“Hey.” The palace maids grabbed me, with an enigmatic expression, “Let us warn you, before you came, five palace maids had already died around Qin Fei, each died miserably. There are rumors that Qin Fei is a monster; be careful not to be eaten!”
I pretended to be scared and stammered: “Thank you, sisters.”
I shrugged, took the food box, and flipped through the manual. Besides the palace layout, positions, and personnel information, it didn’t mention anything about Qin Fei’s palace maids.
Returning to the Cold Palace, Qin Fei was still sitting by the window, staring blankly outside. I placed the meal and followed her gaze – the sunset was still there, the sky full of evening clouds, nothing special: “Your Highness, it’s time to eat.”
Qin Fei slowly stood up, walked to the table, and asked: “Xiaohua?”
“This servant is here.”
Qin Fei smiled softly: “The imperial palace is not good. If you can leave, it’s better to do so early.”
I glanced at her, her light smile incompatible with the palace’s murkiness. The manual said that three years ago, the emperor brought her, originally a commoner, into the palace. Later, she was not favored and, having offended the empress, was sent to the Cold Palace.
I looked up towards the window again, in the direction of the palace gates.
An unremarkable day passed.
Qin Fei was truly easy to serve, much better than other concubines I’d encountered. I checked the values in my palm – her desire to be reborn had not diminished but increased. It seems my mission can be completed smoothly in six days.
