Courtyard Ye, also known as Yong Xiang was a side-accommodation inside the palace. It was where all palace maids lived.
And I, Yue Qing Ying, was the most ordinary and unassuming maid in the imperial palace of Tian Dynasty. I entered the palace when I was 16 years old, and now, 5 years had passed. So far, I had lived an entirely quiet life here. My entire existence had been like a calm lake that had no ripples.
What happened last night completely destroyed that.
With a sense of anxiety, I made my way to the courtyard. So many maids had already gathered there, chatting amongst themselves, and standing facing the crowd up in front was Eunuch Yu.
Standing next to him was a female official from Courtyard Ye, Yao Ying Xue. We usually called her ‘Gugu’, but the truth was she was one year younger than me. She entered the palace early, was beautiful, smart and quite wealthy, so in the end, she was like fish that got water. She was highly praised and was entrusted to manage Courtyard Ye, despite her young age.
*(TN: Gugu = Aunt.)
I paled even further upon seeing the two of them.
When Yu Er saw me, she pulled me over and whispered, “Why took you so long? You might get punished.”
I forced myself to smile at her while my heart sank.
It was not that I walked slowly, but my tardiness was entirely due to the debilitating pain in the lower part of my body that still hadn’t subsided. Each step I took pained me greatly. It was a kind of pain that I could not describe. I slowly looked up and saw Eunuch Yu taking a step forward. He regarded us in the way a higher being condescended upon lower ones. His eyes shone shrewdly causing others to sweat profusely.
My heart beat faster.
Eunuch Yu cleared his throat and all conversation immediately died down. “Yesterday was the Crown Prince’s wedding. Everyone had worked hard!”
Everyone remained quiet.
“However, there are certain people who played truant. Normally, I would not have said anything, but if something big happened, it would not be easy for it to be forgotten.”
When I heard that, my heart felt as though it was going to jump out.
However, he suddenly changed his tune and said, “However, His Majesty was magnanimous and generous and rewarded everyone. All of you should be grateful. His Majesty’s reward is a bountiful blessing!”
…
Turned out, he was here to reward us.
My heart gradually calmed down and my blood seemed to flow again.
The people surrounding me suddenly became lively.
Everyone stepped forward to receive their reward. The reward was two strings of copper coins each. Once my turn came, I stepped forward and said, “Thanking His Majesty for his grace.”
After receiving my reward, I turned around and walked away. Then Eunuch Yu said, “There is one more thing. Yesterday, there were some maids from Courtyard Ye whom were not on duty and did not go to the Great Hall. Did any of the off-duty maids somehow encounter the Third Highness last night?”
Clink—
Just as Eunuch Yu finished talking, a loud sound surprised everyone. Everyone looked at me.
I stood there at a loss, with copper coins scattering around my feet.
