All the turmoil happening outside was something Ling Jingshu, confined within the Imperial Prison, naturally knew nothing about.
That morning, after rising and finishing her simple wash and grooming, Bai Yu suddenly said, “Miss, today is the twelfth day of the sixth month.”
Ling Jingshu startled.
It was already the twelfth of June? Without even realizing it, she had been in the Imperial Prison for nearly two months.
“In years past at this time, I could still make a bowl of longevity noodles for Miss with my own hands.” Bai Yu sighed sorrowfully. “And to think, this year is Miss’s coming-of-age ceremony — who could have imagined it would be spent inside a prison cell.”
The coming-of-age ceremony was, without question, a momentous occasion for a young woman.
Had she been at the Ling Family residence, today would surely have seen the gates filled with guests, a grand and solemn ceremony held in her honor.
And yet, Miss had to spend this most important birthday of her life in the dim and lightless confines of the Imperial Prison.
The more Bai Yu thought about it, the more her heart ached with sorrow, until she could not help but raise her hand to wipe away her tears.
To say that Ling Jingshu felt not even a trace of wistfulness would have been impossible. Yet after having endured so much, simply remaining alive and unharmed was what mattered most.
“In a way, this is a rare and unusual experience,” Ling Jingshu said, half in jest and half in self-mockery. “When I look back on it someday, this coming-of-age day will certainly stand out as something special. After all, how many people can say they’ve spent a birthday inside the Imperial Prison of the palace?”
Bai Yu was full of heartache and grief, yet said, “Miss, please stop teasing me. What is there to look back fondly on, celebrating a birthday in the Imperial Prison? There isn’t even a new dress or new jewelry.”
When they had been brought here, there had been no talk of packing clothes or belongings. They had arrived with nothing to their names. The clothing they wore each day was the standard issue of the Imperial Prison — dull, ashen robes of simple cut and poor quality.
Ling Jingshu raised an eyebrow and deliberately struck an exaggerated pose, spinning in a slow circle. “Miss here was born with a beauty that cannot be hidden — no matter what I wear, I remain a beauty. What need is there for fine robes and gorgeous adornments?”
Coaxed by Ling Jingshu’s playfulness, Bai Yu could not help but break into laughter through her tears.
At some point, Cui Liu had appeared at the door outside. She opened the lock with practiced ease, then carried in the morning meal.
Ling Jingshu looked, and could not help but be stunned.
Sitting on the tray were two bowls of noodles. Steam still rose from the surface, the pale white strands paired with bright green vegetable leaves — a sight that made one’s appetite sharpen at once.
Since entering the Imperial Prison, this was the very first time noodles had been sent. On ordinary days, it was mostly thin gruel and steamed buns.
Was it a coincidence?
Ling Jingshu looked at Cui Liu with a grateful glance. “Thank you, Elder Sister Cui Liu.”
Cui Liu smiled with quiet meaning. “There is no need to thank me. I was merely following orders when I brought these longevity noodles. I was told that today is Lady Ling’s fifteenth birthday — in a place like this, there is truly nothing else to offer, so longevity noodles are all that could be prepared.”
As she spoke, she swiftly pressed a slender, elongated box and a letter into Ling Jingshu’s hands.
There was no need to guess who had sent them.
That gentle and thoughtful care, like a soft spring breeze and light rain, seeped quietly into the heart.
“Miss, Imperial Physician Wei truly has a kind heart.”
Bai Yu’s slightly excited voice rose beside her ear. “He even knew your birthday, and had longevity noodles prepared and sent over. Oh, and what is inside this box? Surely it isn’t a birthday gift!”
Ling Jingshu’s heart stirred with curiosity as well. She set the letter aside and opened the box first.
Inside the slender box lay a single ebony hairpin. The style was not overly elaborate, yet the carving was remarkably fine and precise. The head of the pin had been carved into a peony in full bloom — lifelike and vivid, possessed of a singular elegance.
She opened the letter. It contained only two short lines.
A’Shu, happy birthday. This is a hairpin I carved myself — a small token of my feelings.
It was as though something had broken through the surface of the earth inside her chest, filling it completely to the brim.
Ling Jingshu’s eyes grew warm and moist at the corners.
Bai Yu said brightly, “Miss, let’s eat the longevity noodles first! They must be eaten while hot — once they cool, they won’t taste nearly as good.”
Ling Jingshu murmured her agreement, and sat down with Bai Yu to eat.
The one responsible for the meals in the Imperial Prison was no master chef from the imperial kitchens — merely an ordinary palace maid. Her skill at making noodles left much to be desired. The strands were a little thin and lacked any real chewiness, and the flavor was somewhat plain. But buried beneath the noodles were two soft-boiled eggs, which came as an unexpected and pleasant surprise.
These were the most delicious things she had ever eaten in her life.
Ling Jingshu slowly finished the entire bowl. Warmth spread quickly through her stomach and radiated outward to fill her whole body.
After eating, Ling Jingshu burned the letter, then turned to Bai Yu with a smile. “Bai Yu, help me rearrange my hair into a proper bun and put this ebony hairpin in.”
Bai Yu smiled and agreed.
Before the modest dressing mirror, Bai Yu carefully combed Ling Jingshu’s long hair smooth with a wooden comb, then gathered it into a simple bun. Last of all, she inserted the ebony hairpin at the side.
There was no powder or rouge, no beautiful new dress, no fine jewelry.
Yet the young woman reflected in the bronze mirror had cheeks of delicate softness and luminous eyes like stars, radiating a brilliance that dazzled all who beheld her.
Gazing at Ling Jingshu like this, Bai Yu felt nothing but boundless joy and contentment in her heart.
Perhaps because of that strange ailment she suffered, Miss had been cold and indifferent toward every man. Even the Crown Grandson’s open favor had never moved her heart. Bai Yu had secretly harbored her worries — if things continued this way, what would become of Miss in the future? Would she truly spend her whole life alone and unmarried?
Now, Bai Yu felt she need not worry about that question any longer.
Imperial Physician Wei had used his gentleness, his steadfast persistence, and his deep devotion to open Miss’s heart, one piece at a time.
Cui Liu returned swiftly.
Bai Yu stepped forward with a smile to meet her. “Miss Cui Liu, the bowls and chopsticks are all tidied up — you may take them away.”
Cui Liu’s expression was slightly unusual. “I am not here to collect the bowls. The Commander said that His Majesty wishes to summon Lady Ling. Please come with me at once.”
What?
Why would His Majesty suddenly wish to summon her?
An uneasy premonition rose within Ling Jingshu’s heart, yet she understood this was an imperial command that could not be refused. She responded at once: “Yes, I will come right away.”
Bai Yu immediately said, “Miss, I will go with you.”
She would live and die at her Miss’s side.
Ling Jingshu heard the unspoken meaning behind Bai Yu’s words, and her gaze softened. “Good — let us go together.”
Cui Liu said nothing more. She led Ling Jingshu and her maidservant out.
If His Majesty had truly wished Ling Jingshu dead, a single spoken decree would have been sufficient. That he now wished to see her in person meant her life was most likely not in danger. Perhaps something unexpectedly fortunate might even come of it.
Cui Liu glanced sidelong at Ling Jingshu — still graceful and striking despite two months in the Imperial Prison — and quietly began to turn calculations over in her mind.
As Ling Jingshu walked toward the prison’s exit, Rui Lian, Qiu Shuang, and the others left behind began to grow restless and uneasy, pressing themselves one by one against the iron doors, watching Ling Jingshu with yearning eyes. “Why does she get to leave? What about us?”
Cui Liu shot them a sharp, fierce glare in return. “This is His Majesty’s personal verbal decree — he is summoning Lady Ling. What is all this commotion about?”
At the words “imperial decree,” Rui Lian and the others fell immediately silent, watching the last sight of Ling Jingshu’s figure disappear around the corner, their hearts filled with equal parts envy and resentment.