After Shen Changqin left.

Wei Yi sat alone in the pavilion, his face darkened, and his fingertips gripping the teacup in his hand grew increasingly forceful, as if he wanted to crush the cup alive.

The depths of his eyes also brimmed with overwhelming evil intent!

Growing more and more intense!

Finally, he violently hurled the teacup in his hand to the ground with a “bang,” shattering it to pieces. Then, with a sweep of his hand, he knocked all the fruits and refreshments on the table to the floor as well, clattering noisily, leaving a complete mess!

A eunuch outside, hearing the commotion, immediately entered. Upon seeing the scene before him, he froze for a moment, then quickly bowed: “Your Majesty?”

“Get out!” Wei Yi barked.

The eunuch’s entire body trembled, yet his feet remained rooted to the spot, unsure whether to stay or leave.

Wei Yi glared at him fiercely: “Did you not hear my words?”

The eunuch immediately retreated.

This emperor’s moods truly changed like the weather! No one could fathom them completely.

Wei Yi’s face bore a ruthless expression as he clenched his fist and pounded it hard on the table with a dull thud.

The determination in his eyes grew even stronger as he said: “Shu’er, this time, I will never let you go again.”

He wanted not only the empire, but Ji Yunshu as well!

……

Ji Wanxin followed the eunuch all the way to the Embroidery Workshop.

To put it plainly, the Embroidery Workshop was the place in the palace where clothing was made.

Her mind was still dwelling on Wei Yi’s gaze and his words from earlier. She couldn’t snap out of it for a long time, and her hands were continuously wringing together from beginning to end. Her heart felt heavy and oppressed, yet she also seemed to be contemplating something.

Entering the gate of the Embroidery Workshop, the eunuch said to her: “Miss Ji, from now on you will work here.”

She bowed slightly: “Thank you, Gonggong.”

“Miss need not thank this servant. You were personally designated by His Majesty to enter the palace, so naturally you are different from the other palace maids.”

“Gonggong speaks too highly. Once Wanxin enters here, she is merely an embroiderer, the same as everyone else.”

She certainly knew how to speak.

At that moment—

Nanny Jiang, the person in charge of the Embroidery Workshop, walked over. She glanced at the eunuch, then at Ji Wanxin, and asked: “Who is this?”

The eunuch said: “Nanny Jiang, this young lady will be working under you from now on. Please make proper arrangements for her.”

The eunuch’s tone when speaking was obviously very different from his earlier tone when speaking to Ji Wanxin.

Toward Ji Wanxin, he was courteous.

Toward Nanny Jiang, his tone was commanding. Nanny Jiang responded with an “Mm,” then looked Ji Wanxin up and down. The young lady before her was delicate and refined, like a fairy. In all her years in the palace, this was the first time she had seen such a beautiful woman—with an air of elegant refinement untainted by worldly dust, gentle features and an approachable demeanor. How could this be the fate of an embroiderer! Those who didn’t know might think she was some newly entered palace lady!

“This girl is quite striking in appearance, but our Embroidery Workshop requires skill with one’s hands. Can she manage?”

Ji Wanxin lowered her gaze: “I learned for a few years at home.”

“Good that you’ve learned.” Nanny Jiang circled around her with an examining gaze, saying as she did: “You must behave properly here from now on. Don’t bring those old habits from before. The palace has its rules. If you do something wrong, there will be punishment. Understand?”

“I understand.”

“Very well, you may stay.”

“Then I’ll trouble Nanny Jiang.” After the eunuch spoke, he pulled Nanny Jiang aside and said softly: “That young lady is no ordinary person. Nanny must take good care of her.”

Nanny Jiang felt puzzled: “What does Gonggong mean by this? Isn’t she just a young palace maid?”

“She is no ordinary person!”

“Oh?” Nanny Jiang’s heart tightened: “Then who is she?”

“From the Ji Family.”

“The Ji Family? The Ji Family that was convicted of treason years ago? Didn’t the late emperor decree that people from the Ji Family were forbidden from entering the capital?” The eunuch immediately made a “shh” sound, signaling her to lower her voice, then said: “His Majesty personally ordered her summoned to the capital, and moreover, it was Minister Shen from the Ministry of Rites who brought her into the palace. Perhaps in the future she’ll rise to great heights. We servants shouldn’t talk too much—just understand in our hearts. Nanny should understand, yes?”

Oh!

Nanny Jiang suddenly understood and nodded: “I see now. So she’s an important personage!”

“Then I’ll trouble Nanny to take extra care of her.”

“Rest assured. Having been in the palace for so many years, I still have that much awareness. In short, I’ll treat her like an ancestor.”

The eunuch smiled, gave a few more instructions, then left.

Ji Wanxin surveyed the Embroidery Workshop. The place was quite large, and the architecture was also very distinctive.

From now on, she would be staying here!

Nanny Jiang, who usually looked down on people like a dog judging others, after hearing that eunuch’s words, now looked at Ji Wanxin with much gentler eyes, wearing an obsequious expression, and asked with an amiable smile: “Young lady, what is your name?”

Ji Wanxin bowed slightly: “In reply to Nanny, my surname is Ji, given name Wanxin.”

“What a beautiful name!” The nanny grasped her hand and gently patted the back of it, praising: “Looking at how refined and gentle you are, Miss, and so delicate—it’s truly a waste for you to come here.”

“You’re too kind. Being able to enter here is my good fortune.”

“You truly know how to speak.” Nanny Jiang looked at her the way a servant looks at a master, then said: “Come, come, come, let’s not stand here. I’ll first take you to see where you’ll be staying.”

“Yes.”

Nanny Jiang then led her over.

Although the young women in the Embroidery Workshop were called embroiderers, to put it plainly, they were still palace maids at the end of the day—servants at the beck and call of their masters, without any special treatment.

Nanny Jiang brought her to a spacious bedroom. Inside was one large communal sleeping platform. It was currently rest time, and the embroiderers were inside chatting idly, casually gossiping about various matters. They were just getting to an exciting point when the door was pushed open from outside. Everyone’s voices suddenly came to an abrupt halt, and they all turned their gazes toward the doorway, seeing Nanny Jiang leading an unfamiliar woman standing outside.

In that instant, almost everyone’s attention was drawn to Ji Wanxin.

That woman’s beautiful and refined features appeared in everyone’s eyes, like a fairy.

Just one glance made her unforgettable—men would be moved at the sight of her, and women would envy her.

Who was this person?

Nanny Jiang took Ji Wanxin’s hand and introduced her to everyone: “Listen well, everyone. From now on, this young lady will be one of us in the Embroidery Workshop.”

The embroiderers responded: “Yes!”

Then, Nanny Jiang said to Ji Wanxin: “From now on you’ll live here. If you need anything, just tell Nanny. Whatever Nanny can help you with, I certainly will!”

She withdrew her hand and tucked it into her sleeve, saying: “Thank you, Nanny.”

“No need to thank me.” Nanny Jiang smiled at her, then turned sternly to the other embroiderers and said: “You must not cause trouble. Get along well with each other, understand?”

The embroiderers responded in unison again: “Yes, Nanny.”

Nanny Jiang called out: “Ziwei.”

From among those embroiderers, the woman called Ziwei stepped forward.

“Ziwei is here.”

“You take good care of this young lady. If there’s anything she doesn’t understand, teach her well.”

“Yes.” After giving a few more instructions, Nanny Jiang left.