The Ling Manor.
On this first day of the New Year, everyone in the Ling family had left the manor with smiling faces, but by evening, when they returned, every face was heavy with gloom.
“No! A’Shu, you can’t go into the palace!”
Ling Xiao shot to his feet, his face full of urgency and anxiety. “In a few days, you should go to the palace and beg Empress Xu’s forgiveness, and decline this position.”
“A’Xiao, don’t be foolish!” Ling Wuye scolded, his face stern. “Once Empress Xu has spoken, how can it simply be taken back? A’Shu has already agreed on her own—going to refuse now would be going back on her word. If we did that, our Ling family would earn a reputation for ingratitude, and we’d anger Empress Xu even more.”
Neither Ling Jingshu nor the entire Ling family could afford the consequences of such an act!
Anger and disappointment glistened in Ling Xiao’s eyes. “Father, are you really going to stand by and watch A’Shu be taken into the palace? Once you enter the palace gates, it’s as deep as the sea—when will A’Shu ever be able to leave? If she ends up like those palace maids, waiting until she’s old and faded, her youth long gone, before finally being released, won’t her whole life be ruined?”
Ling Wuye fell silent, unable to answer.
How could he not understand this himself?
In fact, he was even more anxious than Ling Xiao. He had originally planned to cure Ling Jingshu’s illness as soon as possible and secure their family’s ties to the great tree that was the Crown Grandson. Now Empress Xu had suddenly thrown this wrench into things, catching everyone off guard.
Once Ling Jingshu entered the palace, there was no telling when she would ever come out again. What would happen to her engagement with the Crown Grandson?
But an arm could never out-twist a thigh. Things had already reached this point—no amount of anxiety or anger would help now. Once the Lantern Festival passed, Ling Jingshu would have to obediently enter the palace.
Ling Daye and Sun Shi exchanged a glance, each seeing the same regret reflected in the other’s eyes.
Ling Jingyan, who had been holding back her tears for a long while, finally let them spill from the corners of her eyes, breaking into sobs. Between her hiccupping cries, she said, “A’Shu, I can’t bear for you to go into the palace. Please don’t go, please…”
Ling Jingyan’s crying only deepened the heavy mood in the room.
Tears welled up in Ling Xiao’s eyes as well.
Ling Ji furrowed his brow and looked at Ling Daye. “Father, is there really no room to turn this around at all?”
Ling Daye sighed. “Things have already come to this. A’Shu has no choice but to wait and enter the palace.”
Jiang Shi dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.
…
Ling Jingshu, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up. “There’s no need for any of you to worry about me. Once I’m in the palace, I’ll take good care of myself.”
Her tone was unexpectedly calm.
Ling Wuye blinked in surprise and looked at her. “A’Shu, are you actually willing to go into the palace?”
Ling Jingshu tugged at the corner of her lips and said evenly, “Whether I’m willing or not doesn’t matter. I’ve already accepted it, and I won’t—and can’t—go back on my word. Father is right—I can’t break my promise, and I certainly can’t anger Empress Xu.”
She stopped looking at Ling Wuye, whose expression had grown complicated, and turned instead to the still-sobbing Ling Jingyan and the misty-eyed Ling Xiao. “Cousin Jingyan, don’t cry anymore. Becoming a female official at Jiaofang Hall is an honor and a respectable position. Others would envy it if they could.”
“A’Xiao, don’t worry either. Jiaofang Hall isn’t a den of dragons and tigers—it’s not as if someone’s going to eat me alive! Besides, I’m going in to work. I can bring two maidservants with me, and if something comes up and I need to leave, I can come back out with a token.”
Ling Jingyan’s sobbing gradually quieted.
Ling Xiao wiped at his eyes with his sleeve, his voice somewhat hoarse. “A’Shu, take good care of yourself!”
Ling Jingshu gave a light hum and smiled, deliberately keeping her tone light. “Once I’m not at the manor anymore, you take good care of yourself too. Study hard, and get into the Imperial Academy as soon as you can.”
Ling Xiao nodded firmly, his eyes—just dried—growing moist again.
Sun Shi cleared her throat. “It’s getting late. Let’s move to the dining hall. Everyone’s had a tiring day—let’s eat dinner early and get some rest.”
…
The family dinner that night remained subdued. No one had much of an appetite, and after a few perfunctory bites, everyone went their separate ways.
Ling Daye called Ling Wuye to the study to talk; no one knew what they discussed. When Ling Wuye emerged from the study, the heaviness had vanished entirely from his face, and his steps had grown noticeably lighter.
Ling Jingshu had kept up an appearance of calm composure in front of everyone. It was only after she returned to her room, alone with Bai Yu, that she finally let the mask slip, revealing a face full of exhaustion.
Bai Yu saw it and felt a pang in her heart. She said softly, “Miss, let this servant help you change and wash up. It’s getting late—you should rest soon.”
Ling Jingshu steadied herself. “There’s no rush. Come here—I have something to say to you.”
Bai Yu acknowledged her and stepped closer. “What are your instructions, Miss?”
Ling Jingshu lifted her head to look at Bai Yu and said slowly, “Bai Yu, going into the palace this time—there’s no telling whether it brings fortune or disaster, life or death. I’ll bring Qiao Yun with me. You don’t need to come.”
Bai Yu’s whole body trembled, her face filled with disbelief. “Miss, are you going to leave me behind?!”
“I’m not leaving you behind.” Ling Jingshu smiled reassuringly. “The two of us, mistress and servant, have relied on each other for years. In my heart, I’ve long thought of you as my closest family. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to part with you either.”
“But this time is different from before. The situation in the palace is unclear, and Empress Xu has her eyes fixed on me like a predator—summoning me into the palace, she probably doesn’t mean well. I don’t even know if I can protect myself, let alone watch over your safety too. So you mustn’t follow me into the palace.”
“I’ve already thought this all through for you. After I go in, you’ll stay here at the Ling Manor. In a year or two, once you’re of marriageable age, I’ll have Eldest Aunt find you a good match. I’ve already prepared a dowry for you as well…”
Before she could finish, Bai Yu had already dropped to her knees with a thud, tears spilling from her eyes. “This servant isn’t going anywhere. Wherever Miss goes, this servant will follow. Miss shouldn’t try to persuade me otherwise—I will never leave you.”
Looking at Bai Yu’s tear-streaked face, Ling Jingshu felt a pang of bitterness in her own heart.
In her past life, her own weakness and submission had led to Bai Yu’s humiliation and early death. In this life, the path she was about to walk was one of near-certain peril. She truly didn’t want to drag Bai Yu down with her again.
“Bai Yu, listen to me…”
“No, Miss, you listen to me.” Bai Yu quickly wiped away her tears, her face set with determination. “The palace is full of danger, and Qiao Yun belongs to the Crown Grandson—when it matters most, she might not be loyal to you. If this servant follows you into the palace, even if I can do nothing else, at least you’ll have one person you can trust and rely on.”
“This servant isn’t afraid of danger, isn’t afraid of death. As long as I can stay by Miss’s side, I’ll do anything willingly.”
“Miss, this servant is begging you, don’t leave me behind!”
Without realizing it, Ling Jingshu’s own face had become wet with tears. She reached out, trembling, and took Bai Yu’s hand. “Alright. I won’t leave you behind. We’ll go into the palace together.”