After the mistress and her two servants finished sharing what had passed between them during their time apart, they quickly settled in.

Having reached this point, there was no use in dwelling on things too much.

Ling Jingshu had no desire to overthink it. She simply let herself breathe easier, and after a full night of sound sleep, her spirits and strength had recovered considerably.

The Emperor had graciously granted her five or six days of rest before she was to resume her duties. With no inclination to wander idly through Zichen Palace, she led Bai Yu and Qiao Yun in a thorough sweep of her quarters, cleaning inside and out.

At midday, Official Qian personally led a young palace maid to deliver her meal.

Ling Jingshu stepped forward with a smile. “Such a small matter — how could I dare trouble Official Qian.”

Official Qian smiled pleasantly. “Little Sister has only just arrived and is not yet familiar with the people and affairs of Zichen Palace. As it happens, I have some free time today, so I thought I would personally escort the maid who brings your meals so she can learn the way. Once Little Sister has finished her noon meal, I shall take the time to properly explain the workings of Zichen Palace.”

Compared to the cold and haughty reception she had received just the previous day, Official Qian now seemed like an entirely different person — a perfect demonstration of what it meant to first be dismissive and then fawn.

Stepping on those below and flattering those above — that was simply human nature.

Official Qian had initially thought nothing of Ling Jingshu. It was only after witnessing Eunuch Ding’s easy warmth toward her that she changed her tune. That same afternoon, she had quietly made inquiries into Ling Jingshu’s background, origins, and the reason she had been kept on at Zichen Palace.

Upon learning that it was the Emperor himself who had chosen to keep Ling Jingshu, Official Qian — having navigated palace life for many years — immediately grasped what that implied. And so, without delay, she had come today to make her overtures.

Ling Jingshu looked upon Official Qian’s warm and eager smile, feeling both irritated and repulsed inside. Yet her lips moved in one gracious expression of thanks after another. “Then I thank Official Qian most sincerely. After the noon meal, I shall come to pay you a visit in person.”

When they met again, Official Qian had already taken the initiative to change how she addressed her. “We serve together here in Zichen Palace — that is a rare bond in itself. I am a few years your senior, so let me take that small liberty and call you Little Sister. What do you say to calling me Elder Sister Qian in return?”

Life was a stage, and the performance was everything.

Official Qian wore an expression of perfect sincerity, while Ling Jingshu matched it with one of equal warmth. “I am most grateful that Elder Sister Qian does not find me unworthy. I shall address you so from now on.”

Official Qian’s smile grew even more affectionate. Taking Ling Jingshu’s hands in her own, she said, “No wonder I took to you the moment I laid eyes on you. Look at you — not only gifted with beauty beyond compare, but of such a gentle and endearing nature. I can see that Little Sister is not one who will remain a small fish in a shallow pond. When the day comes that you rise to greater heights, do not forget to help your Elder Sister along.”

Ling Jingshu arranged her features into a shy expression. “Elder Sister, you are teasing me. What heights could a woman like me possibly aspire to?”

Official Qian gave a meaningful wink. “Little Sister must not sell herself short. In her time, Jieyu Consort was nothing more than a palace maid serving beside the Empress. Yet now she oversees the affairs of the six palaces — and who is to say her rank will not rise still further? Who could have foreseen the fortune that awaited her?”

The implication of comparing her to Wei Jieyu was unmistakable.

It was like swallowing a greasy lump of fat — utterly nauseating.

Ling Jingshu managed to force out a composed smile. “How could I possess the blessings of Jieyu Consort? Please, Elder Sister, say no more of this — if you go on, I shall have no face left to show anyone.”

Official Qian herself felt she had been rather too eager in her flattery. She cleared her throat and laughed. “I was merely speaking in jest — do not take it to heart, Little Sister. Eunuch Ding has already given instructions that you are to rest for several days before resuming your duties. Set your mind at ease and rest well. I have already selected the attendants you will need, and in a few days I shall have them come before you.”

She then went on to relay several trifling matters concerning Zichen Palace.

Ling Jingshu composed herself and listened with care.

Sycophants like Official Qian were everywhere in the palace — little different from Qiu Shuang and the others back in the Pepper Blossom Palace. People of such character were contemptible in nature, yet in practice, they were not difficult to deal with.

Since she was to serve here in Zichen Palace from now on, the sooner she learned to navigate the people and atmosphere of this place, the better.

Half a shichen later, Official Qian took her leave with an affectionate clasp of Ling Jingshu’s hand and stepped out of the room.

Bai Yu and Qiao Yun, who had been waiting outside, came forward together to meet her.

“Miss,” Bai Yu said, her expression slightly unreadable as she lowered her voice, “Eunuch Ding just sent someone with a message. He asks that Miss remain inside her room and not walk about freely.”

The instruction left one quite at a loss, without any thread to grasp.

Ling Jingshu furrowed her brow for a moment, then smoothed her expression back to calm and acknowledged it with a quiet nod.

Official Qian, to her credit, had the sense to hold her tongue, though her curiosity was evident. She saw Ling Jingshu back inside and took her leave shortly after.

In the palace, if one wished to live in safety and peace for long years, it was best to keep one’s curiosity to a minimum. Knowing what one ought not to know was never a fortunate thing.

Ling Jingshu waited in her room for quite some time.

She had always possessed a composure and steadiness far beyond most girls her age, and after enduring two months in the imperial dungeon, even her last trace of restlessness had been worn smooth. Let alone waiting one or two shichen — she could have waited an entire day without growing anxious.

It was Bai Yu who, with some unease, murmured several times over, “Eunuch Ding told Miss to wait inside — whatever could he mean by it? Can there be something important to relay? Why has there been no sign of him until now?”

Ling Jingshu, by contrast, was perfectly at ease. She gave a faint smile. “Eunuch Ding attends upon the Emperor — each day he is kept busy in that service. There is little idle time to spare. There is no need to hurry. We shall wait a little longer.”

Whatever was meant to come would come in its own time.

After a short while more, the sound of footsteps finally reached them from beyond the door.

Bai Yu let out a quiet breath of relief and, without waiting for a knock, went to open the door.

The instant she made out who had come, Bai Yu’s eyes lit up with undisguised delight. “Miss, come quickly and see who is here!”

Ling Jingshu’s heart gave a quiet stir. She lifted her gaze.

Standing in the doorway was a young man dressed in the official robes of the Imperial Medical Bureau — tall of stature, broad-shouldered and long-limbed. With the light behind him, the fine lines of his face were not entirely clear.

But those calm, gentle eyes — those were unmistakable.

Ling Jingshu’s heart surged with a tide of feeling, yet she managed by some effort to maintain a serene composure on the surface. She stepped forward and dipped into a curtsy. “Why, it is Imperial Physician Wei. I was not expecting your visit — to what matter does it pertain?”

This was the palace. Every word, every movement had to be measured.

Wei Yan had come this openly and through the front — he must have had a matter of importance to attend to. And it could only mean he had obtained the Emperor’s sanction.

Wei Yan looked at Ling Jingshu for a long, steady moment, and within him welled a pride and admiration that words could not quite reach.

This composed and clear-minded woman — she was the one he had kept close in his heart all this while. Even caught in adversity, she had not faltered or grown discouraged; she stood tall still, facing it with her back straight.

All those years of a still and untroubled heart — it was simply because she had not yet appeared.

He would spend everything he had, if need be, to protect her good name and her safety.

Wei Yan pushed down the tide of feeling within him and replied with a quiet smile. “I have come today on the Emperor’s orders, to examine the pulse of Official Ling and attend to her ailment. If it is convenient, I would ask that Bai Yu and Qiao Yun step out for a moment.”