Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Hairpin

After spending the night at the Heyi Hall, Yun Si didn’t dare slack off. She squeezed in some time to eat a meal, and Xiao Rongzi asked her with concern, “Sister, why are you out here?”

As a servant in the palace, Yun Si should have stayed inside with Song Rong. Xiao Rongzi guessed something was amiss and quickly furrowed his brow.

Yun Si shrugged and smiled nonchalantly. She had known Xiao Rongzi for a long time, and they understood each other. She didn’t hide her emotions, “I’m tired of seeing her defensive attitude.”

Yun Si knew that Song Rong was wary of her, and although she understood Song Rong’s actions, she couldn’t help but feel annoyed. To be honest, Lu Cairen hadn’t said anything, but Song Rong was creating obstacles and making things difficult. Yun Si was frustrated, but she knew that Song Rong and Lu Cairen had a long-standing friendship, and she couldn’t compete with that. So, she had to be patient and restrained.

Xiao Rongzi looked down, his voice low and muffled, “She’s really in the way.”

Yun Si glared at him sternly, “Be careful what you say. If someone overhears you, it’ll cause trouble.”

Xiao Rongzi fell silent.

After eating quickly, Xiao Rongzi stopped Yun Si from cleaning up, “Sister, you go wait outside the palace. If the mistress calls for you, I’ll take care of the cleaning.”

Yun Si didn’t stand on ceremony with him. She smiled and said, “There’s candied orange in my room, on the table. You can go get it later.”

Xiao Rongzi had suffered in his youth and rarely got to eat sweet treats. Later, when he had the opportunity, he developed a bit of a sweet tooth. Yun Si knew this about him and would often save some pastries or sweets for him when she got them.

When he heard her words, Xiao Rongzi’s hand paused as he held his chopsticks.

Yun Si left quickly, not seeing the change in Xiao Rongzi’s expression. His eyes darkened, and a hint of coldness appeared.

As someone who had grown up in poverty and had to beg for food, Xiao Rongzi knew the struggles. He had to hand over the money he begged for, or he wouldn’t even have a place to sleep. He had managed to survive, and he wasn’t naive. He had never met someone who was kind to him, and now that he had, he didn’t want to let go.

Anyone who dared to stand in his sister’s way would have to pay with their life!

Xiao Rongzi lowered his head, his face expressionless as he chewed his food. He wouldn’t waste a single grain of rice or a single opportunity.

When Yun Si returned to the palace, Song Rong was just coming out. Her face didn’t look good, and she glanced at Yun Si with dissatisfaction, but she didn’t dare express it.

Yun Si ignored her. As servants in the palace, neither of them was superior to the other. But since the master needed her, her influence in the palace was greater than Song Rong’s. Song Rong wasn’t qualified to vent her emotions at her.

However, Yun Si was curious about what had happened. She had stepped aside according to Song Rong’s wishes, so why was Song Rong still unhappy?

Yun Si didn’t understand, but when Xu Shunfu, the eunuch from the Emperor’s court, came out and looked at her, she felt a sudden jolt of confusion.

Xu Shunfu had been puzzled about why the Emperor was interested in a maidservant, but when he saw Yun Si’s face, his doubts disappeared. He thought he understood the Emperor’s thoughts and was polite to Yun Si, nodding at her.Yun Si hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Since it was Song Rong’s turn to keep watch at night, Yun Si stayed for half an hour before hearing the call for water. She then returned to her quarters with Qiu Ling to rest.

Yun Si and Qiu Ling didn’t live in the same room. Since the Heyi Hall was spacious, she and Song Rong had separate rooms, while Qiu Ling shared a room with another maidservant. On their way back, Qiu Ling kept glancing at Yun Si, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Yun Si, with her good temper, asked, “Why are you looking at me?”

Qiu Ling smiled awkwardly when she was caught, and since she and Yun Si were both from the Central Province Hall, their relationship was closer than with Song Rong.
She whispered, “Sister, you weren’t there earlier, but the Emperor mentioned you inside the palace.”

She told Yun Si what had happened inside, pursing her lips in disapproval, “You didn’t see Song Rong’s face, it changed immediately. She’s really something. If it weren’t for her relationship with our master, she wouldn’t be serving in the palace.”

In her opinion, Song Rong lacked discipline, sometimes even daring to interrupt their master when she was speaking. It was only because they were in the Heyi Hall, and their master tolerated her due to their relationship, that nothing had happened yet. But once they left the Heyi Hall, Song Rong’s temper would surely cause trouble.

And it wasn’t just that. Song Rong was also petty, always fearful that someone would outshine her.

Qiu Ling’s eyes flashed with resentment as she thought about it. When Yun Si had stepped out, she had been called in to serve, but Song Rong was wary of her, not even letting her near their master.

Yun Si lowered her eyes slightly, then shook her head with a sympathetic smile: “Don’t mind her. She’s been with our master since the beginning, and their bond is different. If you’re uncomfortable, just avoid talking to her.”

Qiu Ling wanted to say more, but Yun Si interrupted her, “You know she’s close to our master, so let’s not talk about this anymore.”

Qiu Ling fidgeted with her handkerchief, pouting, “I’ll only discuss it with you, sister. I won’t spread it around.”
Yun Si smiled without responding, not engaging in the conversation.

She didn’t have a close relationship with Qiu Ling and wouldn’t form alliances with her. Her seemingly reassuring words to Qiu Ling would only make Qiu Ling feel that Song Rong was difficult to get along with.
Yun Si just wanted to give Song Rong some trouble.

Song Rong’s constant, subtle obstruction was annoying, and Yun Si wanted to retaliate in kind. She wasn’t known for her good temper, but her beauty and strong personality would likely make people dislike her if she wasn’t careful.

A night passed, and by dawn, Yun Si remembered she had to serve in the palace the next day. Before sleeping, she didn’t waste time on idle thoughts, aware of her lowly status. She didn’t think the Emperor would remember her, and despite feeling a bit shaken, she didn’t overthink it.

The next day, before 5-7 am, Yun Si got up and rushed to the palace. When she saw Song Rong looking tired, she whispered, “I’ll serve here. You can go rest.”

Song Rong immediately shook her head, looking at Yun Si warily, “No need.”

She had kept watch all night and wouldn’t let Yun Si take credit in front of their master and the Emperor. That would be foolish!

Yun Si smiled slightly, feeling a bit frustrated. If it weren’t for Xu Shunfu watching from across, she wouldn’t bother with Song Rong. As servants in the same palace, they had to maintain a harmonious appearance, especially in front of the Emperor.

Suppressing her emotions, Yun Si smiled and said nothing more, standing in her place and waiting for any movement from inside the palace.

Xu Shunfu raised an eyebrow. One night was enough for him to gather a lot of information. According to what he knew, Yun Si was assigned to the Heyi Hall as a servant in charge, and Lu Cairen hadn’t objected to this arrangement. During court, Lu Cairen would often bring Yun Si along, which suggested that Yun Si’s status in the Heyi Hall should be below Lu Cairen’s but still significant.

However, looking at the situation now, Yun Si hadn’t been allowed to serve inside the palace the previous day and wasn’t arguing with Song Rong. Was she being too passive?

Xu Shunfu thought this to himself but didn’t show it on his face. He didn’t even glance at Yun Si again.

The morning court was held every three days, and today was one of those days. The Emperor wouldn’t sleep in late, and judging by the time, he would be getting up soon. This was why Yun Si had gotten up so early. She couldn’t let her mistress wake up while she was still sleeping.

Soon, there was movement inside the palace, and Xu Shunfu straightened his sleeves and pushed open the door to enter. Song Rong and Yun Si followed closely behind.

The palace was quiet, and the outside was shrouded in a faint, pale light. The sky was gray and dim, and the palace was also dark. Yun Si lit the candles using the faint light and turned to see that the Emperor had already sat up, his gaze lightly falling on her.

When she realized the Emperor was looking at her, Yun Si’s heart skipped a beat.

She didn’t dare look up and immediately lowered her head, vaguely aware that the Emperor might have guessed her thoughts.

Before Yun Si could worry about it further, a soft, melodious voice came from the bed, filled with a husky tone that made people blush without reason. Yun Si lowered her head even further, but in that moment, she felt that her situation wasn’t so bad after all.

What if the Emperor knew her thoughts? As long as she didn’t change her mind, the Emperor would always know.

Her thoughts racing, Yun Si didn’t delay and quickly moved to serve Lu Cairen. However, she was blocked by Song Rong. Yun Si was truly speechless but didn’t argue with Song Rong. She retreated a step, preparing to fetch the clothes Lu Cairen would wear that day.

Just as she was about to turn around, someone gently pushed her from behind, and she found herself standing in front of the Emperor. Yun Si was taken aback.

When she turned around, she saw that it was Xu Shunfu who had pushed her. She also noticed that there were only two maidservants, her and Song Rong, who had followed them into the palace, while the rest were young eunuchs. Yun Si wondered where the other maidservants who served the Emperor were.

Before she could react, she realized she was now in charge of helping the Emperor get dressed. If the timing hadn’t been so awkward, she would have thanked Xu Shunfu properly.

Xu Shunfu’s action wasn’t subtle, and Tan Yuanchu saw it clearly. He wasn’t surprised by Xu Shunfu’s quick thinking. In contrast, someone who had shown ambition in her eyes the day before seemed much clumsier in comparison.If she couldn’t seize the opportunity right in front of her, what was the point of her constant scheming?

Tan Yuanchu raised his eyes casually, and before he could even think further, the woman had already knelt down. Her movements were swift yet gentle as she helped him put on his socks and shoes. Tan Yuanchu felt her hands touch his feet, and in the next moment, his shoes were already on.

He had expected her to take advantage of the situation, but nothing happened.

When he looked up, the woman stood aside, waiting quietly for him to stand up. Tan Yuanchu paused almost imperceptibly before standing up as if nothing had happened. The woman picked up his clothes to help him dress. She wasn’t too tall or too short, reaching his shoulders. From Tan Yuanchu’s angle, he could see her eyelashes fluttering, and in the candlelight, her face seemed to take on an inexplicable charm.

Tan Yuanchu looked away without showing any expression. It was only then that he realized she wasn’t as calm as she appeared.

She kept her eyes down, not daring to look at him directly, adhering strictly to the rules. Tan Yuanchu couldn’t quite pinpoint his emotions, but he knew he was paying more attention to this maidservant than he usually would, and it didn’t seem like a sign of disinterest.

A strand of her hair fell down, resting on the side of her face. She seemed surprised and wanted to tuck it behind her ear, but her hands were occupied. She lowered her head further to avoid showing any signs of discomposure. Tan Yuanchu glanced at her but didn’t intervene.

Yun Si quickened her movements, wanting to finish styling his hair. Suddenly, a hand reached out and tucked the strand of hair behind her ear. Inevitably, his fingers lightly touched her earlobe, causing Yun Si to freeze. The sleeve of his yellow robe quickly retreated.

His figure blocked Lu Cairen’s view, so Yun Si didn’t have to worry about being seen.

However, she couldn’t control the trembling of her eyelids. The room seemed to grow quiet, and her heartbeat accelerated, becoming almost deafening. Yun Si lowered her head in panic, feeling disoriented.

What was the Emperor doing?