Jing Guiren bowed to Rong Fei to bid farewell and return to her quarters. Although by common standards Rong Fei held a position equivalent to a secondary wife, she was an officially appointed concubine, entitled to wear the dragon robe, carried in a sedan chair, had her own carriage, and was accompanied by umbrellas and banners indicative of her rank, with a monthly stipend nearly equal to that of a princess born from the emperor. In contrast, Guiren, a low-ranking concubine, had to walk on her own two feet. Thus, despite pleasant conversations on the surface, Jing Guiren harbored envy no less intense than that of Mu Guiren.

    Aware of this, Rong Fei made efforts to share her imperial gifts with all the concubines and assist them whenever possible, preferring to make allies rather than enemies like Yi Guifei did.

    "His Majesty seems very fond of that new maid, he might request her from De Fei,"

    commented Liu Lan, Rong Fei's attendant, who walked closely behind Rong Fei's sedan. She admired Nara's articulate and confident manner, shining even in her bizarre attire and blackened teeth—her beauty still stood out. In this inner palace full of beauties like a garden of flowers, no one had caught the emperor and princes' attention quite like this before. It seemed likely that this woman's future was destined for greatness.

    Rong Fei fanned herself slowly, a smile playing on her lips. "That woman... she won't last long, Liu Lan."

    "Why do you say that, Niangniang?"

    "She loves her freedom and is straightforward, no means no. The only downside is that the inner palace desires beauties but not those who are too clever. Her intelligence will be her downfall... I'm no longer interested in her. And you should stay away from people from other palaces."

    "Yes, mistress. De Fei is always chanting and copying scriptures, adhering so strictly to his vows that the emperor has turned to young arrogant concubines like Mu Guiren. Liang Fei is a two-faced person who can't be trust, and Yi Guifei is brainless, only knows how to oppress others. I wouldn't pledge my loyalty there. It’s only Your Grace who truly possesses a broad heart, a righteous and skilled heroine. The emperor fell in love with just one glance, cherishing and staying by your side like a pair of swans."

    Rong Fei chuckled. "Do you keep honey on your lips? Your words are so sweet they make me almost resent them."

    "Birds choose trees to nest, I choose my master by their heart. I would dedicate my life only to mistress."

    "You've followed me to the palace to take care of everything for me; I should repay your kindness."

    "I'm just fulfilling my duties, Your Grace. It's no trouble at all... As for this incident, De Fei was fortunate. Originally harassed by Yi Guifei to the point she nearly had to leave the monastery. But once the emperor arrived, Yan Qi Palace seemed revived as if given a new life."

    "By now, Yi Guifei must be wreaking havoc throughout the palace. Yet her position remains unshaken by such trivial matters. Her family, the Tongjia, holds great influence, and she is the sister of the former empress. We're still lucky that the emperor still cares for De Fei. Otherwise, the outcome would've been quite the opposite..."

    "Indeed," Liu Lan was not pleased at all that Yi Guifei was flaunting the influence of the former empress. She had long despised the arrogance and bravado of the people in that palace. But Rong Fei liked to lead a simple life, merely hoping to live peacefully and safely until her last days.

    .......................

    Yong Wangfu’s Manor

    Jun Yi noticed that something was unusual when the Fourth Prince returned to the palace and just stared silently at the stars. The tall and dignified man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the movements of the stars with a stern expression. On his writing desk, there were reports from eunuch about the latest selection of maids and documents about the distant city of Xian Luo. Even he, as Yong Qinwang, could find only a few documents about this far-flung city. How then did that woman who should know as much about Xian Luo, knew so much as if it were her native home?

    Next to it, the genealogy charts of the Wula Nala family were spread out... Yinzhen reviewed them over and over all night, only to conclude that there was no young woman named Ning'er in that family.

    No origin, no trace, nobody knew her beyond her being a maid of De Fei...

    It was as if she had suddenly appeared in this world.

    Yinzhen rubbed his sharp jawline thoughtfully. His hawk-like gaze fixed on the fabric of the sabai that had torn in his hands at that moment. Experts in high-end garments were all unfamiliar with this type of fabric, not even knowing from which province this fluidly flowing fabric came. Everyone unanimously agreed that no known fabric mill could weave such an exquisite textile. And the gemstone bracelet she wore—what mechanisms lay within it? Why did no one who gazed upon its light ever question these anomalies again, especially those like his eighth brother, who are usually relentless?...

    Or could this be a plot by Eighth brother to plant a spy in Yan Qi Palace?

    No…

    Her appearance was shrouded in mysteries that made Yinzhen growl with frustration. The strange garland she dropped distracted him with even heavier thoughts. Jun Yi, carrying a tray of tea, approached to serve, glancing at the garland with surprise. Who would think... to arrange flowers so beautifully and charmingly? Jun Yi was curious but dared not ask about the origin of it.

    "Wang Ye, it's very late now... Which quarter will you rest in tonight? I will send someone to inform the owner of the quarter."

    "Place the tea there and go rest. I will sleep in the study tonight."

    "Yes, Wang Ye," Jun Yi forced a smile, bittersweet. She was a woman from a distinguished family, trained in playing the zither, reciting poems, dancing, and embroidery, taught to comport herself gracefully and nobly like a swan. Thus, even if Jun Yi felt overwhelmingly cold and lonely, she would never express it.

    As she walked out, Jun Yi glanced at the numerous documents on her husband's desk. She never interfered with her husband's work, no matter how heavy or demanding it might be. But this time, curiosity gnawed at Jun Yi, leaving her restless.

    …………….

    The servant quarters in Yan Qi Palace were notably quiet and tranquil. The warm afternoon breeze wafted through the garden of peach blossoms. Although it was not yet the season for them to bloom, the atmosphere remained refreshingly lively under the clear blue sky. Nara had never experienced such lush, soft green grass before. While this era might not be as comfortable as the future, for its pristine beauty, Nara gave it full marks.

    "Please wear my clothes for now," Tao Zi, a young girl of fourteen, rummaged through a wooden chest and handed them to Nara. After Nara had changed out of her sabai and sinh, she took them, looking puzzled, not knowing where to tie or fasten. Tao Zi was just as confused as Nara.

    "Uh... I'm still in shock, so I'm a bit dazed."

    "Can't you wear the clothes properly, sister Ning'er?" the kind-hearted young girl offered to help her dress. "Sister Ning'er, you're really something, talking to the emperor without any fear. If it were me, I'd be frozen stiff, just crying for sure."

    "I almost cried too, but I didn't see the point in crying. Better to save my energy to argue and win, right?"

    Nara gave a thumbs up, impressively, which surprised Tao Zi.

    Suddenly, her life fell from the stars to become a mere palace maid, which was painful enough. If she were to just mope around, it would be a waste of time. Thus, Nara began to explore the Yan Qi Palace area for assurance. Although her maid's outfit was plain and seemed dowdy, anything she wore looked exquisitely delicious. Nara pressed a blue gemstone and kept taking sexy poses non-stop for photographs, but the people of Yan Qi Palace paid her no mind. Hey! She was the most beautiful girl in the year 2199.

    However, there was one person who watched her with interest.

    "Your Highness the Fourth Prince," everyone in the vicinity bowed, while Nara turned three hundred sixty degrees, facing him just in time. His sharp, dark eyes sparked with a fire. He looked as though he wanted to grab her by the collar to unravel all his queries, but as long as the secret of her bracelet remained unsolved, Yong Qinwang would not reveal any action that she could perceive.

    And then, a box containing condoms, a pregnancy test, and a fake cucumber-shaped toy was suddenly thrown into her hands.

    Ack!!

    Tears streamed down her face. Just then, Tao Zi was carrying a tray of tea and teacups, and Nara accidentally knocked a teacup off the tray. At the moment Tao Zi was about to catch it, everything slowed down and then came to a complete stop. The teacup and tea hovered in mid-air. Tao Zi froze like that, while Yong Qinwang, the handsome figure, also froze as if turned into a stone statue, except for Nara who could still move normally.

    A dimensional portal opened, and a figure jumped out. He noticed the items in Nara's arms.

    "Didn't I tell you to be careful?" The familiar tall figure slowly stood up to his full height, then turned his stern face to meet her gaze.

    "Brother Tan! You've come to save me!" Nara hugged him like a madwoman remember. "You've come to take Nungning back, haven't you?"

    "No, what was that earlier? Why are you messing around without a bag?"

    "Damn!! Look before you speak, crazy brother! See, I was about to be beheaded!"

    “You provoked him first, didn’t you” Brother guessed accurately, piercing her conscience. “Alright, I have to go back now I’m in a hurry to watch football.”

    "What about Nungning..." Nara clung to her brother's arm, begging to go home.

    "Well, wait here until the machine is fixed."

    "Take Nungning back now, brother."

    "You can't go back yet, there's not enough seating and it's over the weight limit," he said casually, as if he had forgotten to buy a bus ticket for his sister, but it was not funny at all.

    "And you're telling me to just wait here for the repair, that's it!"

    "Yeah, I'm off, bye."

    "Wait... brother! Don't go yet, brother, you asshole!!"

    Whoosh! The dimensional gap disappeared, leaving behind Nara with a fake cucumber, a pregnancy test, and thirty rough packages of condoms. Damn it!!

    Nara felt like she needed a nasal inhaler, to take a deep breath to calm down before throwing them at her brother's head. The logic of her father and brother was terribly poor, not even asking how she was doing! All Nara could do was sigh, not knowing what else to do as time slowly started moving normally again. The Fourth Prince blinked his eyes, slightly confused as Nara seemed to have moved next to him in a blink of an eye.

    "The Fourteenth brother assumed these items were yours. I was asked to return them," he said flatly, constantly staring at her to spot any discrepancies. Nara almost shrieked. She could not throw them away, nor could she stash them in her four-dimensional pocket. She had to hold them in front of such a handsome man, and the dreaded question followed.

    "What are these?"

    She looked at the fake cucumber, then back at his stern face, took a deep breath, and replied, "These was a momento of my father, sir, for praying in confined spaces."

    After she finished, tears involuntarily started to flow. Oh, father. Oh, brother.

    But Yong Qinwang continued by picking up a packet of condoms, tearing it open, and was about to smell it. Nara could not stand it and touched his hand to stop him, shaking her head pleadingly... Do not eat it, absolutely not, she could not bear to watch.

    "And what about this item?"

    "Uh..." I want to die. "It's for wearing... uh, to wear..."

    "To wear what?!"

    "To wear... on your feet, yes! It's for wearing on the feet like this," she demonstrated by flicking off her shoes and hurriedly putting the condom on her foot as if her life depended on it. Yinzhen's expression darkened to his neck, he took a slow, deep breath, and tried to convey a cold stare, trying to show her that her beautiful feet had no effect on him. His demeanor left Nara confused... He was blushing over what?

    "Hurry and put your shoes on properly!"

    The tall figure glared at her. She was not startled but puzzled about what she had done wrong. There was no need to scold her just for taking off her shoes. "Thank you for returning my father's momento," she said.

    Nara turned her head away, muttering, "How merciless, he must be drunk on the smell of condoms." She still could not bow respectfully and did not know what else to do, so just collapsed on the floor, praying he would leave soon. But the stern face leaned down, issuing a command.

    "Bring me the tea."

    "What tea, your highness?"

    She was not just asking, but also crossed her arms in annoyance! Thus, Yinzhen found that he needed much more patience with this woman than usual. He stepped into the palace with an angry expression, while Nara scratched her head, merely trying to ask whether he would like hot tea, iced tea, milk tea, lemon tea, or pulled tea so she could serve him properly. This picky Chinese Prince was really hard to please.

    Nara asked Tao Zi and learnt that the Fourth Prince favored Tieguanyin tea from Fujian province. Chen Gugu, seeing that Nara was still not adept at her tasks, decided to brew the tea herself and serve it, while Nara and Tao Zi assisted in serving the snacks. Annoyed by being scolded frequently, Nara hatched a mischievous plan. She reached into her four-dimensional pocket to pull out something.

    "Little Duck brand fish sauce!!"

    This fish sauce was scientifically fermented and odorless—hence airplane-friendly—became a popular souvenir from Mae Klong, exploded in popularity throughout the district. Her father had told her to use it sparingly with meals in emergencies. Seizing an unguarded moment, Nara sneakily switched the Tieguanyin tea with a supremely salty fish sauce recipe, guaranteeing hospitalization for kidney dialysis—a fitting retribution!

    As the strong hand was about to lift the teacup to drink, Nara watched covertly while giggling. Yinzhen, sensing something was amiss through his instincts, and coincidentally caught the sly glint in her eyes. Caught off guard, Nara forcefully smiled.

    "Is there a problem with my teacup?"

    "Not at... all," she replied high-pitched. "Please enjoy the tea, Wang Ye."

    Yinzhen frowned, but just then, the attendant of the Thirteenth Prince burst into crying. Thus, the disastrous fish sauce teacup was set down again.

    "What happened, Tian Zi? Where is your master?" De Fei immediately sat up concerned for his foster son. Tian Zi, still a young lad, had been following Thirteenth Prince since childhood, but now he was truly at a loss.

    "The emperor wishes for Lady Ju'er[1] to be engaged to a Mongolian noble. The emperor commanded the Thirteenth Prince to attend him, but the prince had been drinking heavily. I've given him medicine to sober up, but it's not working, and... and the emperor sent someone to hurry him."

    "Such irresponsibility, drinking from morning like this without a thought! Drinking doesn't solve problems. Where is he now?"

    "I report, De Fei, the prince is on his way to Taihe Palace. I have a bad feeling so, I asked a eunuch to look after him and came to report to you."

    "Why didn't you report to the emperor to postpone the audience to another day?"

    "The emperor ordered that even if the prince's limbs were severed, he must come as commanded today."

    Princess Ju'er, the fourth daughter of Thirteenth Prince, was not granted any noble rank by Emperor Kangxi, so this lady had no formal status. The marriage tradition aimed at strengthening ties with the Mongols was a crucial protocol. However, the lady was too young to be bound to an unworthy man, which was why Thirteenth Prince had always opposed.

    "Whenever he feels slighted by father, he tends to drink heavily," explained Yinzhen with a tense and stressed expression as today was the day for the Mongolian official to discuss a marriage proposal. "I will handle persuading Thirteenth myself. Tian Zi, lead the way quickly."

    "Yes, your highness."

    "I'm coming too," declared the maid with blackened teeth, eagerly raising her hand. She would not miss an entertaining situation like this. It was just a small matter of enjoying some gossip. Despite her look, Nara was the village gossiper. The hall fell silent. De Fei, with a shake of her head, did not permit her to go, not to mention Yong Qinwang, who frowned deeply and strode out, ignoring her.

    "What if I could be of help to Prince Yinxiang?"

    His tall figure paused before turning to make eye contact with her.

    "How would you assist him?"

    "I've been scolded by my father many times for partying too hard. It's just a matter of finding a simple way to sober up. It's nothing difficult for me. If you don't believe it... then we'll just have to prove it," Nara said, wagging her finger. "Just one tael is enough."

    .......................

    As Yong Qinwang reached the front of the Taihe Palace, the Thirteenth Prince was noticeably disoriented, staggering up the white jade stairs step by step, swaying, incessantly muttering poetic complaints. Tian Zi rushed to support him, constantly crying in the process. Ning'er the maid caught Fourth Prince's eye before flashing a cheeky wink and wriggling her fingers.

    "Please give me one tael."

    The tall figure complied, but Nara continued, "Another big string would be nice, too."

    "Humph!" He had no choice but to agree, nodding to his attendant to give the money she demanded, thinking about what he would do if she could not deliver as boasted!

    Having gotten what she wanted, she then crouched down to assess the Thirteenth Prince's level of intoxication, which turned out to be that of a 'philosopher' level—claiming omniscience, offering unsolicited advice irrespective of others' needs, and contesting everything anyone else said, making a scene at the slightest provocation; whether it was a dog that did not wag its tail or a falling leaf, he'd bawl. Nara sighed heavily. Handsome he might be, but his drunken petulance was unbearable, making him an easy target for the emperor's ire.

    "Wang Ye, I recall there's a law against harming the royal bloodline, right?" she asked for confirmation.

    "Indeed, the penalty for such an offense is decapitation."

    Oh, such a celestial figure, a golden body, this Chinese man! Nara murmured under her breath before turning to the still teary-eyed prince, "Prince Yinxiang, look at this."

    She showed him the tael and then stuck it onto his slightly damp forehead where it adhered due to his slightly moist skin. Everyone, especially Yong Qinwang, watched in amazement at what Nara was up to. "The prince must not touch it, shake his head, or remove the coin himself, but must try to dislodge it somehow. If you can do it, I will give you this money, but if not, you owe me ten times that amount."

    "That's easy," laughed Thirteenth Prince, and began to furiously slap the back of his head, but no matter how hard he slapped, the coin did not fall. All that resulted was him beating himself into a stupor until Yinxiang sobered up enough to realize Nara had removed the coin from the start, and instead of the coin, he saw stars.

    And as for the maid who had not a penny to her name, in a blink, she had eleven strings and one tael in her pocket, having conned the prince!

    Yinzhen glared fiercely, but Nara just shrugged. So what... who cares?

    "If Thirteenth Prince is distressed, may I suggest a way to solve this issue?"

    "This matter is the emperor's prerogative; his decision is final, and nothing can change that," Yong Qinwang stated, watching Nara quietly counting her money, curious about this ruthless squirrel lady's next move.

    "Wang Ye, you are mistaken. If you only consider one perspective, you'll never find a solution. Consider reversing the situation."

    "How so?" asked Yinzheng eagerly. "Tell me quickly; I will do whatever you suggest."

    "If we cannot change the emperor's mind, then we change the Mongol's heart," Nara proposed. "During Emperor Song Zhezong's time, Su Xiaomei was pressured into marrying a lackluster nephew of the Empress Dowager. She forged a heavenly decree inside an ancient jade box, determining astrologically that the couple was mismatched, leading the Empress Dowager to call off the engagement herself. I've heard that the Mongolians are particularly fearful of droughts, am I right?"

    Both princes were momentarily stunned before a smile spread across Yong Qinwang's face, admiring her boldness!

    "Thirteenth, you must go to see the emperor immediately; I will take care of instructing the astrologers according to this plan."

    "Right! Thank you so much, Ning'er, you've saved my daughter," Yinxiang joyfully exclaimed, promptly digging into his purse to give Nara a whole bag of money, which altogether weighed several liang. Meanwhile, Tian Zi hurriedly wiped his master's face and eyes with a wet cloth before following the prince into the Taihe Palace.

    "Aiya... today that Nungning is filthy rich," Nara grinned wickedly while shuffling off in a dancing motion, much to Yong Qinwang's extreme irritation, causing his hands to tremble with rage. He and his brother... Yong Qinwang and Gusan Beizi of Daqing had just been tricked into giving money to this this novice maid!

    Yinzhen's veins throbbed with anger, and just then, the nimble figure danced back.

    "Wang Ye, WangYe..."

    "What now?!"

    "I don't know the way back to Yan Qi Palace, Wang Ye. Could you please escort me...?" She preempted his refusal by quickly adding, "If Niangniang finds out that Wang Ye abandoned me halfway, and Niangniang gets angry with you, I really can't help you, Wang Ye."

    One day, he would throw this woman into prison, to have her pretty behind smash against the floor! He stomped off moodily, leading this talkative maid back to his mother. If possible, he would ask his mother to lock her up and forget about her!!

[17] Due to the close relationship between Yinzhen and Thirteenth Prince, Yinzhen adopted this lady as another foster daughter. When Yinzhen ascended to the throne as Emperor Yong Zheng, Fourth Miss was appointed as a Second Princess. Before her marriage, she was titled Hesuo Gongju, and given the royal name He Hui. She married into the Mongolian Khalka clan, a prominent tribe.