My hair was fully braided down my back; the style for servants in Jin Tang's Palace. The servant's uniform fitted to my body - a light blue down my torso and long white sleeves up until my wrists and a long skirt that went past my ankles. Han prepared completely black shoes for me to wear; the standard for all starting servant maidens.
I had no choice but to tie my dagger into the inside of my arm, thankful for the sheathe. My armpit would have been stabbed multiple times already without the sheathe. It would be utterly dangerous of me to leave it in my satchel, which I was clutching in one hand. It is likely that they would search my things.
There were eight of us standing outside the West side-entrance into the Palace, waiting for the Matron to give us our assignments and lead us in. We all had the same uniform, our braids hanging down past our nape and to the middle of our backs. The Matron had her scroll in her hands, taking attendance by asking for our names. I had the jade earrings clutched in my hands as I bowed my head, staring down at the floor.
Han had prepared a new name for me. Lan Ying, blue jewel, in hopes to attract the Crown Prince who also enjoyed collecting shiny things. I raised my hand when Matron Wei called out my new name.
"Now, this is the time to tell me... Which Palace you would like to go into." I stepped forward at the prompt, but jumped as the other seven girls dashed forward as well. They all had items in their hands.
"The Heavenly Hall, please, Matron!" "East Palace for this servant -" "The 16th Princess' Hall!"
One by one, they pleaded and shoved gifts into the Matron's hands, begging for the Palace they wanted to enter. I noted that none of them asked for the 18th Prince's Palace.
When they all returned to their spot, I headed forward. Leaning closer to the woman in dark grey, her hair pinned up completely like a married woman in Jin Tang, I murmured into her ear that Secretary Han sends his regards. I placed the jade earrings into her hands, and her eyes widened as she took it in. Compared to the other trinkets the girls had given her, made of small glittery stones into rings, the pure jade was obviously more expensive.
"I - I remember," she said, clearing her throat. I stepped back with a curtsy and returned to my spot.
"Alright. After consideration, the following maidens will be sent to these palaces: Wen Ling, the Crown Prince's East Palace." The girl named Wen Ling let out an audible "Yes!" Some of the girls were ecstatic with their assignments, while others looked irritated that they were sent to the young Prince's Halls, or the Emperor's consorts'.
"Lan Ying, the 18th Prince's Palace, Shen Li Gong." "Yes, Matron." I curtsied low, thankful that this process was smooth. A murmur rose up from the other girls, who turned to look at me.
"Hey, hey, Lan Ying, right?" The girl, Wen Ling, hissed as we began to enter the Palace. The walls were all made of grey bricks, high enough that one could only be able to escape the Palace if three men stood on each other's shoulders to allow the fourth man to leap over it.
I nodded at Wen Ling, wondering what she was about to say. "Look, you look like you don't know what's happening, so I'll tell you. You chose Shen Li Gong because you heard that the 18th Prince is a degenerate, and that he's easy to take care of, I'm sure."
She spoke so fast I could barely catch all of her words. But she continued anyway, "Don't think you can slack off, alright? The Prince is known for kicking servants out faster than they can say the Palace's name. He has no sympathy for anyone who does work sloppily. If you want to get the Crown Prince's favour from being in the 18th Prince's Palace, you'd be wrong."
Apprehension filled me. Secretary Han hadn't mention all of this - likely because he didn't live in the Palace himself. These girls all had their reasons for choosing the Palace they wanted to enter. They had done their homework, likely to have learned of what kind of Master or Mistress was in-charge of the place from their sisters or friends who were already inside.
"I'm telling you this because you don't seem like a bad girl. Just be careful, okay?" Wen Ling shut her mouth as we came to a halt.
"Shen Li Gong!" The Matron announced. I was the first servant to depart from the retinue. I stepped away from the group, giving Wen Ling a thankful nod. I looked up at the sign on the gates. The 18th Prince's home was small. Four walls within the walls of the bigger Palace, with three separate rooms built with ramps at their entrances. The first gate had one too, all meant for the Prince's wheelchair.
My heart constricted. How could a Prince live in a place that was half the size of my own manor? He was the Emperor's son after all. The Palace's floor was uneven, stones having been piled onto soil. The fact that he was on a wheelchair must make it horribly uncomfortable for him to travel anywhere. The fact that his Hall was just a few steps from the West entrance, but he would be summoned to the East Palace every week for lunch...
The cruelty was evident. The Crown Prince seemed to hate his brother.
"There is only one other servant inside as of now. The rest will return, with the Prince himself, by tomorrow at the hour of the horse." As the Matron spoke, another maiden came running up to the gates. Her hair was braided down her back as well, but her uniform was slightly different from mine. On the cuffs of her wrists, she had silver flowers embroidered into them.
"This is Head Maiden Chen Xiang. The 18th Prince's Head Maid. Chen Xiang, the new servant, Lan Ying." I bowed to Chen Xiang in greeting, who scrutinised me from head to toe. "I will take my leave now." The Matron swept herself away, taking the other seven girls with her. Wen Ling mouthed a 'good luck' at me as they left.
"Well. I assume you were thrown here." Chen Xiang's tone wasn't friendly, and she crossed her arms over her chest. I shook my head, thinking feverishly of what to say so that I wouldn't offend her.
"Please do not find offence, jiejie," I began, calling her a term of endearment and respect to ensure her that I saw her as an 'older sister'. "I understand that it is difficult to work under the Prince. But my grandfather back home used to move around in a wheelchair, so I am confident that I may be of some help. I have to fulfil my time as a servant in the Palace anyway, so I chose to come here." Han had told me that all girls were expected to work here for 5 years if chosen from a poll of names that the town's mayor picked from every year.
Untying my satchel, I fished out the hairpin that Prince Lang had given me. It would be ridiculous for me to keep it for myself, if I could use it in order ways to forward my mission. "I am not looking for a place where I can climb upwards. All I hope for is a smooth time before I can be released in five years. Please, take this gift as this younger sister's sincerity to serve our master well." I proffered it to Chen Xiang, whose cold look had already begun to waver.
"Your grandfather is in a wheelchair?" she asked, a little gruff. I gave her a smile and took her hand, placing the hairpin in her palm. "Was, jiejie. He passed a few years ago." It was true that Grandfather was in a wheelchair, but he passed away when I was much younger. Pushing him around used to be one of my favourite things to do; and it was one of his favourites things to do with me too.
"He must have been a great man." Chen Xiang gave me a smile and took the hairpin. "He is. He never let his legs get in the way. He fought with his hands and read and played chess all the same," I replied, grinning back at her.
Chen Xiang reached out and gave my arm a squeeze. I was thankful that I tied the dagger on the inside of my arm. "Come on in then. You can call me Xiang'er."
She stepped aside, allowing me into the Palace of Careful Contemplation. "Thank you, Xiang jiejie." I thought it was an exaggeration when the Matron said that she was the only servant in Shen Li Gong before the Prince returned to the Palace, but as our footsteps echoed against the stone floors, I realised that she wasn't joking.
Xiang picked up the broom she had left on the floor, having been cleaning the place. "Well, I kept the place tidy so far, so there's not much to clean. Shen Li Gong currently needs servants in our little kitchen. I trust that you can cook?"
Hui's insistence that I learned some cooking had paid off. "Yes, I can make some pastries and some dishes. But I thought that the Imperial Kitchen should..." I trailed off at the dark look on her face when I mentioned the Imperial Kitchen.
"We don't trust anything from the Imperial Kitchen. They tend to give us spoiling food. We had no choice but to let go of the previous kitchen servant when she started making food solely for the Crown Prince."
I nearly laughed. Han had suggested that I do the exact same thing, and it had failed. At the same time, I felt that sense of sadness knowing that the 18th Prince had to depend on new servants to cook edible food for him. Most Palaces should have cooks, but not for Shen Li Gong.
"I will do my best to cook for everyone in Shen Li Gong, jiejie."
No amount of planning and wiling would allow me to succeed. I could already tell. There was only one way to do win over the Palace of Contemplation.
I had to be sincere to everyone.