(Narrator's pov)
Staring at the portrait only made the memories more vivid and painful, so Jia Le went over to his bed. It was getting late, so he decided that it was time for bed.
(BaiLing's pov)
When I woke up, it was around three in the morning. I got out of bed and went to wash my face. I then went over to my closet to get my clothes. I put on a simple dress before going over to the kitchen to see if breakfast was ready.
I headed to the dining room after checking on the breakfast. My father and brother were already there, and they were all dressed and ready for work.
Me: "Dad, ge, morning."
Dad and brother: "Morning."
I sat down at the table with them, and we waited for the food to come.
As we were eating breakfast, butler Su came in.
Butler Su: "My lord, someone from the ninth prince's mansion is here."
Dad: "Let him in."
Butler Su went to go get the guy, and when he came back, a young man was following in behind him.
The young man bowed and greeted my family and me before saying.
"My lord, my master has a letter that he wishes to give to the lady."
Me: "For me?"
I didn't expect a letter to come to me from him.
The young man nodded and handed me the letter. It took me a little while to realize that this young man was Ling Chen, the ninth prince's close aid. If something important needed to be done, you could always find Ling Chen out doing it for the ninth prince.
Ling Chen: "My master asked that, if you can, please give him an answer as soon as possible."
I opened the letter to see what was inside.
Letter: "Lady Ming, my mother wishes to meet you. If it is possible, would you mind accompanying me into the palace tomorrow to greet my mother? If it is possible, I shall pick you up at ten. Ming Yeu Hwa."
I looked up from the letter, and my brother asked me what was in the letter's content.
Me: "The ninth prince asked me to go with him into the palace tomorrow to greet his mother."
I then looked over to Ling Chen and told him.
"Tell your master that I will accompany him tomorrow. Also, give this letter back to him."
At first, he seemed hesitant, but he then took the letter and left.
Brother: "Why does he want you to accompany him to see his mother?"
Me: "He says his mother wants to meet me."
My brother sat there in silence for a bit, then he suddenly said.
"Isn't his mother, royal consort Lin? The one who refuses the see the emperor?"
My father nodded his head and said.
"Because the emperor hid his identity from consort Lin, she got mad and refused to see him. She won't let him into her palace no matter what he does. Aside from the empress, she is the next person who has the most power."
(There is usually only one Royal Consort within the palace, and she holds the second most influence after the empress.)
Brother: "What about the empress dowager?"
Dad: "There's no need to talk about her. Within the harem, she has the most say, though she doesn't like to get involved with the fighting. She mostly stays in her palace."
The empress dowager was a royal consort once. She never rose to the position of empress, but she wasn't greedy for it either. She did her best to raise her son in the cruel palace. The empress dowager was a very kind-hearted person. Her teachings stuck with the emperor well, the sixth prince back then. When the emperor was chosen to be the crown prince back then, some were surprised while others weren't. The empress dowager was known to be beautiful and kind, making her very favored by the late emperor.
Brother: "I heard that she was also from a general's family. I wonder how she is."
Me: "I'm sure she won't be much different from us. We're all of a general family anyways."
My brother nodded his head, and we continued breakfast. Once they finished their food, my father and brother left for work, and I headed back to my room to get changed for work.
After changing into my uniform, I headed out to the horse stable through a secret passage in my room. When I got out to the stables, I went over to Bai Yao. The moment he saw me, he started making a ton of noises, waking up all the horses in the process.
Me: "Bai Yao! Shhhhh. Stop making so much noise. If anyone heard, they would think that I'm abusing you."
Bai Yao: "neighhh."
Although he refused to stop causing a ruckus, he did become quieter.
I took him out of his area and stalled him up. Once I was done, I hopped on and headed out for work.
Instead of going to work from the front of the mansion, I head out through a secret path from the back of the house.
Over the years, the Ming mansion continued to change, as we were rewarded with bigger land. However, the land is always surrounded by the woods, making it easier to build different paths, and there were tons of hidden mechanisms in the house.
After riding for 20 minutes, I arrived at the barracks. Although it was close to where the imperial soldiers trained, not just anyone could enter this area. There was a special pass that all the soldiers needed to enter, and even I had one. Once the guards checked my pass, I headed inside and put Bai Yao away.
I went into my tent/office, only to see a huge stack of paperwork piled on my desk. I hung my sword up on the wall and took my mask off before sitting down to deal with the work that needed to be taken care of.
30 minutes into working, someone came up to my tent and said.
"General, may I come in?"
Just from listening to the voice, I knew who it was.
Me: "Come in."
The tent's flap was pulled back, and in came Zhi Xuan.
(Zhi Xuan is the vice commander of the Ghost Army. His father was once part of the imperial army but has now moved over to be the minister of war. Despite his father's disapproval to join the army, he did anyway. Zhi Xuan came to BaiLing six years ago and begged her to take him in. Seeing how determined he was, she allowed him to join, but he had to keep everything a secret. He trained hard alongside the other soldiers, and within 4 years, he rose to the position of vice commander. BaiLing is the commander of the Ghost Army. However, she hates being called commander, so everyone calls her general.)
Once he came in, he greeted me.
Me: "What's up?"
Zhi Xuan: "Nothing, I just came to see how you were doing? I heard about what happened with the fifth prince. Are you alright?"
Me: "Has the news already spread that fast?"
Zhi Xuan nodded his head.
Me: "(sigh)... Yeah, I'm fine. It was troublesome to take care of everything, but in the end, it went the way it was supposed to go."
Zhi Xuan: "That's good to hear."
Zhi Xuan stood there in silence, just staring at my desk.
Me: "What are you staring at?"
He snapped back to reality and asked.
"Did you really finish all of that paperwork within 30 minutes?"
As I nodded my head, he shook his head. It had been six years since he had come to me, yet he still wasn't used to how fast I could get things done.
He scratched the back of his head and said.
"I don't get how you can get through those files so fast. If it were me, I would have taken at least two hours."
Me: "No wonder there are so many files left for me to do."
Zhi Xuan's face started to turn pink from embarrassment. I laughed at the sight of him acting like a kid.
Me: "Don't worry about it. It's not your job to do this anyway. I'm glad that you could help me out when I was away, though."
His cheeks became even pinker, starting to turn red.
Zhi Xuan: "I'm glad that you think that way, but it is part of my job to help you with paperwork."
I smiled at his thoughtfulness. Zhi Xuan was a year older than me, but he acted as though he was younger at times.
Me: "By the way, I won't be here again tomorrow. If you need anything, let Bai Yang know, and I should be back by tomorrow or the day after."
Zhi Xuan: "Alright. Well then, I'll leave you to work, and I'm going to go check on the soldiers."
I nodded my head, and he left. I went back to work afterward since only a couple of files were left to go through.
(Narrator's pov)
After a long day of work, BaiLing finally headed home. As soon as she was back, she got changed and headed straight to the kitchen to check on dinner. Her father and brother usually came home after she did, so she had time to make sure that everything was ready by the time that they came home.
When her father and brother came home together, they enjoyed dinner and talked about what had happened throughout their day. Once dinner was over, BaiLing went back to her room and took a nice long bath. Upon returning to her room, she went over to her desk and got out her paper, ink, and brush. She sat there for a while and drew out a dress design that she wanted to be made for the empress dowager's birthday.
The emperor loves his mother dearly, and any mistake is rarely tolerated. Also, since she was newly engaged to the ninth prince, it was best for her not to show any errors. The fewer issues there were, the less people could talk about or criticize her.
Once she was done with her design, she set it aside and went to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day for BaLing, and she wanted to make sure she had as much rest as possible.
The next morning BaiLing woke up at the same time she always does. Although she didn't have work, she could never sleep in. Putting on her shoes, she went and put on a simple outfit and then proceeded over to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Once she was done and pulled her hair into a ponytail, she went to the kitchen to check on breakfast. Since her mother died, she took over many responsibilities that were meant for the mistress of the house. Whether it was paying the servants, buying new stuff for the house, or managing the money, she single-handedly took care of everything.
After enjoying breakfast with her family, she bid her father and brother farewell as they left for work. Once they were out of sight, she headed back to her courtyard and into her medicine home. The sun had yet to rise, so she lit some of the candles before looking for what she needed for the day. Knowing what she wanted, she went to the storage shelf in the far back corner of the room, where the sun hit the least. BaiLing opened one of the bigger drawers and took out a small sea-green porcelain jar. Inside was filled with a milky color creamed that was cooled to the touch. Confirming that this was what she wanted, BaiLing then placed the jar in a small wooden box with carvings on the outside.
However, before she closed the box, she went and got one more thing from her shelf, and it was a small wooden box with brown pills on the inside. Once everything was in place, she closed the box and returned to her room.
(9 am)
Around an hour before the ninth prince came, BaiLing went a got ready for her meet the Royal Consort Lin.
(BaiLing's pov)
Before going to meet Royal Consort Lin, I had Bai Yang go and bring me a report about her. Seeing how she enjoyed light spring colors, I chose a baby blue dress with embroideries that resembled a mountain. Adding in the shoes with embroideries of a river completed the scenery.
The Royal Consort was from a military family, so she liked neat and clean things. That also applied to clothes and hairstyle. Sitting at my vanity, I pulled my hair into a neat half-up half-down bun. Only leaving two small strands of hair to frame the face. I then added in my two wolf hairpins and some simple earrings. Once I finished my makeup, I added a simple tassel to my waistband, and with that, everything was complete.
(The wolf hairpins were a gift from BaiLing's brother, Zhi Chen. BaiLing cherishes the set and often uses it when she is going out as the lady of the house.)
When it was around 10 am, uncle Su came by and knocked on the door.
Me: "Come in."
Uncle Su came in and said.
"Greetings, my lady. The ninth prince is here and is currently in the main hall."
I set my book down and responded.
"Alright, I'll be right there."
Uncle Su nodded his head and headed back out to the main hall. After I put my book away, I grabbed the wooden box that had been set aside since the early morning and made my way to the main hall.
Upon arriving at the main hall, I saw that the ninth prince was sitting and drinking tea while Ling Chen was standing right behind him, ready to receive his orders at any moment. Getting close to the hall, both the ninth prince and Ling Chen noticed my presence, turning their heads towards the door. I stepped inside and greeted the ninth prince as he stood up. Once I paid my respects to the ninth prince, it was Ling Chen's turn. I gave him a simple nod, and he went back to his original position.
Ninth prince: "Good morning, lady Ming."
Me: "Good morning, your highness."
The ninth prince quietly stood there for a while before saying.
"Shall we go see my mother now?"
I nodded my head and followed him out to the carriage. The ninth prince was the first to get on the carriage. He then turned around to offer me a hand. Careful not for him to feel the palm of my hand, I gently placed the tip of my fingers into his hand. We each took one side of the bench inside the carriage while Ling Chen was sitting outside with the coachmen.
(Narrator's pov)
Neither of the two spoke a single word on the way to the palace. BaiLing just stared out the window, watching the citizens live their lives day by day. Deep in her heart, BaiLing wished that she could live a simple life like that. She didn't care for power or status. All she wanted was a peaceful life with her loved ones by her side.
Meanwhile, the ninth prince was quietly sitting there observing BaiLing. He wondered what went on in her mind. Everything she did was unpredictable. He didn't know what to make of her, but he knew that his father would never betroth a girl that he didn't think was suitable for him and one that his mother would disapprove of.
As the prince observed BaiLing, he noticed that she had held the wooden box since she had stepped into the main hall. Wanting to know what it was, he opened his mouth to ask. However, before he even got the chance to say anything, BaiLing said.
"Please stop the carriage of a second."
The carriage came to a stop, and without a second to lose, BaiLing got off the carriage.
Outside, Ling Chen helped BaiLing get off and watched as she walked over to one of the stalls on the side of the street. She approached the old lady there and bought three different boxes of pastries. Once she had paid the old lady, she headed back onto the carriage.
(BaiLing's pov)
Once I got back into the carriage, the coachmen started to head to the palace again. This time the stares from the ninth prince were even more intense than before. Not being able to hold back, he spoke up and asked.
"What did you buy?"
I looked over at him and responded.
"I bought some pastries for my grandfather."
Upon hearing my answer, the ninth prince gave me a weird look. It was as though he couldn't understand why I would buy pastries from the side of the road instead of going into a fancy restaurant to buy it instead.
Me: "The grandma sitting there has been selling pastries for most of her life, and the quality of her goods has never changed. Not everything pretty means that it is good, and not everything ugly means that it is bad. Although these people sell on the side of the streets and don't have the money to buy high-quality ingredients, it doesn't mean that they don't put time and effort into making their products the best it can be."
After hearing what I said, the ninth prince kept quiet and nodded his head. Only when we arrived at the palace gates did he speak up again.
Ninth prince: "Shall we head in now?"
I nodded my head and followed him out of the palace. Seeing how I was carrying four different boxes, the ninth prince told Ling Chen to go and help me out. I gave the pastry boxes to him and followed the ninth prince to the Eternal Spring palace.
(Eternal Spring is the name of the palace that the ninth prince's mother resides in. Within the royal palace, there are many smaller palaces. These are the living quarters of the royal family members. The palace where the emperor lives is called the Hall of Mental Cultivation. (Emperors may move to different palaces during their reign. Not all emperors will stay in the same place.))
When we arrived at the palace, the consorts head maid was waiting for us at the gate. Seeing us approach, she headed over to us and greeted the ninth prince and me before leading us inside into the main hall.
Stepping into the main hall, I could see the Royal Consort sitting there waiting as she was drinking tea. Although she was already in her thirties, the Royal Consort still looked very young. She was dressed in a royal blue gown with gold embroideries. Her hair was also adorned with gold hairpins.
When she looked up to see us coming in, she set down her cup of tea and smiled before saying.
"Yeu Hwa, you're here."
Coming to a stop, the ninth prince greeted his mother first, then I greeted her afterward.
Royal Consort Lin: "Rise, both of you. No need to be so formal with me. Go and take a seat."
We both went to the side and took a seat. The ninth prince took the seat closest to his mother, while I took the seat next to him, which was a bit further away.
Royal Consort Lin turned to her maid and said,
"Go and bring in two more cups of tea."
The maid quickly left and soon returned with two cups of tea. She placed the tea on the table to the left side, then returned to her original post.
For about 3 minutes, the Royal Consort didn't say anything and just stared at me. It was only when the ninth prince called out to her that she snapped back to reality.
Royal Consort Lin: "Ahh, my apologies. It was just...(sigh). You... you look so much like your mother. It's like getting to see Ling Hwa again."
I was a bit taken back at first. My mother knew the Royal Consort?
Me: "You... knew my mother?"
The Royal Consort smiled and said.
"Yes, in fact, we were quite close. Actually, along with the empress, the three of us have been friends since childhood."