"Huan, take the medicine boxes. Only the black and the red one," Xuan Cheng commanded as Jiu helped her climb down the carriage. Her eyes fell on the grandiose gate of the palace, sturdy and beautiful. People were coming and going passing the double checking by the guards.
"I assume the checking is strict," Huan stared at the gate as well with her jaw-dropped.
"Better be prepared, it is for us," Xuan Cheng straightened, and checked herself if everything was good. "Will they not catch us?" Huan questioned.
"No, they won't," Xuan Cheng replied with a smirk.
They approached the gate, and Xuan Cheng pulled out a palm sized, red document and handed it to the guard who was checking the people. It was ususal for noble women to visit the palace, so he didn't find Xuan Cheng suspicious.
"You can go, Your Highness." The guard didn't even open it and handed the document back, "Let Her Highness pass from the main gate," he instructed his fellows.
...
"Marvellous!" Huan exclaimed her eyes roam around as she passed by the outer palace, high walls and grand buildings, as far as she could see, there were sophisticated and majestic architecture composing of culture and heritage. The yellow slanting roofs and dragons carved and painted on the pillars' top.
It was her first time visiting the palace just, but unlike her, Xuan Cheng didn't raise her head to grasp the picture of this novel situation. There was excitement in the maid but her master remained indifferent to the event.
"Lower your head and walk with no distraction. If you offend anyone, I won't be responsible for you," the eunuch guiding them scolded Huan as he glanced back, his tone was sharp and deep, full of unhidden and hidden meanings.
As Huan was silver hairpin maid, and her rank was the highest among the maids working for Xuan Cheng, she was also the most intelligent and smart one. Needless to say, she knows the rule book better than anyone else. It was a momentary mistake that she had lost her composure.
She didn't argue back, but instead obediently lowered her head more than Xuan Cheng and walked properly as a maid is supposed to according to the rule book.
Just as grand the palace it is, the more tiring it becomes to go from one to another. They had been walking for almost half an hour, passing by from palace to palace but there was no end.
After a few more minutes of continuous walking, Xuan Cheng and her maid encountered the majestic palanquin chair surrounded by more than fifteen eunuchs and ten maids. Six of them carrying the load of the palanquin chair.
On top of which sat a woman wearing extremely gorgeous dress and adorned with gold headwear. An umberalla attached to the palanquin, shielded her from the sun. The eunuch motioned hurriedly to a side and knelt on the ground, and Huan did the same, however since Xuan Cheng is an imperial princess, she only had to lower her gaze if she sees someone with a higher rank. Since the person is passing in the high palanquin, she is ought to be of higher rank.
Xuan Cheng waited patiently for it to pass, but to her surprise it stopped. For a moment there was no sound heard. Xuan Cheng continued to stay as she was as if she was avoiding a bear.
"Who are you?" One of the old maids came forward and asked, staring at Xuan Cheng in a suspicious manner.
"I am sister of the newly appointed Commander Yong," she replied, it wasn't a lie, her older brother was given the title of 'Yong' and was promoted only a few days ago. However, she knew that the woman before her, and the maid questioning her hardly knows anything about the happening of the Imperial Court, so she would probably will not see through her or guess that Xuan Cheng is actually the only daughter of Xuan Family, an imperial relative.
"Oh? Why are you here?" the maid asked, convinced.
"I am here to thank Empress Dowager for gracing my household generously after the promotion," Xuan Cheng replied, and this wasn't a lie either, it was true that the Empress Dowager had sent the few ceramic bowls as a congratulatory gift. She highly doted the older brother of Xuan Cheng as he was also husband of Princess Meng, her beloved granddaughter.
Xuan Cheng had her spies in the mansion of the prime minister who had been laying low and dormant all these years and gained the trust of the family members. She didn't mean any harm to her estranged family but she knew that she would need updates of her family for a situation like the current one.
"Her Majesty is not feeling well, and is taking an afternoon rest, you can go back and come later," the heavenly voice of the woman reached her ears. It sounded very simple and full of ulterior motives. Xuan Cheng reacted instantly, "Then, I can just send my sincere gratitude and return."
There was no response from the high-rank woman, and her maid, before Xuan Cheng could realize, the palanquin began to move again. As soon as it disappeared from her sight, she turned to Huan and help her up and then, she also helped up the eunuch, he was shocked since nobody does that, not someone dressed in an expensive attire.
"You must not," the eunuch exclaimed, "...ever help up a lower rank person." Xuan Cheng passed a smile and began to move, and the started their journey again. However, she didn't stop by the Empress Dowager and let Huan drop some gift, a basket full of her favourite snacks.
Then they all continued walking and after a while, she saw the Palace of the oldest member of the family, the Grand Empress Dowager. The mother of her grandmother, the most sensible and cooperative woman, the one who helped her passing the evidence to the emperor and persuading him to make compensation for his mistake, which he indirectly did.