Chapter 2

“Le Yao, His Highness wants you to keep this alive.”

Shadow Sixteen delivered a potted flower to me. Its petals and leaves had all wilted; the moment I loosened the soil, I found that its roots had rotted.

“How am I supposed to keep this alive?”

Shadow Sixteen made a shushing gesture and said mysteriously, “It’s Fourth Miss Wei’s favorite flower. There’s only one in the entire imperial capital. A little maid overwatered it, and His Highness has already promised to bring it back from the dead.”

I rolled my eyes ten times in my head.

“Did His Highness ask for me by name, or did you shadow guards dump the job on me?”

“He asked for you. Your entry in the household register says you know how to grow flowers.”

…And there went all the air in my sails. Who did not pad their résumé a little these days?

In the end, it was worldly-wise Qingping who told me to seek out a palace gardener.

“Old Liu. He lives on East Street, but you have to call him Master Liu. He loves to drink. Buy some good wine and beg him for help.”

I counted on my fingers. A jar of quality daughter’s wine would cost at least three taels-several months of my wages.

Tears poured down my face. Who was paying out of pocket just to do her job? Me, apparently!

For three days, I could neither eat nor sleep. The flower survived.

Prince Li was very pleased. He did not reward me a single coin. He praised me for being dependable and ordered me to deliver the flower to the Wei residence.

Shadow Four and Shadow Five happened to be heading there to change shifts.

“Does Fourth Miss Wei know you lie on her roof all day?” I asked.

Shadow Four was too cool to speak. Shadow Five said, “She knows. The young lady is wonderful. Once you deliver that flower, she’ll definitely reward you.”

I looked up at the sky. These days, paying someone for an errand was enough to make you a wonderful master.

“Does Fourth Miss Wei truly need your protection?”

“Of course!” Shadow Five said. “Just yesterday, her younger half sister tried to slash her face with a shard of porcelain. If Shadow Two and the others hadn’t been there, she would’ve been disfigured.”

So the female lead had landed in a martial-arts household-intrigue novel.

“Sigh. None of our jobs are easy.”

Shadow Five nodded. “Exactly. You maids have it hard too.”

“Then how much does a shadow guard earn each month?”

“Lower-ranking guards make thirty taels. Field agents like us make sixty. What about you?”

“Le Yao? Le Yao, why aren’t you talking?”

“Shadow Four, look. Le Yao’s stopped talking.”

“Please thank His Highness for his kind attention.”

Wei Qingzhi gazed tenderly at the now-healthy flower in my hands, her eyes brimming with emotion.

“His Highness campaigns across the realm and carries the burdens of state, yet he still found time to care for one of your flowers. My lady, he treats you so well,” her maid chimed in.

Sister, what a gift you have with words. We were both assistants-did she really think I could not tell who had actually tended this flower? I had lost five pounds keeping it alive!

Wei Qingzhi said, “Please tell His Highness that I have no way to repay him. In three days, our residence will hold a flower gathering. He must come.”

Then she had someone press several strings of cash into my hands.

The instant the money arrived, my smile became considerably more sincere. “His Highness will be delighted to hear it.”

The lunatic prince was indeed delighted. Once his delight subsided, he asked, “Does ‘in three days’ include today?”

A good employee did not personally resolve ambiguities in a relayed message. Nor would a good employee admit she had never considered the issue.

I made a snap decision.

“Your Highness, Fourth Miss Wei said you would certainly understand.”

Now Prince Li did not dare not understand. I happily finished my shift and went back to count the money with Qingping.

Something about Qingping seemed different. She said, “My name isn’t Qingping anymore. You can call me Ping.”

“Have you gone mad too?”

“His Highness renamed me today. He said my name shares a sound with Fourth Miss Wei’s and forbade me from using it.”

Good heavens. Thank goodness this was not the Qing dynasty. Otherwise, the lunatic might get a bright idea in court one day and rename the Great Qing Gate the Great Gate.

Qingping sighed again. “Ping it is. As long as I can still live in peace.”

My heart ached for her, so I gave her two extra coins.