Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I entered the palace, joined the Bureau of Ceremonies, and took up a post as a Female Scribe.

“Ning Yan.” Zitan tugged softly at my sleeve, worry in her voice. “Consort Shu has summoned you.”

I frowned. “Did she say why?”

Zitan shook her head.

I went to Diecui Palace. Consort Shu was playing chess with the twelve-year-old Sixth Prince. The moment he saw me, the Sixth Prince abandoned the board and ran over.

“Cousin, you really entered the palace as a Female Scribe?”

He looked me over in my pale pink-and-white gauze uniform, his smile innocent and bright.

“Does that mean I’ll be able to see you every day from now on?”

I lowered my voice. “We’ll talk later.”

“Greetings to Consort Shu.” I stepped forward and bowed.

Consort Shu was elegant and imposing, with a faint resemblance to Marquis Baoding. Her almond-shaped eyes fixed on me for a long while before she suddenly hurled the teacup in her hand at me.

The Sixth Prince froze in fright.

“You’ve grown bold, haven’t you?” Consort Shu walked over. Her crimson-painted nails hooked under my chin. “Why did you enter the palace to serve?”

“Because I had nowhere else to go,” I answered.

Because this was what I wanted to do.

“Marriage, becoming a nun-were none of those roads open to you? Yet you just had to come into the palace?” she snapped.

“I don’t want to marry, and I won’t become a nun.” I lifted my head and looked at her, my back straight.

She raised her hand and swung at me.

I dodged.

Her eyes went wide with fury. Pointing at me, she said, “Your father was right. A bastard is a bastard. You were never truly one of us!”

She ground her molars as if I had committed some unforgivable crime.

I had no desire to argue with her.

Consort Shu ranked among the four consorts. Crushing a Female Scribe would be as easy for her as crushing an ant.

But if I dared enter the palace, I would not be afraid of her.

“Ning Yan!” Consort Shu called after me. “You will regret this.”

Without looking back, I left Diecui Palace.

When I returned to the Bureau of Ceremonies, Zitan listened to what had happened and fumed with anger.

“You’re clever and beautiful, Sister. They’re the ones who don’t know your worth.”

I said, “Anything that can be thrown away is useless trash. I can only blame myself for being incapable.”

Zitan clenched her fists. “Then we’ll become useful people together.”

I pinched her cheek. “All right.”

Outside, a few older palace maids were chatting in low voices. When I heard what they were saying, I froze.

Princess Changping had returned?

Two years ago, she had taken the three northern prefectures with her and gone to Northern Qi for a marriage alliance.

Why had she suddenly come back?

“I’m going to Kunning Palace. If the supervisor asks, cover for me.”

Zitan was frightened and grabbed my hand. “The princess coming back on her own isn’t a good thing. Don’t go.”

“It’s fine.” I patted her hand.

I announced myself, and after the head attendant reported back, I was allowed in.

The Empress and Changping both looked at me in surprise.

Changping wiped her tears, her face full of shock. “Ning Yan, you entered the palace as a Female Scribe?”

“Yes.” I explained the circumstances. “What about you? Why did you come back?”

At that, Changping began crying again.

“Kelen wants to give me to his brother. I will never go back to that dreadful place.”

Then Changping said, “Ning Yan, you’ve always been clever. Hurry and help me think of a way-one that won’t offend Northern Qi, but also won’t force me to go back.”

“In any case, I’d rather die than return.”