"When I was a young girl at home, I once raised a wild cat. That winter, the snow was heavy, and it almost froze to death. Later, Chunqi and I brought it back to the courtyard and took care of it attentively for several months. It was also adorably docile."
"But after the spring set in, I searched for it everywhere and found no trace of it. Only then did I realize that my small courtyard was just a temporary shelter for it. The world outside is vast; how could it long for the little warmth of our courtyard?"
Lin Wanyi spoke while reminiscing.
"Since then, I’ve understood that forcibly keeping something doesn’t make it sweet, and forcing someone to stay would make them harbor different intentions. Even if someone possesses great skills, if they’re not wholeheartedly by my side, I wouldn’t care to keep them around. I only keep loyal servants by my side."
Little Luzi blushed, his ears growing hot from the admonition.
Lin Wanyi looked at him with some reluctance, but still suppressed that bit of compassion from her heart.
This is the palace, where even the slightest mistake can lead to harm.
If Little Luzi is still Mr. Qin’s informer, he cannot be kept.
Xia An and Chunqi immediately knelt on the ground and expressed their loyalty to Lin Wanyi.
"We will serve you with our whole hearts, never wavering in this lifetime. Otherwise, let us die a terrible death!"
Little Luzi also knelt again, this time with a firm tone, saying,
"Don’t worry, My Lady. I wish to be like the two sisters and serve you wholeheartedly, with no second thoughts. As for Mr. Qin, I will handle him myself."
His loyalty wasn’t easily seen just by his words or conduct in recent days.
It requires long-term observation to be certain.
But for now, Lin Wanyi still trusted him a little.
So, she took a deep breath and said,
"Stand up. Just remember, words are useless once spoken; sincerity is what truly matters."
Using the occasion of the swing pavilion incident, she admonished Little Luzi a bit.
After that, Lin Wanyi didn’t mention the matter again, as if it had never happened.
The grapevine seeds were sent over, and Chunqi planted them with Little Luzi at the corner of the wall.
Usually the two who loved to joke and laugh, now said nothing.
It was Little Luzi who first broke the silence, apologetically asking Chunqi,
"Sister Chunqi, are you disappointed in me?"
The sadness in his voice was genuine, and it made Chunqi uncomfortable to hear.
"A little. My Lady has never been one to speak harshly. I’ve served her for many years and never seen her lose her temper. This was the first time she spoke so sternly to someone."
"The palace is truly frightening, everywhere is... "
The words were on her lips, but she remembered the instructions from her Lady just now and closed her mouth again.
However, even if she didn’t say it, Little Luzi understood what she meant to express.
"Don’t worry, Sister. I’ve served many people over my years in the palace, but only my Lady and you all have treated me with sincerity. Though I am clumsy, I know to repay a drop of kindness with a spring of gratitude. I won’t make the same mistake again."
Chunqi dared not readily believe him again, even if she saw the deep sorrow in his eyes, she had to pretend not to see it.
Little Luzi knew he had made a mistake, and for now, he could only work hard to earn their forgiveness.
So he worked harder than usual, not slacking off at all.
Under the bright window, Lin Wanyi was reading the ninth section of "Yunzhou Miscellaneous Records," a book her older brother specially sought for her, said to be written by an Alchemist who loved to wander.
During the five years she traveled around with her grandfather seeking medical treatment, she had traveled through most of Da Wei, except for a few states in the north.
Thus, reading this miscellany felt like "traveling" there, making it particularly enjoyable.
Xia An, looking through the back window, saw Little Luzi and Chunqi tamping the soil and watering with ladles full, not slacking in the least.
Closing the window, she walked to Lin Wanyi and whispered,
"My Lady, about Little Luzi’s matter..."
"No worries. We haven’t left any leverage in his hands, just be more careful in the future, refrain from discussing family matters in front of him."
"Considering this incident, Little Luzi has gained some face before Mr. Qin. Make sure to tell Chunqi not to be too harsh on him because of this."
"I understand, My Lady."
With those words, Lin Wanyi returned to her book, though she found it increasingly difficult to concentrate.
It’s truly challenging to live peacefully in the palace.
After the morning’s exhausting events, Chunqi hadn’t had time to make lunch, so they ate the food delivered from the Imperial Kitchen.
Today’s dishes were quite good.
The soup made with bone broth contained shredded tripe and three fresh vegetables, with well-coordinated colors that made it appetizing.
Tripe fried over high heat with some mung bean sprouts; the tripe was chewy, and the bean sprouts retained their crispness.
Some spicy peppers were in there as well, but Lin Wanyi didn’t find it too spicy.
"My Lady, you indeed have quite the tolerance for spice!"
Chunqi looked at the peppers in the tripe with no desire to eat.
She had always feared spicy food, sweating profusely even with a tiny amount, unlike Lin Wanyi, who could handle even spicier dishes.
"My grandfather had a cook from Shu State, who loved to use spice in his cooking. Initially, I couldn’t handle it, but then I couldn’t do without spicy food at all."
Xia An smiled; she remembered the Shu cook from her time in the Dong Family, who loved spicy food but never suffered from heat, making several other cooks quite envious.
The Imperial Kitchen folks probably noticed that Lin Wanyi enjoyed a bit of spice with her meals in recent days, hence today’s tripe dish.
With the tripe, Lin Wanyi ate half a bowl of rice.
She then drank a bowl of bone soup, feeling utterly satisfied.
No wonder there’s a saying, "Food is the utmost priority for people," the feeling of being full and satisfied is indeed comfortable.
However, this comfort didn’t last long before the peace of the few servants was disrupted again.
Little Luzi welcomed Mr. He, the Chief Eunuch of the dormitory, into the outer courtyard, and even before he spoke, Lin Wanyi knew what was coming.
When Chunqi saw Mr. He, her face was full of excitement.
It had been quite some time since her Lady had last attended to Your Majesty, and if he didn’t summon her soon, rumors might start elsewhere again.
Mr. He, who was in charge of the sleeping arrangements, appeared thin and reserved, but his words were quite sweet. He was polite to everyone, now seen cheerfully saying,
"Blessings to you, My Lady."
"Please, Mr. He, rise."
"Thank you, My Lady. I’ve come to inform you that Your Majesty has chosen your card, and the soft sedan will soon come to take you."
Having attended to Your Majesty once before, Lin Wanyi was not as reserved this time.