CH 2.2

Coming to Kouzhu, she had her change into a round neck robe, with a yellow waist and a leather belt. She had dressed up like any ordinary palace maid. Seeing A-Bao dressed up, she took her hand and asked with a smile, “Do your new clothes fit?” After looking at an attendant, she added: “You came too fast, I had to get you the smallest ready-made uniform that was still available. Though, I didn’t expect it to be so big on you. Fold your robe up, tighten the straps, and bear with it for a few days. In the meantime, I will ask someone to take your measurements.” 

A-Bao declined, “I won’t trouble senior with that, this will do.” 

Kouzhu smiled: “You call me that but don’t want to trouble me? You know, I should only be a few years older than you. You can call me sister if you want to, or even by my first name. They must have mentioned my name to you, right?” 

Seeing A-Bao submissively nodding in agreement, she smiled again: “The matter of clothes is not up to you. You are willing to be frugal for His Highness, but I am afraid that His Highness may not agree. To tell you the truth, His Highness has always been a little mindful about matters such as these. Try to avoid walking in front of him for a few days, lest he scolds you.” She intimately told her about the Crown Prince’s preferences, and consequently asked her where she came from, about her family, and so on. A-Bao answered one by one, whilst also taking note of what she said.

What Kouzhu said earlier was in fact true. The rules for reporting to the palace were indeed tedious and cumbersome. The first one was that the Crown Prince was very fond of cleanliness, and by his own example at that; repeatedly combing, bathing, and changing. Not just that but also pushing that example to others. The body and feet of the servants of the palace, as far as the eyes can see, must not be stained with even a speck of dust. Everyone could be seen incessantly wiping and moping on every shift. Looking at this, A-Bao realised why the work at the Laundry house was so arduous.

What everyone said was also true. The Crown Prince’s temperament indeed could not be described as kind. Everyone here could be seen always trembling with fear. Even the wind did not dare take a full breath within the palace hall, afraid of being careless and provoking that Jade Devil. A-Bao once served him green tea and had accidentally splashed a little over to the table. The Crown Prince who was busy writing suddenly threw the pen in his hand so ruthlessly that he had nearly made a mess of his written documents. All the people in the hall knelt down and pleaded forgiveness. In spite of having the right to lift their feet out of the hall after a while, no one dared to stand up first until Kouzhu was summoned, who dealt with the matter swiftly. Every day, people were dismissed and punished for petty crimes. Every day, a new face came in. This place was not like that Laundry House. No one ever wondered why His Highness the Crown Prince had promoted such a low-level palace maid on a whim — the people were just too used to changing personnel. However, A-Bao soon realised that this didn’t just stem from Crown Prince’s irritability alone.

As autumn went and winter approached. The time of the Winter Solstice grew closer. Dingquan was writing in the warm partition of the study when he heard a servant come in to report. 

“Your Highness, Supervisor Zhang seeks an audience.” 

Dingquan hastily put down his pen and said, “Let him in quickly.” Hurrying, he put on his shirt and guan, and ordered the attendants to step back. 

When A-Bao walked to the door of the study, she saw a middle-aged man dressed in purple and gold having the demeanour of a scholar, personally led in by Zhou Wu. Immediately afterward the pavilion door closed and no one went near. A-Bao couldn’t help but quietly ask Kouzhu, “Senior Sister, who was that person? Why is His Highness so polite towards him?” 

Kouzhu waved her hand to signal her to stop talking until they left the palace, while she replied in a low voice, “This is the current Minister of Personnel, Lord Zhang Luzheng. He also serves as the Supervisor in The Household Administration of the Crown Prince[1], so His Highness values him the most.” 

A-Bao nodded understanding and said no more.