"Your aunt, the Fifth Prince has returned..."
The sensuous atmosphere in the room instantly vanished. Qin Jiujiu seized the opportunity and pushed Xie Jing away.
"Yes, I'll be there immediately."
She had just returned, and this young girl, somehow knowing her location, had arrived so punctually.
This time, she didn't need to say much. Upon hearing about the Fifth Prince, Xie Jing disappeared from the room in an instant.
This person is rather peculiar?
Qin Jiujiu, however, couldn't dwell on it. She tidied herself up before heading out.
Although the Fifth Prince was often away from the palace, whenever he returned, she had to be present to serve him.
"Your Highness, Miss Jiujiu is here." It was the same young girl from that day, standing at the entrance of the great hall, looking at her.
Seeing her arrive, the girl immediately shouted towards the hall.
"Your Highness, the Fifth Prince." As soon as she entered the hall, she saw a young man standing inside, while putting on his clothes, he was staring at her.
"Yo~ Little Jiu'er, where are you coming from?" She bowed, and just as she was about to rise, she heard the voice from above, carrying an inexplicable teasing tone, as if he knew something.
But how could he possibly know?
The anxiety that had been in Qin Jiujiu's heart suddenly subsided. She stood up but did not step forward, remaining rooted to her spot.
"Aren't you going to come and help me?"
She had forgotten; she was his personal maid, and these were tasks she was supposed to perform.
Qin Jiujiu quickly stepped forward. Sheng Huai'an smelled good, unlike Xie Jing. His scent was like sweet fruit fragrance, which, for Qin Jiujiu who had a sweet tooth, was truly pleasant.
Qin Jiujiu discreetly took two breaths. Then, as if realizing her actions were somewhat inappropriate, she quickly dismissed the thoughts in her mind and reached out to help him with the remaining buttons.
She stopped only when he was left in his undergarments. Soon, a palace attendant brought clothes over. She took them and helped him put them on, one by one.
From beginning to end, he did not speak a word.
Qin Jiujiu was quite at ease. Then, he suddenly spoke, "Did you go to Yaoju?"
How did he know? Qin Jiujiu's heart was filled with a subtle question.
She had only been to Yaoju once, and that was with Lin Shuxue to receive reward money. Why would the Fifth Prince know about this?
Because the noble consort residing in Yaoju was no ordinary person, Qin Jiujiu suddenly became nervous.
"The noble consort in Yaoju has been quite prominent lately, but I have no connection with her..."
Sheng Huai'an's tone was originally steady, and Qin Jiujiu relaxed slightly. But then he suddenly said, "However, she specifically asked for you today..."
Qin Jiujiu's heart hung in mid-air, unable to land.
"This servant only went to receive reward money..."
"What you did is not important. What matters is that the noble consort has taken a liking to you. I, a prince with little influence, cannot defy her. You will go to Yaoju." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Qin Jiujiu could not refuse, so she could only agree, "Yes!"
Xiao Xuan'er's expression, however, was not good. The little palace maid's name was Zhao Xuan. She was young and delicate-looking, which was why the Fifth Prince often called her Xiao Xuan'er.
"Since that is the case, you will move to Yaoju today."
Without any room for negotiation, Sheng Huai'an turned and strode out of the room.
When Qin Jiujiu left, Zhao Xuan's gaze towards her clearly held an unreadable emotion, a mix of sympathy and fear.
"I'm leaving."
Lin Shuxue looked at her with a somber expression.
Qin Jiujiu didn't say anything further and turned to leave.
"Jiujiu, be extra careful. That Yaoju is not a clean place. Serving the noble consort might seem like a good position, but it could also be a job that costs you your life..."
Lin Shuxue didn't say any more, but Qin Jiujiu knew that the reason Lin Shuxue and the others were like this was because the palace maids serving this noble consort were frequently replaced, almost always due to disappearances.
However, this trip might also be an opportunity to uncover the truth.
At the entrance of Yaoju.
"Are you new?" A palace maid, who looked about thirty years old, scrutinized her from head to toe before letting her in.
"Auntie, it was His Highness the Fifth Prince who sent me."
Upon hearing this, the woman's expression immediately changed.
"You can follow me." The woman's attitude shifted significantly, and she led her directly inside.
"The noble consort specifically instructed that as a first-rank palace maid, you will have your own room here in Yaoju, just like before. However, Yaoju has more staff than the Fifth Prince's palace, and the rules are stricter. I heard you haven't been disciplined much. Once you are in Yaoju, you must obey the noble consort's commands, do you understand?"
"Yes!" After Qin Jiujiu agreed to everything, the aunt nodded.
The aunt led her into a courtyard. Judging by the clothes drying on the racks, it was a courtyard for the palace maids, but it was not simple. To put it mildly, all the furnishings in Yaoju were quite exquisite.
Qin Jiujiu's mind once again conjured the image of Yun Yaoyao.
"You will live in this room. There was another person in this room, but now it's just you."
She guessed that person must have been one of the disappeared palace maids.
Initially, many people had scrambled to get into Yaoju, but gradually, after frequent incidents, no one dared to enter.
Palace maids often went missing in the palace, and the most frequent location for these disappearances was Yaoju.
Therefore, many people referred to this place as – "Demon Dwelling" (Yaō Jū, a homophone for Yaoju).
After Qin Jiujiu had packed all her belongings, she quickly went to the chamber where the noble consort resided.
The noble consort's surname was unknown; she only had a given name, Zhaodi.
But now, very few people knew her name...
It was said that the Emperor doted on the noble consort and bestowed upon her the name Ruoyao, yet she remained without a surname.
Ruoyao, Ruoyao (若瑶, 若夭).
Led by someone, Qin Jiujiu entered the great hall. At a glance, she saw a woman reclining on a chaise lounge, her eyes narrowed, appearing to be dozing.
"Your Highness, the little palace maid from the Fifth Prince's palace has come to pay her respects." An old wet nurse beside her reminded her.
Although this was the second time they had met, Qin Jiujiu's heart still trembled. This person truly resembled Yun Yaoyao to an extreme. Her face was carved from the same mold.
If it weren't for her eyes, she could have been mistaken for the real person.
Qin Jiujiu quickly lowered her head, so that no one could see her face.
Ruoyao then opened her eyes. The moment she saw Qin Jiujiu, a trace of intense hatred flashed in her eyes, but it was fleeting. She quickly concealed this emotion, and outwardly, there was no sign of any abnormality.
"Your name is Qin Jiujiu? That's an interesting name..."
Her voice was different from Yun Yaoyao's, somewhat hoarse.
"Yes, Your Highness," Qin Jiujiu replied.
Ruoyao waved her hand, and a woman emerged from behind a screen.
The woman held a wooden box and approached Qin Jiujiu.
"This is a reward for you. Take a look."
Ruoyao remained in her reclining posture, her fair, jade-like hand supporting her head, exuding extreme allure.
As she spoke, Qin Jiujiu quickly looked up and accepted the wooden box handed to her.