Chapter 8 Mei Xi (VIII) Visiting the Palace

That sharp warning, mixed with noises, came from the depths of my mind and pierced my consciousness like an ice-cold needle.

Lin Jiaojiao's hand holding the ceramic bowl trembled violently! A few drops of warm soup splashed onto the back of her hand, causing a slight stinging sensation.

What’s going on?!

Her whole body stiffened, her pupils dilated in an instant with fear, and the bowl of steaming flower tea seemed to have suddenly lost all its warmth, sending a chill running up her spine to the back of her head.

[System? Are you losing your mind?! You scared me to death! What emotional fluctuations? What resonance?!] Her heart was pounding like a drum, and cold sweat instantly soaked her clean underwear. The momentary peace she had just established was shattered by this strange system alarm.

[…Zizi…Analysis interrupted…Interference source: Host's high stress response. Emotion simulation unit…stabilizing…recalibrating…]

The cold, flat electronic sound of the system, after a brief burst of sharp noise, forcibly regained stability and reported a string of data that seemed to be normal. However, that brief ripple with a hint of "confusion" left an indelible shadow in Lin Jiaojiao's heart.

Chun was concentrating on fiddling with the charcoal under the small copper pot, and didn't notice her concubine's face suddenly turned pale and there was a flash of fear in her eyes. She just thought that Lin Jiaojiao had accidentally burned her hand. "Concubine? Is the soup too hot?" she asked with concern.

"...Ah? Oh...No, it's okay." Lin Jiaojiao forced herself to calm down, her voice a little tense, and she forced out a pale smile.

The smile on her still-beautiful, though slightly frightened, face was as fragile as thin ice about to break. She took a deep breath, turned her gaze from the bowl of soup, and looked out the window at the rare good weather. "It's just... I've been lying in bed for so long and feel stuffy, so I want to go out into the yard for some fresh air." She used this excuse to distract herself from the system's strange behavior.

"Breathable? Great!" Chun immediately became energetic. "The sun is shining brightly today. It will definitely be warm if you bask in the sun. I'll help you out right away." She carefully helped Lin Jiaojiao up.

The dull pain in the right shoulder still existed, and one still had to be very careful when walking. Chun found a cloak that looked a little thicker and tied it carefully for Lin Jiaojiao, covering the bandage on her shoulder.

The door of the palace was pushed open, and the cool yet warm winter sunlight poured down like a golden waterfall, illuminating the cold stone floor in front of the porch.

Lin Jiaojiao narrowed her eyes slightly, adapting to the long-lost brightness.

The courtyard had obviously been hastily cleaned, with dead branches and leaves piled in the corners, leaving a clean area in the middle. The sun shone generously, dispelling a lot of the cold. Several servants were busy tidying up the dead trees that were crushed by ice and snow last night in the distance. When they saw Lin Jiaojiao coming out, they paused for a moment, their eyes involuntarily attracted by the figure in the sun.

She was wearing the simplest coarse linen robe and an equally plain thick cloak. Her long hair was loosely tied up with a wooden hairpin. A few strands of soft hair hung down by her cheeks, outlined with golden light by the sunlight.

Her face, having just recovered from a serious illness, still had a hint of transparent paleness, but that pure and flawless beauty was magnified to the extreme in the pure light. Her eyebrows and features were as if carefully outlined with a fine brush, and her lips were a light, healthy pink. The sunlight filtered through her slightly drooping eyelashes, casting a small, gentle shadow under her eyes. That beauty, with the fragility of post-illness care, was even more breathtaking, like the first flower blooming on the cliffside when the ice and snow first melted, so pure that it made the surrounding desolation pale in comparison.

The servants, with their heads bowed, moved more slowly and lightly unconsciously, as if they were afraid of disturbing this rare winter spectacle. Even the heavy breathing of those carrying heavy objects in the distance was deliberately suppressed, and a silent tranquility spread across the courtyard.

[External individual (servant) emotional perception: awe (rising) → pity (dominant) → unconscious protective tendency...] The system's real-time analysis sounded calmly, as if the anomaly just now had never happened.

Lin Jiaojiao was completely unaware that she had become the focus of attention. With Chun's support, she slowly walked to a stone pillar in the courtyard where the sun was the brightest. The stone pillar was icy cold, so Chun hurried back and quickly brought a bundle of relatively clean straw to spread on it, then helped her sit down carefully.

The sunlight instantly enveloped her entire body, dispelling the last trace of cold air brought out from the temple. The warm feeling seeped into her skin, making her so comfortable that she couldn't help but sigh with satisfaction. She slightly raised her face, closed her eyes, and fully felt the warmth brought by this source of life.

The sunlight made her fair skin almost transparent, her long eyelashes cast thick and cute fan-shaped shadows under her eyes, her nose was small and straight, and her lips were healthy and moist in the light.

This pure posture, completely immersed in sunshine and tranquility, is fragile and beautiful, like a fragile treasure placed in the gentlest palm of the sun.

The busy figures in the yard seemed to be in slow motion.

Whether it was the elderly servant waving a broom to clear the fallen leaves, the two young slaves working together to lift the broken wood, or the thin maid who was carefully watering a surviving evergreen plant with a broken clay pot, their movements had obviously slowed down.

My gaze is always drawn unconsciously to the figure gleaming in the sunlight at the center of the courtyard. A mixture of awe, curiosity, and wonder, and deeper still, an almost instinctive desire to protect something so fragile and beautiful, arises spontaneously. Even the most calloused gaze softens slightly when it encounters that tranquil silhouette.

At this time, an old maid with gray hair, who was dressed in a slightly better-looking hemp dress that was starched to a white, than an ordinary servant, came towards this side with a hunched back, holding a rough pottery bowl that was emitting faint heat, and tremblingly. She obviously had some difficulty walking and walked very slowly.

When she passed by the stone pier where Lin Jiaojiao was resting, her feet seemed to go weak and her body shook violently. The bowl of turbid and thin liquid in her hand, which was probably some kind of wild vegetable soup, was about to spill out. A few drops of boiling hot soup even splashed in the direction of Lin Jiaojiao.

"Ah!" The old maid uttered a low cry of panic.

Chun next to him reacted very quickly and subconsciously moved sideways to protect Lin Jiaojiao.

However, at this moment——

The middle-aged servant who was closest and was originally sweeping up fallen leaves nearby dropped the broom in his hand almost like lightning and rushed over in one step. With precise movements, he used his strong arms to steadily support the old maid's shaky body. With his other hand, he quickly supported the earthenware bowl that was about to fall over. The turbid soup shook violently, and in the end, only a small amount spilled onto the cold ground.

"Grandma, be careful!" The servant's voice was hoarse, but his actions were extremely reliable.

The old maid was gasping in shock, her cloudy eyes filled with fear. She subconsciously looked at the sitting Lin Jiaojiao, fearing that she had offended her.

The beauty in the sunshine was startled by the small noise and slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes, which had just been bathed in sunlight, were as clear as a pool of melted spring water. She was not angry, and there was no panic on her face. She just looked at the old maid and the slightly soiled ground with a little confusion of just waking up and concern about the situation.

Lin Jiaojiao didn't say anything, but just tilted her head slightly, a strand of hair fell on her cheek, and there was a hint of worried inquiry in her eyes.

This subtle gesture and look sent shockwaves through the hearts of both the old maidservant and the servant who had offered a helping hand. It was a kind of concern completely unlike anything they had ever known, a look that belonged to someone in a higher position... pure concern? There was no rebuke or contempt, only gentleness like water.

"I deserve to die for disturbing Princess Yuan." The old maid reacted and was about to kneel down.

The servant who supported her also knelt down, and when he apologized, he couldn't help but steal a glance at Lin Jiaojiao. A trace of shyness and embarrassment that was hard to conceal appeared on his dark face, and he didn't know where to put his rough big hands. "I am guilty, please spare my life, Princess Yuan." His voice was much softer, with a protective feeling of fear of disturbing her.

Lin Jiaojiao looked at them, the corners of her lips curved slightly, and she shook her head gently, silently indicating that nothing was wrong. Her smile was as faint as the newly melted snow falling into the calm lake, spreading out a circle of extremely subtle but heart-trembling ripples.

The old maid and the middle-aged servant were stunned for a moment, then hurriedly lowered their heads, not daring to look again, but the tension in their hearts was inexplicably relaxed, replaced by an indescribable feeling of comfort, as if being warmed and ironed.

The old maid remembered something and hurriedly picked up a little of the bowl of warmed, thin vegetable soup in her hand, which she treasured like a treasure. Her movements were a little hesitant, but still with an almost pious, repaying clumsiness, so clumsy that it made people sad: "My Lady Concubine... this... this bowl of soup... is clean... I have never drunk it... You... you are weak, do you want to warm it up?" Her voice trembled with humility.

Lin Jiaojiao looked at the bowl of murky, almost oil-free soup, then at the old woman's wrinkled face, filled with worry and hope, and the servant's equally sincere and expectant eyes...

Her heart seemed to be gently hit by something. She did not reach out to take the bowl of soup, but winked at Chun.

Chun immediately understood and walked forward quickly with a warm smile on her face. She said to the old maid in a clear voice, "Grandma, I appreciate your kindness, but you are so old, and your health is more important. Please drink this soup while it's hot." As she spoke, she took out a small, slightly roasted wild fruit from her arms and quickly stuffed it into the old maid's calloused hand, "This is for your sweet mouth!"

The old maid looked at the small wild fruit in her hand, and then at the beautiful concubine sitting in the sun with a soothing smile on her face. Tears instantly filled her cloudy old eyes, her lips trembled, and she could only nod her head: "Hey... hey! Thank you, concubine, thank you for your grace, old servant... old servant..." She was so excited that she couldn't speak. The middle-aged servant was also rubbing his hands honestly and chuckling twice, as if he was the one who received the reward.

This scene sent a silent ripple through the eyes of the other palace servants watching silently in the courtyard. The beautiful concubine emanated not the arrogance or arrogance one might imagine, but a strange, gentle power that made one want to draw near and protect her.

The afternoon sun becomes warmer.

Lin Jiaojiao did not plan to sit for long. After resting for a while, Chun helped her get up and walked slowly along the corridor of the courtyard.

She walked slowly, appreciating the rare blue sky and white clouds, as well as the tender buds of plants in the courtyard that were still tenaciously surviving in the cold winter.

Sunlight danced through her hair, casting a soft halo around her. Every servant and slave who passed by would involuntarily stop and bow from afar, their movements filled with unprecedented caution and an indescribable sense of... cherishment? It was as if she wasn't a concubine, but a fragile, rare treasure that needed the collective protection of the entire courtyard.

Just as they slowly walked to a side hall that looked like it was used to store cloth, furs and other supplies, the hall door happened to open.

A middle-aged official wearing a dark blue linen official robe, a leather hat and a sparse goatee was walking out with a scroll of wooden tablets in his hands. His face showed fatigue and impatience after settling accounts. He was the treasurer in charge of miscellaneous items in the palace in this area - Ku Ding.

As Ku Ding stepped out of the door and looked up, his eyes met with Lin Jiaojiao who was walking in the sunshine.

For a moment, all the expressions on Kudin's face froze.

The wooden tablet in his hand fell to the ground with a "clack", but he was completely unaware of it. His eyes were wide open, staring straight ahead.

The thin but clear winter sunlight poured unreservedly onto that god-like face, with skin as translucent as white jade, eyebrows as clear as distant mountains, and a pair of eyes as limpid as the water of the Jade Pool, reflecting the azure sky and his frozen reflection.

The impact of that beauty was like an invisible hammer, hitting his senses hard. The lingering sense of vulnerability from recovering from a serious illness made the impact multiply exponentially.

He felt as if he saw the legendary goddess descending on the clouds. His head was buzzing, and all the abacus beads and inventory figures were instantly scattered, leaving a blank.

Lin Jiaojiao was a little confused by the strange look in the man's eyes. She tilted her head slightly, a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes. She subconsciously wanted to gather the cloak around her shoulders, but because of the inconvenience of her right shoulder, her movements seemed a little clumsy.

Just this small movement that was slightly confused and a little helpless due to injury -

Ku Ding felt a surge of hot blood rushing to his head. He came back to his senses in an instant, his old face flushed red, as if he had made a huge mistake. He suddenly remembered that last night, because of the inconvenience in allocating certain supplies, he had secretly criticized this "troublemaker" concubine who had been seriously injured shortly after entering the palace...

"Your Majesty, your Majesty..." Ku Ding bowed helplessly, his voice shaking and he almost choked on his own saliva, "Your Majesty... Ku Ding! Paying respects to the Princess." He bent over, not daring to look again. He felt his heart beating so wildly that it was about to jump out of his throat. The shock brought by the glimpse just now was still stirring in his mind, mixed with thick shame and fear.

[External entity (Kudin) core fluctuations: Severe shock → Intense introspection → High loyalty signal (to be observed).] The system calmly noted.

Lin Jiaojiao was completely bewildered as she watched him panic and speak incoherently. Was this treasurer… perhaps suffering from hysteria? She nodded slightly, her voice soft but hoarse from the injury, "No need to be polite."

Ku Ding stood up suddenly as if he had received an imperial edict. He almost sprained his waist because of his violent movement. He hurriedly picked up the scroll from the ground and held it tightly in his arms. He forced an almost twisted smile on his face, trying hard to express loyalty and remorse, and said in a loud and abrupt voice: "What does the Princess want?! Ku Si... Ku Si will... never refuse even if it means death!" When he said the four words "never refuse even if it means death", his voice cracked and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Lin Jiaojiao: "..." I'm just passing by! She was a little amused and could only maintain her surface calmness. She shook her head and said, "Nothing, go ahead." After that, she motioned for Chun to help her leave.

Ku Ding stood there with his head bowed respectfully as if he was seeing off an ancestor, until Lin Jiaojiao's figure disappeared around the corner of another corridor. Only then did he dare to take a deep breath and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, his heart still pounding.

It's so scary! But it's also so beautiful. From now on, if anyone says that the concubine is a disaster, I will be angry with them. I must pick out some of the softest fine cloth for the concubine to make a close-fitting underwear... Well, I will keep the key to the storehouse myself. He clenched the wooden tablet in his hand, and for the first time, he felt that these boring accounts were much more pleasing to the eye.

In the evening, when Chun helped Lin Jiaojiao finish their walk and return to the side hall, he found that there were a few more things at the door of the hall.

A brand new futon carefully woven with soft straw.

A basket of freshly picked wild berries, dripping with water and plump and juicy.

There was even a small jar of milky white goat cheese with a rich, milky aroma.

Beside it lay half a roll of ebony linen, evidently new and of a much softer texture.

No signature.

Chun looked at Lin Jiaojiao in surprise. Lin Jiaojiao looked at the simple "tributes" at the door, and then looked at the small stove in the hall that was steadily emitting warmth...

She knew that in this solemn and cold royal court, a ripple different from the previous ones was quietly spreading.