Chapter 8 The Golden Thigh System Brought by the Little Rascal: You...

Perhaps it was because of the special location of the Cold Palace—people in the palace considered it unlucky and usually avoided it.

With few people and an ominous location, the palaces here inevitably feel eerie.

The location alone is frightening enough, but Ah Zhu's own mind is also making a mess of things.

One moment she was recalling a scene from her childhood, the next she was remembering the hand, white and grimy from being pulled out of the Taiye Pond...

However, this may be a case of fortune and misfortune being interdependent.

Ah Zhu, who had been frightened time and time again by things that appeared out of nowhere, was truly panicked at this moment, but not to the point of losing all reason.

She struggled to regain her composure, trying to reassure herself: Was it possible... was she just imagining things and mishearing?

It's that same piercing "whoosh—whoosh—" sound that's always in my ears. I can finally hear it clearly now?

Regardless of what she was thinking, when she half-raised her head and looked at the empty palace in front of her, A-Zhu couldn't help but shiver.

After enduring the moment when his legs went weak, Ah Zhu suddenly stood up and ran away.

As she fled in a disheveled state, Ah Zhu gritted her teeth and secretly vowed: she must find a master as soon as possible to properly exorcise the evil spirits.

The door was locked from the outside.

As A-Zhu gripped the door, she suddenly heard another voice: "You can hear me."

!!

Ah Zhu shook her head quickly, denying it repeatedly: "I can't hear you."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ah Zhu regretted it so much that he wanted to slap himself. What an idiot!

Sure enough, Ah Zhu's uninvited confession made the "people" in the room laugh.

No wonder people say ghosts and monsters can bewitch people's minds... This "person's" voice is really pleasant to hear.

Listening to the laughter, Ah Zhu couldn't help but imagine what kind of person could have such a voice.

The door was already a crack open, and Ah Zhu, flustered, squeezed half of her body out... There was no obstruction as she had imagined.

Now that half of Ah Zhu's body was outside, he began to hesitate.

This was the first time Ah Zhu had clearly heard any sound other than the ear-piercing "whoosh."

Ever since entering the palace, that tormenting ghost that suddenly appeared out of nowhere has haunted Ah Zhu for nearly ten years.

Over the past few years, Ah Zhu has tried various methods to get rid of this damn thing.

But no matter whether she burned incense or prayed to Buddha, it was all to no avail.

Ah Zhu even tried chicken blood and black dog blood... Aside from almost getting himself punished again with a beating, that dog should have just "whoosh" or "whoosh."

It even goes "whoosh" without regard to the occasion or time, and regardless of what important things Ah Zhu is doing; its main purpose is to be frighteningly elusive.

If it were someone sensitive and melancholic, this thing would probably have sent them to the underworld long ago.

Honestly, A-Zhu had no idea whether those so-called masters could really exorcise evil spirits; she could only cling to that hope and try her best to keep herself going.

If not...

Ah Zhu, who had already squeezed half of his body out, slowly, slowly shuffled back in.

Even though she was flustered just now, she clearly heard the words "This Empress" from A-Zhu.

Anyone who can refer to themselves as "this palace" in this palace must be of the third rank or above.

To be fair, Steward Sun really taught the rules of the Imperial Household Department very well, especially to A-Zhu, who was prone to getting cocky and showing off.

Fearing that Ah Zhu, that shallow-minded fool, would cause trouble for no reason, Granny Sun relentlessly disciplined and taught her for many years.

Even though the empress was already in the cold palace, A-Zhu still obediently knelt back and began to pay his respects.

"This servant greets Your Highness."

"This servant was careless and offended Your Highness. Please forgive me."

They thought, "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding."

A-A, who needed something from "someone", had a sudden thought and continued, "This servant is, is a palace maid who came to deliver the meal."

"May I ask if Your Highness has any dishes you would like? This servant will go back and prepare them properly to send to Your Highness."

The voice laughed again, and this time it even asked her with great interest, "Aren't you afraid of me?"

The sky was bright.

It was well past breakfast time, and dappled sunlight streamed in through the window, making the room less eerie and frightening.

However, looking at the empty palace, Ah Zhu hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me, this servant... this servant was indeed somewhat..."

"Look at you, your face has turned pale with fright, yet you still stay here and even want to bring me food... Is this because you want something from me?"

Ah Zhu, whose secret was immediately exposed, began to hesitate again.

Over the years, fearing being dragged out and burned to death by some ghostly thing that makes a "whoosh" sound, Ah Zhu kept it a secret, never revealing a word even in his sleep.

It's not feasible for humans right now, but it's not for ghosts...

Before A-Zhu could speak again, that exceptionally pleasant voice, seemingly smiling, spoke again.

"Given your appearance, why are you here in this desolate palace delivering meals? Have the palace servants in the inner palace been ostracizing you?"

Exclusion?

Ah Zhu, looking completely bewildered, felt absolutely nothing... No, no, it should be said that Ah Zhu, who was always shameless, single-handedly isolated everyone else.

No matter what others say or do, even if they point fingers at her, A-Zhu rarely reflects on herself or feels sorry for herself because of what others say.

The only reason she was born with dark skin...

Aside from the fact being the most unsettling, Ah Zhu's frantic running around was also largely due to her fear of delaying her grand "palace selection" project.

After all, one's future is basically determined by the master they follow.

In this palace, changing masters for no reason is a major taboo; those who "serve three masters" never have a good end.

Without the experience to serve your master well, and without any background or connections in this palace, do you really think you can become a sixth-rank steward in the Inner Palace?

Bah, keep dreaming.

Seeing Ah Zhu subconsciously shake his head, the laughter in her voice deepened: "Oh~, so you're begging me like this because you want me to promote you and help you rise to the top?"

Despite being thoroughly manipulated by Granny Sun for years and wholeheartedly aiming for a proper palace selection, A-Zhu still shook her head.

Seeing Ah Zhu shake her head repeatedly, the voice burst into laughter: "Whether you really don't want to or you're just pretending, I can't help you with this."

"Not to mention that my body is now nothing but dust and has never seen the light of day, even the current emperor... is a generation younger than me."

Is he a generation younger than the emperor?

Upon hearing this, A-Zhu's eyes lit up instantly—

Does that mean this... this is an old ghost?

She must be very capable, right?

Even this empress shouldn't know anyone in this palace. Hey, it's good that she doesn't know anyone. Even if they knew about her, they wouldn't tell others... cough cough cough, Ah Zhu silently chanted Amitabha a few times in his heart.

Seeing that he couldn't help Ah Zhu rise to prominence, and Ah Zhu's excited expression seemed genuine, the laughter that had been teasing Ah Zhu abruptly stopped.

"After talking for so long, I still don't know your name?"

"Your Majesty, this servant is A-Zhu... Jiang Zhu."

"Jiang Zhu, I told you I couldn't help you rise to the top, aren't you disappointed at all?"

Ah Zhu shook his head like a rattle drum.

Her eyes shone with excitement, and her voice was filled with joy: "The selection of the palace will be in half a month."

"Thanks to your kindness, Madam, you promised to find me a good job."

“Selecting palaces… Yes, it’s time to fill the positions in each palace at the beginning of summer.”

When she wasn't smiling, the empress's voice was rather cold and aloof.

She said rather listlessly, "Seeing how happy you are, the old woman must have agreed to a good job."

When talking to the other people in the Yeting Palace, Azhu rarely talked about her future, so as not to let them make fun of her.

But facing this lady who had been gone for who knows how long and was now confined here in the shadows, A-Zhu felt surprisingly relaxed.

She rarely shared her aspirations with outsiders, and said with great anticipation, "In the future, this servant wants to be the head of the Imperial Household Department."

"If that day ever comes, Your Majesty, if you wish to eat or use anything, just give the order, and I will do my best to provide it for you."

"That sounds nice, alright, it's kind of you to have this thought, from now on... um? What did you just say?"

"You...you said you only want to be the head of the Inner Palace from now on?!"

A-Zhu nodded somewhat awkwardly as she opened up for the first time, unconsciously clenching her sleeves.

"This servant knows that I am still far from being able to become a sixth-rank steward."

"But, but this servant is willing to endure hardship."

"If five years isn't enough, then... then ten years. One day..."

"Hahaha, hahaha."

Ah Zhu's words were interrupted by an uncontrollable burst of laughter.

As if she had heard some earth-shattering joke, her previously aloof and dignified voice was now filled with uncontrollable laughter.

Ah Zhu laughed so hard her face turned red before her laughter gradually subsided.

However, her voice still carried a hint of laughter as she spoke: "You, with your appearance, say you only want to be in charge..."

"Haha, good, well done, you have ambition."

"Jiang Zhu, I remember you."

"If you ever encounter difficulties in the future, just come here and let me see your funny stories... cough cough cough, and I'll give you some advice."

A-Zhu didn't argue anymore. Whether this lady looked down on her or not didn't matter; ultimately, it was up to her to work hard.

Just because she can't do it now doesn't mean she can't do it in the future.

The old woman said that if she does her job well and serves her master wholeheartedly, she will eventually rise above others.

She can save up a lot of money... eventually she'll succeed.

How A-Zhu strives in the future is entirely up to him.

The most important thing is to ask this lady for a solution to the "whoosh" thing on my body.

Accustomed to the stark realities of palace life, Ah Zhu, though anxious, did not dare to speak.

We have to wait until we're closer...

Seeing that it was getting late, A-Zhu dared not delay any longer. As he took his leave, he asked the lady if she needed anything.

"Alright, you can go back now. I don't need anything for the time being... If you're so inclined, you can bring some agarwood next time."

"Yes, this servant will take her leave."

Just as A-Zhu was about to squeeze out the door, she hesitated and glanced back at the empty palace.

It's not like we've finally found a glimmer of hope, and it's not some ferocious ghost.

Ah Zhu was afraid that if he left like this, he might never be able to find this lady again...

There's an old saying that a person's name carries a spirit; once you know it, you won't lose it.

"This humble servant dares to ask, 'I do not yet know Your Highness's name, may I ask...'"

Not hearing a reply, A-Zhu pursed her lips, lowered her head, and slipped out through the crack in the door.

"Feng Lianyu".

Just as they were about to close, Ah Zhu suddenly heard that voice again.

She smiled and said softly, "This servant will remember."

After saying that, Ah Zhu found the food box hidden behind the doorpost and hurriedly left.

A note from the author:

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Thank you so much for your support, my lovely readers! It's so heartwarming. I'm speechless. Let me give you all a kiss and a big hug.

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Ah Zhu's limited perspective and the rules she's been forced to learn... it's really not good without someone knowledgeable to lend a hand. Having a benefactor (a true benefactor) can really save her a lot of detours.