Xiao Yan took a step back without leaving a trace, avoiding Bai Zhi's hand, "Why are you here? I don't need you to serve here, please leave."
Bai Zhi's hand stopped awkwardly in mid-air. She stood up but did not leave.
"How can you not need servants to serve you? Your Highness is a royal noble, and everything he eats and wears is exquisite. How can you go out wearing such clothes? Wouldn't that make people laugh?"
"Xiao Yun was born in a prison camp, so naturally she doesn't understand how to take care of Your Highness's food, clothing, housing and transportation. You should leave it to me in the future."
Xiao Yan patiently explained, "I chose the dress myself. It has nothing to do with Xiaoyun. If you feel that Xiaoyun doesn't understand, you can teach her slowly in the future. Please leave now."
Bai Zhi looked at Xiao Yan in shock. "How can you let Your Highness do these trivial things yourself? Xiao Yun is so ignorant! I made a piece of clothing for Your Highness myself. It's light and warm. Please change into it before you go out."
Baizhi unfolded a crimson robe, the style of dress commonly worn by princes in the palace. The collar and cuffs were embroidered with cloud patterns, and on the chest there was a lifelike python flying in the clouds.
Both the stitches and embroidery are superb. Even those made by the Imperial Household Department are probably not as fine as this.
When Ji Yunhuan saw Bai Zhi coming, she felt embarrassed to continue lying on the bed. She put on her clothes with difficulty and explained:
"Sister Baizhi, you may not know that the Emperor does not fully trust His Highness. If he dresses too grandly, it will only arouse the Emperor's suspicion. The clothes His Highness is wearing now were given by the Emperor. Regardless of whether they look good or not, at least they are not wrong."
Bai Zhi hurriedly put the clothes away, a look of embarrassment on her face. "So that's how it is. I didn't know this and almost ruined His Highness's plans. Now I'll burn these clothes to avoid causing trouble for His Highness."
Xiao Yan hummed indifferently, as if he didn't care much.
Bai Zhi bit her lip, her tone rather reluctant, "This servant has been working needle and thread for a long time. In the past, it was this servant who served Your Highness. Your Highness has suffered so much in the past three years. Now, you can't even wear a nice set of clothes. If the Empress knew about this, I wonder how sad she would be..."
When Bai Zhi mentioned the late queen, her eyes reddened and she sobbed softly, unable to utter a complete sentence.
Bai Zhi was born gentle and lovely, and she was even more lovable when she cried. Unfortunately, Xiao Yan was not good at romance, and frowned when he heard this:
"Baizhi, people should always look forward. Those who dwell on themselves will only sink deeper into the mire and never be able to turn around."
"I thought you were a sensible person. If you continue to be so careless, always talking about the past and not knowing how to be careful with your words and actions, then I will not be able to keep you."
Bai Zhi, tears still on her face, immediately knelt down and said, "I will never mention it again. Please don't chase me away, Your Highness."
Xiao Yan was just making a casual remark. Bai Zhi used to be close to the Queen Mother and was loyal to her. She would rather suffer in the slave camp than switch to someone else's camp, so he still trusted Bai Zhi very much.
Right now, the Eastern Palace is in need of someone to take care of trivial matters, and no one is more suitable than Bai Zhi.
"Get up, do your part, and I will not treat you unfairly."
Bai Zhi wiped her tears and stood up, "Your Highness doesn't want me to serve you, but I see that Miss Xiaoyun doesn't know how to dress. This dress is complicated and Miss Xiaoyun has never seen it before. Why not let me teach her?"
Xiao Yan nodded in satisfaction, "Well, teach her more about clothes, jewelry, hair, hairpins and rings. She doesn't know how to do anything. It would be a shame to leave it all for nothing."
Ji Yunhuan's face was already red!
If Xiao Yan hadn't struggled so hard last night, would she not be able to put on even a piece of clothing?
"Then I'll trouble you, sister. Just keep it simple. Your Highness, please go out first and don't look!"
"I've seen everything, but now I feel shy." Xiao Yan's tone was full of intimacy. He kissed Xiao Yun as if no one was around, and then went out with satisfaction.
Ji Yunhuan lifted up the fox fur coat, revealing the ambiguous traces on her body. She was so weak that she had no strength left and could only let Bai Zhi put on layer after layer of clothes for her.
Baizhi was very skilled and quickly tied her hair into a bun. She was impatient to wear heavy jewelry, so in the end she only wore two pearl hairpins. The simplicity actually brought out her beautiful face.
She took Bai Zhi's hand gratefully and said with a smile, "Thank you so much, sister. You took good care of me back in the slave camp. Xiaoyun has always remembered it. Now I finally have the chance to repay you. Please keep this box of jewelry. I won't need so much anyway."
"Sister is a member of the late Queen's family. His Highness values friendship and loyalty, and will certainly not treat her badly. After three years in the prison camp, your health must have been greatly damaged. You must take good care of yourself in the future. His Highness is not a demanding person, so you don't have to come and serve every day. Taking care of your own health is the most important thing."
Ji Yunhuan said this sincerely. If she were an ordinary palace maid, she would probably just be grateful. However, Bai Zhi felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, and she tried her best to suppress her emotions and not show them.
"I know that His Highness is a very good person."
The two of them went out hand in hand. Xiao Yan was already sitting at the dinner table. When he saw Ji Yunhuan, he stood up, with an unconcealable look of surprise in his eyes.
"I told you that you would look great in this outfit. You should wear it every day from now on. You are my woman, so you should dress up beautifully. Why do you always wear those tattered clothes?"
"Your Highness, it's not as exaggerated as you say. Don't palace maids all dress like that? It makes it easier for them to work."
Xiao Yan naturally took Ji Yunhuan's hand and sat down, picking up a soft pig bun for her. "I know you like these kinds of things, so I asked the kitchen to make one for you. It's not as good as what you make, but it's still edible."
Ji Yunhuan took a bite, and the fresh juice burst out, leaving a lingering fragrance in his mouth.
Her cooking skills were only above average, and that was after the bonus of "Mastery of Cooking Skills", but Xiao Yan seemed to particularly like what she made. He would not look down upon anything made by the imperial chef, no matter how exquisite it was.
Bai Zhi quietly poured a bowl of porridge and handed it to Xiao Yan with both hands, "Your Highness, please enjoy your meal."
Xiao Yan looked at her in surprise, "Why are you still here? I don't need you to serve me. I have already sent the imperial meal. Please go out and enjoy it with them."
Xiao Yan seems indifferent and never says anything considerate, but he is actually very good to those who serve him.
People in the palace pay attention to the pomp and circumstance. Even if they don't eat the food, they have to put it on the table and wait for themselves to finish their meal before giving it to the guests. But he gave it to the guests early in the morning just to let the people serving him have something hot to eat.
Bai Zhi said, "Your Highness is a noble man. How can you eat without anyone serving you? I am not hungry. I will serve Your Highness."
Ji Yun happily poured a bowl of meat porridge and placed it in front of Xiao Yan. "Sister Baizhi, you are too obedient. Your Highness is not a demanding person. Go and eat quickly. I am here and will not let Your Highness go hungry."
Baizhi watched as the eldest prince kept picking up food for Xiaoyun, and she didn't know who was serving whom.
"Sister Xiaoyun, you don't know. His Highness likes millet porridge. Meat porridge has a fishy smell, and His Highness has never liked it since he was a child. If Sister Xiaoyun doesn't know His Highness's preferences, how can she serve him well?"
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