"How could that be? I just suddenly remembered, so I asked you. If I remember correctly, palace maids who work in the palace are required to leave the palace when they reach a certain age, right?"
"When you reach a certain age, you can leave the palace, but you'll be thirty by then. What will you do then? You won't have a family home. Even if you did, you won't be able to get married by that age. You can't stay at your parents' house every day."
If you have brothers on your maternal side, you'll have to be mindful of your sister-in-law and brother's wife's feelings; life there won't be any easier than in the palace.
That's true. Li Tiao didn't know what to say. Having never experienced someone else's suffering, she couldn't offer any advice.
Li Tiao only hoped that after she left, she could follow another master who was easy to get along with.
Although Li Tiao didn't show much emotion, Hongye still sensed something was wrong: "Master, did Granny Su say something to you?"
"No, why would you ask that?"
"Then why did you ask me what my plans are for the future?" Hongye still had doubts.
Li Tiao knew she had softened her heart again. She shouldn't have asked Hongye in the first place, but now that she had asked, there was no use in regretting it.
"It's because His Majesty asked me about my plans for the future, and I didn't have any ideas, so I just asked you casually." Li Tiao glanced at Hongye without showing any emotion, and seeing that she was still somewhat doubtful, Li Tiao feigned grievance:
"I was just thinking that since Aunt Su Ma La is treating me quite well right now, if you have any ideas, I'll see if I can ask her for a favor."
Otherwise, if I were to get beheaded, I wouldn't be able to arrange anything for you even if I wanted to."
"Pah, pah, pah, Master, why are you bringing up death again?" Hongye: "Master, how could you be beheaded? The Fourth Prince shouldn't be..."
“Hongye, why don’t you go and serve the Fourth Prince?” Li Tiao interrupted Hongye.
"Master, do you think I'm in your way?"
"No, I didn't, I just..."
“My lady, it would have been acceptable for me to serve the Fourth Prince when he was still in the Princes’ Residence. But now that he has his own residence, it’s not so easy for me to leave the palace. It would be illegitimate.”
That's really true; Li Tiao was careless.
"I shouldn't have asked. Why did things get a little sad as we talked?"
Li Tiao tried to ease the tension, but the words had already been spoken. Hongye wasn't stupid, and having spent a lot of time with Li Tiao, she could guess most of what Li Tiao was thinking, if not completely.
After hesitating for a moment, Hongye asked softly, "Master, are you thinking of sneaking out of the palace?"
Upon hearing Hongye's question, Li Tiao forgot to hide her emotions and was extremely surprised.
"My lord, are you really going to leave the palace secretly?"
Hongye knew she had guessed correctly from Li Tiao's surprised expression, so she asked again. Only then did Li Tiao come to her senses and subconsciously denied it: "Who said I..."
Then, halfway through her explanation, Li Tiao belatedly realized that it was too late to explain.
"My lord, please take me with you. You can't be without someone to take care of you."
After much deliberation, Li Tiao still told the truth: "I would like to take you with me, but if you come with me, won't the Fourth Prince know where I'm going?"
“This servant will not tell the Fourth Prince.”
Hongye's unwavering attitude made Li Tiao feel as if it were all a conspiracy. It seemed that Hongye had known her thoughts all along and had been looking for an opportunity to tell her. But before she could even say anything, Li Tiao had already jumped in.
Li Tiao felt a little annoyed, but she thought that even if it was a trap, since she had asked, she should explain it clearly, otherwise it would be too uncomfortable to have such a vague understanding.
"Aren't you going to tell the Fourth Prince? What if he comes looking for you?" Li Tiao asked Hongye.
"Isn't the Fourth Prince going to accompany the Emperor on a personal expedition? He won't be in the capital then and won't be looking for me. If you're really determined to leave here, I think you definitely won't want to have any more contact with the palace."
"This servant doesn't actually want to have any more contact with the palace. Before, I had no choice; I couldn't leave. Now that I have this opportunity to be with you, my master, I naturally won't utter a single word."
"Didn't you just say you didn't want to go out? You can't do anything if you go out." Li Tiao's doubts grew, and Hongye's words contradicted each other.
Thinking of Chunxi, who was no longer with her, Li Tiao wondered if she was really that unlucky to encounter another person who would betray her.
Hongye: "That was because I didn't understand your thoughts just now. As a servant, it's not appropriate for me to show you that I really want to leave this place."
Besides, what I said just now wasn't exactly a lie. I do want to leave the palace, but if I reach that age, there's no point in leaving anyway, and I don't know what I'll do after I leave.
But I am willing to go out with you, my lord, and serve you.
Although Hongye spoke very sincerely, Li Tiao still dared not easily believe or agree.
"Since we've come this far, I won't hide it from you. You know my current situation. It seems the only way for me to carve out a path for myself is to leave quietly. So I do want to leave, but you should also know that this isn't so easy. Let's see how things go first."
Li Tiao's words effectively shut down any further questions Hongye might ask.
After that, Hongye really didn't ask anything else.
The New Year is just around the corner, and this is the first time Li Tiao has spent the New Year in the palace since she came here, but she has no interest in it and is not curious about anything.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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