Sun Lingshu shook her head at her sister as she endured and kept her voice calm. “Thank you for the reminder. I will be more careful in the future.”
Official Situ lowered her eyes. “It is good that you know. Her Majesty, the Empress, has instructed me to manage the Office of Rites and I am in-charge of the behaviour and mannerism of everyone in the palace. If Your Highness has any questions regarding the rules, I am very willing to go through it with you.”
“You!” Sun Lingwei was bursting with anger. How could Official Situ be so demanding?
Sun Lingshu immediately spoke, “There is no need for that. I have already learned the palace rules before I entered.”
Official Situ’s expression did not change. “Since Your Highness does not need me to teach you, I will take my leave.”
Sun Lingwei waited until Official Situ was a distance away before stomping her foot. “Elder Sister, why did you hold back?”
“You don’t understand.” However, Sun Lingshu had to understand.
Her biggest takeaway after marrying into the palace was that a woman’s most precious years were the years just before she got married. As soon as they were married, it was like they entered an entirely different universe. She faced a husband that she was not familiar with and a stranger for a mother-in-law. Even though she had half the authority in the house, everyone only paid attention to seniority. Official Situ has served the Empress and the Crown Prince before. Although Official Situ was ultimately still just a palace lady, she was highly experienced and she could not offend her as a newcomer.
Sun Lingwei did not know of her sister’s troubles and was extremely stubborn. “When you become the Empress in the future, the first thing you should do is to get rid of that old hag and teach these palace ladies how to differentiate between authority.”
Sun Lingshu merely laughed. It was not easy to deal with palace ladies. Similar to how her Imperial Mother trusted Official Situ and gave her the authority over an entire office, she also needed to have a palace lady loyal to her. Then when she needed to do things, it would be much easier. A candidate appeared in her mind -- Fu Rou.
Fu Rou’s mood was low as she left the Eastern Palace.
Sun Lingshu requested for her to make another eye-catching dance costume. Fu Rou knew that it was to please the Crown Prince but she felt that this trick might not be useful anymore. Furthermore, Sun Lingshu was already the master of the Eastern Palace. It was not particularly outstanding to use dance costumes and dancers to attract the Crown Prince. She had voiced out her opinion that this might not work but Sun Lingshu had made up her mind and even criticised her for having a bad attitude.
She spoke the truth yet was misunderstood by someone she had helped before. She sighed. No wonder everyone in the palace acted carefully. It was hard to guess what other people’s true intentions are. The Sun Lingshu from the Han Mansion was so innocent and only prepared a simple dance costume. However, now that Sun Lingshu was the Crown Princess, she had become anxious, cold and arrogant.
“Aiya!” Fu Rou heard someone shout from behind the fake stone mountain. She rushed over only to see a lady sitting dejectedly on the floor, completely drenched. A suspicious looking attendant disappeared behind the fake mountain.
The girl on the ground was Lu Yingying.
Fu Rou knew that despite losing, Lu Yingying often entered the palace to chat with Empress Zhangsun. The Empress adored her and it was rumoured that she was considering making Lu Yingying the Crown Prince’s concubine. This would increase Lu Yingying’s status to one that was not far off from Sun Lingshu. This place was near to the Eastern Palace and the attendant had been wearing the uniform from the Eastern Palace. Someone might have done this out of spite.
Fu Rou stepped up to help Lu Yingying as an unknown feeling washed over her. She had once helped Sun Lingshu defeat Lu Yingying. Yet, today, she was helping Lu Yingying and ruining Sun Lingshu’s plans. She was getting entangled with them.
“I have seen you before.” Lu Yingying recognised Fu Rou and her eyes glimmered. “On the day that I entered Chang’an, I met you once in front of the city gates. The curtains of your carriage were open. Nice to meet you. I am Lu Yingying.”
Fu Rou never thought that there would be such a coincidence. She imagined that Lu Yingying would be a pampered and scheming person. She did not expect her to be so generous and have such kind eyes.
“I am Fu Rou.” Although the Lu father-son pair were despicable, Fu Rou still needed some time to examine if their daughter was as evil. Hence, Fu Rou was generous. “Do you want to go to my room to change your clothes?”
“Fu Rou?” Lu Yingying froze. “You are the reason why my brother fought with Sheng Chumu in front of the Imperial family. Why would you help me?”
“The road is slightly bumpy, give me your hand.” Moreover, she might have misjudged her. “It is just a set of normal clothes, there is no need to consider it a favour. You can just disregard today.” She wanted to make it such that they did not owe each other anything.
Lu Yingying saw that Fu Rou had no intentions of using her to raise her status nor was she trying to get close. She changed her clothes, thanked Fu Rou and left. Fu Rou appreciated that Lu Yingying was a straightforward person.
Chapter 16.1: Hidden Battle
After a few days, Fu Rou submitted the dance outfit that Sun Lingshu requested. She tried her best to make it as she was ordered, keeping it elegant while adding jewels wherever possible. Unexpectedly, Sun Lingshu was not appreciative of the dance outfit that Fu Rou put in effort to make. She did not even bother to try it on and threw it onto the table, showing a dark face.
“I heard that your embroidery skills have been acknowledged by both Imperial Mother and Concubine Yan. But why is it so poor when it comes to me? Are your abilities limited or could my Eastern Palace not be worthy of your jewels?” She had thought that Fu Rou had good foresight and that’s why she made that raining flower dress that day.
“I do not dare.” Fu Rou did not expect Sun Lingshu to be so demanding. “I believe that having too much is as good as not having anything. As the Crown Princess, you can wear as luscious a dress as you want but it would not be fitting of your personality.”
“Enough!” Sun Lingshu interrupted impatiently, “Before I got married, I was restricted by my family to not seek lavishness. But now that I am the Crown Princess, what I eat and wear has to match my status. If not, people will think that I am petty. Head Seamstress Fu, you entered the palace before me and should know this.”
Fu Rou opened her mouth before closing it.
“That’s enough. Bring it back to amend it.” Sun Lingshu waved dismissively and spoke as if she was tired. “Head Seamstress Fu, don’t just treat Imperial Mother and Concubine Yan well, you should look further ahead. Moreover, we have a past together. As long as you are sincere, from now on, you can rise along with me.”
Fu Rou felt a chill in her heart. Was this what it meant when people say the palace devours people’s souls? The Sun family’s daughter had already been swallowed. The Crown Princess in front of her is no longer the girl she knew before.
“I will obey your order.”
She did not persist, there was no need to. They were going on separate ways.
Fu Rou held onto the dress as she walked through the Imperial Garden. From afar, she caught sight of Prince Zhou and wanted to hide. However, he had already seen her.
“I haven’t seen you recently and thought that you had fallen sick again. I was just intending to go and find you.” She really knew how to hide. It was as if she grew a thousand eyes and he could not find her wherever he went.
“I have been busy.” She was telling the truth. She had gone to the Eastern Palace twice and still had to amend the skirt.