"Just a man who works alongside me under Colonel Gao Ming," I replied calmly.
How did Renshu even know someone was here? The storehouses should have blocked any view of the path. Maybe it was the sound of the horse hooves, but even then, he was inside the palace.
There was a whole field between us. He couldn't possibly have heard it… could he?
"Why would you even bring someone here? Day by day, you seem to be getting more idiotic. Didn't I tell you this palace is hidden?" he sighed, irritation lacing his voice.
I stayed silent. There was nothing I could say. Renshu flared up easily, but also cooled down fast. Hopefully this would be one of those times.
When I looked up, I noticed he was eating. It was quite late already. Had he been waiting for me? No wonder he was angry.
"Don't bring that man here again," he ordered as I stood up.
I nodded and left for my room, too tired to think much about it.
~~~ MORNING ~~~
When I woke up the next morning, a surprise awaited me—a letter from Lianyu!
It was addressed to General Renshu's Palace. That alone made me pause. So, those sending letters into the Forbidden Palace knew where he resided? Interesting.
I broke the seal and unfolded the paper.
Dear Meilina,
You do not know how shocked and happy we are to finally receive your reply. Every week, for months, I have written to you as a common maid. Each time, the letter was sent back with a note saying you were transferred to work at the Lanxuan Pavilion.
Now I find that you've caught the attention of a general? Please explain everything.
We are doing well. Yichen is especially curious about what happened with Yixuan, and Ariya is fine as well.
Write back soon.
—Lianyu
Every week… for months? My fingers tightened around the letter. Then where had all those letters gone?
They had been sent to the Lanxuan Pavilion. So, something must have happened there. Wait—didn't Renshu mention once that the Consort used to give the letters addressed to me to Shuyin, telling her to discard them?
So, Shuyin had been throwing them away all this time?
Why?
I took a deep breath, brushing aside the anger, and focused back on the letter. I wanted to write back right away, but I couldn't. The deadline for my assignment to Colonel Gao Ming was today.
Reluctantly, I set the letter aside and began dressing up, putting on my usual makeup.
---
"Did you finish your tough work yet?" I asked Rong Xu as I arrived at the work station.
"Yes. Came right after dawn and started working. Luckily, I've found a, well, mostly satisfactory—answer," he said, puffing his chest slightly with pride.
"How do I give mine to him?"
"Go upstairs. You'll see a wooden door with a black knob. That's where the colonel should be."
Upstairs… The thought alone made my stomach twist. Still, I couldn't just sit around.
The staircase stood directly in front of me, a narrow wooden thing that creaked faintly under my steps. Dust clung to the corners—likely from old scrolls carried up and down for years.
I tightened my grip on the paper and climbed faster.
When I reached the top, I saw the door Rong Xu had described. I opened it.
Books and scrolls lined every wall, covering every inch of space. The air smelled of ink and parchment. Behind a desk buried in papers sat a man who didn't bother to look up.
"I came to submit my answer to the problem," I said, unsure if he'd even heard me.
"Oh, you. Leave it there." He gestured absently at his desk, eyes never leaving the scroll before him.
I did as told and quietly left.
---
The rest of the morning passed with study and conversation. Rong Xu lent me a few books and explained the political issues plaguing China.
"So, does the Emperor actually do anything?" I asked, glancing up from a scroll.
He chuckled softly. "All the work you do goes to the colonel. He sends it to the commander. The commander sends it to General Renshu. And once everything is approved, then it goes to the Emperor. If His Majesty approves, your solution becomes policy."
It all goes through Renshu? So the work I did here would eventually land on his desk too.
"The Emperor has to approve, or nothing happens. Also—"
But Rong Xu's sentence was cut short as Colonel Gao Ming descended the stairs.
"You," he said, pointing at me. "Come with me."
My heart jumped. Had I done something wrong?
Rong Xu leaned closer and whispered, "Don't worry. He's probably just reviewing your work."
I followed Gao Ming back upstairs. His gaze was sharp, assessing, as he held up my paper.
"I assume you wrote this yourself and didn't receive help from anyone?" he asked, skeptical.
"No," I said firmly.
Well, maybe a little help from Renshu—but that didn't count… right?
"I hope you're being truthful. You live alongside the general. He already has plenty of work. Your duty is to lessen his burden, not add to it."
"I know. I didn't take his help!" My voice cracked slightly—part frustration, part embarrassment.
His brow twitched, but he didn't press the matter. "Very well. Here's your next assignment."
He handed me another paper, his tone heavy and formal.
I left the room, silently hoping he wouldn't hold my outburst against me.
"Well, how was it?" Rong Xu asked when I returned.
Normally, I enjoyed talking with him, but I was too irritated to chat. "It's fine," I muttered, giving a quick goodbye before heading out.
Mounting my horse, I rode back toward the palace. My mind swirled with everything I needed to do—read Gao Ming's assignment, write to Lianyu, and study the books Rong Xu had lent me.
When I arrived, Renshu was sitting in his room, door wide open. I walked past quietly, pretending not to notice him, and retreated to my own chambers. The servants had already returned for their duties.
Not long after, it was time for lunch.
Renshu and I ate in silence. I could feel his eyes on me occasionally, though he said nothing. His expression was impossible to read.
When I finished and stood to leave, his voice stopped me.
"Come to my room," he said.
I sighed inwardly. What now?
He closed the door behind me and locked it.
"Shuyin will be visiting soon," he said. "I told her I won't be sending any letters, and you're not allowed to go out at night."
I wanted to scoff, who was he to control what I did? But I remained silent, I did burden him with the task of explaining about me to the Consort.
"Did you find anything to tell the Consort about me?" I asked.
"Yes. I told her I banished you from the Forbidden City. Whatever Jinmei saw was someone else. You've been wearing my clothes—lavish clothing isn't easy to come by, so there's no way it belonged to a common maid. Luckily, the Consort found a new maid to torment, so she doesn't care anymore."
"I see… so everything's fine now?"
He hesitated before saying, "Yes. For now."
"Good. Then should I leave?" I asked, a bit too quickly. I was desperate to start writing back to Lianyu.
"No. Stay here," he said, walking closer.
I instinctively stepped toward the door, but he caught me by the waist and pulled me back.
"What are you doing?" I snapped.
"Why are you trying to leave, Meilina? Are you afraid of me?" His tone was teasing, but his grip was firm.
"No, I just—let me go."
"Relax. I won't harm you."
He reached up and began wiping my makeup away again.
"There. That's better."
"Stop doing that! I'll just have to redo it again," I protested, annoyed.
"Oh? Shuyin's coming. Would you rather she see your real face or one that looks like it belongs to someone else's?"
"Shuyin's coming here?" I asked, startled.
He used this distraction to pull me closer. My mind was racing in confusion and frustration.
For a moment, he said nothing—just stared off to the side, his breath warm against my neck. I tried to struggle, but his hold tightened. My arms were going numb.
"I—"
He laughed under his breath. "I've been rude to you, haven't I? I apologize. It was wrong of me to lose my temper. Still, don't go around with another man like that just because—"
"What another man?" I interrupted, glaring up at him.
"The one who escorted you. I could do that if you need—"
"Escort is a bit extreme. He just accompanied me. I wanted to talk to him for a while longer," I said honestly.
"That's worse," he muttered, straightening me up with a frown.
He leaned in again, closer this time. But when I turned away, he sighed.
"I can't force you," he said quietly. "I guess there really is a time for everything."
He rested his head on my shoulder, his breath brushing against my skin. It felt strange—too close, too intimate.
Then, a knock on the door.
"Aryan! Are you in there?!" Shuyin's voice rang from outside.
Relief surged through me. Finally, I could tell her about the letters, and about what the Consort had done.
"Ah, she's early. Unfortunately," Renshu murmured.
He lifted his head, studied me for a moment, then slowly leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
I froze.
What was he doing? One moment he was furious, the next—this?
"Go talk to Shuyin," he said softly, his expression unexpectedly gentle.
He unlocked the door and stepped aside as Shuyin entered.
"Finally," she sighed. "We can talk in peace."