My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 5: I Feel Sorry For Your Highness.

　　The rain fell in a steady drizzle.

　　The broken window creaked.

　　Xie Jue, without a hint of shyness, openly studied the petite palace maid standing before him. Her front was soaked through, the wet fabric clinging coldly to her body, revealing the graceful curves of her chest. Shivering slightly, she hunched over, her arms drawn close.

　　His deep black eyes seemed to hold a cold, sharp light. Xie Jue set down his teacup, lowering his gaze. His voice was devoid of warmth, “Leave.”

　　……

　　Life in the Cold Palace was, naturally, not easy.

　　The palace was a place where those with power were flattered and those without were trampled upon. Even a prince, without the Emperor's favor, was like a fish trapped in mud, vulnerable to anyone's foot. And Yun Ling, a mere servant girl in the Cold Palace, was even more so.

　　Every day, she had to watch people's faces, whispering apologies and flattery, only to receive cold indifference in return. Being criticized, mocked, and oppressed was a daily occurrence.

　　Most palace maids couldn't endure the harshness of the Cold Palace. It goes without saying how difficult life was there.

　　Sometimes, even just surviving was a struggle.

　　When it was time for dinner, Yun Ling went to the Imperial Kitchen as usual. She had no choice, as the snobbish eunuchs wouldn't deliver the food. Even when she went, she was often met with difficulties, at least once every few days.

　　It was fine before, at most they would just mock and make things difficult with a few words. But as the Sixth Prince stayed in the Cold Palace longer, the Duke of Chen was repeatedly reprimanded in court. The Emperor seemed to no longer be merciful towards this son he once loved, and the Sixth Prince had no hope of being reinstated. Therefore, these people became even more disrespectful in their treatment of him.

　　Yun Ling found the eunuch on duty that day and bowed. “Eunuch Bao.”

　　The eunuch didn't even look at Yun Ling, but handed her a food box with a flick of his wrist. His eyes, narrowed and sharp, held a hint of cruelty. “Take it. Don't bother me.”

　　He added, “So many people here eating for free. It's exhausting for this old eunuch.”

　　The lid was slightly ajar, and a sour, rotten smell wafted up, hitting Yun Ling's nose.

　　Yun Ling froze for a second, then forced a smile. “Eunuch Bao, you must be too busy. I think the people below must have made a mistake.”

　　The food was completely spoiled. There was no way she could eat it.

　　Eunuch Bao sneered, “You, a lowly servant, dare to be picky?”

　　“So what if it's spoiled? Even pigs and dogs can eat it. Why can't you?”

　　The cruel insults came one after another.

　　The other eunuchs nearby burst into laughter, their eyes roaming over Yun Ling with unrestrained amusement.

　　“She's not even as good as a dog,” one of them sneered.

　　Eunuch Bao walked over and waved his hand dismissively. “Don't want to eat? Fine, then don't eat.” He knocked the spoiled food onto the ground, the soupy broth spreading across the floor. A few yellowed leaves of vegetables clung to the bowl.

　　A few servants from other palaces came over to collect their food and saw the scene. One of them immediately spoke up, “Miss Yun Ling, what are you doing? Why are you making such a fuss? This is good food! We have a fixed amount every day, and if you spill it, we can't give you another portion.”

　　His acting was so convincing. In just a few sentences, he made it seem like Yun Ling had deliberately spilled the food.

　　And he wasn't going to give her another portion. If she didn't have food, she would have to go hungry today.

　　The passing servant even rolled their eyes at Yun Ling, muttering, “You're in cold palace now, why are you still acting so proud?”

　　This kind of humiliation and injustice, any other palace maid would have run away by now. But Yun Ling didn't have that luxury.

　　She crouched down, picking up the bowls, plates, and food boxes from the ground. She straightened up, a smile playing on her lips, “This servant knows that Your Excellency is trying to teach me a lesson because I'm not sensible. I understand your good intentions. It's all my fault for being clumsy. I should reflect on my mistakes. Even if I have to go hungry for a meal, it's a kindness from Your Excellency.”

　　She then closed the food box, “But the Sixth Prince is waiting for this servant to return.”

　　Hearing the mention of the Sixth Prince, a few of the eunuchs snorted in disdain.

　　Yun Ling knew they were looking down on her, otherwise they wouldn't have been so blatant in their humiliation. She pretended not to notice, bowing slightly to Eunuch Bao, and said in a soft voice, “Your Excellency is right to teach me, but the Prince is still the Prince; he's a royal son. He's different from a concubine who has been banished to the cold palace, and he's different from me, a mere palace maid. He has the Chen State Duke's Mansion behind him. If something were to happen because of my negligence, I would probably lose my head.”

　　She was giving Eunuch Bao face and a way out, while also subtly reminding him. The Sixth Prince was a royal son, the Emperor's son. If he starved to death, it would be a disgrace to the royal family, not like a concubine who had been banished to the cold palace. It wouldn't just be her who would lose her head, these eunuchs would face the same fate.

　　Yun Ling made her point subtly, and she knew when to stop.

　　Eunuch Bao, of course, wasn't an idiot.

　　He ordered the other eunuchs to prepare another meal for her, though it wasn't spoiled like the first one, it wasn't much better. As he handed it to Yun Ling, he said, “How could we dare mistreat the Sixth Prince? Miss Yun Ling spilled the food, and I had no choice but to pay for a replacement out of my own pocket.”

　　“But the Sixth Prince is precious; Miss Yun Ling is not. As you said yourself, you deserve to be punished for your mistakes. So don't blame us for not preparing your meals today.”

　　Yun Ling accepted the food, bowing to him, “Thank you for your guidance, Your Excellency.”

　　Carrying the food box, Yun Ling finally let out a sigh of relief.

　　Halfway there, she heard a few of the sweepers talking quietly by the side of the road.

　　One of them asked, “Why was Eunuch Bao so angry today? I didn't do anything and still got scolded.”

　　The other one said, “Oh, you don't know? Eunuch Bao got yelled at by someone higher up.”

　　“How so?”

　　“I heard,” the eunuch lowered his voice, “that recently, Zhang Meiren was disrespectful to the ‘Divine Pill’ and dared to say it was useless. The Emperor demoted her. Zhang Meiren was upset and took it out on Eunuch Bao.”

　　“Zhang Meiren is the niece of Zhang Guifei; Eunuch Bao can't fight back, so he takes it out on us. But she won't be arrogant for long.”

　　It seemed like it involved something important. The eunuch looked around cautiously. Seeing someone approaching, he shut his mouth and said nothing more.

　　Yun Ling deliberately walked a few steps forward, stopping at the corner and making a few deliberate, but light, steps.

　　Seeing that no one was around, the eunuch said, “I heard it from my master, who heard it from his godfather.”

　　The other eunuch couldn't wait any longer, “Just tell us already!”

　　“I heard that the Third Prince got scolded by the Emperor today. You know, maybe the Third Prince will also lose…”

　　The Third Prince was born to Zhang Guifei and was usually favored by the Emperor. The Emperor even entrusted him with handling the flood situation.

　　However, with Zhang Guifei's niece being demoted and now the Third Prince being reprimanded in court, it's hard not to think that the Third Prince's faction might be losing power.

　　Before he could finish his sentence, another eunuch quickly said in a panicked tone, “You dare talk about the Prince's affairs so carelessly? You want to lose your life?”

　　Their voices grew fainter and fainter until they disappeared completely.

　　Yun Ling carried the food box and headed back.

　　She thought to herself, “It seems Zhang Guifei has been overwhelmed with these recent events and has forgotten about the cold palace.”

　　Although Yun Ling was just a lowly palace maid, she had carefully studied the relationships within the palace, fearing that she might accidentally offend some noble lady.

　　This palace, besides the Empress, is dominated by Zhang Guifei, who enjoys the Emperor's unwavering favor.

　　Zhang Guifei gave birth to the Third Prince, while the Empress has the Seventh Prince. They are constantly vying for power, each hoping to establish their son as the Crown Prince. Now that the Third Prince has been reprimanded, news of this incident has likely spread throughout the palace.

　　Zhang Guifei is now busy battling the Empress, leaving her with little time to worry about the cold palace. After all, in her eyes, the Empress is her biggest rival.

　　As for the Sixth Prince, originally the Dí¹ son of the late Empress, he enjoyed great prominence. Now, however, he is confined to the desolate Jingxiang Palace, where even a lowly eunuch can step on him. Even though the Emperor still remembers the deceased Empress, he has become utterly disappointed with his son, who no longer poses a significant threat. It's no wonder that even the guards stationed at the cold palace have become lax lately.

　　——

　　Time slipped by, and the sky darkened ominously, threatening rain.

　　Yun Ling hurried back with the food box, but as she reached the entrance, she noticed a sudden increase in security. The guards demanded to inspect her food box, rummaging through the meals and turning them into a messy pile, looking worse than pig slop.

　　Even with that, the cold-faced guard still turned the food box upside down, leaving nothing untouched.

　　Yun Ling tried to intervene, “Huang Ge, why—”

　　“Don't ask what you shouldn't,” Huang Shiwei² said sternly, refusing to explain. Then another palace maid came to search her, and only after the search was complete was she allowed to enter.

　　As she reached the pavilion, the dark sky finally unleashed a torrent of rain.

　　Yun Ling placed the food box on the table and opened it, staring at the meager meal she had worked so hard to obtain. The soup and rice were all mixed together, a pathetic sight. She couldn't quite define her emotions—a mix of disappointment and sorrow perhaps.

　　The palace was a harsh place. She just wanted to live a simple life, but it seemed so difficult.

　　This meager amount of food wouldn't even fill her stomach, let alone suffice for the Sixth Prince.

　　A cold wind, carrying the chill of the rain, whipped past, swirling dust across the ground and stinging her eyes. Yun Ling instinctively rubbed her eyelids, unaware that her fingers were smeared with soup. Blinded by the gritty dust, she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then blinked hard, tears welling up and blurring her vision. The tears, glistening and wet, rolled down her cheeks, impossible to hold back.

　　Yun Ling picked up her chopsticks and, with her head bowed, carefully arranged the food, trying to make it look more appealing.

　　The howling wind and pounding rain outside the pavilion drowned out any other sound, including the quiet footsteps approaching.

　　“What are you doing?”

　　A voice, tinged with coldness, came from behind her.

　　Yun Ling paused, quickly turning to face Xie Jue and bowing. “Your Highness.”

　　“The guards who checked the food overturned it. I wanted to rearrange it, make it look nicer before bringing it to you.”

　　Xie Jue glanced at the food box, the soup sloshing around in a chaotic mess. Even after being rearranged, it still looked like pig slop. He then looked up and saw the tears on the little palace maid's face.

　　His gaze lingered on her face, “Why are you crying? Because of this food?”

　　This little palace maid was always crying, crying endlessly.

　　Yun Ling was taken aback.

　　The soup had splashed into her eyes earlier, and she'd forgotten her handkerchief, so she hadn't wiped away the tears.

　　Though she was indeed feeling sad inside, it was for the harsh reality of her existence, for the bleak future she couldn't see clearly.

　　Her eyelashes fluttered. Then, she said,

　　“This servant feels sorry for Your Highness.”

　　Xie Jue didn't say anything.

　　Yun Ling's eyes drooped, heavy with sadness. She turned her head, pointing at the food in the box, her voice a small whisper, tinged with a hint of choking back tears. “They're so mean, Your Highness. I begged for so long to get this little bit of food, and then the guards at the gate spilled half of it. I…”

　　“I feel sorry and worried for Your Highness.”

　　She slowly raised her head, her captivating eyes glistening with tears, her eyelids red, as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment. But all her worry and injustice were for Xie Jue. “Why? Why do they bully you like this? Your Highness already has it so hard.”

　　A loyal little palace maid, earnest and heartbroken, crying for his sake, for his sake she was upset.

　　Her gaze returned to the food box, two dishes that looked like slop, yet she was still foolishly using chopsticks to try and arrange them neatly before giving them to him.

　　And for this, she had shed tears.

　　Xie Jue's dark, ink-black eyes scanned her thin shoulders and neck, his gaze like a venomous snake slithering in the darkness, cold and chilling. His gaze moved upwards, taking in the little palace maid's pomegranate-red lips, slightly parted, her delicate brows arched, a faint crease forming on her smooth, full forehead, her captivating almond-shaped eyes filled with a hint of melancholy.

　　This little palace maid, weak, timid, and of course, beautiful. She knew how to use her advantages to her benefit, and she had a good sense of how far to go. Her words, unlike those of the other palace servants, weren't so repulsive.

　　But, worried about him?

　　Xie Jue narrowed his eyes, a palace maid with a silver tongue.

　　She should be killed.

________________

Glossary:

¹Dí(嫡): refers to a legitimate or primary son, often implying a direct and recognized lineage from the main wife or empress.

²shiwei (侍卫): refers to a rank or position, specifically "guard" or "bodyguard." It indicates Huang's role as a palace guard rather than a personal name.

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