When The Emperor returned to the Forbidden City, Jiayi assumed her mood would sour considerably. On the contrary, Jiayi barely noticed him. Before, the idea of having to wait in the cold courtyard so Xiang gui ren and His Majesty could chat privately would've made her hot with anger, now another thought was making her blush.

She was probably overthinking it. Prince Han was a nobleman raised by Her Highness The Empress. His manners were impeccable. He probably gave all of his servants gifts. And they were just earrings. It was a perfectly reasonable gift to give a maid. It wasn't like a hairpin or something drastic like that.

But...

What if he liked her?

"Are your ears cold, jiejie?" Asked Ping'er.

"Your ears," she said at Jiayi's confused face, "You keep touching them,"

Jiayi snatched her hands away and nodded, "Yes, I'm a bit chilly,"

She hadn't been touching her ears. She had been touching her earrings. How embarrassing! Jiayi stood up, "I'll make some tea to warm us up,"

"I'm not cold," said Molan.

Bolin, Pie'er and Ping'er echoed the sentiment.

Jiayi pretended not to hear them.

Alone in the little kitchen, Jiayi's thoughts wandered back to Prince Han. They weren't as happy as before. Every maid in the Forbidden City was the property of The Emperor, but it wasn't unusual for His Majesty to give them away as gifts or rewards. If Prince Han wanted to marry her, some questions needed to be asked. Questions that she had no hope of answering.

Jiayi was Jiayi, but she wasn't Wei Jiayi. If there were a wedding, her "family" would need to be informed, and everything would fall apart. Jiayi wouldn't be able to marry a butcher, let alone The Emperor's favored brother. Jiayi jumped as a tear tickled its way under her chin. She wiped it away and prepared the tea.

What a silly thing to cry about. Wasn't she just thinking about the good life she had, serving Xiang gui ren? It wasn't like her marriage prospects were vast before she entered The Forbidden City. No, she wouldn't waste tears over this.

If Prince Han wanted anything to do with her, it would fizzle away once Yehe-Nara gêgê returned to the Forbidden City.

"I thought you got lost," Molan said when she returned to the courtyard with the tea.

"I was looking for a certain kind of tea," Jiayi replied.

"Meimei, are you excited to go home for your birthday?" Jiayi asked Ping'er, desperate for a distraction.

Ping'er nodded and regained the table with what she planned to do when she returned home, her mouth going a mile a minute. The tale of her mother's famous dumplings was engaging, but Jiayi's thoughts circled back to Prince Han.

"Wei guniang,"

Jerjer gugu was standing near the gates.

"The Empress Dowager wishes to speak to you,"

All thoughts of Prince Han flew from her mind.

✺

It was her second trip to Cininggong, but Jiayi felt far more nervous this time. Before, she was only there to deliver Xiang gui ren's birthday gift. Now, The Empress Dowager wanted to speak to her directly. The Empress Dowager hadn't even spoken to Xiang gui ren directly. They hadn't even crossed paths for as long as Xiang gui ren had been in The Forbidden City. There was no way Jiayi could've offended The Empress Dowager, so what did she want?

"How have you been, Wei guniang?" Jerjer gugu asked, pulling Jiayi out of her head.

"I've been well gugu,"

"That's good. The Empress Dowager doesn't go a day without looking at your paintings. You're very talented,"

"This servant doesn't deserve such compliments. We all live here to make The Empress Dowager's life at ease,"

They paused to let a group of young women and their maids pass by. Jiayi stared after them. She had never seen them before.

"Those are the girls that His Majesty brought back from Mongolia," said Jerjer, "They're right about your age. You just turned 19, didn't you, Wei guniang?"

"I did,"

"Fate is a strange thing. Those girls weren't in much higher standing than you a short time ago, and now they're wearing gold jewelry,"

Jerjer gugu looked back at her with a smile, "Quickly now. We mustn't keep Her Highness waiting,"

The Empress Dowager was famous for treating servants like servants. Besides Jerjer gugu, she didn't bother to know anyone's name. So it was strange when she not only called Jiayi's name but offered her a seat.

"How is Xiang gui ren?" She asked.

"Replying to Your Highness, Xiang gui ren is well. She's thrilled that His Majesty and Her Highness have returned,"

"His Majesty treats your mistress well?"

Jiayi didn't have a high opinion of The Emperor, but she couldn't deny his treatment of Xiang gui ren went above and beyond. But it wouldn't do well to brag about it.

"Yes. His Majesty thinks of Xiang gui ren often,"

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"That's good then," said The Empress Dowager, "It won't be long before His Majesty's little exotic bird becomes a Phoenix,"

Dread made her heart thrum. Was The Empress Dowager implying that Xiang gui ren wanted to usurp The Empress? That sort of thinking could get everyone in Chengqiangong killed. Jiayi fell to her knees.

"Your Highness, Xiang gui ren is a loyal and unwavering servant of Her Highness The Empress. She only aspires to love His Majesty, nothing more,"

"Rise," said The Empress Dowager, "You're a very sensible girl, Wei Jiayi,"

She nodded at Jerjer gugu, who clapped her hands twice. Servants piled into the room, each holding heavy trays of golden rings, necklaces, hair pins, bracelets, and earrings. Everything was studded with pearls, jade, and other precious gems.

The Empress Dowager leaned forward in her seat, "Jerjer told me you just turned 19. Here, pick something from my collection as a gift,"

Ah. That was why everything was so...much. Jiayi wouldn't dare say anything before her was horrid, but wearing any of these things would never cross her mind, even if her status was high and lofty.

"This servant doesn't dare accept such a thing. To know that Your Highness remembered my birthday at all is a greater gift than I can imagine,"

Laughing, The Empress Dowager rose to her feet, "Now, now. No need to flatter me. Here, I'll pick something for you,"

The Empress Dowager's heavily jeweled hands on top of the decadent accessories made for a somewhat vulgar picture. Jiayi was so confused. What was the point? What did The Empress Dowager want?

"Here," The Empress Dowager said, plucking a red jade bangle studded with pearls, "This is perfect,"

Perfectly ugly.

Jiayi ducked her chin, "Your Highness, I couldn't possibly–"

Protests ignored, The Empress Dowager took Jiayi's hand while Jerjer gugu draped a handkerchief over it so The Empress Dowager could slip the bangle on.

It clashed miserably with Jiayi's skin and was terribly heavy.

"Doesn't it look nice?" The Empress Dowager asked the servants.

"Yes, Your Highness," they chorused.

Jerjer gugu waived them away and helped The Empress Dowager back to her seat.

"The Late Emperor gave that to me when I was just a Noble Lady," she said, "He had never given something so precious to someone of such a low status before,"

"His Majesty could tell you were destined to be great, Your Highness," Jiayi replied.

"I can tell you're not used to these luxurious things. If you really don't like it, it will sell for an excellent price,"

"I would never–"

"You have three little brothers studying for the Imperial Exams, don't you? And your little sister will need a finished dowry soon, correct?"

Jiayi's mouth ran dry, and sweat pebbled on her forehead. Brothers? Sister? Why was The Empress Dowager talking about Wei Jiayi's family?

"I–" Jiayi's mouth was tacky, "I send my wages home already, Your Highness,"

"Your Highness, when you became favored by The Late Emperor, didn't he allow your brothers to study at The Imperial Academy?" Asked Jerjer.

"He did. My sisters also married well with very full dowries," The Empress Dowager said with a nod.

The force of Jiayi's pounding heartbeat made her vision shake.

"Your Highness, I should return to Xiang gui ren,"

The Empress Dowager gave Jiayi a long, steady stare that made knees tremble. Then, she smiled, "You may go,"

It took everything in Jiayi to keep herself sure and steady as she backed away from the room and out of Cininggong. She could only hold it together for so long before the fear that festered in her belly flew out. She hunched over and vomited right there. She'd been found out, for real, this time. The Empress Dowager knew.

Jiayi stood up and wiped her mouth. What was she going to do now? Talk to Fung gonggong? What would that do? If The Empress Dowager already knew, it would just make things worse. Wait for The Empress Dowager to make her move? What if she wanted Jiayi to harm Xiang gui ren? Jiayi scrubbed a hand across her face and paused when the stupid bangle bumped against her nose.

She pursed her lips. Jiayi wrapped her fingers around the cold, ugly gems and tried to rip it off her wrist. Why was this happening to her? All Jiayi wanted was to make the best of her situation in this prison that was called The Forbidden City. Was wanting a warm place to lay her head for the rest of her life too lofty of a wish for a sinjeku in the eyes of the Gods?

Jiayi's eyes burned with tears. People like The Emperor could take millions of lives and still live soundly, but people like Jiayi only existed to be ground to dust. Jiayi pulled harder, desperate to escape the gilded shackle around her wrist.

A familiar hand wrapped around her own and stilled her hands. She wiped the tears from her eyes as Prince Han's gentle fingers removed the bangle.

"Thank you, my lord," Jiayi said.

When she went to take the bangle back, Prince Han held it away from her.

"No," He looked at her wrist, "Look what it did to you,"

Jiayi winced at the sight of the raw red skin she scratched open a moment before. She covered the carnage with her sleeve.

"It's nothing, my lord. I've never worn something so precious and was unused to it. It's my great fortune that Her Highness The Empress Dowager would give this to me,"

Prince Han stared at her, "You hate it,"

"I would not dare," Jiayi said, shaking her head.

He turned the bangle over in his hand before tucking it behind his back, "If anyone asks, I took it from you. I don't think it's proper for maids to wear something so high above them,"

"Here," Prince Held out a plain blue handkerchief, "Wipe your face. Yiqiang will be upset if he sees you crying,"

Then, he was gone before Jiayi could open her mouth to thank him.

Bolin was frantically pacing around the courtyard when Jiayi returned to Chengqiangong.

"Bolin, what's wrong?"

Bolin's head shot up. Running over to her, he said, "What's wrong? What's wrong? You've been gone for two hours. Mistress thought you were gone for good!"

He grabbed Jiayi's arm.

"Ouch!" Jiayi snatched her arm away.

"What's wrong with your arm?"

"Nothing," Jiayi said.

"Let me see,"

"There's nothing to see. Didn't you say mistress was worried? Let's go inside,"

Jiayi made it to the palace's steps when Bolin whirled her around and lifted her sleeve.

"What happened to your arm?"

"There's something wrong with her arm?"

Jiayi turned to see Xiang gui ren and De gui fei walking towards her.

"Mistress," Bolin said, dragging her over, "Look, look!"

"It's torn open," said Xiang gui ren.

"I have bandages in my room," said De gui fei.

"Mistress, Your Highness, there's no need to make a fuss. It doesn't hurt very much at all," said Jiayi.

"How did this happen?" Xiang gui ren asked, bringing her inside.

"I fell,"

Silence blanketed the room as everyone stared down at her in disbelief.

"Fell? What sort of fall could do this to your arm?" Asked Molan.

It was a stupid explanation, but Jiayi couldn't find a better excuse. She couldn't tell Xiang gui ren about the bracelet. Xiang gui ren may be kind to her now, but what would she do when she discovered that Jiayi was a miserable fraud?

How would Molan, Pi'er, Ping'er, and Bolin look at her after finding out she was lying to their faces the entire time?

No. She didn't care if the lie was silly. It was the best she could do.

Xiang gui ren squared her shoulders, "You can all withdraw,"

"Quickly," De gui fei said when the servants stayed rooted to their floor.

A maid dropped off the ointment and other supplies while Xiang gui ren pushed her into a chair.

"What did The Empress Dowager want with you?" Asked Xiang gui ren as she wiped Jiayi's arm with a warm, damp cloth.

"She asked me about how you were doing. She said that it wouldn't be a surprise if you were an Imperial Concubine soon,"

"Is that all?" Asked De gui fei.

Jiayi nodded.

"And you...fell after speaking with her?"

Jiayi nodded again.

Xiang gui ren clasped Jiayi's uninjured hand between her own and gazed into her eyes, "You know you can tell me if The Empress Dowager did anything to do you, right? I won't let her get away with it if she did!"

De gui fei looked aghast at Xiang gui ren's declaration. As she witnessed her mistress' righteous anger, warmth bloomed in Jiayi's stomach. That warmth became cool soon enough. Would Xiang gui ren even want anything to do with her if the truth came out? Would their master-servant bond be worth the trouble?

Jiayi couldn't know.

So Jiayi gave Xiang gui ren's hand a tight squeeze, looked into her eyes–

And lied.