The young palace maids Xiazhi and Xiaoman had returned to Jiang Yunshu’s side.
As they chatted, Jiang Yunshu learned that the two maids had no idea she had "gone blind."
Three days prior, Xiazhi and Xiaoman had simply been following the orders of the Weiyang Palace stewardess, sent away to assist with needlework.
Xiaoman blinked and said, "We were even sewing summer dresses for you, my lady."
When the stewardess called them away, the excuse given was that since they had served Jiang Yunshu, they understood her preferences and could help select colors and patterns for the summer dresses.
Xiaoman had taken it at face value, never suspecting a thing.
Xiazhi, being more observant, had guessed it was just a pretext to send them away. But never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined Jiang Yunshu had "gone blind"!
She had heard that the Chief Eunuch intended to bring back the two maids who had served Jiang Yunshu since childhood, so she assumed they were being reassigned because Jiang Yunshu no longer needed them.
Later, whispers began circulating in Weiyang Palace—rumors that the Chief Eunuch had remained in the palace for three consecutive days, never leaving Jiang Yunshu’s side…
Xiazhi then speculated that they had been sent away because the Chief Eunuch found them inconvenient.
It wasn’t until they returned to Jiang Yunshu today that Xiazhi and Xiaoman learned the truth—the Chief Eunuch had pretended to gouge out Jiang Yunshu’s eyes, deceiving her for three whole days.
The two young maids were stunned.
From their accounts, Jiang Yunshu also learned how the palace servants viewed the situation. It turned out no one in Weiyang Palace knew she had "gone blind."
To the palace staff, it simply looked like she and Xie Lin had been inseparable for three days—wherever she went, he carried or held her.
Xie Lin seemed utterly infatuated with her, while she… appeared clingy beyond reason.
Jiang Yunshu gritted her teeth in frustration!
It was all Xie Lin’s fault, ruining her reputation!
"Has the Chief Eunuch always enjoyed teasing people like this?" Jiang Yunshu asked Xiazhi and Xiaoman.
Both shook their heads. "We’ve never seen him act this way before."
Lost in thought, Jiang Yunshu wondered—just what kind of person was Xie Lin?
She felt she needed to understand him better.
This time, Xie Lin had spared her eyes—she had been lucky.
But if there was a next time, how could she protect herself?
She didn’t even know why he had let her keep her eyes this time!
They had agreed on two eyeballs in exchange for two lives. Yet now, Taoye and Zhezhi had been saved, while the eyes he was supposed to take remained safely in Jiang Yunshu’s sockets.
Could Xie Lin be the type who spoke cruelly but acted kindly?
The thought startled her. Impossible. Just think of the countless lives he had ended… That couldn’t be it.
Jiang Yunshu asked the maids, "What do you two think the Chief Eunuch is like?"
Xiazhi and Xiaoman shook their heads, not daring to utter a word.
Though they had served in Weiyang Palace for years, they had never attended to Xie Lin directly. He only kept young eunuchs by his side—Xiazhi and Xiaoman had been assigned specifically to serve Jiang Yunshu.
Knowing their fear of Xie Lin, Jiang Yunshu didn’t press them.
After a moment, Xiazhi whispered, "This servant wouldn’t dare presume to judge the Chief Eunuch… but I’ve served in Weiyang Palace since childhood, and I’ve never gone hungry or cold."
Xiaoman nodded. "Life here is better than in any other palace."
Jiang Yunshu frowned in contemplation. It seemed Xie Lin had a terrible reputation outside, but treated his own people well…
The question was—did she count as one of "his own"?
A thought stirred in her heart. Xie Lin had saved her life, then Taoye and Zhezhi’s—that made twice he had helped her… Would there be a third time?
After much deliberation, Jiang Yunshu decided to ask Xie Lin again—could Taoye and Zhezhi be sent away?
"I’m trapped here, but the two of you might still have a chance!" she told them.
Neither Taoye nor Zhezhi wanted to leave, but Jiang Yunshu refused to indulge them.
Perhaps because Xie Lin had spent three full days in Weiyang Palace, his duties had piled up—he was now too busy for Jiang Yunshu to catch even a glimpse of him.
Unable to find Xie Lin, she sent Xiaoman to ask the palace stewardess.
"The stewardess decides the comings and goings of maids… Could you ask if Taoye and Zhezhi can be sent out of the palace?"
For ordinary maids, the stewardess indeed had authority—but when it came to Jiang Yunshu’s attendants, the Weiyang Palace stewardess wouldn’t dare make a decision!
The Chief Eunuch had suddenly brought a beautiful girl back to his residence—this was unprecedented!
Though Xie Lin had always acted without restraint, this was entirely different.
He had never allowed women near him before. In the vast Xie residence, female servants were only permitted to work where he wouldn’t see them.
Many women had tried to approach him in the past—without exception, they had all perished.
That made this "Lady Jiang" exceptionally special!
Even the smallest matter concerning her was something the stewardess wouldn’t handle without explicit orders.
Unbeknownst to Jiang Yunshu, her request quickly reached the Palace of Eternal Joy, delivered to the Chief Eunuch amidst his busy preparations for the late emperor’s funeral.
Upon hearing it, Xie Lin smirked coldly. "They can leave—horizontally."
When Jiang Yunshu received the reply, she apologized guiltily to Taoye and Zhezhi. "I’ve dragged you into this."
Taoye protested, "What are you saying, my lady? You’ve treated us better than anyone ever could—no other maids live as well as we do!"
Just look at the other noble ladies in the marquis’ household—none of them mistreated their maids, but the eldest young lady was extremely strict. The third, fourth, and fifth young ladies each had their own quirks.
Only their lady had truly treated them like sisters.
Zhezhi nodded. "Wherever you are, my lady, that’s where we’ll stay!"
"We were sold to slave traders as children. If not for you buying us, who knows where we’d be now—or if we’d even be alive."
"You gave us our lives, and over a decade of good days. How could we abandon you the moment misfortune strikes?"
Jiang Yunshu sighed. "That’s not how it should be… Well, it doesn’t matter now. Since none of us can leave, you’ll just have to stay and keep me company."
She arranged for them to stay in the empty rooms beside Xiazhi and Xiaoman’s quarters.
With four maids now—two older, two younger—Jiang Yunshu felt it necessary to assign roles.
Among them, one needed to take charge. She chose Taoye.
Between Taoye and Zhezhi, Taoye had always been slightly more senior, her temperament steadier.
Zhezhi accepted the decision without complaint. As for Xiazhi and Xiaoman, they immediately began addressing Taoye as "elder sister."
Still young, they knew leadership would never fall to them. As long as they had duties to perform and a place by Jiang Yunshu’s side, they were content.
Due to Xie Lin’s peculiar aversion to adult scents, whenever he was in Weiyang Palace, Taoye and Zhezhi couldn’t attend to Jiang Yunshu—Xiazhi and Xiaoman took their place.
Only when Xie Lin left during the day would Jiang Yunshu summon Taoye and Zhezhi back to her side.
Moreover, all of Jiang Yunshu’s clothing, jewelry, and other personal belongings were now under the care of Taoye and Zhezhi.
Xiazhi and Xiaoman had been temporarily reassigned to tailor new garments for Jiang Yunshu over the past three days—and this wasn’t entirely an excuse.
Within a few days, the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau delivered an array of new summer outfits to Jiang Yunshu, some vibrant and others elegantly understated, in various fabrics and styles.
As for jewelry, Jiang Yunshu had none before, but now she did.
The pearls and gemstones she had pried from her hairpiece and given to Taoye and Zhezhi for safekeeping had previously been offered to palace servants in exchange for a chance at survival.
Now, every last one of those treasures had been returned to Weiyang Palace.
Jiang Yunshu couldn’t fathom how Xie Lin had managed to retrieve every single piece—not a single pearl or gem was missing!
Even the heavy gold hairpiece, which they had been forced to abandon because of its weight and size, had miraculously found its way back.
Though the jewels and the hairpiece were no longer together, each item remained valuable. Jiang Yunshu had never imagined she would see them again. She entrusted Taoye with their safekeeping.
