Lüdou looked back and saw that it was Li Da's wife.
"You did well. A short pain is better than a long one. Only by explaining it clearly to her can she let it go."
"Yes, Master," Lüdou said, wiping away her tears.
Duoduo walked back to the Bamboo Pavilion properly and was spotted by Nanny Li, who was just walking out.
A look of surprise crossed her face, quickly replaced by an expression of deep satisfaction.
Seeing Nanny Li, Duoduo offered a standard, graceful curtsy.
Nanny Li nodded, her face beaming with pleasure.
"The Prince has asked you to go over and select a maid. Let's go, I will accompany you. Do you still remember how I taught you to pick servants?"
Duoduo nodded and answered in a soft, fine voice, "I remember."
"Then let's go."
Nanny Li motioned for Duoduo to go first. Duoduo felt a little nervous.
She took two stiff steps forward, while Nanny Li followed silently behind.
Since Duoduo had already practiced walking on her way back from Lüdou's place, she quickly adjusted her steps and found her rhythm.
The two arrived at the study. The guard stationed outside led them into the room.
Duoduo found it strange. There had never been guards at the study before; how did one suddenly pop up?
Suddenly, lines of text floated across Duoduo's vision.
Duoduo's footsteps slowed down.
She read the contents clearly.
The Prince of Pingyang hides his true depths well! He actually took this opportunity to uproot the spies planted in the manor by the other princes!
At first, I thought this Prince of Pingyang was poor, with only one guard by his side!
That was just a smokescreen! Worthy of being a brave and battle-tested general, his use of military tactics is flawless!
Duoduo noticed that what used to be a single line of text had now become several lines.
Moreover, when the lines could no longer fit, the first line would naturally disappear.
It was just like turning the pages of a book.
Furthermore, although the characters lacked certain strokes and parts, she could now recognize most of them.
"Miss, what's wrong?"
Nanny Li, following behind Duoduo, sensed her unusual behavior.
Duoduo snapped back to reality and shook her head at Nanny Li.
As the two walked into the study's courtyard, they saw about a dozen young maids and a middle-aged man standing there.
Seeing Duoduo, the middle-aged man hastily bowed.
Duoduo cast a curious glance at him before stepping into the room.
Inside, the Prince of Pingyang was holding a book, slowly turning its pages.
Sharp-eyed, Duoduo immediately noticed that the book in the Prince of Pingyang's hands was a military strategy manual.
"Your daughter greets you, Father."
Duoduo paid her respects to the Prince of Pingyang exactly as Nanny Li had taught her, and Nanny Li followed suit.
The Prince of Pingyang looked up and set down the book.
"Rise. Steward Li had some servants brought over. Go take a look and see if there are any to your liking."
The Prince of Pingyang casually pointed toward the courtyard, then picked up his book again.
Duoduo walked back out to the courtyard with a hint of curiosity.
"Miss, these dozen or so girls have just been trained by the broker."
"Please make your selection first. If none catch your eye, I will have the broker bring another batch."
Steward Li smiled with deep humility.
The dozen or so maids stood in a row. Duoduo stepped up to stand in front of them.
To accommodate Duoduo's young age, these girls ranged from seven to twelve years old.
Duoduo almost had to crane her neck to see their faces clearly.
"Hold out your hands," Duoduo commanded, recalling the steps Nanny Li had taught her for selecting servants.
Nanny Li had once said that loyalty was the foremost requirement for a personal maid.
Furthermore, they must possess a special skill so they could help manage her affairs systematically.
The maids attending a lady from a prominent family were mostly selected from a young age to grow up alongside their mistress.
This way, when the lady married, these maids would accompany her to her husband's household as part of her dowry.
Everyone held out their hands.
Duoduo walked down the line, picked out the ones she was dissatisfied with, and eliminated them.
"Now, those who can read, take a step forward."
Duoduo issued her next requirement.
This time, only four girls stepped forward; the rest showed disappointment on their faces.
After all, entering the manor of the Prince of Pingyang meant they would no longer have to go hungry.
"You four, form a line and walk from this end to the other."
Duoduo once again gave instructions according to Nanny Li's teachings.
The four girls walked forward side by side.
Duoduo observed them carefully and decided to keep one, leaving the other three deeply saddened.
They had thought they would stand out and surely be chosen.
However, they never expected to be eliminated after all.
The girl who was selected remained calm, showing no signs of joy.
Just as Duoduo was about to speak and announce the result, the golden text before her eyes began to move again.
She isn't actually going to pick this scheming supporting female character, is she?
Please don't! This woman will cause the death of the Prince of Pingyang!
Duoduo's hands, clasped in front of her, trembled involuntarily.
She pinched her palms hard to force herself to calm down.
Duoduo pointed at the girl she had just planned to keep. "You, go stand over there."
The girl immediately looked up in astonishment.
The faces of the other three girls, however, lit up with pleasant surprise.
Beside them, Nanny Li also looked surprised.
Duoduo's performance just now had been excellent.
Nanny Li had also felt that the chosen maid was a good pick.
Yet, Duoduo's sudden decision to eliminate her left everyone astounded.
The girl bit her lip and, full of reluctance, retreated into the crowd of eliminated girls.
Duoduo's gaze continuously sized up the remaining three girls.
How she wished the golden text would give her a few more hints.
Unfortunately, the text stopped scrolling and remained perfectly still.
Duoduo thought for a moment and looked at the three of them.
"What are your special skills?"
The first girl had a round face and naturally carried a smile when she spoke.
"To answer the Miss, this servant knows Su embroidery and is most skilled at double-sided embroidery."
Duoduo nodded.
She had heard Nanny Li say that double-sided embroidery was one of the most difficult embroidery techniques.
Being able to do it well was not easy, let alone excelling at it.
The second girl had an oval face, and her voice was soft and delicate.
"To answer the Miss, this servant knows how to keep accounts."
Duoduo nodded again.
The third girl also had a round face, though slightly longer, with a small mole near the corner of her mouth.
"To answer the Miss, this servant knows how to do makeup and is skilled at styling various hair ornaments."
Duoduo nodded once more.
Duoduo looked at the three of them again.
Just now, the way the three of them walked had not been entirely proper.
However, Nanny Li had said that superficial things could be taught through training.
The most crucial thing was a person's character.
"One last question. Tell me your names, who is in your family, and why you want to enter the manor."
