Chapter 1

Episode 1 “You little wretch! How dare you sneak a look at Noble Consort Fang’s belongings? Let’s see how I deal with you today!” Accompanied by the vicious scolding, the faint sobs of a young girl could be heard. In the Imperial Garden, an elderly palace maid was glaring ferociously at a young palace maid kneeling on the ground. Apparently, simply scolding her was not enough to vent her anger. The old maid looked as though she was about to strike her. “It wasn’t me who stole it! I—” “What? You still dare to argue? Just wait and see how I—” Before Matron Xu could finish, a lazy voice suddenly came from behind the artificial rockery not far away. “Oh? Matron Xu certainly seems quite impressive today!” As the voice reached their ears, a young woman dressed in pale pink appeared before them. The little palace maid who had been kneeling and crying immediately rushed toward her upon seeing her. “Aunt Qiansi! I’ve been wrongly accused! You must stand up for me!” The “Qiansi” the little palace maid referred to was Ye Qiansi, a senior palace maid of the Department of Justice. Ever since Ye Qiansi had entered the palace's Department of Justice two years ago, no palace maid or eunuch had dared to falsely accuse anyone, let alone use physical punishment against them. Even the masters of the imperial palace treated Ye Qiansi with a certain degree of respect. No one could quite explain why, but that was simply the reality. Ye Qiansi glanced down at the little palace maid kneeling at her feet, crouched down, and helped her up. She then slowly turned her gaze toward Matron Xu. Her eyes were calm and composed, yet somehow they made the older woman feel inexplicably guilty. Seeing this, Matron Xu immediately put on a flattering smile. “Aunt Qiansi, you jest. If we're talking about authority, among all the palace maids in the imperial harem, who could possibly compare with you?” Ye Qiansi smiled sweetly. But in the very next second, her expression turned cold. “If I had arrived even a moment later, wouldn't you have struck her? Wouldn't that count as using physical punishment?” Matron Xu's expression changed slightly. “Aunt Qiansi, you're taking this too seriously. I was only acting on behalf of Noble Consort Fang. This wretched girl has sticky fingers. She stole Her Ladyship's hairpin and still refuses to admit it.” “Is that so?” Ye Qiansi raised an eyebrow. “If I remember correctly, interrogating palace maids is the responsibility of the Department of Justice, isn't it?” “Could it be that Matron Xu intends to take over the duties of our department?” Matron Xu was startled. “Of course not! This old servant was merely anxious on behalf of Her Ladyship and wanted to recover the hairpin as quickly as possible and punish this girl severely. I simply acted without thinking.” Ye Qiansi said nothing. For some reason, Matron Xu suddenly felt uneasy. Cold sweat began to bead on her forehead. Ye Qiansi noticed it all. The faint smile at the corner of her lips became increasingly cold. She deliberately gave Matron Xu enough time to panic and expose herself before finally speaking. “But then, why did I find this hairpin, engraved with Noble Consort Fang's name, hidden inside a crack in the rockery at the West Garden?” “As far as I know, a low-ranking palace maid like her has no reason to enter the West Garden, does she?” “On the other hand, Matron Xu, you enter the West Garden countless times every day. What exactly are you trying to say?” Matron Xu panicked completely, and her voice unconsciously became louder. “What do you mean? Isn't it obvious?” Ye Qiansi countered. She reached into her sleeve and took out the hairpin, placing it directly into Matron Xu's hand. Matron Xu's hand trembled as she accepted it. She couldn't understand it. She had clearly hidden the hairpin in such a concealed place. How had Ye Qiansi managed to find it so easily? Even Ye Qiansi herself had not expected that she would be able to locate the hairpin at a glance in a place like the West Garden, which was filled with artificial rockeries. She had simply felt as though some voice inside her had been guiding her—as if she had once hidden something in that exact kind of place herself. Thinking about it, Ye Qiansi quickly stopped herself. For the past two years, whenever she tried to recall the memories she had lost, her head would hurt as though it were about to split apart. She had barely touched upon the memory, yet a faint headache had already begun. Ye Qiansi pressed her temples and irritably glanced at Matron Xu before turning around and instructing the palace maids behind her to take Matron Xu back to the Department of Justice. Then Ye Qiansi turned and headed toward the Department of Justice. But she had barely taken a few steps when her vision suddenly went black. Brother, I've hidden it. This time, you'll never guess where I hid the secret. A familiar yet strangely unfamiliar voice suddenly exploded inside Ye Qiansi's mind. At the same time, her legs went weak, and she feared she was about to collapse. But in the next instant, a pair of strong arms firmly caught her. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. The strong, steady beat of a man's heart traveled through his warm chest and into Ye Qiansi's ears. She remained dazed in those warm arms, yet strangely, her heart became calm. Even the pain in her head seemed to ease. After what felt like a long time, Ye Qiansi's vision finally returned. She suddenly came to her senses and stumbled away from the man's embrace. Only then did she get a clear look at him. To her surprise, the man was extraordinarily handsome. He had sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a straight, prominent nose that made his entire face look exceptionally defined. He wore a moon-white robe, while the jade pendant hanging from his waist revealed that his status was far above that of an ordinary person. There was still a faint, pleasant fragrance unique to him lingering in Ye Qiansi's nose. Breathing in that pleasant scent, she felt as though her face were burning. Stammering out a word of thanks, Ye Qiansi prepared to make a quick escape. But in the next instant, she stopped. “Qiansi…” She heard the man call her name. But why did his voice seem to carry so many emotions? Ye Qiansi turned around once more and looked into his eyes. An inexplicable feeling slowly began to take root in her heart.