Consort of a Thousand Faces

The woman’s face was full of incredulity. “How could an ordinary maidservant be this beautiful? This young miss is the number one beauty in Zhi County, but even I pale in comparison to you. In this young miss’ mind,  even if you are wearing coarse clothes, there’s no way you can be a nobody. Just tell me frankly, where are you from? Why are you picking up chips of a teacup in the hall?”

 

The words, ‘this young miss’ allowed Su Xi-er to understand the woman’s identity. She’s the sole daughter of the Zhi County Magistrate.

 

“Beauty, where did you come from? Did you descend from the sky or…?”

 

Faced with the woman innocent naivete, Su Xi-er didn’t know how she should answer. She actually suggested that I descended from the sky...

 

“All you need to know is that this servant isn’t a maidservant in the County Government Office.  There’s no need for you to know any more, so please don’t ask. Even if you ask, I won’t tell you..” Su Xi-er no longer paid attention to her and picked up the chips on her own.

 

The woman didn’t plan on letting her off easily, continuing to pester her. “Since you’re unwilling to tell me, I’ll just presume that you descended from the sky. Tell me, how do I become as beautiful as you?”

 

Su Xi-er glanced at her. “You are already very beautiful, there’s no need to become even more beautiful.”

 

The woman cupped her face with her hands and grumbled with grievances, “Originally, I thought that I was beautiful, but he still rejected me. I couldn’t understand why at the beginning, but now I understand after seeing you. I am still not the most beautiful.”

 

Su Xi-er asked her back, “He[1]?”

 

The woman’s eyes lit up. “Beimin’s Prince Hao! He’s the most handsome and charming man! The women who want to marry him are innumerable. Prince Hao loves beauties, and the women in the Beauty Palace are unparalleled beauties.”

 

At this point, the women became dispirited again. “You are beautiful beyond words, but even you didn’t enter the Beauty Palace. Based on that, how beautiful must the women in the Beauty Palace be?”

 

Su Xi-er didn’t respond. This woman fell in love with him just by catching a glimpse of him… Pei Qianhao’s charisma has reached an inconceivable stage.

 

With just one glimpse, he can cause women to fall helplessly in love with him. 

 

The woman didn’t mind that Su Xi-er paid no heed to her, beginning to think out loud. “Apart from changing my appearance, how else can I attract him? He loves beauties, but what about their personality? What kind of character, how much talent, and how proficient in needlework must one be?” 

 

Su Xi-er placed the teacup fragments on the cleaning rag, preparing to discard them into the lumber room. The woman was still mumbling to herself when Su Xi-er left. Sigh, it’s hopeless for her. Are all the women in the Beauty Palace mulling over these questions every day? 

 

Su Xi-er had yet to walk out of the hall when she spotted His Excellency County Magistrate rushing over. Upon noticing his daughter muttering to herself, he immediately became solemn. “My silly daughter, don’t think about these unrealistic things. From today onwards, you are not permitted to leave the room by half a step.”

 

“Dad, you can’t lock your daughter up just for liking Prince Hao! Does he disdain me for looking ugly?”

 

“You are the number one beauty in Zhi County. You’re not ugly at all! It’s just that our status doesn’t match up to Prince Hao’s. My daughter, don’t think too much. Listen to your dad.” The County Magistrate was also getting anxious. If he let his daughter continue being muddled, the entire County Government office would be implicated.

 

Su Xi-er sighed to herself before walking out of the hall’s door and leaving the County Magistrate to wrangle with his daughter in the room

 

~~~

 

After Su Xi-er was done with handling the teacup shards, Wu Ling appeared again and led her to the room she was going to stay in.

 

“ This room is split into the inner chamber and side chamber. You will be staying in the side chamber until we continue with our journey tomorrow”

 

Su Xi-er understood the structure of the inner chamber and side chamber was to make it convenient for the servants to take care of their master. For example, a young miss and her head maidservant, or a young master and his room concubine servant.

 

“Prince Hao stays in the inner chamber, and will likely prefer to stick to the same living arrangement for the entire journey. Su Xi-er, take care.” Wu Ling advised her again. I will be rushing to the capital later, so nothing must go wrong in my absence.

 

“Imperial Bodyguard Wu, does Prince Hao not have maidservants serving at his side? Are there none in the Prince Hao Residence?”

1. ’He’, ‘she’ and ‘it’ sounds the same in Chinese.