Chapter 003: We Don't Need People

Xizhao Hall is located in the southwest corner of the entire Ningguo Mansion. Originally, it was just a courtyard built by the lake in the Ningguo Mansion's garden, serving as a temporary resting place for people to take a break and cool off while strolling in the garden.

Every clear evening, as the sun sets, the setting sun shines on the white walls and gray tiles here, gilding everything and dyeing it into a captivating sunset color, complementing the surrounding blue water and green trees, creating a breathtaking scenery.

However, since the crown prince, Song Wuji, fell ill, the Duke of Ningguo was afraid that he would infect others with his strange illness, so he moved him here, claiming it was for him to recuperate, but in reality, it was to let him fend for himself.

Moreover, those in the mansion who were a little older all knew that when the late Lady Xu was alive, she did not win the favor of the Duke of Ningguo, as the Duke had always cared about the legitimate wife, Lady Xue, who was supported by her aunt, and the second son, Song Wuyou, who was born to Lady Xue and was only half a year younger than the crown prince.

As a result, the people in the mansion became even more adept at observing and understanding the situation.

Fortunately, Lady Xu left behind a substantial dowry and a group of loyal servants, which allowed Song Wuji to live in the mansion without worries all these years.

As Zhao Ruyi recalled, she walked along the stone path in the garden, which was covered with fallen leaves, and at the end of the path, she saw a somewhat mottled vermilion lacquered door.

It's... really desolate here...

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Ruyi then knocked on the door handle, which was covered with verdigris.

After three knocks, the vermilion door made a grating "creak" sound, and then a half-face, pale and lifeless like a zombie, appeared from the slightly opened door crack.

Unprepared, Zhao Ruyi was startled, and the person behind the door, with drooping eyes, asked in a low voice, "Who are you looking for?"

"I'm Zhao Ruyi, the new maid at Xizhao Hall," Zhao Ruyi suppressed the urge to step back and swallowed her saliva slightly.

"We don't need any new maids here, you can leave!" Unexpectedly, the person behind the door shut it without any mercy.

Not needed?

Standing outside the door, Zhao Ruyi had thought of various difficulties she might encounter, but she had never thought that she wouldn't even be allowed in.

Could it be that the strict nanny had sent her here without informing the people at Xizhao Hall?

Thinking of the somewhat smug look in the nanny's eyes today, Zhao Ruyi felt that such a thing was something the nanny could do.

So, she had to knock on the door handle again.

After another "creak" sound, it was still the same face, but this time there was a hint of impatience. The old woman inside the door, without waiting for Zhao Ruyi to speak, said, "Can't you understand what people are saying? We don't need anyone here!"

Seeing that the old woman was about to close the door again, Zhao Ruyi quickly stepped over the threshold and wedged her foot in the door crack.

But in doing so, her foot was squeezed painfully by the door.

"You girl, can't you understand a simple refusal?" The old woman inside the door was a little impatient, but the force in her hand clearly lessened.

Ignoring the pain in her foot, Zhao Ruyi took the opportunity to squeeze her head and hands into the door, then smiled at the old woman, "Auntie, please don't rush, I'm really assigned to our courtyard! If you don't take me in, I'll have nowhere to go."

As she spoke, Zhao Ruyi began to play up her pitiful appearance to the old woman.

At the same time, the old woman was also scrutinizing Zhao Ruyi.

She was dressed plainly, with no special attire other than a red headband, and her clear and bright eyes and her cute little face did not seem like the kind of person who would cause trouble.

"I can't make decisions about the matters in our courtyard, but you can come with me!" The old woman's tone softened involuntarily, "Whether you can stay or not depends on your own luck!"

Zhao Ruyi quickly thanked the old woman and was then led to the lakeside.

Today, the wind was blowing, causing ripples in the lake.

Under a willow tree by the lake, tender yellow buds were just beginning to sprout, nestled among the drooping branches, exuding infinite vitality.

Sitting on a sandalwood carved flower chair under the willow tree was a fair-faced young man in white, who was feeding the fish in the lake. The koi in the lake were scrambling for the food.

The man looked at the koi, a faint smile on his lips, and continued to feed them, but there was a hint of weakness in his movements.

Because the crown prince, Song Wuji, was accustomed to seclusion in Xizhao Hall, Zhao Ruyi, who had worked in the mansion in her previous life, had never seen him before. But today, she realized that he was so handsome.

It was said that the Duke of Ningguo, Song Changsheng, had a good appearance, and when he was young, he was even more handsome than Pan An, a famous beauty in the capital.

It was a pity that in her previous life, the second son, Song Wuyou, whom she served, was only considered delicate. It wasn't until today, when she saw the crown prince, Song Wuji, that Zhao Ruyi felt that the rumors about the Duke's beauty might be true.

Just as Zhao Ruyi was standing there in a daze, Song Wuji turned to look at her, and a fair-skinned maid in a green dress, with double buns, standing next to Song Wuji, asked somewhat displeased, "What's going on, Lianpo?" There was a hint of reproach in her tone.

The old woman, known as Lian Pozi, quickly replied, "In response to the young master, this little girl claims to be a new maid in the mansion and wanted to come to our Xizhao Hall to work. I told her that we didn't need anyone in our courtyard, but she insisted on staying..."

"Lian Pozi, you are an elder in our courtyard, you should know how to handle maids. We should have just sent her away. Why did you bring her to the young master?" The maid scolded before Lian Pozi could finish speaking.

Lian Pozi quickly fell silent, lowered her head, and said no more.

Seeing this, Zhao Ruyi hurriedly knelt down, knocked her head loudly, and said, "My name is Zhao Ruyi, I am a servant in the mansion. Because my father was injured and unable to work, the steward Yao took pity on our family's difficult situation and allowed me to come to work in the mansion. Please, young master, do not drive Ruyi away, otherwise our family will have no means of livelihood."

"What does it have to do with our young master if your family has no means of livelihood? If you have the ability to enter the mansion, then you naturally have the ability to find another job in the mansion!" The fair-skinned maid said angrily, "If our courtyard needs people, we will call for them ourselves! Anyway, we don't want maids sent from over there!"

Where is "over there"?

Zhao Ruyi, who had worked in the mansion in her previous life, quickly realized that the maid was referring to Lady Xue, the wife of the Duke of Ningguo who lived in the Fragrant Courtyard.