Chapter 3: A Maid's Provocation, Yan Ning Strikes Back
Yan Ning stepped out with the imperial decree in hand, the sun dipping westward but still radiating heat.
Her grip on the decree was slightly damp with sweat.
Eunuch Wang emerged and said, "Lady Yan, Dongli Pavilion is within Fengzi Palace. You must first pay respects to Noble Consort Chen, who oversees everything there. She'll assign your maids and eunuchs. Do you understand, Lady Yan?"
Of course she understood. His lengthy explanation boiled down to one point: she was under Noble Consort Chen's command.
Yan Ning replied, "Thank you for the reminder, Eunuch Wang. I'll mind my place. But I don't know the way to Fengzi Palace—could you send someone to guide me?"
"Of course."
Eunuch Wang summoned a eunuch, gave him brief instructions, and the eunuch promptly led Yan Ning toward Fengzi Palace.
Upon arriving, the eunuch bid farewell and left.
Yan Ning stood alone before Fengzi Palace's grand gates, glanced at the entrance, and stepped forward to knock.
A maid opened the door, eyeing Yan Ning with clear disdain. "Who are you? Do you even know where this is? Knocking like that—who do you think you are?"
Though just a lowly maid, she served in Fengzi Palace, which lent her an air of superiority. These maids knew the palace's hierarchy inside out—who held power, who their attendants were.
Yan Ning's face was unfamiliar, her clothes shabby—a beggar from who-knows-where. *The palace lets in all sorts these days,* the maid thought, sneering.
Yan Ning remained calm. "My surname is Yan, given name Ning. By His Majesty's grace, I've just been named a Talented Lady and assigned to Fengzi Palace. If you doubt me, see the decree."
She handed over the edict, a faint smile on her lips but calculation in her eyes. She was certain the maid wouldn't dare take it. If she did…
"Yan Ning? Never heard of you. His Majesty made *you* a Talented Lady? You think you're fit for his eyes?"
The maid, used to throwing her weight around, scoffed and snatched the decree to inspect it.
Pity she couldn't read it fully—some words she understood, others eluded her.
A cold glint flashed in Yan Ning's eyes. She suddenly bellowed, "How dare you!"
Her voice boomed, startling the maid, who jolted and dropped the decree.
Yan Ning pressed forward, "You dare disrespect His Majesty!"
"I didn't!" The maid panicked, her face paling as she scrambled to pick up the edict.
Yan Ning's expression darkened. "Defiling the decree is defiling His Majesty. Such audacity! You can look down on me, but to disregard even His Majesty?"
She snatched the decree back. "I'll take this to His Majesty for judgment."
The maid grabbed her arm, dropping to her knees with a thud. "Lady Yan, I was blind, I was reckless! I only wanted to verify your identity—I didn't mean to disrespect His Majesty or slight you. Please, Lady Yan, have mercy. I'll take you to the mistress right now!"
Yan Ning hesitated, feigning reluctance.
The maid kowtowed. "Lady Yan, please, be kind!"
Yan Ning had just arrived and didn't want to alienate everyone. Had the maid not been so rude from the start, she wouldn't have bothered teaching her a lesson.
This was a warning—a show of strength. Knowing when to stop was the wisest move.
Yan Ning said coolly, "Get up. Lead the way."