The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

The head maid's surname was Liu. She entered the palace at the age of fourteen and spent most of her life there.

She rose from a lowly palace maid in the laundry department to the head maid in the needlework department, relying on her keen eye for judging people and her tongue that never caused trouble.

She doesn't take sides, doesn't flatter, and doesn't gossip. She doesn't care who is favored or who is out of favor; she just focuses on doing her job properly.

Over the years, the palace has seen many ups and downs, with many once-favored stewardesses falling from grace and being relegated to the laundry department to do laundry.

She alone steadily endured until the age of retirement, and after a few more years she could leave the palace to live out her days in peace.

But just when she thought she was going to pass away peacefully at the needlework bureau,

A transfer order from the Imperial Household Department landed on her head.

She was transferred to the Ninth Prince's side palace to serve as the head maid.

On the day she received the transfer order, she looked at that thin piece of paper over and over again.

I've confirmed that the name is spelled correctly.

The Ninth Prince, the one who lived in a secluded side hall and whose allowance was even reduced.

Who in the palace doesn't know?

Serving such a master is no different from living a leisurely life in the needlework bureau, but since it is a transfer order, there is no room for negotiation.

The transfer order was signed by Wei Zhongxian, the person in charge of the personnel department.

When Granny Liu heard this name, her heart tightened.

Wei Zhongxian was one of the fastest-rising figures in the inner court in recent years.

He was in charge of the files and transfers of tens of thousands of palace staff in the inner court, and his position as head of the personnel department was as secure as a rock.

This person always has a smiling, warm face.

He always had a smile on his face, and during holidays he would personally pay for extra dishes and wine for his subordinates. Throughout the palace, the name "Manager Wei" was frequently mentioned.

Eight out of ten people would give a thumbs up.

But it would be a big mistake to think that he is just a smooth-talking, nice guy.

After the staffing review, he had complete control over the personnel allocation of the twelve supervisory commissions, four departments, and eight bureaus.

He can transfer or promote whomever he wants, and even the chief supervisors have to consult him before they can place a few people in their positions.

What's even more frightening is the group of godfathers behind him.

The former head of the Directorate of Palace Attendants, the former head of the Directorate of Imperial Seals, a veteran of the Directorate of Palace Guards, the head of the Wine, Vinegar and Noodle Shop...

Individually, none of these people are considered top-tier figures of power.

But when put together, they form a network of relationships that covers every corner of the inner court.

At the center of this network is Wei Zhongxian.

Liu Mama couldn't afford to offend someone like that.

The order clearly stated: You must report to the Ninth Prince's side palace within three days, and there must be no delay.

Granny Liu didn't dare to delay any longer and took care of the needlework bureau's affairs on the first day.

The next day, after packing my luggage, I took out the new clothes that had been sitting at the bottom of my trunk for decades and ironed them.

Early on the third day, before dawn, she got up to wash and prepare to report to the side hall.

As soon as the door was opened, a young eunuch trotted over and bowed respectfully.

Manager Wei asked her to go to the personnel department office to give him some instructions.

Wei Zhongxian wanted to see her in person.

Granny Liu was filled with anxiety the whole way, having spent most of her life working at the needlework workshop.

I have never had any direct dealings with the personnel department, let alone been personally summoned by the person in charge.

As she walked through the corridor of the Imperial Household Department, several servants were squatting in the corner eating breakfast. When they saw her coming, they all turned their heads and obviously had heard the news.

When she reached the door of the personnel department's duty room, the door was half-closed, and she could faintly hear the rustling sound of pages turning inside.

She took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock on the door.

"Come in." The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a weight that commanded respect.

Granny Liu pushed open the door and went in. There was only Wei Zhongxian in the duty room, sitting behind his desk and flipping through a thick personnel file.

Today he was wearing a blue palace robe with a copper plaque tied around his waist. A freshly brewed cup of tea sat on the corner of the table, its aroma wafting through the air.

Granny Liu quickly knelt down to pay her respects, her movements so practiced they seemed ingrained in her bones.

Wei Zhongxian did not immediately tell her to get up.

Instead, he continued flipping through the files, and only after a few pages did he look up, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment before he smiled.

His smile was so warm, as if he had known her for half his life. He said, "This must be Granny Liu. Please get up, please get up. There's no need for such formalities."

Granny Liu stood up and stood at her sides, her palms sweating with nervousness.

Wei Zhongxian closed the file and put it aside, then leaned back in his chair and scrutinized her.

He spoke casually, as if they were having a casual chat, and asked her if she was fifty-three this year.

He worked at the needlework bureau for over thirty years, managing the warehouse, training apprentices, and even making a cloak embroidered with butterflies for the Empress.

He had just found out about this cloak the day before yesterday. The Empress liked it very much and even rewarded Liu Mama with a silver bracelet.

Granny Liu's heart skipped a beat.

He could bring up things from over thirty years ago; his eyes were fixed on far more people than she had imagined.

She dared not hide it and nodded repeatedly, saying that her father-in-law was right.

Wei Zhongxian smiled and nodded, picked up his teacup and took a sip. His tone suddenly changed from casual conversation to admonition.

He said he wanted to congratulate Granny Liu, as the Ninth Prince had been short of a head nanny for many years.

He personally selected Granny Liu from hundreds of files.

These words stopped there; the rest of the words didn't need to be spoken, but their weight already pressed on Granny Liu's heart.

He chose this job, he gave it to me, and he gave me this respectable position.

He put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and spoke with a more serious tone.

People say that the Ninth Prince is young and soft-hearted, but he is his master, His Majesty's own son.

After Liu Mama went to the side hall, she kept two things in mind.

First, she should serve His Highness well. As for the necessary allowances and personnel, she only needs to come to him whenever His Highness asks, and he will take care of it for her.

Secondly, Your Highness has two young palace maids named Chunlan and Qiuju, both of whom are honest people. After Liu Mama goes there, she will become the head maid. She should not take advantage of her seniority to bully the young people.

Granny Liu immediately knelt down and kowtowed, her voice trembling.

She had lived for fifty-three years and seen everything, but she had never seen anything like this before.

The head of the personnel department personally reprimanded her on behalf of an unfavored ninth prince, and she knew better than anyone what those words meant.

Wei Zhongxian came over and personally helped her up, brushing the dust off her knees.

His tone returned to its usual warmth, and he said he would take care of her in the future.

When Granny Liu came out of the personnel department's office, the back of her clothes was soaked with cold sweat.

As she walked, she kept replaying Wei Zhongxian's words in her mind.

If you sit tight, you can retire and live out your days in peace; if you don't, you'll remember it for the rest of your life.

She was lost in thought when she didn't notice that the passageway beneath her feet had turned a corner, and she bumped into someone.

The man wore a scarlet official robe with a dark palace sash around his waist. He had a young face but a calm and composed expression.

When Granny Liu looked up, she was so startled that she almost dropped her luggage.

Zhao Gao was a eunuch serving in the Directorate of Ceremonial, also known as Eunuch Zhao.

She had heard of his name when she was in the Needlework Bureau; he was a powerful figure in the inner court.

Chen Ju's adopted son, Wang Zheng's successor, and the story of how he beat Huang Guiren's old nanny to death in the Imperial Garden had long been known throughout the palace.

She hurriedly knelt down to pay her respects.

Zhao Gao slightly raised his hand and said "No need for formalities," then stood in front of her, holding a cup of tea, and slowly used the lid to stir the tea leaves floating on the surface.

He remained silent for several moments before speaking.

His tone was as flat as if he were talking about the weather, saying that Granny Liu was going to report to the side hall today.

He didn't say much, just gave a few instructions.

"Do more, talk less."

"Listen to what you should hear, and keep the rest to yourself."

"Remember what you should remember, and forget what you shouldn't remember on the spot."

He looked up at her, his gaze calm and serene like that of an ancient well.

"Pay more attention to His Highness from now on."

Granny Liu nodded repeatedly, her head bowed so low it was almost buried in her chest.

Zhao Gao said nothing more, and walked past her with his teacup in hand, his pace unhurried.

The figure in the crimson official robe quickly disappeared at the end of the passageway.

Granny Liu straightened up and stood in the middle of the passageway, stunned for a long while.

The morning light poured down from above the courtyard, casting her long shadow on the bluestone path.

Her mind was a complete mess.

The Ninth Prince, a prince without a mother, relatives, or powerful backing, lived like a ghost in the palace.

She originally thought that being transferred to serve such a master was like being banished to the cold palace, sitting on the sidelines, and that her career was over.

But now, Wei Zhongxian personally summoned her for a talk, using both kindness and threats to reprimand her.

Zhao Gao personally stopped her on the road and reminded her to be mindful of her actions.

One of these two people is the person in charge of the Personnel Department.

One is a candidate for the next Director of Ceremonial.

The two most powerful people in the inner court came one after the other to warn her, just to make her "serve His Highness the Ninth Prince well".

Who exactly is the Ninth Prince?

Or rather, who is actually standing behind His Highness the Ninth Prince?

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Granny Liu pinched her palm hard.

Zhao Gao's words still echoed in my ears: "Don't think about what you shouldn't think about, and don't remember what you shouldn't remember."

She took a deep breath, suppressed all the distracting thoughts in her mind, straightened her clothes, picked up her luggage again, and walked towards the side hall.

Her steps were much steadyer than when she came.

Regardless of what's behind it, she only knows one thing.

From today onwards, she will be the Ninth Prince's head nanny.

Wei Zhongxian said that if she was well taken care of, she would have the opportunity to retire from the palace one day.

If you don't serve her well, those eyes will keep staring at her.

As for the rest, she couldn't ask a single question or think a single thought.