The Adaptation Period Upon First Entering the Prince's Mansion

After Lin Yue stayed in the prince's mansion, every morning, sunlight filtered through the carved window lattices and shone into the room. She always got up early to start her daily adaptation journey. Standing in front of a bronze mirror, looking at herself in ancient - style clothing, she still felt a bit dazed. By her side was Cuier, a lively girl of fifteen or sixteen years old, who was deftly helping her comb her hair. As Cuier fiddled with Lin Yue's long hair, she said with a smile, "Miss Lin, your hair is so beautiful, black and shiny. Any hairstyle will look good on you." Lin Yue smiled faintly and replied softly, "Cuier, I really appreciate you teaching me all these. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know what to do." After finishing her makeup, Lin Yue followed Cuier to the courtyard. In the courtyard, the flowers and plants were lush, and the paths were winding. Lin Yue took a deep breath of the fresh air, trying hard to integrate into the ancient rhythm of life. She observed the every move of the servants around her and learned their etiquette and rules. The steward Wang Fu, who passed by, nodded slightly as a greeting, with a polite smile on his face. "Miss Lin, you look very energetic today." Lin Yue quickly curtsied and said, "Thank you, steward, for your concern. I'm getting familiar with the place." At this time, a melodious sound of the qin came from not far away. Lin Yue looked curiously in the direction of the sound. A woman in a light - blue silk dress was sitting in a pavilion, playing the qin. Seeing this, Cuier whispered an introduction, "That's Miss Liu'er, the qin player in the prince's mansion. Her qin - playing skills are extremely superb. The prince also likes to listen to her play the qin on weekdays." Lin Yue looked at Liu'er and couldn't help but sigh at the abundance of talents in the prince's mansion. She secretly made up her mind to adapt to this place as soon as possible and not be eliminated by this complex environment. However, the peaceful days didn't last long. One day, when Lin Yue was taking a walk in the courtyard, she accidentally overheard the whispers of two maids. "That Miss Lin, a person of unknown origin, why on earth can she stay in the prince's mansion and still get the prince's attention?" a shrill voice said. "Exactly. Maybe she has some ulterior motives," another voice chimed in. Lin Yue's heart tightened. She knew that her identity was still a sensitive topic in the prince's mansion and could easily arouse the dissatisfaction and suspicion of others at any time. In order to dispel everyone's doubts, Lin Yue decided to take the initiative to communicate with the servants and understand their lives and needs. She often helped the nannies in the kitchen wash and cut vegetables and listened to them talk about the trivial matters in the prince's mansion. However, her kindness didn't receive a response from everyone. A servant named Agui always sneered at her. "A girl should stay in her own room. It's really strange to come to the kitchen and meddle." Lin Yue ignored his mockery and just smiled and said, "We are all people in the prince's mansion. I'm happy to be able to help." But Agui didn't plan to stop there. One day, some ingredients were missing from the kitchen. Agui immediately jumped out and accused Lin Yue. "You must have stolen them. Ever since you came, there has been no peace in the prince's mansion." Lin Yue was angry and anxious. "I didn't steal. Don't slander me." The quarrel between the two attracted steward Wang Fu. Wang Fu frowned and looked at Agui. "Agui, without evidence, you can't make random accusations." But Agui was relentless. "Steward, she has an unknown origin. There must be something wrong with her." Lin Yue felt wronged. She knew that there was still a long way to go if she really wanted to integrate into the prince's mansion.