A Rebirth: Joined As One - Chapter 7

Naturally, no one dared stop the Princess Royal’s carriage when it entered the palace.

What was more, the person sitting inside this carriage was the Princess Royal’s newly appointed study companion, the only daughter of Prime Minister Jing of the current court. Naturally, even fewer people dared stop it.

And so, the journey was smooth.

The Princess Royal also had her own palace residence inside the imperial palace. It was just that ever since the late Retired Emperor passed away, she had rarely stayed there. Aside from the two palace school seasons each year, when she would live in the palace for convenience, she spent most of the rest of her time at the Princess Royal’s residence.

In Jing Ya’s previous life, she had been sent into the palace to support the young Crown Prince, so she had lived in the Eastern Palace with him.

But things were different now. Her identity had become the Princess Royal’s study companion, so naturally, she had to follow the Princess Royal and live in her palace residence.

Fortunately, after playing a trick on her once, the Princess Royal did not do the same thing a second time.

Even when the Princess Royal did not stay in her palace residence, people regularly cleaned and maintained it. The side hall assigned to Jing Ya was the same, so there was no need to spend much effort cleaning. The two palace maids assigned to serve Jing Ya very quickly helped her put all her things away.

Jing Ya looked around the room. Although there were no particularly luxurious furnishings, it was at least clean, quiet, and elegant. It could also be considered a good place to study.

“All right. You may go out.”

“Yes.”

The two palace attendants answered and withdrew, their movements completely quiet.

Jing Ya stood where she was and looked around. In the end, her gaze still fell on the desk. After thinking it over a few times, she walked over and sat down.

In any case, she had nothing to do, and for the time being, she could not see the Princess Royal either. Reading to pass the time was fine.

Besides, the palace school’s schedule had always been very relaxed. In a day, one only had to sit in class from the beginning of the chen hour to the end of the si hour, just half the day. In the afternoon, students studied on their own. Whether they did so in Lingyun Pavilion or returned to the place where they were temporarily staying was up to them, as long as they managed to hand their assignments to the teacher before the xu hour.

The imperial ancestors had a rule: all children of the imperial clan had to enter the palace school from the age of seven until they came of age.

The descendants of meritorious officials and prestigious families could enter the palace school as study companions. Their age requirement was the same as that of the imperial clan’s children, but when it came to assessments, the requirements for them were much stricter.

However, every family also knew that attending this palace school was not truly for the sake of learning anything remarkable.

As for what it was really for, that was a secret everyone understood in their hearts but could not say aloud.

Jing Ya spent the entire day reading inside the side hall, proper and well-behaved. She did not even step out of the side hall doors. Since the Princess Royal still had not summoned her by the time the palace attendants came to lay out dinner, Jing Ya thought that she probably would not see the Princess Royal today.

But the moment she finished thinking this, someone suddenly came to summon her.

The person who came was none other than Xue Chan, who had always stayed by the Princess Royal’s side. Xue Chan casually looked Jing Ya over from top to bottom before saying, “Miss Jing is having dinner…”

Jing Ya lifted her eyes to look at her, then put down the chopsticks she had just picked up. “Has the Princess Royal summoned me for something?”

“Yes. But since Miss Jing is eating, you may go see the Princess Royal after dinner…”

“No need. I will go with you now.”

“All right.” Xue Chan made no further polite excuses. She turned sideways to make way for Jing Ya and said, “Then Miss Jing, this way, please.”

When Jing Ya followed Xue Chan to the Princess Royal’s side, the Princess Royal also happened to be eating. Every dish was exquisite, but the person eating was not very interested. She only casually picked up a few bites with her chopsticks, as though she had little appetite.

Xue Chan saluted the Princess Royal. “Princess Royal, Miss Jing is here.”

Hearing this, the Princess Royal lazily lifted her eyelids and looked at Jing Ya, who was standing far behind. She set down her chopsticks and said, “You go out first.”

“Yes.” After answering, Xue Chan immediately withdrew. Only the Princess Royal and Jing Ya were left in the room.

Jing Ya lowered her head and did not look at the Princess Royal. The fingers hidden inside her sleeves unconsciously rubbed against each other again and again.

Since being reborn, counting the night of the Lantern Festival, this was only the second time she had seen the Princess Royal.

“Why are you standing so far away?”

Hearing the question, Jing Ya raised her head to look at the Princess Royal, only to find that the Princess Royal was also looking at her. Jing Ya froze for a moment before lowering her eyes again and walking forward a little. However, she was still several steps away from the Princess Royal.

The Princess Royal was also slightly stunned the instant Jing Ya raised her head.

In her previous life, the Princess Royal had seen Jing Ya plenty of times, but she had never paid attention to this person. There was no other reason. Jing Ya’s presence was simply too plain, and she was always quiet. Wherever she stood, she was always easy to overlook.

But now, seeing her so suddenly like this, this little mouse seemed to be…

The Princess Royal reined in her thoughts, coughed, and said, “Palace school starts tomorrow. I called you here to remind you not to be late on the first day of school.”

Jing Ya lowered her head and accepted the instruction. “Yes.”

The Princess Royal asked again, “Do you know what time palace school starts tomorrow?”

Jing Ya replied that she did. “It starts at the chen hour.”

“Wrong.”

“Wrong?”

Meeting Jing Ya’s doubtful gaze, the Princess Royal said frankly, “Wrong. Palace school starts at the mao hour tomorrow. You must not remember it incorrectly. If you are late and cause me to be punished, then when you return, I will punish you twice as much. Do you understand?”

Jing Ya could only say that she understood.

Only then did the Princess Royal nod in satisfaction and dismiss her.

Jing Ya took her leave. When she went out to the outer room, she ran into Xue Chan again. Xue Chan first saluted her and said, “Has the Princess Royal finished speaking with Miss Jing?”

“Mm.” Jing Ya answered, then looked at Xue Chan and asked, “What time does palace school start tomorrow?”

Without thinking, Xue Chan blurted out, “The chen hour.”

The Princess Royal had attended palace school for many years. Xue Chan naturally remembered such small matters clearly.

Jing Ya looked at her and calmly asked in return, “Is it not the mao hour?”

“The mao hour? How could that be? At that time, the sky has only just brightened. Even the lecturers would not have arrived yet. How could classes begin at the mao hour? It is clearly the chen hour.” Xue Chan was very confident.

Jing Ya nodded. “Oh. Then it was the Princess Royal who remembered wrongly.”

“The Princess Royal? This…” Xue Chan realized what had happened and hurriedly asked, “Miss Jing, could it be that the Princess Royal told you classes start at the mao hour?”

“That is correct.”

“Ah!” Xue Chan struck her palm with her fist, trying hard to twist back what she had just said. “It was me! I remembered wrong! The Princess Royal is right. It is indeed the mao hour. Yes, the mao hour! I remembered wrong. Miss Jing, you absolutely must not believe me! It really is the mao hour. You must remember that time. If you are late later, the Princess Royal will definitely punish me!”

“Is it truly the mao hour?”

“It is! Truly! It really is the mao hour! Miss Jing, you must remember this hour. Otherwise, I will be miserable…”

Jing Ya said nothing. She only looked at her. Xue Chan felt unbearably guilty under her gaze. Her eyes darted everywhere, and she simply did not dare meet Jing Ya’s.

A moment later, Jing Ya withdrew her gaze. “All right. The mao hour. I will remember.”

After saying this, she turned and walked back toward the side hall.

Only after Xue Chan saw her walk away did she dare let out a long breath. She patted her chest, looking as if she had suffered no small fright.

Once she recovered, she immediately ran into the room and complained to the Princess Royal, “Princess Royal, if you wanted to trick someone, why didn’t you tell me in advance?”

The Princess Royal propped her head on one hand and looked sideways at her. “Jing Ya asked you?”

“Yes. She asked me if classes start at the mao hour. I didn’t know you were trying to… so I said it was the chen hour. Then she said you told her classes start at the mao hour! I had no choice but to say I was the one who remembered wrong. But judging from Miss Jing’s expression, she probably already knows you were lying to her. I doubt she will fall for your trick.”

The Princess Royal imagined the confrontation between Xue Chan and Jing Ya just now, and could not help laughing. “Isn’t it because you were too stupid and let her trick the words out of you?”

Xue Chan said aggrievedly, “If you had told me earlier, then I wouldn’t have had words tricked out of me…”

“Forget it. Don’t worry. Even if she knows I am lying to her, tomorrow she will definitely go to Lingyun Pavilion at the mao hour.”

“Ah? Why?”

“You cannot figure it out?”

Xue Chan shook her head. “I cannot.”

How could anyone knowingly walk into a trap after knowing it was a trap?

The Princess Royal sighed. “I really should call Yu Qiong back to teach you properly.”

Xue Chan felt even more wronged. “…”

When Jing Ya returned, sure enough, the meal had already been cleared away. If she had to arrive at Lingyun Pavilion at the mao hour tomorrow morning, then most likely, breakfast would be skipped too.

Jing Ya looked at the box filled to the brim with books and sighed softly. If she had known, she should have brought some dry rations with her too. There might be a golden house in books, but there was no food inside them to fill one’s stomach…

Rubbing her slightly aching stomach, Jing Ya ordered the palace maids to draw water so she could wash and prepare to rest.

She had to rise early tomorrow. Besides, staying awake would only make her hungry, so it was better to wash up and sleep early.

Before sleeping, Jing Ya instructed the two little palace maids to be sure to wake her at the beginning of the yin hour. The two little palace maids did not understand why, but they did not ask. They only answered yes in unison.

Only then did Jing Ya feel slightly reassured and fall asleep.

The night passed quickly. Just after the beginning of the yin hour, the little palace maids followed Jing Ya’s instructions from the night before and came to wake her. Jing Ya had not slept enough, so she was somewhat irritable upon waking. Her face was dark, and she ended up frightening the two little palace maids.

Fortunately, after washing up, she became a little more awake. Jing Ya looked at the sky, which had just begun to show a hint of pale whiteness, and drew in a deep breath of the cool morning air. It entered straight into her lungs, making her feel much more refreshed all over.

Then Jing Ya went alone toward Lingyun Pavilion.

The palace school was located in Lingyun Pavilion. The Princess Royal’s palace residence was not especially far from Lingyun Pavilion, but walking there still took some time.

By the end of the yin hour, palace attendants were already moving about, though their hands and feet were all very quiet, afraid of disturbing someone’s pleasant dreams.

Jing Ya walked the whole way at an unhurried pace. When she arrived at Lingyun Pavilion, it was exactly the mao hour.

The doors of Lingyun Pavilion were already open, and palace attendants were coming in and out to clean. When they saw Jing Ya arrive, no one hurried forward to ask her anything.

Although palace school was set to begin at the chen hour, there was also no rule forbidding people from coming before the chen hour.

What was more, the palace attendants all knew very well in their hearts that those who could come to Lingyun Pavilion were not people they could easily provoke. And so, those palace attendants kept their eyes lowered and their hearts still. When they passed by, they only silently saluted Jing Ya, then continued with the work in their hands. They did not approach her.

Jing Ya did not mind. After finding her seat, she sat down.

At this time, the sky outside was slowly brightening, but if one wanted to read indoors, a lamp still had to be lit. And so, a clever palace attendant lit a lamp and brought it to Jing Ya’s desk. Jing Ya thanked them in passing, then opened the book that had already been prepared on the desk and began reading by the lamplight.

There was still a long time before class began at the chen hour.

She had to pass this stretch of time somehow.

The author has something to say:

From here onward, the interactions between the two of them will gradually increase~

Love you all~ Mwah~