Transmigrated Female Official

After several days, Chu Qingluo finally measured all the princesses and princes. The eldest, second, and third princes were a bit older, and apart from preferring more subdued colors, they didn't make any other requests. However, since they had already joined the ranks of female officials, they only occasionally returned to the palace, leaving her disappointed a few times. The tenth prince and the youngest prince were still children, and apart from being too mischievous during the measurement process, taking a while to figure things out, they were easy to manage.

The only troublesome one was the Ninth Prince, Ji Qibo, who, like the Eighth Princess, made countless demands, leaving her head spinning.

Although there's a lot to learn for an executive officer, they don't need to be an expert in everything, which Chu Qingluo was quite relieved about. Fortunately, she had an attendant to help her out. Ziyan stayed by her side all day, chattering away like a sparrow, and she had long regarded him as Momo's kindred spirit—her gay best friend.

With Shaoyao and Ziyan by her side, she gradually adapted to life in the palace. Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and next they mainly learned how to make jewelry.

After listening to Aunt Qi's masterclass, Ziyan became Chu Qingluo's private tutor, a field he was particularly skilled in. Meanwhile, Shaoyao, with her exceptional talent for jewelry making, received personal guidance from Aunt Qi.

"Ziyan, what does your family do?" Chu Qingluo would chat with him whenever she had a spare moment between her busy schedules.

"Farming, then. If you're a rich man's son, you don't need to be a servant." There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"So...do you like women?" she wanted to confirm.

"What are you saying?!" He glared at her fiercely and said, "I don't just like women, I also like women like the 'Empress'." When he said the word "Empress," his voice was so low that Chu Qingluo almost didn't hear him.

"Ah—?! She's much older than you!" Chu Qingluo lowered her voice, her eyes full of surprise.

“I know. She’s a very capable person. Not only does she govern the country well, but she’s also very kind to people.” He said, his face slightly flushed.

"Then why didn't you ask to enter?" Chu Qinglu asked innocently.

Zi Yan glanced at her again and said irritably, "You silly girl. Do you think you can ask the Empress to let you in? It's just a matter of whoever she takes a liking to."

"Oh...how many male servants does she have now?"

"There are over a hundred people. But right now, there are only ten high-ranking ones."

"Oh, there are different ranks too?" Chu Qingluo wondered how the old lady could possibly handle it. With a harem of three thousand beauties, even the emperor couldn't possibly remember them all.

"You don't know this? These male servants are divided into five categories: gold, wood, water, fire, earth, and five colors: blue, red, yellow, white, and black. The five categories are of higher rank than the five colors, and there is a limit to the number of each. The gold servant is the highest rank, with only one person. That's the eighth princess's biological father, Rui'an, whom I told you about last time. Next are two wood servants, three water servants, four fire servants, and five earth servants, while there is no limit to the number of each color servant."

Chu Qinglu listened attentively, nodding occasionally in agreement. "You also want to be one of the Five Elements, right?"

"It would be a lie to say I didn't want to, but unfortunately she never even gave me a second glance..."

Just as Chu Qingluo was about to speak, an executive officer stopped her: "Chu Qingluo, the Fifth Prince is looking for you."

Ji Qili had been at the clothing workshop for a while when he saw Chu Qingluo and Ziyan chatting animatedly. She smiled occasionally and showed expressions of surprise, completely different from the icy demeanor he'd seen that day. This made him even more curious about her cold attitude towards him. He inquired with others and learned that her name was actually quite beautiful.

Chu Qingluo was stunned at first, then walked towards him: "Fifth Prince".

Seeing that she had put on a cold expression again, he smiled and said, "I've thought about my demands."

"Oh...please go ahead." She deliberately looked away from him.

He stared at her small face and said slowly, "I don't want colors that are too cold. I don't like cold feelings right now, but I don't want red either. Ideally, it should be something that catches the eye and is unforgettable. I hope the Clothing Department will put in a lot of effort."

Chu Qinglu couldn't help but glance at him, only to see a smile in his eyes. It was the same gentle, sincere expression her first boyfriend had when he was relentlessly pursuing her... making her want to tear off his mask.

Suppressing her rising anger, she coldly replied, "Yes, sir." It would be best to make his clothes into a three-piece lace-up suit; it would definitely be unforgettable!

After the Fifth Prince left, the Clothing Pavilion was in an uproar. The ladies-in-waiting all praised his elegant demeanor and refined manners, while others were filled with jealousy.

"I heard she took the exam three times before finally passing it because of the Seventh Prince. How come she's taken a fancy to the Fifth Prince now?" The woman who spoke spoke with disdain and sarcasm.

“That’s right, the princes don’t all enter the same school, so don’t be too greedy,” someone echoed.

"You don't understand. This is called casting a wide net, catching one at a time." Yet another person, eager to stir up trouble, joined the fray.

The three people who just spoke were all executive officers who had entered the court a year earlier than Chu Qingluo. Although they were not very familiar with each other, they had never been so confrontational before.

Wait, what's with the Seventh Prince? What does this have to do with him?! Chu Qingluo was completely confused. Peony, standing to the side, was already furious, but Ziyan, bound by his status, dared not stand up for her and could only glare and sulk. Most of the others, not wanting to cause trouble, stood by and watched the spectacle.

"If you're so capable, why are you gossiping here? You dare not openly invite the princes in, yet you're afraid they'll be snatched away by someone else. These cowards are only fit to spout pedantic nonsense." Winning is the priority, no matter what. Chu Qingluo is no pushover; don't think she'll let anyone bully her.

"You—! What's so great about being the daughter of a merchant family!" It was the woman who had spoken first again. Her name was Luo Lifei. Her mother had previously held the rank of a third-grade official but had since retired. The other two, seeing her official background and noble status, both followed her lead.

"A hero's origins are irrelevant. Miss Luo, don't you even understand this basic common sense?" Chu Qingluo smiled lightly and said, "What you have now is nothing but what others have given you. Only what you earn yourself counts as real ability." A teenage girl wants to compete with her? She's too green. There's a woman nearly twenty-five years old living inside her, a full ten years older than Luo Lifei.

Luo Lifei's face instantly turned red and white. Just as the two lackeys beside her were about to pounce on Chu Qingluo again, a male voice rang out: "What Lord Chu said is absolutely right."

Everyone looked over at the sound, and there was the Fifth Prince, who had returned and was coldly watching the three of them.

Ji Qili hadn't expected his arrival to cause trouble for Chu Qingluo, and felt somewhat apologetic. However, after hearing that she had taken the official examination for Ji Qiran's sake, he was eager to find out the truth, so he spoke up now.

"Fifth Prince..." Luo Lifei's arrogance vanished instantly. She had hoped to leave a good impression on the Fifth Prince; if she could persuade him to join her family, her descendants would be set for life for at least three generations. But alas...

At this moment, Li Ziyou and Aunt Qi walked out of the inner cabinet.

Li Ziyou frowned slightly: "Why is it so lively?" She had just heard some noise inside, but she was too lazy to pay attention to it. However, the Fifth Prince came back, so she had to come and clean up the mess.

"..." Luo Lifei and the other two dared not utter a sound.

"Lord Li, I happened to witness those three ladies making things difficult for Lord Chu," Ji Qili said, speaking the truth on her behalf.

"Oh? Chu Qingluo, what do you think?" Li Ziyou looked at Chu Qingluo with a sharp gaze.

"Seventh Prince, you misunderstand. We were just discussing some issues and each had our own opinion." Chu Qingluo knew that if she didn't do this, she would suffer later, so she could only grit her teeth and swallow her words.

"So, I was overthinking it." Ji Qili felt a little bad that her good intentions had been ruined.

"In that case, everyone go ahead and get busy," Li Ziyou waved her hand.

The onlookers immediately dispersed, and Luo Lifei and her two companions breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly left as well.

Ji Qili: "Lord Li, I have some requests regarding clothing that I would like to discuss with Lord Chu."

Li Ziyou: "Alright, then I'll trouble Chu Qingluo to escort the Fifth Prince out."

Chu Qingluo: "Yes."

She silently saw him to the door before saying, "Thank you for earlier."

"But why do I feel that Lord Chu doesn't want my help at all?" This really frustrated him.

"It's nothing, Fifth Prince, no need to trouble yourself." She naturally didn't want to owe him anything, and instead asked, "Any new ideas about clothing?"

"This... I'd like something that can match this jade pendant." He took out a dark green jade pendant and handed it to Chu Qingluo. Actually, he just wanted to talk to her a little longer; he had no real intentions and just made up a reason.

This jade pendant is smooth and lustrous, and feels cool to the touch. Logically speaking, it could be worn with any clothes, so the Fifth Prince's actions were unnecessary.

“That’s fine.” She returned the jade pendant to him. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go in.”

"Lord Chu, I actually have two questions I would like to ask you."

"...Fifth Prince, please speak."

"First, why didn't you speak up for yourself just now? Second, why are you hostile towards me?" He went straight to the point.

"First of all, if I make a fuss about something so trivial and it reaches Lord Li's ears, she will only think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. Besides, Lord Li wouldn't want the Fifth Prince to see the less-than-honorable affairs of the Clothing Pavilion. Secondly, this is just my nature; I have no hostility towards the Fifth Prince. Please don't misunderstand."

She was calm, clear-headed, and spoke with perfect logic, which impressed him. He couldn't believe she wasn't hostile, but he knew she wouldn't admit it if he pressed her further.

"I'll trouble you with the clothing."

Ji Qili hadn't done anything to wrong her at all; on the contrary, he was a gentle and reasonable person. Even when she was rude, he still maintained his composure. Perhaps she really shouldn't have compared him to that scumbag.

"I will do my best." Her tone softened considerably instantly.