Transmigrated Female Official

In the morning, after Li Ziyou returned to the clothing workshop after the court session, Chu Qingluo finally found an opportunity to see her.

"Sister Ziyou, I want to talk to you about setting up the stage," Chu Qingluo stated her purpose.

Li Ziyou: "The matter of setting up the stage is under the jurisdiction of Ji Jie, who is of the sixth rank. If you have any special requests, you will have to talk to her about it."

"Yes, thank you, Sister Ziyou." Seeing that Li Ziyou didn't seem inclined to help her solve the problem, Chu Qingluo had no choice but to find a solution herself.

Li Ziyou watched Chu Qingluo's departing figure, a mysterious smile playing on her lips. She had deliberately refused to help Chu Qingluo with this matter, wanting to see if she could succeed, so she could place her bet...

Chu Qingluo had just left the clothing workshop when she bumped into the Fifth Prince outside the door.

"Qingluo!" Ji Qili was taken aback at first, then came up to greet her warmly.

"Fifth Prince." Chu Qingluo bowed as usual.

"Where are you going?" I've been wanting to see her for a while, but I haven't had an excuse. I was just wandering outside the tailor shop when I happened to run into her coming out.

"I want to go to Guangrentang."

"I'm going there too, let's go together." Ji Qili planned to walk and think about what he wanted to do at Guangrentang.

Chu Qingluo was puzzled. Why was the Fifth Prince going to Guangren Hall and then passing by the Clothing Pavilion? This route was anything but smooth…

At first, the two remained silent the entire way...

"Um... how are the preparations for the Clothing Pavilion's gift coming along?" Ji Qili tried to strike up a conversation with her.

"Preparations are almost complete." She answered the question. Although she didn't have a stern face, there was still a hint of indifference.

"I heard they held her coming-of-age ceremony a few days ago?" Ji Qili asked cautiously, afraid that she might revert to her previous coldness if she became unhappy.

Chu Qingluo glanced at him... It seemed that even the smallest things happening on the streets of Yancheng could spread far and wide, even within the heavily fortified palace walls. She replied, "Yes."

"...Congratulations."

"Thank you."

Ji Qili didn't know why he became particularly clumsy with words when he was in front of her. His mind would go blank, and he would have no idea what to say or do.

The head of Guangrentang was Ji Jie, a female official of the sixth rank. She was involved in all matters, big and small, within the palace.

Ji Jie looked to be in her early thirties, with high cheekbones and a long face. Chu Qingluo stepped forward first, bowed, and introduced herself: "Lord Ji, I am Chu Qingluo from the Clothing Pavilion."

Ji Jie nodded to Chu Qingluo, then quickly shifted her gaze to Ji Qili: "Fifth Prince, what brings you here?" She smiled broadly, her eyes sparkling.

"Uh...it's nothing, nothing. You and Lord Chu go ahead with your business, I'll just take a stroll in the courtyard." Ji Qili hadn't come up with an excuse yet, so he slipped out first.

"Okay." Ji Jie still smiled brightly. Only after Ji Qili's shadow had completely disappeared from sight did she turn back: "Speak, what is it?"

"It's about the platform for the Summer Festival. Could it be set up in a cross shape?" Considering the various spectators below, Chu Qingluo didn't plan to use a conventional platform.

"How could that be? We've always used a square stage for music and dance performances." Ji Jie refused without even thinking.

"How about this: could you add another platform, fifteen feet long and six feet wide, to the east, west, south, and north of that square platform for us? Would that be alright?"

Ji Jie frowned slightly: "Why is it so complicated?"

"It's not complicated, really, I can draw it for you."

"...Your clothing workshop is going to too much trouble. It puts me in a difficult position." Ji Jie didn't say she wouldn't do it, but she also didn't say she could.

Chu Qingluo was extremely annoyed by Ji Jie's ambiguous attitude. She was probably one of those two smooth-talking old foxes who said one thing to one person and another to someone else. These kinds of people are the most calculating, always looking for ways to benefit themselves. Who knows what she really wants? Money? How much would be enough to satisfy her?

Does this mean she'll not only have to put in the effort but also spend money on this gift? And in the end, all the credit will go to Li Ziyou, while she gets nothing and even loses money? Damn it! She's not doing a losing business! But the stage still needs to be set up… she needs to think about it some more…

"I've got it! Wasn't that old fox's eyes practically sparkling with hearts when he saw Ji Qili? Maybe he can be of great help to her today." Thinking of this, Chu Qingluo took a breath: "Lord Ji, there's something I feel I must tell you." She deliberately lowered her voice, pretending to be mysterious.

Ji Jie glanced at her suspiciously: "What is it?"

Chu Qingluo: "I just happened to run into the Fifth Prince when I arrived. He said..." She deliberately dragged out the last syllable to keep people in suspense.

"What did he say?" Ji Jie's urgent tone confirmed that Chu Qingluo's judgment was correct.

"He said he particularly disliked the spices that Guangrentang sent him!" If you're going to do something, you might as well go all the way! I had smelled incense in every prince's palace before, but not in Ji Qili's.

“But he once said he was allergic to spices…” Ji Jie looked doubtful.

"That's just politeness. The truth is, he was very dissatisfied with the spices you sent." Chu Qingluo emphasized the word "very" and continued to lie through her teeth.

Ji Jie still didn't believe it: "Then he could have just told me that there are so many kinds of spices, and I could have chosen whichever I wanted."

"The Fifth Prince is a considerate person and didn't want to trouble you, but since the new clothes for the grand ceremony are finished, he needs to take some spices back to scent them so as not to be impolite in front of His Majesty. That's why he came to Guangrentang." Chu Qingluo made up a story until she even believed it herself.

"I see..." Ji Jie was clearly swayed by her and began to consider what spices to prepare for Ji Qili.

Seeing her serious expression, Chu Qingluo smiled secretly and said, "The Fifth Prince said he prefers a lighter taste."

"Refreshing?" Ji Jie looked troubled.

Chu Qinglu stepped forward again: "Mint is very refreshing."

Upon hearing this, Ji Jie suddenly understood: "That's right. That's easy, I'll have someone mix the dried mint powder into spices and send it to him later."

"Your Excellency is wise," Chu Qingluo continued to flatter.

"Then thank you for reminding me." Ji Jie's attitude softened considerably. She looked Chu Qingluo up and down and asked, "Are you very familiar with the Fifth Prince?" Logically speaking, Chu Qingluo was an unfamiliar face and should have only recently entered the palace. If the two hadn't known each other for a long time, they shouldn't be familiar with each other.

"We're not close. It's just that I happened to be in charge of arranging the Fifth Prince's costumes for the grand ceremony, so we've only had a few dealings." There was no exaggeration in her words.

Having asked all the questions she wanted to ask, and knowing that Chu Qingluo probably couldn't answer the rest, Ji Jie called out, "Someone, please invite the Fifth Prince in."

As soon as Ji Qili entered the room, he saw Chu Qingluo standing behind Ji Jie, winking at him.

"Fifth Prince, I've had a new spice blend made. It's minty and smells wonderful. I'll have someone send it to you tomorrow." Ji Jie put on her standard smile again.

"Spice?..." Ji Qili was taken aback at first, then saw Chu Qingluo clasp her hands together in front of her chest and nod repeatedly at him. He suddenly smiled: "Yes, that's what I came for. I didn't expect Lord Ji to have already made all the preparations. Thank you so much."

"Not at all, of course." Ji Jie smiled, revealing all eight of her teeth.

"Have you finished dealing with Lord Ji and Lord Chu's affairs?" He didn't know what Chu Qingluo was up to, but she was definitely trying to drag him into it, which was why she was begging him for help.

Ji Jie replied, "Yes, everything is taken care of."

"Lord Ji, about the stage..." Chu Qingluo was about to ask if the stage could still be set up, but Ji Jie interrupted her, "The stage is of course no problem. Guangrentang will do its best to meet all the requests made by each level."

Chu Qingluo: "My lord, let me draw a blueprint for you." Only then can she feel at ease.

“No need. The square platform extends outwards by fifteen feet on each side and is six feet wide. It’s so simple, why would you need to draw a diagram?” Ji Jie was decisive and efficient this time, without any ambiguity.

"Thank you, sir. I'll head back now." Chu Qingluo bid farewell to Ji Jie.

Ji Jie: "Okay."

"Then I won't keep you any longer, sir," Ji Qili quickly replied.

Although Ji Jie was unwilling, she had no choice but to watch helplessly as the two left...

"Thank you so much for just now." Chu Qingluo breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why does this sound so familiar?" Ji Qili said with a smile. Last time, he kindly helped her out of a predicament, but she didn't accept his offer. She said the same thing then, only her tone wasn't as sincere as it is now.

"Fifth Prince, please stop teasing me." Chu Qingluo felt a little guilty.

Ji Qili's eyes still held a smile: "Then tell me, how did you sell me out while I was still helping you promote it?"

She had no choice but to tell him the whole story in detail... "I actually just made up something that Lord Ji would be interested in hearing. I said you didn't like the spices they prepared for you, not because you were allergic, and that you preferred something lighter. With your cooperation, she believed me."

Chu Qinglu had no idea that Ji Qili was allergic to spices, let alone whether he liked mint. Anyway, her first love liked mints, so she just said that casually.

"So this means you're openly using me to achieve your goals?"

"...Helping others is a pleasure..." Chu Qingluo knew that this was indeed undeniable, but with such a delicious and lean piece of meat right there, who else could be used as bait if not him?

Seeing that besides feeling guilty, she also had a hint of self-righteousness on her face, Ji Qili pretended to be in pain and said, "Alas—I'm afraid I'll have an allergic reaction to this play."

"You can just leave it unused!" Are you out of your mind?

“That won’t do. If I meet Lord Ji and she doesn’t smell the mint on my clothes, won’t that give me away?” Ji Qili’s eyes held a deep smile.

"What should we do then?" Chu Qingluo asked anxiously.

His words were loaded with meaning: "What can we do? Let's give it a try. Maybe you know me so well that I'm not allergic to mint flavor?"

"...Anyway, thanks. I owe you a favor today." Chu Qingluo had never wanted to have anything to do with him, but today she found herself owing him a favor.

"That has to be paid back." Ji Qili still smiled, revealing his white teeth.