Transmigrated Female Official

After a nerve-wracking first day of court meetings, Chu Qingluo realized her back was damp with sweat. Returning to Guangrentang, she saw He Qi cleaning the inner hall for her, and a relieved smile appeared on her face.

Upon seeing Chu Qingluo, He Qi stepped forward and bowed, saying, "My lord, the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone have all been prepared for you. But I wonder what kind of incense you prefer... or if there is anything else you need? Please give me your instructions, and I will take care of it immediately."

Chu Qinglu glanced at the spotless table and thought that He Qi was quite thoughtful, so she smiled and said, "No need for incense. Just get me a few potted green plants and aloe vera, and pick a few fresh lilies." She preferred naturally purified air.

"Yes, I'll go right away."

"Oh, right, please call Li Yan in for me first."

"Okay, my lord."

When Chu Qingluo saw Li Yan, she noticed an undisguised embarrassment on her face. Chu Qingluo greeted her warmly, "Come and sit down."

"My lord, what business do you have summoned me for?" Li Yan remained standing straight in place, showing no intention of moving.

"...In the future, we will still need to rely on you more for the affairs of Guangrentang." Chu Qingluo originally wanted to continue to let Li Yan manage some things, since she was not yet familiar with many things in the hall.

But Li Yan didn't seem to care. She chuckled through her nose and said, "What are you saying, sir? I am just a lowly executive officer. Guangrentang still needs you to manage it all."

Li Yan had no idea where Chu Qingluo's bottom line was, and risking angering Chu Qingluo, she spoke with a sour tone. Because she was simply...unbearably depressed! She had been in Guangrentang for so many years, how could Chu Qingluo, a newcomer who had only been there for a short time, have jumped above her? Was it just because of her familiar relationships with the princesses and princes?!

Seeing the barbed words in her voice, Chu Qingluo knew she had made a fool of herself, but she wasn't angry. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Go ahead and get busy."

In fact, Li Yan was originally Ji Jie's confidante, and Chu Qingluo would never dare to treat her as one of her own again, especially since she was still so resentful.

As it turns out, you still have to earn your trusted confidants yourself.

Without much thought, Chu Qingluo had already chosen someone, but before that, she had to ask someone for help.

……

Chu Qingluo wasted no time and went straight to Li Ziyou's inner chamber. "Lord Li."

Upon seeing the visitor, Li Ziyou gracefully bowed and asked, "Lord Chu, is there anything you wish to instruct me on?"

Chu Qinglu smiled sheepishly and said vaguely, "...I do...have something...that I'd like to ask Lord Li for help with."

"Oh?" Li Ziyou raised an eyebrow slightly. "What is it?"

Chu Qingluo steeled herself and blurted out, "I want to ask Lord Li for someone."

Li Ziyou chuckled softly: "Mo Shao?"

Bingo! Chu Qingluo nodded quickly.

“Okay, why not?” Li Ziyou knew their relationship well and agreed without hesitation.

"Thank you for your generosity, Lord Li!" Chu Qingluo gestured with her hands.

If it weren't for Li Ziyou, she wouldn't be in this situation now. Although she wasn't sure whether this predicament was a blessing or a curse, Li Ziyou had truly treated her well; in fact, she should be said to have been kind to her…

In just a few words, Peony transformed into the new executive officer of Guangrentang. She was quite happy, handed over her work, and then joyfully followed Chu Qingluo back to Guangrentang.

Once inside the main hall, Peony finally exclaimed, "This is wonderful! Now we can keep each other company again!"

"Exactly!" Chu Qingluo smiled back at her. Looking across the entire palace, the person she trusted most was none other than Shaoyao. As for male attendants, Heqi still needed further evaluation.

……

Just as the two were having a lively discussion about how to make the cabinet more comfortable and cozy, the princesses' congratulatory gifts arrived one after another.

"Princess Fulin's gift has arrived—"

"Princess Anyang's gifts have arrived!"

"Princess Joy's gift has arrived—"

After the male attendants placed the gifts down, they left without leaving any message.

What? What's going on? Chu Qingluo and Shaoyao snapped out of their astonishment and carefully examined the three sandalwood boxes of different sizes on the table.

Opening the smallest square box, I found a small red trinket inside, along with a piece of paper... or rather, a note? It read: "Congratulations on your promotion, Lord Chu. Please accept this humble Blood Amber." It was signed with the Fourth Princess's name.

Chu Qingluo understood most of the words. She picked up the blood amber mentioned in the letter and examined it in her palm. The object was smaller than her hand; it appeared to be some kind of crouching animal, its head twisted backward. Its mouth was slightly open, revealing fangs, and it had pointed ears, a long tail, and a pair of unfurled wings…

She couldn't understand what it was at all, tilting her head and frowning: "This is... a celestial dog?"

"Pfft—" Peony burst out laughing: "What celestial dog! This is called a 'returning beast'! You better watch out, Princess Fulin is really generous, this blood amber is quite valuable!"

...I've never heard of such a ferocious beast before, and to make matters worse, it's both expensive and impractical. Chu Qingluo pouted and gently placed it back into the box.

Then he opened the long box, inside which was a scroll painting. He placed it on the table and unfolded it to see that it was a traditional Chinese ink painting of bamboo. The time when it was painted was noted on it, and it was stamped with his name in red. There was also a note attached: "If you don't mind, please accept it."

"This was painted by Princess Anyang herself!" Peony patted Chu Qingluo's shoulder again, excitedly saying, "Qingluo, you are so honored!"

Chu Qinglu smiled silently and carefully admired the painting again. The bamboo leaves drawn by the Sixth Princess were distinct, with varying shades and distances, as if swaying in the wind, making them extremely lifelike.

Chu Qingluo pondered silently. This sixth princess, An Yang, was skilled in sword dancing and painting; she was truly a multi-talented artistic young woman.

The last remaining large wooden box must belong to the spoiled Eighth Princess. Chu Qinglu raised an eyebrow and opened it with one hand... What came into view were several sets of exquisitely made... men's clothing?! Surprised, she picked up the note and read it, only to find that these things were meant for her to take back and give to Chu Yilin.

Chu Qingluo was repeatedly embarrassed...

Peony looked puzzled: "Princess Joy is really strange. You were promoted, so why did you give a gift to Brother Lin?"

Chu Qingluo explained helplessly, "She invited my second brother to the door, but he refused. It seems she hasn't given up yet."

"Wow—, Brother Yilin is so brave! He actually dared to refuse Princess Xile." You know, the Eighth Princess is a figure that all the female officials in the palace fear.

"Who knows what he's thinking—" Chu Qinglu shrugged, unconvinced. It's best not to try and guess what a playboy is thinking.

As for these things… the Eighth Princess wants to take them back to Chu Yilin, and the Sixth Princess's note says 'if you don't mind,' so returning them would be like saying 'I really dislike your painting,' right? Naturally, it's not easy to return them, but it does feel a bit like being forced to accept them… Fortunately, it's just a painting. The most difficult thing is the Fourth Princess's gift, which is far too valuable… I really dare not accept it.

Chu Qingluo ultimately decided to have He Qi return the blood amber gift from the Fourth Princess, and repeatedly instructed him to be respectful and cautious in his words and actions.

……

Following Chu Qingluo's instructions, He Qi arrived at the Feixia Palace, where the Fourth Princess resided. Trembling with fear, he bowed to her at a ninety-degree angle: "Princess Fulin."

The Fourth Princess glanced at the wooden box on the plate in He Qi's hand, her displeasure rising: "Sent by Lord Chu?"

"Yes, Your Highness." He Qi remained bowing. "Lord Chu said that the gift from Your Highness is too precious and he is unworthy to accept it. He would never dare to accept it. Please forgive him, Your Highness."

The fourth princess sneered after hearing this: "I understand. You may leave."

After He Qi left, the Fourth Princess summoned her personal attendant and said, "Go and find out if Chu Qingluo didn't accept any gifts from anyone."

……