Cui'er stared blankly for a moment. She helped her young lady turn around, and her long skirt spread out. Her every move was as graceful as a willow swaying in the wind.
"Miss looks so beautiful today," Cui'er couldn't help but praise. Usually, her young lady didn't let her dress her up, but today, after such a transformation, she was truly a sight for sore eyes.
Liu Liu glanced at herself in the mirror. The blood-red birthmark was still clearly visible on her face. How could she be beautiful? Yet, hearing Cui'er say that, she still felt a little happy. Was this a form of self-deception?
"Cui'er, you're exaggerating. Perhaps Cui'er is even more beautiful than Miss?" Liu Liu playfully glanced at Cui'er. Even without makeup, Cui'er was probably prettier than her, but she had no habit of being jealous.
"Miss," Cui'er stomped her foot in annoyance. Why did her young lady always use herself as a comparison? She was genuinely praising her young lady, who was unique. How could she consider herself inferior to a maid?
As the mistress and servant were bickering, a maid's light voice sounded from outside the door: "Miss, the imperial sedan chair has arrived. Madam asks Miss to go to the front."
Cui'er responded, "Understood. We'll be right there. Go and inform Madam that we'll be along shortly."
After the maid left, Cui'er turned to signal her young lady to leave. Liu Liu casually picked up a thin veil from the dressing table and gently covered half her face, revealing only her bright and dazzling eyes. Cui'er asked in surprise, "Miss, what are you doing?"
"Let's go," Liu Liu ignored Cui'er's exclamation and took the lead out of the Tingfeng Tower. Cui'er had no choice but to follow her young lady helplessly towards the main house.
In the great hall of the Prime Minister's mansion, Prime Minister Liu and Madam Liu sat high on their seats, gazing at their daughter who was slowly approaching. The innate spirituality emanating from her was the most precious person in heaven and earth.
They hoped the Emperor would recognize this pearl and grant her a life of favor. This might even be the good fortune of all the people of Tianfeng.
"Daughter bids farewell to Father and Mother," Liu Liu slowly knelt down. She had been in Tianfeng for eight years and had long accepted them in her heart, enjoying the love they gave her. Although today's farewell was not an eternal separation, the imperial palace was, after all, not an ordinary place where one could visit whenever they pleased.
Prime Minister Liu and Madam Liu rose simultaneously to help their daughter up. Madam Liu's eyes were already brimming with tears. She pulled her daughter into her embrace and whispered softly, "Liu'er, you must be happy from now on and let your mother rest assured, okay?"
Liu Liu nestled in her mother's arms and nodded forcefully, as if making a promise to her mother and to herself, "Liu'er will be happy, she definitely will. Nothing can defeat Liu'er."
"Alright, time is getting late. Hurry and set off. The palace has sent two sedan chairs. Besides Cui'er, take Qiao'er with you."
As Prime Minister Liu finished speaking, Liu Liu stood up from her mother's embrace and shook her head in disapproval, "Father, Qiao'er is too young. Let her stay in the mansion. Daughter will only take Cui'er. Once one goes to that kind of place, it's hard to come out."
Before Prime Minister Liu could speak, Qiao'er, who was standing nearby, knelt down with a thud.
"Miss, please take Qiao'er with you. Qiao'er was brought back by Miss. Qiao'er doesn't want to leave Miss and is willing to follow Miss her whole life and serve her. I beg Miss to grant this wish." After speaking, she kowtowed repeatedly.
Liu Liu quickly helped Qiao'er up. Qiao'er was only fourteen this year, still so young, and had a long road ahead of her. She had already taken away Cui'er's freedom, how could she also take away Qiao'er's freedom?
"Qiao'er, it's not that Miss doesn't want to take you, it's just that once one goes to that kind of place, it's likely for a lifetime."
Qiao'er refused to get up and kept kowtowing, "Miss, please agree to Qiao'er. Qiao'er is willing to follow Miss, Qiao'er is willing to serve Miss her whole life."
Moved by Qiao'er's sincerity, Prime Minister Liu walked to his daughter's side and said softly.
"Liu'er, take Qiao'er. With one more person to take care of you, your parents will be more at ease. This time the palace specifically allowed bringing two maids, so take Cui'er and Qiao'er into the palace together."
Liu Liu glanced at the people in the hall, seeing the hopeful gazes of her parents and the reluctant gazes of her servants. She nodded choked with emotion, "Alright, Qiao'er."
Qiao'er quickly kowtowed, wiped away her tears, and broke into a smile through her tears, "Thank you, Miss."
"It's time to go," Prime Minister Liu took his daughter's hand and escorted her to the door. Madam Liu followed closely behind her husband and daughter, her heart aching as if cut by a knife. She knew that entering the palace was Liu'er's destiny, but would her daughter truly be happy?
Two luxurious sedan chairs, enclosed by brocade, were parked in front of the Prime Minister's mansion, with four young eunuchs standing on either side.
Upon seeing Prime Minister Liu, they immediately bowed respectfully. Liu Wenjie rewarded the eunuchs and personally escorted his daughter to the sedan chair in front. Gazing at his daughter's eyes, clear as water, even the hardest man could not help but be moved.
"Liu'er, you must work hard and never blame your father. One day, you will understand your father's good intentions," Prime Minister Liu said before lowering the sedan curtain.
Inside the sedan chair, Liu Liu pondered her father's words and couldn't help but slightly furrow her delicate brows. What was wrong with her father? His words were filled with deep mystery. However, at this moment, she had no time to pay attention to it. Her palms were sweating, and her heart was still a little nervous.
Cui'er and Qiao'er, the two maids, sat in another sedan chair behind them, accompanying their young lady into the palace.
Because it was the day of the selection, the imperial street that the selected women had to pass was surrounded by black screens. There were no idle personnel, only sedan chairs.
Liu Liu lifted the window curtain to look outside. Coincidentally, a woman in a sedan chair opposite also lifted her curtain. The two women exchanged a glance and smiled. Liu Liu sighed softly.
The woman in the sedan chair was so beautiful. Perhaps only such a countenance should be at the selection. Why was she, who was older and plain-looking, being sent to the selection? Every aspect was enough to disqualify her.
Perhaps this was a plot by the Emperor, Liu Liu couldn't help but guess. The Emperor wanted to humiliate her in front of all the selected women and then announce her failure, thus taking revenge for the embarrassment she had caused him by running away from home.
Thinking of this, Liu Liu couldn't help but smile faintly. She put down the sedan curtain. Her bright, watery eyes curved like a dazzling fire lotus blooming under the night sky, stunning the woman in the opposite sedan chair. The woman secretly wondered whose daughter this was, as her eyes already held thousands of brilliant lights.
The sedan chairs continued one after another, being carried sequentially to the tall and majestic outer palace gate. The young eunuchs stopped the sedan chairs and replaced them with four young eunuchs with clear and handsome features who came forward to carry the sedan chairs.
As Liu Liu's sedan chair stopped, in addition to the four eunuchs who walked over, two young palace maids followed. They stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Is this the daughter of Prime Minister Liu?"
Liu Liu glanced at the two young palace maids, her attitude neither humble nor arrogant. It was clear at a glance that these were palace maids with excellent cultivation. She nodded slightly and replied in a light tone.
"Yes, this humble one is indeed Liu Liu. May I ask why the two younger sisters are looking for elder sister?"
The two young palace maids exchanged glances. Hearing Liu Liu call them younger sisters, they felt a slight surprise in their hearts. They had imagined this Second Miss Liu to be arrogant and overbearing, but unexpectedly, she was cool, distant, and gentle.
Even the words she spoke carried a deep and pleasant magnetic resonance, making people feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.