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  I was sitting with my head down, deep in thought, when I suddenly heard a voice above me say: "What are you doing sitting here?" The voice was that of the Tenth Brother. Not wanting to pay attention to him, I remained silent and continued to sit with my head down. He squatted down beside me and said: "Hey! I haven't even scolded you for burning me, and yet you're putting on airs!" I still didn't respond to him. After a moment of silence, he suddenly felt something was amiss, quickly reached out his hand to lift up my head, and with a shocked expression on his face, loudly asked: "How did your lips get bitten until they bled? Has Li Dequan been punishing you?"

  As I raised my head, I surprisingly saw that beside me were not only the Tenth Brother but also the Fourth Brother, Eighth Brother, Ninth Brother, Thirteenth Brother and Fourteenth Brother all standing by, who were also startled. In a flurry, I hastily wiped my lips with one hand while jumping up with the other, and then hurriedly asked for their pardon.

  The tenth brother saw me busy asking for peace and not responding to his words, angrily said: "I'll go find Li Dequan to ask him clearly." After finishing, he took a step and was about to leave. I hurriedly whispered: "Come back!" He stopped in his tracks and said: "Then you tell me yourself."

  I looked at him, feeling a mix of emotions in my heart. I was annoyed by his recklessness, but also moved by it. After staring at him for a while, I finally glared at him and said, "You're fined one month's allowance." The tenth brother slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Are you so angry over just one month's allowance?" I pouted and said, "Why shouldn't I be? You don't care about that money, but I was counting on it. Besides, I've never been fined before, and it's a matter of face!" He laughed and said, "Alright, alright! Don't be angry. Later, if you want something nice, I'll buy it for you." I smiled after hearing this and didn't say anything more.

  I stood there, and several brothers didn't say a word. The fourth brother and the eighth brother had that eternal coldness and elegance on their faces. The ninth brother looked at me with a gloomy face, while the thirteenth looked at me and smiled, winking at me, then made a puzzled expression. I smiled back. But the fourteenth brother furrowed his brow, looking elsewhere with a somber gaze.

  I took a look around and saw that no one wanted to talk, so I smiled and said: "If the masters have nothing else to say, I'll take my leave." The Fourth Prince said lightly: "Go ahead!" I bowed and bid farewell, then left.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Last night I was on duty until dawn, and although I had a nap in the morning, I still felt tired. I didn't dare sleep more during the day for fear of being tired at night and having a hard time tomorrow. Leaning against the bed, I casually picked up a book written by Tian Yiheng of the Ming Dynasty, "Brewing Spring Small Products", and read it carefully under the lamp.

  The books on the table are basically all about tea, and I now consider this a serious job, with food, accommodation, salary and benefits. The only drawback is that there is not enough freedom, and the rules are very strict, with physical punishment for any mistakes, even threatening one's life. However, three years have also allowed me to figure out some of the unwritten rules. I find freedom within the rules, and with a mindset of doing my best since I've started, although I'm a late starter, now in the palace, if it involves tea, I'm afraid no one dares to look down on me. Currently reading:

  "Nowadays people recommend tea with fruit, which is close to the common taste. Even if it's a good one, it can damage the true flavor and should be removed. Moreover, when using fruit, you must use a spoon, like gold or silver, which is not suitable for mountain dwellings, and copper also produces a fishy smell, all of which are unacceptable. As for the old saying that northerners mix with butter and salt, and Sichuan people add white salt, these are barbaric drinks, and it's not worth blaming them."

  Wang Xi asked in a low voice outside the door, "Is sister inside?" I straightened up and asked, "Since the lamp is lit, of course she's inside. What's the matter?" Wang Xi replied, "My master wants sister to go over there." After hearing this, I quickly put down my book, smoothed out my hair in front of the mirror, tidied up my clothes, blew out the lamp, and went outside with him.

  Wang Xi saw me coming out, hastily bowed and said: "Master Wan has become addicted to something that Westerners taught him, my master has tried several times to ask if he wants to pass on the recipe, but Master Wan just responded with a perfunctory 'yes' without any movement. It's already too late. My master says please ask Miss to think of a way."

  I smiled wryly, thinking that it's indeed "the capable ones bear more labor". I recall that when I first entered the palace half a year ago, one evening while on duty in the warm pavilion. Kangxi was reviewing memorials until deep into the night. It wasn't the first time this had happened, but for several days now, Kangxi had been staying up late to handle official documents for three or four consecutive nights. The eunuch Li Dequan by his side already had his eyebrows furrowed together in worry about His Majesty's health, yet he didn't dare speak out of turn. He could only stand by with a long face.

  I was also naive at the time, thinking that being an emperor for thousands of years wasn't easy to do. On the one hand, I secretly measured Kangxi. After all, he had already passed fifty, and after several days of staying up late, he still had to get up early in the morning to attend court, his face showing a bit of fatigue and haggardness. I don't know if I was possessed by a ghost at the time, or what, but suddenly my eyes felt a little sour, thinking of how I often saw my father, who taught high school, still preparing lessons and grading assignments under the lamp late at night. Sometimes when my mother got anxious, she would directly turn off the desk lamp and force my father to go to bed. Kangxi probably didn't have such a wife.

  Thinking and thinking, I don't know what's going on, my head is dizzy, and I suddenly say: "It's late, let's rest first! Otherwise, we'll be exhausted and delay things." As soon as the words came out, in the quiet room, everyone looked at me with shocked faces, and a frightened atmosphere floated around. I also immediately reacted, I've made a big mistake! Hurriedly kowtowed on the ground. Li Dequan's face was stern, just about to scold me, when he heard Kangxi sigh, smile slightly and say: "My tenth sister used to always tell me to rest before she left the palace!" He tilted his head, spaced out for a moment, then gently shook his head, and said to Li Dequan: "Put these folding fans away, let's take a break today!" Li Dequan listened, with joy on his face, hastily responded loudly: "Yes!" Hurriedly attended to Kangxi getting up.