Your greatest mistake was sending me, Huiyue, to serve as a maid.

Evening at the Hui Escort Agency

That night, Hui Yue’er gathered all the brothers of the escort agency together. Standing before their attentive gazes, she spoke in a calm and steady voice, “Brothers, thank you all for your support over the years. For personal reasons, I will be leaving the agency for a while. During my absence, our eldest brother will act as chief escort master. I have faith our agency will continue to operate smoothly. Everyone must uphold our principles: never lose a single escort, never miss a single commission. Can you do that?”

Could a young woman truly manage nearly a hundred men without strength of character? Hui Yue’er stood before dozens of brothers, speaking with passion and conviction—something not just any girl could do.

She handed the agency’s banner to the eldest brother, Qi Shang, a man in his twenties. Originally, Hui Yue’er’s father, Old Hui, had wanted to entrust both his daughter and the agency to Qi Shang. Unfortunately, Hui Yue’er and Qi Shang shared only the affection of siblings, so Old Hui had to let go of that hope. Compared to her own brother Hui Qinghui, Hui Yue’er relied on Qi Shang even more; he had helped her shoulder many agency burdens. Qi Shang took the banner, waved it to the crowd, and led everyone in their rallying cry: “Never lose an escort, never miss a commission; as long as we live, the agency stands!” This slogan was coined by Hui Yue’er herself. She and her brothers had fought through life and death to make the Hui Escort Agency renowned.

After bidding her a reluctant farewell, the brothers departed, unaware of where their chief was headed. Of course, Hui Yue’er would never tell them she was going to become a servant. If they knew, they might have risked their lives to confront Prince Jun—after all, these were men with families to support. Hui Yue’er could not drag them into her troubles, so she told no one, not even Qi Shang.

Upon entering her room, she saw Madam Hui packing her things through tears. Hui Yue’er went to her mother’s side and comforted her, “Mother, you never wanted me to roam the world as an escort. Now I can finally rest. You should be happy!”

Though Hui Yue’er was forced to act boyish outside, in front of her mother she was every bit a dutiful daughter.

Madam Hui managed a faint smile, holding her daughter’s hand. “I know you’ve shouldered too many burdens these past years for your brother’s sake. Now you have to go serve another family as a maid. My heart aches for you.” She felt guilty toward her daughter, thinking that if she’d been born into a better family, she wouldn’t have had such a hard life—and she was angry, too, at her disappointing son.

Hui Yue’er smiled at her mother. “Mother, I’ve never felt wronged these past years. How many girls get to command a group of men like I do? Apart from legendary heroines, there are few. So really, I should thank my brother for giving me this chance!” She wiped away her mother’s tears and continued, “As for going to the prince’s residence as a maid, I’ll treat it as a vacation. After all, Prince Jun is just taking me as a hostage. He shouldn’t make things too difficult for me, right? Think about it—I haven’t had a good rest in years. This is a rare opportunity!”

With her mother, she was always the most cheerful.

Madam Hui pulled her daughter into her arms, gently touching her cheek as she smiled. “My Yue’er, you always keep your hardships to yourself and endure everything alone. I understand your intentions now. All I want is for you not to wrong yourself!” Since she was a child, Hui Yue’er had always striven to be the best, excelling in both martial and scholarly arts—surpassing even her brother. People often say that a woman’s virtue lies in her lack of talent, but that didn’t apply to Hui Yue’er. Perhaps girls with no talent could depend on others their whole lives, but talented girls had to work even harder not to become someone else’s appendage—they must live with dignity.

Hui Yue’er nestled in her mother’s arms, smiling. “Don’t worry, Mother, I won’t wrong myself. Once I’m at the prince’s residence, take good care of yourself. If you need anything, have Xiao Ju send word.” Xiao Ju was their maid. In her heart, Hui Yue’er thought: Prince Jun, making Hui Yue’er your maid will be the greatest mistake of your life!

Ladies and gentlemen, young and old, and those in between, quickly shower me with gold medals, red envelopes, and gifts—don’t hold back! Let the storm rage even fiercer!