As the appointed time approached, Yu Wen carried his crying daughter to the palace.
The carriages of various families were piled up at the palace gate. The palace servants, dressed in silver-and-green robes, successfully picked up the granddaughter of the Liu family. After receiving a few words of advice from the Minister, they turned and walked away.
Xiao Yuzhi was held by the palace servants and kept looking back. When she could no longer see her parents, her eyes welled up with tears and she began to sob softly.
The first time Yan Xiu met Yu Zhi, she saw her crying uncontrollably.
Of all the little dumplings, she cried the most pitifully, several times sobbing so hard she hiccuped, her little face flushed.
It is said that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. When the Empress was young and beautiful and wanted children the most, she did not feel annoyed when she saw Yu Zhi, a child who cried a lot. Instead, she took her in and comforted her.
Thirteen children aged three to five were sent to the palace this time, and the older ones already knew how to please the adults.
Even children compete.
Even something as small as the cakes the Empress herself fed them would be fought over.
Although being raised under the tutelage of the Empress means enduring the pain of separation from one's parents, from another perspective, it is not without its advantages.
In the palace, if one can win the favor of the Empress and gain her affection, thus accumulating a bond of respect and guidance from her, that is a benefit that many people can only dream of.
Yu Zhi was the youngest of the thirteen people sent in. She was clueless about all the intricacies of the situation and slept with the Empress on her first night at Gan Ning Palace.
No, it's because this child cries too much.
Yan Xiu was crying so hard her heart was breaking, and she had no energy left to be affectionate with Ji Ying.
After being driven out by the Empress, His Majesty looked back at the gate of Ganning Palace and suddenly felt a sense of dread, as if he had shot himself in the foot.
The image of the eldest daughter of the Yu family as someone who could cry and loved to cry was deeply ingrained in his mind. She had only been brought in during the day, and if she were sent back the next day, not to mention what the Yu family would think, Prime Minister Liu would definitely label her as someone who "disliked his granddaughter."
Ji Ying gritted her teeth and endured it.
Inside the palace, Yan Xiu was glad that she had learned how to take care of children from the nanny beforehand.
As she coaxed the little crybaby of the Yu family to sleep, she gently and tenderly poked Yu Zhi's fair cheek with her fingertips, finding it extremely endearing.
I wish I could have a daughter as lovely as Zhizhi.
Zhao accompanied her young mistress to the palace and watched as her mistress gained the Empress's favor, becoming increasingly devoted to taking care of her.
As daughters of ministers, Yan Xiu couldn't show favoritism to avoid incurring the hatred of the Yu family's children.
Seven days passed in a flash. Having endured seven days, Liu Boyan figured it was the right time to enter the palace. She dressed in her rank early, ate her meal, and went to the palace to see her daughter.
When she arrived, the Empress was already surrounded by several noblewomen.
Before long, the noble ladies, seeing the Empress's lack of interest, got up and took their leave.
With the surroundings quiet again, Yan Xiu breathed a sigh of relief. Holding a cup of fragrant tea, she slowly examined the beautiful Lady Yu. Thinking of the person peeping from behind the screen, she smiled and said, "Come closer, let me take a good look at you."
As the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister, Liu Boyan had never suffered any hardship from childhood to adulthood. Even after she married Yu Wen, he treated her perfectly, and there was no trace of the sorrow of being a wife on her face.
Having received the Empress's instructions, she dared to raise her eyes and was immediately filled with amazement upon seeing the Empress's appearance.
Their eyes met, and she admired Yan Xiu's dignified beauty, while Yan Xiu was also impressed by her captivating charm: "Go and invite Miss Yu here."
The head palace maid responded in a low voice.
Soon she would see her daughter, and Liu Boyan was filled with longing. But her innate good manners allowed her to remain composed and seated.
Seeing her like this, Yanxiu told her some interesting stories about Xiaoyuzhi.
The Empress is beautiful and approachable, and being with her is truly like a gentle breeze.
The two gradually opened up about the child, and when they got to the point that "Yuzhi was frightened by her own shadow on the wall at night and cried, and insisted on being held to sleep," footsteps came from outside the door.
"Mother?!"
The child ran over in two quick steps.
Seeing her acting so recklessly as if no one else was around, Liu Boyan was startled. Before she could speak, Yan Xiu comforted her, "It's alright. It's good for children to be innocent and straightforward."
There are plenty of people who worship her all day long, so the formalities can be reduced as much as possible.
Hearing her words, Liu Boyan felt relieved.
She naturally thinks her own daughter is perfect in every way, but now that Zhizhi is being raised by the Empress, she has to be well taken care of by the Empress if she doesn't want to be mistreated.
Empress Yan Xiu devoted herself wholeheartedly to raising her children. Yu Zhi was raised exceptionally well, and not only Yu Zhi, but all twelve other children were also raised to be beautiful and healthy.
When Liu Boyan left Ganning Palace, her heart was filled with gratitude towards the Empress.
"You saw him?"
Yu Zhi happily went to the Imperial Garden to catch butterflies, and Princess Yunzhang stepped out from behind the screen: "I've seen you."
Yan Xiu slowly sipped her fragrant tea, moistening her throat slightly, and asked, "Still can't forget?"
Ji Rong sat on the carved chair with a stern face, leaning back without any support for a moment, and sighed deeply: "Yan'er is so good, why forget her?"
She was really unlucky when it came to love.
Originally, I wanted to raise a delicate and sweet childhood sweetheart, but after going out for a while, I came back to find that my clueless little sweetheart was already engaged.
If Yan'er had even a sliver of affection for her back then, she would have done anything to stop her from getting married.
Unfortunately, Yan'er only felt sisterly affection for her.
Ji Rong's face was filled with frustration.
Seeing the bright and elegant princess reveal such a vulnerable state, Yan Xiu couldn't bear it and put down her teacup: "Let's go out for a walk to clear our heads."
...
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, Yuzhi has spent two years in the palace.
Most of the thirteen children were sent home, leaving only three to live in the Gan Ning Palace.
With the grass growing and birds singing, the air was filled with the scent of spring. People came and went in the harem, their faces beaming with joy, especially those in the Gan Ning Palace, whose happiness seemed to overflow from their eyes.
The Empress is pregnant, and the Empress's palace will soon welcome a true little prince.
Yu Zhi, clutching her kite, walked along the path leading to Gan Ning Palace. Suddenly, she rubbed her face and muttered to herself, "Time to go home..."
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Author's Note:
If everyone's fate were to return to normal, if Xi Xi and Zhi Zhi were childhood sweethearts with a five-year age difference... This is an independent side story for the "if" scenario.
Chapter 103 Green Plum 2
The Empress is pregnant and needs to rest and recuperate, so she has no time to take care of the child being raised in the Gan Ning Palace. Today is the day Yu Zhi returns home.
Unlike Liu Boyan, who, as a woman, could freely enter and leave the inner palace, Yu Wen saw his daughter less than twice in the past two years. Each time, it was His Majesty who brought Zhizhi, and the father and daughter would spend less than half a day together before having to part again.
Years ago, Yu Wen shielded his father-in-law from a knife attack, which left him with health problems. Six months ago, a cold triggered the underlying illness, and his health has been deteriorating ever since.
Upon learning that the Empress was pregnant and that her daughter could return home, he got up before dawn to prepare to welcome his daughter.
It wasn't a festive occasion, but the mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Looking at the various trinkets he had bought for his daughter over the past two years—a small waterwheel that could move, an exquisite nine-linked ring, and a small wooden figure whose clothes could be disassembled and reassembled—the Minister's slightly pale face broke into a genuine smile.
As the sky began to lighten with the first light of dawn, Liu Boyan, dressed in a spring gown, stood silently in front of her daughter's room, her gaze fixed on the man's figure, which was not particularly imposing.
Yu Wen is a good husband and a good father. He is as his name suggests, gentle and refined, and handsome.
She felt guilty towards him all these years.
A few suppressed coughs came from the quiet room. She snapped out of her daze, took his clothes, and stepped forward to drape them over him: "Why didn't you sleep a little longer?"
With her gentle and considerate care, Yuwen turned around and smiled warmly: "I can't sleep. I don't know if our Zhizhi has gotten fatter or thinner, or how much taller she has grown."
His daughter was the apple of his eye, his long-awaited little darling, whom he would spoil rotten to the core. But once she was sent to the palace, even knowing the Emperor and Empress were incredibly considerate, how could a father truly feel at ease?
Fortunately, the person is coming back.
Mentioning her daughter, Liu Boyan's bright eyes smiled: "I only saw her half a month ago, how could she have grown so fast in just over ten days?"
Their daughter was one of the few safe topics the couple could discuss. Yu Wen enjoyed the quiet time he spent with her, but he didn't know how much longer his body could hold on...
It wasn't just that he damaged his foundation to save his father-in-law. He came from a poor family, and to stand out from the crowd, he had to put in ten times the effort of a scion of a noble family. He passed the imperial examination at the age of eight, the county-level examination at the age of eleven, the provincial-level examination at the age of fourteen, and became the youngest top scholar in the history of the Great Yan Dynasty at the age of sixteen.
His life may seem legendary to others, but only he knows the price he paid to get to this point.
Even so, Heaven treated him well.
He was appreciated by the emperor and supported by his father-in-law, leading a smooth and successful official career. At home, he had a wife and daughter. His wife treated him with respect and courtesy, like a brother. Although she lacked passionate love, she still held him in high esteem, fulfilling her duties as a wife, managing the household affairs, and giving him face.
People should cherish their blessings, otherwise Heaven will even take away the blessings they already have.
He laughed and said, "Children grow taller with the wind, changing every day."
The two waited at home with anticipation.
At 2:45 AM, the palace's ceremonial procession arrived at the Minister's residence.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and a delicate, jade-like hand reached out from inside. It was Princess Yunzhang herself who was sending Xiaoyuzhi back.
Upon seeing the Princess, Yu Wen subconsciously glanced at his wife's expression and noticed her hand tighten for a moment. His throat tightened, and he thought: The Princess is ultimately different in Yan'er's heart.
Holding the child in her arms, Ji Rong felt a pang of trepidation—how long had it been since she'd seen Yan'er? Since her marriage, she had unilaterally severed ties with her, driven by her own moral conscience to refrain from harboring any romantic thoughts towards a married woman.
It's been at least five years, if you count.
Liu Boyan couldn't help but take a step forward, her gaze fixed on the person. In a flash, after only a few glances, she felt a pang of sadness.
She didn't know why Sister Rong no longer befriended her or saw her. Whenever she couldn't fall asleep at night, she guessed it was because Sister Rong had gotten married.
But she couldn't understand why Rong-jie was keeping her distance after she got married. Many noble ladies in the capital were still friends with each other after they got married.
She stared intently for a while, and under her direct gaze, Ji Rong steeled herself, raised her head, and got off the carriage as if it were nothing.
Yu Wen led his servants forward: "Your subject greets Your Highness the Eldest Princess."
Ji Rong glanced at him briefly and called out in a low voice before Liu Boyan could bow to her.
"Mother! Father!"
A crisp voice broke the tense atmosphere, and Liu Boyan finally turned her attention back to her daughter. Seeing that her face was rosy and her eyes were bright, she could no longer resist reaching out to pull her into her arms.
Yuwen couldn't stop smiling as his daughter, who was radiant with intelligence and in good health, stood by.
The family was reunited, and Ji Rong wanted to be happy for them, but she felt a lump in her throat. A sense of absurdity rose in her mind: "They are the family, why am I causing trouble?" Her mood sank to the bottom.