Yun Lie kept his eyes down, picked up a stack of the latest military reports on the table, cleared his throat and said, "Didn't you just say that if Luo Cuiwei knew that I accepted the Huang family's invitation, she would be heartbroken and embarrassed? She's coming tomorrow, don't mention it in front of her."
11. Chapter Eleven
Luo Cuiwei's seven-jeweled jeweled sedan chair left the Luo residence early in the morning and stopped at the gate of Prince Zhao's residence just after Chenshi (7-9 AM).
She had prepared her speech for Yun Lie a day in advance, and had rehearsed it repeatedly in her mind, carefully considering the content, expression, and actions of her words.
She was even prepared for Yun Lie to reject her.
No matter how meticulous the prior planning, it cannot prevent the tension and anxiety before the final step.
After the sedan chair stopped, Luo Cuiwei took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her palms, hugged the New Year's gift box tightly, took a deep breath, and smiled appropriately.
She sat stiffly in the sedan chair with her eyes closed for a moment, feeling her heartbeat gradually stabilize, before opening her eyes again, lifting the curtain, and stepping out.
Today she came alone, which made her figure, as she slowly ascended the stone steps in front of the Prince Zhao's mansion, look like a lone hero.
In front of the Prince Zhao's mansion, the old steward Chen An was leading people to replace the old peach wood charms.
There is a folk saying in Dajin: On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, make rice cakes, bake cakes, and paste paper decorations.
Such is the prevailing custom, and even noble families, royal mansions, and the inner city of the imperial palace are not immune to it.
"Good morning, Uncle Chen." Luo Cuiwei, carrying a box of New Year's gifts, walked up the steps and greeted Chen An with a smile.
Chen An turned around upon hearing the voice, and seeing that it was her, he smiled and stepped forward to greet her.
Luo Cuiwei handed the heavy box to Chen An, who thanked her and accepted it. He then called a young boy standing by the door to take it inside and put it away.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with the head steward, Luo Cuiwei felt less nervous than before.
Looking at Chen An's face, she asked with some doubt, "Uncle Chen, your smile today... is very strange."
Having dealt with each other for over half a month, she could easily see the forced reluctance and helplessness hidden in Chen An's smile.
Having been seen through by her, Chen An simply stopped pretending to smile.
"I've been busy with all sorts of things since I got up early this morning, and those lazy bums, with nothing better to do, just had to come and make things worse." The old man first pursed his lips helplessly, then angrily blew on his beard.
"Miss Luo, you didn't see those dough balls they made! They were truly awful, each one more ugly than the last! So unfestive!"
Thanks to the generous Luo Cuiwei who emerged this year, and the timely delivery of New Year's allowances by the Imperial Clan Court, which is in charge of the affairs of the royal family, Chen An, the steward of the Prince Zhao's residence, finally escaped his financial straits.
While we haven't suddenly become rich enough to live a life of extravagance, we don't need to worry about making arrangements to "have a decent New Year".
The head steward had originally thought that since Yun Lie was spending the New Year in the capital this year, he had arranged for people to prepare food and drinks for the New Year well in advance.
The dough was prepared at midnight, and as soon as it was light, he had people start making cakes and pastries.
Little did they know that Xiong Xiaoyi, that extremely bored fellow, would stumble upon them and, with a single shout, summon all the off-duty guards into the kitchen.
In the old manager's opinion, those rascals claimed to be helping, but they were clearly just taking the opportunity to play around and cause trouble.
In previous years, when Yun Lie was not in the capital, the atmosphere in Prince Zhao's mansion was always rather quiet during the New Year. This year, however, it was unusually lively, and since there were no major events before or after the New Year, it would be strange if these young men didn't find something to do and make a fuss.
Luo Cuiwei wanted to laugh, but seeing the old manager's angry expression, she had to say a few words of comfort: "Uncle Chen, don't take it to heart. It's almost New Year's, it's not festive to have such a stern face."
"Isn't the food for the New Year supposed to be festive and auspicious? Look at what they've made!" The old steward personally accompanied Luo Cuiwei inside, grumbling and complaining as they walked.
"Swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, forks... opening a weapons shop?!"
Listening to the old steward's complaints, Luo Cuiwei's mind conjured up a series of absurd dough balls molded into the shape of weapons. Although she tightly pursed her red lips and dared not laugh out loud, her shoulders, hidden under her cloak, were already shaking like a sieve.
Just imagine, for many days to come, the table in Prince Zhao's residence will be filled with such a bunch of strange-looking cakes... no wonder the old steward is angry.
"They look like a bunch of tall, strong young men, but not a single one of them knows anything!" The old steward was focused on venting his grievances and didn't notice her unusual behavior. "Later, you can talk to them and try to get them all sent to the small training ground in the back hall!"
The old man's words implied that he didn't consider Luo Cuiwei an outsider at all. She was flattered and quickly hid her smirking face, clearing her throat.
“You said they’re all tall and strong, so I don’t dare to hit or scold them… Uncle Chen, even you can’t yell at them, so it would be even more useless for me to talk to them, right?”
The old steward turned to look at her, thought about it and realized that it made sense, and was immediately overcome with sorrow.
He's getting on in years, and all he wants is to have a proper New Year, so why is he so stressed?
“This… since it’s General Xiong’s head,” Luo Cuiwei saw the old man’s beard drooping in disappointment and hurriedly suggested, “why don’t we ask His Highness to speak on his behalf? If His Highness speaks, they wouldn’t dare disobey, would they?”
Upon hearing this, the old man's long beard flew high in the wind again: "When I came out of the kitchen just now, His Highness was busy making a 'Northern Barbarian man with several arrows in his body'!"
That Prince Zhao, who appears dignified and proper in front of outsiders, is actually the most unreliable person in this mansion today!
****
The old manager's tearful accusations almost made Luo Cuiwei laugh so hard she split her legs.
However, given the old man's resentful gaze, which was too distressing, she quickly stopped laughing and stood solemnly under the corridor, helping the old steward to come up with a solution.
"...We still need to find a way to get His Highness out of the house first," the old steward pondered for a long time, stroking his beard and nodding repeatedly. "As long as His Highness is not here, I can keep those rascals in check."
Luo Cuiwei nodded in agreement: "Then, how should we distribute it?"
"...Shall we take him to the street to buy things?" A glint of inspiration flashed in the old steward's eyes. "His Highness always wanted to stroll around the streets when he was little!"
According to the rules of the Dajin royal family, the crown prince resides in the East Palace before establishing his own residence, while the other princes and princesses live in the various halls of the North Palace in the inner city until they turn fourteen years old. Yun Lie is no exception.
The inner city of the palace was not a place that could be entered and exited at will. Although the young princes and princesses were not lacking in fine clothes and delicacies, they did not have many opportunities to see the hustle and bustle of the city, so they naturally had many longings and aspirations.