Yan Qing turned her head to watch her daughter's departing figure, her heart sinking slightly. After thinking for a moment, she followed the maid inside.
The ladies who had designs on Wei Pingxi quickly suppressed their burgeoning enthusiasm upon seeing that the Fourth Miss was disliked by the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor are at odds; the two most powerful people in the world are still locked in a fierce battle, with no clear winner. They must be insane to have taken a liking to this fourth young lady.
Fortunately, this experience made them realize their mistake.
...
"Xi Xi, slow down."
After walking a short distance, the fire that had been burning in Wei Pingxi's heart was extinguished by the wind. She sat on a rock in the Imperial Garden and continued to feel the cold wind.
Yu Zhi couldn't bear to see her so sullen, so she gently coaxed her, "Don't be angry."
"There's nothing to be angry about. This was probably done by my dear cousin."
If she had taken Yuzhi to Fushou Palace to offer New Year's greetings, the outcome would have been the same humiliation she had just suffered at the gate.
If she hadn't brought Zhizhi in, she would have been punished by the Empress Dowager for disobeying her orders.
If you don't hurt her or break her bones, you'll only annoy her from the start.
Despite saying he wasn't angry during the Lunar New Year, Wei Pingxi still held a grudge against the grandfather and grandson.
Yu Zhi gently pinched her cheek, her eyes clear as water: "Smile?"
"Forget it, why bother arguing with them? You were sent to the palace by your aunt anyway."
The head palace maid, Ning You, arrived a step late. She finally found the young mistress who had been driven away by the Empress Dowager in the Imperial Garden and hurriedly stepped forward: "This servant greets the Fourth Miss. Her Majesty is waiting for you two at Gan Ning Palace."
The Empress Dowager disliked someone, but the Empress Dowager was overjoyed and treated him as an honored guest.
When the news reached Yan Hui that Wei Pingxi and her concubine had been personally welcomed into the Gan Ning Palace by the Empress's most trusted head maid, Yan Hui remained calm and said, "It's been many years since Madam Wei has come to the capital, hasn't it?"
"It's been eighteen years since I last came."
"Eighteen years have passed in the blink of an eye; time really flies." Empress Dowager Yan asked, "Do you miss the capital?"
Yan Qing hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Your Majesty, it's acceptable."
"Yes, you're quite capable."
They even dared to switch the emperor and empress's own flesh and blood.
"My abilities are not worthy of Your Majesty's praise."
“Of course I can, why can’t I?” Yan Hui looked at her meaningfully. Yan Qing raised her eyes to meet her gaze, then slowly lowered her eyes, a chill creeping into her heart.
The clever man finished his preliminary greetings with just a few words, while the Empress Dowager was busy exchanging pleasantries with other families. Soon, a reserved laugh echoed from the Palace of Longevity.
Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; Your Majesty has ruled in your own right for over a decade, and the hearts of the court and the people are with you.
But more than a decade is neither short nor long; at least, it hasn't been long enough for people to forget the days when Yan Hui ruled from behind the curtain.
During those dark and hopeless days, the mere mention of "Empress Dowager Yan" became a nightmare for countless people.
The ladies served her carefully, and Yan Hui didn't glance at Yan Qing again.
Fushou Palace may seem crowded and lively, but in reality, people are walking on thin ice.
At Gan Ning Palace, Wei Pingxi and Yu Zhi bowed respectfully. Yan Xiu softly called out, taking out a prepared amulet from her sleeve: "May you have a peaceful New Year, free from illness and disaster, and live a long life."
This is a blessing from the Empress of the Great Yan Dynasty.
Yu Zhi respectfully accepted the gift and thanked the Fourth Miss.
"I've also prepared some little trinkets for you. Shall we take a look?"
When it came to 'trinkets', Yu Zhi blushed slightly and the first thing that came to mind was the little gadgets that someone used to torment her. She blushed secretly, but the Empress didn't notice, though Wei Pingxi caught her red-handed.
Why are you blushing?
"without."
Yu Zhi felt annoyed for a while, biting her lower lip and thinking to herself that her mind had been poisoned by this person.
She dumped all the blame on Wei Pingxi and openly went to see the New Year's gifts that the Empress had prepared for them, her heart brimming with curiosity.
A red rabbit and a white rabbit.
Lifelike jade carvings.
Wei Pingxi looked helpless: "Auntie, I'm not a child anymore."
She'll be nineteen in a few months, why would she like things that only children play with?
Yan Xiu looked bewildered for a moment, wondering why Xi Xi, who had liked the porcelain doll she had given away last time, didn't like it this time.
She was beautiful, and her slightly lowered gaze stirred a tenderness in Yu Zhi's heart: "This concubine, this concubine likes her very much..."
She pointed to the arrogant red rabbit on the left, feeling that the rabbit's expression was very similar to Xi Xi's.
Seeing that someone liked them, the Empress relaxed her expression and gracefully picked up the two jade rabbits.
Confident that she knew her nephew's preferences, she smiled and said, "Take another look?"
Wei Pingxi blushed slightly, touched his nose, and thought that he must show his heartfelt liking later.
She picked up the white rabbit and was first drawn to its beautiful, ruby-like eyes, which were quite peculiar, as if they were moist with water, and its expression was aggrieved.
She glanced at the rabbit, then turned to look at the concubine beside her, her eyes sparkling with laughter: "Aunt, you're so mischievous!"
Isn't this just carved from the mold of Zhizhi?
Yan Xiu guessed that she would like it, and soon her face lit up with a smile.
This craft was taught to her by Aying. The two of them carved one rabbit each, and it took them half a month to complete.
The red rabbit was made by His Majesty, and the white rabbit was made by her.
She genuinely hoped that the two of them would have fewer hardships and more smooth sailing, and that they would be honest with each other.
The value of a New Year's gift lies in its sentiment and its novelty. Wei Pingxi happily accepted the rabbit, then craned his neck to look at the one Yu Zhi had received. He vaguely noticed that the rabbit resembled her, which made him feel awkward.
Her temperament was unpredictable, sometimes good and sometimes bad. Before she could retaliate in a fit of pique, Yan Xiu pulled the two of them aside and started chatting about everyday things.
The atmosphere in Ganning Palace was harmonious.
Fifteen minutes later, the noblewomen came to see him outside the door.
The Empress took the time to bond with the two younger relatives, and only after the ladies of various families came to pay their New Year's respects did she instruct the palace servants to prepare a banquet to entertain the guests.
Yu Zhi sat down next to the fourth young lady and slowly straightened her back.
Everyone's expressions varied, surprised that a concubine could one day be treated with such courtesy by the Empress. This showed that the rumors were true; the Empress truly treated her nephew like a daughter.
Wei Pingxi met the scrutinizing gazes of those people with a half-smile, gentle and refined, yet untamed at heart.
The palace was almost constantly busy during the New Year. His Majesty was busy, and so was the Empress. They were busy appeasing various families, using both kindness and severity, and some necessary small talk was indispensable.
Compared to this, the move jointly made by the former Empress Dowager and the princess at Fushou Palace seemed rather petty. Wei Pingxi thought to himself, resting his chin on his hand: Perhaps this is the benefit of power.
Empress Dowager Yan, being of such a high caliber, was probably used to doing whatever she pleased; whether she was magnanimous or petty, it was all up to her.
As His Majesty's legal mother, she can be as generous or stingy as she pleases, and who can criticize her for it?
As for Princess Jiaorong, Ji Qingyao is of noble birth and young and ambitious, so of course she has the right to be willful.
After thinking it over and over, perhaps because she understood it too clearly, she found it meaningless.
It's more interesting to look at beautiful women.
Yu Zhi carefully savored the imperial meal, scooping out a piece of milk cake with a spoon, and feeding it to the Empress while she was talking to the ladies.
It would be a luxury to be able to eat your fill at such a banquet, but the Empress told her to eat without worry and to make sure she ate her fill.
For twenty-three years she had come from a humble family, but one day she became the concubine of the fourth young lady, and was overwhelmed with delicious food and fun activities.
Attending a banquet in the palace is an opportunity that others would kill for, and since she was already there, she didn't want to waste it.
As the milk cake was fed into her mouth, her tongue touched its soft, sweet taste, and she squinted her eyes.
No one cared about the actions of a concubine, but Wei Pingxi did.
Watching the beautiful woman savor each exquisite and rare dish with a blissful expression, she was mesmerized. The image of the beautiful woman lying on the bed, shyly responding, flashed before her eyes, and a dryness rose in her throat.
The image was shattered; upon closer inspection, it showed the scene I witnessed upon waking up this morning.
Wei Pingxi rested his chin on one hand, a smile on his face.
Amidst her busy schedule, Yan Xiu glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and saw her good nephew staring intently at the beauty with a dreamy smile on his face.
She sighed: "He's still a child."
They have the ability to captivate others, but they haven't yet gained the wisdom to see their own hearts clearly.
Yu Zhi was so engrossed in her food that she forgot herself. When she tasted another delicious dish, she pushed the small plate towards them, her eyes sparkling: "Want to try some?"
Wei Pingxi suppressed a laugh and whispered in her ear, "You feed me."
At the banquet held in Gan Ning Palace, the Empress deliberately placed their seats in a corner that would be overlooked by others. Even with such thoughtfulness, Yu Zhi still blushed—how could she possibly feed them in public?
"You eat nonstop without feeling embarrassed, but feeding you makes things difficult for you?"
In some ways, the fourth young lady was an honest bad person. Yu Zhi blushed, leaned closer, and whispered, "Are you saying I eat like a pig, never stopping?"
"..."
Good heavens, that's not what she meant at all.
Wei Pingxi said earnestly, "You look adorable when you eat."
So cute that it makes you want to do this and that.
Yu Zhi blushed not only in her face, but also in the back of her neck.
Thinking of how energetic and physically exhausted someone was last night, and how little they ate this morning, she picked up a small silver knife and carefully cut the venison.
She felt a warmth in her heart as Xi Xi taught her dining etiquette, and she slightly raised her eyelids to look at her.
"What?" Wei Pingxi stared at her intently.
"No, nothing."
Yu Zhi cut the venison into bite-sized pieces, glanced at the Empress, and then looked at the incredibly enthusiastic guests around her. Everyone's attention was focused on the Empress.
Even Madam Wei looked at the Empress with a smile.