TPNCQ CHAPTER 46
To act like a spoiled child
Su Limo sat in her seat, bored out of her mind. The dishes in front of her were exquisite and appetizing, their aroma wafting up to her nose, but she couldn't eat, she couldn't move, she couldn't break the rules. On ordinary family occasions, it would be fine, but at such a formal gathering, she had to be a proper decoration. It was best if, when her eyes met those of the other noblewomen, she returned a gentle, agreeable, and dignified smile, allowing them to feel both the nobility and inviolability of the royal family and the warmth of the imperial grace.
After what felt like an eternity, the banquet finally ended. They
dispersed according to the pre-arranged order.
After more than an hour, Su Limo's back ached and her face felt
stiff from smiling. As soon as she left the banquet hall, she leaned on Shuangjiang and Dong Xue and returned to Jingren Palace. She was afraid that if she
walked any slower, someone would call out her name behind her: "Chun guifei niangniang, please wait...", etc.
Back in Jingren Palace, Su Limo quickly took off her flower-pot shoes and changed into embroidered slippers. She sat in front of the dressing
table and had Shuangjiang remove the heavy gold-inlaid headdress and hairpins.
After letting her cloud-like hair down, Su Limo finally felt alive. She took
off her ceremonial robes, changed into her nightgown, and leaned back on the
brocade couch, feeling relaxed.
Shortly after, Bai Lu came in with a food box and placed the
dishes on the table one by one: a plate of three-fresh dumplings, a bowl of
steaming wild duck soup, three small buns, a plate of chicken oil rolls, and a
plate of goose fat pastries. Bai Lu had asked the imperial kitchen for these
dishes at the right time. The imperial kitchen was busy preparing dishes for
the New Year's Eve banquet in the afternoon and didn't have time, so when the
banquet was about to end, Bai Lu went to the imperial kitchen and gave them
some silver, asking them to hurry up and make some. Of course, they had to eat
dumplings on New Year's Eve.
Su Limo hadn't had dinner at 9 pm and was already hungry. After
washing her hands, she began to eat. Knowing that Shuangjiang and Dong Xue
hadn't eaten either, she gave them two plates of pastries, "Eat some to
fill your stomachs. We have to get up early tomorrow, and who knows how much
we'll be able to eat at breakfast."
Shuangjiang and Dong Xue knew Su Limo's temper, and besides, they
did have a lot of work to do tomorrow, so they didn't refuse. They took the
pastries and sat on the footrest to eat.
Bai Lu served them, and seeing this, she quickly poured two cups
of hot tea for them.
After finishing their dinner, there was still some time left.
Moreover, it was New Year's Eve and they had to stay up late. Su Limo
suggested, "We're missing one person. Why don't we call Xiao Man over? We
can make a table for mahjong. Whoever loses the most tonight I will pay for it,
and the winners will be yours."
Hearing this, Bai Lu volunteered, "Xiao Man is probably in
her quarters tonight since she's not on duty. I'll go get her."
After setting up the mahjong table, Su Limo had Shuangjiang count
out some money and put it on the table, "Whoever wins the most tonight,
I'll give her an extra five taels of silver."
Five taels of silver was almost a year's salary for a low-ranking
palace maid, which was quite attractive. Therefore, everyone put in all their
effort to play mahjong.
Hour after hour passed quickly as they played mahjong. Before they knew it, it was already the midnight hour. Just as they were enjoying themselves, they heard a noise from outside. Thinking it was something important, Shuangjiang put down her cards and went out. It turned out to be Xiao Hezi, a servant who attended to the Emperor, who had come. He was carrying a food box. Shuangjiang quickly invited him in.
"This servant greets Chun guifei niangniang. May niangniang
be blessed with eternal happiness. This servant has been sent by the Emperor to
deliver something to niangniang," Xiao Hezi said, handing the food
box to Shuangjiang.
"Thank the Emperor on my behalf," Su Limo replied, then
gave Dong Xue a nod. Dong Xue grabbed a corner of a silver ingot and handed it
to Xiao Hezi.
"It's late, and this servant still needs to return to serve
the Empress. This servant will take my leave." After saying this, Xiao
Hezi happily took the silver and left Jingren Palace.
Shuangjiang opened the food box. Inside were three delicate
plates of pastries. One plate was of chrysanthemum pastries, which Su Limo loved,
and the other two were new varieties she hadn't seen before.
"I was feeling a little hungry after playing mahjong for so
long. Just put it on the table," Su Limo said as she sat on the brocade
couch and took a piece of chrysanthemum pastries. It was sweet but not too sweet,
and it melted in her mouth. "The pastries from the Empress's palace are
indeed delicious. You should try some too," Su Limo said, giving each of
them a piece.
"If it wasn't Xiao Hezi who came, then how could it
be..." Dong Xue said, then slapped her own mouth, "Look at my poor
eyesight. Xiao Hezi said he still had to return to serve the Empress, so he
must have come from the Empress's place. That's right, the Emperor is going to
spend New Year's Eve with the Empress today. I guess the Emperor must have
remembered that niangniang loves to eat pastries, and she must have been
hungry by now, so he sent someone over specially..."
"Listen to her, even such exquisite pastries can't shut her
mouth," Su Limo shook her head with a smile. She hadn't expected Qianlong
to send over three plates of pastries at this time.
Well, it seemed that everyone knew about her love for these
pastries.
As for the rest... she didn't want to speculate, and she didn't
want to know.
They were just pastries after all.
If he was happy, he would give her three plates. If he wasn't happy...
*
On the first day of the New Year, it was still dark when Su Limo
got up. She hadn't slept for more than an hour and was already being served by
Shuangjiang and Dong Xue as she quickly washed up and changed into her court
dress. She had some pastries and tea in between, as there were many procedures
to follow today. It was the day with the most rules of the entire year, and she
couldn't make any mistakes. However, she could look forward to watching the
fireworks at the Yuanming Palace in the evening.
Su Limo had been kneeling and kowtowing countless times throughout the entire day, her body rising and falling in constant obeisance. She couldn't say the same for the other concubines, but Su Limo felt as if her head was no longer her own. The heavy imperial headdress made for the guifei pressed down upon her, feeling as if it weighed a thousand pounds. She dared not move too much, for fear that the headdress might slip and tumble to the ground....
The phrase "Those who seek the crown must bear its
weight" rang true in her ears.
With great difficulty, the day ended with a grand fireworks display in the Yuanming Palace. It was a magnificent and grand fireworks show. Su Limo had thought she would be excited, but her empty stomach
made her crave something to eat more than anything else. She wished she could
pluck the fireworks from the sky and devour them.
Looking around at the others, they seemed full of endless
enthusiasm, their faces beaming with joy. Were they not hungry?
It seemed that everyone else, except for her, was quite accustomed
to and enjoyed these grand occasions.
Watching the Emperor Qianlong and Empress Fucha watching the fireworks together, their expressions filled with deep affection, Su Limo felt a pang of sadness for some reason.
Perhaps it was because she knew that the days when they could watch the fireworks together were numbered. Beautiful things were fleeting, and deep affections could not be retained forever.
When she returned to Jingren Palace, it was already almost midnight. Bai Lu had already prepared dinner and hot water. Seeing her return,
she immediately had four or five palace maids come in to help Su Limo change, wash up and serve the dinner.
Su Limo looked at the table filled with food and divided two
dishes and a large bowl of yam and pork porridge between Shuangjiang and Dong
Xue before starting to eat.
They were all starving, so they ate in silence, each focused on
their own food.
After finishing her meal and rinsing her mouth and washing hands, Su Limo sat on the brocade couch and finally felt like she was coming back to life. She had survived the most difficult day.
*
On the second day of the New Year, the entire palace had to pay
their respects to the Empress Dowager. Early in the morning, the third prince,
Yongzhang, and the sixth prince, Yongrong, came to Jingren Palace to pay their respect to Su
Limo. They would then go to the Cining Palace together to greet the Empress
Dowager.
Since they were finally able to get together, Su Limo had the
nanny bring over their fourth princess, Jing Shun. The one-year-old Jing Shun
was already quite articulate and could speak clearly. After playing with
Yongrong for a while, they became familiar with each other. The two of them
chattered away beside each other and no one knew what they were talking about, seemingly on completely different topics, yet
they managed to have a conversation for a quarter of an hour. They chased each
other around the room, having a great time.
Su Limo took off the scented sachet that Yongzhang had been
wearing and replaced it with a new one. She also helped Yongzhang tidy up his
clothes and said softly, "This is to repel insects and has some herbs
prescribed by Imperial Physician Luo to help with concentration. It can help
you calm your mind."
"Thank you, e'niang," Yongzhang replied happily.
Seeing that the time was almost up, Su Limo, accompanied by her three children, their wet nurses, and several maids, a group of about twenty people, headed to the Cining Palace.
Su Limo arrived at neither too early nor too late, just in time. As soon as she stepped inside, she saw Jingshun wriggled out of her nurse's arms and toddled towards the Empress Dowager who was seated at the head. In a baby voice, she said, "Imperial Grandmother!"
"Jingshun is here, come over here and let Grandmother take a
look at you," the Empress Dowager said, scooping up Jingshun and weighing
her. Looking at the Emperor and Empress standing beside her, she said,
"She's grown so much heavier."
"Yongzhang and Yongrong pay their respects to Imperial Grandmother, to Imperial Father, and to Imperial Mother," they said in unison.
"Good boy, come here too, let Grandmother take a look at
you," the Empress Dowager said, reaching out to take Yongrong. Yongrong
had just become familiar with Jingshun, and seeing her sitting on the Empress
Dowager's lap, he also leaned towards the Empress Dowager, half his body
resting on her.
Yongrong was three years old after all, and Qianlong was afraid
that the Empress Dowager wouldn't be able to hold both children.
"Yongrong, come here," he said.
Hearing his name, Yongrong looked at his Imperial Father, then
turned to look at Su Limo. Remembering what his mother had told him, that he
could also act like a spoiled child with his Imperial Father, and that although his
Imperial Father looked stern, he loved them all. Thinking of this, Yongrong obediently walked
over to his Imperial Father and said coquettishly, "Imperial Father, hold
me."
"…" Su Limo didn't expect her child to be so
quick-witted. She managed to hold back her laughter with great difficulty.
Qianlong looked at the three-year-old stretching out his arms for
a hug. He glanced back at Su Limo and glared at her, then turned to look at Yongrong's expectant
expression. He couldn't bear to refuse so he scooped Yongrong up into his arms.
Being held by his Imperial Father, Yongrong's field of vision
suddenly widened. He was so excited. What his mother had said was true; his
Imperial Father loved him too. Thinking this, Yongrong hugged Qianlong's neck
even tighter, clinging to him like a piece of candy.
A moment later, Yu Fei arrived with the fifth prince,
Yongqi, followed by Jia fei with the fourth prince, Yongcheng, and the
eighth prince, Yongxuan. Seeing Qianlong holding Yongrong and the Empress
Dowager sitting with Jingshun, a glint flashed in her eyes. Jia fei
gestured for Yongcheng to go forward and pay his respects, while she herself
smiled happily as she carried Yongxuan forward to pay her respects.
Yu Fei, who was always gentle and compliant, stood with the
fifth prince, Yongqi, waiting below.
Su Limo looked at the scene above: the Empress Dowager holding Jingshun, with Yongzhang and Yongcheng beside her; Empress Fucha holding the eight-month-old Yongcong; Jia fei holding the five-month-old Yongxuan; Qianlong holding Yongrong; and Yu Fei and Yongqi standing below. Seeing this scene of a family full of children and grandchildren, Su Limo's eyes welled up. She must protect Yongzhang, Yongrong, and Jingshun, so that one day they could have their own children and grandchildren, surrounding her and talking to her about the mundane things of life, and listening to their grandchilderen babble and experience the joy of doting on them.