Chapter 7 Entering the Palace

The north wind was howling. Yun Xiangye listened to the annoying wind outside that night. She was also worried and didn't sleep well.

When it was still dark before the hour of Mao, Yun Xiangye woke up.

Things are different now than when she was in Jiangnan, where she could sleep as late as she wanted without her elders. Now she has to pay her respects to her mother-in-law and wish her a good morning.

Gu Yan was woken up by the person in his arms. He opened his eyes and looked at Yun Xiangye, "Why are you up so early?"

Yun Xiangye said, "We have to go and pay our respects to the Princess."

Gu Yan said: "No need, my mother may not be up at this time, and you don't need to pay your respects to her."

"It's the rule to pay respects to my mother-in-law." Yun Xiangye frowned and said, "Are you deliberately trying to make me laugh?"

What is Gu Yan saying? How can I not pay my respects to my mother-in-law?

Gu Yan said helplessly: "Forget it, if you want to go and pay your respects, go ahead. I still need to go to the palace to see His Majesty, so I won't go with you."

Yun Xiangye nodded and got up to wash. She called Run'er who was sleeping in the outer room, but there was no response. She went out and saw that Run'er was nowhere to be seen.

Yun Xiangye waited for a long time before seeing Run'er return.

Run'er held an empty copper basin and said to Yun Xiangye, "Miss, I went to get water for washing early in the morning. I asked many people but no one knew where to get water..."

Yun Xiangye looked at Gu Yan behind her.

Gu Yan said: "Run'er, you just need to take good care of your young lady. Let Lan Yi and Zhu Yi and other maids do this kind of serving work."

As soon as Gu Yan finished speaking, Yun Xiangye saw that the maids who had been so arrogant yesterday all came in respectfully and obediently, carrying basins of water.

Gu Yan took the towel soaked in hot water from the maid, and handed it to Yun Xiangye to wipe her face as if he was in Jiangnan.

Yun Xiangye saw this long line of maids serving her in a very particular way. After brushing her teeth with salt, they also rinsed her mouth with water soaked in flower petals. All of this was so tedious and meticulous that she felt that the way she washed in the past was not really considered washing at all.

After Yun Xiangye finished dressing up, she took Xiao Nuonuo to the eldest princess's residence.

As soon as Yun Xiangye went out, he saw that it had snowed last night. No wonder there was snow outside in the morning after the cold wind had blown all night.

Yun Xiangye turned to look at Run'er and said, "It's not easy for you to find hot water in the snow, right?"

Run'er shook her head and said, "Girl, it's nothing."

Yun Xiangye ordered Run'er to get Nuonuo's cloak. After putting the cloak on her daughter, she went to the eldest princess' courtyard.

The Wanhua Garden where the eldest princess lives is the largest courtyard in the entire eldest princess's mansion. Once you enter, there are flowers and plants everywhere.

Even in winter, there were many flowers blooming throughout the courtyard. There was a kind of flower that looked like a small red lantern, and Nuonuo couldn't take her eyes off it when she saw it.

"Lantern cage."

Yun Xiangye followed the maid from Ningxiang Garden into the house and saw the eldest princess working with an abacus in front of the desk.

When Princess Xie Zhixuan saw Yun Xiangye and Xiao Nuonuo coming in, she quickly put down the abacus in her hand, waved to Xiao Nuonuo and said, "Nuonuo."

Xiao Nuonuo came into Xie Zhixuan's arms. Xie Zhixuan touched the furry hat on Xiao Nuonuo's head and asked, "Why did Nuonuo go out so early in such a cold day?"

"Mother." Yunxiang Ye bowed and said, "Nuonuo and I are here to greet you and wish you a happy morning."

Xie Zhixuan smiled and looked at Yun Xiangye and said, "How is Qingfeng Garden? Is there anything missing?"

Yun Xiangye shook his head and said, "Everything is ready, nothing is missing...but..."

Xie Zhixuan asked: "Just what?"

Yun Xiangye thought about the four maids, Zhu Yi, Lan Yi, and others in Qingfeng Garden. They must have followed Gu Yan for many years and should be considered as veterans in the princess's mansion. It would be inappropriate for her to complain as she had just arrived.

Yun Xiangye only said, "Mother, I like to cook for Nuonuo every day, and I want to add a stove in Qingfeng Garden."

In this way, Run'er would not have to ask people where the hot water was in the snow.

Xie Zhixuan smiled and said, "That's not difficult. I'll ask a craftsman to build a small stove in Qingfeng Garden later."

"Thank you, mother."

Xie Zhixuan looked at Yun Xiangye and said, "I heard that your family runs an embroidery workshop? Can you read the account books?"

"meeting."

Xie Zhixuan smiled and said, "That's perfect. I will let you manage the accounts of the shops in Chang'an City in the future."

Yun Xiangye had never thought that her mother-in-law would ask her to manage the accounts as soon as she arrived, so she hurriedly said, "Mother, I just came to Chang'an and am not familiar with Chang'an. I am afraid it will be difficult for me to help you manage the shop's accounts..."

Xie Zhixuan said, "That's right. You just arrived and you have traveled for two months by sea. You should rest for a few days first. The New Year is coming soon. Chang'an City will be very lively during the New Year. After the snow stops, let Yan'er take you and your daughter to have a good time in Chang'an City. It won't be too late to take care of the accounts after the New Year."

"Yes, mother."

Seeing her granddaughter staring at the cake in front of her, Xie Zhixuan took a piece and gave it to her. Seeing her granddaughter eating happily, she said to Yun Xiangye, "Has Nuonuo never had breakfast?"

Yun Xiangye heard it and said, "Yes, I just got up and brought Nuonuo to pay my respects to you."

Xie Zhixuan looked at Yun Xiangye and smiled, "You are a filial child, but you don't have to come and pay your respects to me in the future. Our family doesn't need these empty formalities. It's freezing cold, and I'm tired of letting Nuonuo and you suffer the cold."

Yun Xiangye bit her lip and responded, then she spoke a few words to the princess, then she left the Wanhua Garden with little Nuonuo in her arms.

Wait until we return to Qingfeng Garden.

Yun Xiangye then went to find Zhu Yi and asked, "Zhu Yi, where can I get breakfast in the princess's mansion?"

Zhu Yi said, "It's past the breakfast time. You should have told me earlier if you wanted breakfast. Where can I get you a breakfast now?"

Yun Xiangye frowned slightly and only gave Run'er three taels of silver, asking her to go outside the house to buy some food.

Runer responded, "Yes."

After Run'er left, Yun Xiangye embroidered a cloth tiger doll for her daughter. The cloth tiger doll was Xiao Nuonuo's favorite.

Yun Xiangye waited for almost half an hour before Run'er returned with a food box. "This Chang'an City is really big. I almost got lost."

Yun Xiangye said: "Run'er, thank you for your hard work."

Yun Xiangye took out the still warm wontons and fed them to Xiao Nuonuo.

Xiao Nuonuo ate the wontons with a smile on her face, and was obviously very satisfied. "Delicious."

After Yun Xiangye fed Xiao Nuonuo the wontons, she ate the soup noodles that had already clumped together, just thinking about waiting until the small stove was ready.

Yun Xiangye had just finished his meal when it was already past half past the hour of Si when he saw Gu Yan coming in from outside.

Gu Yan saw the bowls in the food box and said, "This doesn't look like the bowls and food boxes in the princess's mansion..."

Yun Xiangye said, "It's past the time for breakfast in the princess's mansion, so Run'er went outside the mansion to buy it."

Gu Yan smiled and said, "You are the master. Whenever you want to eat breakfast, you can ask the kitchen to make it for you. Why bother to go out and buy some breakfast?"

Yun Xiangye bit her lip lightly. "How can I know the rules of your princess's mansion when I first arrived? You have kept three secrets from me..."

Yun Xiangye took a deep breath. She had to trouble Gu Yan to find her cousin, and Nuonuo was still here. Yun Xiangye didn't want to argue with Gu Yan.

He had just told her yesterday about his extremely noble identity, but he didn't teach her how to face all this suddenness.

His maid still looked down on him. Zhu Yi only said that the time for breakfast had passed, but did not say that the master could get it whenever he wanted.

Yesterday, the maids talked about divorcing her and making her a concubine. It can be seen that these maids also look down on her background from the bottom of their hearts.

As the master of these maids, if Gu Yan had not indulged them, how could they dare to bully his wife like this?

Gu Yan said to Yun Xiangye: "Xiangye, take a bath and I will take you to the palace later."

"Enter the palace?" Yun Xiangye was stunned.