With that slam, the rabbit in my hand slipped and flew away.
"Sui Sui, did you hurt yourself?" Chang Le squatted down and touched Sui Sui's little hand, then pinched his calf.
"It doesn't hurt, Princess Auntie, may you be blessed." Sui Sui said, making a move to kneel down, but Chang Le quickly pulled his arm, "No need for formalities, take this, it's a gift from the Empress Dowager."
Chang Le took out the jade pendant and put it directly around Sui Sui's neck.
Sui Sui said in her childish voice, "Thank you, Princess Auntie."
"Greetings, young master."
"May your young master be blessed."
When Jing'er and Aunt Cai saw that Sui Sui hadn't fallen, they quickly bowed.
Chang Le looked at Sui Sui's exquisitely beautiful face, then touched her own face.
Sui Sui also stared wide-eyed at the person squatting in front of him. He reached out and touched Chang Le's little face, then chuckled, "Princess Auntie looks just like my sister."
"You have an older sister?"
"Ahem...Your Highness, please don't misunderstand. The young master meant that you are very young," Qiuju quickly explained.
Aunt Cai: "..."
Jing'er looked at Sui Sui and then at her mistress, and said earnestly, "Your Highness is only eleven years old, quite young indeed. When the young mistress stands next to Her Highness, they really look like siblings."
"Princess Aunt, I'll go get the rabbit for you to play with. It's so fluffy and cute." Sui Sui felt a little guilty for not preparing a return gift.
"Okay, let's play together." Chang Le also loves small animals.
Turning my head, I saw that the rabbit had already jumped into a flowering tree by the roadside.
"This servant will go and bring the rabbit back," Jing'er said, and went to chase after the rabbit.
It was as if the rabbit had eyes in the back of its tail; before Jing'er even got close, it ran towards the garden.
"This old servant will go too."
Seeing that Aunt Cai had gone to chase the rabbit, Qiuju said to Princess Changle, "Princess, please wait a moment, I will be right back."
Chang Le looked at Sui Sui with doting eyes, took Sui Sui's little hand and stood up, "Come in with your aunt to see your great aunt."
"Greetings, Aunt."
Sui Sui's hand was being held by Chang Le. He had just bent his knees when Chang Le pulled him forcefully, saying, "There's no one else here, you don't need to kneel."
"So cute, so lifelike, it's like she was carved from the same stone as my second brother." Xiao Dai stared at Sui Sui in front of her, her phoenix eyes wide with admiration.
Sui Sui gave Xiao Dai her signature smile, then looked up at Chang Le and said, "Princess Aunt is also very cute."
“He meant that Princess Chang Le is quite similar to him,” Jiang Shuyue quickly explained.
The two sisters surrounded Sui Sui, asking her all sorts of questions, so fascinated by her that they wished they could immediately take her back to the palace to show their mother.
Sui Sui has a sweet tongue and witty remarks that make her two aunts laugh from ear to ear.
A moment later, Jing'er returned carrying the rabbit, and Sui Sui took Chang Le's hand and said, "Princess Aunt, touch it, it's so gentle."
Aunt Cai looked at the warm scene inside the house from the doorway, and was secretly happy for her master. The Xiao family had a successor, and her master's worries were greatly relieved.
To ensure the two princesses were well taken care of, Jiang Shuyue had the kitchen prepare a sumptuous and exquisite lunch.
The platter included braised pork, boiled fish fillets, steamed chicken with matsutake mushrooms, braised four treasures in golden sauce, and a plate of sweet beef strips. There were a total of twenty dishes, including meat, vegetables, snacks, and soup.
Upon seeing the delicious food, Chang Le revealed her true colors, devouring the food while also feeding Sui Sui.
Seeing that her elder sister only ate a little, she said, "Elder sister, eat more. The food in Sister Jiang's residence is even more delicious than what the imperial chefs make."
Jiang Shuyue picked up the serving chopsticks and placed a piece of steamed chicken with matsutake mushrooms on Xiao Dai's plate. "You can all feel at home here. Don't be shy. These dishes were all made by the chef that Nangong Zeyue found."
"Who is Nangong Zeyue?" Xiao Dai and Chang Le asked almost simultaneously.
"A good friend, who is also a neighbor."
Seeing his two aunts looking completely bewildered, Sui Sui grinned and said, "It's Uncle Nangong. Sometimes people mistake him for my dad when we're out."
"Cough cough..."
Jiang Shuyue almost choked on her soup. She picked up a handkerchief and dabbed at her lips, saying, "Young Master Nangong often takes Sui Sui out, so it's inevitable that people will misunderstand."
Xiao Dai was eating in small bites earlier because of table manners, but now she really can't eat anymore. Suddenly, Nangong Zeyue appeared, making her second brother's pursuit of her a difficult one.
Chang Le, however, did not take it seriously. She fed Sui Sui another piece of meat and said, "If there's a misunderstanding, so be it. People can say whatever they want, and we can't control them. Just know that your father is my emperor brother."
Jiang Shuyue: "..." Princess Chang Le's personality is something I can get along with.
"Sui Sui, do you like your aunt?" Chang Le asked gently, recalling the expectant look in her mother's eyes when she saw them leave the palace.
Sui Sui nodded like a chick pecking at rice, "I like it. I wish I could see Princess Auntie every day."
Children like to play with people their closest to their age. Jiang Shuyue smiled and said, "If Princess Chang Le is willing, you are welcome to visit often."
"Sister Jiang, you can just call me Chang Le." Chang Le felt that adding the word "princess" created a distance between them.
Jiang Shuyue smiled and nodded slightly, which was her way of agreeing.
Xiao Dai said, "We are family. Sister Jiang can just call me younger sister, and from now on, Sui Sui can call me auntie, and Chang Le can call me auntie."
“Okay, Sui Sui will listen to Auntie.” Sui Sui smiled innocently. Jiang Shuyue smiled without saying a word. As a princess, she was of noble birth. How could she call the princess her younger sister?
Sui Sui was thinking about her second uncle in the dining room next door, and suggested to Chang Le, "Auntie, there are lots of fun things in Second Uncle's yard. Shall we go over and play with him later?"
She shook her head. "No, I have to go back to the palace and tell Mother how cute and smart our Sui Sui is."
Xiao Dai had a sudden inspiration and said gently to Sui Sui, "How about your aunt goes out of the palace again tomorrow to play with you?"
Sui Sui looked at Chang Le happily, "Will Auntie come tomorrow? The streets have been so lively these past few days."
"Yes, of course I'll come, but I need Mother's permission first."
Xiao Dai quickly chimed in, "Mother will agree. Auntie can go out of the palace to play with Sui Sui for two days, and then Sui Sui can come back to the palace to play with Auntie for two days."
Jiang Shuyue could easily understand Xiao Dai's intentions, and she readily replied, "No problem. I've been very busy lately, and I'd be more than happy to have someone help take care of Sui Sui."
When the two sisters left, Jiang Shuyue also gave them a return gift.
It was red ginseng and skin cream that she prepared herself.
In a restaurant not far from Guixiang Street, Su Jin, Zhen Jingxiu, Lin Xiangzhi, and Xie Yunchen gathered together.
They drank and chatted, feeling like they had known each other for a long time.
Apart from Lin Xiang, the other three were slightly tipsy after drinking very little.
"Come on, Brother Su, let's have another drink. We are truly destined to meet. If I hadn't gone out with my uncle's caravan, we would have met in Yannan." Lin Xiangzhi picked up the wine pot and pretended to pour wine for Su Jin.
Su Jin pressed down on the wine cup with his left hand and grasped Lin Xiangzhi's wrist holding the wine pot with his right hand. "Brother Lin, there's plenty of time in the future. We've already had two cups, and I really can't hold my liquor anymore."
Zhen Jingxiu pulled Lin Xiangzhi back to his seat and said, "Let's stop drinking and talk about our plans."
Xie Yunchen said, "If I fail the exam, I will give up on the girl I want to marry."
"Whose young lady is she?" the three asked in unison.
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