"Moon Lady, I felt dizzy when I woke up this morning, so I sent someone to ask for a day off."
When Sui Sui exposed his lie, Nangong Zeyue smiled sheepishly and made up an excuse.
Are you sure you're dizzy?
Jiang Shuyue knew Nangong Zeyue too well; not even a small expression of his could escape her sharp eyes.
"Seeing you makes me happy, and I'm not dizzy anymore." Nangong Zeyue poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in her usual spot.
Jiang Shuyue washed her hands, sat down, picked up the hot tea, and took a sip.
"There's nothing much to do at the Court of State Ceremonies. You can rest whenever you want, and don't worry about how much salary you receive."
"Godfather, if you don't have money, I'll support you." Sui Sui said, taking out a golden peanut from her pocket and placing it on the table.
Nangong Zeyue's eyes welled up with tears.
"Sui Sui, your godfather can support himself. Keep this golden peanut; you'll need it when you get married in the future."
"Wait, stop calling him 'godfather' all the time. It won't sound good if the people in the palace hear it."
Jiang Shuyue glared at Nangong Zeyue as she spoke.
She knew it; whenever he had free time, he would steer Sui Sui astray, and he even wanted to drop the word "godfather" altogether.
"Sui Sui, where did you get this golden peanut?"
Jiang Shuyue didn't have the habit of giving Sui Sui golden peanuts to play with.
"It was given to me by my aunt. She gave me a lot of it. She said it would let me play and buy delicious food."
Sui Sui didn't mention that her aunt had told her to use the money to reward the servants.
Princess Chang Le dotes on Sui Sui, and Jiang Shuyue has gotten used to it.
Nangong Zeyue did not accept the gold peanuts, but year after year he would put them into his pocket.
He muttered to himself, "When Aunt Qiuju has a baby, I'll buy him candy."
The child said whatever he thought, which made Jiang Shuyue and Nangong Zeyue unable to help but laugh.
Jiang Shuyue beckoned to Xue'er, and Xue'er walked over to her, nuzzling her head against Jiang Shuyue's palm in a coquettish manner.
"Moon Lady, are you alright at the palace? Did you encounter any danger?"
Jiang Shuyue was slightly taken aback. "What makes you think I'm in danger?"
"Yesterday, there was a rumor in the capital that the Minister of Works' wife's nephew risked his life to save his cousin. He was seriously injured and had to be carried into the mansion."
Jiang Shuyue nodded noncommittally. Liu Baokun was a man, so she naturally hadn't paid attention to the extent of his injuries.
However, the princess's expression did not suggest that anything serious had happened at the palace.
"Moon Maiden, if you and Sui Sui are in danger, I will do everything in my power to protect you."
"No matter when or where, you must take good care of yourself and not make me worry, okay?"
Jiang Shuyue looked up, and Nangong Zeyue quickly concealed the emotions in her eyes.
"You were so worried after hearing the rumors that you didn't sleep a wink all night, right?"
Jiang Shuyue happened to notice some bloodshot veins in Nangong Zeyue's eyes.
"I heard that the palace is very close to the hunting grounds. In the dead of winter, I'm afraid of encountering wild animals that come out to hunt for food."
Nangong Zeyue paused for a moment and then said, "It's good that you're home safely. There are some of your favorite dishes prepared in the kitchen. Eat more later."
Sui Sui stared at Jiang Shuyue's face with her bright eyes, "Mother, eat more later. You must not have eaten well at Father's. You've lost weight."
Jiang Shuyue touched her face. "I've been eating leopard meat, how am I thin? Don't go to your father and say I've lost weight from exhaustion."
"Dad, you hunted a leopard? Dad, are you alright? Mom, were you scared when you saw the leopard?"
Jiang Shuyue was also helpless. This brat was like a little adult, and there were always things he had to worry about.
Jiang Shuyue, of course, only reported the good news and not the bad, saying how beautiful the scenery of the palace was and how pretty the birds in the mountains were.
Soon, Lan'er and her maid brought over a steaming hot meal.
"Moon Lady, have some appetizer soup first."
"Mother, these are your favorite glutinous rice pearl balls."
Nangong Zeyue served soup to Jiang Shuyue, and Sui Sui scooped up a glutinous rice pearl dumpling with a spoon and put it on the plate in front of her.
"You two wait for me on an empty stomach, so eat more."
The three sat together in a harmonious and happy atmosphere, just like a loving family of three.
Xue'er was making "crunch crunch" sounds while drying small fish on the side.
Qiuju and her husband went back to their room to wash up and change. Gao Mu ate his meal and then went to find Cangyun.
Following her mistress's instructions, Qiuju needed to rest after the bumpy journey, so she ate lunch and went back to her room for a short rest.
...
When the girls who went to the palace returned home, they learned that the touching love story of Liu Baokun and You Xian'er had already become the talk of the town.
Inside the Right Prime Minister's residence.
Meng was filled with dread as she listened to the gossip her maid had overheard on the street.
"Our young lady is so clever. She returned from the palace early. When I passed by the teahouse, I heard the storyteller telling the story of Young Master Liu's deep affection."
Meng stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "A storyteller dares to tell stories by name?"
"No, that's not true. Although the young master in the story changed his surname, the young lady in the story is still referred to as the daughter of the Minister. Even though no names are mentioned, everyone knows that it is about Young Master Liu and Miss You."
The maidservant smiled obsequiously, "Madam, Miss You may not have a chance to enter the palace, but our young lady has a much better chance of moving into the Empress's quarters."
"We must not spread this word. The Emperor has not announced the date for the selection of concubines. We must be careful with our words and actions and not make any mistakes."
Meng's expression was serious, but the smile in her eyes was impossible to hide.
My daughter came home early yesterday and didn't even get to see the Emperor. She was worried because she felt that the Emperor didn't take her daughter, Die'er, seriously.
The news about You Xian'er spread like wildfire today, and only then did Madam Meng realize that the Emperor was kicking You Xian'er out of the game.
"Go quickly and tell Miss that she should try not to go out unless necessary."
"This old servant will go right away."
When the maidservant arrived at Cui Yudie's courtyard, Cui Yudie was sitting in her study talking to two maids.
The young lady's rule was that no one was allowed to enter her study without her permission.
The maidservant relayed the message through the curtain.
Cui Yudie replied, "Go back and tell my mother that I understand."
The footsteps outside the door faded away, and Liu Zhi said with a worried look, "Miss, the New Year is just around the corner. If the Emperor doesn't hold a selection of concubines, are we going to stay outside the gate all day?"
"That's right. The capital is more prosperous than before. This year's Spring Festival is more lively than ever before. There will definitely be more fun things to do on the streets than before."
Liu Xu was thinking about the upcoming New Year, and a smile appeared on her face.
Cui Yudie looked at the profile in the painting, and endless reverie rose in her heart.
"It's alright. The talent show might be in February or March, or maybe April. During the New Year, you two can go shopping whenever you want. Your mother didn't say you couldn't leave the mansion."
Liu Zhi immediately beamed with joy, "If Miss wants anything, I'll buy it for you."
Cui Yudie had countless questions in her heart about You Xian'er's matter.
Could it be that the Emperor simply dislikes her, or something else? She hasn't figured it out since she got home.
The next day, rumors spread again in the capital.
Cui Yudie seemed to have glimpsed something.
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