Chapter 33 More delicate than a princess
Ah Ping comforted her softly, "Aunt, I'm fine. I'm already content to have enough food and clothes in Prince Qi's mansion.
If the prince really dislikes me, it's okay. I have raised some money over the years, and I can sew, so I can make a living by sewing, and we won't be displaced anymore."
Fortunately, my aunt took good care of me since I was a child. I have never done any rough work. My hands are as good as those of a rich girl, so I am suitable for embroidering.
During these three years, she also learned some skills by following the embroidery skills of the ladies in the North City Palace.
When the nanny saw Ping forcing a smile, she sighed.
"Girl, the servant next to the prince said that the prince will come over tonight!"
The little maid came in hurriedly, speaking happily.
Ah Ping also showed a happy expression and said, "Thank you, Auntie, for helping me dress up."
Nanny smiled softly as she helped Ah Ping put on her makeup. Ah Ping said, "Your Highness thinks I'm too delicate. Please help me put on some makeup to look more heroic."
Qi Yuan had been back in Beicheng for five days. He had been busy with the military and government affairs that he had neglected when he returned to Shengjing. After these five days, he remembered that he had not seen Ah Ping since he came back.
Today is the day of the full moon.
Under the full moon, A Ping stood at the door in a narrow-sleeved skirt. Her exquisite figure made Qi Yuan quite distracted.
When I got closer, the lantern hanging on the door was brightly lit.
Qi Yu'an finally saw Ah Ping's heroic makeup, frowned tightly, and said sternly: "Go wash off your makeup."
She already looks a bit like Lu Ze, and after putting on makeup, she looks even more like him.
Qi Yu'an didn't want to see Lu Ze's face except Lingling.
Ah Ping was frightened when she heard Qi Yu'an's unhappy voice, and said with tears in her eyes, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Qi Yu'an looked at Ah Ping's expression, sighed softly, held her hand and said, "Why are you crying? I just asked you to wash off your makeup. Don't put on makeup like this in the future. You look like the bastard who bullied my sister."
Qi Yuan recalled that when he rescued A Ping three years ago, he felt that she looked familiar, but he couldn't remember it at that time.
Now that I think about it, isn’t it similar to Lu Ze?
Ah Ping sobbed, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Qi Yuan listened to A Ping's sobbing and reached out to wipe away the tears from the corners of A Ping's eyes.
Why did you find such a delicate girl in the first place?
She cries at the slightest noise or touch.
Even more delicate than a princess born into a wealthy family.
But sometimes, Qi Yu'an still liked her delicate appearance very much, especially her soft crying between the bed curtains.
He hadn't touched her for almost a month. Now, looking at her red and tearful peach blossom eyes, Qi Yu'an just wanted to bully her severely.
…
September 16th.
The weather suddenly became very cold.
After Qi Yuning stood up, she put a red jacket on Lingling, and Lingling was wrapped up like a little dumpling.
"It's hot!" Lingling said.
Qi Yuning patted Lingling's little head and said, "It's very cold over there in the Imperial Mausoleum."
Lingling said "oh" and obediently put on her little jacket and got on the carriage to the imperial mausoleum.
As soon as the carriage started moving, Qi Yuning felt a weight pressing down.
Then Lu Ze opened the carriage curtain and entered.
Qi Yuning asked, "Is the princess's mansion too poor to afford a carriage?"
Lu Ze ignored Qi Yuning and sat next to Lingling. He looked at Lingling who had turned into a little ball and chuckled, "It's not winter yet, is it? Why are you dressing Lingling so warmly?"
"The Frost Descent has passed, and it will be the Beginning of Winter in a few days."
Qi Yuning pulled his cloak tighter around him and said, "It's really cold today, you have to wear more clothes."
Qi Yuning was extremely afraid of cold, especially in winter, when her hands and feet felt like ice and were difficult to keep warm.
It was no use seeking medical advice from the imperial physician. In such a cold day, Qi Yuning was even more worried that little Lingling would get sick from the cold.
Lingling was wearing thick clothes, which made it difficult for her to move, but she studied hard to learn to read so that she could have younger brothers and sisters.
Qi Yuning and Lu Ze taught Lingling how to read, and the three hours it took to reach the imperial mausoleum passed in the blink of an eye.
Lu Ze took Princess Pingrou's token and went to the palace to ask for a bedroom.
Qi Yuning asked the maid to pack up, and she, Lu Ze and Lingling went to the villa where Princess Duan lived.
The third prince had been dead for two years. When he passed away, the young prince was less than two years old, and Princess Duan's mother was not very favored.
Prince Duan was of mediocre qualifications, and the princess he married had a decent family background, the daughter of the Governor of Jiangnan.
However, Qi Yuning had seen this Princess Duan before. She was weak and submissive, and could not make decisions on anything.
As soon as Prince Duan died, she lost all her backbone. She took her child with her and did not fight for the fiefdom and title left by Prince Duan. Instead, she went to the imperial mausoleum with her child to keep vigil for the third prince.
In the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly and Lingling's face was rosy.
In the villa, Princess Duan was very surprised to hear that Prince Lu and Princess Qi came together. She had been a widow for two years, so how could these two people come?
Lu Ze is her husband's eldest nephew, and her husband didn't have much contact with this nephew when he was alive.
As for Qi Yuning, she rarely interacted with Qi Yuning.
Princess Duan asked someone to invite them in, and saw that Lu Ze was holding a little girl about three years old in his arms. The girl was wearing thick clothes and her little face was rosy and almost blushing.
The little girl's eyes lit up and she said in a baby voice, "Mother!"
Lu Ze and Qi Yuning bowed together: "Third aunt."
"Princess Duan."
Princess Duan said repeatedly: "Please stop being polite, this child is..."
Princess Duan was surprised to see that the child looked similar to Lu Ze. Lu Ze did not intend to hide it, "My daughter with the princess."
Qi Yuning glared at Lu Ze. They had clearly agreed to just say Lingling was her daughter.
Princess Duan saw the child in Lu Ze's arms and said, "You have dressed the child too thickly. Although the temperature has dropped, the child is not afraid of the cold. Especially this afternoon, there is no need to wear a coat. In spring, cover yourself up and in autumn, the child should be cold now. Look at this child, he is almost wilting from the heat."
Qi Yuning knew nothing about raising children. After hearing what Princess Duan said, she felt that she, as a mother, was too irresponsible.
After taking off her coat, Lingling came alive suddenly, like a fish deprived of water that returns to a pond.
"Mom, where is my uncle? Lingling misses him so much. I haven't played with him for a long time!"
Princess Duan was full of surprise and asked, "Uncle?"
Qi Yuning was already good at lying, "Little Prince Duan, Lingling played with Little Prince Duan twice before."
Princess Duan was surprised that she didn't know that her son had played with Lingling, but she didn't suspect anything and asked her maid to bring Zhao Jie over.
Little Zhao Jie is almost four years old, but he looks even smaller than Lingling. He walked up to Princess Duan and bowed obediently, saying, "Mother."
Princess Duan took little Zhao Jie's hand and said, "This is my eldest cousin, this is Princess Qi, quickly pay your respects."
Little Zhao Jie bowed and said, "Cousin, Princess Qi."
Lu Ze and Qi Yuning also returned a gift to Xiao Zhaojie.
Lingling, who was standing next to Qi Yuning, walked up to the child and looked at him. Her small peach blossom eyes were full of confusion and she scratched her head with her little hand.
Lingling raised her eyes to look at Qi Yuning and said, "He is not a little uncle. There is no little uncle this young."
Qi Yuning smiled at Lingling: "Nowadays, little uncles are this small."
Zhao Jie had never seen a playmate here before, but now there was a little girl of similar age, showing her white teeth and saying, "My name is Zhao Jie, what's your name?"
Lingling said: "My name is Lu Yiling, you look like little uncle, but why did little uncle become so small?"
Zhao Jie looked at his mother. Princess Duan was also puzzled as to why Lingling said that.
Qi Yuning chuckled, "Princess, Lingling and the young prince are close in age, why not let them go and play aside. Lingling is my first daughter, I am young and don't know anything, I hope Princess can teach me."
Zhao Jie is not Princess Duan's first child. Princess Duan is 32 years old this year and she already had a daughter. Princess Shan is only three years younger than Qi Yuning.
Actually, that princess was your Majesty's eldest granddaughter, and she was also a smart and lovely person. Unfortunately, she fell into the river at the age of ten and her body was never found. If she were still alive, she would have reached the age of marriage by now.
Princess Duan chuckled and said, "It's better to be more careful when raising children. If the princess doesn't mind, we can talk while drinking tea."
Princess Duan is usually gentle and weak, but when it comes to raising children, she is very talkative and considerate.
Qi Yuning was very educated.
In the garden of the other courtyard nearby.
Looking at the two children playing, Lu Ze asked Lingling, "Is he the uncle in the palace?"
Lingling said: "He looks like my uncle, but he is much younger than my uncle. However, the lady who just took off Lingling's clothes is my uncle's mother."
Lu Ze smiled when he heard this. The little uncle in Lingling's mind was the one five or six years later. So the little uncle now was naturally five or six years younger than the little uncle in her mind.
But now it is certain that Zhao Jie is the little emperor who will succeed to the throne in the future.
But he fell into deep thought, wondering what had happened that a little grandson of the emperor, whose father had died and whose mother was weak, would become emperor?
In addition to the Eighth Prince whose leg was broken by Qi Yuning, he also has eight uncles. Among these eight uncles, which one would be willing to let Zhao Jie take the throne?
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
