Chunyu lowered her head and used one hand to hold chopsticks to serve food to Xiuning.
The banquet at Hehuan Palace usually ends quite late, and there are some songs and dances to entertain the guests. Since Xiuning cannot leave early, she definitely needs to eat something to fill her stomach.
Indeed, this year's Hehuan Palace Banquet was slightly different from previous years. The reason was that the Empress made some simple adjustments to the style and taste of the dishes at the banquet. She even took into account the tight schedule of the banquet and removed unnecessary cold dishes and vegetarian dishes, leaving only some soup dishes.
"Phew, I've been attending palace banquets for almost ten years now. Finally, I can eat something warm and comforting in peace."
Xiuning whispered to Chunyu, holding the chicken soup that Chunyu had just served her, and took a simple sip.
The savory flavor of the chicken soup flowed down her tongue and into her abdomen, warming Xiu Ning's heart at the same time.
It must be said that the New Year's dishes in the Imperial Kitchen were quite good; at least they tasted good. Not only Xiu Ning ate them, but the other concubines around her also ate them to varying degrees.
The melodious tune drifted from the center of the hall, accompanied by graceful dancing beauties. If one disregarded the fact that this was the imperial harem, it would truly be an extraordinary experience.
"Your Highness, would you like me to serve you another bowl?"
Seeing that Xiuning's soup bowl was empty, Chunyu quickly reached out and took it from her.
Xiu Ning waved her hand upon hearing this, and then touched her slightly full stomach, "No need, drinking too much will only lead to leaving the table. Let's wait until we return to the palace."
Go check on Ning Chuge and Yin Yi; those two little ones probably can't control themselves, so tell the nanny to make them eat as little as possible.
Although the main hall is not an open-air place, it is still somewhat drafty on all sides.
Children already have weak immune systems, and with the improved quality of food at palace banquets these days, it would be a real loss if they overindulged and caused health problems.
Chunyu nodded in agreement, "This servant understands."
Turning around, Chunyu secretly bypassed the area where the concubines were and quickly walked to Ning Chuge and Yin Yi's side.
The princes and princesses were positioned further away from the emperor and others, not because they were not favored, but quite the opposite; this arrangement actually showed their importance.
Because the interior of the main hall is more sheltered from the wind, there is no need to put children at the front of the palace to be exposed to the cold wind during a palace banquet in the dead of winter.
"Don't worry, Aunt Chunyu, I will take good care of my third brother, so Mother won't have to worry either."
Ning Chuge was the oldest of Kangxi's few imperial heirs (the adopted Princess Chunxi was not his biological daughter). She usually had the demeanor of an elder sister, and not only her younger brother Yinyi, but also Yinreng and Yinti respected her very much.
After all, Ning Chuge was favored by Emperor Kangxi, and his behavior and emotional intelligence were top-notch. Children don't have as many tricks up their sleeves as adults, so they got along quite well on a daily basis.
Upon hearing this, Chunyu smiled and exchanged a few words with Ning Chuge. Then, she gave a meaningful look to the wet nurse and palace servants who were following Ning Chuge and Yin Yi, and returned safely.
"Has everything been explained?"
Xiu Ning placed her hands under the table and heard footsteps beside her, knowing that Chun Yu had returned.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, the princess is intelligent. She guessed everything before I could even finish speaking. Her demeanor is in no way inferior to Your Majesty's back then."
Chunyu's final words of praise and flattery to Xiuning successfully made Xiuning beam with joy.
Her gaze unconsciously drifted towards the location of the imperial heir in the distance. Xiu Ning's expression softened. "That child, Ning Chuge, has saved me so much trouble."
Whether it's taking care of her two younger brothers or taking good care of herself, Xiu Ning believes that Ning Chuge is competent.
While chatting and laughing quietly with Chunyu, Xiuning would sometimes cover her lips with her hand to make sure she didn't appear too high-profile. After all, there were too many people at the palace banquet, and if she accidentally caught someone with a narrow mind and became jealous, that would really be asking for trouble.
Of course, even though Xiuning is keeping a low profile now, she will not diminish her presence. With three children, a unique privilege in the harem, anyone would be wary of her.
The palace banquet did not end until very late.
The Empress Dowager and Empress Dowager were old and had already gone back to rest. Emperor Kangxi went back to the Qianqing Palace to keep watch, while the Empress had to stay behind despite her illness to wrap up the palace banquet.
Seeing this, Xiu Ning simply led Ning Chuge and Yin Yi back to Qixiang Palace.
She arranged for palace servants to take Ning Chuge and Yin Yi away to wash up and go to bed. Xiu Ning then quietly went to the back hall to check on Yin Lu, and only after confirming that there was nothing wrong did she return to the main hall, rubbing her slightly sore shoulders.
"Your Highness, I have prepared hot water. Shall I help you over?" Chunyu asked softly.
Xiuning nodded and said, "Go ahead."
I've been working hard all day, without taking a break since I woke up this morning.
Slowly exhaling a sigh of frustration, Xiu Ning took off her clothes and sat in the bathtub, closing her eyes slightly to enjoy the satisfaction brought by the warm heat of the wet tub.
Spring Rain, with her keen eye, helped massage and relax the child, while also taking out some fragrant dew and flower petals to add to the water.
As the wisps of white steam rose, a delicate fragrance of flower petals drifted into the air.
"Were these flowers recently sent by the Imperial Household Department?"
In winter, few flowers bloom, except for the warm pavilion in the flower and grass room of the Imperial Household Department.
However, the warm pavilion is not a large space, and the flowers that bloom there are all carefully cultivated varieties, which are usually sent to the palaces of a few masters in the harem.
Xiu Ning receiving flower petals is most likely due to her wealth and being pampered.
Otherwise, even if you have money, without connections, you won't be able to get good things from those servants in the Imperial Household Department.
"Your Highness, these were specially delivered by servants from the Imperial Household Department. They said that thanks to Your Highness's care, they receive a lot of rewards every time they come to Qixiang Palace to deliver items."
Xiu Ning snorted lightly, "Heh, they're trying to put me on a pedestal so that they'll have a problem with not being able to give me more rewards in the future."
“Those servants don’t have that kind of guts, but I’m afraid they’ll be dissatisfied and go around spreading rumors behind my back.”
Chunyu puffed out her cheeks, thinking the latter was highly likely.
How do rumors and gossip spread in the harem? It's all because you offended these servants, and they all started spouting nonsense.
Xiuning waved her hand dismissively, "Then we won't give them that chance. Although the servants of the Imperial Household Department may fawn over the powerful and bully the weak, for us, anything that can be solved with money is a minor matter. In the future, you should pay more attention to them and select some servants with good qualities to train. We can't always rely on the family."
The family doesn't belong to her alone; with more people, there will be different opinions.
Furthermore, Xiuning always felt that the safest approach was to truly hold all the cards in her own hands.
When she first entered the palace, Lady Fucha invested in her. However, over the past few years, although she has gained a higher rank and more children, Lady Fucha has slowed down her progress. The reason is that Lady Fucha wants to send her own clansmen to the palace for the next imperial concubine selection.
Looking down at the petals floating on the water, Xiu Ning reached out and gently flicked them.
The fragrance of flower petals still lingered on her hands. Xiu Ning didn't speak, but simply closed her eyes again and buried herself even deeper.
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