Xuan Yuanhan's feelings for Yi Shangyun are a matter that can be considered a big deal or a small one. Before Xuan Yuanhan makes any public announcement, it is impossible to speculate.
Realizing Xuan Yuan Yue's implication, Xuan Yuan Hao lowered his voice and guessed, "But this girl doesn't seem to care much about our esteemed Uncle Qin."
"How do you know Yun'er doesn't care about Uncle Qin?" Xuan Yuan Yue asked with some interest.
Xuanyuan Hao thought for a moment and said, "When Donghua Palace was isolated a few days ago, I wanted to tell her about Uncle Qin's past so she could understand him better, but she refused to listen no matter what, saying she wouldn't dare to have any thoughts of overstepping her bounds towards members of the royal family. However, she was particularly fond of that jade bracelet that seemed to possess spiritual power, and told me it was a gift from an important person. I suspect it must be related to the person who gave her the bracelet, it couldn't be…"
"Yun'er already has someone she likes."
"Yun'er already has someone she likes."
Xuan Yuan Yue and Xuan Yuan Hao seemed to understand something and exclaimed in unison.
"Who already has someone they love?" The two suddenly exclaimed, which was heard by the Empress, who looked at them in shock and asked.
Xuan Yuan Yue hurriedly stood up in a panic and replied, "Mother, Yue'er and my brother are just telling a story." As she spoke, she looked at Xuan Yuan Hao beside her, who nodded vigorously.
The Empress shook her head helplessly and said with a hint of reproach, "You two are such grown-ups, and you still play so much!"
Xuanyuan Hao playfully stuck out his tongue, but after the Empress finished speaking, a deep sense of reluctance welled up in her heart. She sighed and thought to herself, "They're both just mischievous children, and soon they'll be separated. This parting may be for a lifetime..."
Having evaded the Empress's questioning with a perfunctory answer, Xuan Yuan Yue shifted slightly, moving closer to Xuan Yuan Hao, before lowering her voice to continue, "Uncle Qin probably doesn't know, right? If he did, who knows what he would do? Uncle Qin is completely irrational when it comes to matters concerning Yun'er."
Xuan Yuan Yue still shudders at the memory of Xuan Yuan Han's various unexpected and unconventional actions.
Xuan Yuanhao suddenly gave Xuan Yuanyue a mischievous smile and said, "Hehe...that's why my brother wants to get close to that Princess Dongning."
Xuan Yuan Yue asked in confusion, "What does this have to do with her?"
Xuanyuan Hao did not rush to answer. Instead, he reached out and picked up a peanut from the table in front of him, twirling it between his fingers without eating it, as if he was thinking about something, showing the demeanor of a little adult.
After a moment, she explained to her, "Royal sister, think about it. Yun'er is currently at the Prince of Qin's residence. If we want to help her, we can only go there. So, shouldn't we first appease our aunt, who already has a preconceived notion about us, and lower her guard against us, so that we won't find it difficult to even see Yun'er at the Prince of Qin's residence in the future?!"
"Help her? Does the Imperial Brother really want to matchmake Uncle Qin and Yun'er?" Xuan Yuan Yue suddenly realized.
Suddenly, Xuanyuan Hao looked up and turned to look at Xuanyuan Han, who was high above him, second only to the emperor, and was talking with Emperor Jing. After a long pause, he said seriously, "Royal Sister, don't you think Uncle Qin is too lonely? That cold face and temperament... how much unbearable weight must he have carried in his life to appear so lonely?"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuan Yue hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised her head. Her usually mischievous eyes held a long, lingering sadness.
After a while, she slowly said, "Perhaps, only Yun'er is his guardian angel in this life. Only with her by his side can he open his heart and experience joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness like a normal person."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanhao turned his gaze to Xuan Yuanyue's face, a knowing and delighted smile appearing on his lips. "So, Imperial Sister has also agreed to help them?"
Xuan Yuan Yue continued to gaze at the two high above her, blinking her eyes, but remained silent. At this moment, she herself did not know how much longer she had in Western Qin, so how could she make any promises to others?
In the western part of the city, the Yifuli area was also decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, exuding a strong festive atmosphere for the New Year.
Before dawn, the servants would get up early to sweep the gates, remove dust and dirt, and clean the courtyard.
Before noon, everyone was busy changing door gods, hanging Zhong Xu, pasting Spring Festival couplets, posting the character "福" (fortune), and hanging bright red festive lanterns high. Finally, amidst a deafening burst of firecrackers, they bid farewell to the old year.
As dusk fell, a grand sacrificial ceremony was held in the mansion under the leadership of the head of the household, Yi Shangkun, followed by the most sumptuous and important New Year's Eve dinner of the year.
Last New Year, the original owner was in a coma, and Yi Shangkun and Nian Shi couldn't help but feel a sense of loneliness and sorrow at the dinner table. But this year, Yi Shangyun's wakefulness undoubtedly brought them deep comfort.
So after the New Year's Eve dinner, everyone in the household received a large red envelope as usual, and they all seemed very happy and satisfied, with smiles on their faces.
At this time, seeing that everyone's festive spirit was still high, the maids who were temporarily free from work all gathered in the kitchen with the cook to make dumplings, a must-have for every household on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
When making the filling, some people would deliberately put coins, sugar, peanuts, dates, and chestnuts inside.
Yan'er held a dumpling wrapper in one hand, filled with mutton, and in the other hand, she was stuffing a jujube into it, her face beaming with joy as she said, "It's said that whoever finds a copper coin in their dumpling will be rich next year; whoever finds candy will have an even sweeter year; whoever finds a peanut will enjoy health and longevity; and whoever finds a date and a chestnut will have a son soon..."
"Is Yan'er thinking of getting married?!" Before she could finish speaking, a slightly older cook next to her stared at the candied dates she was clutching tightly in front of her phone and teased her.
"Nonsense, what kind of talk is that?" Although it was just a common custom and joke, Yan'er was being teased today, and the young girl blushed instantly.
At Yan'er's insistence, Yi Shangyun also joined in.
Although she is from Northwest China and loves noodles, this is the first time she has ever made dumplings herself. When she was a child, she could only roll out the dumpling wrappers. After rolling out all the wrappers, her hands were red and sore.
But tonight, she tried her best to turn a dumpling wrapper into a complete dumpling, but in the end, it was still a mess, and she was covered in flour, which made Yan'er and several servants laugh uncontrollably.
Looking at the dumplings she had wrapped and which looked quite presentable, Yan'er suddenly smiled mischievously and asked, "Miss, who do you think invented dumplings first? Why eat such a small treat during the New Year?"
Yi Shangyun snapped out of her daze and said, "Yan'er, don't underestimate these dumplings. It's said that they were originally a medicine developed by a famous doctor named Zhang Zhongjing."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yan'er exclaimed in surprise, "Ah? Dumplings are also medicine. I've heard Master say that 'all medicines have some poison in them.' Are we all eating poison during the New Year?"
Yan'er's words startled everyone present, who exchanged bewildered glances, immediately stopped what they were doing, and their smiles froze as they stared at Yi Shangyun's face.
Yi Shangyun was startled and quickly explained, "Of course not. Legend has it that one year, Zhang Zhongjing returned to his hometown after serving as an official and saw many poor people suffering from hunger and cold, their ears frostbitten. He learned that typhoid fever was rampant at the time, and many people had died. So he developed this 'Cold-Dispelling Dumpling Soup,' which is made by boiling mutton, chili peppers, and many cold-dispelling medicinal herbs in a pot, then taking it out, chopping it up, and wrapping it in dumpling wrappers to form ear-shaped 'dumplings.' Each person would eat two and a bowl of soup. After eating this cold-dispelling soup, people would feel warm all over, their blood would flow smoothly, and their ears would warm up. People ate this from the winter solstice to New Year's Eve to ward off typhoid fever, and those suffering from frostbite could be cured. Afterward, people celebrated the New Year and also celebrated the cure of their frostbitten ears by making dumplings in the shape of 'dumplings' on New Year's Eve and eating them on the morning of New Year's Day. It is also to commemorate the good deeds of the famous doctor Zhang Zhongjing and his superb medical skills in saving lives."
Hearing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. They couldn't help but admire each other for knowing so much that their young lady didn't know. None of the masters in this mansion were as approachable as her and willing to talk so much with their servants.
So everyone continued to laugh and chat happily as they made dumplings.
In this lively moment, Yi Shangyun seemed to have temporarily forgotten her worries. Letting them laugh, she couldn't help but chuckle at her own appearance.
Just as everyone was busy and having a great time, Yi Shangxue walked in with a fierce look on her face and walked to Yi Shangyun's side, coldly scolding everyone, "What a mess! What are you all doing?"
For a moment, the kitchen was completely silent.
Yi Shangxue glanced sideways at Yi Shangyun and said to her indifferently, "Father is calling you to the living room." Then she glanced at everyone around her before leisurely walking out.
Yi Shangyun's smile vanished abruptly, unaware of what her father wanted to see her about. She gently patted the flour off her hands, and Yan'er helped her wash them clean and tidy herself up before accompanying her to the main hall.
Upon entering, I saw a familiar figure sitting with her father, Yi Shangkun, enjoying tea and exchanging pleasantries.
As soon as she entered, she bowed respectfully to the two men, then said with a look of surprise, "Manager Xue, what brings you here on this New Year's Day?"
"Miss Yi, it's been a long time. You've grown even more beautiful since you were born," Manager Xue said, looking her up and down.
Yi Shangyun said shyly, "Manager Xue, you flatter me. May I ask what brings you here so late?"
At this moment, Yi Shangkun, who was sitting upright to the side, smiled and interjected, saying, "Hurry inside and prepare. Manager Xue said he met a reclusive master at Baicaotang today who can cure your leg ailment, but the master is pressed for time and must return tonight. So there's not much time. You should quickly follow Manager Xue to have the master examine you. Manager Xue came specifically to pick you up. It would be best if your leg could be cured."
Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun's smile froze instantly, and he murmured under his breath, "Tonight? Now?"
Seeing her standing there motionless in a daze, Yi Shangkun became extremely displeased and sternly reprimanded her, "Hurry up and go!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com