Chapter 2 Serving Tea: Am I crazy? Or is His Highness crazy?
The Great Xia Imperial Palace was solemn and majestic, with layers of vermilion walls surrounding it, and palaces and pavilions standing among them. The golden glazed tiles, under the sunlight, all showed the grandeur and luxury of the royal family. Everywhere she looked, the scenery was exactly as Shen Yujiao had guessed on her way here. It was indeed the majesty of the imperial family.
But she was not in the mood to appreciate the scenery at the moment. Who could accept that yesterday she was a college student who had just finished the college entrance examination, and today she had become someone else's new wife?
Shen Yujiao and Jiang Chen walked side by side along the palace corridor, her heart filled with nervousness and trepidation. She had woken up early in the morning to play the role of the Crown Princess, and her mind was in a complete mess. Her mother, Liu, had given her so many instructions this morning that she couldn't quite sort out the order of what to pay attention to.
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess."
Just as Shen Yujiao was lost in thought, the female official leading the way suddenly turned around. Shen Yujiao subconsciously paused, waiting for her to continue.
"According to etiquette, you should walk half a step behind His Highness the Crown Prince."
ah?
Shen Yujiao was startled by this sudden influx of ancient feudal ideas. She and Jiang Chen had always been bickering and chasing each other since they were little. It was really hard for her to adapt to the idea of Jiang Chen taking the lead all of a sudden.
But thinking that she shouldn't ruin her image, Shen Yujiao lowered her bright eyes and obediently took half a step back.
However, before she could even stand firmly, Jiang Chen pulled her forward, and then she heard his voice: "No need. As my wife, you should naturally walk alongside me."
After saying that, Jiang Chen turned his head and gave Shen Yu a subtle, almost imperceptible wink.
Being suddenly defended by her childhood friend made Shen Yujiao feel a little uncomfortable. Since they grew up, she and Jiang Chen had rarely teamed up to criticize others like this. However, now that they were in ancient times, if they wanted to live more smoothly in this dynasty, they really had to cooperate and act together.
Thinking of this, Shen Yujiao quickly got into character. The female official only saw her smile shyly, then she took Jiang Chen's large hand in return with her other hand and replied softly, "Yes."
Caught off guard by the display of affection, the female official suppressed her astonishment, maintained a calm expression, and turned to continue leading the way.
However, as she walked, she wondered to herself, when did His Highness the Crown Prince change his personality? Could it be that he really became a different person after getting married?
Along the way, the group had different thoughts. The long palace road finally came to an end. Looking at the three large characters "Kunyi Palace" written in gold on the plaque, Shen Yujiao suddenly remembered something.
She turned to Mulan and asked in a low voice, "Is the gift prepared for today's audience?"
Mu Jin nodded silently, "Your Highness repeatedly instructed me before, and I dare not forget it."
According to the ancestral rules of the Great Xia Dynasty, whenever the bride serves tea, if the elders bestow gifts, the bride is required to reciprocate with a gift she has personally prepared. In addition, when the bride meets her husband's family members for the first time, she is also required to give gifts to all members, regardless of whether they are of the same or younger generation.
Hearing the answer, Shen Yujiao breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the original owner of this body, Miss Shen, was a thoughtful person. If she had waited until she remembered, she would have already been disrespectful in front of the emperor, and she might not have survived if she wanted to go back.
"The Crown Prince and Crown Princess request an audience—"
As the eunuch's thin, shrill voice rang out, Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao gripped each other's hands tightly, then stepped side by side into the main hall of Kunyi Palace. Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the hall, the newlyweds respectfully bowed to the Emperor and Empress sitting at the head of the table.
"Your subject/daughter-in-law greets Your Majesty and Your Majesty."
Seeing this, the Emperor and Empress smiled and waved to the two of them. The two nodded and stood up straight. Then they knelt down steadily on the cushions brought by the palace servants. Shen Yujiao held the teacups above her head and handed one to the Emperor and the other to the Empress.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, please have some tea."
The Emperor and Empress drank the tea offered by the new bride, and then gave the young couple some advice and instructions, mainly about mutual respect and love after marriage. The Empress also spoke to Shen Yujiao about the responsibilities and obligations of the mistress of the Eastern Palace.
Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao knelt on the cushions, both with lowered heads and respectful expressions. No matter what the Emperor and Empress said, they would nod in agreement, until the Empress spoke—
"Besides managing state affairs, the Crown Princess's most important task is to take good care of her health and give birth to the eldest grandson of our Great Xia as soon as possible, so that the continuation of the nation can be the foundation."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yujiao's lips twitched slightly, and she reluctantly agreed. However, although she said "Daughter-in-law understands," she was filled with helplessness: Mother-in-law, I'm afraid this matter will disappoint you.
"Alright, I think the Crown Princess is a good one. Feng Xu, bring me the jade ruyi that the Empress and I prepared earlier."
As soon as the emperor finished speaking, the chief eunuch standing beside him waved his whisk, and then palace servants filed in, carrying trays full of jewels, jade, and magnificent crowns and robes as rewards.
Shen Yujiao glanced at it cautiously and noticed that one of the jade ruyi pieces was particularly eye-catching. It was carved from a single piece of mutton-fat white jade. Both the quality of the jade and the luster of the ruyi made it clear that it was a treasure that could be passed down through generations.
She raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself that her in-laws were quite generous to their son and daughter-in-law.
The two accepted the gifts and kowtowed to express their gratitude. Then, servants from the Eastern Palace carried the Emperor and Empress's gifts out, and Mu Jin led a group of palace maids into the hall.
Shen Yujiao and Mu Jin exchanged a glance without leaving a trace. Then she understood. This must be the gift that the original owner of this body, Miss Shen, had prepared for today's audience. Not to mention the brothers and sisters-in-law standing on both sides of the hall, even she herself was very curious about the gift that Miss Shen had prepared.
"I am fortunate to have the love of Father and Mother. Today, I would like to present you with a small gift that I personally prepared when I was young. It is rather simple, but I hope that Father and Mother will not find it offensive."
As the red silk on the tray was lifted one by one, more than a dozen exquisite embroidered items were revealed to the crowd. Upon seeing the superb craftsmanship on the embroidery, everyone was astonished.
Can this really be considered a small gift?
The intricate and exquisite embroidery work leaps off the surface of the embroidery, whether it be auspicious clouds and dragon patterns or phoenixes soaring in the sky, all are depicted by the embroiderer with lifelike detail. When placed there quietly, it exudes majesty and solemnity. As the embroidery is unfolded, the dragons and phoenixes seem to come alive again, which is awe-inspiring and makes people marvel.
The embroidered items presented to the other princes, princesses, sisters-in-law, and relatives on both sides were equally exquisite and auspicious. Just by looking at the amazement in everyone's eyes, one could tell that the Crown Princess's gift was both dignified and meaningful.
"Your Majesty, look, the Crown Princess's embroidery skills are truly exquisite. I'm afraid we can't even see such exquisite embroidery in our palace."
"Yes, Your Highness is too modest. If this is such a small gift, the embroiderers in the Knitting Bureau would be ashamed."
Hearing the praises of everyone around her, Shen Yujiao was on the verge of tears. She should have asked Mu Jin beforehand. Who would have thought that Miss Shen had this trick up her sleeve?
Not to mention embroidery and needlework, she was pampered at home and her elders in both the Jiang and Chen families wouldn't even let her touch a needle. With such intricate ancient embroidery, if she doesn't expose her, who will?
Jiang Chen stood beside her, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of her worried expression. After observing her for a moment, he tugged at Shen Yujiao's sleeve when no one was paying attention and winked at her.
The two could hide their little actions from others, but they couldn't escape the Empress, who was always watching Jiang Chen. She took in all the subtle expressions on their faces and was filled with indescribable surprise.
Crown Prince Chen has been aloof and taciturn since childhood. Not to mention in front of others, even in private with his mother, he rarely shows such a relaxed and lively side. The Empress turned to look at Shen Yujiao seriously, and a plan was vaguely formed in her heart.
"Oh my, sister-in-law's embroidery skills are truly remarkable. It's not something an ordinary embroiderer could do. I've never seen such an exquisite fan before."
A clear, crisp voice rang out, and everyone turned to look. They saw a young girl in gorgeous clothes playing with a fan on a tray, her expression one of undisguised pride, as if what she held in her hand was not a gift from her elder sister-in-law, but an embroidered tribute presented by the embroiderers below.
Shen Yujiao frowned slightly, wondering which princess this was. Even if she was favored by the emperor, she was still being far too presumptuous.
Before she could take a second look, another female voice said from the other side, "Isn't that right? With such embroidery skills from the Crown Princess, the Crown Prince is truly blessed. It seems that all of the Crown Prince's future robes will be made by the Crown Princess."
If she was slightly displeased just now, then Shen Yujiao was now filled with anger.
One by one, even though the emperor and empress, those two powerful figures, didn't say anything to make things difficult for her, they were eager to make things difficult for her.
Everyone saw the Crown Princess shake her head with a light laugh: "That's not possible."
The noblewoman who had spoken earlier looked surprised upon hearing this, seemingly puzzled by her answer.
Shen Yujiao was too lazy to look at her pretentious face. A look of sadness appeared on her face. She stepped forward and bowed deeply to the Emperor and Empress. Then she said, "Before I came to the capital, I was seriously ill. While I was embroidering, I accidentally injured my eyes. Now I can no longer hold a needle."
Standing to the side, Mu Jin felt a chill upon hearing this. It was true that their young lady had been seriously ill before coming to the capital, but when did she become unable to receive acupuncture?
"Father, Mother," the noblewoman bowed to the person at the head of the table, then said, "I have heard people say that if the embroidery is exquisite, even in the darkest night, the needle and thread can be moved like a butterfly in flight. If the Crown Princess's embroidery is truly as I have seen today, then—"
“Not for that,” Shen Yujiao said with a smile, turning to the noblewoman. “It’s not that I can’t see clearly, it’s that I’m afraid of needles.”
Seeing the noblewoman's expression freeze on her face, Shen Yujiao turned to the Empress and said pitifully, "Your subject once fainted from needles and slept for five whole days. It was because of that incident that I dared not touch needles again."
"Oh? Is that so?" The Empress had never heard of such an illness before. She turned to the Crown Princess's maid and asked, "Is the Crown Princess's illness really that serious?"
Mu Jin felt a sense of absurdity, but she still knelt down and replied, covering up for Shen Yujiao: "Your Majesty, what the Crown Princess said is true. That time, His Highness suddenly fainted and fell into a deep sleep, which frightened the whole household. Later, the Duke invited a famous doctor who said that as long as His Highness stays away from needles and thread, he will not faint again."
"So that's how it is..." The Empress hadn't expected such a bizarre thing to actually happen, but then she thought that the Crown Princess was probably embroidering while she was sick in order to rush to make today's gift. She secretly admired the Cheng Guogong Mansion for its emphasis on etiquette, and couldn't help but feel more pity for the child.
"Mother." Jiang Chen, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke, and everyone looked at him.
"Although the Crown Princess can no longer embroider, she is extremely skilled at drawing. I believe that there is no shortage of skilled embroiderers in our Great Xia Palace. The Crown Princess will be busy with her duties in the future and will not have time to devote to this. If she ever feels like it, she can draw a few patterns and send them to the Knitting Bureau to have people make them. Then the finished garment can be considered to be made by her."
His words left everyone present stunned. The noblewoman who had spoken earlier looked particularly displeased. When had her brother-in-law ever spoken with such veiled barbs? Did he mean that the Crown Princess was too busy with her duties to embroider, implying that she was so idle that all she could do was work with needle and thread?
The noblewoman gripped the handkerchief tightly in her hand, her eyes filled with resentment. The man standing beside her frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. He reached out and pulled the exquisitely embroidered handkerchief from the noblewoman's hand, then warned in a low voice, "Enough is enough."
Unlike the suppressed feelings on the two sides, the Empress felt a pleasant surprise upon hearing the Crown Prince's protectiveness. It seemed that the Crown Princess was indeed very much to the Crown Prince's liking, and today's tea ceremony had brought her unexpected joy.
Shen Yujiao stood in the center of the hall, looking at the various expressions on everyone's faces. She remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she was cursing Jiang Chen to the core.
You, Jiang Xiaochen, still remember that time when I drew on his clothes when we were kids? How old were we back then! Jiang Chen actually holds a grudge until now!
Jiang Chen, you son of a bitch
A note from the author:
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Mini-theater:
Back then, five-year-old Jiang Xiaochen and five-year-old Shen Jiaojiao were learning to paint at the Shen family's house. Ms. Qiao, Shen Jiaojiao's mother, was a famous designer and also had a knack for teaching children. One ordinary afternoon, she took out two pure white T-shirts for the two children.
"We're not studying today. Xiao Chen and Jiao Jiao, how about you draw on these clothes and design your own outfits?"
Jiang Xiaochen & Shen Jiaojiao: Their eyes widened, and they nodded repeatedly.
Half an hour later—
"Aunt Qiao, I've finished drawing." Jiang Xiaochen grinned at Ms. Qiao, holding a T-shirt covered in stars.
When Ms. Qiao saw Jiang Xiaochen's "painting," she walked over with a look of surprise and delight, patting his head and praising him incessantly.
Hearing her mother's praise, Shen Jiaojiao, who was still drawing nearby, felt a pang of jealousy. She pouted and leaned closer, wanting to see just how well Jiang Xiaochen's drawing of his clothes was done. But as soon as she stood up—
"Ugh—"
The red stars on the white T-shirt were covered by spilled dark paint. Jiang Xiaochen, who was so aggrieved that she burst into tears, and Shen Jiaojiao, who looked innocent and helpless, looked at the scene in front of them. Ms. Qiao sighed deeply.
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