Eleventh Lady thought about it and felt that it made sense, so she nodded slightly.

Seeing this, Xu Lingyi smiled and ruffled her hair: "It's getting late, go to bed! Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and we have to stay up all night."

Shiyi Niang smiled and gave the letter to Qiuyu, asking her to give it to Manager Bai and find a way to send it to Yuhang. Then she and Xu Lingyi went back to the house to rest.

The next day was New Year's Eve. The main gate of Xu's mansion was wide open, and the door gods, couplets, and plaques were all arranged.

After breakfast, Xu Lingyi went to Sixiang Hutong and came back at 9:00 p.m.

"I've told Zichun." He changed his clothes and prepared to go to the lady's place. "From Zichun's expression, it seems he really doesn't know. Let the couple discuss this matter behind closed doors. Don't let it spread to the Wang family and make Aunt Twelve embarrassed."

Eleventh Lady was very surprised.

In her heart, the reason why Wu Niang became what she is now is because she married Qian Ming.

Thinking about it this way, she is a little biased...

Eleventh Lady's mind flashed back to Fifth Lady's study in Yuhang - a large room with only a large black lacquer painting table piled with famous calligraphy works, and a black lacquer chaise longue covered with a half-new brocade cushion...

* * * * * *

After the New Year's Eve dinner, the family went to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors, led by the old lady. Jing'er was still young, so Gu Mama carried him back to the main house. Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu, Xu Sijian, Xu Sizhun, and Xu Sijie were led by Xu Lingkuan to set off fireworks in the yard. Zhen Jie'er and Xin Jie'er, together with their mother, followed the old lady to eat dumplings and stay up late in the house.

The old lady barely managed to hold on until midnight, then went back to her room to rest. The second lady went back to Xinhua Courtyard, the fifth lady handed the sleeping Xin Jie'er to Shi Mama, and took Zhen Jie'er to watch Xu Lingkuan and others set off fireworks, while Shiyi Niang and Xu Lingyi went back to their room first, thinking about Jing'er.

"What should we do tomorrow?" Shiyi Niang and Xu Lingyi discussed the specific itinerary for tomorrow. "Should the child follow you or me?"

"I'll follow you!" Xu Lingyi said, "We'll wait in Danchi. If the child is hungry or wet, there's no place to feed or change diapers. You're in the side hall, and you're all female relatives." He added, "I've already made arrangements in the palace. If the Queen Mother summons you before you go into the main hall to congratulate, that's all fine. I'm just afraid that the Queen Mother will be very busy that day, so she'll summon you after you go into the main hall to congratulate. Only those who can enter the main hall have a rank, and Madam Gu is definitely not allowed to enter. When the time comes, the eunuchs will lead Madam Gu and the child to the warm room to rest. After leaving the main hall, you can just wait in the warm room with the child."

Eleventh Lady agreed, and the next morning she dressed according to her rank, took Jing'er with her, left Mother Du at home to take care of him, and the group entered the palace in a grand manner.

Eunuch Lei, the eunuch beside the queen, was already waiting at the palace gate.

"...they said the weather was cold and they were worried that the Sixth Young Master would get cold. They asked the Madam Tai and the wife of Yongping Marquis to enter the palace and bring the child to Kunning Palace to see the Empress."

It was exactly what the couple wanted.

Mother Gu held the child in her arms, and Eleventh Lady supported the Lady Dowager as they went to see the Queen.

The ladies of the inner court were waiting outside the palace to congratulate the Empress. When Eleventh Lady brought the child in, the concubines all looked over here, and someone whispered, "See? The one wearing the pink brocade cloak is the wife of the Marquis of Yongping."

There are many rules in the palace. Eleventh Lady did not dare to look back. She left Mother Gu waiting outside and went into the warm room with the child and the lady dowager.

The Queen was sitting on the throne in her formal dress, while the eunuchs and palace maids were serving her bird's nest porridge.

When he saw the Lady Dowager and Eleventh Lady coming in, he stood up without waiting for them to greet him.

"Hold the child up to me quickly." The sound of rings and bracelets jingling came from the warm room.

Aunt Huang smiled and hurriedly walked forward to pick up Jing'er, who was wrapped in a sable skin cloak. The lady-in-waiting and Eleventh Lady took the opportunity to pay their respects. The eunuchs beside them helped the two of them up and brought over a brocade stool.

"This child looks so much like my fourth brother." The Empress gently stroked Jin'er's shaved head, looked up at the Dowager and Eleventh Lady and smiled, "He's very brave. He's not afraid at all after such a long journey, and he's sleeping soundly."

Eleventh Lady felt a little ashamed.

Last night, just as she and Xu Lingyi lay down, Jing'er woke up. She couldn't hold on any longer and went to sleep, while Xu Lingyi played with him until the morning hour before they rested.

"Just a little silly." She hurriedly said respectfully, "Eat and sleep, sleep and eat."

"She's only one month old, and she's at the age where she can eat and sleep, then sleep and eat." The Queen smiled, and a eunuch came in and announced, "The Crown Princess has arrived."

"Let her in quickly." The Queen Mother smiled and ordered the eunuch, then said to the Dowager and Eleventh Lady, "Sister Fang is now more than six months pregnant." She looked very pleased.

"This is the Queen's blessing." As the lady said this, Fang Jie'er, who was pregnant, walked in, supported by the palace maid.

She wore a four-panel phoenix crown and a royal blue dress embroidered with a phoenix bird. She was probably pregnant, she looked plumper, with a round face, a peaceful gaze, a steady demeanor, and was very dignified.

The words "face like a full moon" popped up in Eleventh Lady's mind.

The Queen Mother exempted her from the formalities and asked the eunuch to bring a brocade stool and help her sit down. Then she smiled at Eleventh Lady - her eyes flashed with her usual cunningness.

For some reason, Eleventh Lady felt relieved when she saw this.

The Queen asked about Fang Jie'er's daily life these days. Knowing that everything was fine, she smiled and nodded. Just as she was about to say something, Eunuch Lei came in and said, "Queen, the time has come!"

Eleventh Lady knew that this was to urge the Queen to take the throne, so she stood up together with the Lady Dowager and Sister Fang.

The Queen hesitated for a moment, then said to Eleventh Lady, "Let the nurse hold Jing'er and rest in the warm room!"

Eleventh Lady knelt down to express her gratitude, supported the Dowager Lady, and followed the Empress Dowager and Sister Fang to the main hall.

First, the ladies of the inner court paid their respects to the Empress, and then the ladies of the outer court came to pay their respects. After the whole set of ceremonies, it was already noon. Everyone was a little exhausted. The Madam was old, and Eleventh Lady was weak, so they felt even more exhausted. Both of them looked a little pale. But they had to go to the warm room to hold the child.

The Fifth Lady supported the Grand Lady and said, "I'll take you to the door."

Eleventh Lady looked at the Fifth Madam with gratitude, and supported the Madam on both sides to the warm room.

Jing'er was just taken by Eunuch He to see the emperor.

The Queen Mother laughed and said, "You are even more impatient than me." She gave the Madam Dowager and Eleventh Lady some snacks, "At least it will fill your stomach."

The lady took two sips of hot tea before she recovered her breath, while Eleventh Lady unceremoniously ate two pieces of pea yellow.

Fang Jie'er looked at it and smiled.

The third prince and the eldest princess came to pay their respects to the Queen.

"This is the Dowager Lady of the Yongping Marquis' Mansion, and this is the Madam of the Yongping Marquis' Mansion." The Queen held the princess and pointed at the Dowager Lady and Eleventh Lady, "The Dowager Lady is your grandmother, and the Madam is your aunt. You must remember this clearly." Her voice was very gentle.

The three-year-old princess nodded obediently and repeated her mother's words in a delicate voice: "The lady is my grandmother, and the lady is my aunt." Then she blinked and looked at the queen, "So are they going to give me a red envelope?"

Everyone laughed.

The Queen even smiled and pinched her daughter's cheek: "Who did you learn this from? You are full of petty ideas! You are a princess!"

The eldest princess Xuexue cried out in pain, but her eyes were shining, and she looked like a mischievous elf.

The old lady took out the purse filled with gold ingots that she had prepared long ago and handed it to the princess: "It's for a red envelope." She also gave one to the third prince who was standing beside her with a smile, "It's a little gift from this old lady."

The third prince is fourteen years old this year. He is about the same height as Xu Siyu. The cousins ​​look very similar, but Xu Siyu looks gentle and refined, while the fifth prince looks noble.

He took the red envelope with a smile.

Eleventh Lady also took out the reward purse.

The eldest princess cheered and ran to Fang Jie'er: "Sister-in-law, there are still yours!"

Fang Jie'er smiled and touched her head, then took out a red envelope.

The eldest princess took it and ran away: "I'm going to find my father - he hasn't given me the red envelope yet!"

"Fu Rong," the Queen Mother called the eldest princess' name. The eldest princess turned around and smiled at her mother, then continued to run outside.

"Don't worry, mother." The third prince bowed hastily and followed the eldest princess out of the warm room. "I will go with my sister. I won't let her get into trouble."

The Queen Mother sighed helplessly and said to the Lady Dowager, "This child has been spoiled!" But her tone was full of doting.

The eldest princess was born after the death of the fifth prince. She bears the queen's guilt towards the fifth prince, so naturally she is more favored.

The lady smiled and said, "The eldest princess is smart, lively and lovely. Everyone likes her. It is natural for the queen to favor her."

The Queen Mother talked about the eldest princess with the Dowager and Eleventh Lady, and then asked in detail about Jing'er.

After talking on and on for a long time, neither the eldest princess and the third prince came back, nor did the eunuch bring Jing'er back.

Everyone was inevitably getting anxious, and the Queen even ordered Aunt Huang, "Go and have a look. It's time for lunch."

Aunt Huang responded and left, but soon came back.

"The Marquis asked the eunuch beside the Emperor to come and tell him that he and the Sixth Young Master are waiting outside the East Gate. He asked the Madam Dowager and the Madam of the Marquis of Yongping to go to the East Gate after they leave Kunning Palace."

The Queen was a little stunned: "Why didn't you come to say hello and just took Jin away like that!" She added, "I haven't even given you my meeting gift or New Year's money yet!"

The Lady Dowager and Eleventh Lady also looked at each other.

Eleventh Lady even speculated, could it be that Xu Lingyi and the Emperor parted ways on bad terms, so even the Empress didn't want to see him and just left the palace with the child?

The lady didn't know what had happened, she just wanted to see her son as soon as possible. Hearing this, she stood up and said, "The New Year is over only after the Lantern Festival. In two days, Eleventh Lady will bring Jing'er to pay New Year's greetings to the Empress and the Crown Princess."

The palace etiquette is complicated, and Jin Ge'er is still young, so entering the palace is a hassle. What if something happens...

Her Majesty the Queen doesn't want to lose the big picture for the small.

She smiled and told Aunt Huang: "Send the things I prepared for Jing'er!"

The implication is that there is no need to enter the palace again.

Both the Madam Dowager and Eleventh Lady breathed a sigh of relief.

When Fang Jieer saw this, she also told the people around her: "Send the things I prepared for Jing Ge'er over as well!"

The female official replied respectfully, "Yes."

The Lady Dowager and Eleventh Lady had to express their gratitude before leaving Kunning Palace.

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