Chapter 12 Consort Hye's Life Outside the Palace
From a young age, Baoqing knew that he was different from the other children in the household.
Granny Sun always told him, "Our prince is precious. When others see you, they should bow to you. They shouldn't act like ordinary children."
He didn't understand what "precious" meant at first.
Just as he saw several children playing shuttlecock together, before he could even speak, an adult rushed over, saying something about how noble the prince was and that they dared not disturb him.
He knew that from then on.
Jin Gui was someone that people would avoid when they saw him, and they wouldn't even take him along when playing shuttlecock.
However, there are always rebellious kids among them.
A soft tapping sound came from the windowsill.
Baoqing looked up.
A head wearing a melon-shaped hat peeked out furtively and smiled brightly at him.
"Hey, Fifth Prince, over here!"
It's Yunrui.
Baoqing's eyes lit up instantly.
Yunrui was the daughter of the lady of the house, the same age as him, and often secretly went to play with him.
Baoqing hurriedly got up and tiptoed to push open the window.
"Is Granny Sun not here?" Yunrui didn't rush in, but looked around first and asked in a low voice.
What he hated most was Granny Sun, who served the Fifth Prince. She was always forbidding him from doing this and that, and she liked to tattle on him to his mother.
Bao Qing pursed her lips. "Granny Sun went to pack my things. She said she's taking me back to the palace tomorrow, so I need to get my clothes ready."
The implication is that he/she is not there.
"That's good," Yunrui said with exaggerated relief. "She told Mother about my bad behavior a few days ago, and Mother punished me by giving me no snacks for half a month and forbidding me from playing with you again!"
How could there be such a wicked person!
For five-year-old Yunrui, being punished with snacks is already a very serious matter.
He loves sweets, but his mother forbids him from eating too many, saying she's afraid they'll rot his teeth.
How could that be?
Yunrui grumbled as he crawled inside. His older brother also loved sweets; he had even seen him secretly hiding some in his sleeve last time, and his teeth weren't rotten.
It's clear that Mother was just saying it to fool the child.
Yunrui was experienced at climbing through windows. He crouched down, put one leg on the windowsill, flipped over and landed, with a few sycamore leaves from outside the courtyard still stuck to the hem of his robe.
Bao Qing couldn't stop smiling. "Yun Rui, what brings you here?"
Logically speaking, after being scolded by his mother, Yunrui should behave himself for a few days before coming to see him again.
Yunrui had already picked up the snacks on the table and started eating them without any hesitation, replying indistinctly, "I heard you were leaving, so I came to say goodbye."
When facing his friends, Baoqing showed his truest emotions; he was a little worried.
"I haven't met my father and mother yet, and I don't know if my mother is fierce or if she hits people like Laifu's mother."
Laifu was Yunrui's servant. He was three years older than them, but he was full of mischievous ideas and caused a lot of trouble. He was often slapped on the palms and buttocks.
Yunrui also offered his blessings to his good brother with a heavy heart, saying, "I heard that the ladies in the palace are all kind and gentle, so they shouldn't hit anyone."
He then offered a bad suggestion: "If she hits you, just cry as loudly as you can, and she won't hit you anymore."
This is also based on their experience of watching Laifu get beaten.
Bao Qing hesitated for a moment, then nodded, showing his trust in his friend, "Okay."
After finishing the snacks, Yunrui pulled a cloth bag from his pocket. "I brought you something good!"
He opened the cloth bag, inside was a set of tangram puzzles that had been polished to a shine.
"Last time you said it wasn't fun to do it alone, so this time I brought mine too, let's work together."
He familiarly pulled Baoqing to sit at the table, spread out the tangram puzzle, and asked while fiddling with it, "By the way, how many days are you going to stay in the palace? My elder brother promised to bring me candied hawthorns. If you come back early, I'll save two skewers for you."
Yunrui often stayed at his maternal grandparents' house for a short time. In his eyes, returning to the palace and going to his maternal grandparents' house were no different; both were just a matter of staying for a few days and then coming back.
Baoqing, however, knew more under the influence of Granny Sun.
He put down the tangram puzzle, clutched the hem of his clothes a little embarrassedly, and lowered his voice, "Granny Sun said that the palace is my home, and I will study and learn etiquette in the palace from now on. I can no longer stay here."
"What!"
Yunrui's world has collapsed.
Ignoring the fact that the annoying Granny Sun would find him, Yunrui immediately threw himself on Baoqing, hugging him tightly, tears welling up in his eyes, "How can I live without you!"
His winter melon strips, candied lotus root slices, pea flour cakes, kidney bean rolls, lotus flower buns, golden thread pastries, and almond Buddha's hand are all gone!
"Why don't you stay?" Yunrui cried, tears welling in her eyes, hugging Baoqing and sobbing, wishing she could roll on the ground. "I don't want you to leave! Don't go! Waaaaah..."
Baoqing's body stiffened as Yunrui suddenly hugged her, and her nose felt sore.
Yunrui continued wailing, "Take me with you if you're going to leave! I'll go wherever you go! We agreed, we'll share the good times and the bad!"
His words were delivered with great passion and intensity; anyone who didn't know better would think he was about to engage in a life-or-death battle.
It's obvious he's a regular at watching opera troupes.
Baoqing knew that Yunrui had simply copied the oaths of heroes from the play verbatim.
He was somewhat embarrassed.
Perhaps royal children are more mature than others, and Baoqing probably knew what returning to the palace meant.
He is different from Yunrui.
Yunrui's mother and father were both in the mansion, and he could see them often, but his own father and mother were in the palace.
He wanted to see his father and mother, but he also didn't want to be separated from Yunrui.
Yunrui was his best friend.
Granny Sun had told him long ago that there were strict rules in the palace, and not just anyone could enter.
Baoqing also started to shed tears.
Two children, both under six years old, hugged each other tightly and cried their hearts out, as if they were experiencing a life-or-death separation.
This crying brought Granny Sun to the scene.
Seeing this scene, Granny Sun felt as if the sky had fallen.
She and another nanny quickly stepped forward to comfort him, "Oh dear, my lord, what's wrong? Why are you crying with young master Yunrui all of a sudden?"
Granny Sun carefully supported Baoqing's arm and coaxed softly, "Stop hugging each other, let me see if you're hurt anywhere?"
It's normal for children to fight and roughhouse.
However, the Fifth Prince was not an ordinary child. If he had any scars, they would all be blamed for not taking good care of him after returning to the palace.
They're all doomed.
Baoqing was just acting on impulse. Now that he saw the old woman had arrived, he was too proud to cry in front of her.
Granny Sun wrung out a handkerchief and wiped Baoqing's face, grumbling all the while, "Where did Xiao Dezi go? Why did he leave the prince in the room? He doesn't even know if he's being wronged. What kind of servant is he? He doesn't even care about his own body."
The people who served Baoqing were all provided by the Imperial Household Department. When he was young, he had four wet nurses, but as he grew older, only two remained to take care of him.
Xiao Dezi was his personal eunuch, who was sent by the Imperial Household Department when he was three years old.
However, Xiao Dezi is clever and thoughtful, and sometimes he will play with Bao Qing, who likes him very much.
Not wanting Xiao Dezi to be punished, and besides, it wasn't his business anyway, Bao Qing took the initiative to explain: "We're going back to the palace tomorrow, and thinking that we won't be able to eat anything from the manor again, I asked Xiao Dezi to go to the main kitchen to get some pea flour cakes."
Upon hearing this, Granny Sun's expression softened somewhat, and she began to persuade her again.
"No pea flour cake in the manor can compare to the one from the Imperial Kitchen. When we get back to the palace, I'll tell the Imperial Kitchen to make it for you every day, as much as you want."
Baoqing didn't say anything more, but just glanced at Yunrui quietly.
Yunrui was still wiping away tears with red eyes.
After tidying up the two children, Granny Sun comforted them for a while before asking softly, "Brother, Young Master Yunrui, what's wrong with you? Why are you crying all of a sudden?"
Bao Qing stammered.
He couldn't very well tell Granny Sun that he didn't want to go back to the palace.
He had seen the anticipation of the two nannies and Xiao Dezi these past few days, and he knew they wanted to return to the palace.
Bao Qing learned to lie, or rather, to change the subject, without any instruction.
"Granny Sun, do you think Mother will like me after I return to the palace?"
He was also looking forward to returning to the palace.
Yunrui's mother would tell him stories, lull him to sleep, play with him, and smile gently at him, hug him, and comfort him.
Although these old women could do it too, he knew it was different.
Granny Sun laughed, "Consort Hui is really looking forward to the prince's return to the palace. Don't worry, prince, Consort Hui will definitely like you."
Bao Qing thought about it.
He tugged at Granny Sun's sleeve and said, "Granny, tell me more about my mother."
As for Yunrui, he ran away the moment he opened his mouth.
He came in by climbing through the window in the first place. If he doesn't run away now, will the nanny go and complain to his mother again?
He's not stupid.
-
Early the next morning.
As dawn broke, the two nannies tidied up Baoqing's everyday belongings.
When Baoqing was pulled up, he was still a little dazed and let the nanny dress and wash him. He only woke up when it was time for breakfast.
His nanny usually disciplined him, so Baoqing didn't like to talk while eating.
It wasn't until he finished a small bowl of green rice porridge, ate two steamed buns and a small plate of tofu buns, that Baoqing belatedly realized he was a little excited.
He's going to see his father and mother!
Granny Sun was a little nervous. Before he left, she reminded him, "When you see the Emperor, you should call him Emperor Father and the Empress Mother. Don't run or jump. Do you remember that, Prince?"
Baoqing nodded.
Granny Sun seemed to be comforting Baoqing and also encouraging herself, "Consort Hui is a very kind person. When the prince returns, Consort Hui will definitely like you."
Baoqing continued to nod.
Granny Sun continued, "Life in the palace is nothing like life in the manor. When you go back, you must behave well and follow the rules, understand?"
Baoqing······
Baoqing also became nervous after what Granny Sun said.
He was the most senior person in the household, and Granny Sun would sometimes teach him the rules of the palace, but he didn't pay much attention to them.
After all, there was no one in the mansion he needed to pay his respects to, and the people who served him all spoke kindly and coaxed him.
But the nanny said that there were the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, the Emperor Father, the Emperor Mother, and the Empress Mother in the palace. These were his elders, and he had to listen to them and not be naughty.
The carriage moved forward with its wheels turning.
The closer she got to the palace, the more worried Granny Sun became.
She lived a good life in the mansion. She came from the palace and would return later. The ladies in the mansion always spoke to her gently and never made things difficult for her.
But once she returned to the palace, she would have to live under Consort Hui's command.
Who knows what the rules will be like after this?
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