The Emperor then left and came over to say goodbye to the Empress Dowager and his concubines.
"Your Majesty, please take good care of yourself on your journey. With me and the Empress in the palace, you need not worry too much," the Empress Dowager said earnestly.
"Yes, with the Empress Dowager and the Empress in the palace, I am at ease." The Emperor, dressed in casual clothes, appeared more approachable than when he was in the palace. He also seemed quite friendly.
The Empress Dowager nodded, instructing them to depart as soon as possible. The Emperor glanced at his concubines, offered a few words of comfort, and then boarded the carriage first. From the beginning, Consort Ling had been looking at the Emperor with tenderness and affection, her eyes filled with deep affection, as if she were filled with reluctance to part.
After the emperor sat in the carriage, he smiled and lifted the curtain to look at his children who were saying goodbye to their families.
Immediately afterward, Anke and Qing'er also quickly boarded the carriage. The longer they stayed, the more reluctant they were to part with the Empress Dowager. They still had to act decisively.
"An'an, come sit here with your uncle." The Emperor, oh no, once he leaves the palace, he should be called Master Ai. Master Ai greeted him with a smile, and An'an sat down to his right.
“Yes,” Anke replied with a smile and sat down directly.
Originally, it was planned that Anke and Qing'er would be the young ladies, but last night, during discussions about the imperial tour, Anke said she could be the eldest cousin, and Qing'er the youngest cousin. This way, they could address Master Ai as their uncle. The Emperor thought about it all night and thought it was a good suggestion, so he agreed immediately.
"Qing'er, please sit opposite An'an." Master Ai showed no favoritism and invited Qing'er to sit down. "Usually, Qing'er is always with the Empress Dowager. I wonder if you're used to accompanying me on this incognito trip?"
Qing'er smiled politely and said gracefully, "It is my good fortune to be able to come out with Master."
Seeing that the Emperor, Princess Yong'an, and Princess Qing had already boarded their carriages, Erkang glanced at the large group from Shufangzhai who were still standing together, angrily arguing.
She hurriedly stepped forward to remind her, "Ziwei, it's time for Xiaoyanzi to set off. The Emperor and the others have already boarded the carriage."
After Erkang's reminder, Ziwei immediately came to her senses. "Alright, let's end Xiaoyanzi's farewell here. We should also go and say goodbye to the Empress Dowager and the others."
Little Swallow, still holding Mingyue and Caixia's hands, reluctantly let go upon hearing Ziwei's words. She walked to the Empress Dowager, turning back every three steps. Before leaving the palace, she gave a proper bow. Was she afraid the Empress Dowager would detain her for improper bowing and make her learn etiquette? "Empress Dowager, Little Swallow will take her leave now. These next few days, you won't see Little Swallow causing any trouble."
As she was about to leave the palace, the Empress Dowager didn't want to make things too difficult for her. "Go on, and stay close to the Emperor the whole way, don't cause any trouble," she simply instructed. This was a stark contrast to the long lecture she had given Qing'er and An Ke just now.
"Yes, Little Swallow obeys." Little Swallow was overjoyed and pulled Ziwei towards the carriage.
As a result, upon boarding the carriage, Xiao Yanzi saw that Qing'er and An Ke were already seated next to the Emperor. Xiao Yanzi felt a slight pang of sadness, but it was quickly washed away by the excitement of leaving the palace, and she casually sat down next to An Ke.
Ziwei looked rather aggrieved, her expression quite dejected. She had planned for herself and Xiaoyanzi to sit on either side of the Emperor. However, Princess Yong'an and Qinggege had gotten there first. Ziwei assumed it was because she and Xiaoyanzi had been slow getting on the carriage, and thought she would definitely get on earlier next time. So, she sat down next to Qing'er, feeling rather resentful.
An Ke wanted to roll her eyes at Ziwei's affected manner. It was just a seat! The Emperor himself had ordered them to sit there. Why didn't she just get the Emperor to say it herself?
The most distinguished people in the palace were already seated, and the remaining "attendants" mounted their horses. With the emperor's command to depart, they set off immediately.
The Empress Dowager and the concubines in the harem were reluctant to part with the procession, watching the main group intently. Little Swallow and Ziwei, however, were different; they leaned out of the carriage window and waved to the palace servants of Shufangzhai.
The sky was as clear as a sheet of blue paper, with a few thin white clouds, as if they had been thoroughly dried by the sunlight, floating slowly in the breeze. Walking on the emerald-green grass, dotted with several crystal-clear streams, and wildflowers swaying in the wind along the roadside—even those trampled by horses' hooves seemed to have survived. Looking at the scenery outside, even the air seemed fresher.
The weather was so nice that the atmosphere inside the carriage was naturally lively and festive.
"I am truly blessed to have such beautiful young ladies serving me," Master Ai said with a smile, fanning himself.
"We have to thank Uncle for bringing us out for some fresh air," Anke chimed in.
"Yes, no wonder Little Swallow always clamors to leave the palace. What a beautiful day! The air in the countryside is so fresh." Leaving the majestic and solemn Forbidden City, the Emperor was in a very pleasant mood. He temporarily set aside the big and small mistakes Little Swallow had made in the palace.
"Of course! Once I leave the palace, I feel refreshed and all bad luck stays away from me," Little Swallow said happily, shaking her head.
"Little Swallow, Ziwei usually sings for me. Today, you should sing for me too." The old man leaned back on the soft seat in the back of the carriage, fanning himself and closing his eyes slightly.
"Huh? Your Majesty...You want me to sing?" Little Swallow pointed at herself with disbelief in her eyes, as if trying to make sure she hadn't misheard.
The old man had just closed his eyes when he immediately opened them again. "What Master Huang? You changed my surname as soon as I left the palace. I am Master Ai."
Little Swallow immediately laughed it off, "Oh, Master Ai, but I don't sing as well as Ziwei."
Master Ai was in high spirits at the moment, and waved his hand dismissively, "It's alright, you sing."
Little Swallow stopped refusing and said, "Then I'll sing." She cleared her throat and sang the classic old song: "Little Erlang, carrying his schoolbag to school, not afraid of the sun, not afraid of the wind and rain, only afraid that the teacher will scold me for being lazy. Without knowledge, I have no face to see my parents."
Unlike in the drama where she keeps time for Xiao Yanzi, Qing'er listens quietly without offering any opinions.
At this moment, Ziwei clapped the beat and took over the song, "Little girl, carrying her homework to school. Looking up, she sees mice; looking down, she sees cockroaches. She's most afraid of having to write. Fish, ladybugs, the whole page is full of absurdity."
The Emperor was also somewhat puzzled and asked directly, "What is this ladybug?"
When Xiao Yanzi saw that Ziwei was about to speak, she rushed forward, accidentally bumping into Qing'er in the process.
Ziwei held Xiaoyanzi's hands and explained, "Last time, Master asked Xiaoyanzi to write the chapter on Great Harmony in the Book of Rites. As Xiaoyanzi was writing, she asked why the ladybug in the fish family had so many strokes. Everyone gathered around to take a look and found out that it was the character for widow, orphan, and lonely."
Qing'er, perhaps hearing such words for the first time, couldn't help but laugh, holding her handkerchief. An Ke also smiled in response.
"So, the ladybug in the fish family is a widow, orphan, and lonely person," Master Ai and An Ke exchanged glances and teased Little Swallow.
"Master Ai, I'm not good at calligraphy, and I'm not as good at singing as Ziwei. Why don't you let Ziwei sing for you?" Xiao Yanzi was always trying to push Ziwei in front of the Emperor. She was indeed quite dutiful.
"Alright, alright, we still need An'an to sing. An'an's singing will show you what celestial music is, what it means to hear celestial music and have your ears instantly enlightened!" Master Ai looked at An Ke with anticipation.
Qing'er blinked, looking at An Ke. It had been a long time since An Ke last sang, back on Mount Wutai. Qing'er was also very eager to hear her sing.
Even if An Ke had the heart to refuse Master Ai, she couldn't bear to refuse Qing'er. "Then I'll begin."
Master Ai was ready to listen attentively, and Qing'er was ready to clap along.
Because she wanted to win over Anke, Xiao Yanzi behaved more obediently. Even when the Emperor refused to let Ziwei sing, Xiao Yanzi didn't hold it against him.
Ziwei, on the other hand, looked rather forlorn. Her eyes were filled with envy and jealousy as she looked at Anke.
"Once, full of youthful vigor, I rode alone across Liangzhou. Once, laughing and carefree, I carried flowers and wine together."
He was once renowned, his talent unparalleled. But the past is now but a dream, and the fallen flowers drift away with the flowing river.
What is sorrow? It is autumn in the heart of the one who is separated from their loved one. I dip my brush in the frost and paint a picture of clear autumn.
The meaning within a painting is the hardest to capture. Perhaps there is no autumn in this world. It's just that those outside the painting haven't fully awakened.
"Good, good, this song is really nice. As expected, my approach of throwing out a brick to startle the jade was correct." After listening with his eyes closed, the Emperor immediately gave a sharp comment.
“Yes, I’ve never heard you sing this song before,” Qing’er echoed.
Only Xiao Yanzi was clueless, not understanding what the Emperor meant by "throwing a brick to attract jade." Meanwhile, Ziwei's face was pale, and her smile was somewhat forced.
Why is it that this Princess Yong'an is good at everything? It seems that even things I'm good at, I can't compare to her. Even if I acknowledge my father as the Emperor, will he still have a place for me in his eyes? Ziwei's mind raced with these thoughts.
Outside the carriage, the original four guards, except for Er Kang who looked a little unwell, were all discussing how well Anke sang.
"Wonderful music!" Benjamin exclaimed excitedly, expressing his immediate impression in English. "Is this sung by Princess Yong'an?"
The Fifth Prince looked on with pride as he gazed at the carriage and said, “It’s An’an, it must be An’an. Only An’an can sing so beautifully. Sometimes, An’an even goes to the Harmony Department to teach the palace servants how to sing.”
"Amazing, unbelievable!" Benjamin was utterly incredulous. It was as if he couldn't believe that such a talented woman existed in the world.
"Hey, Ertai, why aren't you surprised at all?" Yongqi thought Benjamin's reaction was perfectly normal, but seeing Ertai's calm expression, something seemed off. Could it be that he'd heard his cousin sing before?
Hmm? That's not impossible. Since her cousin could become his teacher, she might have sung for him before. But the way she thought about it, something just didn't feel right, especially when she saw Ertai's face. She just wanted to go up and punch him a couple of times.
“The Princess is renowned. Although I haven’t had the honor of hearing her sing before, I can immediately recognize her voice,” Ertai explained calmly, his heart overflowing with joy. He had long heard that Princess Yong’an was proficient in poetry, lyrics, and songs, but had never had the chance to witness it firsthand. Now, on this tour, he had the opportunity to hear her sing.
Ertai: Sounds good? (^o^) I'm the princess's biggest fan.
Li Yu: Why is someone trying to take our spot? (???.???)????
Erkang felt out of place, his expression dark and unreadable. Ever since he was confined to his quarters, his father had been constantly lecturing him. His mother also told him every day how noble the princess was and how he must never talk back to her. So, it seemed that this trip was her idea, but Erkang felt that she was kicking him while he was down.
Then she thought about it again. Inside the carriage, Ziwei felt an even greater pain, as if pricked by needles. She couldn't acknowledge her father and had to watch others interact with him so intimately. How painful it must have been for Ziwei.
Anke: If you feel that Ziwei is upset, you might as well let her ride with you, so you don't have to see her looking so dejected in the carriage.
Fu Lun silently rode up to Er Kang's side, patted him on the shoulder, and whispered, "You've just come out, don't let yourself be confined to the house again. Control your expression. Even outside the palace, you must show some respect to the Princess. Otherwise, this time even I can't protect you." Fu Lun's voice was very low and unusually cold. At least, Er Kang truly felt a chill run through him.
It feels like everyone around me has changed after being confined to their homes for a while.
After warning Er Kang, Fu Lun rode his horse back to where he was supposed to be.
The carriage behind Master Ai carried Master Ji, Physician Hu, Shuangxi, and Xingxing.
Master Ji stroked his goatee as he spoke, “The princess’s singing voice is still as beautiful as ever.”
Physician Hu asked quietly, "Master Ji, have you heard the princess sing before?"
Master Ji glanced casually at Physician Hu, who was watching with envy. "When I was walking with the Emperor at the Harmony Bureau, I happened to hear the Princess teaching the palace maids to sing."
After hearing Master Ji's words, Physician Hu appeared even more envious. The jealousy radiating from his eyes almost burned Master Ji.
Shuangxi smiled as she poured tea for Master Ji and Physician Hu. Xingxing smiled quietly beside them. Indeed, their princess was always a shining presence, like a little sun, no matter where she was.
Soon they arrived at Longshan Temple.
"Alright, those who want to burn incense can go, and those who want to pray can go. Xiaolan, Fuheng, let's go burn incense." The Emperor said magnanimously, looking at Xiaoyanzi who was a little smug as soon as she got off the carriage.
The main concern was that her niece might also want to go pray for blessings or enjoy the scenery; she couldn't force a young person to go with her to burn incense.
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