Even though I've seen this iron flower performance many times, I'm still moved, inspired, and awestruck by its rich cultural heritage.
Watching the craftsmen on the street shoot molten iron high into the air, then explode into golden flowers, was truly awe-inspiring and daunting, inspiring both admiration and awe.
"This iron-sparkling performance tests both the temperature of the molten iron and the strength of the striker. It's not an easy task to perform it well," Qing'er said with a sigh as she watched the performance.
“Yes, no wonder everyone says that iron flower making is really difficult to learn. And I heard from Father that when the Empress Dowager celebrated her birthday last time, the ladies in the palace invited these iron flower making masters to perform for her.” Xinrong said with great interest. Although she had seen it many times, watching it from outside the palace was a completely different experience.
Soon, the spectacular iron flower performance came to an end.
The sun had already set in the west. Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was time for them to return to the palace. They should wave goodbye.
"Alright, you two can go back to the camp. I'll take Xinrong, Qing'er, and An'an back to the palace." Yongqi managed to win back some ground in front of the two of them for once. He secretly raised his eyebrows at them, indicating that no matter how much they tried to please him, it would be useless. In the end, it would be him, their older brother, who would be the one to take them back.
The two men gritted their teeth inwardly, but Ertai was the first to calm down. He respectfully cupped his hands and said, "Then we will trouble Fifth Prince to bring the princess and the others back to the palace safely."
Ji Chu wasn't familiar with the Fifth Prince to begin with, and now he didn't utter a single word, only staring coldly at Yong Qi. Yong Qi glared back defiantly. After all, this kid still had his Qing'er sister on his mind.
Qing'er has lost both her parents; the Empress Dowager and everyone in the palace are her family, and he is naturally her brother. Shouldn't he hurry up and curry favor with his brother-in-law? What prince has a brother-in-law who's afraid of him?
An Ke naturally noticed the undercurrents between the three of them, coughed heavily, and urged, "Alright, are we leaving or not? Otherwise, it'll be troublesome once the palace gates are locked."
Although they were all of noble status, they tried their best to return before the gate was closed, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble for the guards.
Upon hearing An Ke's words, Yongqi and his companions temporarily set aside their rivalry. The tension dissipated in an instant.
The two stood there watching the carriage slowly drive towards the palace gate. Only after the carriage had disappeared from sight did they spur their horses and slowly head towards the camp.
*
Cining Palace
The Empress Dowager received the news early in the morning that the Fifth Prince and Princess had left the palace together. Hearing that Ertai and General Ji were accompanying and protecting them, the Empress Dowager was temporarily relieved.
At the same time, she was also very pleased, because the Empress Dowager liked to see these young people hanging out together, having fun and playing. Why confine them to the palace? They're almost going to become dull-witted from being so restricted.
Moreover, upon hearing that Yongqi had also gone, the Empress Dowager's mind immediately stirred, and Xinrong went along as well. Based on her observations of Xinrong over the past few days, the Empress Dowager concluded that the girl was a good person, neither arrogant nor impatient. She perfectly suited the Empress Dowager's taste; truly a lady of high birth, her status, appearance, and wealth were more than enough to match her grandson.
Hearing that General Ji was also traveling with them, the Empress Dowager thought Qing'er was a good match for him. However, it all depended on the young people's wishes, and she couldn't just arbitrarily match them up.
However, since they've already gone on a trip together, even if nothing progresses, they've gotten to know each other and might gradually develop feelings for one another.
This way, the Empress Dowager could finally rest easy, knowing that all her grandchildren had found their partners, and she could close her eyes in peace. Otherwise, she would have been anxious day and night because their marriages were still undecided.
The Empress Dowager estimated the time and felt it was about time for them to return to the palace, so she had Granny Gui help her go for a walk outside. Just as she came out of Cining Palace, she saw the four of them returning, chatting and laughing.
It was Anke who reacted quickly and noticed. The moment she saw the Empress Dowager, she immediately rushed to greet her.
"Grandmother, did you know we were coming back and come to greet us at the door?" An Ke asked, her right arm wrapped around the Empress Dowager's left arm, shaking it playfully. It was obvious, wasn't it?
After all, news of their departure from the palace would surely reach the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and they had no intention of keeping it a secret. The Empress Dowager only needed to estimate that the time was about right.
Moreover, this was not the first time the Empress Dowager had come out of the Cining Palace to welcome them.
No matter how many times, a warm feeling would always rise in Anke's heart. In her previous life in modern times, she was an orphan and always envied the lights of thousands of homes.
Sometimes, even when she's busy working and her nightlights are almost out, the buildings on both sides of the street still emit warm lights. Listening to the laughter and chatter of people upstairs, An Ke inevitably feels a sense of loneliness when she's alone.
Now that she has come to the Qing Dynasty, it can be said that she has fulfilled her longing for her family.
The Empress Dowager looked at An Ke with affection and poked An Ke's forehead with her hand that had been removed from its nail guard. "You naughty girl, you didn't even tell me when you left the palace. If the Emperor hadn't sent someone to tell me, you probably would have forgotten about me, right?" the Empress Dowager said, seemingly complaining. "Just like your father, you forget everything once you leave the palace."
An Ke could easily tell what was going on, so she pleaded and coaxed, "No, it's just that I was in a hurry to leave. Next time, I will definitely tell Grandmother in advance and leave the palace only after I get her permission."
The old lady, of course, wouldn't really blame her granddaughter, whom she had watched grow up and always doted on. She reached out and smoothed Anke's slightly disheveled hair. "Did you have fun outside? Where did you go?"
In truth, the Empress Dowager was quite lonely when she was alone in the Cining Palace. She loved having these younger generations around her, laughing and chatting, telling her interesting stories about their lives. Even if she didn't know these things or hadn't witnessed them herself, listening to their descriptions made her feel as if she were there herself.
"We just went to Qiongzhen Pavilion outside to browse around and look at the jewelry. At noon, we went to Baiweizhai, which has the best food in the capital, for lunch. In the afternoon, we watched the iron flower performance." An Ke told the Empress Dowager with a smile, recounting their itinerary for the day.
"Oh, you also looked at jewelry?" The Empress Dowager was also curious about the different styles of jewelry available outside the palace.
“Then let’s go in first, Your Majesty. It’s not like the sweltering summer anymore. It’s getting a bit chilly standing outside. Your Majesty, please wear more clothes next time you come out.” An Ke pretended to rub her arms pitifully, still showing concern for the Empress Dowager.
Seeing her granddaughter like this, the Empress Dowager quickly ushered them all inside. The Cining Palace was now warm and cozy, like springtime. After all, the palace needed charcoal everywhere, and the Cining Palace was no exception.
The Emperor ruled the country with filial piety as his guiding principle, and as a representative of filial piety, he granted the Empress Dowager's every request. He was also extremely attentive and considerate in his daily life.
As soon as you step inside, it feels like you've entered a warm and cozy world, which dissipates much of the chill around you.
"I reckon you should be back around that time, so I had them prepare some of your favorite dishes and also cooked a pot of old chicken soup. Be sure to drink a bowl later to warm yourself up." The Empress Dowager hugged Anke tenderly, then took Qing'er's hand, and didn't forget to call Xinrong forward as well.
Yongqi could only silently follow behind the three of them.
Yongqi: Grandmother, have you forgotten your grandson? Why don't you call your grandson forward with you?
Empress Dowager: If I hadn't called you, wouldn't you have come up here on your own?
Yongqi: A granddaughter is a treasure, but too many grandsons are just weeds?
Anke stopped beating around the bush and had the people outside place the exquisite jewelry boxes she had just brought back on the table.
Bathed in candlelight, even the simple and unadorned jewelry box appeared to be of high quality.
"This is what An'an brought for you. Do you think it suits you, Grandmother?" An Ke took out the hairpin that was meant for the Empress Dowager and carefully put it in her hair.
She then ordered a young palace maid to fetch a peephole mirror, and the maid stood before the Empress Dowager holding the round mirror.
The Empress Dowager stood before the peephole, carefully examining herself, then reached out to touch the hairpin her granddaughter had given her. A wave of emotion washed over her; she felt that the palace was filled with the same old designs year after year, nothing compared to this one her granddaughter had given her.
Shanggongju: You're so high and mighty, you've easily dismissed all our hard work.
"Not bad, not bad, An'an has excellent taste. I really like this hairpin. Gui Mama, please put it on my dressing table." The Empress Dowager carefully put her hairpin back into the jewelry box and handed it to Gui Mama, who was standing to the side.
Granny Gui carefully took it, then stepped back and quietly put the hairpin on the Empress Dowager's head.
Next were the jade bracelet that Qing'er brought for the Empress Dowager, and the earrings that Xinrong and Yongqi brought for her. The Empress Dowager liked them all, or rather, she didn't like the jewelry itself, but rather the sentiments that her descendants had given her. She found them extremely precious.
The jewelry-related activities were over, and during dinner, the Empress Dowager listened intently to their stories about the female owner of Baiweizhai and the awe-inspiring iron-flower fireworks display. She listened with great interest, but unfortunately, as the Empress Dowager, she couldn't leave the palace to witness it herself.
Although she didn't see it with her own eyes, listening to her grandchildren recount it to her, the Empress Dowager still felt that the day was very exciting.
After dinner, Yongqi returned to his Yonghe Palace, and the Empress Dowager, unable to stay awake any longer, went to rest early.
The remaining three girls unanimously decided to go to Anke's bedroom to have a longer chat.
Xingxing had already received instructions and had arranged the flower tea, pastries, and fruit early in the morning. The candles were also lit early, and Xingxing was waiting at the door for the princess and her companions to arrive.
Fortunately, Xingxing didn't have to wait too long. Soon, the three figures appeared in front of her.
Xingxing led her princess back to her bedchamber and brought her a damp cloth that had been prepared beforehand. Other palace maids served the others.
“An’an, the star has been with you for a long time, and it has gradually become more agile and quick-witted,” Qing’er said with a smile, looking at the star who was spinning like a top.
"Isn't Shuangxi good enough? When you go out, Shuangxi prepares everything you need in advance, doesn't it?" An Ke naturally heard the sarcasm in Qing'er's words and retorted sarcastically.
Qing'er was successfully choked by An Ke, and An Ke successfully got a glare.
Xinrong was amused by their little antics and could only hide her laughter by drinking flower tea.
Anke then remembered why she needed to have a proper talk with them and what the main purpose of this conversation was.
"Alright, alright, let's get down to business." An Ke took the lead in calming the situation. When it came to business, Qing'er also straightened her attitude, and Xin Rong put down her teacup, waiting for An Ke to continue with a serious expression.
"What happened in the private room after Ertai and I left today? Why are all four of you so red-faced?" An Ke decided not to expose them yet, but to ask the two of them for their opinions on the other two.
Anke then saw the blush on their cheeks quickly spread towards their necks.
"Then Qing'er, you go first. What are your feelings for General Ji?" An Ke decided to speak frankly tonight. No one could escape her clutches, and she didn't intend to let either of them go.
"I think he's quite upright, kind, and a good person." Qing'er rattled off a whole bunch of things, but she avoided talking about her own feelings for him.
“Qing’er, that’s not good of you. Back then, you helped a lot with what happened between me and Ertai. Now, with what’s going on between you and General Ji, maybe you’re too close to the situation to see clearly, while I’m just an outsider.” An Ke patted her chest proudly and raised her head arrogantly.
Qing'er wanted to laugh, but when she thought of An Ke's question, she couldn't laugh anymore. "Okay, okay, I'll be frank. I don't know what I feel for him." As she spoke, Qing'er lowered her head.
Her hand unconsciously twirled the handkerchief in her hand. "The last time we climbed the tree, he wrapped his arms around my waist, and my heart started racing. Today, when I was picking out jewelry, a woman bumped into me, and he was the one who wrapped his arms around my waist first, calming me down." As Qing'er spoke, she felt her heart pounding again.
"So how do you feel? Besides your heart beating a little fast?" Anke's eyes darted around, and then she asked, "What if he married someone else? What would your attitude be? For example, if he didn't pay attention to you all the time?"
Upon hearing An Ke's words, Qing'er unconsciously tightened her grip on the handkerchief.
An Ke stopped pressing Qing'er and turned her attention to the other protagonist, "Xinrong, what do you think of Fifth Brother?"
Although Xinrong's face was still a little red, she was not shy at all and said softly but frankly, "I admire the Fifth Prince. When I was still a young girl, I often heard my father talk about the Fifth Prince's intelligence. Although we only spent a short time together today, I could see from these small details that the Fifth Prince has a patient and kind heart."
When Yongqi was mentioned, Xinrong's eyes visibly lit up, like stars twinkling in the night sky.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com