On the first night of the first lunar month, there was no moon in the sky, but the dark sky was dotted with bright stars.
The lights in the East Palace were just beginning to light up. In a corner of the palace, several palace maids sat together in a room, having a New Year's dinner together.
The rules in the Eastern Palace are very strict, and only on major holidays like New Year's Eve and the first day of the new year can the palace maids relax and have a good time together.
Seeing that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was still having dinner with His Majesty, Ye Wanhe joined the palace maids in having a good meal and chatting.
While Ye Wanhe was eating, her thoughts occasionally wandered to Yun Xiangye. How could Yun Xiangye have any connection with the Prince of Chu?
"Aunt Ye, the third day of the Lunar New Year is your birthday. Let's secretly set up a table here to celebrate your birthday and congratulate you on turning twenty-five."
Ye Wanhe chuckled and said, "No need, I have something to do on my birthday."
On your birthday, you can leave the palace by yourself, even if it's just for one day.
Ye Wanhe has lost count of how many years it has been since she entered the palace, more than ten years ago, and she has never stepped out of the palace gate. Now she finally has the opportunity to go out and see the scenery in Chang'an City, no longer staying in this palace with towering walls.
Ye Wanhe had been a little absent-minded for two consecutive days, just hoping to leave the palace on the third day of the New Year.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Ye Wanhe had no intention of being on duty.
In the study, Zhao Yun took the tea handed to him by Ye Wanhe, looked up at Ye Wanhe and said, "Why is this tea so hot?"
Ye Wanhe knelt down hurriedly and said, "Your Highness, I was distracted. I will go and change a cup of tea immediately..."
After Ye Wanhe went downstairs, she brought back a cup of warm tea and handed it to Zhao Yun with one hand.
Zhao Yun glanced at Ye Wanhe and asked, "What happened to you today?"
Ye Wanhe lowered her eyebrows and said, "Your Highness, you said before that you would allow me to leave the palace for one day on my birthday..."
Zhao Yun asked, "Is today the third day of the Lunar New Year?"
Ye Wanhe nodded and said, "Yes."
Zhao Yun said, "Go and change into my clothes."
Ye Wanhe said puzzledly: "Your Highness, I don't understand."
Zhao Yun said, "You are a maid in the East Palace. If you want to leave the palace, you must disguise yourself. Go find one of my casual clothes and put it on. Then disguise yourself as a young man and follow me out of the palace."
"I dare not."
Ye Wanhe would never dare to wear Zhao Yun's clothes outside.
Zhao Yun said, "Just wear it if I tell you to."
Ye Wanhe bowed and replied, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Ye Wanhe went to the warehouse to look for Zhao Yun's clothes from many years ago. After all, Zhao Yun's clothes now were too big for her. If they were the clothes he wore when he was fifteen or sixteen years old, they should be suitable for her.
Ye Wanhe changed into men's clothes and combed her long hair. She changed her eyebrows and drew a pair of sword-like eyebrows.
Quenu chuckled beside Ye Wanhe and said, "Aunt Ye, you look exactly like the Crown Prince when you're dressed like this."
Ye Wanhe said to Quenu, "Stop talking nonsense. I'm just a slave. How dare I say something similar to Your Highness?"
Quenu whispered, "But I feel that you and His Highness are becoming more and more alike. Perhaps this is what they call a husband and wife look alike..."
Just as Ye Wanhe was about to scold Quenu for talking nonsense, she saw a figure in a phoenix robe at the door in the bronze mirror, and then she saw Queen Wei's gloomy face.
Ye Wanhe quickly stood up, turned around, knelt down and saluted, saying, "Your servant greets the Queen."
The slave girl beside Ye Wanhe was trembling with fear.
Queen Wei looked at Ye Wanhe's attire and angrily scolded, "Who gave you the courage to wear His Highness's clothes? And use His Highness's jade crown?"
Ye Wanhe was panicking and whispered, "In reply to the Queen..."
"Mother." Zhao Yun entered the bedroom. "Mother, I asked her to wear my clothes. I had to go out of the palace for some business today and wanted her to serve me. That's why I asked her to dress as my husband and follow me out of the palace."
Empress Wei glanced at Zhao Yun and said, "Don't you have any other servants around you? And this little maid is even more rebellious and unruly. She even dared to say that the Crown Prince and the maid looked like a couple. There is no place for such an unruly maid in the Eastern Palace. Expel her from the palace."
Quenu looked at Ye Wanhe tremblingly, "Auntie, save me, Auntie!"
Ye Wanhe lowered her eyes and saw Quenu being dragged away by the Queen's men. She had no intention of pleading for Quenu.
Empress Wei looked at Ye Wanhe in a deep voice and said, "As the head maid of the Eastern Palace, you are not strict with your subordinates and you have no intention of admonishing your master. You should be punished."
Ye Wanhe bowed her head and kowtowed, "I beg the Queen to punish me."
Queen Wei looked at Zhao Yun and said, "This is your maid. How do you want to punish her?"
Zhao Yun said, "Change back into your clothes and kneel outside for three hours."
Queen Wei frowned and said, "We must also remove her from her position as Head Maid. That young maid just now dared to say that they look like a couple in front of her. I don't know what ulterior motives she has. The Crown Princess is about to enter the palace, and she must not be the Head Maid of the Eastern Palace anymore."
Zhao Yun responded, "Yes, mother."
Ye Wanhe kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Queen and Crown Prince, for your grace."
Ye Wanhe hurriedly went inside to change her clothes, then knelt on the bluestone slab outside the house. The ground was very cold in winter.
Ye Wanhe now finally understood what extreme joy and extreme sorrow meant, and what it meant that the greater the expectation, the greater the loss.
I had been looking forward to leaving the palace for many days... but it was all just wishful thinking.
Ye Wanhe, who was used to kneeling, no longer felt the pain in her knees, and her heart gradually grew cold.
She shouldn't expect something that is simply wishful thinking.
The child from that time is celebrating his birthday outside the palace today.
I'm just a slave who's there for fun, how could I deserve my master to celebrate my birthday...
--
In Qingfeng Garden.
Yun Xiangye said to Gu Yan, who was playing with Nuonuo, "It's already past noon, why hasn't His Highness sent you any news yet?"
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