A new desk was installed in the imperial study, and a felt carpet was laid on the table. Gu Yinwei was holding a travel book in her hand, flipping through it from time to time.
The emperor was bent over his desk, reviewing documents. It was quiet outside the door. The draft blew the books on the table, making a rustling sound. Gu Yinwei tiptoed and went to close the window quietly.
After finishing reading a travelogue, Gu Yinwei stood up and walked towards the bookshelf. She picked up a book, but it was too high and Gu Yinwei couldn't reach it even if she stretched her hand hard. She turned around, brought a small stool, took off her shoes and stepped on it.
After getting the book I liked, I slowly put on my shoes and moved the small stool back to its original place.
The emperor was diligently reviewing memorials, while Gu Yinwei was reading peacefully. The two were in the same room, but did not disturb each other.
The palace door was half-closed. When Gu Yinwei was moving the stool, Fugui was eager to rush in and serve his master. Xun He quickly grabbed his collar and said, "Don't make trouble."
Fugui was puzzled. "In the past, when there were other masters here, you always told me to be more clever. Why are you acting out of character today?"
"You have to be flexible and learn to read people's expressions." Xun He said, then leaned against the door frame, hugged his arms and dozed off.
Fugui thought about Xunhe's words, but he couldn't come up with a different idea. He squatted beside the flower bed and looked at a flower in it.
He felt that the palace was like a huge flower bed. The other concubines were blooming flowers, but Gu Gengyi was not a flower, she was an evergreen tree.
Time passed quietly, and soon Xunhe began to serve the meal. Gu Yinwei accompanied the emperor to have the meal. After the meal, the emperor began to take a nap.
Gu Yinwei returned to the Pepper Room alone.
Chuchu sat under the shade of a tree, holding the needle in one hand and the thread in the other. The thread passed through the eye of the needle several times. She pulled the thread with her hand, and the thread slipped out of the eye of the needle again.
Almond came up to help. She cut the thread with scissors, then wet the thread end with water, pinched the thread in her hand and pushed it forward. She held the thread end with her left hand and pulled it forward, and the thread quickly passed through the eye of the needle.
"We are a perfect match. You are good at embroidery, but not at threading a needle."
Chuchu smiled and said, "You are good at threading a needle, but not at embroidery."
Bian Tao held the needle and thread in her hand and embroidered on the cloth according to Chu Chu's example.
As they were talking, they suddenly burst into laughter.
"What are you talking about? You're so happy?"
The two of them immediately stood up to greet Gu Yinwei, "Master, you were nowhere to be seen yesterday afternoon. Sister Bian Tao and I looked everywhere for you, but there was no sign of you."
Bian Tao took the book from Gu Yinwei and helped her into the hall. "It was windy and rainy yesterday. Fortunately, Eunuch Fugui sent someone to deliver the letter, otherwise Chuchu would have cried again."
"This was an oversight on my part. I should have told you two before I left."
Chuchu hugged Gu Yinwei's arm and acted coquettishly, "Master, next time you go out, please tell me, otherwise I will worry."
Gu Yinwei promised: "Okay, I will tell you next time I go out."
Almond put down her needlework and accompanied Gu Yinwei to visit the garden in the backyard. Many of the flowers planted in the garden had taken root.
Chuchu was holding a basket with a pair of small scissors in it. Bian Tao asked, "Chuchu, the vegetables haven't grown yet. Isn't it a bit too much for you to carry such a big basket?"
"No exaggeration, no exaggeration, I'll check it out first."
Chuchu was drooling over the green vegetables that had just grown two leaves in the vegetable garden.
"Master, can I pick these flowers?"
"You even want to eat flowers?"
"Sister Bian Tao, why do you think of eating whenever I open my mouth?"
"Because you eat too much."
Chuchu hung her head and stayed in front of a clump of flowers and trees, refusing to leave.
"Chu Chu, you pick it."
Chuchu smiled happily, "Thank you, Master."
Chuchu's hands were as fast as lightning, and soon half the basket was full.
"Master, Sister Bian Tao, come with me, let's make rouge together."
First, take a large basin of clean water, put the petals into the clean water to wash them, and then use a silk cloth to gently wipe the moisture off the surface of the flowers.
Then crush the petals, squeeze out the juice with gauze, and put it into a small pot and cook slowly.
The years in the palace were long, and with the three of them together, time flew by.
After the flower juice in the pot boils, add beeswax and stir evenly.
Chuchu was busy with her hands, and Gu Yinwei stood aside and watched, secretly marveling at Chuchu's craftsmanship.
Almond picked off the petals and crushed them gently, "Chuchu, what is the name of this rouge you made, and what are its effects?"
"This rouge is called Pillow Mist. As for its efficacy? My late wife once said that adding Huanyan Flower to rouge can be beneficial for the eyes and skin, but we don't have Huanyan Flower in our Pepper Palace."
"I've been to the Imperial Garden several times, but I haven't seen any Huanyan flowers. There is one in Changning Palace, but Concubine Zhen is particularly fond of it and I'm afraid she wouldn't give it away easily."
When Chuchu said this, her tone was depressed. Gu Yinwei planned to go to Zhenfei in person to ask for the Huanyan Flower.
Chuchu couldn't stop working, so Bian Tao accompanied Gu Yinwei to Changning Palace.
Bian Tao rarely left the Pepper Palace recently, and she was not aware of what was happening in the Changning Palace.
The gate of Changning Palace was half open. Xiaoyu was eating a bowl of cold rice slowly. When she saw Gu Yinwei coming, she put down the bowl, raised her sleeve to wipe her mouth, and hurriedly ran to greet her.
In the huge Changning Palace, only Xiaoyu and a few servants were guarding it at this time. All the other palace maids and eunuchs were called away to serve elsewhere.
"Xiaoyu, are you having lunch or dinner?"
Xiaoyu pursed her lips, "Lunch."
When Gu Yinwei saw that there were only yellowed vegetable leaves in her bowl and no meat at all, she knew that Xiaoyu had been bullied by the people in the kitchen.
Gu Yinwei took the food box from Bian Tao and took out a plate of her favorite salt and pepper shrimp for her.
Xiaoyu quickly declined, "I dare not overstep my bounds."
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