Lu Jinshu finally withdrew his gaze from Xue Wu's face. He smiled gently at the Third Princess and said, "You are such a fool, child! We are all family. Why do you need to give such a big gift right away?" He instructed Jiufu, "I remember there is a pair of red gold bracelets with flying flowers and kingfisher feathers in the storeroom. They are perfect for children. Can you help me take them out and give them to the Third Princess? Consider it a meeting gift from me to my daughter."
Jiufu quickly brought out a royal blue cloisonné incense box. Ling Xihe opened the box very naturally and took out the red gold bracelet inside. "I'll wear the bracelet for my sister."
The third princess wore a pink pleated skirt with white flowers. Her dark hair was tied up in a simple princess bun, with a sparkling pearl flower pinned in her hair. When she raised her head, the tassels hanging from either side of the flower swayed gently with her movements.
Ling Xihe carefully put the gold bracelet on the third princess, and when he looked up, he saw the third princess's fair and pretty face.
The Third Princess bore the resemblance to her father, a face of exquisite softness and beauty, with curved eyebrows, eyes as bright as the moon, a high nose, and red lips and white teeth. Her voice, like her, was gentle and soft. "Thank you, Your Highness."
Ling Xihe was stunned for a moment. Her third sister was actually more beautiful than a man. Coming back to her senses, she asked, "By the way, I still don't know your name?"
Hearing this question, the Third Princess lowered her eyes, hiding the embarrassment in her eyes, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. "My name is Ling Xicheng. This name was given to me by Mei Cifu (Jiang He)."
The year the third princess was born, she was missing a finger on each of her hands, and all her toes were glued together. So from the moment she was born, she was said to be a stillbirth. She was not even given a name and was sent directly to a farm outside.
Ling Xicheng had never had a name, and even today, when she was brought back to the palace, the Empress Mother hadn't planned to come up with one herself. Originally, the Empress Mother had wanted to delegate the matter to the Imperial Household Department, but then Mei Cifu found out. He said that asking officials to come up with names was too cold, and since he had been the one to bring the Third Princess back, he would be the one to choose the name.
Thinking of Mei Cifu, who had suggested bringing her back, Ling Xicheng's heart warmed a little. Although this world had brought her storms since her birth, there were still kind people like Mei Cifu. And the princess standing before her was not as arrogant and cold as she had imagined. On the contrary, she had always treated her with kindness.
Shangguan Xu personally served a bowl of peach blossom soup and greeted Ling Xihe with a smile, "Xihe, you've been tired all morning. Come and have a bowl of hot soup first. Lunch will be ready in a while."
Hearing Shangguan Xu calling him, Ling Xihe released the hand holding the third sister and a big smile appeared on his face. "Okay, I'm coming right away. Thank you, Shangguan Cifu."
Lu Jinshu said to Jiufu, "Go and urge the people in the imperial kitchen. When will lunch be served? It's okay for us adults to be hungry, but Xihe is still growing up, so we can't be careless about eating."
Ling Xihe stopped Jiufu who was about to lift the door curtain and said, "Don't rush the people in the imperial kitchen. Tell them to postpone lunch for an incense stick of time. The Queen Mother will come to Changxin Palace for dinner soon. If the dishes are served now, she will have to eat cold food when she arrives. How can we do that?"
Lu Jinshu's face was filled with surprise. "Did your mother say she was coming here for dinner?" Then, a hint of regret appeared in his tone. "Really...why didn't she tell me earlier? If she had informed me earlier, I could have cooked the meal myself."
Before Lu Jinshu finished speaking, an attendant's announcement came from outside, "His Majesty has arrived..."
The next moment, Ling Shumo stepped over the threshold, and everyone stood up to salute her. Ling Shumo gave Lu Jinshu a hand, then rubbed Ling Xihe's head. "If you're hungry, eat first. There's no need to wait for me to come."
Ling Xihe replied seriously, "The elders haven't taken their seats yet. As a junior, I shouldn't be the first to pick up my chopsticks. Otherwise, it would be rude."
Seeing her like this, Ling Shumo really liked her more and more. She couldn't help but smile and said, "What a sensible and good child."
Lu Jinshu asked, "I don't know yet, how is Xihe's schoolwork going recently?"
The smile on Ling Shumo's face grew even more intense. "When have we ever worried about Xihe's homework?"
Hearing Ling Shumo say this, Lu Jinshu's gaze towards his daughter became softer.
After Ling Shumo began personally teaching Ling Xihe, Ling Xihe abandoned all distractions other than studying, and in just two weeks, she was able to recite the "Book of Filial Piety" word for word. This book, considered a classic used by students in the academy to prepare for the imperial examinations, was enough to demonstrate her natural intelligence.
Not only that, Ling Xihe, at such a young age, had already followed Ling Shumo to the morning court, and was familiar with all the court etiquette, and knew how to behave in moderation when dealing with important ministers.
Sometimes, the insights he expressed were so impressive that even the most learned scholars were impressed. Although there was a certain amount of flattery in his words, it couldn't conceal the fact that Ling Xi and his own abilities were absolutely excellent.
As they were talking, the wine and delicacies had all been served, and Lu Jinshu, Ling Xihe, Ling Shumo and Shangguan Xu all sat in their respective seats.
Xue Wu gently pulled it, looked at the dazed Ling Xicheng at the table, and said in a low voice, "Don't look at me. People of your status and mine will never be able to sit at the same table with your mother."
According to palace rules, only beauties of the fourth rank or higher were eligible to raise their own children. Therefore, Jiang He petitioned Ling Shumo for the rank of beauties on Xue Wu's behalf. However, this didn't mean that Xue Wu was worthy of such a high rank in Ling Shumo's eyes. In fact, he had completely fallen out of favor with the emperor several years ago after Xue Wu took a drug that crippled his daughter. Furthermore, because of him, Ling Shumo's attitude towards the third princess was also indifferent, and she didn't particularly love her.
Ling Xicheng listened to Xue Wu's words and obediently followed him out of Changxin Palace. But her heart still lingered in the peach-blossom-filled courtyard, her mind lingering on the image of her eldest sister, Ling Xihe, dressed in a dark robe. She was a favored daughter, beloved by her mother, while she, a lowly woman, had always been a shadowy figure. The gap between them was like an insurmountable chasm.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com