The housekeeper sent someone to deliver a message. Upon hearing it, Yan Huisheng paused, glanced into the Council Hall, retracted his troubled gaze with a headache, and ordered the eunuch beside him, "I have something to attend to, let the gentlemen discuss it amongst themselves. I’m leaving."
He didn’t want to stay any longer; his head was about to explode from their constant chattering.
The eunuch did as ordered, went into the Council Hall to relay the message, and Yan Huisheng seized the opportunity to leave.
On his carriage ride back to the Eastern Palace, he asked, "Where is the princess?"
Someone quickly responded, "Replying to the Crown Prince, the princess is still waiting for you in the guest house where she stayed last time."
Yan Huisheng nodded, and instead of seeking her out immediately, returned to his sleeping chambers, changed into casual clothes, and then went to her.
Duanhua was having Cai Ling help her thread a needle while she herself was starting a knot. She assumed that before her cousin, the Crown Prince, would return, she could certainly finish making a tassel. After all, it was said he usually came back very late. There should be enough time.
Unexpectedly, just as she was making a knot for the tassel, she heard Little Chengzi outside, sounding surprised, "Crown Prince?"
Duanhua paused her hand, looking at Cai Ling, "The Crown Prince?"
Had she heard incorrectly?
Cai Ling quickly looked outside, exclaimed in a low voice, "Ah, Princess, the Crown Prince really did come back."
Duanhua took a look at the sky, murmuring quietly, "That housekeeper, I’ve told him not to tell the Crown Prince, he must have sent someone to inform him. How annoying, I haven’t even finished yet."
Cai Ling hastily suggested, "Princess, quickly go greet him!"
Duanhua didn’t want to greet him. Pouting, she looked at the unfinished tassel in her hands, truly regretting having come to the Eastern Palace to wait for him.
Fretfully, Cai Ling called out, "Princess?"
Duanhua said defiantly, "I won’t greet him."
Cai Ling: "..."
The princess was throwing another one of her tantrums.
Seeing that Duanhua wasn’t moving, Cai Ling had to rush to greet him herself. She hurried to the door, only just opening the curtain when she saw Yan Huisheng had already reached the door. She quickly paid her respects, "Crown Prince."
Yan Huisheng nodded, "Where’s the princess?"
"She’s making tassels."
Yan Huisheng looked puzzled. Seeing her holding the door curtain open as if to let him in, he stepped into the room, and immediately saw Duanhua sitting on the low couch, her mouth puffed out in annoyance, indeed making tassels. Upon seeing him, she gave him a sorrowful look but said nothing.
Yan Huisheng paused for a moment, then asked with a smile, "Duanhua, why are you making tassels?"
Duanhua replied sullenly, "I’m just making tassels."
She had originally planned to surprise him.
Yan Huisheng signaled for the servants to leave and walked over to her. "That expression, are you unhappy? Did someone upset you?"
It couldn’t have been him, could it?
"The housekeeper did. I told him not to disturb you, and I was happy waiting for you by myself. But he didn’t listen," Duanhua complained.
Yan Huisheng finally understood, "I see."
He explained in a gentle voice, "Since you and I were engaged, this is your first time visiting the Eastern Palace, so he may have considered it of some importance. I’ll warn him later and ensure that as long as it comes from you, he must obey."
At his words, Duanhua immediately broke into a smile and nodded vigorously, "That’s how it should be."
Having thrown her tantrum, she soon realized that she was in the wrong. She put down the tassel, stood up, straightened her clothes, and properly paid her respects to Yan Huisheng, "Cousin, I threw a fit, didn’t greet you on your arrival, and didn’t stand up for you because I was mad. I was wrong."
Yan Huisheng laughed, reaching out his hand to pat her head, "It doesn’t matter. You are my Crown Princess in the future. You have that privilege."
Feeling even happier, Duanhua beamed at him and said, "I brought you a gift. Su Rong sent me a large cart full of congratulatory gifts, two of which are for you."
Yan Huisheng responded with an "’Oh?’ She sent you a whole cart and only two are for me?"
Duanhua blinked her eyes, "Yes, and both of them were actually for me. She told me to decide whether or not to pass them on to you depending on my mood."
Yan Huisheng couldn’t help but chuckle, "What are they?"
Duanhua quickly opened the brocade box and showed him the dagger first, "Look, this dagger. She said it was the one she once promised to give you."
Remembering the matter, Yan Huisheng smiled, "I’m glad she didn’t forget, she remembered it despite her busy schedule."
He reached out to take the dagger, unsheathed it, and praised it, "What a fine dagger. It’s nothing less than the one I sent her as a thank-you gift."
"Isn’t it? Su Rong won’t gift anything that isn’t good. She sent me a huge cart full of things that even amazed my mother. When the housekeeper and his crew were unloading it they were so careful, fearing they might damage something and wouldn’t be able to afford the compensation even if they sold themselves. Some of the items were invaluable," said Duanhua, showing off to him, "When you visit the Princess Residence, I’ll take you to my private collection to see it."
Yan Huisheng nodded, "Alright."
He played with the dagger for a while, so engrossed that he asked Duanhua, "Is it really for me?"
"Yes, Su Rong gave it to you," replied Duanhua, looking at him.
Yan Huisheng laughed, "I meant, depending on your mood, have you decided to give it to me today?"
Duanhua glared at him, "Of course it’s for you, even if I’m in a bad mood I’ll give it to you. Today, my anger has nothing to do with you. It’s all the housekeeper’s fault."
Yan Huisheng chuckled softly, "Then I’ll accept it, thank you, cousin."
"You’re welcome," Duanhua responded, waving her hand grandly. "There’s also a pair of jade pendants."
She opened the brocade box and showed Yan Huisheng, "They are also from Su Rong. I originally intended to make a tassel for you first, so you could wear it when you returned. But then the housekeeper had to put his oar in."
Yan Huisheng picked up the two jade pendants and commented, "Hmm, these are good, extremely fine quality."
Just by looking at these two items, one could tell that the gifts Su Rong gave Duanhua were certainly of high quality.
He set the jade pendants down, smiled at Duanhua, and said, "I won’t leave the palace today; I’ll accompany you while you make the tassel. Once you’re done, I can wear it. Don’t be angry anymore."
Duanhua widened her eyes, "The day is still early, aren’t you busy?"
"I don’t want to be busy anymore. The court officials were giving me a headache from their constant bickering. I was already thinking of leaving them, and now I have a reason," said Yan Huisheng.
Duanhua grumbled, "So in other words, we should thank the housekeeper. Then don’t punish him, he did do something good after all. Otherwise, your head would still be aching from their constant arguing."
She sighed, "Oh, what is wrong with these court officials? They’re always arguing, and the emperor’s headaches are probably caused by them. You should figure out a way to make the court officials talk less and work more."
Yan Huisheng smiled, "You make a good point."
Duanhua pondered over Yan Huisheng’s predicament for a while but didn’t know what to do. She took out Su Rong’s letter and handed it to Yan Huisheng, "Cousin, read Su Rong’s letter. In the letter she sent me, she wrote about how she subtly outwits the old ministers of Nanchu. She often makes key decisions before the ministers can react. Maybe you should learn from her."
Yan Huisheng took the letter, "Alright, I’ll take a look."
As a rule, he shouldn’t be reading a maiden’s letter, but Duanhua initiated giving it to him and even brought the letter to the Eastern Palace, presumably wishing to share it with him.
So, he read Su Rong’s letter from top to bottom. After finishing, he felt both annoyed and amused, "This Xiaoqi, even after becoming the princess, she still behaves so impulsively."
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