The heavy vermilion palace gate slowly opened, and Yuan Dong, who was sitting in the carriage, could feel the majesty that came towards him.
Yuan Dong held the bundle tightly in her hand, feeling a little nervous. She looked at the curtain swaying with the swaying of the carriage and was very curious about what the palace looked like.
This was her first time accompanying Meng Qi into the palace. Previously, such errands were reserved for Qingrui and Jiaohong, first-class maids. Furthermore, they were only allowed to reach the main entrance of the harem and were not allowed to go further inside.
Thinking that she would be able to enter the harem directly on her first visit to the palace, and that she would meet the Empress, the princesses, and the concubines, Yuan Dong felt nervous and worried. She was afraid that she would do something wrong and embarrass the young lady again.
Thinking of this, Yuan Dong went to check on Meng Qi again. She still had her eyes closed, the tassels of her hairpin occasionally slapping her face. The sunlight filtering through the curtains reflected a multicolored light, making Meng Qi seem enveloped in a halo.
Yuan Dong suddenly felt unreal. Since her return, so many things had seemed unreal. For a maid who had grown accustomed to the ways of the naive Fourth Young Lady, the current Fourth Young Lady made her feel like she was serving a new master, and she had to relearn even some of her daily habits.
Yuan Dong didn't know whether it would be easier or harder for her to serve Meng Qi, but she liked the current Fourth Young Lady very much, which made her full of hope for her future life in Prince Rui's Mansion.
After a long while, the carriage finally stopped. There were questions and answers, and then the door was pushed open. A slightly older palace maid said respectfully, "Miss Four, please get out of the carriage and change to a sedan chair."
Yuandong jumped off the carriage first. Two eunuchs politely stepped forward and asked Yuandong to open the bundle. Yuandong quickly cooperated with them to check.
Another young eunuch stepped forward swiftly and lowered the footrest, and Meng Qi leaned out.
The bright sunlight reflected the white snow on the yellow glazed tiles, making it difficult for people to open their eyes for a moment.
Meng Qi put his hand on his forehead and squinted his eyes at the dark red palace walls and the flying eaves and corners, as if he were from another world.
The palace maid directed the sedan chair, "I am a maid from Kunning Palace. Your Majesty, please ask the Fourth Young Lady to go directly to Kunning Palace."
Meng Qi nodded and got into the sedan chair.
Several strong and sturdy maids lifted the sedan chair, but they stopped short. The gate of Kunning Palace was ahead, and they had to walk up the alley next to it.
As Meng Qi stepped into the gate of Kunning Palace, Nanny Sang came forward with a smile and greeted her.
"It's been a long time since we last met. Miss Four is still as beautiful as ever."
Meng Qi smiled and said, "Mammy is still as healthy as ever. Is everything okay?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Thank you, Miss Fourth, for your concern. The medicine you sent for the festival is really good. I've only been using it for a little over ten days, and I'm actually feeling much better."
Meng Qi smiled faintly. When this Aunt Sang was teaching her, she had to stand up after sitting for a while, and then sit down again immediately after standing for a long time. Aunt Liu asked her about it and found out that she had a long-standing back pain, which was caused by doing too much heavy work in her youth.
Meng Wan had Zhou Yu's sworn brother, Qingning, help her prepare the medicine, the kind you apply directly to the waist. Meng Qi wasn't sure if it would work, but as long as she had the intention, Mother Sang would appreciate it. She didn't expect her to do much good in front of the Empress, but at least she could say something fair or not add insult to injury.
Unexpectedly, it actually worked.
When he reached the steps of the main hall, a beautiful young girl, surrounded by palace maids, walked towards him.
The girl wore an elegant blue dress with a wide hem that swayed gently in the breeze. A dark blue jacket perfectly framed her beautiful figure. A circle of white mink fur wrapped around the collar accentuated her small face, highlighting her red lips and white teeth, making her look playful and adorable.
Meng Qi was genuinely stunned. She hadn't expected Princess Yong'an to come out of the hall to greet her personally. She quickly took a few steps and bowed to Princess Yong'an. "Your humble servant Meng Qi greets the princess. May the princess be blessed with good health."
Princess Yong'an smiled and helped Meng Qi up. "Does Fourth Sister treat me as an outsider? Given Fourth Sister's current status, I should greet you, right? Sixth Sister-in-law."
The call of "Sixth Sister-in-law" made Meng Qi blush slightly. Princess Yong'an laughed and took Meng Qi's hand, "Mother is waiting for Fourth Sister. I am asking Mother to let Fourth Sister live in my palace. I just don't know if I will have this blessing."
Meng Qi smiled faintly, "Princess, you are too kind to me. It is my great fortune to have your favor."
"You, when did you become so polite? Even your words are so distant. Is it because Aunt Sang is too strict?"
Upon hearing this, Nanny Sang stepped forward with a smile and said, "I would like to be strict, but the Fourth Young Lady is very clever and can grasp many things at once."
Yongan turned his head with a mischievous expression, "It's a pity that the regular greetings are tomorrow, otherwise you two could have met."
The Great Xia Dynasty stipulated that the imperial concubines pay their respects to the Empress Dowager and Empress daily. Married princes were to pay their respects to the harem every ten days, and princesses every five days. Twice a month, the emperor would visit Kunning Palace to receive greetings from the concubines and the princes and princesses, a ceremony known as the Great Day. Of course, the princes generally attended court daily.
And tomorrow is the day when the emperor will go to Kunning Palace, so Princess Yong'an said that she could meet with Prince Rui.
Meng Qi pretended to be embarrassed and lowered her head in silence, sighing inwardly. Look at Yong'an, she's a legitimate princess, yet she's so smooth in her dealings with others. I'm just a young lady from a marquisate disliked by the emperor. What capital did I have in my past life to behave like that?
Just as she stepped into the threshold of the hall, she heard a notification from inside. Yuan Dong stood at the door and didn't dare to go any further. The cold wind blowing through the hall made her glad that she had put on an extra fur coat.
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