Ulan was an energetic little girl. After sleeping all night, she forgot about being neglected the day before and was very lively, eager to go and pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.
But when she woke up, it was long past the time for paying respects.
One reason for this is that the maids deliberately lit calming incense last night to help her fall into a deep sleep.
As Yinreng had said the day before, Tong Wanyan got up early and, just as he had said the day before, took Tana and Hongzhao with her to see the Empress Dowager.
It's October again, and Tana and Hongzhao have both fallen in love with osmanthus milk cake.
They couldn't eat too much at Yuqing Palace, but when they arrived at Ningshou Palace, the chubby little boys, with their plump faces, would be able to eat a couple more pieces by sweetly begging the Empress Dowager in their childish voices.
Besides osmanthus milk cake, there's also chestnut golden cake. The chubby little ones who are starting to eat complementary foods love all kinds of fragrant foods.
Tana sat to the left of the Empress Dowager, and Hongzhao sat to the right. The two men hugged the Empress Dowager's waist, which made her very happy.
"Your Majesty, Tana wants to drink milk porridge. Mother won't give it to her, but Your Majesty can give it to her," Tana pleaded with the Empress Dowager.
Tong Wanyan looked at her, noticing the osmanthus milk cake in her left hand and the chestnut cake in her right, her eyes also fixed on the colorful plum blossom cake on the table, and stopped her, saying, "You just drank a bowl before you left this morning, and you just ate two pieces of cake. If you eat any more, you'll throw up."
Tana, bold as ever, ignored Tong Wanyan and looked longingly at the Empress Dowager: "The Empress Dowager loves Tana the most. Tana is the Empress Dowager's little darling and little cotton-padded jacket. Tana's tummy can still eat."
She patted her round little belly, not forgetting to wink at Hongzhao.
Hongzhao understood and stepped forward, joining Tana in whining and asking the Empress Dowager for food.
"Your Majesty, you can't spoil these two little rascals. Look at how they want to eat. Anyone who didn't know better would think that there's not enough food in Yuqing Palace, that even the young master isn't getting enough to eat. A few days ago, Hongzhao was so greedy that he tricked me into giving him some food in my room, and then he went to Your Majesty's study to ask for more. He ate until he vomited, and then he kept asking for more. Luckily, the imperial physician said it was nothing serious; he ate soft food, so vomiting wouldn't hurt his stomach. Your Majesty has been blaming himself for days because of this."
Tong Wanyan explained to the Empress Dowager, who was both angry and amused. The Empress Dowager glanced at Hongzhao with curiosity.
"If you hadn't said who it was, I would have assumed that the one who had overeaten was Tana," the Empress Dowager said, pointing to the even fatter Tana.
“Tana is very active and burns a lot of calories, so she can eat a little more and still feel full. Unlike Hongzhao, who sits in one place and doesn’t like to move, his digestion is naturally slower,” Tong Wanyan said with a helpless smile.
The Empress Dowager was not one to indiscriminately favor her juniors. She said clearly, "Don't make a scene here. Your mother is watching you. I can't openly give you food. How about this, wait another hour before eating? Have the imperial kitchen cook a few more, and then you two can try them."
Tana knew the importance of being pragmatic and knew that those who were wise would be wise. She obediently nestled in the Empress Dowager's arms and said, "Tana will listen to the Empress Dowager."
Seeing that his sister had stopped causing trouble, Hongzhao also obediently quieted down.
Tong Wanyan looked at the Empress Dowager with admiration; experience truly matters.
The chubby kids don't know how to keep track of time yet. By the time they get tired from playing and take a nap, more than an hour will have passed.
The Empress Dowager gave Tong Wanyan a mischievous smile; as she grew older, she became more playful.
It's especially fun to occasionally tease my great-grandson who doesn't know any better.
The old women in Ning Shou Palace saw Tana and Hongzhao every few days; they were quite familiar with each other.
Tong Wanyan let Tana and Hongzhao play with them without worry. These two were the darlings of the entire Forbidden City, and there was no need to worry about them getting hurt.
"Do you know about what happened yesterday?" After letting Tana and Hongzhao play, the Empress Dowager asked Tong Wanyan.
She felt a little guilty; her grandniece was being disrespectful, and she, as an elder, felt ashamed because of it.
Tong Wanyan got up and sat down next to the Empress Dowager, leaning obediently on her shoulder.
This time, she used a clever technique, not daring to press down on the Empress Dowager and cause her trouble.
"When Master went back, he said it wasn't a big deal. It's perfectly normal for the young princess to take a liking to someone as handsome as Master. It's always the case that daughters fall for charming young men." Tong Wanyan showed no resentment whatsoever.
The Empress Dowager patted her hand: "Why are you saying such empty words to me? She is not an ordinary person. Does she not recognize the apricot yellow color and the embroidery on the Crown Prince's everyday clothes? I am telling you this to tell you personally that neither I nor the Emperor will allow her to enter Yuqing Palace. The emperors of the Great Qing no longer need Mongolian concubines to occupy a place in the palace."
“You’re right. That’s precisely why I don’t care at all. Little girls are innocent, and if they’re a bit pampered and proud, they might even be thinking about bringing honor to their family. That’s perfectly normal, as long as they don’t have bad intentions,” Tong Wanyan said.
"Hearing you say that, I am relieved. I married the late Emperor, so I am a member of the Aisin Gioro family. No matter how good the Khorchin are, they can't compare to the Emperor and the Qing Dynasty. Because of the Empress Dowager and me, the Khorchin have repeatedly tried to regain their glory, and I know this very well. But they don't consider that the Emperor is not only a wise ruler, but also an ambitious and capable emperor. How could he tolerate a tiger lying beside him on his dragon bed?" the Empress Dowager sighed.
Tong Wanyan handed the Empress Dowager a cup of tea, her eyes gentle and silent.
She listened as the Empress Dowager expressed her concerns about the Khorchin, without saying a word in return.
She listened to the Empress Dowager's words, swallowed them, and would never tell a second person.
The Empress Dowager rambled on for a while: "Alright, if I say any more, it won't be good for you to listen. It's just a pity about that simple-minded Tong Ruita; this marriage cannot be arranged for him."
Loyal ministers risk their lives to protect the country, and it's not good for the royal family to use a carefree princess to trick him.
Moreover, Tong Ruita will inevitably become a powerful general in the future. Marrying such an ambitious Mongolian princess to him might backfire and cause harm to the royal family if she were to influence him.
Tong Ruita was completely unaware of this; he didn't care at all about getting married and having children.
It's better to let him fight with soldiers in the barracks for a day than to marry a wife; that would be much more enjoyable and carefree.
Tong Wanyan changed the subject, telling the Empress Dowager what kind of wine was good to brew this season, and which flowers in the Imperial Garden were blooming and were even more beautiful than in previous years.
Furthermore, the new clothes made by the Imperial Clothing Bureau are different from those of the past. A new group of embroiderers have arrived in the palace and developed new embroidery techniques, which are quite unique.
The Empress Dowager's eyes lit up as she listened, showing great interest in these matters.
If it weren't for Tana and Hongzhao still playing around, the Empress Dowager would have been eager to drag Tong Wanyan to stroll through the Imperial Garden, leading the palace maids to pick flowers and brew wine, reliving the romance of her youth.
"Your Majesty, Princess Ulan has come to pay her respects."
Just as the Empress Dowager was in high spirits, someone came to spoil the mood.
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