Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at the adorable little girl in front of her, her eyes filled with a deep smile.
The Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang still vividly remembered the little girl's mother, Princess Nalan. Not only had several of Khorchin's nephews and nieces sought her hand in marriage, but she herself had also considered taking her into her harem.
It was only out of consideration for limiting Prince An's power, and because the influence of the Hesheli family could not be further expanded, that Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang regretfully gave up. When she learned of her unfortunate passing, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was stunned for a moment.
It's such a pity to waste such a good girl.
Looking at the young girl in front of her, she seemed to see the shadow of Princess Nalan.
"No wonder you cherish her so much... Even in the emperor's harem, you can't find someone as exquisite as her! If I didn't know you couldn't bear to part with Aijia, you would definitely keep her in the palace and cherish her!" Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang looked delighted.
A warning bell rang in Jingrou's heart. Although the person in front of her looked very kind, she was none other than the famous Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang! A true heroine in history, no less capable than any man! Even she, a history bum, had heard of her!
Gaining her favor would bring Jingrou countless benefits, but the troubles were predictable. First and foremost, it completely contradicted her desire to maintain a distance from the royal family!
I would be extremely reluctant to accept this!
However, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang did not take it seriously. Although she liked the young girl in front of her, she would never keep her in the palace.
The person sitting in her position could send sensitive signals with any action.
After the thrilling pleasantries, the grand banquet began, which was the part Jingrou was most looking forward to.
Because there were so many people at the banquet, she, a little baby, was not valued and could sit quietly on the sidelines and watch the excitement. You should know that although she did not want to get involved with the royal family, from birth to the age of two, she was basically confined to the small area of Prince An's mansion because of her young age.
Ultimately, she was also curious about the high-ranking officials and nobles of the Qing Dynasty.
During the meal after the event started, Jingrou was able to take a look at Emperor Kangxi, who was sitting on the high throne. He looked to be in his twenties, but more than his handsome face, what was noticeable was the profound majesty he exuded, which made people dare not look him in the eye after just one glance.
Those attending this banquet were all members of the royal family. This included members of the Aisin Gioro clan and princes, as well as concubines, princes, and princesses from the imperial harem.
The concubines in the harem were all dressed in their finest attire, and the one sitting at the very front, whose face appeared slightly pale, was probably the current Empress, Niohuru.
Then, the princes and princesses who were brought up kept saying clever words of birthday wishes to the emperor, which amused Emperor Kangxi and made him laugh heartily.
This year marks the Emperor's thirtieth birthday, and he has been on the throne for over twenty years—that's one of the advantages of ascending the throne early. Some people are nearly forty and still struggling princes or dukes, while others are already the supreme ruler at thirty.
The emperor's children are not very old; many of them still need to be cared for by wet nurses or nannies.
However, because of the crowd, Jingrou, the little pudding, couldn't see the other little ones surrounded by people through the crowd.
This banquet... not only did I feel a lack of participation, but I also couldn't seem to get to see the excitement I was hoping for.
Jingrou pouted, and the wet nurse beside her noticed her reaction and fed her the prepared pastries.
Jingrou had high expectations for the food in the Imperial Kitchen. She used to eat in the small kitchen in her maternal grandmother's courtyard. Her grandmother had high standards for food, and the chefs in the small kitchen were all highly skilled.
Jingrou happily took two bites of the pastry.
It was delicious, of course; the chef's skill was beyond question. However, Jingrou was a little disappointed. The softest dragon beard candy had collapsed somewhat, perhaps because it had absorbed moisture from the outside, and it no longer had the soft and crispy texture it used to have.
As for the other snacks, without exception, they had all gone cold and lost their original fresh taste.
After suffering two blows, Jingrou became listless. At first, Hesheli thought she was sleepy, but after observing her for a while, she realized that she was probably just bored.
Those big, round eyes seemed to be gazing at something, and a thin layer of moisture rose in them after a while. Even though she was a little bored, she still sat there obediently, taking small bites of pastries that she probably wasn't interested in.
Her obedient and sensible appearance softened Hesheli's heart.
The banquet was at its climax, and the noise was getting a bit loud. People at neighboring tables were raising their glasses to each other, exchanging pleasantries, or talking about topics that interested them both.
Hesheli hesitated for a moment, then gently rubbed Jingrou's little head. "If you feel bored, how about your wet nurse takes you out for a walk?" She couldn't bear to see the little one sitting there blankly, as if she had lost her usual lively appearance, which made her heart ache.
Jingrou's eyes lit up.
Can we go out and play? She promises she won't run around, she'll just go look at the flowers and plants outside...
The members of the royal family are all in this palace now. If I go out, I won't run into any of them or get involved in any way, right?
Hesheli smiled. Sure enough, she knew this little guy couldn't stand being alone. Although the banquet in the palace was very luxurious, it was just the same old routine. It was really hard for her to keep this little guy sitting here properly.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
