"Princess, would you like some water?" Nianxue asked, picking up the teapot from the carriage as Lanqin sat idly in the carriage, occasionally peeking out the "small window."
"My mouth isn't dry. Besides, if I drink too much, I'll need to pee." Lanqin glanced at the chamber pot and wooden bucket in the corner of the carriage, feeling disgusted.
This was a special instruction given by the Fourth Prince the night before he stayed at her place: whether urinating or defecating during the journey, it had to be done inside the carriage. Otherwise, with so many people, if everyone had to get out of the carriage to relieve themselves every now and then, would the people behind stop or not? The imperial procession's formation and the distance traveled in a day were all pre-arranged; where to stop and where to rest were all decided by the Emperor. What if a mere princess needed to urinate or defecate, disrupting the Emperor's grandeur? Therefore, everyone had to keep chamber pots and wooden buckets in the carriage for urination or defecation.
"Then please have some pastries." Nianxue knew that Lanqin loved to eat, so before leaving, Niu Baoquan had prepared two full baskets of pastries, wrapped in kraft paper, for Nianxue to take on the road in case Lanqin needed them.
Sure enough, Lanqin nodded, but her gaze remained fixed on the quiet street outside.
After Nianxue placed the lotus root starch cake into a small plate and handed it to Lanqin, she heard Lanqin say, "It's almost noon now, and the streets are so quiet you can hear a child crying in a house."
Nianxue took back the plate and replied, "I'm afraid the streets have been cleared. When the emperor travels, the common people have to give way."
This was the first time Lanqin had ever witnessed the scene before the emperor's departure; there wasn't a single person to be seen on the street.
Just as the master and servant were bored in the carriage, a sudden burst of gongs and drums rang out, followed by the sound of whips striking the ground, which was unusually clear on the quiet street.
"It's here!" Lanqin couldn't help but utter these two words before opening the "small window" and no longer daring to look.
Perhaps the cracking of the whips really had a deterrent effect, because even the faint cries of a baby that had been occasionally reaching Lanqin's ears could no longer be heard.
About fifteen minutes later, Lanqin heard a series of orderly footsteps passing by her carriage.
Lanqin was really curious, so she raised her hand to try to open the "window," but Nianxue grabbed her arm.
"Princess, no!" Nianxue whispered, shaking her head anxiously. She knew Lanqin was always bold, but this was the Emperor. If she offended the Emperor, even her master wouldn't be able to protect her.
"It's alright, I'll just peek through a crack. It's so boring sitting here!" Lanqin pressed down Nianxue's hand, ignoring her protests, and lifted her hand to peek through the crack.
Rows of banners and imperial flags passed before the carriage, and the men carrying these imperial regalia were all over 1.8 meters tall, with dignified and imposing appearances. They were like the flag bearers of the national flag guard, representing the face of the nation. These ceremonial guards, carrying banners embroidered with auspicious clouds, the sun, moon, and stars, naturally represented the emperor's prestige and dignity.
Lanqin recalled the emperor's procession in TV dramas, where behind the ceremonial guard there should be something called a "canopy," which resembles a large mushroom and always follows behind the emperor, sheltering him from the wind and rain.
Sure enough, before she could even process what she was thinking, a magnificent procession of peacock fans appeared outside her carriage. These kinds of things are usually used behind the emperor to create the impression that he is the Son of Heaven sent to earth.
Next came something called the Golden Banner, and then the magnificent Canopy finally appeared.
Lanqin looked at the first tall, round canopy, embroidered with lotus flowers, lingzhi mushrooms, chrysanthemums, plum blossoms, and bamboo, called the "Five-Colored Canopy"; next was a purple canopy, with tassels hanging down and wind chimes attached. It is said that the sound of these wind chimes can ward off evil spirits.
Lanqin silently compared the procession to the records she had read in books, carefully observing Kangxi's entourage. After the canopy procession, came the emperor's entourage. Before Lanqin could even blink, a carriage drawn by four horses with skin as smooth as oil and satin, followed by a "small house"-like structure, appeared. Calling this carriage a small house wouldn't be an exaggeration. The entire carriage was four or five times larger than Lanqin's own, its body covered in bright yellow silk, naturally embroidered with auspicious patterns of heaven, earth, clouds, and stars. The roof resembled a pagoda, with various sachets and wind chimes hanging from the four corners.
Lanqin silently watched Kangxi pass by, imagining how luxurious the carriage must be inside. Just as she was trying to picture the scene inside Kangxi's carriage, a slender hand suddenly reached out from behind the magnificent carriage, then slightly opened a crack, revealing an incomparably beautiful face.
Although it was only for a moment, and the hand lowered the curtain again, Lanqin still recognized the owner of that face—Niu Gulu Holland.
"It seems she is indeed favored by Emperor Kangxi, for she is even able to accompany him in the imperial carriage at this moment. This shows the extent of his favor," Lanqin thought to herself as she lowered the carriage curtain.
Seeing that Lanqin had finally sat down properly, Nianxue finally felt relieved. Noticing the surprise on Lanqin's face, she couldn't help but ask, "Princess, what's wrong?"
Lanqin shook her head, gave Nianxue a faint smile, and said, "I want to sleep for a while. I'm afraid it will be another half an hour before our carriage can join the imperial formation. The emperor's carriage just passed by."
Nianxue nodded, helped Lanqin straighten the huge cushion behind her, and then helped Lanqin lean against it to fall asleep.
The emperor's procession took exactly half an hour, followed by the princes and their families who had accompanied Kangxi on this tour. Neither the Prince of Zhi nor the Crown Prince accompanied him, and the Third Prince was left behind to continue compiling books. Therefore, the Fourth Prince was the first to follow behind Kangxi's entourage. His carriage, prepared by the palace, was only slightly larger than the one Lanqin had ridden in, according to the regulations for a prince, and was also covered in silk. The Fourth Prince did not sit in the carriage but rode behind it. When he arrived at the Fourth Prince's residence, several carriages waiting there immediately followed and merged behind his carriage.
When Lanqin woke up, the entire imperial carriage had already arrived at Xizhimen.
"Gege, you're awake?" Nianxue immediately helped Lanqin up from the cushion, then looked at her hair and, after making sure it wasn't damaged, poured a glass of water and handed it to the dazed Lanqin.
"Where are we? Where is Fourth Master?" Lanqin asked, confused.
“The master is outside. He just checked on the princess, but she was asleep and didn’t know,” Nianxue couldn’t help but laugh.
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