Chapter 6 Bad Memory "Then I... Then I'll go first...
"Then I... I'll go first." Qi Buchen looked reluctant to leave. He took two steps and turned back to remind him, "Don't stay up too late. It's dark at night and it can hurt your eyes."
Although there are two candle towers in the study, and they are brightly lit when all are lit, they are not as bright as natural light after all, and it will still harm your eyes if you use them for a long time.
"My Lord knows." Yinzhen put one hand behind his back. Although the servants around him often said this in the past, it felt different when it was said by his wife.
Qi Buchen walked to the door and turned back to ask: "Well...can I come in when you are not here during the day?"
Yinzhen was a little puzzled, wondering if his wife's memory was not very good. Didn't she just say that she could come and get the book when she was free? Why was she asking again?
But he couldn't say this out loud, otherwise there was a high probability that Fu Jin would burst into tears on the spot.
Yinzhen thought about it and nodded, "Okay."
Qi Buchen then left contentedly. After leaving the study, she put away her excited look and put on the majestic demeanor of the Fourth Lady.
In front of the servants, she had to act like the Fourth Lady, her master. One reason was to prevent the maids and nannies who came with her as a dowry from getting suspicious, and the other was to prevent people in the palace from looking down on her, as no one could step on her.
But in front of Yinzhen, she had to maintain the true appearance of a ten-year-old girl, the simplicity of inexperienced in the world, the fear of being a newcomer, the cautious expectation and flattery, putting herself in a position that needed protection, and at the same time inducing Yinzhen to regard her as his protector.
There is no contradiction between the two. Even if Yinzhen knew that she behaved completely differently in front of him and in front of the servants, he would not have any doubts, but would feel that this was how it should be.
Qi Buchen was apprehensive because she had to deal with the complexities of the royal family and their relationships, something she had never encountered before, and she was definitely not apprehensive about the servants below her. The only person she wanted to please was her husband, Yinzhen, and when it came to the servants, she was the one being appeased.
This is not double-dealing, but the common values of people at this time.
Yinzhen looked at his wife's back, which was obviously much happier, and shook his head. What a child she was.
It’s just a sigh. Yinzhen was a very self-disciplined person. He soon devoted himself to studying.
As the night deepened, Yinzhen rubbed his aching neck and finally finished the homework assigned by the teacher: "Tea."
My head is a little sleepy, so I'll drink a cup of strong tea to clear my mind.
As soon as Yinzhen opened the lid, he smelled a rich milky aroma. Looking at the milky white liquid in the cup, he frowned and asked, "What's going on?"
"It was Fu Jin's order," Su Peisheng replied bitterly, hoping that Prince wouldn't lose his temper with him. "Fu Jin said that drinking tea in the evening is not good. From now on, you can't drink tea. You have to drink milk instead. Fu Jin also collected all the tea in the tea room, leaving only a little eagle claw tea. She said that Prince finds milk fishy, and adding some tea leaves and salt to it will make it less fishy."
Yinzhen did not expect that his young wife, who was obviously a little frightened, would do so many things on the first day after the wedding, and all of these things were related to his health.
It has been a long time since anyone has cared so much about his health.
The servants around him would also talk about it, but they would basically mention it in a tactful way. Once he did not express his opinion, they would never mention it again, nor would they say they would think of other solutions.
Just like milk, after he became disgusted with its fishy taste, he never saw it again.
Yinzhen slowly took a sip of the warm milk in the cup. The taste was full of frankincense and a faint tea aroma, without any of the unpleasant fishy smell he remembered.
Yinzhen finished a glass of milk and ordered, "Brighten the light."
Su Peisheng breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the prince had no intention of pursuing the matter and had no objection to replacing all the tea with milk in the future.
As he snipped the candle wick with scissors, he muttered to himself, "This Fu Jin may be young, but she's quite pleasing to me. At least from the moment she entered the house until now, I've never once contradicted her when she spoke."
As for the egg custard, given Su Peisheng's understanding of his master over the years, if the Third Prince hadn't been so nosy at the time, his master wouldn't have said it was forbidden. Even if he ultimately disapproved, he only said so after using it, giving his wife enough face.
Qi Buchen didn't know what Su Peisheng, the famous eunuch in history, was thinking. At this time, she was being besieged by Yue Ma and Hama Ma.
Nanny Yue said with a serious face: "Fujin, I have to tell you today what has been wrong with you these past two days."
Although Aunt Ham's expression was not as serious, she nodded at him seriously.
Although she was about to criticize, Nanny Yue started by praising her: "From yesterday's wedding to today, you have behaved very well. You have not made any mistakes in the etiquette and rules. You have also been lenient and strict with the people around the Fourth Prince, and have not lost the dignity of being the Fourth Prince."
"But, there's just one thing." She changed her tone, frowning. "Your attitude towards the Fourth Prince is too casual and lacks respect. I remember the maids from the Imperial Household Department told you that you should address the Fourth Prince as 'Master' and yourself as 'Concubine', bow when meeting him, and walk slightly behind him. But today, in this room, you didn't bow twice, and you used to call each other 'you' and 'me' directly. I don't believe you've forgotten all these rules. What do you think?"
What can I say? You've completely blocked the path to forgetfulness.
Qi Buchen complained in his heart, but started to act on the surface.
She lowered her head slightly and tugged at the handkerchief in her hand: "Mammy, of course I remember all the rules you mentioned."
"Then why do you still act like that?" Mammy Ham asked in confusion. "You have to know that in the palace, being impolite is a serious matter. Fortunately, we are in the house today and we are all family. But if you continue to be so casual, there is no guarantee that the Fourth Prince will not hear about it, and your reputation will be ruined."
"I know." Qi Buchen still lowered his head, "It's because everyone in the room is ours that I dared to do that."
She raised her head and said, "Mammy Ham, you are an old man who has been with my mother for a long time. Do you still remember how my mother and my father got along?"
How could you not remember? Mammy Ham moved her lips but didn't say anything.
When the original body's mother, Jueluo, married Fei Yanggu, she was a second wife, and Fei Yanggu already had three grown illegitimate sons. The age difference between the two was huge. Fei Yanggu was still a senior official holding military power, while Jueluo, while claiming to be a descendant of the imperial clan, was actually just the illegitimate daughter of a fallen prince. By marrying Fei Yanggu, she was marrying above her station.
Therefore, Jueluo was very respectful to Fei Yanggu, even in awe of him. In any case, they did not look like a couple. In the first few years after Jueluo's marriage, Fei Yanggu was always away on the battlefield, so she could not get pregnant and gain a foothold in the mansion.
Later, although Fei Yanggu was promoted and returned to her position, and she gave birth to a son and a daughter, her good days didn't last long. Fei Yanggu's old illness relapsed. Jueluo Shi, with her young son and daughter, was left with no choice but to live her life in seclusion. All matters in the palace were handed over to the concubine and the eldest son's wife.
All of this aside, Qi Buchen only brought it up to justify his actions: "I don't want to be like my mother, spending my whole life treating my father like a guest. Always polite, always respectful, only to be met with coldness in return. Fourth Prince, he has so many people calling him 'Master', he doesn't need me, just like I have so many of you calling me Fu Jin, I don't need him either."
"Of course, I also know where this is and the importance of rules here. In public, I will of course be the most polite and courteous Fourth Lady, but privately, I hope to treat this place as home."
Yes, this wasn't just Qi Buchen's trick to fool the two maids; it was her true hope. In the Ulanara mansion, although she was a legitimate daughter, she lived like a guest. Her biological mother made her feel mixed emotions, unable to find pure joy for her family. Only her brother, who was still ignorant of the world, could bring her any comfort.
Even though she was afraid and terrified when she first knew she was going to marry the Fourth Prince, she still had a glimmer of hope hidden deep inside her.
Maybe, from now on, she can have her own real home?
The two maids fell silent after hearing her words. Matron Ham said with some difficulty: "Fujin, your thoughts make sense, but...some things...you are still young..."
Having said this, she really didn't know how to continue. Fu Jin was now at such an age, but she didn't even know what it felt like to fall in love for the first time. All she could think about was the joy of having family.
But, she is still young...
She still doesn't understand that just because they're husband and wife, they're actually family members...
It is said that the closest relatives are husband and wife, but in the most noble royal family in the world, we have only seen the most distant couples, but never the closest relatives.
But this is not easy to explain. Some things, if you understand, you understand. If you don’t understand, it’s useless to talk about it.
The two maids had experienced a lot and seen a lot, but at this moment they didn't know how to persuade them. In the end, they could only give up for the time being and wait for the future.
"Well, since you have a plan in mind, Madam, we will not say anything more." Madam Ham sighed, "Just one thing, you must be careful in front of outsiders."
Qi Buchen nodded: "I know it's powerful."
After the three of them finished their conversation, they busied themselves helping Qi Buchen wash and rest, as he would have to get up early every day from now on.
Qi Buchen thought that she would not be able to adjust to the time difference since she had just traveled through time, but she was already yawning non-stop at just past ten o'clock in the evening.
"Master hasn't come back yet?" Qi Buchen asked.
Baozhu explained it to her and replied, "No."
Baochai stood behind her, her eyes filled with grievance and confusion, but she didn't dare to interrupt. Fu Jin hadn't called her or Baoyu all day, nor asked them to serve her. She didn't know what she had done wrong, so she didn't dare to act rashly.
Baoyu, standing on the other side, was equally aggrieved and puzzled, but she was a bit tougher. After Qi Buchen ordered Xie Hanshan to urge Yinzhen to come back and rest early, she suddenly knelt beside Qi Buchen, tears in her eyes, and said stubbornly and chokedly: "Fujin, I am stupid and don't know what I did wrong today to make you dislike me so suddenly. I don't expect to regain your trust. I just want to understand. From now on, whether you send me to sweep the yard or wash clothes, I will never complain."
When Baochai saw Baoyu kneeling, her heart, which had been trying to shrink back, suddenly became impulsive and she knelt down as well: "This servant also wants to understand the truth. Please punish me, Madam."
Baozhu also stopped moving. Seeing the two of them like this, she felt very sorry. The four of them were accompanying Fu Jin. Although there were occasional frictions among them, their relationship was generally good. So she also pleaded, "Master, please spare them for the sake of Baoyu and Baochai's years of service."
One by one, they directly accused Baoyu and Baochai of crimes.
Qi Buchen had witnessed the power of superiors and subordinates, but what could she say? She didn't call these two people because she couldn't pronounce their names. After all, these two names were well-known celebrities in her previous life. Calling them by their names casually and asking them to serve her might be too pretentious, but it was really too embarrassing and awkward, okay?
"It's not your fault." Qi Buchen sighed and asked in the tearful and puzzled eyes of the two, "Can I change your names?"
"My life belongs to my master. You can call me whatever you want." Baoyu kowtowed.
"Get up! What do I want with your lives?" Qi Buchen signaled Baozhu and Baohuan to help them up. Pointing at Baochai, he said, "From now on, your name will be Fuyun." Then he pointed at Baoyu and said, "Your name will be Songying."
"The shadows of the pine trees in the small studio brush against the flat clouds. This is a poem by Du Mu." Qi Buchen explained the origin of their names.
Songying and Fuyun didn't know why Fujin had disliked them during the day, but now Fujin had obviously let them go, so they burst into tears and smiled: "Thank you, Fujin, for the name."
Seeing the atmosphere had eased, Baohuan played along and said, "Fujin, I want to change my name too. The poem you just said is quite good. How about I change my name to Xiaozhai?"
"Go." Songying, who had recovered, pushed him gently. "It's fine if you love to grab food, but now you're even trying to grab my name. You're just an ordinary person, and you don't deserve such a poetic name."
"So you're saying that the name 'Bao Huan' for a vulgar person like me is also vulgar?" Bao Huan chuckled as if she had found a powerful handle, "But it was Fu Jin who gave it to me."
"You just said you wanted to change your name." Songying snorted at her, "So you think the name is not good?"
Baohuan was suddenly choked and couldn't speak.
Qi Buchen was amused by their bickering and laughed when he heard Xie Hanshan's voice outside: "Fujin, Master said he knows, so you can rest first."
"I understand." Qi Buchen knew that this kind of thing could not be changed in a day or two, so he was not in a hurry, as there was still a long time to come.
The author has something to say:
----------------------
Yinzhen: My wife seems to have amnesia at such a young age, what should I do? Waiting online, urgent!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
