After enjoying the tulip garden for a while, Qingyin prepared to go back.
Kangxi watched Qingyin stand there for as long as she stood there. Liang Jiugong, who was guarding the side, dared not utter a sound until Qingyin had walked far away, at which point he heard Kangxi's voice:
"Return to the Qianqing Palace."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Kangxi also vaguely guessed Qingyin's identity. The palace was heavily guarded, and anyone who could enter needed to report. The woman was obviously from outside the palace. During this period, only a few of Consort Tong's cousins had entered the palace, but it was unknown which family she belonged to.
Back at Chengqian Palace, Qingyin felt a bit sore in her legs. Upon returning to her room, Helu diligently prepared a basin of warm water.
"Miss, let me soak your feet first, and then massage your calves."
"Okay." Qingyin closed her eyes comfortably, enjoying the service of the ancient rice weevil.
After soaking her feet, He Lu gently dried Qing Yin's feet and placed them on a footstool, providing a truly masterful service. She carefully massaged Qing Yin's calves, gently pressing while observing Qing Yin's expression to adjust the pressure.
Under this comfortable massage, Qingyin successfully drifted into a sweet dream.
At the Left Prime Minister's residence, Orondai, dressed in flamboyant attire with a large exposed collar, sat arrogantly opposite his friend Liu Qingxu. He casually downed his wine in one gulp, teasing his friend.
"I recently heard that our young master Liu's reputation is in jeopardy, as a young man has taken your title as the number one young master!" However, Orondai, who was teasing his friend, never expected that the one who squeezed out his friend's position would be his own younger sister.
"These are just outsiders' opinions, why should we care?" Liu Qingxu said calmly, his face extremely cold.
“Yes, a talented person like Young Master Liu wouldn’t care about such appearances.” Orondai wasn’t disappointed that he didn’t see the expression he wanted. He leaned against the slanted pillar of the pavilion with his face upturned. He had long arms and legs, and his two long legs stretched directly in front of Liu Qingxu.
Liu Qingxu frowned slightly, "You're supposed to be a noble young master from a general's mansion, can't you at least be a little more mindful of your manners?"
"What's the big deal? Your pavilion is too small. I don't even have the right to stretch my legs out." Orondai chuckled, knowing his friend's tolerance level very well, and withdrew his leg just before his friend was about to make a move.
In fact, the fact that the eldest son of the General's Mansion, Orondai, and the eldest son of the Prime Minister's Mansion, Liu Qingxu, were on good terms undoubtedly shocked a great deal of people. In a sense, the Tong and Liu families were old rivals. This relationship mainly dates back to their ancestors. The two families' patriarchs had been competing with each other since the time of the late emperor. The Liu family would send a daughter to the palace, and the Tong family would send a daughter in return. However, the Tong family's daughter gave birth to Emperor Kangxi, giving them a slight advantage. Until now, the situation was uncertain, and the Tong family was not as glorious as before.
The clans didn't actually oppose the friendship between the two families, who were considered the next generation of heirs. Instead, they generally ignored it and tacitly agreed. Relationships in the imperial court were unpredictable; friends one second could become political enemies the next. Therefore, the relationship between the Tong and Lin families had already eased considerably behind the scenes.
After a short nap, Qingyin woke up in the evening. She was still a little groggy, but the perceptive Helu quickly noticed her master's movements and gently helped her up and wash up.
"Miss, Consort Tong knows you are a little tired and tells you that you don't need to go over there. Just have dinner in the side hall and rest well."
Qingyin nodded and, under Helu's meticulous care, arrived at the side hall. Dinner consisted of some nuts, a cup of hot milk tea, several plates of crisp and refreshing pickled vegetables, and a bowl of steaming red beef noodle soup.
During this time, Consort Tong knew Qingyin's dietary preferences inside and out. Knowing that Qingyin was a little girl who loved spicy food but couldn't handle too much spice, she deliberately reduced the spiciness of her cooking. Even so, Qingyin's eyes lit up when she saw the noodles glistening with bright red broth. She couldn't wait to take a few bites. After just one bite, a few beads of sweat appeared on Qingyin's nose, and her spicy red lips looked even more moist and glossy.
He Lu, standing to the side, diligently peeled nuts for Qing Yin and handed her milk tea. The other palace maids, who appeared to be gracefully and diligently carrying out their tasks, occasionally glanced shyly at Qing Yin, revealing their absent-mindedness.
Looking at He Lu, who was taking care of Qingyin, they wished they could take her place and personally hand her nuts and milk tea.
Aside from the absent-minded palace maids, the most focused person at the meal was Qingyin, who was diligently eating. The cooks in the manor were not comparable to the imperial chefs in the palace; the imperial chefs' cooking skills were indeed several levels higher. Qingyin thought about her departure and felt a little reluctant. However, she figured it wouldn't be long.
Just as Qingyin had expected, by evening, the efficient Liang Jiugong had already ascertained Qingyin's identity.
"Your Majesty, that young lady is none other than Miss Tong Jia Qingyu, the second daughter of General Tong Guogang. She has just turned fifteen and is here to accompany the Imperial Concubine."
Fifteen was indeed a bit young. Emperor Kangxi, several generations older than Qingyin, frowned slightly.
Liang Jiugong noticed the slight pause His Majesty made when he mentioned the age, and he immediately realized what he meant and cleverly replied,
"As the saying goes, a blessed person is always blessed. This beauty deserves to be paired with the greatest hero in the world, so as not to disappoint anyone."
Kangxi chuckled, understanding the meaning, "You clever dog servant."
Noticing Kangxi's satisfaction, Liang Jiugong smiled ingratiatingly. Having accompanied the emperor for so many years, he understood him at least seven-tenths of the time, if not ten-tenths. He was the best at pleasing the emperor.
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