Chapter 107: The warmth in front of Kunning Palace, the old memories and the new face disturb the soul
Morning light streamed across the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City, tinting the vermilion walls of Kunning Palace a warm gold. Little Swallow, guided by Eunuch Zhou, walked along the white marble imperial path. The dew-soaked flagstones beneath her feet shone, reflecting her slightly awkward figure. She wore a moon-white Hangzhou silk gown with a few pale pink magnolias embroidered around the collar. Mother Fang had hastily made it overnight, saying it would be "presentable for meeting the imperial family." But she felt the material was too slippery, less comfortable than her training uniform, and every few steps she took, she couldn't help but tug at the sash at her waist.
"Miss Fang, the Kunning Palace is just ahead." Eunuch Zhou slowed down his pace and reminded in a low voice, "The Empress has just returned from the Empress Dowager's palace, and she may be resting in a side hall now." He had a smile in the corner of his eyes, and his tone was a bit cautious - everyone knew that although this Miss Fang had not entered the palace, she was looked at differently by the Emperor, and even Eunuch Su had specifically instructed her to be served carefully.
Xiaoyanzi hummed, her gaze drawn to the bronze cranes at the palace gate. The pair of cranes stood proudly on either side of the steps, their wings smoothed by time, the morning light casting a cold gleam on them. She suddenly remembered her previous life, when she first entered the palace, she had been punished by kneeling before this very gate, her knees rubbing against the cold stone, her body trembling at the empress's harsh rebukes. But now, with the palace gates wide open and the faint sound of gentle laughter emanating from within, she felt a sense of daze.
"Isn't this Miss Fang?" Just as she finished speaking, the empress emerged from the palace with a group of palace maids. She was wearing a dark blue dress embroidered with a phoenix pattern, and a red gold and kingfisher phoenix hairpin tucked diagonally into her hair. The pearls on the hairpin swayed gently with her steps, casting shattered light on the bluestone floor like a field of falling stars.
"Long live the Empress!" Xiaoyanzi quickly knelt in greeting, her fingertips clutching the hem of her gown nervously, her knuckles turning white. The Empress of her previous life always had a furrowed brow, her eyes like ice-hardened knives, but the one before her had a faint smile on her lips, and even the fine lines around her eyes hinted at gentleness.
"Hurry up, the ground is cold." The Queen personally reached out and helped her up. Her palm was warm and had a faint orchid fragrance. "This child, why are you so reserved every time you see me?" She took Xiaoyanzi's hand and walked into the palace. Her eyes fell on her thin gown and her brows furrowed slightly. "It's windy this morning. Why don't you put on more clothes? You might catch a cold."
Xiaoyanzi's arm was held by her, and the familiar scent of orchids lingered in her nose—the same scent as the white orchids planted in the Fang Mansion's backyard. She secretly looked up and saw the Queen observing her with a smile, her gaze lingering on the white jade hairpin at her temple. Ziwei had given it to her a few days ago, saying, "Jade can calm the mind."
"Look at her features; they become more and more beautiful the more I look at them." The Queen turned to Rong Mama beside her and smiled, her tone filled with genuine joy. "She exudes a sense of intelligence and grace. No wonder the Emperor often mused about the Jiangnan climate, saying it's a place where the natural environment nourishes people and nurtures such a lively girl." She raised her hand to smooth down Xiaoyanzi's slightly disheveled hair, her fingertips gently brushing her cheek. "At the last palace banquet, I saw you play 'Wild Geese Falling on the Plain Sands'; your qin skills were much more lively than those of the palace musicians."
Xiaoyanzi's cheeks flushed with praise and she quickly lowered her head: "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I was just playing the piano for fun." But her heart felt like a rabbit was running around - in her previous life, when the Queen saw her, she either scolded her for being a "wild girl without manners" or asked Rong Mama to "teach her court etiquette." Today, her attitude was like that of a neighbor's aunt seeing her own niece, so friendly that it made her feel uneasy.
"What nonsense?" The Queen pulled her to sit on a rosewood chair in the side hall. A maid quickly brought a cup of hot tea in a celadon cup with a lotus pattern. "The Emperor said the other day that the accounts of the grain shop you helped Liu Qing and Liu Hong to buy were better than those of the old shopkeeper. It shows that you are a caring person." She picked up her teacup and took a sip, the smile in her eyes deepening. "It's rare to find a rich lady in the capital who can sympathize with the suffering of the people."
Little Swallow held the warm teacup, her fingertips touching the pattern on the cup's wall, and she felt even more puzzled. The furnishings of Kunning Palace were also different from what she remembered—hanging on the wall was not the majestic "Palace of All Nations Greetings" but the elegant "Painter of Orchids and Stones"; on the table was not a cold jade ruyi, but a celadon vase filled with fresh lilies. Even the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of flowers.
"I heard your brother Xiao Jian is a master of both civil and military arts?" the Queen suddenly asked, pushing a plate of freshly baked almond cakes in front of her. "A few days ago, I heard from the Empress Dowager that the charity school he founded in the south of the city has taken in many orphans. It's truly a great thing." She picked up a piece of almond cake and handed it to Xiaoyanzi. "Your sister is quite sensible and has the demeanor of your brother."
Xiaoyanzi bit into the almond pastry, the sweet fragrance spreading across her tongue, but her heart was in turmoil. She stole a glance at Rong Mama standing nearby. She saw her eyes downcast, the whisk in her hand neatly placed on the crook of her arm, not a trace of the fierce look she had in her previous life, her hands on her hips, scolding someone. "My brother is just kind-hearted," Xiaoyanzi replied vaguely, "it's all thanks to our parents' good teachings."
The Queen smiled upon hearing this, dimples etched in the corners of her eyes. "Your parents are kindhearted people too. The memorial to Jiangnan Water Conservancy presented to me a few days ago by Mr. Fang was written with sincerity, showing that he truly cares for the people." She suddenly slipped a mutton-fat jade bracelet from her wrist and gently placed it on Xiaoyanzi's hand. The jade bracelet was warm and translucent, with intricate engravings of lotus flowers on it. "I give this bracelet to you as a welcoming gift. You are a delightful girl, and it makes me happy just to look at you."
The word "comfortable" was like a small pebble, sending ripples through Xiaoyanzi's heart. She touched the jade bracelet on her wrist. The cold jade, yet warmed by the Queen's body temperature, made her nose tingle. She could still vividly remember the fragments of the jade hairpin that the Queen had hurled at her in her previous life. Now, the gentle sway of the warm jade on her wrist made those cold memories blur.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness." Xiaoyanzi stood up and bowed, confusion flooding her heart like a tide - how could this queen be completely different from her previous life? Was she remembering it wrong, or... was this life truly different?
"Are you going to see the Emperor?" The Empress smiled as she saw her leaving. "The Imperial Study is not far ahead. Eunuch Su just came to ask about it. Walk slowly on the way, don't fall." She personally escorted Xiaoyanzi to the palace gate, her eyes as gentle as spring sunshine. "Come to Kunning Palace often when you have time, and talk to me."
Xiaoyanzi replied "yes," turned, and followed Eunuch Zhou to the Imperial Study. After a few steps, she looked back to see the Empress still standing at the palace gate, watching her. Her dark blue dress looked especially soft in the morning light. She glanced down at the jade bracelet on her wrist, then touched the blueprint of Ziwei's keepsake hidden in her bosom. A sudden sense of relief washed over her. No matter how the Empress changed, as long as everyone was well in this life, that was more important than anything else.
The dew on the palace path gradually dried, and the bluestone slabs glowed in the sun. Xiaoyanzi shook her head, suppressing the surging memories, and quickened her pace towards the imperial study. Right now, the most important thing was to see the Emperor and inquire about Ziwei's situation. But the warmth of Kunning Palace and the Empress's gentle smile, like a spring breeze, quietly blew into the cold corner of her heart.
/：.
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