Chapter 145: Morning Dew Wets Clothes, Hidden Scheme
It was barely dawn, and the leaves of the crabapple trees in Shufangzhai were still shimmering with morning dew. Little Swallow, dressed in a lake-blue outfit, wore the dagger Yongqi had given her at her waist. She was practicing swordplay on the bluestone bricks of the porch. The tip of her sword sliced through the morning mist, sending up a stream of tiny silver lights. With a light tap of her toes, she swooped across the courtyard like a swallow, her skirt sweeping across the wintersweet blossoms on the steps, startling a few sparrows that fluttered into the sky.
"Practice slowly, be careful not to get hurt." Yongqi leaned against the vermilion pillar, holding a food box in his hand, his royal blue uniform damp at the corners with morning dew. He watched the beads of sweat on Xiaoyanzi's temples as she sheathed her sword, and couldn't help but offer her a handkerchief. "I just asked for the osmanthus cake from the imperial kitchen; it's still warm."
Xiaoyanzi took the handkerchief and wiped her face roughly. The tassels on the sword brushed against the back of Yongqi's hand, making him shrink back in itch. She leaned over to the food box and sniffed, her eyes shining like stars in the morning dew. "You really understand me! This is three times sweeter than what the kitchen makes!" She grabbed a piece and stuffed it into her mouth, mumbling, "Yesterday's formal dress was too heavy. I prefer tight clothes. After the ancestor worship is over, how about I teach you to climb trees and dig out bird nests?"
Yongqi shook his head helplessly, brushing the cake crumbs from the corner of her mouth with his fingertips. "If the Emperor knew I was learning this, he would punish me by making me copy the Analects." He looked at her lively eyes and eyebrows, his Adam's apple moving slightly. "But... if you teach me, I will learn."
Xiaoyanzi's cheeks flushed, and she turned around and pretended to adjust the sword tassel: "Who wants to teach you! You are so clumsy, don't fall down and cry." Having said that, the corners of her mouth could not help but rise, and even the tassels of the sword tassel seemed to be stained with a smile.
In the warm room, Ziwei sat by the window, copying a prayer for her ancestors. Morning light filtered through the carved window lattices, casting tiny specks of light on the rice paper. Her hand, slender and fair, gripped the wolf-hair brush, the silver bracelet on her wrist swaying gently as she moved. Erkang stood behind her, holding a moon-white cloak. Noticing the slight tremor on her shoulders, he gently draped it over her, "The dew is heavy this morning; be careful not to catch a cold."
Ziwei paused, a drop of ink landing next to the word "filial piety," creating a tiny dot. As she turned, her hair brushed against the back of Erkang's hand, causing both of them to freeze. She blushed and lowered her head, "Thank you very much."
"The prayer is so well written," Erkang's voice was softer than the morning dew, his eyes fixed on the beautiful handwriting on the rice paper, "every word is filled with love." He took out a piece of warm jade from his sleeve and placed it next to Ziwei's hand, "this is the warm jade I asked someone to find in Hotan. It doesn't feel cold in my hand, so it's perfect for ancestor worship."
Ziwei's fingertips touched the warm jade face, and when she looked up, she met Erkang's gentle eyes. She hurriedly grasped the warm jade in her palm and whispered, "You are always so thoughtful." The sparrows outside the window chirped and flew by, and the air in the warm room seemed to be stained with a faint sweetness.
"Princess! The Empress has sent for clothes!" Mingyue stepped forward, holding a gilded lacquer box. She placed the box on the table and opened it, revealing two lilac-colored palace gowns with lotus embroidery around the collars and a snow-white fox fur lining. "The Empress said the winds would be strong after the enthronement ceremony, so she had thicker fur added. She also said the color would complement the princesses' complexions."
Xiaoyanzi came over to take a look, reached out to touch the fox fur lining, and exclaimed, "This fox fur is even softer than the one my brother gave me! The Empress Dowager loves us so much!" She turned to Ziwei and winked, "Looks like we'll have to go get a few more plates of Kunning Palace snacks from now on!"
Ziwei smiled and nodded, her fingertips stroking the embroidery thread: "I have to write a letter of thanks to the Queen when I get back." She picked up the palace dress and compared it on her body. The mauve color made her skin look even whiter, and Erkang's eyes were fixed on her.
Yet, even the morning light in Jingren Palace at this moment was chilling. Concubine Gao sat before the mirror, while Nanny Li combed her hair. The bronze mirror reflected her cold profile, the red gold and ruby hairpins on her temples gleaming sharply.
"Is the phoenix hairpin ready?" Concubine Gao's voice was cold. She looked at the fine lines at the corners of her eyes in the mirror and dug her nails deep into the carvings on the dressing table.
Nanny Li quickly brought over a brocade box. When she opened it, the phoenix hairpin inside shone coldly in the morning light. "Your Majesty, the craftsman worked all night to make this. The fine needle at the tip of the hairpin is hidden under the gemstone. Just a slight push of the mechanism..." She made a stabbing motion, a fierce look in her eyes. "It's been kept secret without anyone noticing."
Concubine Gao picked up the phoenix hairpin, her fingertips gliding across the cool gemstone. She suddenly sneered, "Princess Mingzhu is gentle and demure, so this hairpin is just right for her. As for Princess Huanzhu..." She put down the hairpin and looked at the sky-blue Shu brocade on the table. "Give her this 'Cloud Brocade' to let her know the rules of the palace. Not everyone can do as they please."
Nanny Li nodded and bowed, "Your Majesty's plan is brilliant! This Shu brocade may look gorgeous, but in reality, the silver threads are brittle and hard. It will scratch the skin after a few wears. When they wear it with such splendor at the enthronement ceremony, they will suffer in a few days!"
Concubine Gao stood up and walked to the window, looking at the withering autumn chrysanthemums in the courtyard. Her voice was so soft it sounded like a sigh: "Scenery? I will turn their glory into thorns in my body."
On the gravel path of the Imperial Garden, Xiao Jian, carrying a lunch box, was walking towards Shufangzhai. He wore a dark suit, the imperially bestowed dagger at his waist, and walked with a steady gait. As he passed through the moon-shaped gate, he saw Qing'er squatting under a crabapple tree, gathering fallen leaves. The hem of her pale yellow palace dress spread across the grass, like a butterfly spreading its wings.
She was clutching a bright red crabapple leaf in her hand, engraving a message on it with a silver hairpin when she heard footsteps. She looked up suddenly, and the hairpin clanged to the ground. The moment their eyes met, Qing'er's cheeks flushed red. As she hurriedly stood up, her skirt got caught on a stone, nearly causing her to fall.
Xiao Jian quickly stepped forward to support her. His fingertips touched her slightly cool arm, and both of them withdrew their hands as if burned. He bent down and picked up the silver hairpin and crabapple leaf on the ground. On the leaf was a small "Qing" character engraved, the ink still wet.
"Guard Xiao...Guard Xiao." Qing'er lowered her head, twisting the handkerchief between her fingers. It was the one he had picked up that day, embroidered with a faint orchid pattern. "Are you here to visit Princess Huanzhu?"
"Well," Xiao Jian handed her the silver hairpin and crabapple leaf, his voice a little dry. "My sister kept talking about the osmanthus cake at home, so I brought her some." He looked at Qing'er's red ears and added, "This leaf... is beautifully carved."
Qing'er took the item, clutching the crabapple leaf tightly in her palm, and whispered, "Yesterday I saw the crabapple leaves in the Imperial Garden had fallen, so I thought of picking up a few to use as bookmarks." She secretly looked up and saw Xiao Jian looking at her. She hurriedly lowered her head, "I... I should go back to the Cining Palace. The Empress Dowager is still waiting for me to grind ink."
"I'll take you there." Xiao Jian blurted out, but then he felt it was abrupt and his ears turned red.
Qing'er hummed softly, and the two walked side by side toward the Cining Palace. Morning dew dampened the gravel path. An occasional breeze blew, stirring up a few fallen leaves, but it couldn't dispel the subtle awkwardness and warmth between them. Xiao Jian looked at Qing'er's hair, gilded by the morning light, and quietly untied his cloak. He hesitated behind her, but ultimately didn't dare put it on.
In the warm room of Shufangzhai, Xiaoyanzi was trying on the lilac-colored palace dress given by the Queen. She turned around to show Ziwei: "How is it? Doesn't it look better than that light red dress?" Her skirt swept across the charcoal basin, and sparks jumped up, but were quickly deflected by Yongqi.
Ziwei smiled and nodded. "It looks great, and it sets off your complexion beautifully." She picked up the prayer and said, "Do you think there's anything else you need to change? It has to be recited during the ancestral worship ceremony, and there can't be any mistakes."
Yongqi came over to take a look and pointed his finger at the four characters "Respectfully Inviting the Ancestors": "You can add 'May the ancestors bless our family and country with peace and prosperity' here. The emperor will definitely be happy to hear that."
Xiaoyanzi leaned over, but was dazzled by the tiny words on the rice paper. "Oh, I'm dizzy! Just look at it and make the corrections. I'll repeat after you when the time comes!" She grabbed a piece of osmanthus cake and stuffed it into her mouth, mumbling, "By the way, why hasn't Brother Xiao Jian come yet? The osmanthus cake he makes is even better than the one in the imperial kitchen!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Jian came in through the curtains. Seeing the lively scene in the warm room, he shook his head helplessly. "I heard you yelling as soon as I walked in. Have you forgotten the palace rules?" He handed the food box to Mingyue. "I just ran into Princess Qing in the Imperial Garden. She said that the Empress Dowager hasn't had a good appetite lately, so she asked the kitchen to make more white fungus soup."
Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up: "Sister Qing'er? Why didn't she come over and sit with us?"
"The old Buddha is still waiting," Xiao Jian looked at his sister, his eyes full of doting, "After the enthronement ceremony, let her come to Shufangzhai to talk to you."
Laughter rose again in the warm room, and the morning light filtered through the window lattices, stretching the figures of the crowd into long lines. Unnoticed, the young eunuch in the corridor, his sleeves stained with ink, quietly retreated. He remembered the laughter in the warm room, the Empress's gift, and Xiao Jian and Qing'er's companionship, and walked quickly towards Jingren Palace. In the embroidery room of Jingren Palace, the phoenix hairpin, containing a fine needle, had been placed in a brocade box, waiting to be pierced by the warm morning light on the day of the enthronement ceremony.
Unicorn
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