Chapter 171: Appreciating Tang in the Imperial Garden, Secretly Passing on the Secret
The sunlight at 9:00 PM was just right, filtering through the sycamore leaves of the Imperial Garden, casting dappled shadows on the blue brick path. The crabapple blossoms were in full bloom, their pink and white petals piled like clouds and snow, scattering in the breeze, spreading a fragrant blanket of crushed jade across the ground.
Xiaoyanzi wore an apricot-colored silk gown embroidered with crabapple blossoms. The hem of her skirt lifted gently with each step, like a cheerful butterfly. She held a small bamboo cage, and inside, a blue butterfly fluttered its wings, its pollen gleaming in the sunlight like tiny specks of light. "Hurry up, hurry up! The Emperor must be waiting impatiently!" She turned and waved to Ziwei, the pearl tassels in her hair jingling.
Ziwei was wearing a moon-white plain skirt with a water-green cloak on the outside. She was protected by Erkang and walked slowly. Hearing this, she smiled helplessly: "Run slower, the ground is slippery." She looked at Xiaoyanzi's excited back, and then looked at Erkang beside her. He was carefully brushing away the petals that fell on her shoulders. The tenderness in his eyes could drown people, and her cheeks couldn't help but feel slightly hot.
Yongqi followed Xiaoyanzi, holding a folding fan in his hand, and from time to time he would block the drooping branches for her: "Be careful not to hit your head, the branches of this crabapple tree are low." He watched her tiptoe to reach the highest petals, her skirt brushing against the surface of his shoes, and his heart felt itchy as if it was gently scratched by a feather.
"What are you afraid of?" Xiaoyanzi grabbed his wrist with her backhand, and using the force to leap up, her fingertips delicately plucked the most gorgeous crabapple blossom. "Look! This one is the most beautiful!" She pinned the flower in Ziwei's hair and tilted her head to examine it. "It's really beautiful, as gentle as my sister."
Ziwei smiled and pressed the flower in her hair: "You are the only one who talks sweetly." She turned her head to look at Erkang, and saw that he was looking at her. As their eyes moved, both of them blushed and quickly looked away, but could not help but secretly glance at each other with the corner of their eyes, like two shy deer.
"Wow, boom, boom, these crabapples are blooming more vibrantly than the hydrangeas in the guesthouse!" Little Mosquito followed behind, holding a sugar painting in his hand, muttering as he ate, "If Brother Liu Qing were here, he would definitely pick a few branches and put them in a vase, saying it would attract customers!" Little Stool was carrying a small bag containing a storytelling stick and a storybook, and he was still reciting the story of Sun Wukong: "It's about the Monkey King who protected Tang Sanzang on his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures, and encountered a crabapple spirit blocking the way. His flaming eyes glanced at him and—"
"Ding-ling-ling—" Xiaoyanzi's silver bell at her waist suddenly rang. She skipped over to the octagonal pavilion in front and saw from a distance that Emperor Qianlong was sitting at a stone table inside the pavilion, wearing a bright yellow dress, engrossed in a book. Eunuch Su was standing nearby. Seeing them approach, he quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Huanzhu and Princess Mingzhu have arrived."
Qianlong put down the book, and when he looked up, the smile in his eyes was as gentle as the spring breeze. "Finally you're here. I've been waiting for you for a long time." His eyes fell on Xiaoyanzi, and seeing a crabapple petal stuck in her hair, he couldn't help but raise his hand to brush it away for her. "Did you have fun? Your hair is all messed up."
"No way!" Little Swallow said stubbornly, but she stood still obediently and held the bamboo cage forward. "Look, Father Emperor, isn't this butterfly pretty? I caught it this morning, and there's still pollen on its wings!" She deliberately shook the cage, and the blue butterfly fluttered its wings, and pollen fell on the bamboo strips. "Little Stool said that this butterfly might have been transformed from a demon, specifically to spread news for the bad guys!"
Qianlong's eyes flickered, and he smiled, echoing her words. "Oh? Then we'll have to ask Sun Wukong to take a look and see if there's really a demon at work." He took the bamboo basket and examined it carefully. His fingertips gently touched the butterfly's wings, and sure enough, he felt a bit of pale yellow powder on it, exactly like the pollen from the crabapple blossoms in his memory. "This pollen looks familiar, like the crabapple blossoms in the Imperial Garden." He calmly handed the basket to Eunuch Su, "Take good care of it, and don't let it get away."
Ziwei knelt and saluted, her voice gentle, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration. I specially brought you some freshly brewed Rain-Previous Longjing tea today. Would you like to try it?" She poured tea for Qianlong herself, the leaves in the cup expanding and a delicate fragrance rising. "This is what Brother Erkang brought from Jiangnan. He said it's this year's new tea."
Speaking of Erkang, Qianlong looked at the young man standing beside him. He was dressed in a royal blue brocade robe, his figure erect, and his eyes full of cherishment as he looked at Ziwei. Qianlong smiled and nodded, "That's thoughtful, young man from the Fu family. Ziwei loves tea. Find more good tea and send it to her in the future." Erkang quickly bowed, "Your Majesty, I obey your order."
Yongqi handed over a brocade box at the right time: "Your Majesty, this is the ink stick that I found. It is said to use the old recipe of Hui ink, and it is very smooth to write with. Do you like it?" He opened the box, and the ink stick inside was engraved with pine and crane longevity patterns, and the ink had a mellow fragrance.
"That's thoughtful." Qianlong picked up the inkstone and examined it, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the young people. Seeing Xiaoyanzi secretly winking at Yongqi, and Ziwei and Erkang lowering their heads and smiling faintly, he couldn't help but chuckle, "You guys are even more lively than these crabapple blossoms." He took a sip of tea and changed the subject slightly, "Yesterday the Empress said the Empress Dowager's birthday screen is almost finished. Ziwei's craftsmanship is getting even better."
Ziwei's cheeks blushed slightly: "I would like to thank the Emperor for his praise. It's just that I made a few mistakes in the embroidery a few days ago. Fortunately, I found it in time and asked the embroiderer to fix it." She did not mention the tampering, but just brushed it off.
Little Swallow couldn't help but interrupt, "That's right! Those stitches are so crooked, it's obvious they weren't your sister's work! I even noticed some crabapple pollen stained on the wrong thread!" She blinked her eyes innocently, "Father Emperor, isn't that strange? The longevity screen is in the inner room, how could it be stained with pollen from outside?"
Qianlong put down the teacup and tapped the tabletop with his fingertips, making a rhythmic sound. "Oh? Is that true? Perhaps some careless maid accidentally stained it while cleaning." His tone was calm, but his eyes were a little colder. "But the Empress Dowager's birthday screen is important. We should be careful and don't let anyone else get close to it."
"Your Majesty is right!" Little Swallow nodded vigorously, picking up a piece of freshly baked osmanthus cake and stuffing it into her mouth. "That's why I have the small table and stool take turns guarding the embroidery frame. No one is allowed to get close! If anyone dares to tamper with it again, I'll have the little bugs bark like dogs to scare them away!"
"Chirp! Woof!" The little bug immediately imitated the sounds, making everyone laugh. The little stool took the opportunity to pick up the wake-up stick and slapped it: "It is said that the monsters are most afraid of Sun Wukong's fiery eyes, and even more afraid of the righteousness of loyal and righteous people. As long as we are united, even the most cunning monsters will have nowhere to hide--"
The wind blew through the octagonal pavilion, bringing the fragrance of crabapple blossoms to the courtyard. As Qianlong watched the bustle unfold, the melancholy in his heart gradually dissipated. He knew Xiaoyanzi was delivering a message. The pollen on the butterfly's wings and the crooked stitching on the longevity screen were undoubtedly subtle gestures from Concubine Gao. This girl, clearly knowing the truth, chose to play it safe, using this childish way to remind him.
"It's getting late," Qianlong stood up and patted Xiaoyanzi on the shoulder. "You young people should take a look around. I still have memorials to review." He gave Xiaoyanzi a meaningful look. "It's really fun! The crabapple blossoms in the palace aren't this lively every day."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Xiaoyanzi playfully bowed. She watched Qianlong's back disappear at the end of the flower path before sticking out her tongue and winking at Yongqi. "How's it going? Isn't my 'butterfly message' trick powerful?"
Yongqi scratched her nose and said, "That's great. But next time, don't let the little bug bark like a dog. What if it scares the emperor?" Xiaoyanzi snorted, grabbed a piece of osmanthus cake and stuffed it into his mouth. The two of them started chasing each other, and their laughter scared away the sparrows in the corner of the pavilion.
Ziwei and Erkang walked side by side under the crabapple tree. Petals fell into Ziwei's hair. Erkang reached out and gently brushed them away, his fingertips accidentally touching her earlobe. They both drew their hands back as if they had been electrocuted. "The look in the emperor's eyes just now was full of approval," Ziwei said softly, her eyes gleaming.
"As long as I can protect you, anything is fine." Erkang's voice was low and gentle. "As for the matter of the longevity screen, I have asked the embroiderers in the mansion to speed up the repair. The Queen Mother's birthday will definitely not be missed." He looked at her cheeks that were slightly red from the sun, and his heart softened.
Little Mosquito ran over with the sugar painting and huddled up to Little Swallow. "Princess, when Eunuch Su took the butterfly cage away just now, his face turned pale. He must have noticed something wrong with the pollen!" Little Stool nodded. "I heard Eunuch Su tell the guards to check who's been hanging around the crabapple tree in the West Palace lately. Wow, boom! They're going to catch a monster!"
Little Swallow raised her chin proudly. "That's right! Look who discovered the clue!" She picked up a crabapple petal and tossed it into the air. "Come on, let's go to the rockery over there and play hide-and-seek! The loser has to imitate the chirping of a bug!"
"I won't learn!" Yongqi chased after her with a smile, "If anyone should learn, it should be you. Last time when you were climbing a tree and got stuck, who was the one crying for help?" Xiaoyanzi turned around and made a face, her skirt fluttering, bringing with it the fragrance of crabapple flowers, as if wrapping the whole spring in the wind.
Ziwei leaned against Erkang, watching the figures playing in the distance, a gentle, lingering smile on her lips. The wind blew through the crabapple treetops, petals cascading down, landing in their hair and on their shoulders, as if quietly recording the warmth and vitality within these palace walls. On the stone table in the octagonal pavilion, the cup of Longjing tea still steamed, its fragrance mingling with the scent of flowers, quietly permeating the air in the sunlight, as if even time itself had become gentle.
A young eunuch hurried past in the dark corridor, taking everything he had just seen to heart, and quickly walked towards Jingren Palace. However, he didn't notice that not far behind him, Guard Zhou was following silently, his fingertips pressed on the sword at his waist, his eyes sharp as an eagle.
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