Chapter 207: The wind blows against the palace wall, and warmth protects
A thin layer of ice formed on the window lattices of Shufangzhai, and sunlight refracted through the icy flakes, casting tiny specks of light on the blue brick floor. In the warm room, the charcoal basin burned brightly, its copper lid reflecting the dancing flames, scorching the entire room with warmth.
Ziwei sat at the embroidery frame by the window, a silver needle in her hand, but she didn't put it down for a long time. The plain silk in front of her was half-embroidered with orchids, the stitches were fine, but at this moment, her brows were slightly furrowed, her long eyelashes drooped, her eyes were a little dazed, and her fingertips unconsciously stroked the silk surface.
"Are you daydreaming again?" Xiaoyanzi came in from outside, a chill on her body. She wore a pomegranate-red short jacket, a red silk ribbon tied around her waist, and a jade pendant given by Yongqi hung around her neck, swaying gently with her movements. She held a food box in her hands and walked a few steps to the embroidery frame. "This almond cheese just arrived from Concubine Ling's palace. It's so sweet. Come and try it."
Ziwei was brought back to her senses by her call. When she looked up, her eyes were still a little confused. Seeing that it was Xiaoyanzi, she smiled gently: "Where have you been? Has the snow stopped outside?"
"Stop, stop, the sun is out." Xiaoyanzi opened the food box, revealing two bowls of milky almond curd sprinkled with crushed almonds. "I'm going to give your embroidered handkerchief to the Empress. She praised your craftsmanship and even gave you two pieces of brocade." She scooped a spoonful of almond curd and held it to Ziwei's lips. "Eat it quickly! It won't taste good if it gets cold."
Ziwei opened her mouth to take it, the sweet fragrance melting on her tongue. She gently pushed Xiaoyanzi's hand away and said, "I'll do it myself." Her eyes fell on the handkerchief on the embroidery frame and she whispered, "Have you heard about the rumors in the palace?"
Xiaoyanzi paused while scooping up the almond milk, then curled her lips nonchalantly, "I heard about it, isn't it just some gossip? The Emperor didn't take it seriously, so don't take it to heart." She sat down next to Ziwei and pushed the food box towards her. "Look at you, your brows are almost twisted into knots. If you worry any more, you'll get wrinkles."
"But I'm afraid..." Ziwei lowered her voice, twisting the silk handkerchief between her fingertips, "I'm afraid these words will reach the emperor's ears and make him upset. I'm also afraid... I'm afraid that others will look at you strangely."
"I'm not afraid!" Xiaoyanzi put the spoon into the bowl and said in a crisp voice, "If anyone dares to look at me strangely, I will kick him with my 'shadowless kick'! Besides, we have the emperor to protect us, Yongqi, Erkang, and the big guys in the guesthouse, who can bully us?" She patted her chest, and the jade pendant on her neck shook even more violently.
Ziwei looked into her sparkling eyes, and the uneasiness in her heart gradually faded. She smiled and shook her head: "Only you are brave."
"How can I be your sister if I'm not brave enough?" Xiaoyanzi raised her chin proudly. Suddenly, she caught sight of a figure at the door and her eyes lit up. "Yongqi! Erkang! You've arrived just in time!"
Yongqi and Erkang entered through the light snow, the foam from their boots leaving a small puddle at the doorway. Yongqi wore a royal blue brocade robe trimmed with white fox fur at the collar. In his hand, he held a freshly picked red plum blossom, its petals still stained with snow. He walked over to Xiaoyanzi and handed her the blossom, "Just picked these in the Imperial Garden, they're in full bloom."
Xiaoyanzi took the plum blossom and brought it to her nose to smell it. The fragrance was so refreshing that her eyes curved into crescents. "It's beautiful! Even more beautiful than the peonies in the palace!"
Erkang walked over to Ziwei, holding a scroll in his hand. He smiled and said, "This is the 'Shu Yu Ci' that I asked someone to find for you. You said you wanted to read it last time." He flipped open the book, his eyes falling on Ziwei's slightly furrowed brows, and asked softly, "Are you still thinking about those rumors?"
Ziwei nodded, her fingertips lightly running across the pages of the book: "I always feel uneasy."
"What's there to be uneasy about?" Erkang held her hand. Her fingertips were a little cold, so he warmed them with his palm. "With the Emperor's wisdom and us here, no one can touch you." His eyes were firm and his tone was steady. "If anyone dares to spread rumors again, I will be the first to not forgive him."
Ziwei looked at his serious profile, her heart warmed, she said "hmm" softly, and a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
"That's right!" Little Swallow came over and put a plum blossom into Ziwei's hair. "Look at you, you look so pretty when you smile. Don't always frown. Let's go to the Imperial Garden to enjoy the snow. The plum forest after the snow is so beautiful!"
Yongqi smiled and nodded: "It's just right. I heard that the wintersweets in the Imperial Garden are blooming. Should I go and have a look?"
Ziwei was just about to nod when she saw Xiaodengzi running in in a panic. He was wearing a gray cotton-padded jacket and his face was red from the cold. As soon as he entered the door, he shouted, "Princess! It's bad! People outside...people are saying...that Princess Mingzhu, you are not..." Before he could finish his words, he was shut up by Xiaoyanzi's sharp eyes.
"What are you spreading?" Xiaoyanzi glared at him. "If you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll have Xiaozhuo prick you with a needle!"
The little stool shrank back in fear and waved his hands quickly, "I'm not talking nonsense! I just heard the guards say at the palace gate, saying... that you're a fake hired by Princess Xiaoyanzi..."
Ziwei's face turned pale, and the book in her hand fell to the ground with a "pa" sound. Her fingertips trembled slightly. Erkang quickly supported her and said in a deep voice, "Little Stool, who is spreading these gossips?"
"No... I don't know, just say it was... coming from Concubine Gao's palace..." Xiaodengzi's voice became smaller and smaller. Looking at Ziwei's pale face, he felt panicked.
"Noble Concubine Gao!" Xiaoyanzi stood up suddenly, the red silk ribbon around her waist fluttering. "Is she bored? Hasn't she learned enough from last time? I'm going to confront her!"
"Xiaoyanzi!" Yongqi quickly pulled her back. "Don't be impulsive. If you go find her now, won't that just play into her hands?"
"What should I do? Just watch her spread rumors like this?" Xiaoyanzi stamped her feet angrily, almost shaking the jade pendant around her neck. "I can't swallow this!"
"Don't be angry, don't be angry." Ziwei held Xiaoyanzi's hand. Her hand was cold, but her voice was as steady as possible. "Impulsiveness won't solve the problem. The emperor will definitely deal with it if he finds out."
As he was speaking, Eunuch Su came in from outside carrying a food box. He was wearing a dark blue eunuch robe and had a smile on his face: "The two princesses are here. The emperor asked me to bring some snacks, saying that they are freshly baked lotus cakes." He put the food box on the table and opened it. Inside were layers of lotus cakes, pink and white, still steaming.
"Eunuch Su," Erkang stepped forward, his tone solemn, "Has the Emperor heard about the rumors outside?"
The smile on Eunuch Su's face faded a little, and he sighed, "The Emperor just got angry in the Imperial Study and threw away all the memorials submitted by Lord Chen." He lowered his voice and said, "The Emperor said that anyone who dares to discuss Mingzhu's life experience will have their official hat removed!"
Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up: "The Emperor is so mighty!"
Ziwei felt relieved. She looked at Eunuch Su and said softly, "Thank you for making this trip, Eunuch Su."
"You are too polite, princess." Eunuch Su smiled and waved his hand, "I have to go back to the imperial study to report, so I won't disturb you princesses anymore." He bowed, turned around and walked out.
"See, I told you that the Emperor would protect us." Xiaoyanzi patted Ziwei's hand, picked up a piece of lotus cake and stuffed it into her hand. "Eat it quickly, it's sweet, and you won't be upset after eating it."
Ziwei held the warm hibiscus cake in her hand, looked into Xiaoyanzi's sparkling eyes, then glanced at Erkang and Yongqi, who looked concerned beside her. The last bit of gloom in her heart dissipated. She took a bite of the hibiscus cake, the sweet fragrance spreading in her mouth, and whispered, "It's great to have you here."
"Of course!" Xiaoyanzi raised her chin proudly. Suddenly remembering something, she tugged at Yongqi's sleeve and said, "By the way, Yongqi, you said last time you wanted to teach me horseback riding and archery. When are you going?"
Yongqi smiled helplessly: "It just snowed, the training ground is slippery, let's wait until the snow melts before we can do it." He scratched Xiaoyanzi's nose, "You, all you do is play."
"Balance work and rest!" Xiaoyanzi made a face at him, then turned to look at Erkang. "Erkang, when are you going to take Ziwei to the temple fair? Last time, Liuhong said there's a new sugar painting shop on Temple Street. The craftsmanship is really good."
Erkang looked at Ziwei, his eyes full of tenderness: "When you feel better, we will go."
Ziwei smiled and nodded. The sunlight shone through the window lattice onto her face, making it warm. The charcoal pot in the warm room crackled, and the sweet aroma of lotus cakes mixed with the faint fragrance of plum blossoms. The snow outside the window reflected in the light, making it dazzling.
Little Swallow looked at the warmth filling the room, and suddenly felt at ease. No matter how many rumors there were outside the palace walls, as long as these people were around, as long as this warmth was still there, there was nothing to fear. She picked up a piece of lotus cake, stuffed it into her mouth, and mumbled, "Eat! Only when I'm full will I have the strength to deal with those bad guys!"
Yongqi and Erkang smiled at each other, their eyes filled with fondness. Ziwei looked at Xiaoyanzi's bulging cheeks and couldn't help but laugh too. The laughter in the warm room mixed with the crackling of the charcoal fire, like a warm song, blocking the cold wind outside the window a thousand miles away.
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