Chapter 252: Red candle flickers, waiting for the right time
The mornings at Shufangzhai always carried a sweet warmth. The icicles beneath the eaves shone a rainbow of colors in the morning sun, and scattered beside the footprints in the snow lay pieces of red silk blown down by the wind.
"Ouch! Why are these gold bracelets so heavy?" Xiaoyanzi was looking in the mirror at the betrothal gift Yongqi had sent her. Three heavy, red-gold bracelets adorned her wrists, jingling with every movement. She was wearing a soft, amber satin jacket with a collar embroidered with golden crabapple blossoms, which made her cheeks rosy like apples.
Ziwei sat at the embroidery frame by the window, needle and thread in hand, sewing the last pearl onto Xiaoyanzi's wedding dress. Sunlight filtered through the window lattice, illuminating her moon-white dress with a soft halo. "Who wears all the bracelets on one hand like you do?" She looked up, a smile in her eyes. "Take off two of them quickly, or you won't be able to hold a teacup later."
Xiaoyanzi stuck out her tongue and was about to take off the bracelet when Qing'er walked in carrying a black lacquer tray. She was wearing a light green jacket and skirt with intricate embroidery on the hem. On the tray were three steaming cups of longan and lotus seed soup. "Hurry up and drink it while it's hot! This was specially sent by Concubine Ling. She said it would bring good luck."
"Qing'er still loves me the most!" Xiaoyanzi snatched her own bowl, scooped a large spoonful into her mouth, and stuck out her tongue because it was so hot. "Wow... It's so hot! But it's so sweet!"
Jinsuo stood aside, holding a red cloth bag containing several pairs of embroidered shoes that Liu Qing had hurriedly made overnight. She lowered her head, her fingers gently stroking the mandarin duck pattern on the uppers, a faint smile on her lips. "Brother Liu said that these soles took 49 days to sew, so they're very comfortable to wear."
Xiaoyanzi leaned over to take a look and reached out to pick one up. "The stitching is so tight! Jinsuo, your craftsmanship is getting better and better!" She suddenly put the shoe on her foot and said, "Look, it fits me too!"
Ziwei shook her head helplessly. "How can a bride wear someone else's wedding dress or try on someone else's wedding shoes? Take them off quickly." She put down her needlework, walked over to Xiaoyanzi, and helped her take off two gold bracelets from her hands. "Keep them carefully. If you lose them, it will be troublesome."
Qing'er pushed her bowl of lotus seed soup in front of Jinsuo. "You should have some too. You've been so busy these past few days that your eyes are all dark circles." She picked up the rouge box on the table, dipped her fingertips in it, and gently dotted Jinsuo's cheek. "Look, you look much more energetic now."
Jinsuo's face suddenly turned red like a ripe cherry. She quickly lowered her head and covered her face with her sleeves: "Princess Qing, stop making fun of me."
As he was speaking, Xiaodengzi and Xiaowenzi ran in one after the other, each holding something in their hands. Xiaodengzi held a long object wrapped in red silk, while Xiaowenzi held up a food box, shouting, "Wow, boom! Prince Rong and Master Fu have sent someone to deliver some goodies!"
Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up. She snatched the package from Xiaodengzi's hand and unwrapped it. She saw an exquisite dagger. The scabbard was inlaid with seven rubies, which shone brightly in the light. "Wow! Yongqi gave it to me!" She drew the dagger, and a cold light flashed. Ziwei was so scared that she quickly hid back. "Look, look, this sword is so beautiful!"
Little Mosquito opened the food box, revealing several plates of exquisite pastries, including lotus cakes, sweet-scented osmanthus cakes, and Little Swallow's favorite, pea yellow cakes. "This is what Master Fu gave to Princess Mingzhu. He said it was newly made by the palace's imperial kitchen."
Ziwei picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, put it to her nose and sniffed it. A sweet fragrance filled her nostrils. "Thank Erkang for me." She passed the cake to Xiaoyanzi's mouth, "Try it too."
Xiaoyanzi took a big bite and mumbled, "Delicious! Much better than what the kitchen makes!" She suddenly remembered something and took Qing'er's hand. "By the way, Qing'er, what goodies did Brother Xiao Jian prepare for you?"
Qing'er's cheeks flushed slightly as she pulled a small wooden box from her sleeve. She opened it to reveal a jade hairpin with a lifelike plum blossom carved into the top. "He said it's made of warm jade from Jiangnan, so it won't freeze your scalp even in winter."
"It's really beautiful!" Jinsuo praised sincerely, "Brother Xiao Jian is really thoughtful."
Xiaoyanzi suddenly slammed the table and stood up. "No! We can't stay here forever! Come on, let's go out and play for a while!" She took Ziwei's hand and wanted to pull Qing'er. "Anyway, the wedding is tomorrow, so it's okay to be lazy today!"
Ziwei quickly pulled her back: "Don't be silly! The Queen Mother and the Emperor might send someone over soon. If they can't find us, it will be troublesome." She pointed to the needle and thread on the table, "Besides, your wedding dress isn't finished yet."
Xiaoyanzi pouted and reluctantly sat back in the chair: "Okay, okay, I'll sew it." She picked up the needle and thread, poked it a few times clumsily, and ended up pricking her finger with the needle, "Ouch! It hurts!"
Everyone rushed over. Ziwei took out a handkerchief to bandage her, Qing'er went to pour some water, and Jinsuo blamed herself: "It's all my fault. I didn't remind Gege to be more careful."
Xiaoyanzi looked at everyone's nervous expressions and suddenly smiled: "It's okay, it's just a minor injury! Back when I was in the martial arts world, I suffered many injuries more serious than this!" She raised her chin proudly, but Ziwei glared at her, so she had to shut up obediently.
The sunlight outside the window grew warmer, shining on the red silk, on the wedding characters, and on everyone's smiling faces. In Shufangzhai, bursts of laughter could be heard from time to time, like a string of clear silver bells, echoing in the silent palace.
Yongqi stood outside the palace wall, listening to the laughter from within, and couldn't help but smile slightly. He was wearing the azure-colored official attire of a prince, and in his hand was a red plum blossom he had just picked from the imperial garden, its petals still stained with glistening snowflakes.
"What are you standing here for?" Erkang came over and patted his shoulder. His azure robe was particularly conspicuous in the snow. "Come in and take a look. Maybe Xiaoyanzi is thinking about you."
Yongqi shook his head and handed Hongmei to the young eunuch behind him: "No, let the sisters have a good talk." He looked up at the roof of Shufangzhai, the glazed tiles gleaming golden in the sun. "Tomorrow, I can see it every day."
Erkang smiled: "You really are becoming more and more like a young man who is looking forward to getting married." He took out a letter from his sleeve, "Ziwei asked the eunuch to hand this to me. Take a look."
Yongqi took the letter and unfolded it. On it was written Ziwei's beautiful handwriting, telling them not to worry, that everything was fine with them, and also reminded Yongqi not to forget to bring Xiaoyanzi's favorite candied haws tomorrow.
"Look," Yongqi handed the letter to Erkang with a smile, "Ziwei is really attentive."
Erkang took the letter, glanced at it, and put it in his sleeve: "Let's go, it's time to pay our respects to the Emperor, and by the way, see if the wedding ceremony is ready."
The two walked side by side toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation, leaving two neat rows of footprints on the snow. The sun shone on them, warm and cozy, as if even the air was sweet.
In Shufangzhai, Xiaoyanzi was pestering Qing'er to teach her a Jiangnan wedding song. Unable to persuade her, Qing'er hummed softly, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze across a lake. Ziwei and Jinsuo sat nearby, clapping along, their faces softly smiling.
The red candle flickered gently on the candlestick, filling the room with a red glow. Outside the window, the snow had begun to fall again, fluttering like countless white butterflies dancing in the air.
Tomorrow is the big day. Everyone has a warm expectation in their heart, like a little sun.
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