Chapter 274: Old subordinates arrive at the house, full of laughter
At daybreak, there was a gentle knock at the corner gate of Prince Rong's mansion. The guard yawned as he opened the door, only to be stunned to see four young men dressed in eunuch attire, carrying bulging bundles on their shoulders. The leader was also holding a half-grown kite frame.
"Good boy, please be flexible. We are from the palace and are here to deliver something to the princess!" The little mosquito moved forward with a smile on his face, revealing two small fangs.
Little Dengzi quickly took out his badge and said, "We are from Shufangzhai and have been ordered to serve the princess."
The guard checked the badge and saw that it did indeed have the seal of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He quickly stepped aside and let her pass. "The prince and princess just woke up and are having breakfast in the east courtyard."
The four of them thanked the guards and walked briskly inside. The palace courtyard was much more spacious than Shufangzhai. Neatly trimmed holly trees lined the blue-brick path. In the distance, the crabapple tree had just sprouted. The morning light filtered through the branches, spilling onto the ground like a handful of gold.
"This palace is truly magnificent!" Little Bug couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, pointing to a towering building with upturned eaves not far away. "Isn't that the East Courtyard where the princess lives?"
Xiao Zhuozi held the kite frame and looked around: "Shh, don't make any noise, or you might startle the prince and princess."
As they reached the east courtyard gate, they heard clear laughter coming from inside. It was Xiaoyanzi's voice. The four of them looked at each other, and saw excitement in each other's eyes, and their pace could not help but quicken.
Under the grape trellis in the east courtyard, Xiaoyanzi was sitting on a stone bench, holding a meat bun in her hand, mumbling something to Yongqi. Yongqi, dressed in moon-white clothes, listened patiently, occasionally offering her a cup of hot tea.
"Princess! Prince!" Little Dengzi spoke first, his voice filled with uncontrollable excitement.
Xiaoyanzi looked up suddenly, nearly dropping the meat bun in her mouth. "Xiao Dengzi? Why are you here?" Her eyes lit up, and she instantly jumped up from the stone bench and ran over to the four people. "Why did you bring the kite?"
"My princess," Xiao Dengzi bowed, a smile on his face. "The emperor has been so gracious that we servants will serve you in the palace from now on. You asked me to make this kite, and I thought you must be in a hurry to get it, so I brought it along."
Yongqi put down his teacup and smiled gently, "Come in and sit down. The emperor said he would send you here after he returned to the palace yesterday. I didn't expect you to arrive so soon."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" The four of them bowed in unison, set down their bags, and sat down on the stone bench. Little Bug, with his sharp eyes, saw the pickles on the stone table and couldn't help but swallow his saliva—they were Xiaoyanzi's favorite Jiangnan-style dishes, which she always had the kitchen make specially for her when she was in the palace.
Xiaoyanzi saw what he was thinking and pushed a plate of pickles towards him. "Eat! Don't be so polite! It's just like being in Shufangzhai here. Don't be restrained." She turned to look at Yongqi, her eyes sparkling. "I've always said that the Emperor is the best. He knows I'm bored here, so he sent all these to me!"
Yongqi smiled and ruffled her hair: "Look how happy you are. With them by your side, it will be more convenient for you to do whatever you want."
Little Mosquito approached the kite stand and said as if presenting a treasure, "Princess, look! We've modified the phoenix's wings again and added bamboo ribs. It'll fly more steadily! When the weather warms up in a few days, we'll put it in the yard. I guarantee it'll soar into the clouds!"
"Really?" Xiaoyanzi became interested and reached out to touch it. As soon as her fingers touched the colored string on the kite, Yongqi gently pressed them down.
"You just had breakfast, don't touch these cold things." Yongqi picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and handed it to her, "Fill your stomach first, and then ask them to demonstrate it to you."
Xiaoyanzi pouted, took the osmanthus cake and stuffed it into her mouth, but her eyes were still fixed on the kite. Seeing this, Xiaozhuozi quickly tried to smooth things over: "If the princess is anxious, I will go to the backyard and try it now."
"Okay, okay!" Xiaoyanzi nodded immediately and pulled Yongqi towards the backyard, "Yongqi, come and take a look!"
Yongqi shook his head helplessly and was dragged towards the front yard by her. The four of them hurried to catch up. As they walked, Xiao Dengzi asked the guards about the situation in the backyard, while Xiao Chongzi excitedly imitated the sound of a kite flying, which made Xiao Yanzi laugh.
In the backyard, Xiao Zhuozi and Xiao Wenzi were busy assembling a kite, while Xiao Dengzi helped pass the spools of string. Xiao Chongzi circled them, whirring in his mouth to imitate the sound of the wind. Xiao Yanzi stood on the steps, tiptoeing to peer out, clutching a half-eaten piece of osmanthus cake.
"Alright!" Xiao Zhuozi shouted, hoisting the assembled kite high into the air. The kite was more than a man's height, its golden-red wings adorned with tiny copper bells. When the sun shone on it, it was so bright that it was hard to open your eyes.
"Release! Release!" Little Swallow urged, clapping her hands, her eyes flashing with anticipation.
Little Wenzi frantically unfurled the string, while Little Zhuozi ran a few steps against the wind and suddenly launched the kite into the sky. The golden-red phoenix kite rose shakily, and the copper bells on its wings rang, attracting the sparrows in the trees to take flight.
"It's flying! It's flying!" The little swallow jumped for joy and almost dropped the osmanthus cake in her hand.
Yongqi stood beside her, watching her excited expression, a smile so gentle it could overflow from his lips. He quietly reached out to hold her waist, fearing that she would fall down from joy.
The kite flew higher and higher, gradually becoming a tiny red dot in the sky. Little Mosquito spun the spool of thread rapidly in his hand, muttering to himself, "Wow, long, bang, bang! This kite is flying much higher than the one in Shufangzhai! Look, Princess, it's almost catching up with the clouds!"
Xiaoyanzi smiled with her eyes curved. Suddenly she turned to Yongqi and said, "Yongqi, look, with them here, this place is exactly like Shufangzhai!"
Yongqi looked down at her, his eyes reflecting the rosy glow of the sky: "Well, where you are, everywhere is the same."
Little Dengzi noticed that the breakfast on the stone table was getting cold, and quickly reminded: "Princess, Prince, breakfast is about to get cold, let's go back to the house to eat."
Little Swallow then reluctantly withdrew her gaze, looked at the kite in the sky, and said to Little Mosquito, "Put up the spool of thread. We'll fly it this afternoon!"
"Hey!" The little mosquito responded quickly and began to reel in the line carefully.
On the way back to the house, Xiaoyanzi held Xiaodengzi's hand and asked about the situation in Shufangzhai. "Are Mingyue and Caixia okay? Did you forget to water the crabapple tree? Did you guys steal the jar of plum wine I hid under the bed?"
"Princess," little Dengzi replied one by one, "Sister Mingyue and Sister Caixia are both well, but they always miss you. The crabapple tree is watered every day, and we servants dare not touch the plum wine you hid. We even specially covered you with a layer of cotton wool!"
Xiaoyanzi nodded in satisfaction. Suddenly she remembered something and took out a small purse from her bosom and handed it to Xiaozhuozi: "This is the almond cake that Jinsuo sent yesterday. Share it among you."
Xiao Zhuozi took the purse and was greeted by a sweet fragrance. He quickly thanked her, "Thank you, Princess, for your grace!"
Yongqi looked at the lively scene and suddenly felt that with these four people in the palace, it felt like home. He turned to look at Xiaoyanzi and saw her gesturing with Xiaochongzi, smiling brightly. He couldn't help but hold her hand tightly.
The morning light filtered through the carved window lattices, bathing everyone in warmth. In the distance, kites were still swaying gently in the sky, and the sound of bronze bells drifted in the wind, clear and melodious, like a ballad about family reunion.
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