Chapter 334 Return to Shufang
By the time the palace banquet was over, moonlight had crept up the corner towers of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Little Swallow, holding the already soundly asleep Mianxin, followed Emperor Qianlong briskly toward a side hall in the Imperial Garden. The hem of her bright red Mandarin dress swept across the bluestone path, wafting a faint scent of gardenias. Yongqi, holding Mianrui, followed closely behind, the gold thread on his dark formal attire gleaming softly in the moonlight.
"Father Emperor," Xiaoyanzi suddenly stopped and looked up at Emperor Qianlong, her eyes sparkling like falling stars. "Isn't this place not far from Shufangzhai?"
Qianlong raised his eyebrows, looked at Mianxin's rosy little face in her arms, and smiled: "Why do you ask this suddenly?"
"I want to go back and stay for a few days." Xiaoyanzi shook his sleeve, her voice a little coquettish, "Ever since I married into the palace, I haven't been back to Shufangzhai to visit. Mingyue Caixia is still there, I miss them."
Hearing this, Yongqi looked down at her and said, "You've just gotten pregnant. It's not appropriate to toss around like that."
"It's okay," Xiaoyanzi patted her belly and smiled slyly, "It's only been over a month, it's stable! Besides, I have you by my side, and Xiao Dengzi and the other four are following me, so what can go wrong?"
She turned and waved to the four young eunuchs following behind her: "Don't you agree?"
Little Dengzi quickly stepped forward, grinning from ear to ear: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, the Princess is right! Your servants will serve you well and will never leave your side!"
Xiao Zhuozi nodded and said, "The moon in Shufangzhai is the most beautiful. Princess, if you go back and stay there for a few days, you will definitely feel happy!"
The little bug scratched his head and said in a silly voice, "I still have the kite that the princess taught me back then, and it's just right for the young masters to play with!"
Little Mosquito was the smartest one, and he said jokingly, "Wow, long, long, dong! The osmanthus cake from Shufangzhai is the only one of its kind in the capital!"
Qianlong was amused by them and laughed heartily. Pointing at Xiaoyanzi, he said, "You, you always carry these little clowns with you wherever you go." He paused for a moment, his gaze settling on Xiaoyanzi's slightly swollen belly. His tone softened, "It's no harm to stay for a few days. I'll have the imperial kitchen prepare something delicious for you. Imperial Physician Zhang said your pregnancy is stable, so you're not allowed to climb trees or rob bird nests or practice martial arts. Do you understand?"
"I heard you!" Little Swallow smiled with her eyes curved and nodded hurriedly, "I'll just look at the moon and talk to the bright moon and colorful clouds. I promise I'll be good!"
Yongqi shook his head helplessly and said to Qianlong, "Don't worry, Father. I will take good care of her." He looked at Xiaoyanzi with eyes full of doting. "Since you want to go, I will order people to clean up Shufangzhai first and move the children's cribs over there."
"That's great!" Xiaoyanzi stood on tiptoe, quickly kissed Yongqi on the cheek, turned around and ran towards Shufangzhai, but was grabbed by Yongqi again.
"Wait a minute," Yongqi reluctantly helped her tidy up her wind-blown hair. "You're pregnant, why are you running? I'll carry you over."
"No, no," Xiaoyanzi waved her hand and took his hand and walked forward. "I can walk by myself. It's a good opportunity to exercise. Look, Mianxin is awake. She wants to see Shufangzhai soon too!"
Mian Xin in his arms indeed opened her big black eyes and looked around curiously, her little hands still holding onto Xiao Yanzi's clothes.
The group chatted and laughed as they made their way to Shufangzhai. Moonlight filtered through the branches, casting mottled shadows on the ground. As they neared the door, they saw two familiar figures waiting in the corridor: Mingyue and Caixia.
"Princess Huanzhu!" When the two saw Xiaoyanzi, their eyes immediately turned red. They hurried forward to greet her and said, "Your servants pay their respects to the princess and to the prince!"
"Hurry up, get up!" Xiaoyanzi handed Mianxin to the maid behind her and stepped forward to hold their hands, her eyes moistened. "I missed you so much!"
Mingyue wiped her tears and looked at her with a smile: "Princess, you look so good, are you... pregnant?"
Caixia also came over and said in surprise, "No wonder she looks a little plumper, it turns out that the prince's blessing has arrived!"
Little Dengzi laughed and said, "That's not all! The princess is coming back this time and will be staying at Shufangzhai for a few days. You must bring out all the good tea and wine you had back then!"
The furnishings in Shufangzhai remained much the same as they had been back then. On the pearwood table by the window lay the sword Xiaoyanzi had broken while practicing. A lotus painting by Ziwei hung on the wall. A few half-worn kites lay piled in the corner. Xiaoyanzi touched the familiar objects and suddenly felt her eyes warm. It turned out that no matter how far she traveled, this place would always be like a warm harbor, waiting for her return.
Yongqi hugged her gently from behind, resting his chin on the top of her head: "If you like it, stay a few more days."
Xiaoyanzi turned around, stood on tiptoe and gave him a soft kiss on the lips, smiling brightly: "With you here, I love being here anywhere."
The moonlight streamed quietly outside the window, illuminating the room with warmth. Little Bug had already set up a small table in the yard, Little Mosquito was directing the eunuchs to move the children's cradles, Little Dengzi and Little Zhuozi pestered Mingyue with questions, and the babbling of the twins, boy and girl, and the laughter of the crowd blended together like the most beautiful song.
When the eunuch from the imperial kitchen arrived carrying food boxes, he was greeted by the aroma of cooking. He smiled and reported, "The Emperor has specifically ordered a bird's nest and lotus seed soup for the princess, and fresh milk cakes for the young masters."
Little Swallow looked at the bowl of warm bird's nest and suddenly remembered the packet of pregnancy-preserving medicine the Emperor had secretly slipped her. The corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up. There were some secrets that both she and the Emperor knew, like the moonlight, gently shining on them, never revealed.
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