Chapter 336 Shufang Night Talk
Night, like a piece of deep blue velvet, silently enveloped the courtyard of Shufangzhai. Lanterns on the eaves lit up one after another, their warm yellow glow filtering through the fine silk, casting tiny specks of light on the bluestone slabs, and making the late-blooming roses in the corridor even more vibrant.
Xiaoyanzi was sitting on a bamboo chair in the porch, swaying with Mianxin, who had just finished her milk. Mianxin's little head rested on her chest, her eyelashes like two small fans, gently trembling with her breathing. She lowered her head to inhale the faint fragrance of milk in her daughter's hair, and her fingertips unconsciously stroked the smooth patina of the bamboo chair's armrests - this chair had been specially made for her when she first entered the palace, said by Emperor Qianlong, who said it was cool and suitable for her active nature.
"What are you thinking about?" Yongqi came over with a bowl of warm almond milk, his body carrying the cool air of having just returned from outside. He handed the bowl to Xiaoyanzi's mouth, "I just asked the kitchen to stew it, you try it."
Xiaoyanzi took a sip from his hand, the sweet aroma mixed with the mellow almond flavor melting on her tongue. She narrowed her eyes and smiled, "I'm thinking back to the past. Back then, I always practiced swordplay in this corridor. Many times, the tassels of my swords got tangled in these rose bushes, and Xiaozhang had to climb up and pick them for me."
Not far away, Xiaodengzi and Xiaochongzi were squatting on the ground, demonstrating to Mianrui how to weave a small grasshopper out of blades of grass. Mianrui, wearing a light yellow jacket, kneaded the blades with her chubby little hands, much to the amusement of the two. Xiao Dengzi and Xiao Zhuozi had set up a small table in the courtyard, laying out snacks and fruits fresh from the imperial kitchen. Mingyue and Caixia were meticulously preparing bedtime quilts for the two children.
Ziwei sat at the pearwood table by the window, embroidering a purse for Dong'er in the light of the lamp. Erkang stood behind her, reaching out to smooth her hair. "Are you tired? Stop embroidering and talk to Xiaoyanzi."
"Not tired," Ziwei smiled at him, "Look at the stitches, they're much better than before, right? Back when I was here, I ruined so many pieces of fabric, and it was Mingyue who taught me step by step."
Mingyue came out of the room carrying a basin of warm water. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "Princess, you're joking. You're very talented and you understand things immediately. But Princess Huanzhu used to hold her embroidery needle like a sword. Everyone who saw the handkerchiefs she embroidered said they were abstract paintings."
"Hey! You little girl!" Xiaoyanzi glared at her and laughed, "I wasn't smart enough back then! Look at me now, I even sewed the soles for Mianxin's tiger-head shoes myself!"
Everyone laughed. Mian Xin was startled by the laughter and moved in Xiaoyanzi's arms, rubbing against her with her little mouth, and then fell asleep again. Yongqi reached out to take his daughter and carefully handed her to the wet nurse beside him, whispering, "Take her to the inner room to sleep, and cover her with the little quilt."
"Yongqi," Xiaoyanzi took his hand and walked a few steps deeper into the courtyard. "What do you think? Should we stay here for a few more days? I think the moon here is rounder than the one in the palace."
Yongqi looked down at her, the moonlight shining on her face, making her eyes and eyebrows look especially clear. He reached out and brushed a fallen petal from her hair. "You can stay as long as you want. But you have to tell the Emperor to send some people to clean up the vacant space in the backyard and make a small stage for the children. And plant some of your favorite sunflowers."
"Really?" Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up. "That's great! When the weather gets warmer, we can set up a stage in the yard and perform an opera. We can invite Liu Qing, Liu Hong, and the others to come, as well as Xiao Jian and Qing'er..."
She became increasingly excited as she spoke, dancing around like a child who'd been given a candy treat. Yongqi smiled and held her wrist, "Slow down, be careful of the little one in your belly." He leaned closer to her ear and lowered his voice, "Actually, I like this place too. The first time I saw you here, you were wearing a bright red Qipao dress, stepping on the table and fighting with the stool for a candied haws. I'll never forget that look."
Xiaoyanzi's face flushed red, and she reached out and punched him: "You only knew how to expose my past! Back then, you even lectured me with a stern face, saying I wasn't acting like a princess!"
"That's because..." Yongqi held her hand, his eyes so gentle they could drip tears, "At that time, I wondered how there could be such a lively girl in this palace. She was like the sun, shining into my heart in an instant."
As they were talking, they saw Little Bug running over with a firefly lantern in his hand, shouting, "Princess! Prince! Look! I caught a lot of fireflies and hung them in the yard so they look like stars!"
Sure enough, strings of firefly lanterns hung from the crabapple trees in the yard. Their faint green light flickered, casting a dreamlike ethereal glow over the entire courtyard. Fascinated by this novel sight, Mianrui took unsteady steps, chasing after the lanterns. Xiao Zhuozi followed closely behind, afraid he would fall.
Ziwei and Erkang also came out. Ziwei leaned on Erkang's shoulder and whispered, "It feels like we've returned to the old days. Back then we always sneaked out at night to look at the stars. Xiaoyanzi also said that each star corresponds to a person's wish."
"Did your wish come true?" Erkang asked her with his head down.
Ziwei looked up at him, the smile in her eyes seemed to be filled with stars: "It's done."
Xiaoyanzi looked at everything in front of her and suddenly felt her eyes warm. She took Yongqi's hand and pointed to the brightest star in the sky: "Look, that star is the brightest. It must be the Emperor watching us from the sky."
Yongqi knew that she was remembering the secrets of her rebirth again, and held her hand tightly: "Well, he must be smiling."
Little Mosquito fished out a handful of melon seeds from somewhere, came over and said with a smile, "Wow, boom, boom! This Shufangzhai is even more lively tonight than during Chinese New Year! Princess, would you like to hear me tell you a story? It's about the Monkey King's three fights with the White Bone Demon!"
"Great, great!" Little Swallow clapped her hands and cheered. "I love to hear this the most!"
Yongqi shook his head helplessly, but ordered Xiao Dengzi: "Go and move some chairs and get a pot of good tea."
As the night deepened, the laughter from Shufangzhai continued to flow like a spring, mingling with the faint glow of fireflies and drifting deep into the Forbidden City. No one noticed that a dark shadow flashed by at the foot of the west wall, as if it had never appeared.
In the west courtyard of Prince Rong's mansion, Zhihua sat facing a solitary lamp, listening to the news Chuntao had brought back. When she heard the joyful laughter from Shufangzhai, her hand, clutching the handkerchief, finally snapped with a hiss, breaking the silk thread.
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