Chapter 205: Warm Room to Keep Away the Cold, Fearless of Rumors
In the warm room of Shufangzhai, a charcoal brazier burned brightly, the crackling of silvery embers melting the chill in the air. The window frames were covered with translucent mica paper, and sunlight streamed in through, casting dappled shadows on the blue brick floor and onto the pot of daffodils in full bloom in the corner, their delicate white petals bathed in the fine light.
Ziwei sat on a soft couch by the window, a copy of the Book of Songs spread across her lap, her fingertips lingering on the footer of "θΉθθθ" (The Reeds Are Vast), not turning the page any further. Her brows furrowed slightly, her long eyelashes like small fans casting a light shadow under her eyes. The corners of her mouth pursed, a subtle hint of sadness on her face.
"What are you reading? My eyes are practically glued to the book." Xiaoyanzi came in from outside, drawing back the curtains. A cold breeze blew in, and her pomegranate-red jacket was stained with snowflakes. The warm heat melted them as she entered, leaving tiny water marks on the fabric. She carried a food box and walked over to the couch. "Dang, dang, dang! The steamed cheese just arrived from Concubine Ling's palace. It's still warm!"
Ziwei was startled back to her senses by her shouting. When she looked up, her eyes were still a little confused. Seeing that it was Xiaoyanzi, she smiled softly: "Why did you run out? It's snowing heavily outside, right?"
"It's just a little snow, but it's no problem." Xiaoyanzi opened the food box, which contained two bowls of milky white cheese sprinkled with raisins. "I went to give the handkerchief you embroidered to Concubine Ling, and she stuffed this food box into my hand when she was happy. Try it quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold." She scooped up a spoonful and handed it to Ziwei's mouth, her eyes sparkling.
Ziwei opened her mouth to take it. The sweet fragrance mixed with the milky aroma melted on the tip of her tongue, and the warmth flowed down her throat. She sighed softly, "It's so sweet." But the smile on the corner of her mouth did not last long and slowly faded away.
Xiaoyanzi saw it, put the spoon into the bowl, sat down beside her, and patted the back of her hand: "Are you still thinking about those gossips?"
Ziwei lowered her head, her fingertips tracing the rim of the bowl. "It's not that I miss it, it's just... I just feel uncomfortable when I hear it. Yesterday, when I went to pay my respects to the Empress, I passed by the long corridor and heard two palace maids saying... that I'm not the Emperor's daughter at all, but a fake you found from Jiangnan." Her voice gradually became softer, with a hint of grievance. "They also said that if it weren't for you relying on the Emperor's favor, I wouldn't have been able to enter the palace at all."
"Nonsense!" Xiaoyanzi stood up suddenly, her food box shaking. "Do they have eyes on the top of their heads? Do you want me to go find them and show them the jade pendant in your hand and the imperial edict that the emperor gave you?" She was so angry that her cheeks flushed red, and the red jade pendant on her waist swung with her movements. "No, I'm going to tear their mouths apart right now!"
"Little Swallow!" Ziwei quickly pulled her back. Her strength wasn't great, but she managed to pull her to a stop. "Don't go. The more you make a scene, the more people will think we're guilty." She looked up at Little Swallow, tears welling in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. "I don't care what others say. I'm just afraid... I'm afraid that the Emperor will be upset if he hears. I'm afraid that people will criticize you because of me."
"The Emperor won't be unhappy!" Xiaoyanzi sat down and held her hand, her palm warm. "The Emperor's mind is as clear as a mirror. He knows who is real and who is fake! As for those who stab us, let them stab us! I, Xiaoyanzi, have a thick skin and am not afraid!" She moved closer to Ziwei, lowered her voice, a cunning glint in her eyes. "Besides, we have a secret weapon - the Emperor is on our side!"
Ziwei was amused by her "secret weapon" and burst out laughing. The moisture in the corners of her eyes also dissipated. She gently hit Xiaoyanzi and said, "You are so clever."
"That's it!" 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 walked in through the snow, the snow on their boots melting into a small puddle at the door. Yongqi wore a royal blue brocade robe trimmed with white fox fur at the collar and cuffs, and held a hand warmer. As soon as he entered, he went straight to Xiaoyanzi. "It's snowing so hard outside, why don't you put on more clothes?" He shoved the hand warmer into her arms and touched her ear. "You're freezing cold."
Xiaoyanzi hugged the hand warmer tightly and made a face at him: "I have a strong fire, I am not afraid of the cold!"
Erkang walked over to Ziwei, holding a scroll in his hand. He smiled and unfolded it, "This is a painting of the snowy scene of Daming Lake that I asked someone to bring back from Jinan. Take a look and see if it's the same as I remember."
On the scroll, Daming Lake is blanketed in snow, its surface thinly frozen. Rime hangs from the willow trees along the shore, and Chaoran Tower looms in the distance. Ziwei's eyes slowly brighten as she gazes at the painting. She gently traces the surface of the lake with her fingertips. "This is it! When I was little, my mother and I used to feed pigeons by the lake. When it snowed, the pigeons' footprints on the ground looked like a handful of broken jade."
"When spring comes, I'll ask for permission to take you back to Jinan." Erkang's voice was gentle. "Let's go see the water of Baotu Spring, take a boat ride on Daming Lake, and visit the Pigeon Tower you mentioned."
Ziwei looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with tears, but she smiled and nodded: "Okay."
"Wow, this is a great painting!" The little swallow came over to look at it and pointed at the willow tree in the painting. "This tree looks easy to climb. I'm sure we can dig out bird nests from it in the summer!"
Yongqi shook his head helplessly. "All you know is climbing trees and robbing bird nests. Can you be more elegant?" He pulled a small cloth bag from his sleeve pocket and opened it to reveal a jade pendant. The jade was smooth and warm, and it was engraved with a swallow with its wings spread. "This is for you. Last time you said you liked the swallow pattern."
Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up. She took the jade pendant and looked at it over and over. "This jade is so smooth! It's even more beautiful than the one you gave me last time!" She immediately untied the red string around her waist, strung the new jade pendant on, hung it around her neck, and patted her chest. "That's good! One on each side, to ward off evil spirits!"
Yongqi was amused by her anxious expression: "How can you wear two jade pendants?"
"I'm happy to!" Little Swallow raised her head and chest. Suddenly, she caught sight of the small stool and Little Mosquito at the door and waved, "What are you two doing standing there? Come in and warm up!"
The little stool was holding a stuffed monkey puppet, and the little mosquito was holding a rattle. They came in laughing and giggling. "Girls, the servants are here to bring you something fun!" The little mosquito shook the rattle. "Damn it! This rattle is so loud that it can drive away all the bad luck!"
Xiaodeng held up the Monkey King puppet and imitated the storyteller's tone: "Look at me, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven! My flaming eyes can see through all demons and monsters and keep our Shufangzhai safe and sound!"
Ziwei was so amused by them that her previous worries had long since flown away. Xiaoyanzi snatched the Monkey King puppet and held it high: "That's right! We have the Monkey King to protect us, the Emperor to back us up, and so many family members to accompany us. Those rumors are like grasshoppers in autumn, they won't last for more than a few days!"
The charcoal fire in the warm room burned brighter and brighter, reflecting everyone's smiles. Snow was still falling outside the window, but it couldn't freeze the warmth that filled the room. Erkang watched the light in Ziwei's eyes, Yongqi watched the jade pendant swaying on Xiaoyanzi's chest, and even the sounds of the small stool and mosquitoes fighting became particularly beautiful.
In the imperial study, Emperor Qianlong laid down a newly received secret report, which contained evidence that Nanny Li had colluded with the palace maids to spread rumors. He tapped the paper lightly with his fingertips and said to Eunuch Su, "Go tell the Imperial Household Department to double the charcoal in the Shufangzhai, so the two princesses won't get cold."
Eunuch Su bowed and agreed. Just as he was about to leave, Emperor Qianlong stopped him and said, "Send another decree to give Shufangzhai some freshly made snacks and a warm stove. Tell them... I'm afraid they'll be cold."
Eunuch Su responded with a smile, thinking to himself: The Emperor truly loves these two princesses from the bottom of his heart.
Laughter from the warm room drifted out through the window lattice, mingling with the soft sound of falling snowflakes, like a warm song in the silent palace. Rumors might still swirl in the darkness, but as long as the hearts of those in this warm room were close together, even the coldest wind and snow would be melted by the warmth.
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