Empress Dowager Zhou glared at Emperor Shunqing with displeasure. "What about all the rules and etiquette we discussed this morning?! Don't they count anymore?!"
Emperor Shunqing snorted, "You're talking about when there are no outsiders. Right now, isn't it just family?"
Empress Dowager Zhou: "Why are there no outsiders? Are these servants not even human?"
Emperor Shunqing: "They are all slaves, at best a few moving objects!"
Empress Dowager Zhou laughed in exasperation, "I suppose you were having some wonderful dream that I woke you up from? You're still fuming because you didn't get your morning grumpiness out, aren't you?"
Emperor Shunqing was also furious, "What erotic dream? What morning grumpiness? Don't talk nonsense! Didn't you just call me 'old man'? Do you consider them outsiders? If you really considered them outsiders, would you dare to speak to me like that?!"
Empress Dowager Zhou choked.
You Ran hurriedly pulled Wan Wan forward, saying, "It was my fault, please forgive me, Father and Mother."
After saying that, she tugged at Wanwan.
Wanwan stepped forward and bowed, feeling wronged. "Grandfather, Grandmother, Wanwan was wrong."
Empress Dowager Zhou said with heartache, "Get up quickly, it's not your fault!"
Chu Heng then stepped forward, pulled You Ran down to kneel beside him, and performed a grand salute, saying, "Greetings to Father and Mother, may Father and Mother be blessed with good health and long life."
Ruyi, the Empress Dowager's personal maid, brought over a red cup of celebratory tea.
You Ran knelt down and offered the teacups to the two men one by one, saying, "Father, please have some tea. Mother, please have some tea."
Emperor Shunqing then sat up straight, took the teacup and took a sip, then magically pulled a large red envelope from his sleeve. "My dear wife, this is a gift from your father."
Empress Dowager Zhou glared at him again and gestured for Ruyi to present her gift.
He accepted it with leisurely respect.
Then Qianqian and Wanwan formally knelt before the two and performed the grand salute.
Emperor Shunqing and Empress Dowager Zhou still gave each other gifts upon meeting.
After Chu Heng and Emperor Shunqing sat down to play chess, Qianqian and Wanwan were taken out by their governess.
They sat down leisurely and began to talk.
Empress Dowager Zhou then gave Ruyi a wink.
Ruyi served a plate covered with red silk.
Empress Dowager Zhou said, "You Ran, the Empress Dowager's position is finally settled. I can finally hand over the affairs of the harem. You can take over now!"
You Ran's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
In ordinary wealthy families, the power to manage the household is usually handed over only after the bride returns to her parents' home on the third day after her wedding. This week, however, the Empress Dowager…
Empress Dowager Zhou glanced at You Ran and realized there wasn't even a maidservant attending her. She suddenly understood. "Oh, right, your Su Yue only just joined the Imperial Household Department yesterday, didn't she? It was my oversight that she wasn't assigned to your side yet. Ruyi, you will accompany the Empress to deliver the Empress's Imperial Decree and Phoenix Seal to Feng'an Palace. At the same time, go to the Imperial Household Department and quickly bring back Aunt Su Yue, who serves the Empress!"
"Yes," Ruyi replied.
You Ran quickly thanked her and said, "Su Yue is not in a hurry. She still needs to learn the rules properly so that she won't make a big fool of herself in the future. The palace maids that Your Majesty arranged are outside, but I got up late today and haven't had time to get to know them yet. Your Majesty has made very good arrangements for Feng'an Palace, and I am extremely grateful."
This is understandable; she made up her mind to enter the palace only seven days before her wedding.
As her personal maid, Su Yue was supposed to enter the Imperial Household Department a month in advance to learn etiquette and manners if she wanted to continue serving in the palace.
As she only entered the palace with her yesterday, she naturally needs to learn properly before she can take up her post.
Empress Dowager Zhou smiled and said, "I know you are new here and probably don't have any capable people around you. Just make do with them for now. If anyone seems disobedient, just get rid of them. When Su Yue returns after completing her studies, she will definitely be able to manage the people around you properly."
He nodded leisurely and thanked her again.
The family enjoyed a pleasant lunch together before returning to Feng'an Palace.
She had already learned during their casual conversation that the two children each had their own palace, and that they had slept alone last night.
However, she did not want to be separated from the children too soon, so she had someone arrange sleeping quarters for them in a side hall of Feng'an Palace.
This move was wholeheartedly supported by the children and Chu Heng, clearly indicating that the father and his two sons did not want to separate too soon.
After his afternoon rest, Chu Heng went to the Imperial Study to handle state affairs. Meanwhile, You Ran busily helped the children get to know the thirty-six palace maids and twelve eunuchs of Feng'an Palace, and began to learn about the affairs of the inner palace.
Before she knew it, she was busy until dark. After having dinner and settling Qianqian and Wanwan to bed, she took a leisurely bath and returned to her bedroom, only to find that Chu Heng had not yet returned.
Another half hour passed, but he still didn't return.
After a moment's thought, she roughly knew what he was doing.
On his way back to Beijing, he would always return very late at night, his clothes damp and his body still smelling of ink.
He must have gotten up early this morning to prepare for his wedding, so he didn't...
She put on a cloak, had the gatekeeper eunuch lead the way with a lantern, and headed towards Chu Heng's private hot spring.
Once inside, she stopped the eunuch who was about to greet her and quietly pushed the door open.
With just one glance, she saw the person sitting by the pool with their back to the door.
That striking head of white hair instantly pierced her heart.
Even though she had prepared herself mentally, tears still streamed down her face.
As I walked closer to that figure, my vision blurred into nothingness.
Chu Heng assumed it was the eunuch who had been serving him returning and urged softly, "Changxi, why aren't you hurrying up? I can't keep the Empress waiting any longer."
A thud came from the doorway in the distance, followed by Changxi's voice begging for forgiveness, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, please forgive me!"
Chu Heng was startled. She turned her head slightly and saw a slender figure wearing a cloak. The figure quickly jumped up, grabbed a large towel from the side, wrapped it around its head, and shrank to the window, still with its back to her.
You Ran felt a pang of pain in her heart and whispered to Chang Xi, "Step down."
"yes."
As the door closed, she quickly walked to Chu Heng's side and turned him around.
Chu Heng remained frozen, his voice trembling slightly, "You... why are you here?"
You Ran wiped away her tears, wrapped her arms around his lean waist from behind, pressed her cheek against his back, and choked out, "I already knew, you don't need to hide it from me anymore."
Chu Heng's body stiffened even more, and after a long while, he gritted his teeth and said, "It was Master who said it!"
"Your hair always smelled of ink. Did you think everyone else had no sense of smell?" You Ran took a deep breath. "Hmm, now that's gone. You smell even better now."
Chu Heng's ears slowly turned red again. He patted the arm that was wrapped around his waist. "You...you go out first. I'll go back to the room after I've finished dyeing it...I'm afraid...I'll scare you."
"What are you afraid of?!" She hugged him even tighter. "Dyeing your hair every day is so inconvenient. In my opinion, let's not dye it anymore! Just consider it... me growing old with you ahead of time."
Her tone softened.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com