Chapter 29 The Quiet Receiver of Gifts
"I will investigate this matter thoroughly. Rest assured, I will make those behind the scenes pay the price for the injustice suffered by Sheng Sheng."
"Um."
Consort Rong nodded with a worried expression.
*
The little dumpling received a lot of information today and was coaxed to sleep after dinner.
Xie Yunchuan covered her with the blanket and gazed leisurely at Yan Hu.
Yan Hu's body trembled, but he wagged his tail at him nonchalantly.
Xie Yunchuan was afraid of disturbing the little dumpling's sleep, so he didn't say anything. After he had left, carrying Yan Hu by the soft flesh around his neck, he said lightly, "Alright, I know you're pretending not to understand. Since you're close to Sheng Sheng, then protect her for me when I'm not around."
After saying that, he didn't pursue the matter of him taking Sheng Sheng out to play without her consent, and left alone.
Yan Hu hesitated, wondering whether he should catch up with his master or go back to guard his young master.
After a while, it remembered: "Oh no, oh no! Knowing His Highness's personality, he must have secretly arranged for guards around Sheng Sheng. How could I have forgotten about that! His Highness must have found out that Sheng Sheng secretly went to find that hostage to tell him something!"
Yan Hu sighed and chased after his own tail in circles, biting it. After a while, he returned to Sheng Sheng's side with a proud and arrogant air.
Hmph, I'm Sheng Sheng's bodyguard now. With Sheng Sheng protecting me, what's there to be afraid of?
Yan Hu lay down in front of the bed, smelling the little dumpling's scent, and drifted off to sleep peacefully.
The next day, news of the second princess's "resurrection" and return to the royal family spread throughout the entire palace.
Both the imperial court and the inner palace were extremely surprised and astonished.
Wasn't the second princess burned to a crisp in a fire five years ago? How come she's alive again after five years?
However, the court officials were all shrewd and experienced in the ways of officialdom, and the concubines in the harem were not without brains either.
Everyone was surprised for a moment, but they quickly realized that there must have been more to the story than met the eye.
This matter concerns royal secrets, and His Majesty has not clarified the reasons behind it, nor will anyone presume to investigate or question it.
The specifics are not important; what is important is that the return of this second princess may disrupt the seemingly peaceful capital city.
The shrewd people, with their ears everywhere, inevitably let some news of what happened at Kunning Palace yesterday leak out, and they learned more or less about what was going on inside Kunning Palace.
Based on what happened in Kunning Palace, everyone guessed at His Majesty's thoughts and concluded that His Majesty liked this princess.
So before dawn, people from all walks of life tried to send gifts into the palace to congratulate Consort Rong on regaining her pearl, all hoping to win her favor.
Besides Jinxiu Palace, even Yuqing Palace received many gifts.
Besides the major aristocratic families, there were also many concubines in the imperial harem.
While eating her steamed buns, Sheng Sheng watched as the six eunuchs from Yuqing Palace, sweating profusely, carried in the gifts. Zijuan could be heard recording the gift list and reading it to her.
Zijuan was the person Consort Rong pointed to next to Shengsheng last night.
Zijuan is Lüping's younger sister. She used to work in Jinxiu Palace, but now she is Shengsheng's personal maid.
Just as Zijuan finished writing down this part, two eunuchs carried over another box.
Xie Yunchuan sighed helplessly, "It seems that Yuqing Palace needs more people."
Apart from Huang Ying, Yuqing Palace only had six eunuchs and four palace maids.
It seems that we are indeed short-handed now.
Huang Ying suppressed a laugh, wondering why so many things were being sent over. She thought it was Xie Yunchuan's birthday: "Brother, is today your birthday? Why are so many people sending gifts? I didn't know it was your birthday. Can I give you the gifts later?"
The little dumpling slept soundly last night, completely unaware that news of her return to the palace had spread throughout the capital, and even less aware that these gifts were sent because of her. She was still happily eating a big meat bun.
Xie Yunchuan smiled and used a handkerchief to wipe away a little oil stain from the corner of her mouth, saying, "These are all gifts for Shengsheng from our family."
"For Sheng Sheng?" Sheng Sheng swallowed the meat bun forcefully. "Was it a gift from Father Emperor and Mother Consort?"
Xie Yunchuan shook his head and carefully explained to his sister, "As a princess of a country, when a princess returns to the palace, these are all gifts sent by various court officials, concubines of the harem, and noble families."
Sheng Sheng didn't understand: "Does being a princess mean you get so many gifts?"
Zijuan, a naive girl, smiled and said, "Princess, you are of noble birth, with royal blood flowing through your veins. Not everyone can be a princess."
"Oh." Sheng Sheng understood these words, but her focus was not on them.
Sheng Sheng lowered her head silently and said nothing more, then happily asked Xie Yunchuan if she could open the gift.
Xie Yunchuan naturally agreed, since it was originally a gift for her, and she could do whatever she wanted with it.
The little one was very excited to open the gift, even more so than when we go for a walk every day.
Expensive fabrics for clothing, a wide variety of jewelry, and all sorts of trinkets that little girls love...
Even during her time at Yuqing Palace, Sheng Sheng had never seen so many beautiful and fun things all at once!
Being a child at heart, she was extremely happy.
Perhaps it's a girl's nature to like these shiny and pretty things, but the little girl opened them one by one, her eyes sparkling.
"Brother, all these things are so beautiful!"
Xie Yunchuan chuckled, sipping the warm barley porridge. Seeing the little guy's delighted expression, his heart warmed as well.
It wasn't that no one gave Xie Yunchuan gifts, but Xie Yunchuan never really appreciated them, feeling that accepting gifts meant incurring favors, which was too troublesome.
But seeing the little dumpling's joyful expression as she received the gift, Xie Yunchuan realized for the first time that receiving gifts had a unique charm.
"If you like it, that's fine."
Sheng Sheng smiled at Xie Yunchuan with her eyes crinkling at the corners. When she unpacked something she particularly liked, she would hold it in her hands and look at it for a long time before putting it away properly.
Xie Yunchuan intentionally observed her preferences, silently noting down any items she asked him to hold for a longer period of time.
Sheng Sheng sat down on the ground with a carefree air, feeling quite comfortable. Huang Ying and Zi Juan didn't pull her up, but sat down with her to unwrap the gifts.
"Princess, this is the finest Shu brocade!"
"Princess, is this made of fox fur? It's so beautiful!"
"Princess, princess, here's a little pipa. You can play it when you're free!"
These things dazzled Xiaosheng, making her eyes blurry.
There were so many things that, by the end, even her bright, sparkling eyes weren't so bright anymore.
It took the little dumpling a full fifteen minutes to finally open the last box.
The little dumpling glared, and its round eyes became bright and sparkling again.
Inside lay a translucent, round agate pendant, deep green in color.
On the front of the jade pendant, several lifelike bamboo plants are carved using a shallow relief technique.
The bamboo joints are slightly raised and arranged in a staggered pattern.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com