Regards
At one o'clock in the morning, the newlyweds went together to the central palace.
Golden light shone through the sky, and on the side of me was a sky-high black-tiled red wall. A faint shadow was cast on the light gray stone road under my feet.
Once you leave the palace, you can ride in a sedan chair, with a group of palace maids surrounding you in front and behind.
Qi Qinghe had never enjoyed such an experience before. It was quite wonderful, like her footsteps were light and floating, like a bird spreading its wings and flying high, or like the shimmering waves, like a fish swimming deep into the water.
Fortunately, there was the serious and strict Crown Prince next to her, otherwise she would have been arrogant.
Xiao Junbai looked straight ahead, sat upright, his hands on his knees, sitting steadily and motionless.
Qi Qinghe glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and seeing that he didn't say a word, she remembered what the prince had told her not to be rude before leaving. She immediately sat up straight, raised her head slightly, and stopped her wandering eyes.
A silent atmosphere spread between the two of them, and only the sound of neat and light footsteps could be heard around them.
After a while, Xiao Junbai remembered something, "Why didn't I see your maid this morning?"
Qi Qinghe, who had nearly fallen asleep, opened her eyes blankly and subconsciously looked at the prince. "My mother is ill, and I am afraid that others will not be able to serve her well. So I will leave all the maids with her."
"It's hard to repay your parents' kindness. It's truly rare that you have such a heart." Xiao Junbai nodded. "When you come back, ask Chengxi to go and pick a few people."
As they were talking, the sedan chair stopped in front of the Queen's Kunning Palace. The Emperor was busy with government affairs and naturally had no time for this, so he had to wait until later.
The eunuch Chang who was waiting here was the Queen's personal attendant. He led everyone to the main hall and said, "Your Highness and the Queen have asked us to wait. The Queen and the Imperial Concubine are waiting."
Xiao Junbai paused, then said nonchalantly, "Is mother here too?"
"Your Highness the Imperial Concubine, you have arrived early in the morning and are now having breakfast with the Empress." Eunuch Chang said with a smile.
Outside the main hall, the palace maids on both sides lowered their heads and waited, without hearing any movement. Occasionally, the sweet laughter of a woman could be heard from the hall.
"If I were to tell you, sister, don't worry. The Crown Prince is already this old, how could he not be able to manage the Eastern Palace?" The Queen consoled him. Seeing someone approaching from afar, she slowly stood up and said, "Oh, everyone is here as soon as I told them to."
The couple bowed to the two ladies together.
Xiao Junbai turned to his mother and saluted properly, "What are you talking about, mother?"
The imperial concubine signaled the palace servants to help the man up and said with a smile: "It's all because of you, a wooden fool. Now that you're getting married, the young lady will be wronged."
"Qingyu, come here and sit here with me." The imperial concubine raised her hand and asked someone to sit down below.
"The Crown Princess looks well. I think His Highness is a caring person, unlike those unruly ladies in this palace who give me no peace of mind." The Queen scolded with a smile, "I didn't take a good look at her the first time, but now I'm taking a closer look. The Crown Princess looks quite presentable. She has sisters at home... The palace is quiet, so please come and visit more often."
"Look at what you're asking, sister. How can Qingyu, a newlywed, manage her sisters?" The imperial concubine smiled and covered her lips with her hands. "Qingyu, don't bother with her. Just come to me."
Before Qi Qinghe could say a word, the imperial concubine and the queen had already finished speaking. She didn't know what to say now, her eyebrows curved and she smiled softly.
Xiao Junbai didn't pay attention to what was being said. His mind was fixed on his mother's words "wooden idiot". As his thoughts raced, he took the words seriously.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was busy with government affairs, so he stood up after sitting for a while. Ignoring Qi Qinghe's eyes trying to keep him, he apologized, said goodbye, and strode away.
Qi Qinghe, who was already frightened, became even more uneasy. He silently told himself to be careful with his words and actions, and was even more cautious in his answers.
"Look at this child, she is so nervous. Don't be afraid, I am not a cannibal." How could the little girl's words and deeds be hidden from the people who have been in the palace for a long time? The queen said, with a hint of doubt in her eyes.
"It's natural for someone who has just entered the palace to be nervous," the imperial concubine said, smoothing things over. "Anyway, we have nothing to do today, and we'll be busy tonight. Why don't you go back first and have a good rest? There's still a long way to go before we can pay our respects."
"Indeed, it's been too hot these past few days, so there's no rush to pay respects to the imperial mausoleum." The Queen beckoned for the palace maids to bring up the gifts. "Since this is our first meeting, I don't have anything special to give you. It's just a small gift, so please keep it well."
Qi Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief, thanked them one by one, and was escorted out the door by Eunuch Chang.
On the way back, she couldn't stop trembling and broke out in a cold sweat.
It's only the first day, and she's already so panicked and at a loss. What will she do in the future?
Qi Qinghe patted his chest, and his anxiously flushed face slowly calmed down.
Don't be afraid, they are just human beings. As long as she acts well, she can get away with it.
Thinking of this, she opened the box given by the queen. Inside was a complete set of jade headpieces, which were emerald green and translucent and very beautiful.
Qi Qinghe stared at it for a long time, then carefully reached out to touch it and took it in his hand.
She had never seen such a beautiful headpiece before. She pursed her lips slightly and put it back into the box carefully.
When he returned to the Eastern Palace, as soon as he entered the palace gate, he saw a group of palace maids, led by Cheng Xi, gathered outside the palace. When they saw the Crown Princess return, they saluted in unison, and their voices echoed throughout the palace.
Qi Qinghe stood there in a daze.
Cheng Xi took two or three steps forward and explained in detail: "Your Majesty, His Highness has ordered that from now on, all affairs of the Eastern Palace will be managed by Your Majesty. The account books of the treasury will also be under Your Majesty's control. The palace servants, both high and low, will obey Your Majesty's orders."
"His Highness has also instructed that there is no one available by the Empress's side. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will send someone over later. Please wait a moment, Your Majesty." Cheng Xi said as the palace servant handed over the account book.
Qi Qinghe bit her lip, dug her fingers deep into her palms, and forced herself to calm down.
Although I don't understand why His Highness would do this, since it has been delivered to my door, there is no reason to refuse.
What's more, it was the account book, the one she was most familiar with since she was a child.
Qi Qinghe swallowed and vaguely remembered what her mother had said: since she was the Crown Princess, then these were hers.
She agreed frankly, "Please thank His Highness for your concern. I have a lot to do today, so I'll check it out tomorrow."
After returning to the bedroom, her tense back relaxed instantly, and the corners of her smiling mouth slowly fell flat. She looked straight at herself in the makeup mirror.
The person in the mirror was wearing makeup and looked quite unfamiliar at first glance, but only when you got closer could you feel some familiarity.
Her pair of almond-shaped eyes were blank and lifeless, her round face had become a little thinner, and the rouge on her face made her face look even more rosy. Her jet-black hair was all tied up, and her head was adorned with gold and jade hairpins.
She was nothing like the inconspicuous little girl who worked in a street shop and learned how to keep accounts from her father.
Only at this moment did she understand why her mother said those things to her.
Maybe he saw through her. She looked brave but was actually cowardly.
Qi Qinghe sat there blankly, looking at herself in the dressing mirror, forgetting the time for a moment.
Until there was a knock on the door, Cheng Xi's voice came from outside the palace, "Your Majesty, the people sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs have arrived."
Only then did she stand up.
Outside the hall, two maids in light pink clothes stood in the corridor.
"These two were selected by the Imperial Household Department. Their names are Yun Tao and Yun Xing. If Your Majesty has any other instructions, please call me." Cheng Xi paused and continued:
"Your Highness has many government affairs to attend to, and usually stays in Qingya Residence. I don't want to disturb the Empress, so Your Highness will still live here. If you come here, I will definitely ask the palace maids to inform you. Please feel free to do as you please in your daily life." Cheng Xi said, not daring to look at the Empress's face.
Logically speaking, it is uncommon for newlyweds to live apart, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince really thought so. The servants could not persuade their master and could only secretly pity the Crown Princess.
Qi Qinghe pretended not to hear anything and clearly did nothing, but she felt exhausted both physically and mentally, and her head was dizzy. She called the maid in and planned to take a short rest.
The confusion in my head was temporarily relieved.
This sleeping hall is called Mingcheng Hall, a name suggested by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Facing it is a tall ink-wash screen, completely shielding the rear hall. To the left, a tall multi-treasure cabinet blocks the path. A desk is hidden behind it, complete with pen holders and rice paper. To the right is the Arhat bed, its nanmu frame draped with a silver-white curtain.
The bed curtains were half hung up and half scattered. The unclosed window let in wisps of wind, and the bed curtains were blown by the wind. Looking at the young man, he was curled up in the bedding, with his palm-sized face, his facial features wrinkled, and weak sobs spilled out from time to time.
Xiao Junbai strode over, waved his hand to send his attendants away, and seeing that the person was asleep, he hesitantly sat down beside the bed and brushed the hair away from the person's cheek.
He heard a few palace maids gossiping about how the Crown Princess and the Empress and Imperial Concubine had paid their respects to him this morning, which was quite rude. He returned to the East Palace and casually asked Cheng Xi when the Empress would come back.
I came here in a rage just now, but I never expected to see such a scene.
Xiao Junbai stared at her face, and somehow recalled the little girl's timid appearance last night, which was particularly pitiful, and the look on her face late at night when she wanted to cry but was trying hard to hold it back. He couldn't help but sigh.
Mother is right, he really doesn't know how to handle this matter.
Xiao Junbai governed the Eastern Palace very strictly. He would punish anyone who was disrespectful without mercy and was ruthless in handling government affairs. However, Qi Qinghe was neither a servant in his palace nor his enemy, so he had no way to deal with her.
Never mind. In the final analysis, he was the one who left first. If he was by her side, he would definitely be able to give her some pointers and avoid being rude in front of the Queen and his mother.
Xiao Junbai patted her shoulder gently and called her up, "It's getting late, it's time to go to the banquet."
Qi Qinghe slowly woke up, blinked, and slowly sat up, "I slept for so long."
"Don't blame me, Your Highness. I was just sleepy for a moment." When she saw the person in front of her clearly, she hurriedly lifted the quilt, bowed hurriedly, and shouted for someone to come and wash her.
Xiao Junbai frowned slightly but didn't say much.
They were silent all the way, and Qi Qinghe secretly glanced at His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Now that the matter is settled, if she wants to secure her position as Crown Princess, she must cling tightly to the Crown Prince.
This is only the first day. There is no telling how many such scenes will occur in the future. I cannot be as muddle-headed as I was during the day.
She secretly encouraged herself, "Your Highness, have you had lunch this afternoon? No matter how busy Your Highness is, you should take care of your health."
Qi Qinghe recalled the look and tone of the time when she was acting coquettishly with her father and mother when she was young, but she felt a little embarrassed because they were so far apart now.
Xiao Junbai hummed, and his frown relaxed. "Sit down."
The Crown Prince’s wedding was celebrated yesterday, and an official banquet was held to entertain all the ministers.
If we follow the emperor's words, today is a family dinner, and all the princes and princesses, the emperor and the empress will be here.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
