How strange, a love affair made two people who were in a bad mood feel better.
Having vented her frustrations, Qian Shengyan felt that her anxieties from the past few days were simply self-inflicted and unreasonable.
Everyone dies eventually, so there's no need to live in constant fear because "I might die in the future."
And Yinzhen...
You can't treat him like a man!
Just act like Prince Yong, like Emperor Yongzheng, like the emperor, like the emperor...
The only thing I can't do is act like a man.
You can be a little coquettish with him, use some small tricks within his acceptable limits, or engage in some harmless little whims.
Women in the inner palace referred to themselves as "臣妾" (chenqie), meaning "first subject, then concubine," and the man they faced was not just a man, but the monarch.
Qian Shengyan sighed deeply. She knew that once she came here, she would never be able to live the life she used to have, but she was still somewhat unaccustomed to having to bow down to others.
Take it slow. Fortunately... it seems that Yinzhen is still giving her some leniency and time.
Qian Shengyan's drawings weren't particularly precise, but they were still legible. With Yinzhen having some free time in the past few days, he redrawn the drawings, added some minor details, and Yuanshou's little cart was finished before the Lantern Festival.
The eleven-month-old baby, whose legs were already quite strong, excitedly wore tiger-head shoes and pushed his stroller, wobbling as he walked around the courtyard. It was just that the weather was too cold, and the maid was afraid that Yuan Shou would get cold, so she dressed him too warmly. If it weren't for Qian Shengyan blocking a thick cloak, the child would have been wrapped up like a ball.
But now it's almost like that. A little chubby ball pushes a small cart and runs around the yard "hahaha"—you can tell from the speed of his leg movements that he should be running very fast, but in fact, his overall speed is much slower than an adult walking normally.
Qian Shengyan found it amusing. She felt she could sit in a chair, munching on sunflower seeds, and watch the kids run around for hours without getting bored. Kids really do get cuter as they grow up; they're chubby little dumplings when they're small, then they become lively little dumplings, and when they're even bigger… they'll probably grow into handsome young boys!
Hehehe, that's really good.
I wish I had another daughter. My son is so naughty when he grows up. Daughters are so much better; they're soft, sweet, and lovable.
Qian Shengyan calculated the time again and felt it was good. There were still ten years until Yinzhen ascended the throne. By then, her daughter would not be of marriageable age, so she shouldn't have to worry about Fumeng—at worst, she could just plead with Yinzhen, and there shouldn't be any problem.
Sigh, if all else fails... she'll have another daughter when she's thirty. When her daughter grows up, Emperor Yuanshou will become the emperor, and then she'll have everything she wants, becoming the first princess of the Qing Dynasty!
Well, speaking of which... Yinzhen has a daughter now.
Yaertan, born to the Li family, was someone Qian Shengyan had only met once in all the time she had been here. She was a gentle and quiet girl who had just turned 18 last year. She usually stayed in her own courtyard and never came out.
Yinzhen would visit her occasionally, not as often as he saw his sons, but she was his only daughter, and he loved her dearly, though he felt he couldn't really talk to her.
Sigh, I suddenly really want to have a daughter. If she had a little girl, I would definitely treat her very well...
Qian Shengyan touched her belly, then looked at the chubby little boy pushing the stroller outside, and couldn't help but laugh again.
Oh well, let it be.
As soon as Yinzhen entered Dongyou Courtyard, he saw Yuanshou running around frantically pushing a small cart. He couldn't help but laugh at the sight. He walked over, grabbed the little ball, and carried it into the house, saying, "It's very cold outside. Why don't you come inside and play?"
No one refuted his words, and Qian Shengyan also got up and bowed to welcome the father and son into the West Warm Pavilion.
The head eunuch serving Yuan Shou was named Hou Ming. He was as shrewd as a monkey. He immediately carried the small cart and followed the masters into the warm pavilion. After Granny Ge helped the Fourth Prince take off his outer clothes, Hou Ming bowed and respectfully presented the small cart to the young master. Then he stood aside and watched without blinking.
Qian Shengyan glanced at it twice and then let Yuan Shou play with it. Yinzhen sat next to her for a moment and nodded in agreement: "This little stroller is indeed quite nice."
"Hmm, what about the swing and slide that Your Highness promised me?" Qian Shengyan asked with a smile, resting her chin on her hand.
Yinzhen smiled and reached out to pinch her cheek: "How could I forget what I promised you?"
"Master!" Qian Shengyan grabbed his hand, glanced at the servants filling the room, and thought that this man was becoming more and more unreliable.
Yinzhen smiled and withdrew his hand before getting down to business: "Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, and the whole family should get together. I was thinking that the courtyards are all crowded, so why don't we set up a table in Ziming Pavilion in the garden? It's spacious there, and we can also enjoy the plum blossoms. We can have the room warmed up in advance so the children won't be afraid to go there."
“You’re right, Master. I haven’t been to that pavilion yet!” Qian Shengyan’s eyes lit up. “That pavilion—well, Ziming Pavilion is huge!”
"Yes." Yinzhen smiled at her, while Qian Shengyan was still happily planning: "Can we also enjoy the lanterns in the garden? And see the ice sculptures or something?"
"If you want to see it, you can have it," Yinzhen continued. "That's good, it'll make it more lively."
Qian Shengyan knew that Yinzhen didn't want to hold the ceremony in the main courtyard, but she didn't care. She thought it would be more fun to go to a new place. She happily gestured and told Yinzhen about the riddles she had seen in her previous life. Yinzhen just listened with a smile. After a while, he suddenly said, "You like gardens. After the first month of the lunar calendar, I will take you and Yuanshou to stay at the Yuanmingyuan Garden."
"Ah..." Qian Shengyan didn't react at first, but when she understood what Yinzhen had said, she was even happier, looking at him with sparkling eyes, "Really? Can we stay there after the first month of the lunar calendar?"
"What's the difference between real and fake?" Yinzhen was amused by her and couldn't help but pinch her cheek again. "You really love to act cute."
Qian Shengyan: ?
Why is she being so coquettish when she's speaking politely?
Forget it, considering this man is wealthy, and even the Old Summer Palace is now his private property, I'll just let it go and not bother with him about these things.
Qian Shengyan even began to look forward to tomorrow's banquet, feeling that it would be the most interesting family meal she had had since entering the mansion!
To everyone's surprise, Yinzhen nodded and said, "Then I'll leave it to you."
Qian Shengyan paused, her smile slowly fading from her face. She looked at Yinzhen in disbelief: "What...what do you mean by that, Your Highness?"
"You will be in charge of organizing the family banquet tomorrow," Yinzhen said clearly.
Qian Shengyan: ...
She forced a smile, her eyes pleading, "Master, are you just teasing me?"
“The account books and the tally are all with you,” Yinzhen said, taking a sip of his tea, in a very good mood. “Then you should naturally be the one to host the banquet.”
Qian Shengyan: ...
Tomorrow she'll burn all the plaques and account books of the Yong Prince's Mansion!
That being said, the matter still had to be done. After lunch, Yinzhen happily took Yuanshou away, ostensibly to avoid disturbing her while she was doing her business.
Qian Shengyan watched her son leave, took a deep breath, and said to Qingxue, "Go and invite Granny Lin over."
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