Just after midnight on New Year's Eve, the servants of the Fourth Prince's residence began to get busy. At 2:45 AM, Yin and Qingyan got up to go to the palace, and the servants immediately started preparing things for their journey.
Yin woke up first. He turned to look at the little darling in his arms and smiled slightly. He didn't have much time to get up with the little darling in the morning. The holidays were the time when he could fulfill his dream.
"Master, it's time!" Su Peisheng bowed and stood at the door. Today was absolutely not a day to be wasted.
"Little darling, wake up, we're going to the palace!" Yin pulled Qingyan into his arms and pinched her little nose.
In the past, he would have Su Lan dress Xiao Guai in the carriage, but today was different. Qing Yan had to wear a complicated court dress, which would take at least half an hour to put on.
"Mmm..." Qingyan opened her eyes groggily, then reluctantly closed them again. Yin looked at the little girl's beauty and couldn't help but half-close his phoenix eyes. He leaned down and kissed her pink lips, his thin lips ravaging hers. His right hand pinched her chin, making her lips slowly part. She moved her little head, trying to avoid his kiss. He released her chin and placed his hand directly on the back of her neck.
As the deep kiss slowly passed, she finally came to her senses, her little face turning a bold pink. Yin saw this and couldn't help but feel a stirring in his heart.
If time weren't so tight, she wouldn't mind letting Xiao Guai indulge in that debauchery a little longer.
"Fourth...Fourth..." Yin finally let her go, and a thin strand of saliva connected their lips. A hint of shyness flashed in her watery eyes.
Hehehe~
Yin's deep laughter rang out as Qingyan sat in his lap, wrapped in a blanket.
"Little darling, get up, you'll need to wear your court robes later!" Yin said with a smile in his eyes.
As soon as she finished speaking, Qingyan's face scrunched up. Yin really was giving her no way out. Court robes were Qingyan's least favorite palace attire. Unless it was an occasion she absolutely had to wear them, Qingyan would never touch them.
"Fourth Prince, you're wearing court robes too?!" Yin's princely court robes were very handsome, but his golden princely court robes were the best.
Hearing the commotion in the inner chamber, Su Peisheng and Su Lan quickly entered with their maids. Behind Su Peisheng, a servant carried a tray with a golden court robe on it.
"Huh, why is it this outfit?" Qingyan sat in front of the bronze mirror and noticed Achao's clothes, and couldn't help but smile slightly.
"Today is the ancestral worship ceremony. Father Emperor has personally decreed that all princes must wear the princes' court robes!" Yin was very proud. Before the age of 22, all princes had to wear their regular prince clothes to worship their ancestors, which had become a royal rule.
Qingyan smiled, dressed in a royal blue imperial concubine's robes, and sat upright in a chair. Sulan was applying makeup to her. Fortunately, the cosmetics she used were all made by Sulan herself and contained no harmful ingredients.
Previously, all the gifts sent by the Imperial Household Department were given by Qingyan to the servants below.
"Little darling, put on a heavier makeup!" Yin didn't want anyone to see Qingyan's face. As she grew older, Little darling's appearance became more and more outstanding, and more and more people would pay attention to her.
Every time they went out together, Yin would become increasingly jealous.
"Huh?!" Qingyan was deflated. She didn't like heavy makeup and thought light makeup was better.
"Yes!" Su Lan quickly replied.
An hour later, Qingyan had finished her makeup, except for applying lip gloss.
Qingyan stepped forward step by step on the flowerpot-shaped platform, which was higher than the usual platform. She held onto Sulan and moved forward step by step. To outsiders, her steps were very elegant, but in fact, she was the one who was suffering the most.
"Are you tired?" Yin asked as he watched Xiao Guai get into the carriage and the first thing she did was take off her flowerpot shoes.
She nodded quickly. Since they weren't in the palace this year, would they still be able to get a sedan chair?
"The primary consort will have a sedan chair, so don't worry." Yin also felt sorry for Xiao'er. "You'll be staying up late tonight, so after lunch you must be a good girl and go to sleep!"
Last year, keeping watch was a real headache for Yin Ke. This year, to save time, Kangxi specially granted them permission to stay in the princes' quarters.
Her eyes were shining; she could stay up a little later tomorrow.
"Keep watch..." Qingyan nodded. The tragic experience of last year was still fresh in her memory, and she was determined not to be as reckless as she had been when she went to E'nian's place.
At this time, carriages carrying the families of court officials had already gathered at the palace gate. These people could only enter after the princes who were leaving the palace to establish their own residences could no longer be accommodated. Some of the wives of officials who lived far from the palace had basically set off the night before.
Fei Yanggu and his two sons arrived early, just in time to see the carriage from the Fourth Prince's residence slowly approaching. E'shuo and Saito smiled slightly. On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, Yin took Qingyan back to the new residence for a few days. Among the several primary wives, only Qingyan was not criticized.
"You two behave yourselves, Xiao Guai will be very tired today!" Fei Yanggu specially instructed Jue Luo Shi through the carriage, and seeing his two sons nod, he couldn't help but feel satisfied.
Hearing her father's voice, Qingyan couldn't help but turn her little head to the side. The sky outside was still pitch black, but under the illumination of the palace lanterns, the palace gate was as bright as day. Ulanara's carriage was parked within the area designated for first-rank officials. Rows of carriages were parked there, and Qingyan couldn't find her own carriage immediately.
"Won't we go back on the second day of the Lunar New Year?" Yin reassured Qingyan.
Half an hour later, the carriage stopped at the entrance of Chenggan Palace. After Qingyan was helped down from the carriage by Yin, she found that Chenggan Palace was already bustling with activity.
"Little darling, go in with a smile on your face!" Yin said, feeling that Qingyan's body was a little stiff as he held her hand. He gave her a word of advice out of concern.
Qingyan nodded. Seeing such a grand scene only once a year, she forced herself to adapt.
As soon as the two entered the palace, they saw Consort Tong dressed in a golden imperial concubine's robe and wearing a court hat, sitting upright in the high seat like a wax figure. Qingyan couldn't help but chuckle. The noble ladies looked very dignified. With such heavy headdresses, it would be difficult not to be dignified.
"Please sit down quickly." Consort Tong knew that Xiao Guai's court hat was very heavy. Fortunately, she only wore the court dress during ancestral worship and festivals. Otherwise, they would have suffered.
Kangxi sat to the side, holding a cup of tea and watching the two of them. Xiao Guai was clearly not in good spirits, probably because she had gotten up too early.
"Little darling, this time we can't think like last year when we're keeping watch!" Kangxi pointed at Qingyan.
"Yes, Father Emperor!" Qingyan smiled, they still remembered the embarrassing incident from last year.
Li Dequan brought a cup of coffee to Qingyan, which Emperor Kangxi specially ordered Lang Shining to brew and deliver.
"Coffee?!" Qingyan's eyes lit up. How could Chengqian Palace have this...?
“Feyanggu said you need this to refresh yourself!” Kangxi said.
"Thank you, Father Emperor!" Qingyan rose to express his gratitude. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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