On the fifteenth day, Emperor Kangxi specially ordered Li Dequan to invite the princes to a drinking party at Changchun Garden.
In the early morning, when Qingyan woke up, Sulan told her about it. Yin was worried that Xiaoguai might have some unresolved issues, so he didn't tell her beforehand.
"Hmph!" Qingyan snorted and slammed the orchid hairpin on the dressing table. "Am I that petty?"
"Master, don't talk nonsense," Su Lan cautiously reminded her.
Before leaving, Fourth Master specifically instructed Su Lan that recently, many unfamiliar faces had entered the garden. These were all sent by Li Dequan to investigate the small kitchen. He told her to be more disciplined in her words and actions.
Qingyan sighed helplessly. What kind of fate did she have? Even when her child was in danger, she couldn't speak freely.
"Master said there are strangers in the courtyard!" Su Lan whispered to Qing Yan.
After having breakfast, Qingyan carried his two children and walked towards the warm pavilion next to Fuhai Lake in Yuanmingyuan. This pavilion was the closest to the later Jiuzhou Qingyan, and he had specially planned it out for his wife and daughters to enjoy the view.
In winter, the sea of Fuhai froze over, and the winter plum blossoms around the sea were in full bloom. Qingyan was a restless person. When he was at the mansion, he would often take the children out for walks. But in the Yuanmingyuan, Qingyan had nowhere to go.
Fuhai was a landscape designed by Empress Yin. A few days before its completion, the garden here was finally finished, and Yin specially gave it to Qingyan as a birthday gift.
As Qingyan entered the front hall of the warm pavilion, she was immediately touched by the warm decorations before her. The baby seats for Yiken'e and Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen, the newly made yo-yos—everything was the result of Yin's painstaking efforts. The pavilion had two floors. The upper floor was the bedroom where the family of four could rest, along with Yin's study. On the lower floor, near Fuhai Lake, were floor-to-ceiling windows. Next to the window was a comfortable soft couch, and opposite the couch was a partitioned area with eight large screens. The other area was the family's dining room.
Near the entrance, there is a long and wide passageway with floor-to-ceiling windows on the right, offering a clear view of the outside scenery. The interior furnishings are completely hidden by heavy, ornate doors.
The pavilion's front hall is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows on all four sides, and the wooden floor is heated by underfloor heating. There is not a single brazier in the entire pavilion.
To the right of the kang (heated brick bed) is a high table with a large blue-and-white porcelain vase containing two or three blooming wintersweet flowers. Opposite the table is a four-story display cabinet, all of which has been removed.
The twins were moving around here, and he had already cleaned up any objects that might be touched.
"Sulan, please take the vase off the table later," Qingyan said, pointing to the vase with winter plum blossoms in it.
Although she loved the winter plum blossoms, she had to give them up for the sake of the children's safety.
"Master, this vase was specially commissioned by Fourth Master. No matter how much the table shakes, the vase will definitely not fall to the ground." Su Zhu had inquired about the warm pavilion and found out all the ingenious decorations inside, in order to give her master a surprise.
"Hmm?!" Qingyan put the children in the stroller so they could sleep more comfortably. "Let me see."
She walked to the kang table, shook it a couple of times, and the vase kept swaying with the table, but showed no sign of falling to the ground.
Yin was quite thoughtful; he had already considered these dangers.
"Did they say when they'd be back?" Qingyan lifted the curtains of the French windows; the curtains were the same as those in her bedroom.
“The master said that we will dine in the warm pavilion tonight,” Su Lan replied.
Qingyan nodded. The small kitchen was a bit far from here, so ordering a hot pot would be a good idea.
"Okay, go prepare some pots. It's so cold outside, and Si Si has come a long way from Changchun Garden." Qingyan was worried that he would get cold. "Also, prepare a small pot so that the two little ones can have some hot pot too."
Since the twins were weaned, their complementary foods have been gradually increased. Vegetable porridge is no longer enough to satisfy their appetites, and sometimes the two little ones will eat some vegetables as well.
“Master, isn’t this a bit…” Su Lan looked at the young masters inside the carriage.
"No need, it's time to let them find something to eat." Meatballs are no longer enough to satisfy the two little ones' appetites, and Qingyan has received many complaints from them.
Su Lan also understood that when the two young masters saw the food on the table, they would disobey and grab the food, often making a mess. When the Fourth Prince discovered this problem, the nanny serving the twins was punished with a cane several times.
To prevent a similar situation from happening again, Qingyan had to agree that the children had started eating regular meals.
“My lord, it’s good that the little prince and princess are growing faster. We’re making special supplementary food for them, but now is not the safe time.” Qingyan’s eyes were filled with guilt. Sulan quickly stepped forward to persuade Qingyan, saying that this matter really had nothing to do with her.
Qingyan sighed and said, "There's no need to comfort me. If I hadn't failed to manage the backyard properly, the children wouldn't have suffered this calamity."
The day before yesterday, Lady Yin Genjue Luo specially sent a letter to express her deepest gratitude to Qing Yan.
If it weren't for her reminder, Songkriyirha might have died young, or become extremely weak and short-lived.
Qingyan was startled when she saw this. In Qing history, Yin's eldest daughter did not live long. It was probably due to depression, but more likely it was because of her poor health.
"Go and prepare." Qingyan leaned back on the soft couch, her right hand supporting her beside her, her small face looking out the window.
When they arrived at the warm pavilion, snowflakes began to fall outside, and in less than half an hour, the sea of Fuhai was covered with a layer of white snow.
This snow scene is completely different from the snow scene of the ruins that once existed.
Sure enough, the name "Garden of Ten Thousand Victories" was not given lightly. She covered herself with the silk quilt that Su Zhu had just brought and admired the winter scenery.
"Little darling, do you like it?" Just as Qingyan was lost in thought, Yin's deep voice sounded from behind her. Qingyan was taken aback. Why was Fourth Prince back so early?
She nodded obediently. The scenery here was indeed better, even better than the winter scenery of Jiuzhou Qingyan and Wanfang Anhe.
"This is specially for you to enjoy the snow, and the children won't get cold," Yin whispered in her ear as he hugged her from behind.
"Fourth Prince, isn't this a bit wasteful of money?" A prince's villa cannot be too luxurious, otherwise, Emperor Kangxi will definitely have something to say about it.
"The mansion was supervised by the Imperial Household Department, but this villa can be built according to our own wishes. I submitted the blueprints to Father Emperor for review, so the censors won't have any leverage against us!" The act of punishing the Crown Princess made the princes' wives tremble with fear, worried that they would be dragged into this disaster.
Qingyan smiled faintly. Consort Tong had even had Shu An say a few words to comfort her, also implying to Qingyan that the Crown Princess's punishment was entirely her own fault. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
