On the morning of the tenth day of the third month, Qingyan, dressed in a light blue palace gown embroidered with fluttering peach blossoms and three-inch flowerpot-shaped soles of the same color, sat upright in front of a bronze mirror. In a moment, she was going to the palace to pay her respects to Consort Tong.
Su Lan styled her hair into two small buns, adorned with a pink jade hairpin shaped like a peach blossom. The pink peach blossoms looked delicate and beautiful against her dark hair.
Now that the twins had grown up, Qingyan could relax a little. She led the children into the carriage, preparing to go to the palace to pay her respects.
On the carriage, Yiken'e pressed her face against the sealed window, peering through the hazy light at the bustling traffic outside. Yiken'e was more interested in the outside world, and her little hands kept patting the window.
"Yiken'e, come sit here quickly." Qingyan saw that Yiken'e was starting to make a fuss again, so he quickly called him to his side. Yin had specially sealed the car windows tightly so that the active Yiken'e would not be seen by people outside, so that the child would not have any accidents.
Yiken noticed that Qingyan seemed a little anxious, so she quickly ran over and snuggled up to Qingyan, a fawning smile on her face.
"Mother, I want to see outside!" Boys are always active, so every time Yin took them in the carriage, he would let them get off on the street so the four of them could go for a stroll together.
"We need to pay our respects to Grandma! Yiken, didn't you say you missed Grandma?" Qingyan didn't have enough people with her, so if they were to go shopping after paying their respects, she would have to tell Yin in advance.
"Sulan, when we enter the palace later, go and inform Su Peisheng to tell the Fourth Prince that we are approaching Wushan and ask him to take some time to accompany us back to the manor." Qingyan gave in immediately when she saw Yiken'e's pleading eyes.
It's rare for the twins to go out, and if they don't go sightseeing, Yiken will definitely cause a ruckus when they get back to the mansion.
"His Majesty instructed that he would personally go to Chengqian Palace to pick you and the two young masters before lunch," Su Lan said with a smile.
Yin had already stated that if Yiken'e did not cause trouble, Sulan would not need to say anything more. On the contrary, Sulan used this condition to exchange for Yiken'e's quietness.
"Yay!" Yiken stretched out her arms, her little face beaming with a happy smile.
Every day, they had to stay in the mansion. Nowhere was as interesting as the courtyard, where they could often go on adventures. There were only a few places in the mansion where they could play without any worries.
Qingyan gazed at the children's smiles, a pang of sorrow rising in her heart.
"Hmm." Qingyan's clothes are in the carriage; she can change behind the screen when she gets back.
As he approached the palace gate, Yiken'e quickly checked himself in the bronze mirror to make sure his clothes and hat were neat and tidy.
Among the rules taught by the nannies, this was the primary prerequisite: to have an audience with His Majesty, one had to be properly dressed. He asked Sulan to bring him a cup of mouthwash, stood in front of the copper basin, and began to rinse his mouth.
His mature-behavior amused Qingyan.
"Alright, when shall we get off the carriage?" The wives greeted the guests, and the carriages were to be parked outside.
When the twins entered the palace, Emperor Kangxi made a special exception and did not have to follow the rules. The carriage slowly stopped in front of Chengqian Palace. Qingyan stepped off the carriage on a stool, turned around and carried the two children down, then led one person on each side into the palace.
At the entrance of Chengqian Palace, Shu was waiting there early. When he saw the two young masters appear, he quickly went up to greet them and respectfully paid his respects to the three masters.
“Granny Shu, please rise. Yiken’e wishes to pay her respects to Granny Ma. Please pass on this message, Granny.” Yiken’e said in a formal and measured manner.
Shu glanced at Qingyan in surprise. This...
"The nanny is teaching her manners, and Yiken'e talks about these manners wherever she goes now," Qingyan explained helplessly.
When Fei Yanggu and his two sons came over, they saw Yiken'e asking Yin a million questions, and they all decided to reduce the number of times they went to the Prince's mansion.
Saito even joked that her rules were not as good as Iken's.
With a smile on her face, Shu strode into the hall and told Consort Tong about the young prince's actions.
Consort Tong rose and stepped forward. Yiken, dressed in a royal blue prince's robe, stood in the courtyard and solemnly told Qingyan that she must not enter without prior notice.
Yiken'e kept muttering to herself, while Consort Tong covered her mouth and laughed. This scene with Yiken'e seemed to take her back to more than ten years ago, when Yin, who was about the same age as Yiken'e, was also speaking about the rules in such a serious manner in front of her.
"Yiken'e, Grandma is here. This is our home, why should we have so many rules?" Consort Tong patted Yiken'e's head and couldn't help but laugh.
Yiken pouted, her large phoenix eyes revealing confusion.
Didn't the old woman say that entering the palace means following the rules?
His little head was instantly filled with countless question marks.
"Yiken'e, do you want to listen to what Grandma Ma said?" Consort Tong bent down and looked at Yiken'e, asking him gently.
Inside the Yuanmingyuan Garden, Emperor Kangxi and Consort Tong signed the contracts of all the nannies, deciding to personally instruct them in the rules.
Yiken'e had finally adapted somewhat, but when she returned to the Prince's residence and was taught by the nannies, she became rather dazed.
"Let's go inside first!" Consort Tong picked up Hutulifengshengzhalafen, the little girl was still confused.
On the carriage, Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen was a little dazed from the sightseeing. As soon as she landed, Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen leaned against Qingyan's leg, a faint smile on her small face, but her eyes were unfocused.
"My little darlings, who made Yiken'e learn manners?" Consort Tong felt sorry for the two children; the little ones must have suffered.
Consort Tong was taught manners by her nannies from a young age, and she personally experienced those methods of punishment. Even now, thinking back on them, she still feels lingering fear.
"It was Fourth Prince who made them learn it. He said the Crown Prince was right. The children are getting older. If they don't behave properly and offend important people, it won't be a minor punishment later on," Qingyan sighed and explained helplessly.
After speaking, Consort Tong frowned. The person Yin was worried about must be the Crown Prince.
Recently, Yin has gone a bit too far. The twins are so young, not even old enough to have formal education, yet he's now saying their manners are bad.
"Don't listen to the Crown Prince's nonsense. His Majesty said that the children learn manners very quickly. In a little while, you will all stay for lunch so that His Majesty can take a good look at Yiken'e. If she has been taught like this, then that nanny should be beaten to death." Consort Tong held the twins with heartache and asked them about learning manners.
The nannies used threats and intimidation to teach the twins, scaring the children so much that they lost all their smiles.
"Who taught Yiken'e the rules?" Kangxi stepped into the hall and overheard Consort Tong's complaints.
He couldn't help but squint his eyes. He had already taught Yiken'e the rules to the nannies in the Imperial Household Department. They dared to go against his imperial decree. It seemed that someone was getting impatient.
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