On the 20th day of the 12th month of the 31st year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign,
It was my grandmother's seventieth birthday.
Yinzhi and Zhuo got up very early.
He Zhuo went to pay his respects to Consort Hui early in the morning, and then placed his two sons, Hongyu and the Second Prince, in Consort Hui's palace.
Back at the prince's residence, the eldest princess, Xiao Zhenbao, was all dressed up. The little girl was four years old (by Chinese reckoning), wearing a bright red qipao and a gold lock bestowed upon her by her imperial grandfather. Qiufen had braided her hair into little braids, making her look incredibly cute.
Little Zhenbao tilted her head, touched the little tuft of hair on her head, and asked, "Mother, are we going to my eldest uncle's house outside the palace today?"
He Zhuo patted her little head: "Yes, it's your grandmother's birthday. She's 70 years old. Little treasure can see your uncle. Are you happy?"
Little Treasure smiled brightly: "I'm so happy! My uncle is so tall, he rides a big horse. My uncle even bought me a rattle drum."
That time, Yinzhi took Xiaozhenbao out of the palace and happened to run into his elder brother. His elder brother had no daughter, so he was especially fond of her. Xiaozhenbao was lively and cute, so he held her on his shoulders and made her ride on his shoulders. Xiaozhenbao was overjoyed.
"Today we'll see not only our eldest uncle, but also our second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth uncles, as well as our youngest uncle, Fengsheng. They haven't met our little treasure yet. Remember to let people know when you get there, okay?"
He Zhuo patted the little treasure's head.
Little Zhenbao tilted her head and counted on her fingers, "Big Uncle, and Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, Fifth Uncle, Sixth Uncle..."
Exclaiming in amazement, "So many uncles! Were all my uncles born to my maternal grandmother? That's amazing!" Little Zhenbao's eyes sparkled. She remembered her maternal grandmother, the one who accompanied her mother in giving birth to her younger brother this year.
Little Zhenbao already knows that the uncles in the palace are not born to the same mother, which is why she has this question.
"Except for my fourth uncle, who wasn't born to my maternal grandmother, all the others were born to her."
Little Zhenbao's mouth was wide open, big enough to fit a small egg, and her eyes were wide open. In a child's world, giving birth is the most amazing thing ever: "Grandma is so amazing!"
Hezhuo: "Even more powerful than Mother?"
He Zhuo teased her, but Xiao Zhenbao wasn't stupid and was already immune to these kinds of questions: "My mother gave birth to me, Hongyu, my second brother, and my maternal grandmother gave birth to: my eldest uncle, my second uncle, my third uncle, my fifth uncle, my sixth uncle, and my youngest uncle." As she spoke, she showed me her hands, indicating that she couldn't even count them all on one hand.
Then she threw herself at Hezhuo and said, "Mother will be even more powerful than Grandmother in the future."
Little Treasure's words amused everyone in the room, "You little rascal, how could your mother be so amazing? Your maternal grandmother is this."
Then they pointed to their thumbs, and Little Treasure also raised her own thumb, saying, "Mother is this one."
He Zhuo gave her a rare, fragrant kiss.
Hezhuo: "Let's get ready. Your mother will leave after court. Your mother is going to check the gifts for your great-grandmother. Do you want to come along?"
Little Treasure came up and took He Zhuo's hand: "Together."
After the mother and daughter checked that the gifts were correct, they tidied each other's hair and served each other in the main courtyard.
He Zhuo: "I won't be coming back for dinner tonight. I'll give my usual dishes to the Second Princess and the others in the backyard, so everyone can have some fun together."
"Granny Shi, thank you and Eunuch Zhou for staying at the Prince's residence today. I'll leave these matters to you. Make sure you keep a close eye on the people in the courtyard and prevent any unsavory incidents like those that occurred on the day of the bride's return visit."
He Zhuo gestured to Dong Hui to give her the reward money, and that Zhou Fugui's share would also be given to him later.
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