When the palace maid reported this, Sun Miaoqing was busy preparing cosmetics with An Lingrong.
The cosmetics available in the palace were limited to a few types, such as face powder, rouge, floral dew, lip rouge, and eyebrow pencil.
There aren't many varieties, but each one is both labor-intensive and material-intensive, regardless of cost.
Take rouge as an example. Every year when the roses bloom, the best roses are picked from Miaofeng Mountain in western Beijing.
Only the purest vermilion roses are selected; often, from hundreds of pounds of fresh flowers, only a dozen or so pounds can be chosen. Only in this way can the color be worthy of the empresses in the palace.
Han Baiyu crushed these flower petals into juice, filtered it through fine gauze, and obtained the purest flower juice to make rouge.
Applying it to the face daily not only leaves a pleasant fragrance but also promotes blood circulation and moisturizes the skin.
Since she was going to create a brand, Sun Miaoqing was determined to do it to the best of her ability. However, red was just too monotonous; it would be best to create an eyeshadow palette.
You don't need too many at the beginning; just two or three that match red will suffice. The people in the Imperial Household Department are never short of craftsmanship.
Once we get started, we should be able to get the rest done soon.
Sun Miaoqing looked at the eyeshadow she was working on, which was at a crucial point, and didn't want to leave.
"Please come in, Consort Shun. I can't leave right now."
Liuli reminded her, "Consort Shun brought a food box with her. We don't know what's inside. Why don't you go and take a look?"
They didn't know what was in the food box. If it was pastry that could be shared, that would be fine, but what if it was soup or something?
Her mistress and Consort Jing have a good relationship, so she naturally doesn't care about these things. But Consort Shun and Consort Jing don't have such a good relationship, so it will inevitably be awkward when the time comes.
An Lingrong said, "No one comes to the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. Consort Shun doesn't come here often, so why don't you go and take a look first, Sister Sun?"
"I'll keep an eye on these things, nothing will happen."
Sun Miaoqing said, "Okay, I'll go take a look and I'll be back in a bit."
Upon arriving at the flower hall, Consort Shun immediately rose to perform her rites and sat down with Sun Miaoqing.
"I recently learned to make a new dessert called Jade Dew Dumplings. I thought they looked quite nice, and knowing that Your Highness the Imperial Concubine likes these, I brought them here for you to try."
After saying that, Cao Qinmo opened the food box and took out a palm-sized white porcelain bowl. Opening the lid, she saw that the bottom third of the bowl was filled with bird's nest, which was pink and crystal clear.
The aroma of ghee and osmanthus honey wafted over, instantly making Sun Miaoqing's mouth water.
"Sister Cao is so skillful, she can make such beautiful pastries. I can't bear to eat them."
Cao Qinmo said, "These are just some low-class things. If Your Majesty finds them acceptable, please let me know whenever you wish to eat them."
Sun Miaoqing said, "Sister Cao is too kind. How can I accept this? Just tell me what's wrong. I won't refuse to help if I can."
"I can't help you, there's nothing I can do... It seems like calcium oxide (cao) is facing some kind of difficulty."
However, we usually get along quite well, so if anyone is in trouble, we'll help them out if we can.
Cao Qinmo felt a warm glow in her heart; it was all worth the year she had spent smiling and obsequiously trying to please him.
"Nothing can be hidden from Your Majesty. Since that's the case, I will dare to speak frankly."
"The news about the morning court a few days ago has spread throughout the inner palace, and Your Majesty must have received it as well."
"Vaccination is a good thing, it's a safe method, and I'm very happy to hear that. But I'm worried about the risks this might pose to an infant."
"So I can only come to Your Majesty for peace of mind. After all, you have thousands of cattle on your estate, so you should know the effects of this stuff best."
[So that's why the calcium oxide came. Parents are truly worried sick; they treat anything that might even slightly affect Wenyi's health like a major crisis.]
However, smallpox vaccination should ideally be given around one year old, so Hongzhou's vaccination at this age is somewhat late. Some children may experience fever or discomfort, but it shouldn't have a significant impact.
[The slight discomfort is a great deal, considering I'll never have to worry about contracting smallpox again.]
Sun Miaoqing said, "Don't worry, Sister Cao. There are many people in the village who have been infected with cowpox, and many children in their families have also been infected by their parents."
"Many people had no other symptoms except for a few blisters on their hands. Only a small number of people with weaker constitutions had a slight fever, but it was not serious and they recovered after a few days of rest."
"Besides, the princess is not like an ordinary person. Before the smallpox vaccination, the imperial physician will first check the princess's pulse to ensure everything goes smoothly. Sister Cao, please rest assured, nothing will happen."
Cao Qinmo was finally relieved. Although she still had concerns about the fever, she could accept it as long as it wasn't serious.
After all, smallpox can be fatal!
"Hearing Your Majesty say that, I feel much more at ease. I'm not afraid to tell you that Your Majesty might laugh at me, but because of this matter, I haven't been able to eat or sleep properly for the past few days, and I haven't had a single full night's rest."
Sun Miaoqing said, "My feelings for Hongzhou are just like Sister Cao's feelings for Princess Wenyi. How could there be any joke about it?"
Cao Qinmo smiled slightly, but then her expression turned worried again, and she sighed and said...
"Your Majesty is truly blessed. Hongzhou is the Emperor's beloved son. Who will ever be as honored as him in the future?"
“Princesses are different. Of all the princesses the late emperor had, except for Wenxian, the others all married into Mongolia.”
"Wenyi will probably be no exception in the future. How can it compare to staying in the capital and being able to frequently enter the palace to fulfill her filial duties?"
After Cao Qinmo finished speaking, she carefully observed Sun Miaoqing's expression. When she saw Sun Miaoqing's brows furrow slightly, her heart immediately jumped.
[Calcium oxide already considered these factors at this point...]
[But who did Wenyi marry again? I can't remember at all. She probably didn't marry into Mongolia; she was married off to other people several times.]
[It seems he married a Manchu bannerman?]
Cao Qinmo's heart was pounding, like she was on a rollercoaster. Even for a princess, the kind of person she marries is an extremely important matter.
How could she forget something like this! Cao Qinmo shouted in her heart, wishing she could grab Sun Miaoqing's shoulders and shove her hard, making her remember it no matter what.
However, upon hearing that the marriage alliances were with other men, Cao Qinmo immediately relaxed. Then, upon hearing that her Wenyi was marrying a Manchu bannerman, she couldn't help but laugh.
She said that Wenyi was one of the Emperor's only two daughters and the most favored, so how could the Emperor bear to let her marry far away!
It's good that the Manchu banners are in place; that way, Wenyi can stay in the capital after her marriage and visit the palace at any time.
Sun Miaoqing stared in disbelief at Cao Qinmo, who was laughing uncontrollably. Everything had been fine just a moment ago...
Seeing Cao Qinmo's worried expression, she wanted to say a few words to comfort her, but silently swallowed her words back.
[Having stayed in the palace for so long, everyone seems to be acting a little strange. Calcium oxide was just worried, but now it's turned from worry to joy?]
They say birds of a feather flock together, but oh my god, I don't want to end up like that!
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