The day she left was a little later than she had hoped; it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The person who came to pick her up was Su Peisheng.
The moment the eunuch saw her, he gave her a deep bow. Perhaps he was too excited, because Xiao Shunzi hugged him and cried.
Shunzi was overweight and didn't pay attention to his strength. He accidentally knocked him to the ground, and the two of them fell into a heap.
Nan Yi and Yi Ren chuckled as they read it.
Su Peisheng stood up, rubbing his back, and gave Xiao Shunzi a good laugh and scolding, "You little rascal, what did you sneak to eat? You're as fat as a steamed bun. You've turned the Forbidden Garden into a paradise."
If he hadn't said anything, Nan Yi wouldn't have noticed. Apart from being a bit dark-skinned, Xiao Shunzi was quite plump and muscular, with a glossy, oily appearance. Who would believe that they were being punished in the Forbidden Garden? If he went out looking like that, wouldn't that be a slap in the face to the Emperor?
“No,” Nan Yi suddenly said, “Eunuch Su, don’t let Xiao Shunzi come back to the manor for now. Do you have any errands to run outside? Let him do them. At least we need to get rid of this piece of flesh first.”
"Ah?" Xiao Shunzi looked distressed. "Master, this servant..."
“Your Majesty is wise, this servant will arrange this.” Su Peisheng agreed. He glanced at Master Tong and Yiren again, and thankfully, they were not as conspicuous as Xiao Shunzi.
"My lady, it has been ten years since we last met. You are still as charming as ever. The prince has been missing you day and night, but has been unable to meet you. He originally intended to come and fetch you in person, but the emperor has arranged a family reunion banquet in the palace. Before leaving, the prince knew that you must miss your old friends very much, so he specially invited Lord Xiao and Consort Wanyan to welcome you. If you are ready, my lady, why don't you set off immediately? They are all waiting for you in the manor."
He was so thoughtful; there wasn't much to tidy up in the yard, just a few old clothes. It was a pity about the newly planted vegetables.
Looking back one last time at the courtyard where he had lived for ten years, Nan Yi suddenly turned around and said, "Let's go."
High palace walls, long corridors, a round trip every ten years, Nanbu boarded the carriage, lifted the curtain and looked on greedily and intently.
"My lady, be careful not to catch a cold. We'll have plenty of opportunities to see you later." Seeing that her face was red from the cold, Yiren quickly lowered the curtains.
Nan Yi squinted and grinned foolishly, "I wonder what Xixi and Zhenzhen are like now, and how their lovers Qingyun and Qingfeng are doing."
"Lord Xiao has returned to the capital, and I heard he's going to be promoted again."
"Yes, Xixi is getting more and more amazing."
Xiao Xi had been stationed at the border. She felt that perhaps the Fourth Uncle had said something, otherwise she wouldn't have rushed back at this critical moment.
After all, she spent ten years in the Forbidden Garden and ten years at the Xiaoxi Border, only returning twice during that time.
If she gets promoted again, she'll be a second-rank official. I just don't know what official position the Emperor will bestow upon her.
******
Inside Xiushui Pavilion, a woman dressed in a brocade blue qipao stood at the courtyard gate, looking slightly anxious, and occasionally whispering something to the maid beside her.
She only breathed a sigh of relief when a girl of about ten years old, dressed in fine clothes, entered the courtyard. She smiled and scolded, "This girl has finally had enough fun."
The maid beside her laughed and defended the little princess, "The princess is lively by nature, she probably just forgot the time by accident."
The woman shook her head. "I don't know her at all. She's like a mischievous monkey. Only my husband spoils her."
Before the maid could say anything, the young girl in brocade, running and laughing, turned to face the woman and asked loudly, "Mother, I heard that Mother Tong is going back to the manor, is that right?"
The woman, Niohuru, gave birth to a son and a daughter for Prince Yong over a period of more than ten years. Her son, Hongli, was particularly intelligent, and Niohuru's status in Prince Yong's mansion rose accordingly, second only to Lady Nian, and even Lady Li was often inferior to her.
"Mother, have you ever met Tong Eniang? I heard she's extremely beautiful, is that true?" Yinggege asked curiously again.
"Where did you hear that?" Niohuru asked. The household had only just received the news. Ying'er was just a child and had never even met Madam Tong, yet she kept calling her "Mother Tong."
Niohuru led her inside, asking, "Tell your mother, where did you hear that from?"
"When my third brother was chatting with my fourth and fifth brothers, my daughter overheard it, and my sister Huan'er also found out. She and my fifth brother sneaked into the Lan Courtyard, saying they wanted to see what Tong E'niang, who was even more beautiful than Nian E'niang, looked like."
Yinggege turned around and hugged Niohuru's arm, acting coquettishly and teasing her, "Mother, please tell me, I'm really curious."
"You, if your mother hadn't told you, would you have wanted to sneak into the Orchid Courtyard to peek?"
Yingge smiled but remained silent.
"Alright, alright, Mother will tell you," Niohuru said affectionately, gently pinching her daughter's nose before sitting down on the couch with Yinggege.
"Mother, tell me quickly!" Yinggege couldn't wait and stared intently at her mother with her single phoenix eyes.
Niohuru chuckled, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then slowly spoke, her thoughts seemingly lost in memories, "She was indeed an extremely beautiful woman, not only beautiful but also kind-hearted. It's just such a pity that she didn't belong here."
"Not suitable?" Eleven-year-old Yinggege didn't quite understand. "Mother, I don't understand. Does 'this' refer to the manor?"
Niohuru stroked her daughter's head, her gaze distant and meaningful. "Perhaps, when you grow up, you will understand."
She stopped there, saying, "Alright, are you tired? Your mother has asked the nanny to prepare the meal. The kitchen made your favorite pan-fried small fish today."
Yinggege was clearly dissatisfied with her mother's few words, but her mother did not intend to say anything more. Helplessly, she pouted and went to eat.
At the side gate of the Prince Yong's mansion, Xiao Xi and Zhen Zhen saw the carriage stop and eagerly stepped forward, "Nan Yi, is that Nan Yi?"
"It's me." Hearing Xiao Xi's anxious voice, Nan Yi opened the carriage door and rushed to her long-lost friend without saying a word.
Xiao Xi caught her, and the two hugged tightly. "Girl, it's so good to see you out."
Xiao Xi patted her back heavily a few times.
"Cough cough, damn it, it's been years, and you've started practicing Iron Sand Palm." Nan Yi laughed and scolded. She released Xiao Xi and then grabbed Zhen Zhen, whose eyes were red. "Silly girl, why are you crying? The Forbidden Garden isn't as bad as you think. Look, I've even gained weight."
"No way, what kind of good place is the Forbidden Garden? You've lost so much weight." Zhenzhen wiped her eyes and choked up as she advised, "Nanyi, from now on, be good. We sisters must live peacefully. Wanqing was like that back then..." unable to think straight.
Thinking of Wanqing, who had passed away at a young age, the three of them fell silent.
A hint of bitterness flashed across Nan's eyes. Learning to be clever? She really couldn't do that. It was her nature, and she could never change it.
But she believes she has always been pragmatic; at the very least, she has learned to compromise with the times.
Given her current abilities, the fact that she didn't just leave but stayed obediently in that small courtyard was her reluctant compromise.
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