Consort Wan was delighted to see Yun Duoduo, but she seemed to restrain her joy and maintain a proper distance.
“Our Empress has been talking about the little princess every day, and now she’s finally seen her!” said a palace maid standing to the side.
"Juan'er, you talk too much." Consort Wan gave Juan'er a reproachful look.
"Your Highness, what I said is the truth!" the little palace maid replied somewhat indignantly.
“Before, I could only watch from afar. Today, I’ve finally seen her in person.” Consort Wan nodded, her gaze fixed on Yun Duoduo.
"Cough cough!" Yun Duoduo coughed twice. She felt that the charcoal fire was a bit smoky and she was choked by the smoke.
Could it be that the disfavored concubines in the palace use charcoal?
Is the class hierarchy really that clearly defined?
[In the past, she always stayed in her own Fu Shuang Palace, where everything she ate, used, and wore was the best, so she never paid attention to these things.]
"Oh dear, it's all my fault. There's not much good charcoal in the bedchamber, which has made the little princess uncomfortable." Consort Wan was somewhat annoyed, but also somewhat helpless.
"Juan'er, quickly go and put up a screen near the stove."
"Yes, Your Highness, I'll go right away!"
"May I hold this child?" Consort Wan asked hesitantly, as if she were still a little timid, afraid of being rejected.
Ah Xiang placed Yun Duoduo in Consort Wan's arms.
Consort Wan's clothes were not fancy at all; she wore only a plain-colored long dress, and her hair was simply tied up with a wooden hairpin. She also did not smell of perfume.
"She's so pretty and adorable, no wonder the Emperor likes her so much."
"Indeed, the little princess is truly beautiful!"
"I've never seen such a beautiful little girl in all my life!"
Juan'er had returned to their side sometime earlier than anyone else.
Yun Duoduo looked back and saw a green screen standing in front of the stove, blocking the smoke from inside.
"Juan'er, go and fetch my jade chain."
"Bring over a few more sets of clothes and bedding," Consort Wan instructed, as the bedchamber seemed less warm after the stove was blocked by the screen.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
A moment later, Juan'er came over carrying several quilts and two small cotton quilts.
She covered Yun Duoduo and Jin Zhuangzhuang with a small cotton quilt, and then draped two thick robes over Sun Huohuo and A Xiang.
"This little quilt is the one Dong'er used when she was little. It's a bit cold in my bedchamber, so I hope she doesn't catch a cold."
"Thank you," Sun Huohuo said.
Yun Duoduo looked at him. [Erhuo isn't shy at all; he seems to have a bit of a social butterfly about him, able to strike up a conversation with anyone, and his presence is undeniable!]
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Ah Xiang smiled and patted Juan'er's hand.
"Oh, no need to thank me, it's all because I'm useless." Consort Wan sighed.
"Let's not talk about this anymore."
"Hehe." Sun Huohuo chuckled dryly.
Consort Wan seemed to have just noticed Sun Huohuo and asked, "What's this?"
"This is the Minister of War, Lord Sun's son."
"Oh, look, I'm not confused anymore. I thought there was another little prince in the palace!"
"Is this child a member of the Jin family?"
"Exactly."
Consort Wan sighed and said nothing more.
"Duoduo, look at this little bracelet, do you like it?"
Consort Wan took out a bracelet from the sandalwood and pearl box and waved it in front of Yun Duoduo.
Consort Wan placed the jade chain on Yun Duoduo's wrist, saying, "My Yinghua Palace is rather shabby, and I don't have anything of value. Duoduo, please don't find this chain unappealing!"
"Your Highness, you are too kind! Our little princess is already thanking you so much!"
"The Empress put a lot of thought into this jade bracelet. Every single jade stone on it was obtained from a Buddhist temple and blessed!"
Yun Duoduo held her wrist up to her eyes. The bracelet was indeed beautiful. Six different colored, crystal-clear jade stones were strung on a single thread, making it very delicate and elegant.
[This bracelet is so pretty! She loves it!]
[But could Consort Wan be the one to harm my mother? Could it be that she didn't want the royal family to have any more children, so she harmed the concubines who became pregnant after her?]
However, Consort Wan doesn't seem like a bad person.
[Yes, in the harem, none of them seem like bad people, but the bad guys are among them.]
"Come on, hurry up and drink this meat porridge while it's hot."
Consort Wan's words interrupted Yun Duoduo's thoughts.
Ah Xiang, holding Jin Zhuangzhuang, and Wan Guiren, holding Yun Duoduo, sat down at the table. When Sun Huohuo saw that the others had left, she jumped off the stool, wiggled her short legs, and ran to the table.
"Come, let me carry you up!" Juan'er saw Sun Huohuo struggling to climb up the stool leg, his little face flushed red, so she picked him up and put him on the stool.
The group sat at the table talking, while Sun Huohuo remained silent, focusing intently on eating.
As I was eating, I heard a boy's voice behind me.
"Duo... Duo... Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Sister!" A boy dressed simply, who looked about five or six years old, was looking at Yun Duoduo with a happy expression.
“This, this…is…my royal sister?” the boy said as he walked to Jin Zhuangzhuang’s side.
“This is your imperial sister.” Consort Wan quickly corrected her son when she realized he had mistaken her for someone else.
"Huh? Oh!" The boy took three steps at a time and walked over to Yun Duoduo's side from behind Jin Zhuangzhuang.
"Your Majesty, my brother, I want to... see... you, but... I can't." Yun Yidong said, lowering his head, looking very sad.
[Your elder brother? Judging by his age, he should be the eighth prince.]
Yun Duoduo looked at the Eighth Prince, who was dressed very simply, wearing only a silk robe and with his hair tied up with a cloth ribbon. She thought of her eldest brother, second brother, and third brother, who all wore brocade robes, jade crowns, and jade pendants at their waists, exuding a royal air.
【Why is Eighth Prince dressed so plainly? In the royal court, it's almost shabby.】
Moreover, it seems that Eighth Brother is having some difficulty speaking.
"Duoduo, this is your eighth brother," Consort Wan introduced.
"Myna!" Yun Duoduo called out, greeting him warmly.
"Myna!" Sun Huohuo called out as well.
Good heavens, Sun Huohuo really knows how to take advantage. At this rate, all her imperial brothers will become Sun Huohuo's brothers.
"Dong'er has a stutter. She has seen many doctors, but it hasn't gotten better."
"Please don't take offense," Consort Wan said, looking at Yun Yidong with pity.
"No...no, I'm not worried, Mother...Mother, I'm not worried." Yun Yidong spoke with great difficulty, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
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