The young palace maid trembled with fear, her lips turned white, and she knelt on the ground, too afraid to answer.
Is that old witch talking about the Empress Dowager? That's incredibly disrespectful! How dare Her Majesty?!
"I'm asking you a question! Has the Empress Dowager returned?!" Consort Chen shouted, unable to suppress the irritation in her chest. She kicked the corner of the table in frustration.
She was incredibly bored in the palace, and who knew what those lowly women in the harem were saying about her behind her back!
"Yes, Your Majesty. I returned this afternoon and went to Fushuang Palace to visit the little princess as soon as I got back." The maid remained kneeling on the ground, her voice low as she answered, enduring the pain in her fingertips.
"Hmph, it's the little princess again. I put her in solitary confinement because of this brat."
Consort Chen was both angry and aggrieved. How could a baby who couldn't speak or walk have caused her so much trouble?
"It seems that I and this little brat are destined to clash!"
"It's either her or me, it's either her or me!"
Although Consort Chen was furious, she also understood that this little princess was the Empress Dowager and His Majesty's precious darling. To openly harm the little princess would be like jumping wildly in a minefield.
She's not that stupid.
Consort Chen sat in front of her dressing table, lost in thought, as a palace maid helped her remove her hairpins and jewelry.
"ah!"
Consort Chen suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head, and two strands of her black hair were pulled off the wooden comb used by the palace maid.
"Foolish thing, clumsy as a mule, throw all of these away!" Consort Chen said with disgust, looking at a white jade hairpin held by a palace maid.
"Your Majesty, I remember you said you were going to wear this hairpin with your formal attire for the New Year's Eve banquet."
Ah, right, Consort Chen was so angry that she lost her mind. Hearing this, she suddenly remembered that the New Year's Eve banquet was just around the corner.
Yes, the New Year's Eve dinner...
On that day, all the ministers of the court would surely be present, as would the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the princes and princesses.
Suddenly her mind cleared up, as if a ray of light had shone in, and she knew how to deal with this brat.
...
Three days later, on the afternoon of Lunar New Year's Eve.
The palace maids and eunuchs were busy preparing for the New Year's Eve banquet, and the head eunuchs of each department were all very uneasy.
They didn't understand why, even though they started preparing so early, there still wasn't enough time at the last minute, and there were still many things they hadn't prepared.
Inside the imperial kitchen, the head steward was staring wide-eyed, spittle flying everywhere, hands on her hips, pointing and gesturing, "Oh dear, Xiao Zhang, be careful, Lord Lu can't eat spicy food, so there can't be any dishes with chili peppers on the Lu family's table."
"Wait a minute, you, the one serving the dishes, where are you going to put this plate? Organize it properly. General Liu's wife gets all hot and bothered when she eats peanuts, so you absolutely can't serve that cold vegetable and peanut salad, do you remember that?!"
"Where are the dumplings? Are they all wrapped yet? Oh dear, I already told you, different dumpling fillings should be kept separate. How can His Majesty eat the same things as the ministers? Can't you use your brain when you do things?!"
"Where's the Tusu wine? Quickly pour it into the wine pot and warm it up beforehand!"
The head stewardess paced anxiously back and forth. A fire was burning in the imperial kitchen, and the temperature inside was very high. The chefs in charge of cooking all looked anxious and were drenched in sweat.
Not only must the food and drinks be prepared, but they must also be categorized so that different dishes are served to different adults, and the dishes are served according to the person's status.
Inside the imperial kitchen, there was a constant clattering and clanging of bowls and plates, creating quite a lively atmosphere.
Inside the Imperial Wardrobe, the head of the Imperial Wardrobe held a needle and thread in her hand, squinting as she carefully examined the bright yellow palace dress.
"This is the bright yellow dragon robe His Majesty is wearing tonight. Examine carefully the dragon embroidered with gold and colored threads, as well as the pattern."
"And the court beads hanging on her chest, examine them carefully."
"Yes, Lady Shanggong."
At the gate of the Forbidden City, the Vice Minister of Rites, wrapped in a thick cloak, shivered and directed the soldiers on the city wall and in front of the gate.
"It's crooked, it's crooked, a little to the right!" The Vice Minister of Rites shouted while gesturing with his hands, but the howling north wind drowned out his voice.
"I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about the couplets and the character '福' (good fortune) pasted on the city gate!"
"Be careful, this is a couplet written by a Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy, and there's only one of its kind!"
"Has the Imperial Household Department not sent over the God of Wealth yet?"
"What time is it? If it's not delivered soon, it will be too late."
"Sir, is this okay? Is it still crooked?" A soldier on the city wall asked the Vice Minister of Rites for his opinion.
"It's straight now, it's straight now, quickly hang up this red lantern!"
...
Inside Zhaoyang Palace, Empress Zhaoyuan was counting the gifts, muttering to herself year after year, "This is for the Empress Dowager, and this is for His Majesty."
"This is for Uncle Yi, and this is for Duoduo."
"And these red boxes are for the other princes."
"Hmm, that's about all we need."
"Mother, do you think this robe will suit me tonight?" Yun Yibo asked his mother, beaming as he tried on the clothes.
"Wear whatever you like, don't bother me, the Empress Dowager is counting the gifts."
...
Inside Fu Shuang Palace, Granny Liu, dressed in a red palace gown, cheerfully placed a pear wood box on the table.
"Shouchang Palace sent over a box, saying it's a New Year's outfit that the Empress Dowager made for the little princess." As she spoke, Granny Liu picked Yun Duoduo up from the bed.
"Come quickly and lend a hand to help the little princess change her clothes."
Yun Duoduo was surprised to see the exquisite peach wood box on the table.
[New clothes again?!]
Granny Liu opened the box and saw a bright red brocade velvet dress inlaid with pearls and jade and embroidered with beautiful flowers.
[What beautiful clothes! They look extremely luxurious!]
She has a little dress now!
Granny Liu took off her little cotton-padded jacket, put on her inner clothes, and then helped her pull the bright red brocade velvet dress over her head. After that, she took out a red jade crocheted bracelet from the box and put it on her.
What a beautiful bracelet!
She was a little excited, wondering if she would receive lucky money tonight.
...
The first month of the lunar calendar passed quickly, and before the people could even process it, the most anticipated time of the year, the New Year, arrived.
On Chinese New Year's Day, people eat dumplings, and a copper coin is placed inside each dumpling. The person who finds the coin in their dumpling will have a smooth and prosperous year ahead.
This winter in Beijing is exceptionally cold; frost and snow hang like silver bars on the trees, and the rooftops are covered in a blanket of white snow.
On the eve of New Year's Eve, many ministers received an imperial decree to enter the palace to attend the New Year's Eve banquet.
On the night they entered the palace, the full moon shone brightly. The ministers, carrying prepared gifts, chose to walk through the snow from their residences closest to the palace, their feet crunching softly underfoot.
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