Youqing knew Xueliang, and she knew they were doing it for her own good, but if she continued like this, she would become a cripple.
You have to move around a bit.
So she smiled and said, "I'm not a porcelain doll that will break at the slightest touch. It's okay if I wear thicker clothes."
It's not like building a snowman would kill someone.
The two women took turns trying to persuade her, but to no avail. They then decided that they should do more so that their mistress could do less.
So Youqing dressed warmly and went into the courtyard. Because of her idea, Zhu Qiao and Li Zhi could no longer sweep the snow.
Youqing took it upon herself to roll a snowball. When the servants who were serving her came forward to help, she refused. Building a snowman is something you have to do yourself to truly appreciate it.
The yard wasn't big, and half of the snow had already been cleared away, but the snowfall yesterday was really heavy, so half a yard of snow was enough. I rolled a big, round ball in no time, all white, though it was a bit bumpy.
Youqing placed the large sphere in a snow-free spot and then began to shape it into a slightly sloping frustum.
It didn't take long to take shape. As soon as this was finished, Zhu Qiao and the others rolled several more balls of varying sizes, which were more regular in shape and looked better than hers.
They selected a suitable size and placed Li Zhi and Zhu Qiao on the "round platform" they had just been on, then used some loose snow to hold them in place.
She stepped back and took a closer look; it did indeed have a decent shape and form.
"Li Zhi, go to the small kitchen and see if there are any carrots. If there are, pick a few over to make a nose for the snowman."
They had never heard of using carrots to make a snowman's nose before, but since the young master had given the order, they naturally had to obey.
Li Zhi said with a grin, "Yes, young master." Then he quickly walked towards the small kitchen.
The carrots arrived quickly, five in total, each one plump and fresh, indicating that the best ones had been picked.
Youqing picked one out and inserted it into the snowman. One snowman was not enough, so Youqing remembered the box of black pearls that the Imperial Household Department had sent a couple of days ago.
"Chengying, go and pick out two black pearls of similar size to make the snowman's eyes."
Black pearls for eyes?
Cheng Ying: "Yes, my lady."
Cheng Ying acted quickly and brought the black pearls. You Qing placed the two black pearls in the snowman's eye area, and then took a piece of clothing that was no longer needed and put it on the snowman. The snowman was then formed.
It wasn't actually that pretty, but I made it by hand, so I felt a great sense of accomplishment.
Youqing rarely showed a relaxed smile.
The people standing nearby kept flattering him.
For a moment, Youqing was in a wonderful mood.
She only needed to build one snowman to have some fun, so she built one and went inside.
After she left, Li Zhi and Zhu Qiao were busy. They stopped shoveling snow and started building a snowman. The two of them were much better at doing things than You Qing. In half a day, they cleaned up all the remaining snow in the yard.
At noon, Emperor Kangxi dined alone in the Qianqing Palace. Feeling uneasy eating alone, he asked, "What has Consort Shu done today?"
He might not know what the concubines in the inner palace were doing, but Liang Jiugong dared not be careless about the affairs of Jiangxue Pavilion.
"Your Majesty, Consort Shu built a snowman in the courtyard this morning."
"She built it herself?"
"yes."
Kangxi laughed: "She certainly has the leisure, even more so than I do. But it's so cold, we mustn't let her get cold. Go to the storeroom and select some tonics to send over."
Liang Jiugong chuckled and said, "Yes, sir."
For Yu Youqing, life in the harem offered no freedom; for Kangxi, time was never enough. He aspired to be an emperor comparable to Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, and the harem was only a tiny part of his life.
If it weren't for this strange habit that suddenly appeared, he wouldn't have any woman in his heart.
Because it is special, it can leave a trace.
In the afternoon, Youqing received tonics from the Qianqing Palace, which she found strange. In the evening, Kangxi thought he wanted to see the snowmen, so he went to Jiangxue Pavilion. There were quite a few snowmen, and Kangxi immediately spotted the ugliest one. He stared at the snowman and asked Li Zhi, "Is this the one that Consort Shu made?"
Li Zhi smiled and flattered, "Your Majesty has a discerning eye; this is the one the young master piled up."
It was ugly in a unique way; the servants who served him probably wouldn't dare to pile up such an ugly and unsightly thing. Kangxi smiled: "Not bad!!"
good?
Liang Jiugong, standing behind Kangxi, looked at the snowman and thought, "This is not bad. His Majesty's eyesight has been getting worse lately."
Youqing came out to greet him upon hearing the noise, but Kangxi quickly pulled her aside, and the two went into the house together.
Kangxi recently found himself comfortable staying at Jiangxue Pavilion. Putting aside other matters, the two were very harmonious in bed. Furthermore, he found that being with Youqing made him feel very relaxed and had a good appetite. Youqing hardly interacted with the harem, and even when she was near the Imperial Garden, she would not go out. She refused almost all invitations from others, never complained, and never asked for an official position for her father.
This made him feel very comfortable.
Another good night's sleep.
After the weather turned cold, Emperor Kangxi stopped summoning her to the Qianqing Palace to accompany him, which made Youqing quite happy. She wanted to stay indoors and not move around when it was cold, but Emperor Kangxi came over every day these past few days without missing a single one. It is said that he did not go to the other concubines' places, which made Youqing a little confused.
Why does she seem to be showing favoritism again?
"Your Highness, someone from the Qianqing Palace has brought a box of black pearls. They all look round and full to me; they are all top-quality pearls."
Youqing asked, "Why are pearls being sent over?" She hadn't heard Kangxi mention this before! Most of their conversations took place in bed, and after her "unrestrained speech" a few days ago startled her, she had become even more cautious in her words and actions. Why were black pearls suddenly being sent over?
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