The north wind howled. That night, Yun Xiangye listened to the annoying sound of the wind outside, her mind troubled with worries, and she hardly slept soundly.
Before the hour of mao, when the sky was still dark, Yun Xiangye woke up.
Now, unlike in Jiangnan where she could sleep as late as she wanted without elders around, she had to go and pay her respects to her mother-in-law in the morning.
Gu Yan was stirred awake by the person in his arms. Opening his eyes, he looked at Yun Xiangye and asked, “Why are you up so early?”
Yun Xiangye replied, “I have to go pay respects to the Princess Royal.”
Gu Yan said, “No need. My mother might not be awake at this hour, and you don’t have to go pay respects to her.”
“Paying respects to one’s mother-in-law is the proper etiquette,” Yun Xiangye frowned. “Are you deliberately trying to make me look foolish?”
What kind of talk was this from Gu Yan? How could she not go pay respects to her mother-in-law?
Gu Yan sighed helplessly, “Fine, if you want to go pay respects, then go. I need to go to the palace to see His Majesty, so I won’t accompany you.”
Yun Xiangye hummed in acknowledgment and got up to wash up. She called for Run’er, who slept in the outer room, but received no response. When she went out to check, Run’er was nowhere to be seen.
Yun Xiangye waited for quite a while before Run’er finally returned.
Run’er was carrying an empty copper basin and said to Yun Xiangye, “Miss, I went early to fetch water for washing, but after asking many people, I couldn’t find out where to get it…”
Yun Xiangye glanced back at Gu Yan.
Gu Yan said, “Run’er, just focus on taking care of your mistress. Servant tasks like these should be left to maids like Lanyi and Zhuyi.”
As soon as Gu Yan finished speaking, Yun Xiangye saw the maids who had been so arrogant the day before, now respectfully and timidly bringing in basins of water.
Gu Yan took the hot towel handed to him by a maid and, just as he had done in Jiangnan, first passed it to Yun Xiangye to wipe her face.
Seeing this long line of maids, Yun Xiangye realized how elaborate the washing routine was. After brushing her teeth with salt, she rinsed her mouth with water infused with flower petals. Everything was meticulous and intricate, making her feel that her previous washing habits hardly counted as proper grooming.
After dressing up, Yun Xiangye took Xiao Nuonuo to the Princess Royal’s residence.
As soon as she stepped outside, Yun Xiangye noticed that it had snowed the previous night. No wonder the cold wind had blown all night—there was already snow on the ground in the morning.
Yun Xiangye turned to Run’er and asked, “Was it difficult for you to find hot water in the snow?”
Run’er shook her head and said, “Miss, it was nothing.”
Yun Xiangye instructed Run’er to fetch Nuonuo’s cloak. After dressing her daughter in the cloak, they made their way to the Princess Royal’s courtyard.
The Princess Royal’s residence, the Garden of Ten Thousand Flowers, was the largest courtyard in the entire Princess Royal’s estate. Upon entering, flowers and plants were everywhere.
Even in winter, many flowers bloomed in the courtyard. One type, resembling small red lanterns, caught Nuonuo’s eye, and she couldn’t look away.
“Lanterns.”
Yun Xiangye followed the maids from the Fragrant Garden into the room and saw the Princess Royal at her desk, using an abacus.
When Xie Zhixuan, the Princess Royal, saw Yun Xiangye and Xiao Nuonuo enter, she quickly put down her abacus and beckoned to Xiao Nuonuo, saying, “Nuonuo.”
Xiao Nuonuo went into Xie Zhixuan’s arms. Xie Zhixuan gently touched the fluffy little hat on Xiao Nuonuo’s head and asked, “Nuonuo, why are you out so early on such a cold day?”
“Mother,” Yun Xiangye curtsied and said, “Nuonuo and I have come to pay our respects and wish you a good morning.”
Xie Zhixuan smiled as she looked at Yun Xiangye and asked, “How is everything at Qingfeng Garden? Is there anything you need?”
Yun Xiangye shook her head and replied, “Everything is well-prepared, nothing is lacking… except…”
Xie Zhixuan inquired, “Except what?”
Yun Xiangye thought about the four maids, Zhuyi and Lanyi, in Qingfeng Garden. They had likely served Gu Yan for many years and could be considered veterans of the Princess Royal’s residence. As a newcomer, she felt it inappropriate to complain.
Yun Xiangye simply said, “Mother, I often enjoy preparing snacks for Nuonuo. I would like to add a small stove in Qingfeng Garden.”
This way, Run’er wouldn’t have to brave the freezing snow to ask around for hot water.
Xie Zhixuan smiled and said, “That’s not difficult. I’ll have craftsmen come to Qingfeng Garden later to set up a small stove.”
“Thank you, Mother.”
Xie Zhixuan looked at Yun Xiangye and asked, “I heard your family runs an embroidery workshop? Do you know how to manage account books?”
“Yes.”
Xie Zhixuan smiled and said, “That’s perfect. I’ll entrust the account management of a few shops in Chang’an to you in the future.”
Yun Xiangye hadn’t expected her mother-in-law to assign her account management duties so soon after her arrival. She quickly replied, “Mother, I’ve just arrived in Chang’an and am not yet familiar with the city. I’m afraid I might not be able to help you manage the shop accounts…”
Xie Zhixuan said, “You’re right. You’ve just arrived and endured two months of travel by water. You should rest for a few days first. Besides, the New Year is approaching, and Chang’an will be bustling with festivities. Once the snow stops, have Yan take you and your daughter out to enjoy the city. Managing the accounts can wait until after the New Year.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Xie Zhixuan noticed her little granddaughter staring at the pastries in front of her, so she picked one up and handed it to the child. Seeing how happily the little girl ate it, she turned to Yun Xiangye and asked, “Has Nuonuo not had breakfast yet?”
Yun Xiangye replied, “No, I brought Nuonuo to pay my respects to you as soon as I woke up.”
Xie Zhixuan smiled at Yun Xiangye and said, “You’re a filial child, but there’s no need to come and pay respects to me in the future. Our household doesn’t require such formalities. In this freezing weather, it’s hard on both Nuonuo and you.”
Yun Xiangye bit her lip lightly and agreed. After chatting a bit more with the Princess Royal, she carried Xiao Nuonuo and left Wanhua Garden.
Upon returning to Qingfeng Garden, Yun Xiangye sought out Zhuyi and asked, “Zhuyi, where can we get breakfast in the Princess Royal’s residence?”
Zhuyi replied, “It’s already past the time for breakfast. If you wanted breakfast, you should have said so earlier. How am I supposed to conjure up a meal for you now?”
Yun Xiangye frowned slightly and gave Run’er three taels of silver, instructing her to buy some food outside the residence.
Run’er replied, “Yes.”
After Run’er left, Yun Xiangye began embroidering a cloth tiger doll for her daughter, as it was Xiao Nuonuo’s favorite toy.
Yun Xiangye waited for nearly an hour before Run’er returned with a food box. “Chang’an is truly vast. I almost got lost.”
Yun Xiangye said, “Thank you for your hard work, Run’er.”
She took out the still-warm wontons and fed them to Xiao Nuonuo.
Xiao Nuonuo ate the wontons with a bright smile, clearly delighted. “Delicious.”
After feeding Xiao Nuonuo, Yun Xiangye ate the now-soggy noodle soup beside her, thinking to herself that things would be better once the small stove was built.
Just as Yun Xiangye finished her meal, it was already past 9 a.m., and she saw Gu Yan entering from outside.
Gu Yan noticed the bowl inside the food container and remarked, “This doesn’t look like the bowls or containers used in the princess’s residence…”
Yun Xiangye replied, “We missed the time for collecting breakfast in the princess’s residence. This was bought outside by Run’er.”
Gu Yan chuckled lightly and said, “You are the mistress. You can order the kitchen to prepare breakfast for you anytime you wish. Why go through the trouble of buying it from outside?”
Yun Xiangye bit her lip gently. “How would I know the rules of your princess’s residence when I’ve just arrived? And you hid from me the fact that…”
She took a deep breath. Since she still needed Gu Yan’s help in finding her cousin, and with Nuonuo present, Yun Xiangye didn’t want to argue with him.
He had only revealed his noble status to her yesterday but hadn’t taught her how to face this sudden change.
Even his maidservants looked down on her. Zhuyi had only mentioned that the time for collecting breakfast had passed, without saying that the mistress could request it anytime.
Yesterday, those maidservants had even spoken of demoting her from wife to concubine, clearly showing their disdain for her background.
As their master, if Gu Yan hadn’t indulged them, how would those maidservants dare to bully his wife like this?
Gu Yan said to Yun Xiangye, “Xiangye, freshen up with a bath. I’ll take you into the palace later.”
“Into the palace?” Yun Xiangye was taken aback.