Lanzhu’s eyes brightened slightly at the words, but then dimmed again. “No, staying at home is actually quite nice.” Liu Chun didn’t understand why the Gege suddenly became downcast and wanted to comfort her but didn’t know how to start. Then she recalled the recent encounter with the Emperor at Baoguo Temple, and upon reflection, Liu Chun instantly understood. But such matters, which were not yet spoken of but were certain, were really not something to be discussed openly.
“Gege, don’t worry. No matter what, I will always be by your side.” Lanzhu smiled at these words. “Why so serious? I’m fine.” Lanzhu felt she was indeed fine. She would eventually get married, and rather than marrying a stranger, at least her cousin was someone familiar, which was a rare advantage.
After waiting for about two quarters of an hour, Tong Guowei, with flushed cheeks, was helped out by Tong Guogang and Longkodo. Seeing this, Lanzhu initially wanted to get off the carriage to take a look, but for some reason, she put down the hand that had lifted the curtain. After settling her father, Longkodo turned and climbed into his sister’s carriage. He was only seven years old now, so the separation between men and women wasn’t that strict yet.
“Sister, sister, I missed you so much.” As soon as he got on the carriage, Longkodo started chattering. Looking at her brother’s fair little face, Lanzhu also showed a sincere smile. “Are you tired today?”
“Why did Father drink so much?”
“Not tired.”
“I don’t know what was up with everyone today, they kept toasting Father, so of course, he drank too much.” The young Longkodo couldn’t understand the deeper meaning behind it. But Lanzhu understood clearly. So, the others in the capital were all aware of her entering the palace.
“Sister, why aren’t you happy?” As a child, Longkodo was most sensitive to emotions, especially when it came to his own sister, making him even more alert.
“Sister is not unhappy.” Lanzhu raised her hand to touch her brother’s bright forehead.
“Liar!”
“I’m not a child anymore, sister, don’t lie to me!” Longkodo was unhappy. He was already grown up, yet his sister still treated him like a child, brushing him off.
“Of course, sister knows you’re not a child anymore. Sister is still waiting for you to support her in the future.” Lanzhu looked at her brother, her eyes bright and warm. This was her own brother, how could she not care for him?
“Sister, don’t worry. In the future, I will definitely be your strongest support!” Longkodo, affirmed by his sister, proudly puffed out his little chest and said.
“Then you must study hard.” Lanzhu said. As soon as Lanzhu finished speaking, Longkodo’s face fell.
“Sister, military achievements can also accomplish great things, do I really have to study?”
“I get a headache just looking at books.”
“A real man must study to understand reason, not just rely on brute force. Otherwise, how will you command respect when leading troops in the future?”
“A good general must be skilled in both literature and martial arts.” Lanzhu didn’t expect her brother to achieve great things in the future; she just hoped he would be a sensible person.
“I understand, sister. Don’t worry.” At home, Longkodo listened to his sister the most. Since his sister hoped for this, wasn’t it just studying? He would study!
In the fourteenth year of Kangxi, on the first day of the second month, Kangxi placed the item in the brocade box. “Send it to the Tongjia Residence.” Liang Jiugong held the brocade box, feeling the weight in his hands, and his waist bent even lower.
“This servant will have someone deliver it immediately.”
“Be careful not to let anyone find out.” After placing the item, Kangxi picked up a memorial and looked at it intently, appearing indifferent, but his words made Liang Jiugong realize the increased importance of Tongjia Gege. When had the Emperor ever been so considerate of other consorts in the harem? It seemed that Tongjia Gege’s importance in the Emperor’s heart was growing.
“This servant understands.” Watching Liang Jiugong leave, Kangxi’s gaze lingered on the memorial for a long time. At the last New Year’s Eve banquet, although his cousin had entered the palace, he hadn’t seen her. Recently, even the Grand Empress Dowager hadn’t summoned her to the palace. Even if he wanted to secretly see his cousin, he couldn’t find the opportunity.
At the Tongjia Residence, Lanzhu was in the courtyard trimming flower branches when the steward came running over. “Eldest Miss, there’s something for you.” Lanzhu stopped her hands.
“I haven’t ordered anything recently.”
“Did you deliver it to the wrong person?”
“Eldest Miss, this old servant did not deliver it to the wrong person. It was specifically named for you,” the steward said. He added, “It’s from the palace.” Hearing this, Lanzhu fell silent. From the palace, who could have sent it? Besides her cousin, who else in the palace would send her something?
Lanzhu signaled Liu Chun to take the brocade box, then led the others into the room. Staring at the brocade box on the table, Lanzhu didn’t move for a long time. Liu Chun and the others exchanged glances but remained silent. The Eldest Miss might need some time alone right now.
After staring for a long time, Lanzhu finally reached out her slender, fair hand and slowly opened the brocade box. Her gaze followed, revealing a jade hairpin carved into a white magnolia and a pair of mutton-fat jade bracelets also carved with white magnolias. The material was delicate and lustrous, clearly not ordinary. But Lanzhu’s eyes showed no emotion. Looking at these items, her lips pressed tightly together.
Lanzhu only lightly touched the white jade flower on the hairpin, then softly said, “Put it away.” The more naive Liu Qiu asked, “Eldest Miss, aren’t you going to try it on?” As soon as she spoke, Liu Chun tugged at her sleeve. Liu Chun’s face showed clear disapproval. Only then did Liu Qiu realize her mistake and immediately knelt on the ground with a thud.
“This servant misspoke, please punish me, Gege.” Lanzhu turned her head slightly. “Alright, get up.”
“The items are just like that. Whether I try them on or not doesn’t make much difference.” But Liu Chun, who knew the Eldest Miss’s temperament well, heard a hint of melancholy in her tone. She knew that the Gege wasn’t very happy right now. Liu Qiu’s personality needed to change. The Gege was destined to enter the palace in the future. With Liu Qiu’s personality, she might cause trouble for the Gege.
“You all leave. I want to be alone for a while.” Lanzhu waved her hand tiredly, suddenly feeling particularly uninterested.
“Gege…” Liu Chun opened her mouth.
“Leave.”
“Yes, Gege.” Liu Chun led the other three out of the room, then took Liu Qiu to a corner a bit further from the door. With a serious expression, she said, “Liu Qiu, you need to know what to say and what not to say. As servants, we must be clear about this.”
“You are the Gege’s main maid, you can’t just act on your own whims.” Liu Qiu knew she was in the wrong and could only lower her head silently, answering in a muffled voice, “I understand.”
“I just couldn’t hold my tongue for a moment.”
“It’s a good thing we’re in our own residence. If we were in the palace, with your personality, you might not even know how you died one day.” Liu Chun had been with the Gege longer than the other three and was the most stable. Liu Qiu was a bit unconvinced.
“It’s not that serious. I just said it casually.”
“Besides, how could our Gege enter the palace?” Liu Qiu clearly saw how much the Madam and Master doted on the Gege. How could such a Gege enter the palace? Liu Chun looked at Liu Qiu without speaking. Liu Qiu hadn’t experienced much by the master’s side, so her personality was inevitably a bit naive.
“Whether the Gege enters the palace or not, speaking without thinking is not acceptable.”
“Won’t the Gege get married in the future?”
“Will you act on your whims when she goes to someone else’s house?”
“Then you’re just causing trouble for the Gege. It would be better for you to leave her side early.” Liu Chun spoke without any politeness. Even though they were both main maids by the Gege’s side, in Liu Chun’s heart, no one was more important than the Gege. Anyone who threatened the Gege, no matter who they were, she would not be polite to them!
“Liu Chun!”
“We are both main maids by the Gege’s side. You have no right to speak to me like this!”
“I know I speak without thinking, but you have no right to tell me to leave the Gege!” Liu Qiu was initially in the wrong, but hearing Liu Chun’s words, her tone also turned bad.
“Then let’s see if I have the right.” Liu Chun’s face turned cold, and after leaving this remark, she walked away. If Liu Qiu continued like this, even if it made the Gege unhappy, she wouldn’t let Liu Qiu stay by the Gege’s side! The Gege’s future path was a difficult one. With Liu Qiu’s personality, it might be harmless outside the palace, but it wouldn’t work inside.
In front of the room, Liu Xia and Liu Dong watched Liu Chun approach, their expressions carrying a hint of inquiry, but they didn’t ask at this moment. The Gege was still inside, and this wasn’t a good place to talk. Moreover, Liu Qiu’s personality indeed needed some knocking into shape. The Gege was kind-hearted. As long as it wasn’t a big problem, she would turn a blind eye, but they couldn’t pretend nothing happened.
As the main maids by the Gege’s side, weren’t they there to solve problems for the Gege? The Gege was kind, but that didn’t mean they were too!
Two quarters of an hour later, the Gege’s voice came from the room. “Liu Chun.” Liu Chun, who was guarding the door, immediately responded and then pushed the door open.
“Gege, this servant is here.”
“I haven’t been out for a long time. Let’s go ask Mother for permission to go out for a walk.” Today, Lanzhu wanted to let loose for once. She didn’t want to think about so much, just wanted to relax and go out.
“Then Gege, wait for a moment. This servant will go get a cloak.”
“The wind is picking up outside, be careful not to catch a cold.”
“Go ahead.” Liu Dong: “Then this servant will prepare two more hand warmers for Gege.”
“Go ahead, I’ll wait for you.” Lanzhu smiled gently.
Main Courtyard
Hesheli Shi was checking the account books when she heard a servant report that the Eldest Miss had arrived. She looked up and put down the account books, then rubbed her temples. “Invite her in.”
“Yes, Madam.” After entering, Lanzhu first paid her respects to her mother, but before she could curtsy, her mother pulled her up.
“Didn’t you just come over this morning? Why are you here again?”
“Is there something you want to tell Mother?” As the head lady of the Tongjia Residence, Hesheli Shi naturally couldn’t be kept in the dark about the happenings in the household. She was also aware that the Emperor had sent something to Yujin today.
“Daughter wants to go out for a walk, so I’m here to ask for Mother’s permission.”
“It’s good to go out for a walk. You haven’t been out for a long time. Treasure Pavilion has some new styles. Go see if there’s anything you like.” Hesheli Shi didn’t ask why her daughter wanted to go out. Her face always carried a gentle smile, unconditionally accommodating her daughter’s every need.
“Do you have enough money?” Lanzhu didn’t plan to go to Treasure Pavilion. She just wanted to wander around, so she didn’t carry much money.
“I have enough. You and Father are always giving me money, so I have plenty of my own little stash.”
“Hehe…”
“Mother’s dowry will be yours in the future. If I don’t give it to you, who else would I give it to?”
“Don’t be afraid to spend money. Mother has plenty of it,” Hesheli Shi said. This was not a lie, and she wasn’t talking about the Tongjia Residence’s money, but her own dowry. Hesheli Shi came from a prominent family. If you really trace it back, Hesheli Shi was somewhat related to the Emperor’s original Empress Hesheli Shi, so her dowry was very generous. Plus, she was good at making money herself, so she never had to worry about lacking money.
“Nanny Yun, go get a five hundred tael silver note.” Even though her daughter said she had enough money, Hesheli Shi still instructed Nanny Yun to fetch some.