pdf-ebookys Chapter 388 World 77
Chapter 388 World 77
"The young master of the Liu family?" Yinyin asked. "Is your uncle acquainted with him?"
“Familiar? Of course we’re familiar,” said Young Master Qi, his voice tinged with a hint of gritted teeth. “Yinyin, you sit here. I’ll go down and take a look.”
“Uncle,” Yin Yin quickly called out to him, “Don’t forget, we still have to go to the palace.”
Young Master Qi nodded: "Yinyin, don't worry, I definitely won't neglect important matters."
Yinyin watched him deftly lift the curtain and get off the carriage, and couldn't help but whisper, "It would be strange if you could feel at ease like this."
Yinyin, sitting in the carriage, also quietly lifted the curtain a crack to peek out.
"Miss," Zhao Mama, who was standing nearby, quickly noticed her actions and gave her a disapproving reminder.
Yinyin lowered the curtain and sighed.
It's really sad that I can't see it happening in person.
After a while, Young Master Qi returned triumphantly. When he saw Yin Yin glancing at him every now and then, he found it amusing.
"Just ask me whatever you want. I didn't say I wouldn't answer you."
“Since you’ve said so, Uncle, then I’ll ask,” Yin Yin leaned closer to him, “What happened outside just now?”
“It’s nothing serious,” said Young Master Qi. “That fool did some good deeds, but ended up being taken advantage of and unable to leave.”
"Yinyin, you can't be like him in the future, okay?"
He explained it so briefly that Yin Yin really didn't know what he meant: "So, Uncle, you went to help?"
"Would I help him?" Young Master Qi said insincerely. "I just saw injustice and decided to lend a hand."
"Besides, the way they've made this mess, they've surrounded us and blocked our way into the palace."
"If I don't get involved in this matter, when will you be able to enter the palace?"
“Oh,” Yinyin replied, “I know you and Uncle Liu have a good relationship.”
“You can’t say things like that,” Young Master Qi quickly corrected her. “It’s not something that can be explained in a short time. Let’s talk about your entry into the palace.”
His attempts to change the subject were rather clumsy, but Yin Yin couldn't keep asking about it, so she could only let him repeatedly remind her of things he had already mentioned.
Finally reaching the palace gates, Yin Yin breathed a sigh of relief; any longer and her ears would have calluses.
Upon reaching the palace gate, Yinyin alighted from the carriage, where a senior palace maid from Consort Shu's entourage, along with robust servants, were already waiting.
Once inside the palace, Yin Yin was carried the whole time, not allowed to walk an extra step.
Before going to Consort Shu's residence, one still had to go to the Empress's palace first.
She was young and favored by the emperor, so the empress made a special trip to see her and said some polite words to her, telling her to settle down in the palace and treat it as her own home.
After she finished seeing the person, the Empress did not keep her any longer and told her to go see Consort Shu.
"Yinyin is here," Consort Shu said without getting up, and had Yinyin placed next to her. "Didn't you say you left a long time ago? Why are you only arriving now?"
Yinyin opened her mouth, but instead of answering first, she asked directly, "Aunt Shufei, who is the young master of the Liu family?"
Consort Shu paused, a smile appearing on her face: "So that's why you ran into him on the road?"
Seeing Yin Yin's questioning gaze, Consort Shu coughed lightly and happily revealed her brother's secret.
“Your father is on good terms with the eldest son of the Marquis of Liu, and your uncle also often meets with the youngest son of the Marquis of Liu.”
"They're just naturally like 'dogs and sheep, needles and wheat awns,' always bickering from childhood to adulthood."
"You'll understand when you're older and attend more banquets."
Before Yin Yin could say anything more, Consort Shu ordered someone to bring her some snacks, and then instructed the head palace maid: "Go to Xuan Shi Hall and tell them that Yin Yin has arrived, and ask His Majesty if he is coming today."
After the head palace maid left, Consort Shu naturally instructed the other palace servants: "Tell the imperial kitchen to send up more seasonal dishes, and if there's anything else good, bring some as well."
Although she said she was going to ask the emperor, Consort Shu and the palace maids serving her had already confirmed that the emperor would definitely come.
Things did indeed unfold as they had predicted; in fact, the emperor didn't even wait for dinner, but instead rushed over during lunch after court.
Overjoyed, Consort Shu quickly ordered a few more dishes to be added to the lunch menu.
"Is His Majesty free this afternoon?"
The emperor glanced at Eunuch Wu, who immediately said, "Your Majesty still has many affairs of state to attend to, but upon hearing that Miss Yinyin had entered the palace, you rushed here to meet her."
Consort Shu quickly chided, "The affairs of the court are more important. How could you have come all this way for a mere child like Yin Yin?"
Despite saying that, Consort Shu's smile didn't fade at all. In fact, right in front of the Emperor, she ordered the palace maids to fetch several bolts of fine fabric that the Emperor had previously bestowed upon her to make new clothes for Yin Yin.
Upon hearing this, the emperor instructed Eunuch Wu to send some more useful items to Consort Shu, so that she could make a few outfits for herself as well.
Consort Shu was naturally very grateful. She looked at the emperor with eyes full of affection, and her voice was so gentle it seemed to melt your heart.
The atmosphere between the emperor and empress seemed quite harmonious, but Yin Yin kept her head down and focused only on eating.
She didn't dare to look up for a moment, afraid that if she did, her expression might reveal something and ruin the atmosphere between the two of them.
Yinyin, standing to the side, could see clearly that regardless of whether Consort Shu truly loved the Emperor, the Emperor certainly didn't love her enough.
Otherwise, if it were just a simple reply, it wouldn't be necessary for him to remain silent and have Eunuch Wu relay the message from inside.
After lunch, the emperor sat for a while before getting up to leave, taking Yin Yin, who had been pretending to be well-behaved, with him.
Yinyin stared wide-eyed at the Emperor's suddenly enlarged face, her eyes widening in surprise: "Yinyin, are you coming too?"
“Yes,” the emperor said, “I heard from your grandfather that you have started to recognize characters. I will have to test you properly later.”
Yin Yin hadn't expected her grandfather to tell the emperor even these things. But she wasn't intimidated.
"Take any test I want," Yin Yin said generously. "I've learned so much."
“Alright,” the emperor laughed, “If you can answer all the questions later, I can grant you a gift.”
"Only one piece?" Yinyin gave him a look that suggested he was stingy, then looked at him again. "That's fine then."
"You child, you're getting greedy," Consort Shu naturally joined their conversation, "What will His Majesty test Yin Yin on? May I also listen?"
The emperor's expression remained unchanged, but he refused without hesitation: "That won't do. If there are too many people, this girl is shy and might forget what she already knows. Wouldn't she then find an excuse to cheat?"
Consort Shu then gave up and saw them out.
A young palace maid asked, "Your Highness, how should we prepare dinner?"
"Naturally, we prepared according to the standards for His Majesty's arrival," the old nanny standing to the side replied, then came to congratulate Consort Shu.
"His Majesty values Miss Yinyin so highly, the little prince that the Empress has been longing for must be arriving soon."