Chapter 8

At 2:15 PM, the guests who brought gifts had mostly arrived, and the kitchen was preparing to serve the dishes. My aunt said, "I have arranged for someone to prepare food for my aunt and send it to the courtyard next door. You are a person of stature, so you shouldn't eat with the common folks. Originally, life in the palace was quite comfortable, but you were called upon to assist our family. The lady said it would be inappropriate to neglect you."

"Manager Li, please do not leave just yet. The banquet will commence shortly; it would not be too late to depart after enjoying the meal." The steward at the door called out, once again bowing to bid farewell, "Please have a safe journey."

It seems that the speaker does not appear very mature upon hearing these words, their face contorting, and their nose and eyes becoming unrecognizable. The person does not pay much attention to this and continues to ask, "Which master is the young lady currently following? We must have met before, is it from the Empress's side? If so, that is fortunate, we will likely meet often in the future"

Two individuals, bending their bodies and hanging their hands, approached from a distance in front of the mourning hall. Upon reaching the front, they swept their sleeves and, with utmost respect, performed a deep bow, saying, "This humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty."

Since you put it that way, I will not decline. Indeed, this half day has been quite exhausting, not because of physical fatigue, but rather mental strain. One must not be careless with the gifts one presents, especially considering she entered the palace at the age of thirteen, and this is her first time handling such matters. It is rather difficult for her, as she does not even know how this entire process is managed.

The Emperor has arrived, which puts her in a difficult position. Knowing that the palace has sent two people out, it would be inappropriate for her not to pay her respects. However, if she were to embarrass herself again in front of the Emperor, she would feel anxious about the previous incident. After hesitating and thinking for a while, she decided to simply close her eyes and muddle through. After all, the scene was chaotic, with many people coming and going. The Emperor is a person of great affairs; once he enters the incense chamber, he will return to the palace, and he cannot afford the leisure to hold her accountable.

To coax him as one would a child, "The young lord is busy outside, and when he returns, he cries again, which is quite exhausting. Did we not say we would accompany His Majesty? We must ensure the master waits well, lest he becomes angry later."

Previously, she had been extremely busy, and Lady Kun felt guilty about it, so she sent the aunt of the young prince to invite her to rest in the second courtyard. After sitting for a while, she came out from the back and happened to encounter Li Yuguo just as he was leaving. She had heard of his great name, but since they were not familiar with each other, she did not pay much attention.

Auntie wore a humble smile on her face, "It's not a bother, there are enough hands to help. I'll go back and bring the food box over, and have them serve. For now, things have settled down, and there isn't much to do in the afternoon. Auntie can rest a bit after her meal."

The emperor, with his hands clasped behind his back, called out to Ka, and upon seeing Li Yuguo, spoke in a gentle tone, "I have been busy with state affairs these past few days and have not visited Changchun Garden. How are my father and the empress dowager?"

As she was pondering, a person staggered in through the drooping flower gate, with a pale face, swollen eyelids, and disheveled hair at the temples. She glanced a few times; usually, she could not recognize faces, as there were many relatives in the Kun family, and numerous students under their tutelage, all dressed in identical mourning robes. With her memory, she could not recall any of them. She turned her back, pretending not to see, believing that remaining silent would avoid any awkwardness, which was the safest approach.

Li Yugui smiled and said, "In response to your words, both the Grand Emperor and the Empress Dowager are in very good health. The Grand Emperor practices Tai Chi and archery every morning, and he looks radiant and full of energy. He is just thinking of His Majesty. Yesterday, during a meal, he saw a plate of Liling stir-fried pork and remarked that this is 'the favorite of Dongqi'..." He slapped himself on the face, saying, "I have spoken out of turn, mentioning His Majesty's name. I shall punish myself for this." He is just thinking of His Majesty. Yesterday, during a meal, he saw a plate of Liling stir-fried pork and remarked that this is 'the favorite of Dongqi'..." He slapped himself on the face, saying, "I have spoken out of turn, mentioning His Majesty's name. I shall punish myself for this."

Enyou came to his senses and realized that he had forgotten about this in his excitement. He touched his chin and said, "It is indeed not very appropriate. I cried for a long time and got a bit confused, so please do not take offense."

With a smile, he said, "I am here to serve those above me, and I dare not utter the words 'hardship.' You are too polite, madam; I am here to help, yet I have caused trouble for my own family. What kind of talk is that! It would be fine to eat together with them in the kitchen."

He nodded, "As long as the family is well-off, that is sufficient. But what if the young lady is already promised to someone? If she only becomes available after leaving the palace, that would be a delay. I tend to meddle in others' affairs and enjoy playing matchmaker. How about I speak to the young lady on your behalf?"

Li Yugui sighed, truly worried for that young lady's future. It must be said that Changman Shou is really a fool; he knows very well that the Emperor has always had reservations about the Empress Dowager of Changchun Garden. It is precisely because of the burial of the Emperor's biological mother, the Hui Xian Guifei, that the Taishang Huang insists on sharing the same bed in life and death with the Empress Dowager, absolutely not allowing anyone to come between them. The Emperor does not think this way; naturally, he hopes that his own mother can be buried in the underground palace, so that she can accompany his father for eternity. Now, because of this Empress Dowager, many matters cannot be accomplished. On the surface, the Emperor shows respect and love for the Empress Dowager, but privately it is a different story. He is already feeling stifled and uncomfortable, and with a living person poking him in the eye, it is no wonder he would seek to stir up trouble. As a result, this beautiful young lady is likely in a precarious situation. He wanted to kindly offer a warning, but unfortunately, the person is not present. He tilted his head back and sighed at the warm sun, it seems to be fate, let each person take their own fortune.

Looking at him in surprise, "Young Lord, we are currently holding a funeral here; it is not very appropriate for you to say this right now"

After walking for a while without seeing Chang Man Shou, I wanted to find him to ask for his guidance for the night. I inquired with a nearby person, who stuck out his tongue and whispered, "The Emperor himself has come to pay his respects to the Duke, and Chief Steward Chang is currently attending to him!"

Little did she know, the person walked up behind her and casually remarked, "I was busy earlier, so I didn't have the chance to ask in detail. You look familiar, but I can't quite recall which courtyard you are from."

That person let out a sound, thinking to himself, "Little hot pepper, quite intriguing!" However, it was a bit excessive to forget after just seeing her a moment ago. He leaned forward, his large face swaying in front of her, "You noble ones tend to forget things easily! Lord Kun is my father, and the Empress is my sister. So, who do you think I am?"

Li Yugui responded, and the emperor did not linger, hurrying towards the spirit hall. With the imperial presence, the courtyard was already filled with a sea of kneeling people. He attentively served the emperor and retreated only after the emperor entered. Looking around for that young lady, he did not see anyone under the mourning canopy; she was probably busy attending to some trivial matters and had stepped away.

Flattery without reason is often difficult to bear. Due to his status, he could not express his feelings openly and had to restrain himself, saying, "Thank you, young master, for your concern. My family is doing well and there are no difficulties. I appreciate your kindness, but I cannot trouble you."

She stood on her tiptoes, peering towards the mourning hall, where the sounds of weeping echoed like thunder. She felt a sense of relief, adjusted the mourning ribbon around her waist, and quietly withdrew from the front courtyard

She furrowed her brows slightly and said, "You are mistaken; I am not a person from the royal palace, nor have I ever seen you."

She tilted her head in contemplation, counting on her fingers, realizing that by this time next year, she would be turning twenty-one. The rules of the Great British selection were established by the previous dynasty; originally, once a palace woman entered the palace gates, there was no chance of returning. Fortunately, the emperor of Daye was wise, allowing palace maids who had not been favored to marry once they reached a certain age. Last time, E Nie visited her in the palace and mentioned a clerk in the Military Affairs Office; his official rank was not high, but his family background was quite solid. She was the eldest maid in her family, and now that she was of such an age after leaving the palace, what more could she be picky about? As long as the person was good-natured and amicable, that would be sufficient.

This kind of distant yet respectful attitude is truly a first for me. Enyou has been surrounded by the world of makeup since he was twelve, and it has always been women who eagerly sought to be close to him. This time, however, it is quite the opposite; he is putting his warm face against a cold backside, feeling indignant in his heart, and is even more determined to hold back his frustration.

Thus, I watched him leave, crossing my arms and letting out a sigh. It is rare to encounter someone so carefree; even after the death of his own father, he can still engage in idle chatter with a young lady. The Duke of Kun has truly raised a monster; seeing is indeed believing.

Upon closer inspection of this strikingly beautiful face, I finally have some impression of it. "Young Master!" Others may say otherwise, but he is even more unlikable. His biological father is lying in the mourning hall, yet he is not by the coffin to keep vigil; how did he end up in the courtyard?

She quietly took two steps back, carefully choosing her words to respond, "The servant is called Su Yi, a person from the corner flag. If the young master has any instructions, the servant will attend to them immediately"

The emperor called out, "You are merely relaying a message, which is not a fault. Return and convey to my royal father to take care of his health. Once this busy period is over, I will visit the Changchun Garden to pay my respects to the two elders"

I am simply somewhat disgusted, "Who are you? From the Internal Affairs Office or the Shuntian Prefecture? What is the process for checking household registration? What does my age and banner have to do with you?"

"You come from the palace!" The person rolled their eyes, scanning her from head to toe, and suddenly smiled, "The palace is good; the water in the palace nourishes people"

"Call me Enyou, it sounds more friendly," he said with a grin, "Now you can tell me, what is your name? Which family do you belong to?"

Enyou waved his hand and said, "There is nothing to instruct. When it is time for a meal, I will go back to change my clothes and accompany His Majesty to eat boiled meat on the southern kang." After a slight pause, he continued in a more familiar tone, "This time, it is fortunate to have the young lady organizing things. Those lowly servants below are as unreliable as monkeys playing with lamps. With the young lady and the Chief Steward, this matter has been handled properly and decently, and I must thank the young lady. The young lady seems to have reached a suitable age; when will you leave the palace? The position under the Five Sounds flag is not very high. What will the young lady do after leaving the palace? Do you need me to lend a hand?"

He heard her say "working hard outside," and indeed felt a bit embarrassed. Everyone knew he was having a wild time in the city, yet she said the opposite, wasn't that a slap in the face? He was angry but couldn't express it; seeing how good-looking she was, he didn't want to argue with her seriously. Moreover, he thought that being able to dine with the emperor was a great honor, and if he continued to hesitate, it would lead to trouble. Without saying much more, he hurriedly picked up his ceremonial robe and headed towards the corridor.

Unable to evade, I had no choice but to turn around and bow slightly, "I was sent by the palace to assist Chief Steward Zhang Er in attending to the funeral."

"How could that be! So familiar-looking." The young man said with a shy smile, his eyes resembling walnuts, yet he still had the leisure to flirt with the girl. He tucked his coarse cloth sleeves and raked his disheveled hair a few times, appearing quite spirited. He cleared his throat and said, "Miss, please do not take offense at my boldness; may I ask how old you are this year? Which banner do you belong to?"

She felt both helpless and amused, shaking her head in the same critical manner as the older generation. She had originally planned to return to the courtyard and wait for the meal, but unexpectedly, as she took a step back, she inadvertently stepped on someone else's foot again

After autumn arrives, the weather becomes cooler, yet by midday, when the sun is high, there still lingers a hint of summer heat. The residence of the lord is quite large and boasts beautiful scenery. Behind the courtyard, there is a rockery and a pavilion, forming a small garden, with tall and sturdy trees lining the courtyard, providing a canopy. It is customary to sit on the intricately carved railing of the covered walkway, leaning against the bright red supporting pillars and turning to take a look around. The base of the walkway is quite elevated, with deep drainage channels beneath. On rainy days, this place becomes a delightful retreat, with picturesque views woven together, and various styles of flower windows adorning the parapet. Sitting here, listening to the sound of the rain, one cannot help but feel immensely content.