Lin Feilu pondered seriously, "A brush or an inkstone? Perhaps an ancient book? Or maybe even some gilt ink?"
Lin Jingyuan, "…Do you actually think of those dreadful items presentable as gifts?"
He thought about the nine-layered lantern that was decorated with streams. He had gone through strenuous efforts to bring it into the palace, but perhaps that gift might just disappoint Little Lu.
Just by looking at his expression, Lin Feilu could tell what he was thinking of. She clasped her hands with his and said while smiling sweetly, "But I treasure anything that Brother Jingyuan gives me!"
With that, Lin Jingyuan straightened his waist in content.
…
Although the Empress Dowager declared that no one was to disturb her rest unless they had important matters, early the following morning, the Empress and the two Noble Consorts brought along their children to offer their greetings.
Noble Consort Xi still remained calm and collected as always. Although she didn't have any children of her own, neither did she strive to earn her share of the Imperial favour, the Xi family had plenty of high-ranking nobles and officials working for the empire. Hence, the Empress Dowager always treated her nicely regardless of her status in the harem.
Out of everyone, Lin Ting and Lin Qing were the Empress Dowager's favourite grandchildren— one was meek and the other was elegant, but both of them remained courteous and studious. They were often regarded as the benchmark standards of the royal family. (1)
(T/N: Here, this meant that among the younger gen, these two were often the 'role models' for the other kids)
The mentioned duo bowed their heads to offer their respectful greetings before standing aside. Even when the Empress herself ushered them to enter the room and talk to their Imperial Grandmother, their pupils only darted around nervously and cautiously. The Empress Dowager didn't take that to heart however, as she asked both of them to leave after exchanging a couple of words.
Then, she proceeded to ask the Empress and the two Noble Consorts if any major events occurred in the harem throughout the past year.
The only major event that was worth mentioning was the demotion of Consort Mei's status in the harem.
The Empress explained the incident succinctly.
The Empress Dowager was aware how much the Emperor loved and adored Consort Mei, but she herself didn't really fancy her all that much. In the previous Emperor's harem that she was involved in, she didn't know how many innocent lives were wrongfully reaped by this type of 'small white flower(2)' with a gentle and weak appearance. Hence, the Empress Dowager would always be constantly reminded of those horrible incidents every time she met Consort Mei.
(T/N: This term refers to women who appear sweet and innocent on the outside, but are cunning and manipulative on the inside.)
However, she couldn't help it that her son absolutely loved that said woman. As she didn't want to become the kind of annoying and nagging old lady, she didn't give much of her opinion regarding the matter.
Hence, to hear that it was none other than Consort Mei who lost the Imperial favour did send a wave of shock thrumming through her veins— she knew her son's personality better than anyone, so this wasn't like him at all. It didn't make much sense to her until the Empress mentioned a very important key point in her explanation— Consort Mei's appearance was completely disfigured.
Mmhm, now I get it.
And in the afternoon, the three Consorts brought along their own children to offer their greetings to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager was rather pleased to see that there were only three Consorts instead of four as she decided that she liked the new arrangement. Even the domineeringly active Lin Jiwen and Lin Jingyuan became as obedient as timid and tiny kittens in front of their Imperial Grandmother. It was a spectacle to see that neither of them dared to raise their voices before her.
After the Empress Dowager greeted the two Imperial Princes, she smiled before addressing Lin Nianzhi who was standing aside, "It's only been a year since I last saw you, but you already seem so much quieter than before. Your complexion doesn't look that great, however. Are you ill?"
Lin Nianzhi raised her head to glance at her Imperial Grandmother, but she quickly lowered it and said, "Thank Imperial Grandmother for your concern. This granddaughter just hasn't been resting well recently, but it is not a big deal."
The Empress Dowager spoke with intent, "Not resting well is no small matter. Consort Hui, you should be more attentive towards the well-being of your daughter. I'll send an imperial doctor over after this to get her checked up and prescribe some medicine that will calm her nerves and aid her sleep."
Consort Hui gave an affirmative response politely.
Among the previous four Consorts, the Empress Dowager liked Consort Hui the most. The first reason was because she was the first one in the harem who gave birth to a royal child of the Emperor. Although she was a princess, she was still very likeable. Secondly, the Empress Dowager admired Consort Hui's indisputable calmness and low-key temperament. She thought that if there were more women in the harem who had Consort Hui's attitude, the situation in the harem would have turned out a lot more peaceful.
When Consort Xian and Consort Shu excused themselves and left, the Empress Dowager ushered Consort Hui to stay behind.
As soon as Consort Hui sat down, her eyes were a little red as she said in a warm voice, "You should return to the palace more frequently. Mount Wutai is too deserted— no one is there to accompany you."
The Empress Dowager sat in a cross-legged position on the cushion with a long blanket draped over her legs. As her hands held the Buddhist beaded bracelet, she smiled and replied, "I'm getting old. These days, I love to be in a place of peace and quiet; staying any longer in the palace just makes me anxious and annoyed."
After exchanging a few more words of pleasantries, the Empress Dowager asked, "The Emperor doesn't really visit you still, does he?"
Consort Hui looked down and smiled lightly, "His Majesty has been rather busy with political affairs. Hence, he didn't visit the harem very often throughout the year either. However, he does come over once a month."
The Empress Dowager said, "That's not too bad. Although Nianzhi is a princess, she is said to be caring and her attitude is much better compared to that of the 4th Imperial Prince. You should help out sometimes since you entered the East palace early and even spent a few years by His Majesty's side."
Consort Hui nodded.
She was aware that the Empress Dowager adored her all this time. That was why she never overstepped the boundaries and selectively spoke of sweet words that were pleasing to the ears.
The Empress Dowager suddenly asked, "Have you seen the Fifth Princess before?"
Consort Hui was taken aback but she nodded, "Yes, I have. The Fifth Princess has a good relationship with Nianzhi and often comes to my palace," Before the Empress Dowager could say anything else, she smiled and said, "The Fifth Princess always sends items to the Yaohua Palace— mostly all sorts of hand cream and scent sachets. Nianzhi elatedly received the gifts from her sister, so she also gave her a golden jade brocade. The sibling bond between the two sisters runs deep, after all."
She phrased this wonderfully, but the Empress Dowager could hear the hidden meaning behind it.
The Fifth Princess only gave away small trinkets and items of worthless value.
But Lin Nianzhi in return, showered her with precious items.
It was inevitable for her to suspect that one party was taking advantage of the other.
On the way back to the palace, the Empress Dowager obtained sufficient information from her palace servant. It turned out that the Fifth Princess was the daughter of the Honorable Lady Lan who previously gave birth to the foolish prince that year. The fact that her presence was barely known truly showed that the status and the living conditions of the Fifth Princess in the palace was rather unsatisfactory.
Thus, Empress Dowager did not perceive Lin Feilu's behavior to please Lin Nianzhi as a surprise.
The Empress Dowager became worried because the little girl was so young, but she already seemed to have malicious intentions. Within a year, an obscure princess was able to have an entire state banquet granted by the Emperor. Not only that, but she even managed to soften the harsh look on his face into a mellower gaze in such a short amount of time.
Consort Hui didn't say much. She always acted vigilantly, so she considered her goal for today was achieved once she saw the displeased expression portrayed on the Empress Dowager's face. After having another cup of tea, she excused herself and left.
The Yiqing Palace no longer allowed anyone else to enter its gates. No one was to disturb the Empress Dowager's rest, especially after greeting this many concubines.
After dinner, the Empress Dowager went out for a walk with the help of the palace staff.
As it was near the end of spring, the palace was full of bloomed flowers and the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. She was used to seeing the deserted landscapes of Mount Wutai, so she was rather satisfied to see a world of luxury and wealth every once in a while.
When she passed by the Begonia Flower Garden, she heard an ongoing quarrel. The sound was sharp and slightly hitched, sounding slightly similar to a little girl's voice.
The Empress Dowager walked over slowly. There, she saw a small silhouette behind the shadows of the Begonia Flowers. The two side buns on the little girl's head was quite a familiar sight.
However, this very silhouette was wiping away her tears. The Empress Dowager heard her intermittently speaking as she sobbed, "You have… you have ignored me for 98 days."
The Empress Dowager didn't realise that there was another person in front of her. She changed her hiding spot in surprise, only to notice yet a person standing not far away from the little girl. Just by looking at her back, the other girl resembled Lin Nianzhi.
As she was gazing at them, she heard Lin Nianzhi's dull voice, "I wasn't ignoring you."
The childish yet silky voice choked back a sob before she retorted, "You were! I waved to you but you ignored me! I called you but you ignored me! When you saw me just now, you even ran away…"
The more she spoke, the sadder she became. Finally, she ended up sitting on the ground as she covered her face and wailed loudly.
Lin Nianzhi stamped her feet twice as she had no choice but to turn around and walk back towards Lin Feilu. When she stood right before the little girl, she crouched down and took out the handkerchief in her arms. As she wiped Lin Feilu's tears, she soothed Lin Feilu, "Oh, don't cry! Stop crying… Lin Feilu! Stop crying this instant!"
The cries stopped almost immediately.
The little girl pursed her lips aggrievedly and looked up at her with a pitiful expression.
Lin Nianzhi's facial expression was hard to read, however. She dabbed the handkerchief to wipe away the tears from the Fifth Princess's face. Then, she pulled the Little Bean up from the ground and patted the dust over her backside to clean her attire.
Lin Feilu tugged at the cuffs of her sleeves, eagerly expressing herself, "Sister…Are you still angry with me?"
Lin Nianzhi replied impatiently, "I am not angry at you; I am only angry at myself!"
She didn't seem to understand the contradiction, so she looked at her sister with her head tilted slightly.
Lin Nianzhi looked at her anxiously for a while before she finally held her hand in frustration, "Forget it, I'll send you back home," Then, she started to lecture her, "You even followed me all the way here. Are you not afraid that bad guys will come and abduct you?"
The little girl happily held her sister's hand. Her eyes were slightly watery as she only recently stopped crying, but she did not make any attempts to hide the happiness on her face, "I am not afraid of anything as long as Eldest Imperial Sister is with me!"
Lin Nianzhi, "Humph!"
Lin Feilu, "Hee hee."
The duo gradually walked away as the Empress Dowager curved her lips into a small smile, all the while remaining hidden behind the Begonia flowers.
She turned around and said to the maidservant who had served her for many years, "These two children remind me of my older sister Ying and me," Her tone of voice became solemn as she continued to speak, "It's just a pity that Sister Ying was harmed by detestable people and had long passed away…"
She wasn't willing to further elaborate, so she just turned around and said, "Let us return."
The maidservant currently serving the Empress Dowager was none other than Liu Zhi, who had been by her side for decades. She remained faithful and served the Empress Dowager ever since she first entered the palace.
Although the two of them were in a master-servant relationship, they have also formed a deep bond between them over the years. Neither of them shied away from the occasionally deeply personal conversations that would transcend the bonds of master-servant with each other.
Liu Zhi held the Empress Dowager's hand as they continued their stroll. She then said, "The way this humble servant perceived the two princesses doesn't seem to match up with Consort Hui's description of them."
The Fifth Princess was naturally adorable and she could definitely use it to her advantage, but the intimacy and her dependence towards the Eldest Imperial Princess couldn't be faked— the emotions of the two children were very real.
What's more was that the Empress Dowager knew the personality of Lin Nianzhi all too well. Although she used to befriend the 3rd Imperial Princess, she always seemed haughty when she was together with her. But now, even though she appeared to be impatient with the Little Fifth Princess, she was actually much more patient and considerate towards the little Fifth Princess.
Lin Nianzhi was brought up in luxury as she bore the noble position of a 'jade leaf on a golden branch' (2). If she could treat anyone with the slightest sincerity and care, that could only mean that the other party actually treated her with genuine sincerity as well.
(T/N: Refers to someone who was favoured or has a high position in hierarchy. Jade and gold are considered precious, so the saying paired them together to further emphasise on the noble status)
The Empress Dowager was filled with uncertainty— were Consort Hui's words an unintentional phrase that just so happened to have a deeper meaning to it, or did Consort Hui seem to have a personal problem with the Little Fifth Princess?
The Empress Dowager pondered lazily, sighing with a harrumph; a long deep exhale from her nose, but she didn't comment further.
There was nothing much to say that night as they returned to the palace. After having breakfast the next morning however, the palace staff outside came to pass on a message, "Empress Dowager, the Fifth Princess and the Sixth Prince have come to offer their greetings."
It was not surprising to know that Lin Feilu had come to greet the Empress Dowager, but it was a bit unexpected to hear that she even brought her foolish brother with her.
At that time, the Honourable Lady Lan gave birth to a child of the royal family. Although the child was born prematurely and he did look a little weaker, he was born fair-skinned and pure. She even held him twice and the child did not cry nor made a fuss. Hence, she actually liked him quite a lot.
Later, she returned to Mount Wutai. She only went back to the palace after practicing Buddhism for two years, but that was when she heard the news of the Sixth Imperial Prince being a fool.
The gossips and rumours in the palace circulated that it was Xiao Lan's unlucky fate that roused the anger of the Gods, and that the retributions were destined to fall upon her children as karma. When the Empress Dowager first heard it, she reacted just like the Emperor. She was very unhappy about it, and since then, she never saw the Sixth Imperial Prince again. But on the way back to the palace the day before yesterday, she had an epiphany after pondering in deep thoughts.
If that was the case, then the Fifth Princess, who was Xiao Lan's second-born, should be as foolish as the previous child.
However, the Fifth Princess turned out to grow up to be so clever to the point where even the Emperor could let go of his grievances, which proved that the rumours of 'Gods' anger' were nothing but downright nonsense.
The Empress Dowager remained seated on the cushion as she enjoyed a cup of ginseng lotus porridge. The little girl with side buns was now tugging the hand of another fair-skinned and handsome boy into the palace.
When they reached the side of the table, the two knelt down and bowed. Lin Feilu's voice was crisp, "The Fifth Princess greets Imperial Grandmother. May the Imperial Grandmother be blessed to live in prosperity and peace."
The other child also timidly recited, "The Sixth Prince greets Imperial Grandmother. May the Imperial Grandmother live healthily and happily."
The Empress Dowager said quietly, "Rise. Liu Zhi, let these two children sit down."
Lin Feilu and Lin Zhanyuan sat beside each other as they faced Empress Dowager. Lin Zhanyuan feared strangers, so coming here with his sister was already considered a very brave act for him. He lowered his head in a desperate attempt to shrink in size, subconsciously hiding behind his sister's frame and not daring to look up.
Lin Feilu however, was the total opposite of her brother. Her large eyes were darting around the room, full of curiosity and agility.
The Empress Dowager was surprised; she was the first grandchild who was not afraid of her.
The Empress Dowager thought of the same little girl that sat on the ground yesterday, fussing and crying as she threw a tantrum. With that image in mind, she wanted to laugh, but she asked in a soft voice, "Have you had breakfast yet?"
Lin Feilu nodded obediently, "Yes, I have."
That's what she said, but her eyes were trained onto the platter of food that was placed before her.
The Empress Dowager remembered something. The Emperor mentioned that besides being a glutton, the Little Fifth Princess had no other faults. Hence, she gave an order to Liuzhi, "Serve a bowl of porridge for the Fifth Princess."
The little girl who sat across the Empress Dowager realised that her true intentions were effortlessly seen through. A shade of red started to colour the tips of her earlobes as she lowered her head in embarrassment.
Liuzhi quickly brought the porridge over as the Empress Dowager watched the little girl swallow a gulp of her saliva in anticipation. As she politely received the bowl of porridge, she started to eat her with a surprisingly proper etiquette. When she was having her third mouthful, she asked softly, "Brother, would you like some?"
Lin Zhanyuan played with his little fingers, "No, I don't want it. Little sister should eat it and grow taller!"
Her eyes formed crescents as she smiled, revealing two small dimples on her cheeks before she continued to eat.
The base of the bowl could now be seen as the little girl patted her belly contentedly. She also unintentionally let out a small burp.
The Fifth Princess was suddenly surprised and became self-conscious of her actions. Her pupils quickly darted towards the Empress Dowager out of panic before she ducked her head out of embarrassment. The movement made her two side buns droop slightly as well.
The Empress Dowager asked, "Are you full?"
She answered in a soft tone, "Yes, Imperial Grandmother, I am full."
The Empress Dowager got up from the couch and said, "Good. Accompany me for a stroll, then."
Lin Feilu hurriedly tugged onto Lin Zhanyuan's sleeves and led him out of the palace with the Empress Dowager.
The current weather was at its best— it was neither hot nor cold and there was plenty of sunshine. Drops of dew remained on certain flower branches from the previous night and a butterfly was shaking off a few drops of dew as it flew by. Lin Zhanyuan initially thought of the Empress Dowager's disposition as scary. However, as the Empress Dowager didn't converse with him all that much, he had completely forgotten about her existence and chased after the butterfly on his own.
Lin Feilu looked a little nervous. She wanted to tell him to return, but the Empress Dowager said quietly, "It's okay, just let him play."
She gave a small hum in response. Then, the Empress Dowager looked at her before she asked, "What is that bulge that you're hiding in your arms?"
The little girl glanced at her quickly before she took out a small box from her arms, whispering, "This is a greeting gift for Imperial Grandmother," She opened the box and said, "They're Buddha pills made by me and my Honourable Mother. "
Buddha pills were incense pills made of sandalwood, which could be burned in an incense burner to emit a specific type of fragrance.
Yesterday, the Empress Dowager heard Consort Hui mention that the princess loves to give gifts. Now that she was actually presented with one of the items, the corners of her lips raised slightly, but she didn't show any form of elation on her face. She took the box and smelled it, realising that there was also a touch of a faint orchid scent and bamboo fragrance that was intertwined with the sandalwood. The combination of the three scents produced a very elegant fragrance that was very pleasing.
The little girl lifted up her small head and her eyes sparkled. When the Empress Dowager focused her gaze on her, she asked with a hint of anxiousness and anticipation, "Imperial Grandmother, do you like it?"
The Empress Dowager did not answer her question. Instead, she asked, "Do you like to make these kinds of things?"
The little girl smiled and nodded her head twice, causing her side buns on the top of her head to bob up and down as well. Although her voice was soft, it was full of pride, "Everytime I make something by myself, I feel very satisfied!"
The Empress Dowager smiled and asked, "What else did you make?"
She stretched out her fingers and counted to her, "I made hand creams, dried flowers, sachets, bookmarks and a little tiger!"
The Empress Dowager laughed as she asked, "What is a little tiger?"
The little girl proudly replied, "It's a small tiger that me and my Honourable Mother made out of straws!"
The Empress Dowager remembered that Xiao Lan's hands were very nifty. Her needlework was no less inferior than the palace staff who worked in the Embroidery Workshop. It turned out that this little girl's handiwork was muchly influenced by her mother.
In fact, there was no shortage of items in the palace, but to be able to obtain something that was personally crafted by someone else evoked a rather sense of owning something precious and dear.
The Empress Dowager closed the box and handed it to Liu Zhi. Then, she spoke with a voice that was much softer than before, "I like it very much."
The little girl was happy for a while. The slight rigidness and tension that seemed to cling onto her small frame when she arrived at the palace in the morning no longer remained. She smiled as she tugged onto the Empress Dowager's hand, "Imperial Grandmother, I can even use petals and honey to make hand creams. Everyone who used them really liked it!"
Although the Empress Dowager was mindful of her appearance and kept her skin well-maintained, her hands were getting older and wrinkly. At this time, her fingertips trembled when they were grasped by the little hands that were soft yet warm.
Each of her grandchildren were terrified of her. They couldn't even talk to her without trembling in fear, much less hold hands with her.
She looked closely at the little girl next to her.
The little girl smiled very cutely, causing her adorable dimples to appear. Her brows were slightly crooked but her eyes were natural and clear— the epitome of an innocent child.
It's just that under the Empress Dowager's scrutinising gaze, she suddenly became a little nervous. Her lightly pink nose wrinkled slightly as her eyelashes drooped a bit before she shyly retracted her hand. Instantly, she reverted back to the prim and proper appearance that she initially maintained that morning.
The Empress Dowager calmly took her hand again and pulled her back, "Really now? Next time, do send me a box of that as well, then."
A sweet smile formed once again on the little girl's face.
Lin Zhanyuan, who was chasing the butterfly nearby, ran back as he shouted excitedly, "Little sister! Little sister!"
He ran to her with sweat drenched on his forehead and gleaming eyes. He held his hands together and stretched them out in front of Lin Feilu as if he was unfolding a treasure box. He shouted once more, "Little sister!"
As soon as he let go of his hands, two blue butterflies flapped their wings and flew out. In the morning sun, the sight of the butterfly wings resembled that of streams of sunlight and it was very beautiful.
He happily asked, "Does my little sister like it?"
Lin Feilu pursed her lower lip before she replied with a happy and firm tone, "I like it!"
The Empress Dowager remembered the way the girl had asked her if she liked the gift. Almost immediately, her icy heart that had been hardened for many years suddenly started to thaw and soften.
She glanced at her silly grandson, deliberately asking, "Where's mine then?"
Now only Lin Zhanyuan just remembered that there was someone next to him!
He stood up at once and his expression became nervous. He spared a few glances at the Empress Dowager, who looked a bit intimidating. Though scared, his facial expression had a good mix of edginess and cuteness.
His facial features were already great. But when she looked closely, his appearance looked a bit like the Emperor himself when he was a child.
The Empress Dowager didn't care about individual fame as much as Emperor Lin did, so she didn't hate this foolish prince like he did. Seeing him frightened by her, she couldn't help but soften the tone of her voice and changed her method of questioning, "Your sister gave me gifts; did you not prepare anything for me?"
When Lin Zhanyuan heard that his younger sister had presented her a gift, how could he fall behind!
Lin Zhanyuan scrunched his small face and relaxed it out again. Suddenly, he put his hands together and placed them at the position of his heart. Digging and searching for a long time, he stretched his hands back to the Empress Dowager and said happily, "I'm giving this to Grandmother!"
The Empress Dowager looked at his empty palms and asked with a smile, "What is it?"
Lin Zhanyuan replied, "It's a heart!"
This was a game that Lin Feilu often played with him, but he actually copied the techniques and implemented it!
Even Lin Feilu was shocked, let alone the Empress Dowager.
This silly brother of mine is quite good at imitation.
The Empress Dowager had never seen anything like this before. She reacted with a laugh that didn't seem to fit her senior age. Liuzhi couldn't contain her own laughter either, but she held onto the Empress Dowager. She smiled as she reminded, "Please be careful not to injure your waist, Empress Dowager."
The two laughed even harder in amusement as they heard the little girl whisper in a hushed voice, "Brother, you can't use the game we play to fool Imperial Grandmother!"
Lin Zhanyuan ignored and continued saying, "It's a heart, it's a heart, it's a heart!"
The Empress Dowager laughed so much that her tears were starting to flow out involuntarily.
When she finished her fit of laughter, she leaned down slightly, reaching out to touch Lin Zhanyuan's fair and supple face, "Yes, I have received the love of my dear grandson."
Lin Zhanyuan was very attuned to one's individual aura. Although the Empress Dowager bore a rather intimidating face, she had become much more gentle and tender after chanting and reciting Buddhist prayers and mantras for several years. As she smiled at him again, Lin Zhanyuan felt that there was no longer any reason to be afraid of her.
Thinking of what his sister had taught him for the past two days, he happily rushed over and hugged her, "I like Grandmother!"
As a mentally challenged child, if he said that he liked something, he was obviously telling the truth, and not a single shred of a lie.
The Empress Dowager had never been this close to any of her grandchildren. As she aged into her elderly years, she started to yearn for familial affection. Reminiscing about her retreat to Mount Wutai over the years, she started to burst into tears.
Liu Zhi was also deeply moved. As she wiped her tears, she exclaimed, "The 6th Imperial Prince adores the Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager smiled and touched Lin Zhanyuan's head in return.
After the walk, the two children accompanied her back to the Yiqing Palace before obediently excusing themselves. The Empress Dowager gave the two grandchildren each a blood jade bracelet from the East China Sea. The children's wrists were thin and small, so it was currently too big for them to wear. Lin Feilu held onto the bracelet properly and Lin Zhanyuan followed his sister's example.
The Empress Dowager couldn't help but clasp his tiny gentle hand and said, "If the Little 6th Prince has nothing to do all day, you can come over to the Yiqing Palace more often."
Lin Zhanyuan didn't understand, so he turned to look at his sister.
Lin Feilu 'translated' for him, "Grandmother is asking you to come more often and play with her frequently!"
Once they spoke of the word 'playing', he became very excited and nodded happily, "Play! I'll play with Grandmother!"
As soon as the two children left, Liu Zhi massaged the Empress Dowager's legs while speaking her thoughts aloud, "I think Your Highness Empress Dowager will be staying in the palace for a longer while this time."
In the past, when the Empress Dowager returned to the palace, she would end up leaving very soon after. Besides being greeted by the concubines in the harem or dealing with some imperial issues, the Empress Dowager didn't think that there was much of a difference between staying here in the busy, bustling palace and staying in remote Mount Wutai. But now, things were different—having an imperial grandchild or two that were willing to be affectionate with her had fulfilled one of her deepest wishes.
The Empress Dowager also nodded with a smile.
Liu Zhi continued to speak in a daze, "The 6th Imperial Prince was born with such a handsome face. Besides, he is also adorable and likable. If Honourable Lady Lan didn't give birth prematurely…" She paused before stopping her train of thought that she uttered out loud and quickly begged for forgiveness, "This humble servant has misspoken out of turn."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand slightly, "It's fine," She squinted her eyes slightly, but the cogs in her mind were spinning due to Liu Zhi's words. She then recalled, "During the previous Emperor's reign, several concubines gave birth prematurely as well. In those cases, it was either the mother who would die or the fetus who would suffocate. A situation like Xiao Lan's to cause mental impairment of a child is truly a first since the establishment of the Great Lin Dynasty."
Liu Zhi replied,"That's it, isn't it? That's why His Majesty paid special attention to it."
The Empress Dowager was thinking of something as she asked Liu Zhi, "When Xiao Lan was pregnant, were there any abnormalities or anything odd?"
Liu Zhi stayed by her side for many years, accompanying and aiding her fight in the harem at every step of the way; she was used to witnessing all sorts of tricks and schemes ever since. When the Empress Dowager phrased the question that way, she instinctively knew what she was trying to say, "Your Highness Empress Dowager, are you suspecting that in that year, Honourable Lady Xiao Lan might have fallen a victim to someone else's schemes?"
Being favoured by the Emperor and getting pregnant at the same time were factors that would inflict jealousy and conflicts— it was a normal occurrence.
The winner of the previous harem's battle believed that it was a very likely possibility.
If something like this was brought to her attention before she met the two children, the Empress Dowager wouldn't bother to involve herself further into the matter. The incident had already happened many years ago and there was no use crying over spilt milk anyway— which essentially meant that she wouldn't pry into nor order a reinvestigation.
But she met Lin Zhanyuan today. The petite grandson of hers was so adorably obedient and he felt like an actual grandchild to her. Every time he addressed her as 'grandmother', she felt her heart soften by another level.
After having this discussion with Liuzhi, she started to realise that something suspicious might have occurred that year. If my cute little grandson was indeed born mentally impaired through natural causes, then so be it; but if it was a calculated act of jealousy, then I will have to reinvestigate what truly happened that year.
Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager whispered a few words to Liu Zhi, who left after accepting her orders.
…
The next day was none other than Lin Feilu's birthday.
Early in the morning, an endless stream of gifts were sent to Mingyue Palace. The Fifth Princess's glory was now in full swing whereas Xiao Lan had regained her imperial favor and was already considered nothing short of a celebrity in the palace. All the other palaces have prepared generous gifts for them— no matter if it was friend or foe, the superficial efforts needed to be committed for the public eye.
Lin Feilu enjoyed receiving gifts.
She spent her entire morning opening all of her presents.
Noble Consort Xi had gifted her a treasured sword. The length of the sword was almost similar to her current height, but Noble Consort Xi mentioned that the little girl could use it in the future when she grows up. It's just that the appearance of the sword was rather dull and the hilt wasn't all that impressive either— looking completely different from the beautiful sapphires in the TV series she watched before transmigrating.
After hearing Little Bean's unsatisfied mutter, Noble Consort Xi gave her a faint glance, "What do you expect those fancy things to do? This sword has cut through 3000 soldiers and horses of the Yong Kingdom! It cut down two generals as if they were made out of butter.."
Before she finished speaking, Lin Feilu threw the sword far away with a clang. Then, her small face paled in fright.
Noble Consort Xi, "…" She glared at her, unforgiving, "Even evil spirits would fear it if the sword was out of its sheath! Pick it up and put it on the beam of the bed to ward off evil spirits!"
Lin Feilu, "Boohoo…"
At that moment, she realized where the Noble Consort's monicker, the 'Queen of Hell' came from.
In addition to the nine-layered streamer lantern, Lin Jingyuan added a block of gilt ink into his gift list after listening to her guesses the other day. When the ink was implemented into writing, there would be some gilt that would be visible on the words themselves. This made it appear very beautiful and it even carried a faint scent of a particular fragrance.
Lin Ting gifted her a blue-eyed Persian cat which was secretly brought in from outside the palace. Lin Feilu suspected that he wanted to open a zoo in the palace.
Lin Qing gifted her a guqin. The strings were made out of phoenix wood and ice silk, making its appearance look very extraordinary.
(T/N: A guqin is a traditional Chinese instrument that makes a really oriental-style sound when the strings are plucked. Think of it as the Eastern version of the harp unique in its own way)
Lin Nianzhi gave her a nine-piece linked puzzle—a super complicated one. Lin Feilu glanced at it and felt that she should not be able to solve it for at least two or three years.
Xi Xingjiang gifted her a bow and some arrows. At first glance, she exclaimed, "What a great bow!" but Lin Feilu couldn't really lift it as it was too heavy.
People from the Xi family were way too terrifying. She was afraid that Xi Xingjiang would say, "This bow had once killed 10,000 soldiers," Hence, she hurriedly asked Songyu to bring the bow and the sword that Noble Consort Xi had gifted into the side palace.
The gifts from the other palaces were similar— there were jewellery, brocade and gold jade that had almost blinded Lin Feilu from all its glitter.
The birthday banquet was set at noon. After receiving the gifts, Songyu and Qingyan began to dress and enhance Lin Feilu's appearance. The typical protagonist of a large-scale state banquet like this would be dressed up in grand costumes, but Lin Feilu was far too small and too short. Emperor Lin demanded the people from the Embroidery Workshop to dress her accordingly. After wearing the clothes, her tiny frame was entirely masked by the heavy and feathered clothing while her legs were nearly incapable of walking due to the added weight.
As a last resort, she could only change into a normal dress that appeared to be a bit more sophisticated than her casual wear. Her usual little side buns were let down and were combed neatly as well.
After receiving the gifts from the other palaces in the morning, the birthday banquet was about to commence. It was time for her to receive gifts from her royal relatives who attended the banquet.