An He, standing to one side, couldn't help but smile. It was the Emperor himself who had seen Princess Yujia and the little girl playing in the imperial garden from afar and had forbidden him to announce his presence. Then the Emperor had walked over on purpose and bumped into the little girl's back.
As a eunuch who had accompanied the Emperor for many years, An He knew that the Emperor just wanted to tease the little girl. So, in line with the Emperor's intention, he shrilled, "Offending the Emperor is a capital crime. The lightest punishment is exile, and the heaviest is decapitation."
"Ah..."
Xue'er felt as if the sky was falling. She never thought that this day would be her last.
Big tears welled up and fell to the ground with a patter.
What would happen to her mother?
Seeing Xue'er crying in fear, Yujia was also affected by her tears. Tears welled up in her eyes instantly. Through her blurry vision, Yujia saw her father looking serious and believed it was true. She quickly kowtowed and said, "Please, Father, sentence me to death. It's all my fault. Xue'er is innocent."
"No, it's all my fault. Cut off my head if you must. I didn't see the Emperor. It has nothing to do with the princess..."
Xue'er didn't want to drag her friend down before she died. She wiped her tears and kept pleading with the Emperor. Crying as she spoke, she said, "... Can I see my mother before I die? I haven't been able to let my mother live a good life. My mother has had a hard time. I want to leave all my money to her. Please, Your Majesty, grant my wish."
"Xue'er, you and your mother are so pitiful."
Hearing Xue'er's words, Yujia deeply felt that her little sister was living in dire straits. She cried so hard that snot bubbles came out.
The two little girls cried facing each other, and the palace maids and guards behind them fell silent at the same time.
Were they bullying children?
An He felt even more embarrassed. The Emperor, at his age, had made two little girls cry.
A trace of helpless smile appeared on the Emperor's face.
He had just thought they were so cute while kicking the shuttlecock that they were completely engrossed. So he had wanted to tease the two children. He didn't expect them to be so unable to take a joke and cry so miserably. He coughed twice to cover up his embarrassment.
"I'll forgive you this time since it's your first offense. Stop crying now."
Finally, the Emperor spoke, his tone tinged with a hint of tenderness that was hardly noticeable.
He looked at Xue'er.
"Really?"
Xue'er was overjoyed and felt like she had come back to life.
She quickly kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Will Your Majesty... punish the princess?" Her two round eyes stared at the Emperor tentatively. The moment she met the Emperor's gaze, she lowered her head again, looking innocently nonchalant yet still frightened.
Although she looked like a red peach from crying, her eyebrows and eyes were very much like her mother's.
The other features didn't look much alike, but somehow she seemed familiar.
"Yujia, come here."
The Emperor calmly waved to Yujia. Yujia, who had stopped crying because her good friend had escaped punishment, wiped the tears from her eyes. Her heart started to feel uneasy again. She slowly walked to Xue'er's side and respectfully saluted the Emperor. "Father, I know I was wrong. Xue'er didn't do it on purpose."
"How are you doing with your homework?"
"Ah?" Yujia widened her eyes. She didn't expect her father to ask this. When she saw her father's majestic figure, she suddenly stammered, "I've almost... almost finished it. There's still some left. I'll go back and do my homework right away."
"Go."
"Yes, Father."
Yujia felt as if she was facing a great enemy when she heard the word "homework". In fact, the Emperor had just casually found an excuse to change the topic. He turned around and was about to leave. Looking back, he saw Xue'er still kneeling on the ground. Her two cheeks were flushed, and her eye sockets were also red. She looked like she had been fished out of the water. He couldn't help but find it funny. After a moment of thought, he finally left with his entourage.
After this experience, the two little girls didn't dare to stay in the imperial garden any longer.
Jiang He, who was behind them, also let out a sigh of relief. She and the palace maids had of course seen the Emperor coming, but who knew that Eunuch An He had given her a look, telling her not to disturb the princess and Miss Wen. That's how this happened, and it had really scared Miss Wen.
The two walked silently on their way back to the Ci Ning Palace.
Yujia was worried that Xue'er was scared.
Xue'er, on the other hand, was thinking about the Emperor she had just seen.
"Xue'er, don't worry. Father didn't punish us, so he won't pursue it. Father is just very serious usually. I'm used to it."
"Um..."
So Yujia's father was so scary. Fortunately, he wasn't her father.
Xue'er quickly changed the topic. "What's this homework you were talking about?"
"It's from the Elegant Academy in the palace. My second and third brothers and their study companions all study there. There are a lot of people. It's the best academy in the world. Father said that although girls don't need to take the imperial examinations, they still need to learn the knowledge they should know. So I also have to go to the Elegant Academy with them for some classes. These days, the Elegant Academy is closed for renovation, but the master left some homework before. It's all very difficult."
When she said this, Yujia visibly wilted.
"My mother said the same thing. She taught me how to read and write and said she would hire a tutor for me..."
Xue'er was talking to herself and didn't notice Yujia's eyes suddenly light up.
"Why hire a tutor? You can just come to the Elegant Academy. Be my study companion. Grandmother said she was afraid I would be bored and wanted to choose some study companions for me." Yujia became more and more excited. "This is just perfect. What do you think?"
"..."
Yujia thought Xue'er would readily agree, but Xue'er hesitated.
"I have to ask my mother's opinion. If I come to the palace to accompany you, what will happen to my mother?"
"Isn't your mother a jade carver? Just right. Since you're coming to the palace, she can carve jade for Grandmother wholeheartedly." Yujia thought she was so smart.
Xue'er was still hesitating.
It seemed that her mother didn't like the palace very much.
Seeing that Xue'er still hadn't agreed, Yujia was a bit anxious. Xue'er had defended her so much in front of her father just now. She was so loyal. She was much better than her second brother who always undermined her. Today, she and Xue'er were just like the "true friendship in adversity" the master talked about.
Yujia quickened her steps. She wanted to hurry up and ask Grandmother to keep Xue'er by her side. Just then, she saw Grandmother walking on the palace path with a fairy-like person. There was also a group of palace maids following behind. She nudged Xue'er with her elbow. "Look, is that your mother?"
"Yes..."
Seeing her mother, Xue'er felt more at ease.
Yujia grabbed her wrist, and the two of them walked quickly towards the Empress Dowager. Jiang He could only follow behind with the palace maids.
The Empress Dowager and Lan Miao had seen them from afar. When Yujia and Xue'er got closer, Lan Miao immediately noticed that Xue'er had been crying. There were still red marks in her bright eyes. She was shocked. At the same time, she noticed that there also seemed to be traces of crying on the princess's face beside Xue'er. But it seemed they were okay now.
The several of them saluted together.
"Greetings to Grandmother / Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
"Greetings to Princess Yujia."
"Get up. Don't stand on ceremony." The Empress Dowager said with a smile. The palace maids arranged everything, and the several of them sat down in the pavilion beside the palace path to rest.
Jiang He came over and whispered to the Empress Dowager what had happened in the imperial garden today.
Lan Miao was sitting on one side and vaguely heard a few words. It seemed the words were related to the "Emperor". Her heart was like a candle flame in the wind, being blown to and fro. Had Xue'er met the Emperor?
How could it be so coincidental?
Lan Miao was still worried, but her face remained calm.
Before the Empress Dowager could speak, Princess Yujia couldn't wait to say, "Grandmother, weren't you going to choose some study companions for me? I had a great time playing with Xue'er today. Xue'er is very smart. Keep Xue'er in the palace as my study companion, okay?"
Lan Miao's pupils suddenly dilated.
Wouldn't that mean Xue'er would often see the Emperor?
This... wouldn't do.
She was just about to open her mouth and think of a way to refuse, but seeing the hope in Xue'er's eyes, she couldn't bear it.
She had always wanted to find a top-notch tutor for Xue'er to teach her to read and write. In the future, she could be a well-educated young lady from a marquis's mansion. Studying in the Elegant Academy in the palace was something that many aristocratic children couldn't even dream of. How could she, out of her own selfishness, cut off Xue'er's future? Moreover, if Xue'er stayed in the palace to study, the old lady wouldn't dare to casually use Xue'er to threaten her.
The Empress Dowager seemed to have expected this.
She calmly glanced at Lan Miao. "What do you think, Lady Lan?"
Lan Miao made up her mind. She took a deep breath. "Thank you for the princess's kindness. I was just going to find a good tutor for Xue'er to teach her to read and write. This way, it's a win-win situation. I'm just worried that Xue'er is not qualified to enter the Elegant Academy."
"Well, Xue'er is the eldest legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yongyi. How could she not be qualified?"
The Empress Dowager smiled gently and stroked Yujia's head beside her. "Look, Grandmother has found you such a good playmate. You have to study hard in the future and not be outshone by your second and third brothers."
"Great."
Yujia beamed with joy. She took Xue'er's hand and saluted the Empress Dowager.
"Thank you, Grandmother / Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
Looking at the smiles on the two little girls' faces, Lan Miao also smiled, but a hint of worry flashed across her eyes involuntarily.