Free Web NovelChapter 1287: Chapter 1285: Open-Hearted Joy
Yue Er spread her hands helplessly.
"You never know!"
"These days I can’t see my big brother anywhere except at the academy!"
"When I go to the Eastern Palace to look for him, sometimes he isn’t there, and even when he is, he just ignores me!"
Yue Er’s expression carried a hint of grievance, looking pitiful and woebegone.
Xia Ruqing couldn’t help but laugh.
"Your big brother is attending court now, helping your imperial father share the burdens of state!"
"You must be good, you must be sensible!"
Yue Er pouted.
"How am I not sensible! It’s not like I go looking for him while he’s in court!"
But perhaps out of a guilty conscience, her voice grew softer and softer, until it vanished altogether by the end.
Xia Ruqing tapped her little head.
"You, you!"
"Hasn’t your brother treated you well?"
"Back when you wanted to learn to ride, he taught you behind your father’s and my backs, and when you wanted to leave the palace, he took the risk of sneaking you out!"
"Whatever you wanted to eat, whatever you wanted to play with, he never missed a single thing."
"He’s only short of plucking the stars from the sky for you!"
Yue Er chuckled guiltily, hehe-ing nonstop.
"Mother, I knooow!"
"It’s not just my big brother who treats me well—my second brother, third brother, fourth brother, they all treat me so well!"
Xia Ruqing rubbed her hair.
"As long as you understand."
"From now on you’re not allowed to complain about your brother."
"Okaaay!"
Yue Er burrowed into her mother’s arms and acted spoiled.
Ying Luo felt a little out of her depth at the sight.
’Who would have thought that the usually so willful and domineering Little Princess could also have such a well‑behaved side?’
’Even I, who stay by her side every day, never imagined it!’
’Probably in all the world, the only one who can make the Princess act this spoiled is the Empress!’
...
Mother and daughter cuddled together for a while.
A Palace Maid came to report that Miss Chen and County Princess Yilan had arrived.
Xia Ruqing hurriedly had them invited in.
Miss Chen was the legitimate granddaughter of the Princess of Nanan, and County Princess Yilan was the granddaughter of the Old Duke He.
Strictly speaking, they were all young ladies from big branches of the Royal Clan.
Though their status and rank could not compare to Yue Er’s, they too were heaven’s favored daughters, raised with a thousand dotes and endless pampering.
As for Yue Er, there was no need to say more—among all the girls her age under heaven, no one was more noble than she.
So the three little girls were not only about the same age, even their tempers and dispositions were more or less alike.
They often studied and practiced martial arts together, or left the palace to ride and go on outings, and over time, their relationship had grown closer and closer.
So for this birthday, Xia Ruqing’s first thought was to invite them.
With children her own age around, Yue Er ought to be much happier.
Wei Yu and Yilan, the two little girls, quickly came in.
As soon as they entered, they stepped forward and knelt to Xia Ruqing to offer proper greetings.
"Greetings to the Empress!"
Xia Ruqing did not put on any airs; she hurriedly told them to rise with a smile, and had stools brought over for them.
The two little girls thanked her with the proper decorum.
"Many thanks, Empress!"
Xia Ruqing smiled and nodded.
"No need for such formality, hurry and sit!"
As she spoke, her gaze inadvertently fell on them, and she carefully sized them up for a moment.
Miss Chen Weiyu wore a layered pleated skirt of scallion‑green, her hair done up in twin spiral buns like a little girl’s, with the rest of her hair loose down her back, not yet grown out for a full coiffure.
Her frame was still slight, her height not that tall, her lustrous fair face still carrying a bit of baby fat.
But her eyes were bright and spirited, full of liveliness; the slightly upturned outer corners made her features especially bold and dignified, nobility in her bones—one glance showed she was not some ordinary scholar’s daughter.
Then she looked at County Princess Yilan.
She wore a goose‑yellow gown embroidered with resplendent cloud patterns in gold thread, her hair in a Ruyi bun, adorned with a tasselled ornament of warm mutton‑fat jade, the rest of her hair also loose, likewise not yet grown out.
She was a little taller than Chen Weiyu, with slim shoulders and a neat, clean build; her oval face was fair, with elegant brows and a fine nose, a pair of phoenix eyes shimmering with light, and a small mouth of delicate lines—her features were bold and her bearing refined.
As might be expected of a County Princess personally ennobled by the Emperor, and of Royal Family blood besides, her presence was hardly inferior to the Princess’s.
At such a young age, it was clear she was no common girl.
On the whole—
Xia Ruqing was quite satisfied with these two little bosom friends of Yue Er’s.
After the Palace Maids served tea and pastries, Xia Ruqing smiled and beckoned to them.
"All these snacks were made by my Kitchen Maids; hurry and try them."
"Many thanks, Empress!"
The two rose together to offer thanks, their posture and manners impeccably proper.
Though Xia Ruqing did not care much for these mundane ancient rituals,
she had to admit that the bearing of these little girls was truly beautiful.
In every gesture and movement, every frown and smile, they revealed excellent upbringing and an extremely high level of refinement.
Mm... it seems the ancient ways aren’t all dregs after all.
"Go on, sit."
She waved a hand with a smile.
"Today you girls should just have fun; no need to mind all these earthly formalities!"
"The banquet’s already been laid out in Yue Er’s side hall. In a bit you can all go over there—this palace won’t be joining you."
"Ah? Why not?"
Yue Er was a little surprised.
Xia Ruqing lightly patted her daughter’s back.
"It’s you girls celebrating your birthday together—what would I go there for?!"
"When your brothers come over tonight, I’ll keep you company then, all right?"
Yue Er thought about it; that did make sense, so she nodded.
"All right then!"
After offering their respects and greetings, drinking tea, and eating some pastries, the girls went off to the side hall.
The two little girls then joined Yue Er in completing the birthday rites.
The side hall was lively all afternoon.
By evening, the main hall on this side was bustling for a full Shi Chen or more as well.
Zhao Junyao naturally came over.
In addition, there were Zhao Qichen, Zhao Qiheng, and Zhao Qiye, the three brothers, and even the Second Prince Zhao Qihong showed up.
Cups were raised and exchanged, wine flowed back and forth; the whole family was in harmonious joy.
There were no song and dance performances, only Yue Er performing a sword dance for everyone’s entertainment.
Even so, the mood remained high.
At ten years of age, Yue Er’s looks were both handsome and beautiful; her apricot eyes were bright with spirit, her cheeks round, her forehead full, her nose bridge high, and her neck slender.
She had practically inherited all of her parents’ best features.
Every beautiful word in the world used to describe her would not be an exaggeration.
By candlelight—
Her bright eyes flowed with light; her figure was elegant, her movements unrestrained and graceful, her body light as a swallow.
She wore a fitted outfit of bright red, a jeweled crown on her head, a long sword in hand; her figure moved in time with Chenchen and Henger’s flute and Yeye’s zither, dancing to the rhythm. frёewebnoѵēl.com
The flute was distant and ethereal, the zither clear and crisp.
Now slow and gentle, now ardent and impassioned.
At times like a brook under a small bridge, at times like a lone plume of smoke over the vast desert.
With every beat, she landed perfectly on the mark; with every movement, her gaze was uncannily precise.
She was like some dashing female General, proud and unyielding, a phoenix soaring through the Ninth Heaven.
Xia Ruqing leaned against Zhao Junyao’s side.
She carefully savored her daughter’s every movement and every look, already utterly captivated.
No one knew how much time passed.
The flute and zither fell silent, and Yue Er returned to her seat.
Only then did Xia Ruqing come back to herself, and she smiled, murmuring praise.
"That was truly beautiful!"
Zhao Junyao instinctively squeezed her hand, and with pride murmured into her ear,
"Our daughter has grown up."
Xia Ruqing glanced at him, smiling without a word.
...
The birthday banquet went on until the You Hour (Around 6 pm).
After happily putting away all her gifts and personally seeing her brothers off, Yue Er returned to her own Fengyu Pavilion, perfectly content.
