CHAPTER 597: CHAPTER 597 OUT OF THE PALACE ON LANTERN FESTIVAL

Of course, Honored Lady Du was an exception.

Honored Lady Du was truly a peculiar existence. Since entering the palace, she had consistently looked down on others. She looked down on everyone, even the pregnant Honored Lady Cheng and Shih Wanying, who had already been promoted to Jieyu.

One was, in her eyes, Relying on the Empress Dowager’s and the Noble Consort’s power—she entered the palace just to have children!

The other was Clearly not that good-looking but somehow struck it lucky!

Honored Lady Cheng, in terms of appearance, family background, and status, was unremarkable. Honored Lady Du truly could not understand why the Emperor would take a liking to her.

She still preferred to believe. The Emperor will definitely come to like me. It’s just that the timing isn’t right, and there are too many vixens around clouding His Majesty’s judgment. One day, the Emperor will eventually see my worth. By then, like Consort Xian Pin, I’ll bear children, rise in status, and become the mistress of my own palace. It’s only a matter of time.

Ahem, looking at it this way, among the nine Honored Ladies, no one was more given to daydreaming than Honored Lady Du.

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the Lantern Festival.

On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, the servants of Qingya Residence were already buzzing with excitement. Zi Su and Zi Ning went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to collect a large quantity of colorful, glossy paper and bamboo splints, saying they wanted to make lanterns.

Xiao Xizi made even more frequent trips to the Imperial Kitchen. He was solely focused on finding out when the Imperial Kitchen staff would be going out of the palace for procurement, urging them to bring back some food from outside the palace. If they really couldn’t bring it back, they had to learn how to make it; their master loved such things.

Now, the master chefs at the Imperial Kitchen dreaded the sight of him. He was terrified Xiao Xizi would announce that their master wanted yet another fancy dish. Cooks, after all, were expected to be innovative. But sometimes, they genuinely hadn’t even heard of the requested items! They weren’t gods; how could they possibly know everything?

Seeing them all bustling about, Xia Ruqing found the sight both amusing and exasperating. "You all don’t need to be so busy; I’m afraid it won’t be necessary! Whatever you want to eat or play with, just prepare it for yourselves. You don’t need to prepare anything for me!"

The Emperor had said he would take her out of the palace the day after tomorrow: to admire the lanterns, stroll through the streets, observe the city scenes, and incidentally... meet her brother.

Even though they only had two Shi Chens, and even though... she had to disguise herself as a little eunuch. But... this is already very good! How many people live in the palace their entire lives, never able to leave? I’m so lucky!

Zi Yue probably understood her mistress’s thoughts. After a moment of reflection, she smiled and said, "We still need to make preparations. Otherwise, if word gets out and we’re unprepared, it wouldn’t be easy to explain, would it?"

Xia Ruqing paused for a moment, then laughed. "Good girl, you’re becoming increasingly capable, thinking so thoroughly!"

Zi Yue smiled modestly. "Having been by your side for so long, Master, if I still hadn’t learned, then I’d truly be hopeless!"

The mistress and servant shared a knowing smile.

The night of the Lantern Festival arrived.

Qingya Residence was ablaze with lights. Zi Yue, Xiao Xizi, and the others had crafted twenty or thirty lanterns of various designs. Although not as exquisite as those made by the artisans of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they were presentable and quite lifelike.

By mid-afternoon, they had hung them all around Qingya Residence. Inside each, they placed a thumb-thick red candle; once lit, a single candle could burn for most of the night, creating a beautiful spectacle.

By the time all these lanterns were lit, the sky had almost completely darkened.

Just then, an inconspicuous little eunuch entered Qingya Residence. He stayed for about a quarter of an hour before re-emerging. The little eunuch’s figure seemed somewhat different—thinner, smaller, with less broad shoulders. However, during the Lantern Festival, all the palaces were bustling with activity, and no one had the time to notice such details.

So, half an hour later, when the Emperor, accompanied by a few Little Eunuchs, rode out of a side gate of the Imperial Palace in disguise, no one had the slightest inkling.

Once outside the palace, they first found a place to change their clothes. Only then did Zhao Junyao, with her on the same horse, ride through the streets. If they hadn’t changed clothes, the sight of a man embracing a Little Eunuch in his arms would have been too terrifying. Rumors would likely have been rampant throughout the Capital City before the night was over.

The streets were bustling with people. Zhao Junyao, dressed in white robes and wearing a jade crown, his handsome face illuminated by the clear moonlight, looked like a valiant divine lord recently descended from the moon. His moon-white cloak, like the wings of a great eagle, spread out in the biting cold wind, billowing and fluttering.

Xia Ruqing wore a goose-yellow silk skirt, her hair styled in a simple bun, adorned only with a pair of pear-yellow crystal hairpins. As the horse trotted, the crystals on her hairpins chimed, producing a series of delicate, crisp sounds.

In the eyes of the commoners, this was merely some Military General out for a stroll with his beloved concubine—nothing out of the ordinary. There were many Military Generals in the Capital City, and quite a few enjoyed taking their concubines out. Scholarly families, on the other hand, would never engage in such public displays. It wasn’t a matter of superiority or inferiority, merely different customs. It was like the mutual disdain between Scholars and soldiers—the same principle applied.

All this to say, they were no longer attracting undue attention, which was a good thing. Xia Ruqing sighed in relief.

The Jingtai Tavern was exceptionally busy tonight. The main hall on the first floor was already packed. The small private rooms on the second floor were also full. Only from the third floor upwards did the number of patrons begin to dwindle. By the fourth floor, there was practically no one; common folk couldn’t afford it, could they?

"My Lord..." Reaching the fourth floor, Xia Ruqing’s legs felt a bit weak from exhaustion.

Zhao Junyao took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don’t be afraid! I’ve brought you to meet someone!"

That single sentence instantly filled Xia Ruqing with renewed strength. She knew perfectly well whom she was about to meet. Her heart suddenly began to pound violently, and a wave of anxiety washed over her.

Xia Ruqing was a bit surprised. Have I been here so long that I still feel such palpitations? She pressed her other hand to her chest, questioning her heart. You want to see your younger brother too, right? Don’t worry. You are me, and I am you. I will take good care of him for you, rest assured!

The fluttering in her chest showed no sign of abating. A hint of bitterness touched Xia Ruqing’s heart, and she smiled self-mockingly. This is the profound bond of blood; how could one not be moved?

They had arrived. Before them was a door. Zhao Junyao walked ahead, still holding her hand, and slowly pushed it open.

Her vision gradually expanded. Inside the room sat a slender young man dressed in a jade-colored long robe. Seeing them enter, he immediately rose.

"This Commoner pays his respects to the Emperor, and to Consort Xian Pin!" As he spoke, he clasped his hands and bowed deeply.

It was an unwritten rule that scholars and men of letters, if not accused of a crime, were not required to kneel. This, of course, excluded the censorial officials at court. Those old men would stop at almost nothing to achieve their aims; they would not only kneel but even prostrate themselves dramatically.

"Rise. We are outside; there’s no need for such formalities!" Zhao Junyao said.

The young man quickly acknowledged. "Thank you, Your Majesty!" he said, straightening up.

He looked up and his gaze fell instantly upon his eldest sister. The young man paused for a moment, then a smile spread across his face; he was clearly overjoyed. It was just as his sister-in-law had described: his elder sister had gained some weight, had become prettier, possessed more of an aura, and her eyes were bright and full of spirit. In short, she was better in every way than before.