Old Cheng, to Qin Yi, was nominally an uncle in teaching, but in reality, Qin Yi respected him as much as a father.
On such Small Year’s Eve, he would naturally make a visit.
After Qin Yi left, Su Pan’er felt she had overeaten and took a walk around the Warm Pavilion.
Glancing to the side, she saw that rascal pig lying on top of the underfloor heating, sprawling out and sound asleep. Beside it, the guard dog’s wary eyes cleared upon recognizing Su Pan’er and then closed again.
Su Pan’er approached slowly, and her tone carried a touch of laziness as she observed its sleeping posture, "This ti, it was you who saved again, wasn’t it?"
The rascal pig lazily moved, opened a slit in its eyelids, turned its back on her, and continued snoring away.
It even elicited a light chuckle from Su Pan’er.
"I, Su Pan’er, do not like to owe others favors, but this ti, I willingly owe you. From now on, co to whenever you need help. As long as I, Su Pan’er, can do it, I will do my utmost to help! No ambiguity."
She gently stroked her bulging belly, and her words were exceedingly firm.
The pig’s shadow remained still, as if it hadn’t heard a word from Su Pan’er.
Su Pan’er stood silently for a mont, then turned with a smile and entered the Warm Room.
What is a friend?
Soone who can laugh with you, play with you, seem petty over trivial matters, but when it matters, they are the brave one extending a hand!
And Su Pan’er felt incredibly fortunate to have encountered just that!
Before stepping into the Warm Pavilion, she glanced back quietly; the rascal pig still lay motionless on the underfloor heating. She withdrew her gaze and stepped into the Warm Pavilion.
The shadow of the pig remained motionless. Were it not for its round belly rhythmically rising and falling a tad faster than before, one might think it hadn’t heard anything at all.
The guard dog whimpered twice in its mouth, yawned, and then closed its eyes to continue its slumber.
After a while, the pig turned over again, sprawled out onto the underfloor heating, and was quickly snoring loudly.
Four months into the pregnancy, Su Pan’er found herself comfortably following Jiu Lan and Qingwen around for a lap inside the Warm Pavilion and then sat down next to the chaise lounge. She looked down at the half-finished toddler clothes by her side and casually picked them up to examine.
Jiu Lan’s face was slightly red, "Your servant’s needlework isn’t good, it is really undeserving of the Little Prince."
These toddler clothes were all prepared for the child in Su Pan’er’s belly.
Su Pan’er’s embroidery was poor, and when it ca to making such clothes, she was willing but unable. Luckily, the maidservants beside her were all clever and skilled, doing such tasks far better than she could.
"Look at these stitches, so fine and close, clearly made with great care. And you talk about undeserving? In two more years, I will send you out of the palace to marry into a good family, to bear and raise a few children of your own, and then your talents will be put to use."
While holding the toddler clothes, Su Pan’er praised them repeatedly, turning Jiu Lan’s face red with embarrassnt, causing her to shyly lower her head.
"Empress, you’re teasing again. I do not wish to marry; I will still serve by your side even after I beco an older servant, to accompany you for a lifeti."
"Definitely not,"
Su Pan’er chuckled gleefully, "As they say, ’not suitable for a grown lady to stay, for lingering might brew enmity!’ Even if you’re not in a hurry, your parents at ho are likely eagerly waiting for you to return. Once you reach the marriageable age, I will decide to let you return ho and even help you prepare a suitable dowry. A main maid from my side tying the knot must have the dignity she deserves."
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, palace maids were generally allowed to leave the palace at the age of twenty-five, provided they had committed no faults or were not in special circumstances. Of course, most of the palace maids who requested to leave the palace were forbidden to marry, although there were exceptional cases, such as those graced with their master’s favor and specially permitted to marry.
Jiu Lan was stunned by Su Pan’er’s words and knelt down with a thump after a mont, respectfully kowtowing twice to her.
"Empress... I...I an, Jiu Lan..."
"Alright, alright, no need to kneel at every turn, get up," Su Pan’er said as she helped her rise. "You were a gift from His Majesty to , and although I do not know what hardships you have endured in the past, I have observed your diligent care for these days. When I say sothing today, I an it. Stand up now!"
"Thank you, Empress."
With an overjoyed response, a miraculous glow suddenly appeared on Jiu Lan’s face.
Su Pan’er, stroking her own belly, suddenly felt inexplicably uplifted. Turning her head, she saw Qingwen looking enviously at Jiu Lan and couldn’t help but feel amused.
"And that goes for the rest of you as well. As long as you reach the age to leave the palace and wish to do so, I will agree to let you leave and prepare an additional set of dowries for you."
Her words caused the serving palace maids to joyously express their thanks, with Qingwen blushing and stepping forward to give her thanks as well.
"As for you, you’re only a year younger than Jiu Lan. It won’t be long! Just wait a while longer. If you take a liking to soone, just let know, understand?"
"Empress, you..."
Qingwen, her face reddening even more, quickly turned her back.
Su Pan’er had felt a sudden pang of sentintality today. Perhaps she was touched by that rascal pig’s behavior earlier. But once the topic was opened, she realized that releasing maidservants into the outside world when they reached an appropriate age was their real path out.
True, the palace was magnificent and filled with riches and splendor. But no amount of splendor could compare to having a ho of one’s own, a loving husband, and children one has birthed.
From the look of absolute joy on everyone’s faces after she spoke out, it was clear that they too yearned for the fulfilling life outside the palace.
Ti flew by quickly, and soon, after the Festival of Minor Spring, it was ti to sing the Laba month song.
"Laba porridge, eat for days, with the chant ’Little child, don’t salivate, Laba’s past and New Year’s straight. Laba porridge, drink so now, twenty-third, sugar lons how? Sweep the house on twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth fry tofu forth. Slaughter a rooster, next in line, the twenty-sixth, stew the swine. On the twenty-seventh day, prepare the dough – it’s the way. Stead buns co on twenty-nine, New Year’s Eve we stay up fine, New Year’s Day, walk up and down the town."
With the children’s rhys, New Year’s Eve arrived.
Although those in the palace did not personally prepare these delicacies, all that should be there naturally was.
However, because the sixteenth day of the first lunar month was Little Yanyan’s seventh birthday, while Little Sugar Bean’s birthday was on the eighteenth, the First Princess and the Second Princess’s birthdays were not a small affair. The palace naturally had to prepare ahead of ti. Coupled with preparations for the Sacrifice to Heaven and the Banquet at the Palace for the Civil and Military Officials during the New Year, both the Imperial Kitchen and the Ministry of Rites were extrely busy, unable to rest for even a mont.
Qin Yi left early in the morning for the Purple Zen Hall, hosting a feast for the Civil and Military Officials. anwhile, Su Pan’er was at Huayang Palace, eting various lady officers.
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