When she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw Mrs. Su-Hua waiting for her outside with Little Yanyan and Little Sugar Bean.
"Empress Mother! Empress Mother!"
Little Yanyan and Little Sugar Bean, upon seeing her, joyfully flew towards her but were held back by Mrs. Su-Hua.
"Wait! Don’t rush; wait a mont before going over."
Mrs. Su-Hua pulled the two children aside, then hurriedly had soone bring over a fire basin, while loudly shouting, "Quick, step over the fire basin, may bad luck scatter and good fortune arrive in continuous waves!"
Upon seeing this, Little Yanyan clapped her hands nonstop, "Empress Mother, co quickly! Step over!"
Little Sugar Bean copied her imperial sister’s actions, extending her plump little hands to clap, her smile extraordinarily sweet.
Su Pan’er smiled faintly, stepped over the fire basin, and approached the two children.
"Now it’s all good, finally, my Pan’er has gone from suffering to sweetness!" Mrs. Su-Hua was so happy she couldn’t stop wiping away tears.
Su Pan’er was a bit amused and exasperated; her mother would cry when happy, cry when sad — those tears were really a bit too cheap!
Little Yanyan dove into her embrace, hugging her shoulders and incessantly kissing her, "Empress Mother, Little Yanyan missed you so much! Grandmother said I couldn’t co to see you. But... when you gave birth to Little Sugar Bean, Yanyan clearly could see you..."
Little Yanyan said this with especial grievance, burrowing in her embrace.
Little Sugar Bean also waddled over, but couldn’t squeeze into Su Pan’er’s embrace, becoming frantic and calling out incessantly from the side.
"Hey! This little tattletale."
Mrs. Su-Hua chuckled, bent down, and naturally picked up Little Sugar Bean, "Look at this, look at our Little Yanyan, every word she’s practically blaming , her grandmother, for not letting her be close to you, she’s asking for a spanking!"
Saying this, she even raised her hand as if to spank.
"That’s right! It’s precisely because Grandmother wouldn’t let Yanyan co see you."
Little Yanyan stuck her tongue out at Mrs. Su-Hua, then clung to Su Pan’er, refusing to let go.
Little Sugar Bean, held in Mrs. Su-Hua’s arms, squird restlessly. Mrs. Su-Hua couldn’t hold her steady and had to put her on the ground. Once free, Little Sugar Bean imdiately followed suit and dove into Su Pan’er’s arms, wriggling her small body until she nestled into Su Pan’er’s embrace, pushing Little Yanyan aside.
"Little Sugar Bean!"
Little Yanyan shouted angrily.
However, Little Sugar Bean had no awareness of having done anything wrong and instead took the opportunity to wrap her arms around Su Pan’er’s neck, wanting to be held. When Su Pan’er picked her up, she proudly pressed her face against Su Pan’er’s and waved at Little Yanyan.
"Sis, sis..."
"Goodness! My dear granddaughter, you’re too clever for such a young age!"
Mrs. Su-Hua laughed heartily and imdiately took hold of Little Yanyan, who was starting to sulk, "It’s too sunny outside, co on! Let’s talk inside!"
How could it not be hot in the scorching heat of July?
Su Pan’er quickly led the children into the Purple Bamboo Pavilion.
The Purple Bamboo Pavilion was recently organized by Qin Yi, specially refurbished to create the best living environnt for the twins. One side of this garden was adjacent to the lotus pond, another side led to the channel linking to the Taiye Pool, one side had a cottage, and on the other side several jujube trees laden with sweet fruits were planted! Qin Yi had ordered a row of purple bamboo to be planted next to the cottage on the side nearer to the Taiye Pool, thus changing the na to Purple Bamboo Pavilion.
"Tomorrow, His Majesty will host a banquet for the officials; unfortunately, we do not know if your brother will be able to make it back in ti. On such a grand and joyous day, it feels oddly hollow with him absent."
Su Ke had been away for over two months already, it was no wonder Mrs. Su-Hua missed him.
"Mother, when a child grows up, it’s like a hawk leaving the nest; it’s bound to happen sooner or later. Keeping him in a birdcage will only cause him to lose his edge. That’s what will truly ruin him,"
Su Pan’er advised her.
"I know, I know, I’m just...missing him,"
Mrs. Su-Hua felt sowhat embarrassed.
"I miss him too. He’s been gone for so long without any news, not even a letter. Really..."
Su Pan’er couldn’t help but complain a bit.
She only had this one brother, and he didn’t seem aware at all how much the family worried about him.
Mother and daughter were surprisingly in agreent on this matter, chatting leisurely as they walked along the pavilions by the lotus pond. The cool breeze felt comfortable on their faces.
As they rounded the corner, they saw not far ahead, Qin Yi standing with his side to them, kneeling before him was an official dressed in the uniform of a third-grade Civil Official. The two seed to be talking about sothing.
"It’s Father Emperor!"
Little Sugar Bean was the first to cry out.
"Indeed, it’s your Father Emperor, co! Let’s go have a look,"
Seeing Qin Yi up ahead, Su Pan’er quickened her pace.
"Wasn’t the case already concluded? Why bring it up again at this hour?"
They still hadn’t approached when from afar they heard Qin Yi’s stern scolding.
Whatever the other party said, Su Pan’er and her party couldn’t hear clearly from the distance. Mrs. Su-Hua stopped in her tracks and hurriedly tugged at Pan’er, "It seems like His Majesty is handling state affairs, maybe we should wait before going over."
Su Pan’er hadn’t had ti to respond when another rebuke ca from over there, "To offer such excuses, does the Ministry of Works really have the nerve to say that? Relay my order, if they fail to complete the task on ti, let them bring their heads to see ! Hmph!"
Qin Yi snorted coldly, then turned around and saw Su Pan’er and the others, the harshness on his face imdiately softened.
They had already made eye contact, and avoiding each other now wouldn’t do.
Su Pan’er, holding her child, stepped forward; the official had already been sent away by Qin Yi, anger still evident on his face.
"What’s wrong? Wasn’t everything fine during the morning court session? Why are you angry again?"
"If not for the matter of building mausoleums for His Majesty, the affair is too complicated, involving too many people, it’s not sothing that can be explained in a simple explanation. Co, I’ve prepared so sweets over here, everyone co and try," Qin Yi beckoned everyone over.
Su Pan’er glanced back at the distant figure of the official, then followed Qin Yi’s lead.
"Wasn’t that the official who assisted you with the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination cheating case just the other day? What, the cheating case hasn’t been resolved yet?"
"How could it not be resolved? During that ti, the Ministry of Personnel executed six officials implicated in the case right outside the front gate, with over eight hundred family mbers affected. Among them were thirty-four Jinshi Scholars who had already achieved official titles; all were stripped of their titles, never to be employed again. And yet with such outcos, today soone still jumps out accusing us of fish that slip through the net!"
Qin Yi slamd his fist on the table.
The tabletop shook, and a noticeable dent appeared.
Mrs. Su-Hua swallowed her saliva and glanced at Su Pan’er.
anwhile, Little Yanyan couldn’t stop clapping her hands, "Wow! Father Emperor, you’re amazing! Father Emperor, you’re so great, to punch such a big hole in the table."
Little Sugar Bean was even quicker, imdiately getting down from Su Pan’er’s arms, then climbing onto her own father emperor’s knees.
This attitude from his wife and child left Qin Yi not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
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