Who is it coming?
A little girl wearing a goose-yellow dress, adorned with a longevity lock, and her hair styled in twin loops, bounced in like a lively rabbit, extrely mischievous.
Who else could it be but Jing Shu?
This little rascal!
Jun Ning coughed twice and looked at Jing Shu.
Jing Shu walked up to Jun Ning, grabbed his hand, and cheerfully asked, "Yi Yi, do you think it’s okay?"
"What do you think?" Jun Ning freed one hand and flicked Jing Shu’s forehead, reminding her, "Ah Yu is your little uncle, you can’t bully him without regard for seniority."
"Ouch!" Jing Shu rubbed the spot on her forehead where she was flicked, "So what if he’s my little uncle? As long as he’s around my age, I can beat him."
"Would you dare to say that to your mother, the consort?" Jun Ning asked aningfully.
Jing Shu snorted and eagerly headed towards Jun Yu. Surprisingly, Jun Yu did not dodge, allowing Jing Shu to approach and tentatively pat his face to wake him up.
Although the little girl had not applied much force for now, it did not an she wouldn’t in the future.
Yet Jun Yu still appeared muddled and sleepy, showing no intention of dodging.
Jun Ning placed his hands on his hips angrily, "Brother, are you just going to let Jing Shu act recklessly?"
Upon hearing this, Jun Yu finally beca a bit more awake. He quickly stepped back a few steps to dodge Jing Shu.
Jing Shu was a bit unwilling, her cheeks puffed as she crouched down and unexpectedly... started pounding the ground.
The force she didn’t get to use had to be used sohow.
Jun Ning and Jun Yu looked at Jing Shu in disbelief.
"This girl is usually kept too strict by the Crown Princess Consort, always proper and well-behaved, afraid to do anything. As soon as she’s out of the consort’s sight, she’s like a wild horse off the reins, with a hint of madness," thought Jun Ning.
Jun Yu simply stared at Jing Shu dazedly, muttering in a low voice, "Crazy girl."
Jing Shu, with sharp ears, caught a bit of Jun Yu’s words but didn’t fully hear to confirm if it was an insult towards her. She frowned and walked up to Jun Yu, asking, "What did you just say?"
Jun Ning hurriedly stepped up and grabbed Jing Shu’s hand: "My brother is going to study, don’t stop him. Let’s go to the Grand Empress Dowager’s place for so treats."
"Treats?" Being a child, Jing Shu’s attention was easily diverted, "What’s tasty at the Grand Empress Dowager’s place?"
"You’ll know when we get there."
Jing Shu followed Jun Ning to Cining Palace, a journey that should have taken the ti for one incense stick, but the two girls played around all the way, taking up the ti for two incense sticks.
Upon reaching the entrance of Cining Palace, they saw Liu Pin and Princess An Ding Yao Yao also waiting to be received.
These two had been trying to see Emperor Yongning before but were repeatedly turned away, never getting to et him.
Is this a change in strategy now? Turning to the Empress Dowager for an audience?
Are they trying to cling to one of the highest figures in the palace no matter what?
Ha!
As the birth mother of Emperor Yongning, the Empress Dowager knows him best.
Seeing Emperor Yongning’s current attitude towards Princess An Ding, how would she not think of sothing?
Likely she won’t et them.
Sure enough.
"Don’t et them, let them leave." The Empress Dowager looked at Nanny Zhang beside her, "You go personally to send them away."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Nanny Zhang, face stern, went to dismiss them.
When she puts on a stern face, she looks very fierce and intimidating.
With her intervention, no matter how much Liu Pin and Princess An Ding wanted to linger, they had no choice. Afraid of being beaten, they quickly left, planning to co another day.
Jun Ning and Jing Shu barely stopped when they witnessed them turning away from the Cining Palace entrance.
Princess An Ding cast a sinister glance at Jun Ning, feeling indignant inside.
Why, when they are both daughters of the Emperor, can Jun Ning go to the Imperial Study Room whenever she wants and co to Cining Palace without being chased away at all? But for her, wherever she goes, she’s unwelco, and people avoid her like the plague?
She... wasn’t willing.
"Yao Yao, stop looking, let’s go!" Liu Pin, however, wasn’t overthinking things, pulling Yao Yao along as they left.
Once they left the Cining Palace, they suddenly encountered a girl surrounded and beaten by eunuchs at a corner. Seeing this, Liu Pin hurried to stop the eunuchs and saved the poor girl.
This girl was nad Jiang Li, who used to belong to the Empress.
...
Jun Ning and Jing Shu were led into the Cining Palace by Nanny Zhang.
Seeing Nanny Zhang’s unpleasant face, Jun Ning asked, "Nanny Zhang, are you feeling unwell today?"
"No." Nanny Zhang shook her head, unwilling to say anything.
Jun Ning didn’t press further, entering Cining Palace to greet the Empress Dowager courteously.
Nanny Zhang brought out cilantro mung bean cakes prepared specifically for Jun Ning, placing them on a table close to her, "Princess, rember to eat later when your tummy gets hungry."
"Hmm." Before leaving, Nanny Zhang said this, and Jun Ning noticed sothing.
Every ti she ca to Cining Palace, it was almost always Nanny Zhang, with a stern face, bringing her mung bean cakes and telling her to rember to eat.
Jun Ning assud it was the Empress Dowager who instructed Nanny Zhang to prepare them, so she quietly asked the Empress Dowager while Nanny Zhang was absent.
But the Empress Dowager said she only occasionally gave such instructions, as she was old and forgetful, easily forgetting things. Nanny Zhang took it upon herself, whether or not she expected Jun Ning, to always prepare the mung bean cakes for her.
Before knowing Jun Ning’s taste preference, Nanny Zhang simply arranged for the kitchen to prepare mung bean cakes.
Now understanding that Jun Ning likes cilantro-flavored mung bean cakes, Nanny Zhang personally oversees the preparation of the freshest cilantro-flavored ones each day, ensuring Jun Ning has them whenever she cos to Cining Palace.
A person with a cold face but a warm heart.
But I wonder if Yi Yi can see it?
The Empress Dowager feared Jun Ning might not realize, so she said, "Yi Yi, Nanny Zhang may seem a bit severe at tis, always having a stern face. But she has a good heart, and she’s very loyal to her masters. Don’t bear a grudge for any unpleasant experiences before, she truly holds you dear."
She paused and continued, "Let’s let bygones be bygones! We can’t always focus on the negative, we should look more at the positives."
Jun Ning nodded, indicating she understood. But her eyes were vacant, leaving it uncertain if she truly understood or pretended to.
The Empress Dowager did not pursue the matter.
Educating a child is a long-term endeavor, requiring teaching by example and influence, a gradual process that cannot be achieved overnight.
The Empress Dowager, at present, has much patience.
Jun Ning was not oblivious to the Empress Dowager’s intentions. After hearing about Nanny Zhang’s good deeds for her, she naturally took an interest in Nanny Zhang’s affairs too.
She thought about Nanny Zhang’s unhappy look when she first entered Cining Palace...
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