The Empress Arrives: Rebirth of Concubine Hua

Chapter 136 White Porcelain Soup Bowl
At the hour of Mao on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, Emperor Kangxi sent palace maids to the residences of each prince and close minister to deliver New Year's rewards.

According to the custom of our ancestors since the Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains, the New Year’s Eve banquet in the palace is held on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month every year.

Emperor Kangxi issued an oral instruction that Prince Yong Yinzhen had done an excellent job this year and had made great contributions in assisting the Crown Prince, so this year's reward was 20% more generous than in previous years.

Yinzhen knelt down in the direction of the Old Summer Palace to express his gratitude, and asked Su Peisheng to give a banknote to the eunuch who came from the palace. The eunuch then went to the next house with a smile.

Nian Shilan had already been dressed up according to her rank by Guyu's skillful hands. There was nothing new in the style of her wedding dress, but her hair was lightly tied into a flower shape at the back of her head.

Nian Shilan looked at herself in Xiaoman's hand mirror and smiled with satisfaction. "Very good, beautiful and elegant, suitable for today's occasion."

Led by Feng, all the servants in Cheng'en Garden knelt in the courtyard, waiting for Songzhi to help Nian Shilan out of the door, and then they spoke in unison.

"The servants wish Concubine Hua all the best in the old year and all the best in the new year. May Concubine Hua be blessed with good fortune and good health for the rest of her life!"

Nian Shilan couldn't help but sigh in his heart, following his servants and getting more and more greedy.

"You are so thoughtful. Xiao Linzi, distribute the prepared red envelopes to everyone, and wish you all a happy new year."

The servants in Cheng'en Garden were all extremely happy. Ruyi helped Feng to stand up, and Xiao Linzi presented the things that Nian Shilan had prepared for Feng to her with both hands.

"Thank you very much for the reward from Concubine Hua."

Feng is a blessed person.

Nian Shilan glanced at him and smiled.

"Don't be so polite. Although I have a title, I can't use the word reward. Just think of it as a New Year's gift from me to your unborn child."

Feng smiled, nodded in thanks, and let Ruyi take the things.

It was almost 9:00 p.m. when Nian Shilan, Ulanara, and Qi Yuebin followed Yinzhen to the Old Summer Palace. They heard from the palace servants that the emperor had played with his little grandchildren in Changchun Garden in the morning and was now resting in the palace.

Yinzhen took his wives and concubines to kneel outside the palace and celebrated the New Year loudly.

Liang Jiugong, the chief eunuch beside the emperor, came out and said with a smile.

"The emperor has given his order. Prince Yong and his family, please stand up and take your seats. When the New Year's Eve banquet begins, you can join everyone in wishing the emperor a happy new year."

Yinzhen said loudly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

Emperor Kangxi was looking at the prince in the hall at this time and asked with a smile.

"Baocheng, what do you think of Lao Si?"

The prince said respectfully.

"I think the fourth son is a good person, so you can just rest assured, Father."

Emperor Kangxi looked at the prince's face which resembled Hesheli very much and sighed.

"You take after your mother. You are soft-hearted and trust others easily."

The prince was surprised when he heard this.

"Your Majesty, do you mean that my fourth brother lied to me?"

Emperor Kangxi waved his hand.

"I didn't say that. Don't accuse me. You have to feel for yourself how human nature is."

Yinzhen followed the eunuch's instructions to the East Side Hall, while Nian Shilan and three other female relatives followed the palace maids to the West Side Hall.

Nian Shilan greeted everyone and then sat aside drinking tea, thinking to himself.

Some things in this life seem to have been brought forward. At this time in the previous life, according to Nian Shilan's memory, Emperor Kangxi should have held a New Year's Eve banquet in the Baohe Hall in the palace. The Old Summer Palace was originally given to Prince Yong Yinzhen. A few years later, Emperor Kangxi liked to live in the Old Summer Palace for a long time. Nian Shilan looked up at the women in the hall. The eldest prince, Prince Zhi, and his wife smiled at the little princess in front of them. That was the only daughter of Prince Zhi and his wife. Prince Zhi was still on duty in the southwest at this time, and today his wife came with her daughter.

The second prince is the crown prince, and his crown princess should be accompanying the queen and the concubines in the harem at this time, and not in the palace.

The third prince had not yet been conferred the title of Prince Cheng at this time, but he had been close to the crown prince since childhood, and his biological mother, Concubine Rong, had always been favored by Emperor Kangxi and gave birth to six children for him.

However, the only ones who survived were the current Third Prince Yinzhi and Princess Rongxian, who had been favored since childhood.

I heard that the Third Prince was raised by the Grand Secretary Chuoerji since he was a child, because Rong Fei's previous children all died young, and the eldest child died at the age of only three.

The Third Prince's wife sat quietly and did not talk to anyone. Their legitimate son went to straighten the Prince's daughter. The two children ran out of the hall laughing and the palace servants hurriedly followed them.

It was unknown what Ulanara and the Eighth Prince's wife were talking about. The Eighth Prince's wife looked like someone who could not hide anything. She glanced at Nian Shilan secretly, and when she saw that Nian Shilan was looking at her, she turned away quickly with a guilty look on her face.

Ulanara patted her hand soothingly and chuckled.

Nian Shilan was too lazy to look at other people. When she turned around, she saw Qi Yuebin also had an indifferent and bored look on his face. Nian Shilan just hoped that the banquet would start soon.

Someone came and stood in front of Nian Shilan. Nian Shilan looked up and saw that it was an unfamiliar female relative.

"I am the Ninth Prince's Concubine Su, meeting Concubine Hua. I wish Concubine Hua a long life, happiness and longevity."

Seeing this, Nian Shilan also stood up and returned the greeting.

"May Concubine Su be safe and sound."

"I have long admired your great reputation, but never had the chance to meet you. Today I finally got to meet you, so I came here specially to pay my respects."

Su smiled lightly.

Nian Shilan heard a few days ago that her second sister-in-law Nian Su's younger sister married into the Ninth Prince's mansion as a concubine, and she thought it was the one in front of her. Nian Shilan thought again in her mind that in her previous life, the younger sister of the Su family did not seem to marry the Ninth Prince, but the youngest son of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, and she was not a concubine, but a legal wife.

"You are too polite, Concubine Su. You and I are of the same rank. There are many people here today, so I will send you a message to invite you to come to my house for a chat someday. We are sisters, so we should have more contact in the future."

Nian Shilan smiled and took Su's hand, patting it gently. Su understood that Nian Shilan didn't want to be seen by someone with ulterior motives.

"I saw that my sister has been sitting here. She is as beautiful as a banished fairy, and she is so cold and quiet that she doesn't talk to anyone. That's why I came here without permission. Since my sister doesn't like to be disturbed, I will go first."

Su gently withdrew her hand, smiled and said goodbye, then slowly walked back to her seat.

Ulanara turned her head to look over here, and Jianqiu understood.

In the palace, Xiao Linzi stopped Hu Gege and prevented her from entering Cheng'en Garden.

"Please forgive me, Princess. Our master told us when he left home that Princess Feng needs to stay in bed to take care of the baby and not see anyone."

Hu Gege sneered.

"You, a servant, dare to stop me? Well, I just came to visit Feng Gege and stewed a nourishing soup for her. Since you are not allowed to see her, then you can give this soup to her on my behalf. I'm going back now."

Chunhong, who was beside Hu Gege, handed over the food box in her hand. When she opened it, she saw a white porcelain soup bowl in the food box.

Xiao Linzi wanted to refuse, but then he changed his mind and took out the soup bowl with both hands.

"Don't worry, Princess. I will convey your wishes to you."

Hu Gege turned around and took Chunhong back. Xiao Linzi said "Pooh" at her receding back and muttered to himself.

"You really think you are a dish. You want to do something bad but don't even know how to hide it. Just wait and see how our master will deal with you when he comes back."

Xiao Linzi took the soup bowl, but did not give it to Feng. Instead, he placed the soup bowl in Nian Shilan's room, waiting for Nian Shilan to come back to argue with him.

　I accidentally posted it yesterday and was unable to change the chapter title. Please forgive my carelessness.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)