FSC [QT] Chapter 110.2

This time, the matter of the Third Princess choosing her reading companions was originally of concern to some noble ladies with daughters.

Who knew that on the fifth day after the news spread, Emperor Qian suddenly issued an edict requiring the officials of the fifth rank and above in the capital to send the legitimate and concubine daughters of high-ranking officials of the second rank or above to the palace?

You should know that it was five months ago since Emperor Qian issued an edict last time.

Since then, Emperor Qian had been in seclusion for many months because he had obtained a ‘unique’ heavenly book. Even the memorials were approved by Chief Eunuch Yan Zhongying.

At this time, Emperor Qian suddenly issued an edict to choose the companion for the Third Princess whose mother’s family was not prominent, which was enough to make the outside world realize the emperor’s attention to this little daughter.

A princess whose mother’s family is neutral, who is not conspicuous in the court, who will not easily get involved in party struggles, and who is deeply favored by the emperor, instantly has greater temptation to the outside world.

Emperor Qian’s imperial edict saved Ah Wu some trouble. She was still worried about how to convince her parents to let her participate in the election.

Because the princess’s companionship sounded noble, but in fact, it was still a job of serving people. Of course, this kind of serving did not mean helping to dress and wash, which was what servants should do, but it meant being in a lower position in daily interactions, flattering and pleasing each other.

Ah Wu was the daughter of Mrs. Fan and Ling Yaodong who couldn’t make up for it no matter how they compensated her. How could they be willing to send her to that shameful palace?

Moreover, the Third Prince has not yet married and is still in the palace. Ling Yaodong knows that the other party wants to marry the Marquis of Changping Mansion, so how can he feel at ease to send his daughter to the palace and keep her under the Third Prince’s nose?

It’s a pity that the imperial edict has been issued. If his daughter gets sick again now, it may become a reason for political enemies to attack the Marquis of Changping Mansion.

***

“I heard that Eldest Madam has hired another old nanny for the Seventh Young Lady. It is said that she is an old woman who once stayed with Empress Dowager Hui Ci.”

When washing up at night, Qiao Xin, the maid beside Ling Zhuo, complained in a low voice while helping her dismantle the hairpin on her head.

“Today, when I went to the kitchen to get sweet soup for Young Lady, I found a pot of blood swallows stewed on the stove next door. The quality was very good. Young Lady loves to drink blood swallows and lotus seed soup the most, but now, the only swallows left for Young Lady in the mansion are some white swallows.”

As if she was aggrieved for Ling Zhuo, Qiao Xin’s mouth never stopped.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Can you say these words in front of Young Lady?”

Another maidservant, Qiao Si, came in from outside with a clean set of undergarments. When she heard Qiao Xin’s words, she glanced nervously at the Sixth Young Lady Ling Zhuo, who was standing aside.

This girl Qiao Xin was becoming more and more unruly. Didn’t she know what embarrassing position their young lady was in the house now?

She actually said all this nonsense in front of Young Lady. Was she afraid that Young Lady was not noisy enough and forced her to be separated from the Eldest Madam and the Marquis?

Qiao Si is the head maid assigned to the Sixth Young Lady by Mrs. Fan. She is older than most of the maids in this house. She is already sixteen this year.

Mrs. Fan has arranged a partner for her. She will get married next year. By then, Ling Zhuo’s side will have a vacant position of head maid. It is estimated that she will have to choose a second-class maid to fill it.

Ling Zhuo looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Because her back was to the two maids, and the brass mirror’s poor imaging effect, no one could see her current expression clearly.

Qiao Xin wanted to look at her, but because Qiao Si suddenly appeared, she had to give up this idea.

But she was thinking in her heart that when she caught the right opportunity, she would have to talk to the Sixth Young Lady again.

***

“Why is the dessert today a candied haws?”

Ah Wu looked at the last plate of snacks with a strange expression.

Could a snack like candied haws be used as a dessert after a meal?

“I don’t know how the kitchen works. I’ll ask someone to return this dish and ask the kitchen steward.”

Ding Xiang frowned and prepared to take the bowl of candied haws away.

It was late at night. Let alone whether the candied haws tasted good or not, the hard and sticky sugar coating and the sour hawthorn inside were not suitable for eating at night.

Ding Xiang was a maid born in the Marquis’s mansion. When she saw this dish on the Seventh Young Lady’s table, she immediately speculated in the direction of conspiracy theory.

“No need to take it away.”

Ah Wu gently picked up the candied haws with her fingers and put it in her mouth.

For her, the memories represented by candied haws on a stick were unique.

The candied haws in her mouth were made of excellent ingredients. The shell was crispy and sweet, with a rich sweet aroma of honey and sesame. Even the hawthorn inside was carefully selected high-quality hawthorn, slightly sour, with soft and slightly crispy flesh, which made people salivate.

When chewing, Ah Wu also found that the core had been carefully removed from the hawthorn.

Although it was only candied haws on a stick, the dessert in front of her could be regarded as the best among the candied haws on a stick.

After Ah Wu ate one, she couldn’t help but pick up another one.

In fact, she had eaten a lot of candied haws over the years. Since the day she could make money by collecting herbs, she would spend two cents to buy a string of candied haws to eat whenever she sold herbs. But no string of candied haws could give her the sweet taste in her memory.

Unconsciously, Ah Wu had eaten most of the plate of candied haws, even after she had already had dinner.

Ding Xiang looked at the Seventh Young Lady beside her and was hesitant to speak. She was wondering in her heart, how delicious could something like candied haws be?

***

In the palace, there was also a portion of candied haws on Yu Yan’s table.

He had promised his sister that when he grew up, he would give her endless candied haws.

It was a pity that he broke the promise. Before they parted, he only bought a string of candied haws for his sister.

Now, he didn’t dare to appear in front of his sister, but he also wanted to make up for what he promised to give her.

 

 

 

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