The originally lively front hall fell silent in an instant. Everyone couldn’t help but turn to look at Qin Huaiyuan, waiting for him to make the decision.
Qin Huaiyuan set down his wine cup and said gently: “In that case, we can continue the family banquet later. Yi Jie’er, come with me to the front hall first. This should be about the marriage envoy matter.”
Qin Yining immediately understood – it should be as Lu Heng had said. Before Princess Tana’s arrival, she would need to learn ancient rites to avoid losing face in front of foreign people.
Qin Yining and Qin Huaiyuan rose and went to the front.
The rest of the family exchanged glances, thought briefly, then also rose and followed.
The family left the guest quarters. Maids carried lanterns to light the way as everyone silently left the guest quarters and took a roundabout route to the Prince’s mansion’s front hall.
Seeing the person in the hall, Qin Yining smiled and stepped forward to speak: “Grand Manager Cheng.”
“The Princess Consort is well.” Grand Manager Cheng smiled and bowed, then also greeted Qin Huaiyuan and the large family behind him. As someone as diplomatic as Grand Manager Cheng, when he wanted to maintain good relations, his courtesy would be flawless.
Seeing that Qin Yining was familiar with this eunuch and that his attitude was very amiable, the old matriarch and others relaxed slightly.
Grand Manager Cheng smiled and said: “This servant has come to convey His Majesty’s oral decree to the Princess Consort. Tomorrow, please enter Kunning Palace, where Her Majesty the Empress will personally teach you etiquette until the Tatar marriage alliance procession arrives.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Yining quickly performed the grand salute toward the direction of the imperial palace and said respectfully: “This subject’s wife obeys the decree and thanks His Majesty for his great favor.”
Grand Manager Cheng then smiled: “The Princess Consort has endured the hardships of travel. Please rest well today. This servant won’t disturb the Princess Consort’s family reunion with Lord Qin. This servant takes his leave.”
Qin Huaiyuan smiled and stepped forward, gently escorting Grand Manager Cheng out. At a position where others couldn’t see, he presented a red envelope.
“Thank you for your hard work, Grand Manager Cheng.”
“Oh my, Lord Qin, this servant thanks Lord Qin for the reward. This is all what this servant should do.” Grand Manager Cheng spoke politely while tucking the red envelope into his sleeve, his smile becoming even more warm.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Grand Manager Cheng took his leave.
The Qin family returned to the guest quarters. Seeing the somewhat heavy atmosphere, Qin Yining smiled: “There’s no need to worry. Learning etiquette in the Empress’s palace isn’t anything difficult. Moreover, I have some history with Her Majesty the Empress, so it should be fine.”
Back when Li Qitian was buried in the underground palace, she had risked going to deliver a message to the Empress Dowager. It was also because of them that the pregnant Empress, who had been sealed in Kunning Palace by Prince Li, was rescued as quickly as possible. Even if they wouldn’t be very close, the Empress shouldn’t harbor too much ill will toward her. Everyone would complete their tasks and get through this period.
Qin Yining didn’t believe at all that the Empress could teach her any etiquette or propriety.
Li Qitian had probably issued this decree to save his own face. The actual person teaching etiquette would likely be someone else, just arranged to be in the Empress’s palace.
Qin Yining’s guess was not wrong.
The next day when Qin Yining arrived at Kunning Palace, she indeed met the nanny who would teach etiquette.
The Empress smiled and rose, gently helping up the curtsying Qin Yining: “Princess Consort, no need for such formality. There are no outsiders here, so we needn’t mind those complicated ceremonies.”
After just one year, the Empress’s temples already showed several strands of gray hair, and she looked more haggard than before. The heavy magnificent robes and the brilliant pearls and jade on her head didn’t enhance her appearance but rather made her seem more worn, as if she couldn’t bear such wealth at all.
Qin Yining sighed inwardly.
Being unworthy of one’s position was actually quite embarrassing. It wasn’t that the Empress lacked ability, but transitioning from an ordinary woman of a moderately wealthy family to becoming the mother of a nation – the changes to accept and things to learn instantly were too numerous.
Moreover, there had always been the saying “regretting teaching one’s husband to seek noble titles.” Li Qitian had few children, so concubines came one after another. The Empress wasn’t a woman of exceptional beauty to begin with, and she was no longer young. When Li Qitian wasn’t yet emperor, the Empress had followed him through many anxious days. When a woman’s life isn’t smooth, she naturally ages faster, making Li Qitian increasingly favor those young and beautiful concubines.
This was a vicious cycle.
However, whether by heaven’s design or not, Li Qitian still had only one legitimate son.
As Qin Yining’s thoughts raced, she had already risen and stood respectfully with hands at her sides: “Your Majesty’s kindness overwhelms this subject’s wife. However, there are distinctions between superior and subordinate, master and servant. This subject’s wife dares not be presumptuous.”
The Empress smiled slightly, taking Qin Yining’s hand and having her sit in the rose chair prepared at her right hand, ordering her personal attendant palace maids to serve tea.
“Princess Consort need not be so restrained. Originally, His Majesty and Prince Zhongshun were sworn brothers, with families frequently visiting each other, getting along like one family. It’s just that now that the dynasty is established, they’re in different places and both busy, so there are fewer opportunities to interact as before.”
Realizing her topic was slightly sensitive, the Empress smiled and continued: “What I mean is, considering that past relationship, you and I are like sisters-in-law in one family. So when there are no outsiders, Princess Consort truly needn’t be overly constrained.”
Qin Yining smiled in agreement: “Yes, this subject’s wife understands. Your Majesty serves as the model for all under heaven and has a compassionate heart. This is this subject’s wife’s fortune, and also the fortune of all women under heaven.”
The Empress smiled and didn’t press further.
Qin Yining was being too careful.
And the Empress understood why Qin Yining was being so careful.
The Empress was not unaware of the friction between Li Qitian and Pang Xiao.
However, after so many years of upheaval, especially after ascending to the empress position, everywhere was filled with scheming and plotting. There wasn’t a single person in the palace she could treat with sincerity, including her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, let alone her husband who had become emperor.
The Empress often felt she was superfluous, even fantasizing about how life would be if Li Qitian weren’t emperor.
Especially after the last palace upheaval, the Empress Dowager and Princess Imperial only cared for themselves, completely ignoring that she was six months pregnant and what might happen if Prince Li confined her. Princess Consort Zhongshun was an outsider, yet she could risk entering the palace while pregnant to deliver news about His Majesty. But the Empress Dowager and Princess Imperial – one was His Majesty’s birth mother, the other his birth sister – they were all afraid, and in the end, didn’t His Majesty still have to wait for rescue?
She had suffered so much with His Majesty, yet in the end, wasn’t all grace and love severed?
His Majesty’s decision not to depose her as an unloved empress was really only because His Majesty treasured his reputation.
With this understanding and these thoughts, the Empress had already become disheartened.
When Li Qitian arranged for her to teach Qin Yining etiquette, she thought that under her watch, she could at least protect Qin Yining from being bullied. Regardless of how the men fought, she remembered Qin Yining’s help during that time.
Though the Empress’s thoughts turned countless times, her face showed nothing. She gently chatted with Qin Yining about everyday matters, asking about life in the south and family situations, focusing particularly on the children.
The little prince was three months younger than Zhao Ge’er and Han Ge’er, at the most adorable and clingy age.
Two mothers who loved their children always had many topics to discuss.
After talking for a while, though they weren’t close enough to share hearts, the barriers between them had lessened.
Qin Yining could feel the Empress’s goodwill toward her. When it didn’t touch on her own husband’s interests, this woman was willing to befriend her.
After they had talked for a while and the time seemed about right, the Empress smiled and stood: “Today is your first time entering the palace since returning. Although I’ve already arranged for a nanny to teach you etiquette, we should still go to Cian Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.”
“Yes, I’ll follow Your Majesty’s arrangements.” Qin Yining nodded understandingly. Actually, she had already planned to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager wasn’t as gentle and magnanimous as the Empress – she was a difficult woman to get along with, essentially the same type as Li Helan.
Seeing that Qin Yining had no objections, the Empress had people prepare outer garments, then led her people from Kunning Palace, walking toward Cian Palace.
Ji Yun and Bingtang followed behind Qin Yining and the Empress, walking together with the palace servants attending the Empress. The wooden clogs on their feet made crunching sounds on the snow. Qin Yining held a hand warmer and chatted with the Empress with a smile:
“The capital is truly too cold. On the journey back, the closer we got to the capital, the colder it became. By the time we neared the capital’s outskirts, I was so cold I didn’t want to get out of the carriage.”
The Empress smiled charmingly upon hearing this. Seeing Qin Yining with half her face buried in white fur collar, her nose red from cold, holding a warming stove, wrapped very thickly, she laughed: “I forgot you’re a genuine southerner. It’s natural that you’d need time to adjust to northern weather. I don’t find this weather cold at all. In the past during this season, I still had to chop wood and do work outside.”
Qin Yining smiled: “This subject’s wife, like Your Majesty, also had to do such things. Fortunately, the winters where I lived weren’t this cold, or I might not have been so lucky to grow up.”
The Empress knew something about Qin Yining’s childhood experiences and couldn’t help asking curiously: “Where exactly did you live back then?”
“Near Liang City, right on the border between Great Zhou and the Yan Dynasty.”
“The border? Wasn’t there often warfare there?”
“Yes.” Qin Yining nodded: “But thanks to His Majesty leading the army to victory over Northern Ji, the people gradually began to live in peace and prosperity. I think there will never again be situations forcing border people to hide in the mountains.”
The Empress smiled and nodded: “You’re right.”
They chatted easily as they reached the entrance of Cian Palace. Before the palace servants could announce them, Qin Yining heard laughter like silver bells.
Looking toward the source of the sound, she saw a group of people approaching from the opposite direction.
Leading them was a beautiful woman wearing a bright red cloak and a purple sable fur hat with rabbit ears.
The woman appeared to be only twenty years old, with curved willow eyebrows and a cherry-like small mouth – a very eye-catching beauty.
“Oh my, I wondered who it was – it’s Her Majesty the Empress!” The red-clothed beauty lazily performed a curtsy: “Greetings to the Empress.”