Take a Sip of Milk to Calm My Nerves, the Whole Family is Waiting for Me to Save Them – Chapter 28

Ch 28: Princess Funing

The Imperial Palace was majestic, with snow on the glazed tiles. A gust of cold wind blew, making people shiver.

Yun Jinglan pulled the fox fur coat tighter around her body, wrapping Little Chou Chou even more snugly, and incidentally pressed down her little hand that was trying to reach out.

“No mischief allowed!”

“Poof!”

Blowing bubbles that burst, Little Chou Chou pouted in dissatisfaction.

Once inside the Palace, they had to walk. If she caught a cold, she would suffer.

Although Little Chou Chou was dissatisfied, she was small and powerless and could only obey.

This was her first time in the Imperial Palace! Why couldn’t she take a good look?

Too much!

Yun Jinglan greeted several familiar madams and then followed Su Junyao and the Wen Yang Marquis towards the banquet.

They hadn’t walked far when they discovered that people from the Palace were already waiting ahead.

Bi Yu, the head palace maid serving by the Empress’s side, quickly walked over: “Bi Yu greets the Wen Yang Marquis, Heir, and Madam. Bi Yu has finally waited for you.”

“Hello, Aunt Bi Yu.”

Bi Yu stepped forward, her voice gentle and soft, but everyone present knew how ruthless this seemingly delicate woman was in the Imperial Harem.

“The wind is strong today, so the Imperial Madam specifically instructed me to wait at the Palace Gate. Madam of the Heir, please come with this servant. The Imperial Madam is already waiting for you and Miss Chou Chou in the hall.”

Yun Jinglan wasn’t stupid. If there was a sedan chair to ride, why brave the wind? Holding Chou Chou, she got into the sedan chair with the help of the palace maids and left without hesitation.

The Wen Yang Marquis and Su Junyao stared at each other in the cold wind. “Useless trash, you’re so old, and you can’t even get your father a sedan chair!”

Su Junyao: “……”

Having suddenly arrived in an unfamiliar environment, Chou Chou became restrained and huddled into a small ball, blinking her eyes as she looked here and there.

【Scared, and wanting to go home. 】

Yun Jinglan, sitting to the Empress’s left, naturally sensed Chou Chou’s stiffness and patted her to comfort her.

Just now, at home, she was clamoring to take in little brothers; now, she had become a little wooden person.

The Empress looked enviously at the adorable little baby in Yun Jinglan’s arms, and then, thinking of her own Princess Funing, couldn’t help but frown slightly.

Observing her expression, Yun Jinglan immediately asked, “Does the Empress have something troubling her?”

She asked this, but in her heart, she strongly rejected the Empress pulling her aside to confide in her.

She didn’t want to hear secrets!

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as she wished.

The Empress’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and even on her well-maintained face, fine lines could be seen. She was two years younger than Yun Jinglan, but Yun Jinglan looked much younger than her.

The Empress sighed softly, “It’s all Princess Funing’s doing. I feel like I’ve become much more haggard.”

After she finished speaking, she stared at Yun Jinglan, making it difficult for Yun Jinglan to pretend to be ignorant. She had no choice but to ask carefully, “What’s wrong with Princess Funing?”

Mentioning Princess Funing, the Empress seemed to open a floodgate, saying a long string of things about how difficult the princess was to raise.

Others didn’t know, but the Empress knew that there had once been a wordless book predicting that Great Zhou would have a blessed woman descend from the heavens, and a divine koi would turn luck. A few days ago, a divine miracle descended to protect the Empress Dowager, confirming the prophecy.

And in the Palace, yang was flourishing while yin was declining. There were only two princesses in total, and each of them was an ancestor.

The Empress personally taught Princess Funing, and the Empress Dowager often inquired about her.

Under the care of the entire Imperial Palace, she grew more and more… outrageous!

Yun Jinglan, having lived for so many years, was hearing for the first time a mother using the word “outrageous” to describe her own child.

She forced a smile: “The Imperial Madam is overthinking it. Princess Funing has the Emperor’s dragon energy protecting her and is still an excellent girl. The child is still young; she’ll get better as she grows.”

The Empress waved her hand. She wouldn’t get better!

She ordered someone to bring the sleeping Princess Funing over.

The moment Yun Jinglan saw Princess Funing, she fell silent as well.

She was indeed quite outrageous…

No one said Princess Funing had a masculine appearance!

It was also hard on the Imperial Madam to specially tie red Little Chou Chous in her sparse hair to specifically indicate her gender.

◈◈◈

Chou Chou was attracted by the child in front of her, who was about the same age as her. 【Such a handsome little brother!】

Yun Jinglan: “……”

The three-month-old Princess Funing was someone that even Emperor Jingming didn’t dare to easily hold. Her little face was even more resolute than those of her imperial brothers.

And she just happened to be listless all day, drooping her eyelids, and yawning from time to time, just like a senile old man.

But today, she suddenly perked up, her little face full of energy, looking even more like a… resolute little old man.

The Empress raised her handkerchief to cover her face: “It turns out my daughter is considerate, not showing her ugliest side on ordinary days.”

Yun Jinglan: Sometimes, she just hated that she wasn’t deaf!

Funing, with her wooden little face, actually raised a finger and pointed at Chou Chou in Yun Jinglan’s arms.

The palace maid serving her immediately carried her over, and Yun Jinglan also moved Chou Chou in Funing’s direction.

【Yo, little brother!】

【I’m Chou Chou!】

Chou Chou winked and made faces at Funing, laughing at herself.

Funing’s face was wooden, without much expression. The smile on Chou Chou’s face gradually disappeared…

【Such a, such a, such a serious brother!】

Yun Jinglan looked up. How should she put it… in any case, she had the Emperor’s demeanor.

But she still quietly corrected, “This is Princess Funing; she’s an elder sister.”

Chou Chou had a look of shock and horror on her face: 【The things on my face are two big eyeballs, not night-shining pearls for decoration!】

【I have eyes; I can see!】

Chou Chou’s small hand climbed onto Yun Jinglan’s face, her little face wrinkled with concern for her mother.

【My dear old mother, how did your eyesight get so bad at such a young age!】

Yun Jinglan took her little hand down, grumbling in her heart about who exactly had bad eyesight!

During this time, Princess Funing had been watching Chou Chou. She, who had never liked to show emotion since birth, suddenly smiled.

The palace maid holding her was trembling all over. It turned out that her little master wasn’t a poker face!

The little palace maid hurriedly carried Funing towards the Empress: “Imperial Madam, the little princess smiled!”

The Empress: “!!!”

She actually smiled!

Funing glanced at the Empress and the arc of her lips slowly disappeared, turning back into her listless appearance.

The little palace maid carried her back to Chou Chou’s side, and Funing smiled; carried her back to the Empress’s side, and her face collapsed, even faintly emitting a resentful aura.

Carry her back, carry her back… then carry her back again, then carry her back again…

The Empress hurriedly called a stop, “Alright, since Funing likes Chou Chou so much, let her stay with Chou Chou at the New Year’s Eve banquet today. Madam of the Heir, do you have any objections?”

Yun Jinglan naturally didn’t dare disagree: “Replying to the Imperial Madam, this is my daughter’s honor!”

The Empress herself also hated it so much that her teeth itched. She, as her own mother, treated her so well, but this little rascal Funing actually discriminated!

“Then let the two young ladies keep each other company tonight!” The Empress, afraid that Yun Jinglan would go back on her word, hurriedly gave the order and had the palace maid carry Funing behind Yun Jinglan.

She didn’t want to take care of this child for even a moment!

Su Junyao was waiting for his wife to return at the banquet and saw a graceful figure slowly walking towards him from afar.

When the person got closer, he was slightly stunned: “Where’s Chou Chou?”

Yun Jinglan pursed her lips unnaturally and then tugged at his sleeve, pointing to the high platform where the seats were: “She’s with the Empress Dowager.”

Su Junyao: “With the Empress Dowager?!”