The twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.
A heavy snowfall of goose feathers blanketed the capital city.
The Little Princess had little memory of last year’s winter snow.
Consort Li was now able to manage her daughter, who was just over two years old at the time.
Now, the Little Princess was very strong-willed.
The only person in the entire palace who could control her was Emperor Xingwu, who happily indulged her whims.
Consort Li could only sit with Noble Lady in the pavilion of the Imperial Garden, enjoying the snowfall while watching Emperor Xingwu and the children outside building snowmen.
Emperor Xingwu took charge of stacking the snow.
Qin Hong, Qin Bing, and Qin Ren carried clean snow over from a distance.
Qingyang circled around the snowman, playfully helping her father.
“Come over here, sister! Second Brother found something good!”
Qingyang heard this and, curiously, darted around the chubby snowman to find Second Brother.
She saw Qin Bing bending over, standing under a pine tree, seemingly inspecting something closely.
Qingyang immediately ran over.
Emperor Xingwu looked up, briefly opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Qingyang bent down beside Second Brother to look for the “good thing” in the snow.
Seizing the opportunity, Qin Bing stomped hard on the tree trunk and then ran off, leaving his sister covered in the fine snow that had shaken down from the branches above.
Noble Lady: “……”
Under the gaze of many eyes, the Little Princess straightened up, shook her head excitedly, and said to Second Brother, who had inexplicably run off to one side, “So much fun! Second Brother, do it again!”
Consort Li: “……”
Qin Bing was stunned.
“No snow got down your collar?”
Qingyang tried to check her collar but saw only the snow-white fox fur lining the hood of her cloak.
Qin Bing realized the problem and walked back, intending to pull his sister’s hood down.
After a couple of tugs, a snowball the size of a fist flew over and struck his shoulder.
Qin Bing instinctively glanced toward Qin Ren but saw Emperor Xingwu next to the snowman still holding a snowball, smirking slyly at him.
Qin Bing dared not move.
Emperor Xingwu said, “Lin’er, put on your hat properly, or your Second Brother will stomp snow on you again.”
Of course, Qingyang listened to her father and obediently put on her hat properly.
So, while Emperor Xingwu, Qin Hong, and Qin Ren continued building the snowman, Qin Bing took his sister to stomp on the trees scattered throughout the Imperial Garden.
The snow was still insufficient, and Qingyang was not satisfied.
She picked a pine tree even thicker around the waist than Commander Fan’s and asked Second Brother to stomp on it.
Sweating and panting, Qin Bing said, “My shins are numb. You go find Father. I can’t move this one.”
Qingyang turned and went to find Emperor Xingwu.
Emperor Xingwu carefully brushed the snow off his daughter’s hat, shoulders, and back, and said, “Your Second Brother is deliberately bullying you. He wants the snow to fall down your collar. From now on, whenever he takes you somewhere, watch out for him. He never behaves properly.”
Qingyang understood.
“Bad Second Brother.”
Emperor Xingwu secretly made a small snowball and gave it to his daughter, hinting that she could sneakily stuff it into her brother’s collar.
The Little Princess hid her hands behind her back and stared from a distance at Second Brother shoveling snow.
Emperor Xingwu said, “…Don’t look at him like that. He’ll guess it. You have to pretend you don’t have a snowball in your hand and that you’re not planning anything.”
Qingyang thought for a moment, then watched her father carefully.
Qin Bing came back from shoveling, dumped the snow, and was about to leave.
Emperor Xingwu gave his daughter a look, called over Second Brother, and, catching him off guard, pressed down on his son’s shoulders and head.
The Little Princess was quick and nimble.
She pounced and slipped the cold snowball into the back of Second Brother’s collar.
The icy snowball slid down the cold small hand pressed tightly against Qin Bing’s back.
Qin Bing shouted, “Father, you’re biased!”
Emperor Xingwu replied, “You bullied your little sister, and I saw it this time. Who knows how many times you bullied Lin’er before.”
Qin Bing finally escaped, jumping in place and shaking out a flattened snowball from his robe.
In the pavilion, Consort Li whispered, “The Emperor is really something. Brother Bing bullies his sister, but he’s bullied himself.”
Noble Lady sighed, “Ever since Yongkang was born, the Emperor has hardly had time to accompany the children. Isn’t this his way of showing he loves them?”
Indeed, it was a scene of familial harmony and joy.
Consort Li glanced around wistfully.
“It’s a pity Yongkang isn’t here.”
Noble Lady said, “She will enter the palace soon. On New Year’s Eve, our whole family will gather properly.”
However, on New Year’s Eve, the palace held a banquet for the ministers and their families residing in the capital.
Emperor Xingwu stayed only briefly with his eldest daughter, Qingyang, before going to the Tai Ji Hall.
Qingyang found the outside cold and was bored with the ministers she had met so many times before.
Knowing Zhang Su was not coming, she obediently stayed by her mother’s side, only going out to watch the fireworks when her eldest sister took her.
“Eldest Sister, will you come again tomorrow?”
Yongkang smiled, “Of course. We must pay New Year’s respects to Father and Mother, and then you pay respects to your Prince Consort. He’ll give you red envelopes too.”
Qingyang: “Whomever I pay respects to will give me red envelopes?”
Yongkang: “It must be your own elders. Paying respects to outside elders is just courtesy—you can’t actively ask for red envelopes; people will laugh at you.”
Qingyang remembered this.
On the first day of the lunar year, Qingyang received red envelopes from Emperor Xingwu, Noble Lady, Consort Li, her eldest sister’s husband, and Prince Yong’s wife.
On the third day, she went with her eldest brother to the Lü family of the Duke of Chengguo for a feast.
Unexpectedly, the Duchess of Cheng and other noble ladies present each pressed a red envelope into her hands, so many that Jie Yu’s sleeves were stuffed to the limit.
Qingyang quietly asked Third Brother Zhang Su, “Why do they only give me red envelopes? Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother didn’t get any.”
Qin Ren replied, “Because we’re grown up, and you’re still young. Little sister Dong is like a little fairy; they all like you.”
Her eldest brother was already fifteen, and his status was high.
Noble ladies didn’t dare give him red envelopes. So neither he nor Second Brother received any.
Qingyang understood and, after collecting all the red envelopes, obediently followed her future eldest sister-in-law Lü Wenrong to play with the young ladies.
Lü Wenrong was now twelve, granddaughter of Duke Lü Guangzu.
Whenever Noble Lady held flower banquets, Lü Wenrong would accompany her family elders into the palace.
So Qingyang knew her, along with Yuan Jie, the seven-year-old daughter of the Yuan Family of the Marquis of Pingliang, Meng Yao, eight years old from the Meng Family of the Marquis of Weiyuan, and Yan Zhenzhen, granddaughter of Left Prime Minister Yan Xizheng.
Yan Zhenzhen was also Noble Lady’s niece and the same age as Qingyang, so Qingyang was closest to her.
The young ladies chattered nonstop, and when it was time to return to the palace, Qingyang was reluctant to leave.
Unfortunately, Emperor Xingwu allowed her to leave only on the condition that she must listen to her eldest brother.
Back in the palace, the Little Princess still looked unhappy, clearly not having played enough.
Emperor Xingwu comforted her, “When Lin’er’s birthday comes, Father will invite them all into the palace to play with you.”
Qingyang asked, “When is my birthday?”
Emperor Xingwu replied, “The second day of the fourth lunar month, the same day as Father’s enthronement ceremony.”
Qingyang said, “…That’s too far away. I want to invite them in tomorrow.”
Emperor Xingwu said, “That won’t do. They must spend New Year’s with their families. And when you’re studying, they must study too. They can only gather on special days. Besides, your Jiu Hua Palace isn’t finished yet, right? When it is, Father will celebrate your birthday there. It’ll be a chance for them all to see your new palace.”
Qingyang was delighted and from then on looked forward to the completion of Jiu Hua Palace every day.
The craftsmen began work on Jiu Hua Palace in mid-February, taking advantage of the princes’ study and martial arts practice times during the day to hurry the work along without disturbing their rest.
But the empty afternoons attracted the Little Princess’s attention.
Already very familiar with the previous palace grounds, Qingyang showed much more interest in the renovations of her own Jiu Hua Palace and, once she brought Jie Yu inside, refused to leave.
“What is this?”
“Your Highness, this is bluestone paving laid in the courtyard.”
“And this?”
“This is a crowbar, used to pry up old bluestone.”
“How does it feel?”
The craftsmen busied themselves while the Little Princess watched curiously.
By mid-March, the former Cuiyun Palace, now Jiu Hua Palace, had been completely renovated inside and out.
The new paint had dried after several days of sun, and palace staff were moving in brand-new furnishings—exquisitely carved canopy beds, superbly crafted utensils, and so on.
Each item was priceless even outside the palace.
Emperor Xingwu did not lavishly spend just for Qingyang, but the daily items used by the imperial family were made by the finest craftsmen from the best materials.
The officials responsible for renovating Jiu Hua Palace selected the best of these top-quality items for the palace, making the newly completed Jiu Hua Palace in the fifth year of Emperor Xingwu’s reign even more magnificent than the palaces of the three princes, which had been completed in the first year.
With the palace ready, Noble Lady and Consort Li helped select a group of palace maids to serve the Little Princess, including six five-year-old, delicate little maids.
They were to learn etiquette from the senior palace maids and serve as playmates.
When Qingyang grew up, her four main maids would likely come from these six little maids.
New palace, new playmates.
In late March, Qingyang happily moved into Jiu Hua Palace and had no interest in continuing to live near Third Brother.
The three princes were the first to visit their eldest sister’s new palace.
Though all was well, the princess’s palace furnishings were different from the princes’.
Qin Ren did not compare living spaces with his sister, and Qin Hong and Qin Bing had no such intentions.
Yongkang arrived later, but her newly acquired princess mansion used the same high-quality materials, so she felt no envy.
In the blink of an eye, the second day of the fourth lunar month arrived.
Emperor Xingwu not only sent invitations for a feast to over a dozen young ladies from the families of high-ranking nobles and officials but also gave his three sons a half-day off in the morning.
Early in the morning, the three princes living nearby came with their study companions to present birthday gifts to the Little Princess.
Qin Hong gave a colorful butterfly hairpin inlaid with red gold and pearls.
Qin Liang gave a Qilin Jade Pendant made of mutton fat jade.
Qin Bing gave a lustrous red jade bracelet.
Yuan Xiuli, neither a full nor a half brother, gave four lifelike Silk Flowers of Four Seasons.
Qin Ren, with a complex expression, took out the Eagle Kite he had made with his own hands and mumbled to the few in front, “Mother said to just make something for my sister. The most important thing is making her happy. Your gifts were all prepared by adults.”
Qin Hong thought, as eldest brother and Crown Prince, his gift couldn’t be too shabby.
Qin Bing didn’t know what to give and was too lazy to make anything himself, so he simply took one from Mother.
Qingyang liked Third Brother’s kite and agreed to fly it with him.
Then she looked toward the last one in line—Zhang Su.
Zhang Su glanced at the three princes.
At the end of the month break, he had told his mother he wanted to prepare a gift for the Little Princess.
When his mother learned he planned to give a handmade kite, she told him to either make one himself or buy something inexpensive at the market that would easily please the Little Princess.
Zhang Su had rarely played or been frivolous, so he knew very little about toys or crafts, let alone making something himself.
He ended up going to the market with Second Brother, browsing through many shops and stalls.
In the end, he spent his money on a…
Qingyang opened the small square box Zhang Su handed her and took out a wooden figurine.
The little wooden figure had two small buns on its head, large eyes, and was smiling mischievously.
Qin Hong and the others studied the figurine, but only Qingyang looked at Zhang Su with doubt.
Zhang Su asked, “…Your Highness, do you like it?”
At first glance, he had thought the little wooden figure looked a lot like the Little Princess.
Now, seeing her doubtful expression, he dared not explain further lest the Princess find the figurine ugly and be angry with him.
At that moment, Qin Ren suddenly realized, “It looks like sister! The smile is exactly like yours.”
Qin Hong nodded.
Qin Bing teased, “Not really. Sister’s face is pale, but this wood looks sunburnt.”
Qin Ren said, “…It’s wood carving. Wood is naturally yellow.”
Qingyang looked again at the little wooden figure and agreed it looked a lot like her.
Happily, she said, “I like Zhang Su’s gift. Did you make it yourself?”
Zhang Su: “No, I bought it at a woodcarving shop.”
Qingyang: “The shop sells little figures like this?”
Zhang Su: “They have many other figures, but this one was unique.”
Qingyang was disappointed.
“Then what will I do for my birthday next year? I want to have a little figure that looks like me every year.”
Zhang Su: “…I’ll ask the shopkeeper if they can make another one.”
Qingyang: “Ask next year. By then I’ll be a year older, so I’ll definitely look different.”
Zhang Su nodded and glanced at the Little Princess’s hair buns.
Today, she only had one bun, looking like a little flower bud.
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