Palace Fighting: Naive Concubines' Ascent to Power-Chapter 473 The Day After Tomorrow

The Emperor hesitated slightly; the day after tomorrow was the day Jieyuan Lian Muchong from Taiyuan Prefecture would take his exams, and he planned to leave the palace. When her Clan Aunt arrived, he still hoped to be in the palace in case she needed him and he could come at any moment.

Lian Hua nodded, "This gives us a bit more time to prepare. I need to make some preparations myself, and I also have to speak to Nanny about it."

She had never mentioned her family matters to Nanny Qi before.

The Emperor understood her thoughts and realized how important it was to her, more than he had expected.

This matter indeed needed to be discussed with Nanny Qi.

So, he decided, "Let it be the morning of the day after tomorrow then."

He could leave the palace after her Clan Aunt had left.

Lian Hua’s eyes curved into a smile; she knew His Majesty was very kind and treated her well.

She sat next to the Emperor, couldn’t help leaning against him, and tilted her head to start speaking, "Your Majesty, when my Clan Aunt leaves, I would like to prepare some items to give them. However, there are some items I don’t have and don’t know about. I would like to ask for your help in preparing them."

The Emperor wrapped his arms around her shoulders, letting her lean against his chest, "Hmm, tell me what you need, and I will have Zhang Qing handle it first thing tomorrow. Just tell him whenever you think of anything."

"Mhm," Lian Hua nodded and began to list one item after another.

She wanted to prepare some nourishing supplements for her Clan Uncle to help him gain some weight; her Clan Uncle loved books, she also wanted His Majesty to pick some to send;

She wanted to request the Imperial Physician to check her Clan Aunt’s back, preferably get some medicinal plasters to alleviate her pain;

She also wanted to send longevity locks or such items for her Clan Sister’s babies, not knowing how many there were, so she planned to prepare extra and ask her Clan Aunt at the time to take them.

She also needed to prepare other gifts to ensure her Clan Aunt and her family could maintain their dignity.

As Lian Hua spoke, drowsiness crept up on her, her voice grew lower and lower, and her consciousness struggled, fearing she might not cover everything or prepare adequately, occasionally letting slip a phrase in her sleep.

The Emperor sighed; his Little Concubine took even the visit of her Clan Aunt so seriously, let alone her own family... Ah...

He helped her remove her shoes and outer garments, picked her up into the bed, covered her with a blanket, kissed her forehead, and lowered the curtains.

The Emperor stepped out of the Side Hall, instructed Zhang Qing on each matter, informed Hu Miaomiao that his departure from the palace the day after tomorrow was unspecified, to be prepared at all times, and to ensure the entrance and exit of his Little Concubine’s Clan Aunt from the palace was flawless.

He also notified Consort Xu De to look after the entire Harem the day after tomorrow, ensuring no outsiders approached Canglan Court, to avoid disturbing his Little Concubine.

After giving these instructions, he returned to the Side Hall to change into his nightclothes and climbed into bed to sleep with his arm around her.

The next day, Lian Hua woke early, Xiao Qing wanted to help her with a complex hairstyle, but she couldn’t bear it and chose a simpler style to avoid wasting time.

She held herself back, waiting until after breakfast to take Nanny Qi aside and tell her about her Clan Aunt’s impending visit, letting Nanny Qi know.

During breakfast, Nanny Qi had noticed something was off with her as she ate much faster than usual, as if she was in a hurry, and had to remind her several times to slow down.

So this was the matter. No wonder the young girl seemed so agitated.

For a consort who entered the palace, it was very difficult to have an opportunity to see her relatives again; such a visit could only be granted by the Emperor’s favor.

It seemed the little girl had not seen her relatives in six or seven years, no wonder she was so excited, and it was only to meet her Clan Aunt.

She couldn’t help but reassure Lian Hua, "Don’t rush, Granny will help you prepare together. There will be many more chances to see your relatives in the future. Before you give birth, let His Majesty bring your mother into the palace to accompany you."

Lian Hua’s eyes brightened at the thought, but then she became melancholic again and quietly spoke to Nanny Qi about her own family matters.

"What’s wrong?" Nanny Qi frowned, sensing something was amiss.

Thinking of her parents and her three brothers, Lian Hua felt sad, but she quickly gathered herself again, "Nanny, he has already helped me search for them. I can meet my Clan Aunt tomorrow, and then I will surely be able to meet my parents as well. Perhaps the people His Majesty has sent have already found them. It’s just that the journey is long, and it will take some days to reach the Capital."

She had a vague impression in her heart, knowing that it took many days to travel from the south to the Capital, which is why she had been able to endure and wait for the Emperor to bring her good news.

Nanny Qi suppressed the strange feeling in her heart. Something didn’t sound quite right, but it wasn’t appropriate to voice it out, just in case there was some issue. She decided to ask the Emperor about it later.

After they finished talking, they began to prepare.

Nanny Qi asked Lian Hua how she wanted to prepare and what her thoughts were.

Lian Hua said the Emperor had prepared gifts for her, and she wanted to arrange Canglan Court in such a way that anyone could see that she was living a very good life.

Nanny Qi understood that the child was worried her relatives would be anxious, so she wanted to make everything look better to reassure her Clan Aunt.

She asked about the situation of her Clan Aunt, feeling more informed, and told Lian Hua to just sit and watch, insisting there was no need for her to exert herself, as everything would be perfectly prepared.

Lian Hua obediently sat beside Nanny Qi, watching her summon people in and send others out, diligently instructing each one with confidence, earning her admiration, and she couldn’t help but repeatedly praise her.

Nanny Qi looked at her affectionately, teasing that she shouldn’t try to flatter her, and that she would do well to learn properly.

Lian Hua stuck out her tongue, "I can’t do it as well, with you here, there is no need for me."

After a thought, she added, "If you get tired, take a rest, let me do it, I can manage."

This contradictory statement made Nanny Qi shake her head in amusement, yet it also felt very heartwarming.

That day, the entire Canglan Court was bustling with activity, and even the Star Palace had a few Young Eunuchs borrowed, all busy and bustling about.

In the yard, every patch of soil that had previously been left to fertilize the crops was cleared, not a single one remained, and every plot of land was made spacious and bright.

For a moment, it was not possible to plant any precious plants, so Nanny Qi decided not to fuss over it anymore, simply informing the guide who would bring Lian Hua’s Clan Aunt to mention that the courtyard was to be completely revamped and coordinated with the construction of the main hall.

The main path was the focus, previously used decorations from the Mid-Autumn festival were brought out to adorn it, with large fabric flowers and long colored ribbons making the avenue vibrantly beautiful. In terms of colors, bright reds were sifted out, leaving only the tranquil ones to appear ordinary.

Next was the arrangement inside the Side Hall, where Nanny Qi had some of the crafts that Lian Hua usually made removed, but not all. She opened the storeroom and took out all the ornaments to reorganize once more.

She also replaced all the curtains, canopies, and so on, even laying soft, plush carpets in the inner chamber, comfortable enough to walk on barefoot.

The washroom was not ignored either; the original single screen was replaced with two that could be drawn back, beautifully designed, and everything inside was rearranged.

Among those bustling about was Dong Xue, Xia Liu had been kept at Canglan Court to help with the arrangements, and Nanny Qi rarely let Xia Liu go out.