Chapter 451

Chapter 451 Xie Run was not at all surprised, and only said with a smile: "Hurry and invite the Sixth Prince in." "Also bring out his favorite jade-cream cake. This pastry must be eaten while hot; once it cools even slightly, it loses its texture." When the Sixth Prince entered and saw the jade-cream cake on the table, his eyes lit up at once. He had a delicate, handsome appearance—rosy lips, white teeth, and a pair of lively, spirited eyes. He looked like a mischievous yet well-behaved child. "Your son pays respects to Mother Xie." Xie Run raised her hand: "Rise quickly." Seeing the Sixth Prince staring fixedly at the jade-cream cake like a greedy little cat, Xie Run smiled and said: "Go wash your hands first." "The small kitchen started preparing early this morning, just waiting for you." The Sixth Prince's eyes sparkled. "Your son will go at once!" Taotao tugged at Baozhen. "Baozhen, you have to wash your hands too, or you're not allowed to eat the cake." Baozhen looked at his elder brother with innocent eyes, and his eyes suddenly reddened slightly. Taotao sighed. "Fine, fine. Your brother will take you." The Third Princess said softly from the side: "Fifth Brother, I'll come along too." Taotao: "Alright." Taotao didn't mind at all. Holding one child in each hand, he looked every bit the proper elder brother. The children were about to return to the main hall when suddenly a young eunuch came rushing in, frantic and breathless. Consort Shen had just snipped a thread and said with some displeasure: "The Consort and the Princesses and Princes are all present. Running in so flustered—what if you frightened someone?!" "It's been a long time since anything major happened in the palace. If you don't explain yourself clearly today, be careful—I'll have the skin flayed off you!" The young eunuch knelt on the ground, drenched in sweat, not having heard a single word Consort Shen said. He kowtowed repeatedly and said: "Noble Consort, great news, great news!" Hearing those words, Xie Run couldn't help but rise to her feet, emotions surging within her. Consort Shen also forgot the embroidery in her hands and stood up, her legs feeling weak. "What great news? Speak quickly!" The young eunuch said: "The Emperor is about to return to court. He has already sent word back by eight-hundred-li express courier." "The Consort may now prepare to welcome the Emperor's triumphant return!" Xie Run took a deep breath, and only after a long moment did she steady her emotions. She smiled and said: "This is indeed great news." "Xiaoshu, give a reward!" Xiaoshu smiled as she took out a money pouch and generously scattered silver. Everyone else in the palace bowed in succession to offer their congratulations. Taotao stood to the side, his eyes bright. "Mother, Father is returning to court. Does that mean this year, for my birthday, Father can come?!" Xie Run raised her hand to pat his head: "Naturally." Taotao had long since grown out his hair. He didn't care for the double-bun hairstyle. Once his hair grew to a certain length, Xie Run would comb it all up and secure it with a small crown. The older he grew, the more he resembled the Emperor. Even at his young age, he already carried a measure of princely dignity. Xie Run said with feeling: "When your Imperial Father returns to the palace and sees how sensible Taotao has become, he will surely be delighted." Taotao: "Mother... you should call me Cong'er!" Xie Run sighed and said with feigned helplessness: "They say a son grows beyond his mother's control. You're only this old, and already you won't let me use your childhood name." Taotao had probably reached the age where he'd developed a sense of shame and wouldn't let Xie Run call him by his childhood name in front of others. Xie Run would occasionally forget, and Taotao couldn't help but remind her. Seeing his mother resorting to playing pitiful and acting aggrieved, Taotao had no way to deal with her. He put his hands on his hips and reminded her: "Mother, I'll let it go this time, but next time you're not allowed to call me that!" Xie Run answered casually: "Alright, alright, Mother remembers." Only then did Taotao let the matter drop. Xie Run made no particular effort to stop it. The news that the Emperor was returning to court spread like wings, flying through all Six Palaces. Consort Jingshu's Yongning Palace was lively enough, but Consort Jingshu remained steady, and the others naturally dared not overstep their bounds. They only had the palace repaired and decorated more festively. It wasn't solely to welcome the Emperor—Consort Jingshu also didn't want to continue living the dreary life of a widow. With the Emperor away from court, although they, the imperial consorts, had no one to discipline them, they still didn't dare be too unrestrained. Food, clothing, and daily expenses all had to follow the rules. After all, you couldn't just dress in bright colors and drink wine while admiring flowers all day when the Emperor wasn't even there? Sometimes, having had enough of a proper, rule-bound life, Consort Jingshu actually found herself longing for the old days of scheming and fighting. At least it gave her something to do, and life wouldn't be a stagnant pool. But just as she was sighing over this, a palace attendant came with news that the Seventh Prince and Eighth Prince had gotten into a fight over a flower. Consort Jingshu: "..." Compared to Consort Jingshu's composure, Lady Hua of Fanghua Palace was so excited she nearly dropped the teacup in her hand. She paced most of the way around her own palace, and that surge of excitement still hadn't subsided. She knelt before the Bodhisattva and muttered to herself: "Amitabha, the Emperor has finally returned safely to court." "In a few days, when I go to Baohua Temple to fulfill my vow, I'll definitely give the abbot a generous reward!" With that, she rose and hurried toward the direction of the storeroom. "With the Emperor returning, I can't very well keep wearing my old clothes. I need to have some new garments made, and some new jewelry to adorn myself!" The palace maids around her chimed in together: "The Lady has saved up so many cosmetics—now they can all be put to use!" Hua Yu waved her hand: "Quick, quick, bring everything out. I want to try them all one by one, so I won't be in a fluster on the day the Emperor returns to court!" In the same palace, Bai Fu was in her own room, doing her makeup. She stared blankly at the mirror, holding a comb that had snapped in two, mechanically running it through her hair. Hearing the commotion outside, Caiyue said softly, "Mistress, I wonder what's happening in the palace today—why has it suddenly gotten so noisy?" Bai Fu's emotions were like a pool of stagnant water, utterly still and lifeless. Caiyue sighed, quietly opened the door, and went out to investigate. A moment later, Caiyue came running back, excited. "Mistress, wonderful news!" "The Emperor has returned victorious from battle!" Tears streamed down Caiyue's face as she knelt beside Bai Fu. "Now that the Emperor is back, you still have hope, Mistress." "Our days won't be this bitter forever." Bai Fu tried to tug the corners of her mouth into a smile, but found that she hadn't smiled in so long, she no longer knew how. She stiffly turned her neck to look at the mirror, and just as she was about to force a smile, she was startled by the ghost-like face staring back at her. She touched her face in utter shock. "Is this my face?" Her complexion was deathly pale, devoid of any vitality. Dark circles hung beneath her eyes, and faint wrinkles seemed to crease the corners. Her lips were parched and cracked, her gaze dim and lifeless. She was like a flower blooming at the bottom of a dried-up well—having gone too long without sunlight, withering into stillness alongside the well. The well feared not the passage of years, yet she withered away bit by bit. Clearly... she was still young. But Bai Fu stared at the mirror for a long while and could not find a trace of the vitality that should belong to someone her age. She had even forgotten what she looked like when she first entered the palace. After a long time, Bai Fu cast aside the broken comb in her hand and gave a hollow, mirthless smile. "Caiyue, do you think this face of mine can truly still win the Emperor's pity?" Caiyue's tongue turned bitter, and she was about to offer words of comfort. Then she heard Bai Fu speak through clenched teeth, her voice trembling. "Even I can't bear to look at this face—let alone the Emperor?!" "How did I let my life come to this?!" "I did nothing wrong, yet I've been reduced to such a state?!" It was only now that Bai Fu realized. The most agonizing thing in the harem was not the scheming—it was being forgotten.