SFS Chapter 425 Companion Reading
Chapter 425 Companion Reading
Inside the Yonghe Palace, An Lingrong was half-leaning on the couch, looking somewhat listless and lacking energy.
There were two fewer people in the palace. Although everything seemed normal on the surface, she always felt empty inside.
She looked up and saw Shen Meizhuang discussing trivial matters in the palace with Zhao Yingjiu. After listening for a while, she felt bored and stood up and walked to the side hall.
In the side hall, Longyue, Xinyue and the Sixth Prince were studying.
Longyue was still young, having just learned to hold a brush. Her tiny body hunched over the desk, her chubby little hands tightly gripping the brush. Her strokes were immature, and her writing was crooked, but she wrote with great care. Her brows furrowed slightly, as if every stroke was a matter of immense importance.
The young Xinyue sat quietly nearby, holding a charcoal pencil made by An Lingrong, scribbles on the paper with intense concentration. Her face was filled with earnestness, sometimes tilting her head in thought, other times waving her hands with excitement. The lines she drew seemed chaotic, but upon closer inspection, one could faintly discern the outlines of some objects.
The Sixth Prince sat on the other side, his expression focused and his posture upright. Under Shen Meizhuang's careful instruction, his handwriting had made significant progress. He wielded the brush with ease, his writing flowing smoothly, already proficient in writing passages from the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic. Each stroke was powerful and forceful, revealing a composure and ease uncommon for his age.
What a strong learning atmosphere.
An Lingrong didn't dare to disturb her and quietly retreated.
In the courtyard, the palace servants had already begun their busy day. Some were cleaning the grounds, others tending to the flowers and plants, each one moving hurriedly but carefully, making no noise.
An Lingrong stood in the corridor, watching all this, feeling a little melancholy. She sighed softly and said to herself, "Everyone is busy, but I am the only one who is bored and anxious."
But she was not the kind of person who would indulge in meaningless emotions and self-pity, so she soon found a way to entertain herself.
There are several huge water tanks in the yard, with several water lilies in each tank. The dark green lotus leaves are spread on the water surface. Between the lotus leaves, a green flower bud stands out, accumulating strength in this small body of water, waiting for the moment to bloom.
Through the gaps in the lotus leaves, you can vaguely see a few red-tailed carp swimming happily in the water, spitting out a string of tiny bubbles from time to time, breaking the calmness of the water surface.
Juqing noticed her gaze and brought a plate of fish food and handed it to her.
An Lingrong took the fish food and gently sprinkled it into the water, humming softly, "I am like a fish in your lotus pond, just to protect the bright moonlight with you..."
The singing is soft and melodious, yet with a hint of playfulness.
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind: "What are you doing?"
An Lingrong turned around and saw Yongzheng walking towards her with his hands behind his back.
She quickly handed the fish food to Juqing, knelt down and saluted, saying softly, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to you."
Yongzheng smiled faintly and raised his hand to signal her to stand. "No need to be so polite." He took a step forward, looked at her gently, and asked with concern, "Why aren't you in the house? The sun is so strong now. What if you get sunburned?"
An Lingrong raised her head, her eyes sparkling, a perfectly placed smile plastered across her face as she softly replied, "Your Majesty, I was feeling rather bored, so I came out to find something to do to relieve my boredom."
Yongzheng nodded, reached out and took her hand, and said gently: "Let's go, don't stand here."
After saying that, he pulled her towards the main hall.
Inside the main hall, Shen Meizhuang and Zhao Yingjiu saw the emperor arrive and quickly stood up to salute. Yongzheng waved his hand, signaling them not to be polite, then sat down on the couch and asked, "What are you talking about?"
Shen Meizhuang smiled faintly and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, the weather has been getting increasingly hot these past few days. I have instructed the Imperial Household Department to prepare some cooling tea and mung bean soup for distribution to the palaces. In addition, the allotment of ice has also begun to be distributed to the palaces to protect the sisters from the heat."
Yongzheng took the tea she offered him, took a sip, nodded slightly, and said approvingly, "Well, you have always been considerate. I am naturally relieved." He paused and continued, "I think the children in the palace can't stand the heat. Let's go to the Old Summer Palace to escape the summer heat for a few days."
Upon hearing this, Shen Meizhuang turned her head slightly and looked at Zhao Yingjiu beside her.
Zhao Yingjiu understood and quickly stepped forward, saying respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Summer Palace is ready. All necessary items have been arranged. Your Majesty can set off at any time."
Yongzheng showed a satisfied look on his face and nodded, "Good. It is indeed the work of Concubine Hui who has trained her. She is very capable."
Zhao Yingjiu lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. This was all done by the Imperial Concubine's order."
After saying this, Yongzheng brought up another matter: "Sixth Prince is about to enter the Shangshufang. I have already chosen a tutor. It is Bai Huang, the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace. He is a Jinshi in the two imperial examinations and the chief editor of the 'Records of the Emperor Kangxi'. He is a brilliant writer. What do you think?"
Shen Meizhuang smiled gently: "The one chosen by the emperor is naturally the best. As a concubine in the harem, I have to rely on the emperor to take care of the Sixth Prince's studies."
"Don't worry about that. He's my son, so I'm naturally concerned about him." Yongzheng added, "According to custom, when a prince goes to the study to study, he can have a companion."
As he spoke, he raised his hand slightly. Su Peisheng understood and handed a booklet to Shen Meizhuang.
"You choose one."
Shen Meizhuang took it with both hands and opened it. She saw several names listed in the booklet. Each person's family background and age were recorded in great detail. They were all children of important officials in the court.
Her eyes swept across the booklet, and suddenly, a familiar name came into view - the eldest grandson of the Shen family, Shen Huaijin.