8. New Year's Greetings

The eldest prince and the crown prince entered almost simultaneously. As soon as they took their seats, the murmurs below gradually fell completely silent.

Yu Yan, sitting quietly on a small stool, was too far away to see the subtle expressions exchanged between them. She could only nibble on the white sugar fried cakes that Aunt Chen had broken for her, occasionally glancing at Hongxi, who was being held asleep by his wet nurse behind her.

He was sleeping soundly, his rosy cheeks free from any worries.

Emperor Kangxi strode ahead with a commanding presence, followed by two long lines of attendants. Yu Yan stared intently at this man in middle age—the emperor she had only read about in history books—and found it incredible that such a figure could appear so vividly before her eyes.

One couldn’t subjectively judge if Kangxi was handsome. By features alone, he was merely average. Yet, the regal aura he carried without raising his voice elevated his looks from five out of ten to a solid seven.

“That must be the fourth prince’s daughter, right?” Kangxi couldn’t help but notice the prolonged gaze fixed on him. He followed the line of sight and saw a little girl dressed in bright red.

Liang Jiugong laughed, “That’s the second princess from the Fourth Prince’s residence.”

The princes nearby overheard the exchange. Yinzhen instinctively turned to look at the lady’s position, seeing Yu Yan still staring up at Kangxi with a curious expression.

“Fourth brother, your little princess is quite fearless,” Yinzi remarked in admiration.

For many years, Kangxi’s reign had been formidable. Even the boldest princesses in the palace, like Princess Kejing, could only hold back tears when meeting him at Yu Yan’s age. Younger princes were often timid. It was rare to see a child like Yu Yan gaze at him so boldly.

A subtle pride swelled in Yinzhen’s heart—this was his daughter, naturally different from the rest.

Yet, on his face, he maintained an unperturbed demeanor and humbly said, “The little girl is just a fearless newborn calf.”

A little girl, after all, could never overturn the world. Soon, everyone’s attention shifted to the subtle rivalry between the crown prince and the eldest prince. With Kangxi taking his seat in a grand and dignified manner, the palace banquet officially began.

The lady endured her queasy nausea and took a bite of the duck soup served before setting down her chopsticks.

The annual palace banquet was always the most exhausting event, especially since the Manchu and Han officials were present outside. The emperor had to deliver many formal speeches, and the younger generation could only listen stiffly. By the time he finished, the dishes on the table usually cooled, with a layer of congealed grease on top.

Fortunately, after finishing here in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, they would move to the Palace of Longevity and Peace to pay New Year respects to the Empress Dowager. There, the atmosphere was less constrained, and the fresh, hot dishes served anew posed no risk of upsetting the children’s stomachs.

The main hall of the Palace of Longevity and Peace couldn’t accommodate so many people. Children Yu Yan’s age were sent to the East Warm Pavilion of the same palace for a separate meal. After dining, they would take turns paying their respects to the Empress Dowager and the emperor.

The eldest was Ni Chuhe, eldest daughter of the eldest prince. She had the demeanor of a responsible older sister, occasionally whispering to her younger sisters about what they wanted to eat and caring for her cousins nearby. Yu Yan was even fed a bite of vegetarian dumplings by this elder sister.

The Fourth Prince’s fourth princess was about the same age as Yu Yan, perhaps a few months older, yet still fed by her wet nurse. Yu Yan, however, held a small silver spoon, poking and breaking the dumplings in her bowl, scooping and eating slowly, making one wonder if vegetarian dumplings were really that delicious.

Children always imitate each other. Seeing this, the fourth princess insisted on eating by herself without her wet nurse’s help. But having never used a spoon before, she ended up messy, staining her once-clean clothes.

The East Warm Pavilion was truly chaotic during the dumpling meal.

After the fourth princess changed into clean clothes, Aunt Chen and the wet nurses led the children to pay their New Year respects to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager had a typical Mongolian appearance—her round face adorned with kind, crescent-shaped eyes. She cheerfully beckoned the young children forward, happily instructing the maids to bring out bag after bag of heavy golden melon seeds.

Yu Yan lingered near the back, using the opportunity to glance secretly at the young lady sitting beside the Empress Dowager. Her porcelain-white face featured distant mountain eyebrows and peach blossom eyes, with her black hair swept to one side in gentle curls. She wore a tight-sleeved, goose-yellow satin jacket embroidered with scattered flowers. Her pursed lips and smile bore a striking resemblance to the Virtuous Consort.

That had to be the fifth princess raised at the Empress Dowager’s knee.

After several older children had finished kowtowing, it was Yu Yan’s turn. She showed no fear. Compared to the fourth princess, whose voice was barely audible like an ant’s, every word Yu Yan spoke was clear and strong: “Elin Zhu pays respects to Ukuma Ma and the Imperial Mafah.”

She smiled widely, revealing two dimples like Lady Li’s, adorably stirring hearts. Then, imitating what the lady had taught her in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, she kowtowed and stood up, continuing in a soft childlike voice, “Wishing Ukuma Ma and Imperial Mafah peace, prosperity, and longevity year after year.”

Though young, Yu Yan spoke more fluently than several older siblings. Kangxi looked at her and couldn’t help but turn to the fifth princess with a smile: “This little girl has a bit of the spirit you had in your youth.”

“Father, your words embarrass your daughter,” the fifth princess smiled gently. “The common folk say niece is like you, which must hold some truth.”

Kangxi laughed heartily and waved at Yu Yan. Aunt Chen was about to carry her over, but Yu Yan struggled to stand on her own. She marched over with short legs and boldly reached out her hand, smiling sweetly: “Mafah!”

“This little girl climbs up quickly,” Kangxi said with surprise.

Throughout his life, he had held only a few children—one was the crown prince, one his daughter Rongxian, another the fifth prince, and among grandchildren, only the crown prince’s Hongxi. But among all these children, only one had ever asked to be held by him first—the crown prince.

Yu Yan’s big, bright eyes stirred a grandfatherly love in Kangxi, and he laughed as he lifted her onto his lap.

The princes below all turned to look at the crown prince. Since when had their father shown such a tender side? This treatment was usually reserved only for the crown prince.

Yet Yinzhen’s expression remained unchanged, though he inwardly chuckled. How old was he now? How old was the fourth prince’s little princess? Facing such a baby, did he still need to cling to the old man’s knee in tears, demanding why he wasn’t held first?

Yinzhen glanced at Yu Yan with some concern—if Elin Zhu cried and upset the emperor, it wouldn’t be good.

“What’s your name?” Kangxi asked cheerfully.

Yu Yan replied seriously, “My name is Elin Zhu. Mother says it means treasure.”

Yinzhen calmly sipped his tea despite his brothers’ teasing glances.

Kangxi cheerfully set Yu Yan down and instructed a young eunuch to present her reward. On the table lay a string of bright gold dragon-shaped pendants, starkly different from the gifts given to other granddaughters.

“Thank you, Imperial Mafah,” Yu Yan showed her small white teeth.

She understood that the emperor wouldn’t hold his favored granddaughter forever at the family banquet, so she felt no disappointment. It was already a great honor to leave an impression on the powerful Imperial Mafah. After Aunt Chen accepted the gift for her, Yu Yan obediently returned to her seat, giving the lady a shy smile.

The lady smiled warmly. “Our Elin Zhu truly is a clever child.”

Among so many children present, how many had been held on the emperor’s lap personally? The lady exhaled slowly. Outside, the Ulanara clan had sent news saying that at this year’s ennoblement, the eldest and third princes were made dukes, but the fourth prince would likely only be a beile. She felt she needed to comfort the fourth prince more.

Now that Elin Zhu had caught the emperor’s eye, it was a blessing. At least palace gossip would be less harsh.

Amid the firecracker sounds marking the year's end, the spring breeze brought warmth to the Tusu wine.

Yu Yan couldn’t help but yawn. If she were in the modern world, she would probably still feel energetic at this hour. But now, at only three years old, her body was forcing her to shut down.

While the princes continued drinking and toasting with the emperor, the children in the warm pavilion grew sluggish. Ni Chuhe, the eldest at nine, seldom stayed up late at home. She hugged her younger brothers and sisters, whispering stories so that the youngest fourth princess and Hongyu both fell asleep.

Yu Yan gazed at Ni Chuhe dreamily. Would she one day become such an elder sister?

The two little princes, Honghui and Hongxi, were placed on the warm kang bed by the maids, their heads resting together as they slept soundly. Yu Yan, unable to stay awake any longer, obediently lay down beside Hongxi. The warmth and faint scent of milk soon lulled her into sleep.

When the lady entered, she saw this peaceful scene: Elin Zhu sprawled comfortably on the kang, flanked by Hongxi and Honghui, all three fast asleep. Elin Zhu seemed to be dreaming sweetly, murmuring softly with rosy cheeks.

She smiled gently and said, “The midnight hour has passed. We should return to the courtyard.”

Then she bent down, gently touching each child’s face to ensure they were alright. After confirming, she signaled, and the two wet nurses carefully lifted the little princes. Aunt Chen went to pick up Yu Yan but found her hand clutching the court necklace hanging from the lady’s neck.

A moment of hesitation crossed her face before she steadied herself and tried to free Yu Yan’s hand.

The lady waved her off and quietly lifted Yu Yan, wiping the sweat from her hair with a warm cloth. She then placed a hat on Yu Yan’s head, wrapped her snugly in a cloak, and carried her out of the Palace of Longevity and Peace.