Xie Pan’Er picked at her ear. Did I hear that wrong?
No, that can’t be right. Before, when they were about to enter the Palace for the banquet, Nanny Zhang hadn’t been in a rush to teach the Princess the grand kowtow ceremony. So why would Nanny Zhang suddenly want to teach the Princess the grand kowtow ceremony now?
"Nanny, did you misspeak? Shouldn’t I be the one learning the grand kowtow ceremony? The Princess can just watch me learn, like before. She doesn’t need to actually kneel!"
Before attending banquets in the Palace, the Princess had learned about the grand kowtow ceremony, but she never personally knelt. Instead, Xie Pan’Er would perform the kowtow while Xiaosuisui watched from the side.
But now, looking at Nanny Zhang’s expression, it seems she intends for Xiaosuisui to kneel personally...
"No! This time, the Princess must learn it herself!" Nanny Zhang told Xie Pan’Er very clearly.
Xie Pan’Er was very nervous. "Nanny, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager have granted a special dispensation. The Princess doesn’t need to kneel when she enters the Palace in the future. So, shouldn’t we skip learning this grand kowtow ceremony?"
After they left the Palace, the Second Madame had told her that from then on, when she was with the Princess, she must always be vigilant and never let her kneel!
She had been puzzled at the time.
Later, after racking her brains for three days, she finally understood when a young maid in her household mentioned that the Empress Dowager in the Palace had not only rewarded the National Master’s Mansion but also that little Lucky Star from the Li Family! It was said that many bolts of cloth and brocade, gold and silver, and even jewelry and jade artifacts were bestowed. Later, someone else spoke of the phoenix in the Palace, saying that the Great Han having a true phoenix that stayed in Cining Palace without leaving was all thanks to the merit of the Li Family’s little Lucky Star’s performance of "Phoenix’s Advent"...
Hearing these words, Xie Pan’Er naturally recalled all the events that had occurred on the day Fengxian Hall was struck by lightning.
A cold sweat prickled her skin! That incident had happened not long ago, and now Nanny Zhang was telling her she was going to teach the Princess the grand kowtow ceremony!
"Even if His Majesty and the Empress Dowager have exempted the Princess and the Ji Family from the grand kowtow ceremony, the wrath and favor of the sovereign are all expressions of imperial grace. Not kneeling now doesn’t mean one won’t kneel in the future. Besides, the Princess is a member of the Royal Family. At some future royal sacrificial rites, not only the Princess but even His Majesty and the Empress Dowager themselves must kneel. This kneeling also has requirements; the conduct and extent of the kowtow differ depending on the occasion." Nanny Zhang said this with a stern face, speaking very seriously.
"That can be easily arranged then. I’ll learn, and the Princess can watch, just like before. How does that sound?"
Nanny Zhang still shook her head. "That won’t do. Before, when you kowtowed and the Princess watched, it was because you were learning basic etiquette, not important ceremonial conduct for major occasions; it was of little consequence. But what needs to be learned now are the fundamentals. The Princess must start training her posture from a young age! Therefore, Miss Xie, you cannot substitute for her!"
When Nanny Zhang said this, Xie Pan’Er felt as if her head would explode.
"Nanny! Can we learn something else today? Can we postpone learning this grand kowtow ceremony for now?"
Nanny Zhang mercilessly refused.
"Absolutely not! The Double Ninth Festival has passed, and soon there will be various sacrificial rites in the Palace. Especially before the New Year, His Majesty will hold the Heaven Worshipping Ceremony to report the year’s achievements to Heaven and pray for propitious winds and timely rain in the coming year. The Princess will definitely have to participate in these rites."
Xie Pan’Er could not change Nanny Zhang’s insistence, so after some thought, she said, "Nanny, perhaps we should discuss this matter with Old Madame Ji, or Second Madame, or Third Madame?" Xie Pan’Er suggested quietly.
Unexpectedly, she saw Nanny Zhang’s expression visibly and rapidly darken!