Lian Hua felt somewhat relaxed yet still a tad nervous after listening, her hand that had been behind her back slowly moved to the front, opening to reveal a small, round jade pendant held in her palm with a blooming little lotus carved at its center. The surface of the jade was delicate and smooth, showing signs of being worn for many years, adorned with a cord she had just made.
The cord was something she had recently learned to braid by experimenting, and though it was of the simplest design, it looked rather nice.
Gazing at the jade pendant, a wave of inexplicable emotions surged in her eyes as she softly said, "This is the jade pendant I’ve worn since my childhood. My father had someone carve it especially for me. I’ve worn it for many years, and today, I would like to give it to His Majesty," to the one she cherished.
Seeing her expression and the jade pendant in her hands made the Emperor’s emotions surge wildly.
This jade pendant was undoubtedly her most treasured possession, which she might never have considered trading for silver even during her most challenging times. Now, she wished to give it to him, and the implications were clear: Little Concubine was placing him in her heart, wanting to give him something she treasured deeply.
Thinking of this filled him with irrepressible joy, burning fiercely within him.
Containing his excitement, he carefully took it from her hands, solemnly promising, "Lian Hua, I am very delighted, and I will cherish it just as dearly as you have."
After finishing his words, he couldn’t help but embrace her tightly and whisper in her ear, "My Lian Hua, in this life, I will never let you down."
Lian Hua returned His Majesty’s embrace, burying herself in his chest. His Majesty understood her feelings. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge in her nose and her eyes seemed to moisten.
She had not worn this jade pendant since entering the palace; she had hidden it away.
Every time she saw the jade pendant, she felt as if life was a great dream. She walked alone, with her family far, far away, making it unbearable to look at again.
Just now, when she saw the safety buckle, she thought of it as something His Majesty wore close to his body and decided to take out her childhood jade pendant to give to him.
As the two separated, the Emperor couldn’t help but caress the jade pendant and noticed two characters engraved on the back; he read them out loud, "Nannan?"
Was this her nickname?
Lian Hua bit her lip, slightly embarrassed, and said, "Yes, that’s me. It’s my nickname. My parents used to call me that..." Now that I am grown, it seems a bit embarrassing to hear you call me that.
The Emperor felt a sense of novelty, having never heard of her nickname before. He couldn’t help but repeat it to himself, saying aloud, "Nannan, Nannan, my Nannan." It’s a nice nickname, very affectionate.
"Oh, please stop saying it..." She would be too embarrassed if he continued.
The Emperor looked down at her, playfully repeating the nickname a few times, which made her bury her head in his chest, giggling before he finally stopped.
He marveled internally how this nickname illustrated just how dearly Little Concubine’s parents had loved her, treating her as precious as pearls and jewels. It was just curious why they would let her enter the palace to become a Palace Maid.
At that thought, the Emperor couldn’t resist asking, "Where are your parents now?"
This was the first time he had heard her mention her family. If they were still around, it would be nice to arrange a meeting to make her happy.
Why would he suddenly ask about this?
Lian Hua subconsciously paused; she seemed to have no knowledge of her parents’ whereabouts in her memory. Her Clan Uncle had mentioned in passing that her family had accrued considerable debt. Her parents and brothers had gone to a distant place to earn silver, and they could only return after earning enough to pay it off, asking her to live peacefully until then, by which time they could reunite.
But could she? She didn’t know.
Before entering the palace, she didn’t know that a special pardon was necessary to leave the palace after entering. When she learned this shortly after her arrival, she wanted to cry every day and could only fall asleep clutching the jade pendant her father had given her.
Later, an older Managerial Nanny, unable to bear seeing her , comforted her and told her to accept her situation. If she wanted to leave the palace, merely wanting it was not enough. She needed to behave well to earn a special pardon from the Noble Consort or His Majesty, who could grant palace maids leave from the palace based on merit. Indeed, a few years ago, a maid from the Star Palace had been granted such a pardon.
This Nanny fell ill at one point, and she looked after her for a while. The Nanny treated her quite well. At the time, the Star Palace happened to need more hands, so she was assigned there. However, she constantly struggled to distinguish herself, only doing menial tasks and seldom getting any chance to stand out.
The Nanny who had helped her eventually passed away, and she never really had the opportunity to repay her.
Afterward, she settled in and worked hard, but she couldn’t bear to look at the jade pendant her father had given her any longer.
She thought she should save up silver and see if she could find an opportunity to get a pardon to go out. She had grown older and wanted to help her family share the burdens, but she never seemed able to save much silver.
Reflecting on all this, Lian Hua shook her head dejectedly, "I really don’t know."
Seeing her , the Emperor gently patted her head, afraid to stir any painful memories, and dared not to continue the subject.
Palace maids who entered the palace probably had troubled families, with lives so difficult that they had no choice but to sell their children into servitude. This gave both parties a way to survive. After many years in the palace, losing contact with relatives was normal.
He quietly took note of this matter and planned to have someone look into her family’s whereabouts. If they could be found, letting her know their news and perhaps see them again would surely make her happy.
He suspected she must really miss her family. If she hadn’t met him, she would likely have had to endure palace life till old age, her whole life.
Thinking of this, his heart ached. His Little Concubine was too endearing to end up with such a fate. Fortunately, fate had brought them together, and they had not missed each other.
In the future, palace maids of age who wished to leave could be let go. This would give them a chance to reunite with their families, providing some comfort.
Coming back to his senses, the Emperor affectionately kissed her forehead and changed the subject, "Nannan, could you help me put on the jade pendant?"
Lian Hua had been straining to remember the whereabouts of her parents. Whenever she tried to recall something, either a fog clouded her mind or a stabbing pain interrupted her thoughts.
Hearing His Majesty call her, she raised her head and looked at him, confused.
Thinking she might not have heard him clearly, the Emperor gently asked again, "My Nannan, could you help me with the jade pendant?"
Lian Hua’s eyes focused, and understanding His Majesty’s request this time, she slowly smiled sweetly, feeling both affectionate and somewhat shy. "Nannan" called from his lips felt very different from when it came from her parents.
From her parents, it carried familial love that made her feel very close and warm:
Coming from His Majesty, it was different. Besides affection, it carried something else that made her heart sweet, as if she was being cherished.
Blushing, she nodded, stood up, took the jade pendant, looked at His Majesty once more, then lowered her head to seriously begin tying it around His Majesty’s waist.
The Emperor’s eyes twinkled with laughter, like stars scattered across the sky, as he tenderly watched her every move.