“The little masters were playing hide-and-seek. Jiang Ru hid in a place first, and then Xiao Zhuang also ran over to drive Jiang Ru away. As a result, Jiang Ru was standing outside hesitating, but was discovered by Liu Lang. After which Xiao Zhuang scolded Jiang Ru.”
Jiang Ru was thin-skinned and hid aside crying, Xiao Heng saw her and stepped forward to comfort her.
Such a very simple matter, Yin Hui didn’t take it to heart.
Yin Rong had a glimmer of hope and said to Jiang Weijiao at night “We got a beautiful girl who is a childhood friend of Xiao Heng. Tell me, in the future…”
Jiang Weijiao said, “I advise you not to have this kind of dream. Also, if there is any banquet in the Shu Mansion in the future, you should go by yourself and don’t take the children with you.”
It was impossible for their children to develop any childhood friendships with the children of the Shu Palace.
Yin Rong said aggrievedly, “I’m doing it for their own good; if it really happens…”
“With your Elder Brother’s relationship, this can’t be done, so you don’t have to dream,” Jiang Weijiao interrupted her again.
Yin Rong’s words were blocked in her chest.
After the Chinese New Year’s Eve, it was the second year of Jinghe.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Yin Hui and Wei Luo went into the palace to pay their New Year greetings to the Empress.
All the older and younger children gathered together; the older ones stood by themselves, and the younger ones were held by the wet nurses, lined up in three rows to greet Emperor Yongping for the new year.
When Emperor Yongping was in the Yan Palace, he liked to hand out lucky money to his grandchildren, so the custom had been carried on. Eunuch Hai stood beside him holding a tray full of red purses, watching with a smile.
The children came forward in complete order of seniority.
Emperor Yongping chatted with each for a few words and then bestowed New Year’s money. The children respectfully took it, thanked him, saluted, and then came the next person.
When it was Xiao Heng’s turn, Emperor Yongping looked at his ten-year-old grandson and remembered that he had asked Xiao Heng for good luck when planning a big event. So he smiled more kindly, patted Xiao Heng on the small shoulder, and said, “You’re getting more like your father, but luckily you didn’t imitate your father’s icy face.”
Xiao Heng smiled but afraid of being discovered by his father, he immediately put away his smile.
After that, Xiao Heng stepped back for Xiao Zhuang to come.
Xiao Zhuang was beautiful. Although she was domineering, she was his own granddaughter, and Emperor Yongping still smiled kindly.
After Liu Lang, Xiao Xun, and Ba Lang, it was Xiao Ning’s turn, the last child who could receive the New Year’s money by herself.
Xiao Ning had forgotten about the New Year’s greetings, so when her grandpa gave her a red purse, Xiao Ning squeezed it and asked, “Grandfather, is this the lucky money?”
Emperor Yongping smiled and said, “Yes, your father, Empress, mother, and grandma also gave it to you, right?”
Xiao Ning nodded, thought for a while, and returned the purse, saying, “I don’t want the lucky money from you.”
Emperor Yongping was surprised. “Why?”
As he spoke, he glanced at the Third Son and Third Daughter-in-law over there.
Yin Hui’s back began to sweat, and Wei Luo also had a bad thought, but at that moment, they couldn’t interfere with anything.
Xiao Ning had already begun to answer, “Father said that the Emperor’s money must be kept for military pay and the embankment to be repaired. I can’t ask you for it.”
Empress Xu smiled.
Emperor Yongping also smiled and asked persuasively, “Why did your father tell you this?”
Regardless of the fact that Xiao Ning was small, she could already speak in a very orderly manner about when her father took them to go shopping. Because Emperor Yongping showed full patience, Prince Duan, and others could only patiently listen to Xiao Ning’s non-stop narration. Occasionally, when there was confusion, adults could figure it out by themselves.
It wasn’t until Xiao Ning said that she would sell inkstones when she really had no money to spend that Emperor Yongping and everyone laughed loudly, and the atmosphere in the hall became relaxed.
After laughing, Emperor Yongping stuffed the purse into Xiao Ning’s hand and said with a smile, “Your father is right, we can’t spend money carelessly, but this is the lucky money given to you by me, so you can take it.”
Only then did Xiao Ning obediently accept it.
After the New Year’s greetings, except for the family of Prince Duan and the Eldest Princess who stayed behind, the other four princes and princesses took their families to pay New Year’s greetings to their respective mothers-in-law
In front of Emperor Yongping, Empress Xu said to Wei Yang, “Look at the Third Brother, he can lead by example. In terms of teaching children, you should learn from him as a big brother.”
“The teaching was really inspiring.”
Xu Qingwan also nodded.
The Eldest Princess smiled and said to Empress Xu, “Mother, you don’t have to worry too much. The situation in the Elder Brother’s house is different from that of the Third Brother. The Third Sister-in-law was born in a wealthy family, and she is used to being extravagant, so they may indulge the children. The Eldest Brother specially taught them, ang the Eldest Sister-in-law has always been diligent and thrifty in managing the family, so there is no need for my brother to interfere too much.”
Xu Qingwan shook her head humbly.
Emperor Yongping listened with a smile all the time, and glanced at San Lang unobtrusively.
As the grandchildren grew up, they played more tricks. The eunuch in charge of the studying hall once ran into San Lang and Er Lang gambling.
Wu Lang and his brother, who shouldn’t take money seriously, had never participated in it.