The Innocent Heart - Chapter 21

Early the next morning, while it was still pitch dark, Guan Yueyao was dug out of her warm bed by the maids.

Since she was to have an audience with His Majesty today, Guan Yueyao followed custom and bathed thoroughly in hot water scented with spices. Only after that came the hair-pinning and changing of clothes.

Wei Qing intentionally wanted to introduce Guan Yueyao to His Majesty, so today he specifically instructed the maids to dress Guan Yueyao up properly.

When everything was finished, Guan Yueyao’s mind was significantly clearer.

“Ayao, Ayào, are you ready? We are going to the Palace!” At this moment, Huo Qubing was already shouting loudly outside the room. This large courtyard had begun to grow noisy because of his actions.

Guan Yueyao, who was chewing on a warm steamed bun, couldn’t speak. Seeing that the maids had finished preparing her, she quickly hurried out of the room, holding the hem of her garment.

“Have you eaten? Want some? Hey, this steamed bun tastes really not bad, much better than what I used to eat on the street.” Seeing her friend, Guan Yueyao’s mood instantly brightened.

She broke the steamed bun in her hand into two halves and offered one to Huo Qubing.

Huo Qubing was momentarily stunned. He had indeed eaten a little something to line his stomach that morning. But he was thoroughly familiar with the procedure for entering the palace to meet the sovereign. He also knew clearly that once inside the palace, his aunt and His Majesty would likely bestow food upon him.

Before entering the palace, it was best not to eat too much. This was a consensus he and his uncle, Wei Qing, had reached a long time ago.

But looking at the piece of steamed bun Guan Yueyao was offering him now, Huo Qubing hesitated for a moment before accepting it rather weakly.

“Thank you.” Huo Qubing didn’t know why his face felt slightly hot, but thankfully, the light was dim, so no one noticed the change in his complexion.

Guan Yueyao didn’t notice her friend’s abnormality either. She turned and grabbed his arm, asking casually, “How are we getting there?”

Just as Huo Qubing was about to answer her, Wei Qing’s figure walked in: “Qubing, Yueyao, are you both ready? Let’s go; we need to enter the palace now.”

His demeanor was gentle, as if he had already regarded Guan Yueyao as a beloved junior, just like Huo Qubing.

“We are ready,” Guan Yueyao unconsciously let go of the hand she was holding onto Huo Qubing under Wei Qing’s gaze. The tone of her speech seemed to have softened considerably; upon first hearing it, one might mistake her for a refined and gentle young man.

“Then let’s go. We are traveling by carriage today, so we need to leave a bit earlier. It’s Yueyao’s first time entering the palace; I think there are a few things I need to instruct you on.”

Wei Qing smiled and habitually patted the heads of the two youths, looking incredibly benevolent.

But this gesture clearly held an entirely different meaning in Guan Yueyao’s eyes.

She still vividly remembered her confrontation with Wei Qing yesterday. Although the man was technically her defeated opponent, for some reason, Guan Yueyao felt an indescribable sense of admiration for Wei Qing.

She recalled Wei Qing’s gentle and considerate concern after yesterday’s match. This was different from the roughhousing between peers of Huo Qubing’s age; it was the kind of care from an elder that she had long been missing.

Modern people married and had children later in life, so Guan Yueyao didn’t see Wei Qing as an elder, but more like a highly capable and kind older brother who treated her well.

She couldn’t help but want to be closer to him, to gain more of his approval. As long as she could get him to notice her, she felt she would be willing to do anything.

And right now, she could even sit in the carriage with him! Guan Yueyao’s mood couldn’t help but become joyful because of this.

Inside the carriage, the excitement of the two children was very high. Guan Yueyao was naturally excited because of Wei Qing, while Huo Qubing was excited because this was the first time a friend accompanied him into the palace together.

This feeling made him somewhat exhilarated and somewhat novel, especially since he knew clearly that once they spent the boring time in his aunt’s palace, after His Majesty finished the morning court session, he would surely hear many exciting pieces of news and discussions.

In the past, even if his aunt, Madam Wei, allowed him to move freely in the Qingliang Hall while waiting, that time spent in his aunt’s palace was still an agonizingly boring period for him.

But today was different—Ayao would accompany him! He had already planned that once they arrived at his aunt’s palace, they could go to the open space in the rear garden of the Qingliang Hall, where Ayào could fully demonstrate the saber technique she used yesterday!

Thinking of this, he actually felt that the journey from the Wei residence to the Imperial Palace, which usually felt short, had become incredibly long.

“Yueyao, when we arrive at the palace gates, I will separate from you and Qubing. You and Qubing can go to the Qingliang Hall to wait with Madam Wei first. Madam Wei is my third sister; she has always been easygoing and kind, so you don’t need to be afraid.”

While Huo Qubing was still daydreaming about practicing saber techniques with Ayào in his aunt’s palace, Uncle Wei Qing had already assigned him a task.

“Qubing, I have a letter here. When we arrive, take Yueyao to the Qingliang Hall and be sure to hand it to the Madam personally.”

Having been born into such a wealthy family, although Huo Qubing was young, he understood the solemnity of his uncle’s request; the letter must contain very critical information.

He dared not be careless and carefully tucked the silk cloth into his robes.

As for Guan Yueyao, although she was a modern person, the thought of meeting a genuine Emperor still made her heart apprehensive and excited.

After all, even in modern times, for the vast majority of people, seeing a national leader was only possible on television or online.

“Mom! I’m going to see the Emperor! Although I don’t know which Emperor it is, it’s truly the Emperor!” Guan Yueyao thought secretly in her heart. Was this considered an act that brought glory to the ancestors?

If only she knew who it was! Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, was indeed famous, and Guan Yueyao knew of him, but no one in that era dared to call the Emperor by his personal name.

As for the title Emperor Wu of Han, which was most familiar to later generations, it was an posthumous title established forty-three years after Liu Che’s death, and it wouldn’t be established for decades.

Based on Guan Yueyao’s extremely shallow historical knowledge, she couldn’t deduce who the reigning Emperor was from the names of the famous generals and ministers surrounding Liu Che.

But regardless, meeting the sovereign was always an exciting event.

The two youths discussed animatedly in the carriage, each harboring different expectations.

Unlike Guan Yueyao, Huo Qubing had been deeply favored by Liu Che since childhood, practically raised as half a son. He was experienced in meeting the sovereign. Seeing that there was finally something he was familiar with that Guan Yueyao knew nothing about, he became smug and began to talk voluminously about the etiquette of meeting the sovereign that he believed Guan Yueyao needed to know.

In an instant, the chatter of the two young boys almost filled the entire carriage.

The content of their conversation was still somewhat childish, carrying the ignorance and exaggeration characteristic of boys their age. This made Wei Qing, sitting quietly beside them, unable to stop himself from wanting to laugh.

But Wei Qing had always been a man of integrity. He didn’t want to interrupt their lively discussion, yet driven by a mischievous thought, he chose to be a silent listener.

But holding back laughter was painful. Finally, Wei Qing endured until they reached the palace gates, and he alighted from the carriage. He straightened his face, which was slightly flushed from suppressing laughter, and gave a few earnest instructions: not to be reckless in the palace, to go directly to the Madam’s palace, and not to be mischievous.

“Oh, Zhongqing! Oh dear Qubing, when are you coming to my place to play with your cousin Jingsheng?” The greeting from Gongsun He sounded from not far away, interrupting Wei Qing’s words.

Huo Qubing’s expression stiffened at the sound. Reluctantly, he followed his uncle forward to bow to his elder cousin-in-law, Gongsun He.

Wei Qing knew that his nephew and his friend’s son never got along. Thus, before Gongsun He could say more, he found an excuse and dragged him away from Huo Qubing.

It was strange. Gongsun He and his eldest sister Wei Junru’s son, Gongsun Jingsheng, were both his nephews. Yet, the degree of affection Wei Qing held for these two nephews differed vastly.

In Wei Qing’s view, although Gongsun Jingsheng was also born into a military family, he was spoiled too excessively by his elder sister and his friend. He only knew how to raise fighting fowl and enjoy idle pleasures, hating the hardships of military life, and consistently refusing to practice martial arts.

He was clearly not on the same path as him and Qubing, so he was unwilling for Qubing to interact much with this cousin, lest he pick up bad habits that, in his view, were undesirable.

His own friend was clearly a heroic figure; how could he have raised such a son?

Watching his friend still chatting and laughing beside him, unaware of the abnormality, Wei Qing thought with some helplessness.

Meanwhile, Huo Qubing, leading Guan Yueyao, was led by an attendant directly into the Qingliang Hall without hindrance. At that time, Wei Zifu had already risen early, completed her dressing and grooming, and was taking the two princesses, Wei Chang and Zhuyi, for a stroll in the garden.

“Qubing, why are you here so early today?” Seeing Qubing led in by the palace maids, Wei Zifu handed her two daughters over to her personal maid and walked over with a smile. “Is this the retainer you mentioned yesterday?”

Seeing Guan Yueyao standing next to Huo Qubing, Wei Zifu couldn’t help but look at her a few more times with curiosity.

Guan Yueyao was staring blankly at Wei Zifu in front of her. This was the first time she had seen someone so beautiful. Her gentle expression, exactly like Wei Qing’s, made people feel instantly亲近 (intimate/approachable).

For some unknown reason, looking at Wei Zifu, Guan Yueyao was reminded of her own mother.

Suddenly, she felt her sleeve hanging by her side gently tugged. Guan Yueyao finally snapped back to reality. She awkwardly followed the posture Wei Qing had taught her yesterday. Although she still felt a little awkward internally, she dutifully bowed to Wei Zifu.

“Greetings, Madam Wei.”

“No need to be so formal. What is your name?” A pair of warm and delicate hands supported Guan Yueyao, gently lifting her up.

“My name is Guan Yueyao.”

Wei Zifu didn’t pay attention to the unintentional breach of etiquette in Guan Yueyao’s speech but led her and Huo Qubing back to the main hall.

“Aunt, this is a letter Uncle asked me to bring you.”

As soon as they entered the hall, Huo Qubing took the silk cloth from his robes and handed it to Wei Zifu. The two of them were quite close, and it seemed no one noticed their action except for Guan Yueyao, who was standing next to Huo Qubing.

Wei Zifu tucked the silk cloth into her wide sleeve, and the smile on her face became even gentler.

“You came to the palace so early; have you had breakfast? Would you like some more? The kitchen made some steamed cakes this morning; they are soft, sticky, and sweet. Wei Chang and Zhuyi both love them.”

Wei Zifu’s voice was soft and melodious, and her tone when speaking was slow and gentle, making one feel happy involuntarily.

Guan Yueyao’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she was about to nod in agreement, but unexpectedly, Huo Qubing spoke up and flatly refused Wei Zifu’s suggestion.

“No need, Aunt! Ayào and I are going to the courtyard to play!” After saying that, without waiting for Guan Yueyao to object, Huo Qubing impatiently grabbed Guan Yueyao’s hand and practically dragged her out of the main hall.