Chapter 374 Lu Xianer Enters the Palace

At noon, the eldest lady of the East Mansion came to the West Mansion.

Qin Xiaoning was learning how to manage the household from Li Lanchun. When she heard the little maid's report, her two sisters-in-law went out to greet them in person.

The eldest daughter's name is Lu Xian, she is sixteen years old, and is the eldest daughter of the eldest son born to the third wife of the East Palace.

"Xian'er has met the eldest sister-in-law and the second aunt."

The little girl has a round face like an apple, round eyes, and a natural smile.

Li Lanchun quickly raised her hand to help the person up, and said half jokingly: "You can't do this, you will be the queen."

The little girl blushed when she heard this, pinching the corner of her clothes and said, "Sister-in-law is always good at teasing people."

Li Lanchun patted her head lovingly, then turned to Qin Xiaoning and said, "Look, you're going to be the mother of the country, but you're still shy all the time."

Qin Xiaoning looked at Sister Xian and said with a smile: "Even if you become the queen, you will always be a child in our eyes."

"Second Aunt is really considerate." As she said that, the little girl came over happily and took Li Lanchun and Qin Xiaoning's arms respectively. She couldn't help but complain, "In order to enter the palace, I have been detained in the yard all day to learn the rules. I am going to get sick from being held back."

Listening to Sister Xian'er's complaints, Qin Xiaoning asked casually, "A while ago, we heard from Aunt San that you have made great progress in learning the rules."

"Every day, apart from eating and sleeping, I just study etiquette. I feel that I am making rapid progress, but the etiquette nanny still scolds me all the time. Take walking for example, she always says that I walk incorrectly."

As she said that, Xian Jie let go of their hands and walked to the corridor holding her skirt: "Sister-in-law, second aunt, I'll come and show it to you, you can judge for yourself."

As she spoke, the little girl began to walk back and forth in the open space under the corridor, muttering to herself as she walked: "The etiquette nanny said that when a noble lady walks, she should 'hold her chin straight, look straight, keep her shoulders straight, keep her arms like she is holding a drum, keep her feet two inches apart, and not shake her elbows.' She also said that the queen is a role model for all women in the world, so when she walks, she should be steady and dignified."

The little girl was wearing a light pink skirt embroidered with bright colorful butterflies. Her sleeves fluttered in the wind when she walked. If you look closely, you can see that she is more agile than steady.

But this is not her fault. She is at an age when she is as beautiful as a flower, and she is also lively and innocent. How can she be as 'dignified and dignified' as the etiquette nanny said?

Seeing the little girl pretending to be steady while practicing her steps, Qin Xiaoning felt sad for her. Li Lanchun herself had a daughter, so naturally her heart was touched.

"I think Sister Xian has done a great job."

"Sister Xian's steps are indeed good."

The two sisters-in-law kept their thoughts to themselves while praising her. Xian Jieer was delighted when she heard her words: "Aunt, you didn't lie to me? Am I really doing well?"

"Very good, very good." Li Lanchun took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off the little girl's face. "Stop practicing, take a break. If you want to eat something, I'll ask them to bring it to you."

"I want to eat candies." The little girl sat down next to Li Lanchun and Qin Xiaoning in the corridor, with a greedy look on her face, and chattered with them: "I like eating sweets the most, but my mother said that we are all going to enter the palace, so she has restricted me everywhere at home recently, and even forbade me to eat snacks. It's a rare opportunity to go out today, so my sister-in-law asked them to bring more candies." "You are still so greedy." Li Lanchun smiled and stroked Sister Xian'er's head: "I have plenty of candies here, and I will let you eat as much as you want today."

After a while, the maids brought in various snacks. Sister Xian looked at them, and her clear eyes immediately shone with a bright light.

"My mother and my etiquette nanny keep nagging me about what to do after entering the palace. Sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, to be honest, I'm scared when I hear it. After entering the palace, those cumbersome rules and formalities are so overwhelming. You can't do this, you can't do that. Even if you want to see your relatives, you can't see them whenever you want. Tell me, wouldn't it be so suffocating?" Sister Xian was eating fruit, but it didn't stop her from talking.

Her mouth was stuffed with fruit, her two thin eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her clear eyes were filled with worries about the unknown of the imperial city.

Li Lanchun picked fruits for her and comforted her, "What are you afraid of? The Queen Mother is your aunt, and the Saint is your cousin. Even if there are rules and regulations in the palace, your aunt and cousin will protect you everywhere."

Hearing Li Lanchun's words, Xian Jie'er's brows relaxed slightly: "My aunt used to love me very much. A few years ago, when she was still the imperial concubine, she came back to visit her parents and brought me many small toys from the palace to play with."

The little girl swallowed the candy in her mouth, then sighed slightly and murmured, "It's just that emperor cousin."

She paused, and her tone was unconsciously filled with worry: "I only met him once at the palace banquet. He looked cold and I don't know if he is easy to get along with."

In the imperial city, Empress Dowager Lu was busy arranging the marriage for the emperor's son. Although there were many capable female officials in the palace, Empress Dowager Lu, who always loved her son dearly, still did everything herself.

She was discussing wedding matters with her capable female official when the new emperor Zhao Pan stepped into Empress Dowager Lu's bedroom.

Zhao Pan is sixteen years old this year. He is a thin boy. Born into an imperial family, he has heard and seen the cruelty of the struggle for power since childhood. The boy looks much more mature and experienced than his peers.

"Pan Er——"

Without waiting for her son to salute, Empress Dowager Lu spoke first and called her over to her side warmly: "You are finally here. What have you been busy with recently that made your mother keep urging you to come here."

Zhao Pan sat down beside Empress Dowager Lu and said calmly, "Your Majesty, you called me here just to discuss marriage. I have already said that these matters are entirely up to you, Your Majesty."

"You kid." Empress Dowager Lu glared at her son lovingly and said half jokingly, "Is it you who is getting married or me? How come you don't care at all?"

Zhao Pan smiled faintly: "Since the person was chosen by my mother and uncle, it must be correct. Only the Ministry of Rites and the inner court will work hard to organize the wedding. What else is there for my son to worry about?"

Hearing the displeasure in her son's words, Empress Dowager Lu said earnestly, "I know you don't like your mother and uncle to make decisions for you, but the matter of establishing a queen requires consideration of many aspects. You are still young now."

"I am no longer a child." Before Empress Dowager Lu could finish, Zhao Pan interrupted and said, "Mother, please don't always treat me like a child."

Empress Dowager Lu paused slightly after being contradicted by her son, then frowned and said in a cold voice: "Pan'er, what do you mean? Your uncle and I have worked hard for so many years, but it's all for you. If it weren't for your uncle, would your cruel father have tolerated us mother and son? If it weren't for your uncle, would you have been able to ascend the throne smoothly?"

"Mother--"

Facing Empress Dowager Lu's chatter, Zhao Pan interrupted her again impatiently, and then he softened his tone and even forced a smile: "Mother, I will always remember my uncle's kindness."