Chapter 102: Heaven's Precious Gift to Her
Chapter 102: Heaven's Precious Gift to Her
Sui Sui took a sweet afternoon nap and had a delightful dream.
In her dream, there was an abundance of delicious food, soft beds, and the fragrant and gentle touch of her mother, the queen.
Sui Sui was so comfortable that she didn't want to wake up.
However, the call of nature gave her no choice, and after hastily attending to her needs, she sat on the bed, taking a moment to gather herself.
Queen Qi had timed her visit perfectly, and seeing the little girl's groggy trip to the bathroom and quick return, she sat on the bed, lost in thought, unable to suppress a smile.
She raised her hand and gently caressed Sui Sui's head, "Time to get up?"
Sui Sui felt incredibly comfortable and secure from her mother's touch and subconsciously tilted her head, rubbing against the queen's palm like a cuddly kitten, her voice soft and endearing, "I'm getting up."
Feeling the little girl's affection, Queen Qi's heart melted.
She thought to herself, "Raising such a delicate little girl is wonderful."
At that moment, Queen Qi even contemplated the idea that if the king only wanted the daughter predicted by the master, that would be fine too.
That way, she wouldn't have to worry about anyone taking this soft and adorable girl away from her!
However, Queen Qi quickly shook her head to dispel that thought.
It was still too selfish.
Such a lovely child deserved to be loved by many.
Sui Sui's past had been filled with hardship, and Queen Qi wanted her days going forward to be sweet.
As was customary after an afternoon nap, the mouth-rinsing water was prepared, infused with floral tea.
After rinsing, Queen Qi helped Sui Sui change into a new set of clothes.
Looking at Sui Sui's short hair, Queen Qi felt a bit disappointed, "Once your hair grows longer, Mother will style it into a cute little bun."
Fearing that Sui Sui might not understand what a little bun looked like, Queen Qi explained, "Just like the pretty little bun your cousin, Qiao Qiao, has."
Qiao Qiao was none other than Ying Zhi, whom they had met earlier that morning.
Sui Sui remembered her well.
And thinking of Qiao Qiao, Sui Sui quickly recalled another person from her time in Wenzhou—Sister Ruoruo.
These happy memories were something Sui Sui wanted to share with her mother.
So, after they finished getting ready, Sui Sui held her mother's hand and chatted nonstop, "On my journey here, I also met a Sister Ruoruo. She's very gentle and would give me candies and ruffle my hair. She was so nice!"
"She even said that I'm as cute as her little sister."
"Sister Ruoruo also said that my round head is the cutest, and she wanted to take me home with her."
......
The innocent ramblings of a child.
Queen Qi listened with great interest.
She had already heard about Sui Sui's journey from King Qing and a more detailed account from Doctor Liu.
Now, when Sui Sui mentioned Sister Ruoruo, Queen Qi guessed that she was referring to Lian Ruoyi, the beloved daughter of the county magistrate of Nanqiao County, whose aunt was the currently favored concubine in the palace, Lian Mei Ren.
Queen Qi had met Lian Mei Ren during her last visit to the palace to pay respects to the empress dowager.
She was a charming and beautiful woman who had left a good impression on Queen Qi.
Given Lian Mei Ren's kind nature, it was likely that her niece was also a pleasant young lady.
However, with the county magistrate having been posted to Nanqiao County recently, it was unlikely that he would be transferred back to the capital anytime soon unless he achieved remarkable feats.
Queen Qi understood this but chose not to mention it, not wanting to dampen the child's spirits.
Instead, she steered the conversation in a different direction, "Yes, Sister Ruoruo is nice. Remember to write her a letter when you have the chance. If you don't know how to write, we can draw pictures or send her gifts."
Sui Sui's fear of feeling inferior due to her financial situation prompted Princess Qi to reassure her, "If you want to make something with your own hands, Mother will find someone to teach you how to do handicrafts. How does that sound?"
Sui Sui, who had been worried about what to give Sister Ruoruo as a gift, happily nodded in response, "Okay, I understand."
After a moment's thought, she added loudly, "Thank you, Mother. I like you."
The simplicity and sincerity of a child's expression of affection.
Princess Qi's eyes curved with warmth, feeling more convinced that Sui Sui was a precious gift from heaven.
She vowed to cherish and protect this precious child.
Feng Xuanrui and the others had also risen early and finished their morning preparations.
With the afternoon horse-riding and archery lesson about to begin, they didn't have time to pay their respects to Princess Qi and instead headed straight for the small training ground in the back yard.
The area had been specially cleared and the ground compacted multiple times to ensure a flat and solid surface for the young masters' lessons.
By the time they arrived, the teacher had already started taking attendance.
After roll call, the teacher led them through the Eight-Section Brocade exercises.
As Sui Sui hadn't joined the class yet and had no prior experience, Princess Qi didn't expect her to follow along.
Instead, she sat with her entourage, watching from the sidelines.
Following the Eight-Section Brocade, the teacher instructed the students to practice their basic skills to warm up for the upcoming archery and horsemanship training.
The basic skills weren't too challenging.
They involved horse-stance squats and arm strength exercises.
Feng Xuanrui hadn't practiced in over a month, so he was essentially starting from scratch.
Squatting in the horse stance...
It was too difficult!
Feng Xuanrui discovered that his legs were trembling from exhaustion after only a short while.
He turned his head and realized that he was even worse than Little Seven?
Huh? When did he become inferior to the seventh fool? Unwilling to accept defeat, Feng Xuanrui grit his teeth and persevered.
The teacher was the same one from the morning session.
While not all officials in the Great Zhou Dynasty could be described as literary and military geniuses...
Most civil servants were indeed well-versed in martial arts.
Although Teacher Shen was a scholar, his equestrian skills were exceptional.
Thus, both the literary and martial arts lessons were conducted by the elderly Mr. Shen.
At that moment, he strolled leisurely among the young masters, holding a wooden ruler in his hand.
He would occasionally turn his head to glance at one student or another.
Though Teacher Shen remained silent, his gaze carried a sense of pressure.
Sui Sui, who had been enthusiastically mimicking her brothers from a distance, was startled by Teacher Shen's gaze, even though it wasn't directed specifically at her.
Princess Qi watched from the sidelines, feeling a bit helpless.
She gently patted Sui Sui's back, soothing her softly, "Don't be afraid, Sui Sui."
She refrained from saying more.
To ensure that Teacher Shen effectively educated the children, it was necessary to maintain his authority.
Even as spectators, they had to show him the respect he deserved.
Only then would the students feel a sense of reverence and behave during class.
So, Princess Qi didn't say things like, "There's no need to be afraid of the teacher."
She believed that it wasn't so much fear as it was respect.
While the little girl might not understand, Princess Qi knew she had to be careful with her words.
She could offer comfort, but some things were better left unsaid.
The gentle touch of her mother's hand gave Sui Sui courage. She quietly raised her head to glance at the teacher again and, seeing that he was no longer looking in her direction, resumed her attempts to mimic her brothers' horse stances.
The second update will be at 7 PM.
(End of Chapter)
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