"I won’t go either!"
"I’m not going anywhere; I want to serve the Empress for a lifetime!" Zi Su vowed earnestly!
"Good! Such spirit!"
Xia Ruqing praised!
Zi Su finally felt vindicated.
"Getting married is so dull, having children, supporting a husband, honoring in-laws, it’s all a hassle!"
"How can it compare to my current carefree life?"
"Even if I could enjoy some happiness, I wouldn’t want to exchange painstaking labor for it!"
Currently, I am a First-Rank Senior Palace Maid by the Empress’s side.
It’s said, even when beating a dog, one needs to consider its owner!
When out and about.
Not to mention the various Palace Maids and eunuchs, even the masters and mistresses have to give some face.
Whatever I want to eat, the Little Eunuchs in the Imperial Kitchen rush to serve me.
Whatever I want to wear, as long as it doesn’t break the rules, the seamstresses and Sisters in the sewing room strive to flatter.
The food, drink, clothing, and adornments are more dignified than the less favored masters in the palace.
What is there to complain about in these days?
But if I were to get married?
With no parents, no background, and no family, what good family could I marry into?
Even if I marry into a well-off family, I would be lonely.
If bullied by in-laws, there would be no one to back me up!
Even if the Empress considered past affection and supported me against bullying,
I would still have to bear children.
Childbirth is like crossing the gates of hell; if one can’t make it, death awaits.
A whole busy life wasted, even costing one’s life.
Tsk tsk!
The more Zi Su thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed.
"Anyway, I just don’t want to get married!"
Xia Ruqing couldn’t help but laugh.
"Alright, alright! I’m not forcing you to leave!"
"As long as you wish, you can stay by my side for a lifetime!"
"But let’s agree first, no regrets are allowed!"
Zi Su and Zi Yue exchanged a glance and knelt down together!
"We pledge to follow the Empress loyally!"
Xia Ruqing quickly waved a hand.
"Get up quickly, didn’t I say no kneeling at every turn?"
"Hehe, thank you, Empress!"
The two replied in unison.
Xia Ruqing rolled her eyes playfully.
"Alright, alright!"
"Quickly call for the meal, I’m starving!"
Zi Yue checked the time.
"Oh no, it’s past noon; how did I forget!"
She said with a bow and hurried out.
Zi Su also laughed.
"Empress, do you want me to fetch the Princess?!"
"Yes!"
Xia Ruqing replied firmly, then looked helpless.
"In this cold weather, who knows where she’s run off to!"
"She’s truly spoiled; she can’t sit still for even a moment!"
"Empress, the Princess is lively and adorable, truly delightful!"
Finishing her sentence, she too left with a bow.
...
During the midday meal, snow began falling outside.
Yue Er couldn’t sit still after just a few bites of food and insisted on going out.
Xia Ruqing was speechless, her face stern.
"Finish eating first!"
Yue Er looked aggrieved.
"I miss Father!"
"If Father were here, he’d definitely take me out to play!"
Xia Ruqing was exasperated.
She gave her a light tap on her bottom.
"If you don’t behave, your father won’t like you!"
Yue Er felt a bit wronged.
"Why wouldn’t Father like me!"
"Father will never dislike me!"
Xia Ruqing nodded calmly.
"If you behave, your father won’t dislike you!"
The little girl was a bit confused, scratching her head not knowing what to say.
In the end, she could only let out an ’oh’ and obediently continued eating.
This scene amused the Wetnurse Sisters around.
"The Princess is so well-behaved!"
"The Princess is truly filial!!"
"The Princess is so good; the Emperor would be pleased to see her!"
Yue Er loved being praised.
Hearing so many people compliment her, she was overjoyed.
Not only did she finish all her food, but she drank her soup down to the last drop.
"Mother, can I go out and play now?"
The little girl blinked her big eyes, full of expectation.
Xia Ruqing: "..."
She looked at the increasingly heavy snowfall outside, feeling a headache.
"Yue Er, can you tell Mother, with this heavy snow, what do you want to go out for?"
Yue Er had a determined look.
"Mother, I want to go practice martial arts!"
"Practice martial arts?" Xia Ruqing widened her eyes.
"In this weather, what martial arts are you practicing!"
It’s simply a headache!
Heavens, is this the little sweetheart I had hoped for?
"Brother said, to master martial arts, one must practice in the depths of winter and the height of summer, never ceasing despite thunder, rain, or snow!"
The three-year-old girl’s voice was tender, yet she had a reasoning for everything!
Xia Ruqing was utterly bemused.
"Which brother told you that? Tell Mother!"
Mother is going to give him a good talking to!
But Yue Er just giggled.
"Mother, I think Brother is right!"
"If Yue Er wants to master martial arts, she must practice diligently!"