Light Dance Jiajing

The carriage slowly drove out of the imperial city. Kangpin sat woodenly in the carriage. Zaihou huddled in Meng'er's arms, looking at his mother timidly from time to time. Kangpin had not spoken for several days. Since receiving the imperial edict ordering them to move to the North Palace, Kangpin seemed to have aged a lot. After trying all kinds of methods and failing to change her fate, Kangpin has been silent. She never looked for Meng'er to ask them how they had angered the emperor. Now Kangpin knows that there is no room for maneuver. Her long expectations have finally come to nothing. After leaving the imperial city and the center of power, their fate will only be to be gradually forgotten. They will be nothing from now on.

Beigong is another name for Wanchun Garden, named after its location in the northern suburbs of the capital. It was originally a royal palace, but was gradually abandoned because the emperor seldom went there. Later, it was used as a cold palace, where deposed concubines and palace maids who had made mistakes were imprisoned. It is said that some people went crazy after being imprisoned here, and some hanged themselves or jumped off a cliff.

Concubine Kang was rather special here. Although she was banished to the North Palace, her title was not abolished. The female official who came to pick her up looked down on them from the bottom of her heart, but it was not convenient for her to break the rules. It was just that her cold face made people feel uncomfortable no matter how they looked at her.

Kangpin was used to people flattering the powerful and bullying the weak, so she turned a blind eye and moved into a small courtyard that had been arranged in advance with her entourage. The eunuch chief of the North Palace, an old eunuch in his sixties, came over to pay his respects, said a few polite words and then left.

Mei'er looked around their new home, which was a three-story courtyard. A quick glance left only one impression in her mind - dilapidated. The courtyard was full of weeds, and many of them even grew on the roof, not to mention the house. Mei'er thought that the wall was just short of having the word "demolish" written on it and a circle drawn around it. The window paper looked newly pasted, and it squeaked when touched lightly. The five-year-old Zaihou didn't understand why they moved here. After running around and finding it boring, he argued with Mei'er that he wanted to go back to the palace. Mei'er quickly pulled Zaihou aside and calmed him down by coaxing and deceiving him.

Kangpin only brought Zhao Mama, Hongshan and Hongfeng, as well as Meng'er's personal maids Luzhu and Luluo, and Xiaoquanzi who served Zaihou. Three masters and six servants just stayed there. Kangpin didn't say a word since she entered the yard. She just sat in the chair, as if everything here had nothing to do with her. This made Meng'er very busy. She asked Zhao Mama to take care of her mother, and took others to clean the room and pack the luggage. After a day of hard work, they finally cleaned up the room before sunset. The main room was Kangpin's residence, Zaihou lived in the east wing, Meng'er lived in the west wing, and the servants lived in the outer courtyard.

After a tiring day, Meng'er was exhausted, but she was no longer sleepy when she lay on the bed to relax. The long scroll and the lonely figure appeared in front of her eyes again. Her nose was sore and her eyes were misty again. At this time, a small figure climbed onto Meng'er's bed as usual and wrapped around her like an octopus, "Sister, Hao'er is so scared, sister, I don't want to sleep alone, I want to be with you in the future." He rested his head on Meng'er's arm and soon felt sleepy. Meng'er touched his little head and complained, "Hao'er is already grown up, why do you still have to share a bed with me!" Zaihou pouted, turned over and changed to a more comfortable position. Meng'er smiled, kissed his little face lovingly and helplessly, and Zaihou laughed happily in his sleep.

"Mom still doesn't want to eat?" asked Mei'er.

Zhao Ma Ma sighed, "It's been five days, and the Queen has only eaten a small bowl of corn every night. Even the strongest person can't stand it." As Zhao Ma Ma spoke, she began to cry again.

Mei'er frowned and thought, although Kangpin usually ate light food, the food in the Shanfang here was too poor. She was already depressed, and this couldn't go on. Mei'er walked around the yard and chose an outer room in the corner. She gathered everyone and began to assign tasks. Mei'er wanted to convert this room into a kitchen, and then several people started to work. Fortunately, Mei'er had already arranged for the eunuch in charge in the past few days, so it was not difficult to get all the tools. Seeing that the stove was in good shape, Mei'er thought that Kangpin had no appetite, so it would be better to dig some wild vegetables, which would be novel and fresh. So she took Zaihou to dig wild vegetables.

"Sister, you even know wild vegetables. You are so amazing. Is this dandelion edible too?" Zaihou looked at Meng'er with admiration. Meng'er knew many kinds of wild vegetables. They were taught to her by Yan Hao in her previous life. Unexpectedly, they would come in handy now. Thinking that she was probably the only princess who knew these things among those who lived in luxury, Meng'er smiled and said, "What's so difficult about this? There are plenty of them in the imperial garden. You just haven't noticed them. Don't underestimate these wild vegetables. Each one has its own use." Zaihou said "oh" and continued to listen to Meng'er talking about the effects of wild vegetables. However, Meng'er did not notice that a pair of eyes not far away were staring at them. Until they picked the wild vegetables and left, the man walked out from behind the low wall. An inexplicable flame flashed in his eyes and then returned to silence.

There was no meat in dinner either. Meng'er hadn't cooked in the past eight years. She was not good at this in her previous life. The only thing she was good at was making soup. At this moment, Meng'er was beside the stove, gently stirring a pot of millet porridge, adding some osmanthus from time to time. After a full hour of cooking, a pot of fragrant osmanthus rice porridge was ready. Meng'er brought a bowl and walked into Kangpin's room. Kangpin was leaning on the pillow, and seemed to be asleep. Meng'er looked at the weak Kangpin and felt very sad. It was because of her that her mother was driven out of the palace. Now she only wanted to protect her mother and Zaihou, but she didn't know what she could do. How could she make her mother happy? Meng'er sat down silently beside the bed and sighed unconsciously. Turning back, she found that Kangpin had opened her eyes. Meng'er called softly, "Mother..." She didn't know what to say next.

Kangpin sat up slowly, looking at the darkening sky outside the window, and suddenly said after a while: "Why is there a scent of osmanthus?"

Mei'er quickly brought the osmanthus porridge over: "Mom, please try it." Then she fed a spoonful of porridge into Kangpin's mouth, and then she took two mouthfuls... When the bowl was empty, Kangpin seemed to want to drink more, so Mei'er excitedly served her another bowl. Kangpin ate some cold dishes with the porridge. At this time, Zaihou ran in: "Sister, what kind of porridge is this? It's so delicious. I served you a bowl, and they almost drank it all." Zaihou said as he handed a bowl of porridge to Mei'er.

Meng'er smiled and patted Zaihou's little head: "Zaihou is still thinking about me."

Kangpin looked at the two children and smiled slowly. As she smiled, tears began to flow. Menger turned her head and called "mother" softly, then snuggled into Kangpin's arms and said softly: "Mother, God is so kind to us. As long as we are still together, as long as we are all alive." Zaihou also leaned over. Kangpin hugged the two children and let her tears continue to fall, just like in the past when they were in the palace, the three of them depended on each other and shared weal and woe.