When Qing Huan was sent back to Chaoyang Palace, Hua Manman was dozing on the soft couch.
She was relieved to see Qing Huan back safe and sound, and at the same time, her drowsiness washed over her with renewed force.
Her eyelids kept drooping. Yawning, she mumbled.
"Go get some sleep. We can talk about whatever it is tomorrow morning."
Qing Huan replied, "Yes."
She helped the Princess Consort get to bed, then went to sleep in the small adjacent room.
The next day, Hua Manman didn’t get out of bed until the sun was high in the sky.
While helping her wash up, Qing Huan recounted everything that had happened the previous night in detail.
’Honestly, listening to Qing Huan tell a story was a true test of one’s patience.’
When she finally finished her story, Hua Manman couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief.
’She finally finished.’
Hua Manman praised her, "You did very well."
Qing Huan couldn’t help but defend herself.
"I... wasn’t... hemming... and hawing. I just... speak... a little... slowly, that’s all."
Hua Manman soothed her in a gentle voice, "Yes, that’s right. You just speak a little slowly. You did nothing wrong. They were just judging a noble person by their own petty standards."
Seeing that the Princess Consort understood her, Qing Huan immediately cheered up.
After breakfast, Hua Manman sat under the veranda, basking in the sun.
Just as she was growing drowsy and about to fall asleep in the sun, Li Ying arrived.
He stood beside her, blocking most of the sunlight.
Hua Manman opened her eyes. When she saw it was him, most of her drowsiness vanished.
She stood up with Qing Huan’s help.
"Ah, Prince Wu Zhang, you’re here."
Li Ying had clearly just come from court, still dressed in the crown robe that signified his status as a Prince.
He said, "I promised you last night that I would take you for a walk."
Hua Manman smiled. "Thank you for remembering such a small thing. Shall we go now?"
Li Ying said earnestly, "I remember every word you say."
Hua Manman shook her head. "You don’t have to do that, Your Highness."
The two left Chaoyang Palace and walked toward the Imperial Garden.
Seeing her admiring the flowers and plants, Li Ying took the initiative to ask.
"Should I have someone transplant some flowers and plants to Chaoyang Palace? That way, you’ll be able to see these beautiful flowers just by opening your window."
Hua Manman waved her hand in refusal. "I won’t be living here permanently. There’s no need to go to all that trouble."
Li Ying pressed his lips together, his heart sinking with disappointment.
’She was constantly reminding him that she didn’t belong to him, that she could leave at any moment.’
Hua Manman noticed a palace maid up ahead, picking flower petals.
The palace maid’s figure looked somewhat familiar, so she couldn’t help but take a second look.
Once she got a clear look at the palace maid’s face, she remembered. It was Mu Qing, the very person who had rescued her from the old well.
’Hua Manman remembered that Mu Qing served in Hanzhang Hall. Why would she suddenly be here?’
Mu Qing had obviously noticed someone approaching as well.
She stopped what she was doing, lowered her head, and curtsied respectfully.
"This servant greets Your Highness, Prince Wu Zhang, and Your Highness, Princess Consort Zhao."
’Hua Manman desperately wanted to ask her what she was doing here, but with Li Ying right beside her, she was afraid he would notice something. She could only keep her mouth shut and pretend she didn’t know the maid.’
Li Ying paid no mind to such an ordinary palace maid. Without even a second glance, he walked straight past her.
Hua Manman fell a step behind.
As she was passing Mu Qing, she suddenly stopped. Her gaze fell on the bamboo basket in Mu Qing’s hands, and she asked, feigning curiosity.
"What are you picking these petals for?"
Mu Qing answered deferentially, "Your Highness, they are for making flower tea."
Hua Manman reached out, picked up a petal, and brought it to her nose to smell.
"It’s quite fragrant."
Li Ying said, "If you like them, you can take this basket of petals back with you."
Hua Manman hesitated. "These are ingredients someone is using to make flower tea. Wouldn’t it be wrong for me to just take them?"
Mu Qing said, "It is these petals’ good fortune to have earned the Princess’s affection. Please, accept them."
Hua Manman smiled. "Well then, it would be rude to refuse."
She glanced at Qing Huan, who was following behind her.
Qing Huan stepped forward and took the bamboo basket.
The Imperial Garden was vast. With Hua Manman’s current stamina, it was impossible to see it all in one go.
Growing tired from the walk, she suggested going back to rest.
Li Ying personally escorted her back to Chaoyang Palace and stayed to have lunch with her.
Li Ying had matters to attend to in the afternoon, so he left first.
The moment he left Chaoyang Palace, the sun vanished from the sky, and dark clouds began to gather.
Li Ying hadn’t gone far when he suddenly heard a voice calling out from behind him.
"Your Highness, please wait!"
Li Ying stopped and turned around to see Qing Huan running toward him with an umbrella.
She handed the oil-paper umbrella to Li Ying and explained.
"The Princess Consort... said... it might... rain... later, and... told me... to bring... you... an umbrella."
Li Ying looked at the oil-paper umbrella in his hand, an indescribable feeling in his heart.
With his current status, even if it did start to rain, there would be no shortage of people to bring him an umbrella.
He didn’t need this umbrella at all.
But he was still happy to receive it.
Li Ying said, "Thank the Princess Consort for me. I appreciate her concern."
’Yes, this was concern.’
’A kind of concern he had almost never experienced in his life.’
After Qing Huan left, Liang Yong stepped forward and asked respectfully, "Shall I hold this umbrella for you, Your Highness?"
Li Ying refused.
"No need. I want to hold it myself."
’Liang Yong didn’t understand. It was just an ordinary oil-paper umbrella, not some priceless treasure. Why was the Prince acting as if he’d acquired a rare gem, looking like he wanted to tuck it into his robes and hide it away?’
Qing Huan returned to Chaoyang Palace and curtsied to Princess Consort Zhao.
"I... have already... followed... your... instructions and... delivered... the umbrella... to... Prince Wu Zhang. Prince Wu Zhang... asked me... to... thank... you... on... his behalf."
Hua Manman was rummaging through the petals in the bamboo basket. Hearing her report, she gave a casual reply.
"Mm."
Qing Huan walked over and asked curiously, "What... are you... looking for... Your Highness?"
Hua Manman said, "I want to see if anything is hidden in this basket. Help me look."
In truth, it wasn’t that she had genuinely taken a liking to the basket of petals. It was because when she passed by Mu Qing, the maid had quickly looked up at her, her eyes clearly signaling that she had something to say.
But under the circumstances, it was impossible for them to speak directly.
Then, she happened to see Mu Qing switch the hand she was using to hold the basket, leading her to guess there might be something inside. So she pretended to be interested in the petals and asked for the basket.
There were too many petals in the basket. Hua Manman simply turned it upside down over the table, dumping out all the contents.
She and Qing Huan searched carefully with wide eyes and finally found a small, crumpled ball of paper among the petals.