klisemfg Chapter 273 The Princess Has a Bad Temper (11)
Chapter 273 The Princess Has a Bad Temper (11)
"This girl has been spoiled by your concubine and the Emperor. She will never get up until the sun rises," the Empress said with a smile.
"Children need to sleep more to grow taller. Our Wangyou is still a child!" The old lady patted Wangyou's hand and smiled very kindly.
Wangyou sometimes lamented why some people enjoyed manipulating others, and she found this to be perfectly exemplified in the cases of the Empress Dowager and Emperor Qianlong.
To be honest, it can be summed up in one word: awesome.
Finally, Emperor Qianlong told the Empress Dowager about the trip to the south. The Empress Dowager looked at Qing'er and decided to let Qing'er go as well. Zhiyao was very happy. How could she not be happy to have her best friend with her?
Those accompanying him included Physician Hu, Fu Heng, Fu Lun and his son, Ji Xiaolan, as well as several guards and secret agents.
Since it was an incognito visit, no palace maids or eunuchs were brought along. Of course, Emperor Qianlong would certainly have many people serving him. After thinking about it, Wangyou asked Qing'er and Zhiyao to each bring a personal maid. These two were delicate and weak, so it would be more reassuring to have someone serve them.
As for Yongji, well, he's a boy, so he can take care of himself. Yongji had no objection to this and was completely immersed in the excitement of being able to go out and have fun.
Xiao Yanzi, who was about to leave the palace, looked different. She was cheerful and lively as she said goodbye to the palace maids and eunuchs.
"Greetings, Sixth Princess!" The two greeted Wangyou somewhat awkwardly as she approached.
"Hurry up and get in the carriage, we're about to leave." After Wangyou finished speaking, she got into the carriage. A little while later, Zhiyao and Qing'er also came over, and the three of them rode in the same carriage to save costs.
As for Ziwei and Xiaoyanzi, they were summoned to Qianlong's carriage because they were accompanying him as maids. It's unclear what Qianlong was thinking.
However, none of this had much to do with Wangyou. The three of them chatted and laughed together, getting along very well.
But unexpectedly, Yongji arrived halfway through.
"Why are you here? Weren't you in the Ahmad carriage?"
"Fifth Sister, Elder Sister, Qing'er Sister, the carriage is full of Sister Xiao Yanzi and Sister Ziwei talking. Father Emperor seems to really enjoy them telling interesting stories about ordinary people, but Sister Xiao Yanzi's words are all jumbled up and unclear. I'd better stay with Elder Sister."
“Alright.” Wangyou smiled and decided to give Yongji a lesson in the carriage. Yongji knew why Wangyou was in such a hurry. Wangyou hadn’t kept the changes in some countries and others from Yongji’s eyes, so he was happy to have the lesson.
Seeing this, Zhiyao and Qing'er listened attentively as Wangyou talked about the situation inside and outside the court, as well as the current state of affairs at home and abroad. It was not boring at all, so the two of them remembered quite a lot.
"Sixth Sister, if we don't change, will those foreigners really find our Great Qing one day and invade?" Zhiyao asked with some concern after hearing this.
"Yes, we are indeed a great nation, but our closed-door policy has caused us to miss the opportunity to learn about the outside world. Fortunately, we opened up a few years ago, and the firearms battalion is ready. Even if they really attack, we are not afraid. But if we don't change, it will be like a child carrying a gold brick through a bustling market." Wangyou explained earnestly without minding the trouble.
"Just thinking about that scene is terrifying!" Qing'er was intelligent, and Wangyou's analysis was simple and clear, so she could naturally guess the deeper meaning.
However, she dared not say much. Among so many princesses and noblewomen, only the sixth princess was the most special, and even the fifth princess had some privileges. How could the other women in the harem dare to interfere in politics?
Seeing that Qing'er was no longer willing to say anything, Wangyou sighed. This situation was not formed overnight, but had been going on for 1,500 years, so change would not happen overnight either.
Therefore, when Wangyou told Yongji the story, she went into even more detail, and Zhiyao and Qing'er were also forced to listen to a lot of it as well.
"I'm planning to ride a horse for the next leg of the journey. Do you want to come with me?" Wangyou stretched and asked with a smile.
"I... I can't ride a horse," Qing'er said, somewhat troubled.
“I’ve forgotten what I learned,” Zhiyao added.
"Then you two can sit in the carriage while Yongji and I go out riding horses. But when we get there, you two have to learn how to ride," Wangyou said irritably.
"I understand, Sixth Sister." Zhiyao smiled. When she was little, Wangyou was quite mischievous and wanted to learn everything. She was learning riding and archery, but she stopped learning after going to Mount Wutai with the Empress Dowager. Now she has to start learning from scratch.
Wangyou and Yongji both had their own horses, so they were quickly led over and mounted. Because Yongji was young, his stirrups were placed higher, but he didn't need anyone's help to mount.
"Sister, this place is so beautiful." Yongji had never left the capital, so everything outside was new and exciting to him.
"Since you like it so much, I'll teach you some herbal knowledge. It could save your life in a critical moment."
"it is good!"
"See this flat grass on the ground? It grows everywhere along the road. It's called plantain, and it has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. And that one with small yellow flowers and serrated leaves is called dandelion. It can stop bleeding. If you're injured in the wild and feel helpless, crush it and apply it to the wound..."
Yongji listened attentively. What Wangyou was talking about wasn't anything too profound; it was just some first aid knowledge, so Yongji remembered it quickly. After all, no one knows what the future holds.
"The Sixth Princess is truly learned; even while riding a horse, she doesn't forget to impart knowledge to the Twelfth Young Master, making us seem like we're all ignorant and incompetent," Ji Xiaolan and the others, who had overheard the conversation, remarked with self-deprecation.
"I have to say, I've really learned something new." Fu Heng smiled. His family were all military men, and these things could really be lifesavers in a critical moment.
"Master Ji and Lord Fu, how have you been lately?" Wangyou suddenly asked with a smile.
"It's alright, it's alright. Thanks to Your Highness, I've been so busy I haven't had a moment to rest!" Ji Xiaolan said with a smile.
“Master Ji, isn’t it good to be busy? Or do you want to be sidelined? Then I’ll tell Father Emperor.”
"No need, no need, it's good to be busy, it's good to be busy!" Ji Xiaolan stopped talking and Wangyou glanced at the others before continuing to tell Yongji about the uses of the flowers and plants by the roadside.
As for Yongqi, the Fu brothers, and Benjamin, they were guarding the emperor's carriage. It's unclear whether they were protecting the emperor's safety or the girl inside; only the parties involved probably know the answer.
In order not to alert the enemy, Qianlong still brought Benjamin along. However, according to Wangyou's observation, the two of them really did not notice anything different, and only thought that the previous tight guard was due to the strict palace rules and the investigation of corrupt officials.
That day, the group arrived at Caiyi Town and found it quite lively. Unable to resist their curiosity about gossip, they went to join in the fun.
Upon arrival, they discovered that a wealthy family was having their daughter choose a husband by throwing an embroidered ball.
This puzzled Wangyou. She remembered that in the original story it was about throwing an embroidered ball, but in the new version it was about shooting arrows. Could it be that the old and new versions were being replaced?