The New Year’s Eve was quickly approaching.
The servants of the various palaces began their work at the first light of morning, busily cleaning and sweeping the dust in accordance to the custom of welcoming the New Year spotlessly. Changde Palace wasn’t exempted from this as well. Everyone had a lot of things to do, Yuwen Yin had also gone out early to attend his classes in the Chongwen Hall. Only the lazy little quilt was still sleeping soundly in the bed, and wasn’t disturbed by anyone at Yuwen Yin’s behest.
Yuwen Yin’s current schedule was even busier compared to when he was still in the Wang mansion. He gets out from bed at Yinshi* everyday and goes to Chongwen Hall, and attend classes until noontime. After an hour and half of rest, he then heads to the Royal Martial Arts Training Ground to learn some basic fighting techniques and equestrian archery, as well as the laws and decrees of ancestral teachings and etiquette. Of course, the most important ancient filial duty must not be forgotten: filial piety is the most important thing. As a junior, one must always make time to visit the Emperor Dowager and the other elders in the morning and evening.
*3-5am
The Chongwen Hall, which had always been left unused until Yuwen Yin entered the palace, was now able to serve it’s purpose. He was instructed by Wei Song, a scholar of the Imperial Hanlin Academy. The scholars of the Imperial Hanlin Academy were mostly the Emperor’s confidantes, and Wei Song was a genuine person under the Emperor Qing. Therefore, in the presence of Wei Song, Yuwen Yin must have a good measure. He cannot appear too smart or stupid; cannot be ambitious, as well as vulgar; the most important thing was to expose his weakness in apt to the occasion. Such as, poor communication skills and susceptibility to manipulation, as well as gratitude and loyalty to Emperor Qing.
Quite obviously, Yuwen Yin’s pretense was very flawless. This can be seen from the fact that Wei Song had already started to teach him about other political books such as the history of other countries and memoirs of the two dynasties. This not only allows Yuwen Yin to learn the classics of Confucianism, but also enables him to have a certain understanding of the politics of the past and current dynasties. Moreover, books can be an enlightenment as well as a blockade. Without the approval of Emperor Qing, Wei Song would never dare to do so without authorization.
In contrast to this, the daily schedule of the little quilt was quite lax.
In the morning, it will continue to lazily sleep in, up to late in the morning. Until almost noon, when Yuwen Yin, who hurries back from the Chongwen Hall, fishes it out of the bed, and personally carries it to the soft couch located in front of the porch to bask under the sun. The custom-made soft couch was specially ordered by Yuwen Yin for it. It has a very large space, which allows it’s enables it’s quilt body to completely spread open. The whole afternoon will be spent under the warm sun. It will comfortably bask under the sun while waiting for Yuwen Yin to return from the Royal Martial Arts Training Ground to accompany him to eat and chat. In the evening, it will be lovingly hugged by Yuwen Yin, as it listens to the bedtime stories he tells in a gentle and soft voice.
The quilt cover meticulously sewn by the Directorate for Royal Clothing was soon delivered. The silk satin fabric was very light and soft. The design and color selected by Yuwen Yin was also very beautiful. The little quilt was also very satisfied with regards to it’s ‘new clothes’, that it busily wore the quilt cover, without any assistance from others. It would also remove it’s clothes when it’s time for bed, then neatly fold it at the foot of the bed with it’s ‘hands’, which was simply more competent than children in kindergarten.
— Everyone said that the little quilt is a capable little cute, and must be stamped with a compliment stamp on it’s bottom.
The ‘clothes’ was of a very perfect fit. The body and four corners of the little quilt were completely stuffed in, and only a little part of the small head in the middle was exposed. It practically lived a paradise-like life, and was incredibly spoiled by Yuwen Yin. Yuwen Yin will spare time to accompany it no matter how busy he gets, and will find ways to meet it’s wants no matter what it is. So much so that it couldn’t help but produce an illusion that it can make any request to Yuwen Yin unscrupulously.
Even if the little quilt really doesn’t have that kind of spoiled and arrogant temperament, it will also become finicky and willful through all the unceremonious pampering. The one who could wear it’s own ‘clothes’ the day before, would now only spread out it’s two little quilt corners and wait to be attended by Yuwen Yin.
Thus, on today’s New Year’s Eve, Yuwen Yin dressed the little quilt in a very lively red ‘clothes’, embroidered with very large and intricate peonies, and rolled with a circle of silver threads. Because the peony designs were all dark-colored, so they didn’t look vulgar at all, but were contrarily, vividly charming, graceful and gorgeous, that the little quilt couldn’t refrain from slightly lifting it’s head. Such fine appearance brought about an indescribable grandeur.
The moonlight in New Year’s Eve was very beautiful, sprinkling a hazy silver white sheen on the ground, like a soft muslin skirt. In this year’s grand Imperial palace banquet, not only could the numerous Imperial Consorts and Imperial family members participate, but the cabinet minsters of third rank and above could also bring their family along to attend the banquet, allowing this to be a very festive event. The Daming Palace, where the banquet was held, was originally built with a spacious atmosphere, warm in winter and cool in summer. Four pots containing the colorless and odorless burning charcoal were placed in the four corners of the building, making it feel even warmer than spring.
The whole layout also looked completely new, exuding a festive feeling. The seats were divided according to the regulations, the Empress Dowager and Emperor were seated at the highest place, the left and right sides were left for the Empress and Prince, further down was for the Imperial Consorts and Princess, after that were the Wangyes and cabinet ministers, then finally the righteous wives and children.
As a prince, Yuwen Yin’s seat was located one level below the Emperor Qing. So, aside from Emperor Qing and the Empress Dowager, the rest had to look up to see him, including Qi Wang and Yuwen Zhengyang, both of whom had pointed at his nose while verbally insulting him not so long ago.
Qi Wangfei, who had been in closed doors to ponder over her mistakes hadn’t come. Maybe due to lack of ethics, during this period of time, Qi Wang had spent even more time lingering in the rooms of his numerous favored concubines and even the red light district more than before. Madam Zheng was also about to give birth, so, the life of the main wife’s son, Yuwen Zhengyang suddenly changed and was no longer as easy as before. Not only does he now have to look up to Yuwen Yin, he even had to bow and bend his knee and address him as Your Highness. This kind of disparity was completely unacceptable from the viewpoint of the normally arrogant and willful, Yuwen Zhengyang. Jealousy and hatred nibbled his heart bit by bit, deeply penetrating his bones and flowing through his veins.
But Yuwen Yin didn’t bother to spare him a glance at all, as his attention was solely placed on his little quilt.
The little quilt came along with Yuwen Yin as well, using it’s spiritual power to make itself invisible, so only Yuwen Yin could see it. This kind of Imperial banquet was obviously quite novel to it, that it couldn’t help from looking all over the place, and was unable to sit still for even a moment. It even wanted to go and walk around Emperor Qing’s throne.
Emperor Qing appeared to be in a good mood today, as he had a rare smile on his face, and his attitude towards everyone was also a bit more amiable than usual. Amid the loud announcement of the Palace Eunuch, the Imperial Consorts and cabinet ministers left their seat and took a step forward, then knelt altogether in a row and bowed their heads towards the Empress Dowager and Emperor Qing to express their good wishes for the New Year.
“Stand up, you may all dispense from curtsying,” Emperor Qing raised his hand, “Today is New Year’s Eve, and a family banquet as well, so, there’s no need to stand in ceremony!”
Thus, everyone bowed once more to express their gratitude for this favor, before returning to their respective seats one by one. The dishes were served in the same order. The order of serving was also from high to low, starting from the Empress Dowager downwards. The fifth dish served was the braised deer tendon, upon seeing this, the Empress Dowager stated: “Aijia’s teeth aren’t that good anymore, and won’t be able to eat this dish. Give this to Yin’er instead, he’s still growing up, and needs to eat more to strengthen his muscle and bones.”
During these days of contact, the Empress Dowager became more and more fond of Yuwen Yin, especially after discovering that after each time Yuwen Yin gives her a massage, the insomnia and headaches, that the imperial physician could do nothing about, would be greatly alleviated. Not only could she get a good night’s sleep, but she could also easily have a beautiful dream, which seemed to give the entire person a younger mental outlook.
Without a doubt, Yuwen Yin’s massage technique wasn’t actually that good. The real starring role of this matter was the little quilt. However, such a casual sentence uttered by the Empress Dowager, made all the people below began to kiss up immediately afterwards, by constantly praising her for having a good grandson.
Elderly people were a little bit like children to some extent with their fondness in listening to praises. The Empress Dowager couldn’t refrain from beaming in happiness, and tell everyone about the matter of Yuwen Yin relieving her insomnia and headaches. This also led to a great joy in the monarch, Emperor Qing’s heart, as he immediately declared: “Not only does Yuwen Yin not show arrogance nor boast himself. He is also loyal, filial and purehearted, but is always sensible as well as conscientious, and diligent in learning, giving Zhen* great comfort! Liu Fuxing, reward the prince with the auspicious jade pendant that the first Emperor gave Zhen back then!”