Sheng’er Wants to Drink Milk!
The evening banquet was prepared in the main courtyard’s banquet hall of Qu Jinian. Qu Sheng was arranged to sit beside her father. The Qu family did not have overly strict rules and was very easygoing.
The other three cousin-brothers1 of the Qu family, after being notified upon getting off work, all rode back on horseback. As soon as they entered the courtyard, covered in dust, they were about to enter the hall when they were scolded back by the slightly older son of Second Uncle Qu, Qu Ming2.
“Have you no manners? Go change your clothes before coming.”
Qu Yu3 and Qu Ting4 were from the third household5. Being lightly chided by their cousin-brother, they pouted, then smilingly went off with their arms around each other’s shoulders to change their clothes.
Qu Ming glanced towards the main courtyard, then also went to his own courtyard to change his clothes before coming over.
The three brothers met at the entrance of the main courtyard. They glanced at each other, each holding a gift box in their hands, the smiles on their lips irrepressible, and entered the main courtyard together.
The two from the third household had both met Qu Sheng before; only Qu Ming from the second household had not. The people in the courtyard, seeing the three young masters arrive, hurried to announce them.
The announcement had just left their lips when the others had already stepped into the hall.
“Eldest Uncle.” The three brothers bowed and cupped their hands6. After seeing their Eldest Uncle, Qu Jinian, nod, they turned to look at Jin Yunfei, their faces once again breaking into smiles, taking on the appearance of young lads as they said joyfully, “Greetings to Eldest Aunt.”
“Good, good, quickly come and sit.” Jin Yunfei hadn’t seen these three nephews for a long time. She had never put on airs with children, so they all loved to be close to her.
Hearing this, the three straightened up, glanced left and right, and their gazes all fell upon Qu Sheng, who was sitting next to Qu Jinian.
“Sheng’er, quickly greet your three elder brothers.” Jin Yunfei turned her head to look at Qu Sheng.
Qu Sheng heard this, exchanged a glance with her mother, and got down from her chair, her expression serene. She had heard of these three cousin-brothers of the Qu family and had memorized all their names.
Qu Sheng’s delicate little body stood before the three brothers, and she performed a slight curtsy7: “Sheng’er greets her three elder brothers.”
The youngest, Qu Yu, upon hearing her voice, reached out to pinch Qu Sheng’s little face. Other people’s three-year-old dolls were either chubby or shriveled like skinny monkeys, but their little cousin-sister was exquisitely beautiful. Her fair little face was neither excessively round nor too thin, just right for pinching.
Qu Yu’s hand reached towards Qu Sheng, but she dodged it by taking a step back. Qu Sheng had just perceived a flash of light and shadow8; after dodging, she looked up to see Qu Yu’s outstretched hand and looked at him with puzzlement.
Seeing such a young doll scrutinize him like this, Qu Yu immediately found it amusing, “Hey, I even held you when you were little.” That was when Qu Sheng was still in swaddling clothes.
Qu Sheng looked at Qu Yu without answering, her demeanor composed and not at all timid, merely staring at him fixedly.
Qu Yu was stunned for a moment by her childish yet slightly profound eyes. Soon, Qu Ming from the second household smoothed things over: “Alright, little sister Sheng’er has just arrived, don’t frighten her.”
Hearing this, Qu Yu glanced sideways at him, brought out the gift box he was holding behind his back, squatted down, and smiled, “Look what Yu-gege9 brought for you.”
As Qu Yu spoke, he passed the box to Qu Sheng. Qu Sheng looked at the gift box before her, her dense, long eyelashes blinking lightly, and then said, “Many thanks, Yu-gege.”
After thanking him, Qu Sheng beckoned over the servant who had been attending to her and had the person take the item. Seeing this, Qu Yu felt a little sad in his heart and said, feigning grievance, “Aren’t you even going to see what it is?” Other children would chase and beg to see it first.
Qu Sheng was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. The servant beside her also paused their hand that was about to receive it and looked at Qu Sheng. Qu Sheng looked at Qu Yu, pursed her lips for a moment, then reached out, took it, and opened it.
Inside was an exquisite, top-quality roly-poly10 porcelain doll. After giving it an extra glance, Qu Sheng’s childish voice, without a hint of fluctuation, thanked him again: “Thank you, Yu-gege.”
Qu Yu was a bit dejected and could only pretend to sigh as he stood up. After Qu Sheng had someone take the item away, Qu Ting, Qu Yu’s full-blooded brother, took a step forward and also brought out the gift box from behind his back.
“I am Ting-gege.” There was no need for others to introduce him; when Qu Sheng recognized Qu Yu, she had already recognized him as Qu Ting. The two looked too much alike.
Qu Sheng watched as Qu Ting handed over the gift box, her eyes asking: Do I have to open this one too?
Qu Ting nodded, so Qu Sheng used her delicate little hands to open the gift box. Inside were edibles. The famous White Jade Cakes11 from a restaurant in the Capital City, crystal clear and translucent, were not cheap. Due to the rarity of the ingredients, waiting ten days to half a month was common. Qu Ting had someone prepare it long ago and had even specially requested it be shaped into the form of a little white rabbit.
Looking at the pastry before her, Qu Sheng had the same expression as before, without a single ripple of emotion. She was neither greedy for food nor fond of playing; there were very few things that could attract her.
Seeing this, Qu Ting stepped aside with a look of defeat, leaving only the eldest, Qu Ming from the second household.
Qu Ming handed over his gift box. After Qu Sheng opened it, her eyes unexpectedly lit up. What Qu Ming gave her was an exquisite short dagger. However, when the dagger was unsheathed, Qu Sheng seemed a little disappointed.
“When you are a bit older, Ming-gege will personally help you put an edge on12 this dagger,” Qu Ming said in a gentle voice.
Hearing Qu Ming’s words, Qu Sheng looked up at him. It was said that Qu Ming was the most doted upon by their deceased eldest brother and also resembled him the most. Qu Sheng stared at him, lost in thought for a moment. In the end, he was someone she had never met, so she couldn’t even begin to imagine him. Qu Sheng lowered her gaze and gave a small nod.
“Everyone, come and dine13,” Qu Jinian said, feeling gratified in his heart to see the good relationship between the siblings.
The juniors all looked over upon hearing his words, nodded respectfully, and walked to the dining table to take their seats.
Qu Sheng had already started to eat by herself when she was just over a year old, not needing her wet nurse to help her. At this moment, holding the small jade chopsticks specially prepared for her, she showed no difficulty at all.
Qu Jinian seemed very satisfied with his daughter being raised this way. Although it was a bit hard on her, she was, after all, the daughter of the Marquis Zhengyi, the Marquis of his southeastern territory.
Do not speak while eating14. Throughout the entire dinner, apart from a few words of instruction from Qu Jinian at the beginning, there was almost no sound at the dining table.
Now that the dining table was cleared, everyone sat in the tea hall, seemingly with heavy hearts.
“The Empress has specially set a Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet15. Sister-in-law and Sheng’er will still have to go and make an appearance.” The third master of the Qu family was the first to break the silence in the room.
Hearing this, everyone’s expression grew even gloomier. This Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet from the imperial family16 had come too early. To gather enough early-blooming chrysanthemums for a banquet would likely take a great deal of effort.
“We still have to go,” Qu Jinian sipped his tea, his gaze dark and unreadable.
Qu Sheng’s mother, Jin Yunfei, hearing that it was unavoidable, looked even more worried. After a moment, she murmured, “If the Empress betroths Sheng’er to the Crown Prince on the spot, wouldn’t there be no turning back?”
Back then, it was only a private remark from the Son of Heaven and had not been made public. If he were to publicly declare the engagement between the Crown Prince and Qu Sheng, then it would be a matter of a nail hammered into a board17, impossible to change.
“Lord Marquis…” Jin Yunfei looked at her husband. She had been worried about bringing Qu Sheng here ever since before they set out. Her last hope was that her husband could intervene in this matter and dissuade the Son of Heaven of his intention.
The next day.
Qu Sheng still went to the palace with Jin Yunfei. Because they were female family members, they did not have a direct audience with the Son of Heaven and were led by a palace eunuch official18 to the Empress’s palace.
Everyone seemed to know that this Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet was specially prepared for the Eldest Lady19 of the Marquis Zhengyi’s Manor. The banquet was set up in the Empress’s palace. Because the scale was not large, only some noblewomen of officials, princes and marquises from the capital were invited. Those who were not important enough were omitted.
Jin Yunfei led Qu Sheng, passing through the chrysanthemums that had yet to bloom. Qu Sheng followed behind, her steps light and slow. If not for people flanking her front and back, she might have shown signs of running off elsewhere. Jin Yunfei noticed she was falling behind, stopped, and turned back to instruct in a low voice, “Sheng’er, remember to bow later.”
Hearing this, Qu Sheng’s expression was one of half-understanding. The eunuch official beside them smiled fawningly, “Young Miss Sheng is so well-behaved, she must know her etiquette.”
A hint of embarrassment suddenly appeared on Jin Yunfei’s face. She just smiled, took Qu Sheng’s small hand, and continued walking forward.
The Empress’s main hall was not the most luxurious place in the palace, but its opulence already surpassed that of the Marquis Zhengyi’s Manor in the southeast.
“Announcing the mother and daughter of the Qu-Jin clan20 of Marquis Zhengyi to the hall.” The supervising eunuch21 inside the hall, after receiving the report, loudly relayed the Empress’s words.
Qu Sheng’s peripheral vision swept across her surroundings, and she quickly lowered her head. The moment she stepped into the hall with Jin Yunfei, Qu Sheng suddenly pulled her hand free and ran towards the nearest glazed lamp22 ornament, frightening Jin Yunfei so much that she hurried over to pull her back.
Qu Sheng’s gaze remained fixed on the glazed lamp, while countless pairs of eyes in the grand hall fell upon the mother and daughter.
A look of embarrassment and nervousness appeared on Jin Yunfei’s face again as she pulled Qu Sheng, who was forced to walk diagonally, towards the front of the hall.
The person on the throne was graceful and magnificent, dressed in a phoenix robe23 with a poised demeanor, watching the mother and daughter walking forward in the hall with a gentle gaze.
It was Jin Yunfei’s first time entering the palace to meet the Empress. She performed the full kneeling kowtow: “Lady Jin of the Qu clan, of Marquis Zhengyi, brings her young daughter to pay respects to Her Majesty the Empress24. May Her Majesty the Empress live for a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years25.”
“Rise,” the voice from the throne was gentle, looking down at the people below, but her gaze was on the small child beside them.
Ever since her mother performed the kowtow and let go of her hand, Qu Sheng had become somewhat like a wild horse that has slipped its reins26, looking all around.
After Jin Yunfei finished her kowtow, her peripheral vision caught sight of Qu Sheng standing there, staring intently at the refreshments prepared for the noblewomen nearby.
Jin Yunfei’s heart leaped in alarm. She quickly turned slightly, wanting to pull Qu Sheng to bow.
“Sheng’er,” Jin Yunfei’s voice, like the buzz of a mosquito27, was filled with anxiety.
The people on the throne, and those behind the small dining tables on both sides of the hall, were all watching this scene. Some faces showed worry for Jin Yunfei, while others seemed unconcerned, merely waiting for a good show.
“It matters not—”
“Want milk!”
The childish and abrupt voice in the grand hall interrupted the Empress’s words.
Everyone was shocked to hear this. Although it wasn’t the Son of Heaven, showing such impropriety in front of one of the most honored people in the imperial palace was a serious offense.
“Sheng’er, be good. We’ll drink when we get back to the manor, okay?” It was the middle of the eighth month, yet fine beads of sweat had appeared on Jin Yunfei’s face, her voice even more anxious and weak.
As if she hadn’t heard, Qu Sheng whined again aggrievedly, “Sheng’er wants to drink milk!”
Hearing this, an expression of resentment for her child’s failure to live up to expectations appeared on Jin Yunfei’s face. But in front of the Empress, she dared not scold her. She could only turn and kowtow, saying, “May Your Majesty the Empress forgive this offense. My daughter is young and doesn’t know the rules. I hope Your Majesty will be lenient and grant a light punishment.”
She didn’t ask for a pardon, only a light punishment. Even if the Empress wanted to mete out a punishment, how could one punish such a small child? Besides, her father was the Marquis Zhengyi, who held up half the sky of the imperial court.
“You may rise first.” The expression on the Empress’s face was not as gentle as before.
A child over three years old shouldn’t be like this, especially one from a marquis’s manor. The look in the Empress’s eyes as she gazed at Qu Sheng clearly carried a trace of scrutiny.
“Milk,” Qu Sheng cried out again just as the Empress finished speaking.
The embarrassment on Jin Yunfei’s face became even more pronounced. When she looked towards the other noblewomen, her face was filled with shame.
“Your Majesty the Empress.” A gentle-looking noblewoman, seated in one of the two rows in the hall, stood up.
When the Empress looked at her, her expression softened somewhat, and she said, “Speak.”
“The child is just ignorant. I, your humble servant28, have some goat cheese29 here. Why not give it to her for now?” The noblewoman was pleading for Qu Sheng, and perhaps also giving the Empress a way to gracefully resolve the situation.
Although it was cheese made from goat’s milk, it was better than nothing. If this was allowed to continue, such a small child would be impossible to control.
As expected, the Empress’s expression softened considerably upon hearing this. She waved her hand and said, “You are very considerate.”
“Zhao’er.” Having received permission, the noblewoman looked at the little girl beside her who bore a strong resemblance to her.
The little girl exuded a gentle aura. When she stood up, her posture was soft, her movements unhurried. Her appearance was so striking that it was unforgettable after just one glance.
The author has something to say:
Qu Sheng: “For now, I’ll make do with drinking this, in the future, I’ll drink my wife’s.”
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