bayedsolid Chapter 276 The New Maid Sent from Li Ji's Residence
Chapter 276 The New Maid Sent from Li Ji's Residence
In the late spring of the first year of Xianheng, which was 26 years after the death of Princess Jinyang, that is, 670 AD, the first year of Xianheng of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, who was also the elder brother of Sizi Zhinu.
When the willow catkins of Chang'an drifted into the laundry department, Xiao Yao was holding a quilt soaked with urine and looking worried.
This maid, who had just entered the palace last year, was like a blank sheet of Xuan paper, completely unaware of her own name. When she was sent to the palace to serve the young master, it was as if a touch of ochre was gently placed on this blank sheet of paper, so she was given the name "Xiao Yao".
The baby girl in her arms looked like a sleepy kitten, her rosy cheeks and curled fingers always reminded her of the portrait of Princess Jinyang, the late emperor's most beloved daughter, when she was a child.
"My little darling." Xiao Yao gently wiped the milk stains from the corner of the girl's mouth with a handkerchief, sighing as she looked at the underpants in her arms, which were once again soaked. "Could it be that all the bed-strengthening soup I've been brewing every day has been fed to the winds from all directions? Shame on you, how old are you, still wetting the bed? The frequency of this wetting is more frequent than the drizzle in Chang'an!"
That day, the spring sun slanted through the carved window of the laundry room. Xiao Yao had just stepped over the threshold when a muffled "thump" suddenly rang out from the edge of the bluestone trough. Granny Ling's bamboo washing pestle struck heavily against the edge of the trough, and her silver hairpin shimmered with tiny silver sparkles as she moved.
The old palace maid squinted, stirring a rag in the copper basin. The ripples carrying the scent of soap wafted over: "Eh? New little maid, have you heard about the latest happenings with Lord Li Ji?"
The soapberry water in the wooden basin bubbled with dense white foam. Xiao Yao submerged the soaked quilt in the water, and a few drops of water splashed up as she smashed the lint with the washing mallet. Her eyes were downcast, and her voice carried a hint of impatience: "Just call me Xiao Yao. Lord Li? You mean the Duke of Yingguo? The one who decisively defeated the Eastern Turks and Goguryeo?"
Granny Ling suddenly leaned closer, the gold hairpin at her temple jingling softly. Her voice, low and fragrant with styrax, said, "Your young master, tsk tsk, I heard he was brought from the Duke of Ying's mansion."
Xiao Yao raised an eyebrow and chuckled: "Does Granny perhaps want to inquire about the secret of that person whom Princess Jinyang once affectionately called—'Little Pork Tenderloin Gentleman'?"
Granny Yi, clutching her handkerchief, laughed so hard she could barely stand. A patch peeked out from her rough cloth sleeve: "Exactly! This nickname sounds so warm and inviting, like something you could cook!"
“Don’t underestimate this ‘home-style dish.’” Xiao Yao dusted off the corner of his clothes, a glint of light in his eyes. “Lord Li has served as a third-rank official in the Secretariat-Chancellery, Minister of Works, and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, and was even granted the title of Duke of Ying. He is a true pillar of the court.”
Granny Ling slammed her wooden mallet onto the bluestone, splashing water everywhere. "Good heavens! Isn't this a 'Manchu Han Imperial Feast'? They've got all the power and wealth!"
Granny Yi stopped smiling, shook her head, and sighed, "Even the most lavish banquet must come to an end. In the second year of the Zongzhang era, which was last year, this gentleman passed away suddenly at the age of seventy-six, truly fulfilling what Princess Si always said—'He waved his sleeves, leaving not a trace behind.'"
"To have made it this far is already a great blessing." Granny Ling wrung out her wet clothes into a ball. "Unlike us poor souls, who are constantly toiling away at our jobs. Who knows when we'll finally see that... that 'retirement' that Princess Si spoke of?"
"Retirement?" Xiao Yao asked, bewildered. Granny Qing adjusted her reading glasses, her fingertips tracing the scroll in her sleeve: "Retirement means shedding the burdens of the world and, when old and frail, finding a quiet place to live out one's remaining years."
“Even after retiring, this ‘Young Master Pork Tenderloin’ will still enjoy great honor and prestige.” Xiao Yao lowered his voice, his tone full of admiration.
Granny Yi: "That's right, His Majesty posthumously granted him the titles of Grand Commandant and Grand Governor of Yangzhou, bestowed upon him the posthumous name 'Zhenwu,' and his coffin was buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum, the 'VIP area' that Princess Si mentioned..."
Xiao Yao simply agreed, "Yes, I heard that even the Gaozong Temple prepared the highest-level sacrificial 'worship package' for him. It was truly a glorious life and a mournful death!"
Granny Yi's hawk-like gaze suddenly locked onto Xiao Yao, and she demanded in a voice as cold as iron, "Who told you that?"
Xiao Yao's heart skipped a beat, secretly relieved—these were clearly the words he had overheard his young master, disguised as a storyteller, swaying his head and uttering eloquent words on the cushions, joking about the various wealthy young men...