Qin Wan shook her head at Su Yingxue, saying, âAlthough youâve been granted the title of empress, you are, after all, a daughter who is married off, and youâve been married to Chu Yihan for quite some time now, yet you still live at the Marquisâs Manor.â
Chu Yihan has a good temperament and indulges you, but if word of this spreads to the royal court or the streets, who knows what kind of speculation it will provoke!â
âThe officials at court will speculate about your relationship with the emperor and harbor thoughts of affecting the harem; the commoners will even believe that there is discord between the emperor and the empress. How can this set their minds at ease?â
Qin Wan was filled with worry.
âGreat aunt, I am not living to set other peopleâs minds at ease!â
âWhat frivolous words you speak! It would have been fine if you had not become the empress, but now that you already areâ¦â
âI get it! If I had not become the empress, of course, I wouldnât need to set the peopleâs hearts at ease, but now⦠Iâm here to learn the rules from you, arenât I? Do you think I want to stay at home to play? Iâm not familiar with the rules of the imperial palace, and I wouldnât perform well. You come from a distinguished family and were raised by the palace maids; thereâs no one better suited than you to teach me.â
Su Yingxueâs attitude did an about-face, catching Qin Wan off guard, âSo you refused to enter the palace before becoming the empress in order to stay at home and learn the proper etiquette?â
âOf course!â
Su Yingxue held her face in some helplessness, âIf I stayed in the palace, the emperor would surely have me indulge in food and fun to nourish my body every day, and he wouldnât have the teaching maids instruct me in etiquette or tire me in the slightest. Only at home can I learn something worthwhile from you.â
Qin Wan was surprised, âSo thatâs how it is.â
Beside them, Su Han covered her lips as she laughed out loud, âTo think you need to learn etiquette when youâre about to become the empress!â
âSister, donât make fun of me! You were also raised by the palace maids. When great aunt is busy, youâll have to teach me too!â
Su Yingxue scoffed.
Su Han quickly declined, âYour Majesty, forgive me, my shop has recently been keeping me busy, and Iâm afraid I cannot spare the time. If Your Majesty is short of company, Miaoyan is available. Although Grandfather has tacitly approved of her relationship with Xiao Yu, she is still young. Keeping her at home to learn etiquette would be more beneficial than her spending all her days in Qilin Garden.â
Realizing this was true, Yingxue then fetched Su Miaoyan from Qilin Garden to join her in learning proper etiquette from Qin Wan.
Su Miaoyan was enjoying herself greatly in Qilin Garden, where Xiao Yu was teaching her painting. Her artistic skills had improved greatly. She was just awaiting the completion of a painting so Xiao Yu could praise her, but Su Yingxue had to drag her away to learn etiquette!
Sitting straight in the courtyard, a bowl of water on her head, Su Miaoyan couldnât stop complaining, âSister Xue, couldnât you bear this suffering yourself? Why drag me into it? Iâm not going to enter the palace to become the empress!â
She was still a child!
What need was there to learn palace etiquette!
âDonât talk! Practice seriously. Do you think not being empress means you donât need to learn etiquette? If you want to be with your Brother Yu, the Xiao familyâs century-old heritage is as strict as the imperial palace. If you make a misstep there, youâll be laughed at just the same. Itâs possible that, if Xiao Yu marries three wives and four concubines, the women who want to harm you might outnumber those in the harem!â
Yingxue threatened with a wolfish grandiosity.
Miaoyan was unconcerned, âGo ahead and scare me! Brother Yu would never do that! He would only dote on me alone! I am his favorite!â
âHmph! Can you trust the words of a man? Besides, I bet this is all in your head, Xiao Yu never said those exact words to you!â