Lin Nianzhi suddenly felt a pang of guilt gnawing inside her heart.
The entire time, the previous hand stove was chucked somewhere in her palace and she forgot to return it to her Fifth Sister. Mingyue Palace had always been lacking in goods and supplies, so Lin Nianzhi deduced that this current hand stove was the only good hand stove they had. Otherwise, this Fifth Sister of hers would not be using such an outdated piece of junk.
Feeling a little perplexed, she denied it and said, “You can have it for yourself! Don’t go catching another cold, or else I’ll have to call another physician to attend you!”
Lin Feilu tilted her head again and complied with a big grin on her face. “Thank you, Eldest Sister. Eldest Sister is so kind.”
Lin Nianzhi grunted in a proud manner.
This was the first time Lin Feilu had ever been to Yaohua Palace. Yaohua Palace was exquisite and luxurious, which was fitting as the residence of one of the four consorts and Emperor Lin’s favorite daughter. Consort Hui loved orchids, so the hall was filled with a diverse variety of orchids. There were even some that bloomed in winter, known as Cold-growing Cymbidiums. As soon as the pair’s entourage entered the palace, its enchanting fragrance wafted throughout inside.
Lin Nianzhi saw her staring intently, so she generously offered: “You seem to like them? If so, you can take away two pots with you later when you leave.”
Consort Hui was not in the palace, so Lin Nianzhi asked one of the servants: “Where is Mother?”
The servant replied: “Your Highness, my Lady has gone to visit Consort Mei.”
Consort Hui and Consort Mei had a good relationship as they both belonged to the same faction.
Lin Feilu recalled there were four consorts in this palace. Consort Shu gave birth to the second prince, Lin Jiwen. Consort Xian gave birth to the fourth prince, Lin Jingyuan. Consort Hui gave birth to the eldest princess, Lin Nianzhi. The only consort who had no children was Consort Mei.
In this harem where mothers were only as valuable as their children, Consort Mei was an exemption as she was promoted to the rank of consort despite being childless. It was clear that this Consort Mei was a cunning woman and a formidable character.
However in this moment, Lin Nianzhi seemed to have forgotten that this Fifth Princess belonged to Consort Xian’s faction, which meant she was one of her own mother’s enemies. Instead, she happily led her into Yaohua Palace. She ordered her servants to bring all kinds of delicious food and fun toys, letting her little Fifth Sister take whatever she desired.
Lin Feilu obediently sat herself down on a warm cushioned daybed and put aside the worn-down hand stove. She looked a little nervous and was careful with every bite she took out of her snacks. But every time when she looked at Lin Nianzhi’s direction, she would put on a smile full of sincerity.
Lin Feilu’s big watery eyes seemed to be filled with genuine affection for her.
The first time when Little Feilu met her, she could not help but sing praises of her beauty. It made Lin Nianzhi very pleased with her.
If Lin Nianzhi had a tail, it would be wagging so furiously until she had propelled herself up into the skies.
She ordered a maidservant to bring the previous hand stove and also presented a new, exquisite hand stove. “I’ll return this back to you. This other one was recently provided by the Imperial Household Department. It is better to use this one than the previous one. I already have one for my own personal use, so you can take this and use it.” Looking at the worn-out hand stove again, she continued, “You should get rid of that old one instead.”
(T/N: “Ministry of Internal Affairs” is changed to “Imperial Household Department”)
Lin Feilu shook her head as she insisted, “It is still usable.”