Qiu Ci and Qiu Le Are Back!

Noble Concubine Shao languished under a wide cinnabar parasol held up by one of her maids, despite the morning sun barely making an appearance. She stood beside her assigned carriage, and narrowed her eyes unhappily as she stared at us.

Noble Concubine Shao was dressed in a tasteful red and gold ensemble, like Noble Concubine Ju, but had opted as well for some white and green layers, which balanced out the look beautifully. She was also wearing a red coat lined with bobs of white fur.

When she saw me looking, she turned her head to face elsewhere, revealing a very large, teardrop shaped emerald and pearl earring dangling from her ears.

A loud shout came from the front area of the procession.

The activity around the area suddenly hastened. A group of servants carrying some decorations sped up, checks were carried out in a faster manner, and participants rushed to their places.

"Noble Concubine Ling, the procession will set off in half an hour. It's time to take your place in the carriage." A Ling said.

Oh. So it was almost time to leave.

We made our way toward my carriage. It was purpose-built for the occasion, and more spacious than normal. I lowered my head as I got into the carriage and sat down carefully, so as not to put my outfit in disarray. I was wearing many elaborate accessories for the occasion, along with a very heavy headpiece on top of my hairdo, so I had to be careful with my movements.

In the center of the carriage was a narrow table, which was nailed to the bottom for stability and had a rim at the edges to prevent the items on it from falling off. There was already refreshments prepared on the table – a pot of hot tea, a hand stove for warmth, and some sweets.

Beside the carriage, the maids had already decided between them who would accompany me today since Qiu Ci and Qiu Le were still unable to make it.

A Ling poked her head into the carriage.

"Noble Concubine Ling, A You and I will attend to you today, is that alright?"

I waved my hand flippantly. "Sure, go ahead."

A Ling and A You promptly got into the carriage, sliding into the bench opposite mine.

I had always had a good impression of A Ling and A You. A Ling was my third best maidservant after Qiu Ci and Qiu Le - she had been promoted from being a low ranked maid who swept the yard to a personal handmaid due to her hard work, and A You was one of her best friends and also a maid who was very conscientious with her work.

"Noble Concubine Ling, the Emperor is coming toward you!" A Ling said.

Hmm? Now that the carriage door was shut, it was difficult for me to tell what was outside. I moved aside the heavy drapes.

Lu Qing Yu half ran toward the window, a trail of eunuchs chasing after him. Lu Qing Yu was dressed differently today as well. Instead of his usual gold, he was dressed in a very cheery red ensemble.

"Ling Yue!"

"Lu Qing Yu, why are you in a hurry?"

"To see you, silly. I heard what happened. Are you alright?"

The carriage was very high, and Lu Qing Yu was barely at eye level with the window sill. However, he still attempted to look into the carriage as if to inspect me for any scrapes or bruises.

"I'm fine. I only took a little look."

"You must be very shocked. Don't worry, now that I know about it, I won't let them off! Eunuch Song Chu is investigating as we speak! We'll get an answer very soon."

"Your Highness, we must depart soon. Please get into the carriage." At his side was an unfamiliar eunuch. Because of the incident, Eunuch Song Chu wouldn't follow the procession. Instead, he had many tasks to handle for Lu Qing Yu in the palace while he was gone.

"Ling Yue, I must leave now, but let me know if you need anything. And Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year, Lu Qing Yu." I said.

After he left, 2 eunuchs came around the outside of the carriage, tapping it occasionally with an instrument while looking at a scroll. The grounds had cleared remarkably now, and no one else was outside.

"What are they doing?" I asked.

"Noble Concubine, they are the eunuchs who inspect all parts of the procession to ensure everything is running smoothly. This is to deter those who want to tamper with the carriage." A You said.

"This is the final step. After this, the procession will go off right away. Is there anything you need?" A Ling added.

I shook my head.

The telltale squelch and sloshing sound of light footsteps sinking into wet snow approached the carriage.

"Noble Concubine Ling!"

One exhilarated, and one noticeably relieved, Qiu Ci and Qiu Le made an almost unladylike speed walk toward the carriage, just short of a mad dash.

They had arrived just in time, before the entire procession set off.

The doors of the carriage were quickly opened and the 4 maidservants stood pondering at the entrance.

"Sister Ci, let us get off." A Ling suggested.

"No, no, Sister Ling and Sister You rarely get a chance to accompany Young Miss out. We should give way this once." Qiu Le said.

"But Sister Le, the Spring Festival procession is a grand event. For this sort of thing, it's only right that the 2 best maids accompany Noble Concubine Ling." A You said.

"Ladies! Please hurry up. The checks have been completed. If you don't get on now, the procession will leave." The eunuch who inspected the carriage said in an irate manner.

"Alright, alright, let's let Young Miss decide."

Suddenly, 4 pairs of eyes swiveled toward me. This was a high pressure situation, and there wasn't a lot of time to make a decision either.

"Qiu Ci, Qiu Le, come with me. A Ling, A You, thank you for stepping up to accompany me during this time. I'll make it up to you another time."

With one sentence, everything was resolved. No one had any objections, and everyone was all too eager to get out of the eunuch's way, so Qiu Ci and Qiu Le clambered into the carriage and A Ling and A You quickly stood out of the way.

Almost immediately, the carriage jolted to life, and the teapot rattled in fright on the table.

A Ling and A You waved to us from the window.

The procession had started moving.