Palace Fighting: Naive Concubines' Ascent to Power-Chapter 407 Ambitious Plans

Lih Qingshu immediately fell silent, looking towards Lian Musu.

After a moment of silence, Lian Musu made up her mind, smiled faintly, and said to Divine Doctor Huang, "Many thanks, Divine Doctor. I have decided not to seek treatment."

A single sentence left Divine Doctor Huang perplexed at first, and then he flew into a rage.

The rising sun had just appeared, and the morning air was exceptionally fresh and pleasant.

Inside Canglan Court.

Lian Hua and a few others chatted and laughed as they prepared breakfast, and after a short wait, Pang Ya came in, supporting Nanny Qi, followed by a little Xiao Qing.

Lian Hua stood up and walked over with a beaming smile, taking hold of Nanny Qi’s hand, "Nanny, your timing is perfect. Today’s breakfast looks delicious."

Nanny Qi’s usually cursory smile softened, and she patted Lian Hua’s hand, "How come you’re up so early today?"

It was not yet the end of the Mao Hour, the sun had just begun to show its face, and the air was cool, calling for an extra layer of clothing.

Little girls usually got up at the earliest during the Chen Hour. As she was getting older, she woke up earlier, but usually, she would wait until it was almost time before coming over for a meal together.

So, at this hour, when that Little Palace Maid had come, she thought she had come to the wrong place.

"Nanny, I woke up early and couldn’t fall back asleep," said Lian Hua, escorting Nanny Qi to the table. "Please sit down, Nanny. Are you hungry? Let’s have breakfast."

Nanny Qi revealed a smiling face, seeing the little girl’s smiling face first thing in the morning was truly uplifting.

After the two had eaten until they were half-full, Lian Hua felt comfortable and warm all over.

She picked up a small soup bun and placed it in Nanny Qi’s bowl, her eyes curving into a smile, "Nanny, do you think my sewing has improved?"

Nanny Qi chuckled and chose her words carefully, "Yes, it has improved quite a bit, your stitching is no longer crooked."

As long as the little girl wasn’t distracted, her needlework could pass muster, but when she was distracted, it could go awry, all the way to the heavens.

Lian Hua’s eyes crinkled with delight, "Nanny, what do you think if I made a complete set of clothing for His Majesty, from the inside out? Socks, knee pads, and even the outer cape and such, a full set."

Nanny Qi’s hand, poised to pick up a soup bun, froze, and she gave Lian Hua a surprised glance, her expression becoming strange as she silently wondered where this idea had sprung from.

Surely the little girl didn’t think that just because her stitching was straight she could make anything else?

Wasn’t this a bit overconfident?

Before Nanny Qi could answer, Lian Hua took a sip of cow’s milk and spoke on her own accord, "It’s getting colder. I want to make something warm from head to toe for His Majesty. I know I am slow, Nanny, but it doesn’t matter if it takes time. I’ll make it thick, and by the time it’s finished, it will be the coldest time of the year, perfect for His Majesty to wear."

Nanny Qi looked down, thinking to herself that it might not necessarily be so.

She wondered where the little girl’s confidence came from. A single undergarment had already taken her so long to make and it still wasn’t finished yet—now she wanted to make other items? And each one more complicated than the last.

Nanny Qi didn’t want to be harsh, but she really didn’t have high hopes for the little girl’s sewing skills. The simplest undergarment took her this long, even with Nanny Qi’s hands-on teaching and constant supervision. When she was younger, she could have made four or five sets in that time. freēwēbnovel.com

If it was to make something else, aside from socks, who knew what year and month she would finish?

It would be more realistic to make them for the winter the year after next; there’s no hope of finishing them for this year or the next.

Nanny Qi felt it wasn’t appropriate to be too blunt, so she vaguely responded, "It’s the thought that counts. His Majesty’s clothing is carefully managed by the Bureau of Palace Attendants. The Weaving Bureau always prioritizes His Majesty’s clothing for each season. You shouldn’t tire yourself out."

Lian Hua tore off a piece of pancake and put it in her mouth, unconsciously voicing her thoughts, "Nanny, I’m not tired at all. Right now, there’s no need to tend to the vegetable and melon patches; I have plenty of free time. Making clothes for His Majesty not only passes the time but also allows me to do something for him."

It was a win-win situation. She had already written and compiled her methods for raising children into a booklet, just waiting for the child in her womb to be born. If she had any other ideas later on, it wouldn’t be troublesome to add a bit more, considering how free she was.

Ever since Nanny Qi arrived, she didn’t go out much, fearing that Nanny Qi would worry. Besides, with the weather turning cold, it wasn’t good to go out. In previous years, this was her most active season.

She would wander around the Imperial Garden every day, bringing back whatever she found to store for winter. She wouldn’t even leave behind dried branches or shrubs and even needed to prepare pickled vegetables, pop corn, calculate the silver to buy meat for curing, fluff blankets, collect firewood from deserted gardens to replenish supplies, and so on. There were so many tasks to do; she wasn’t idle then.

Now, staying in and doing some needlework every day seemed a piece of cake compared to that time, and it made her feel sluggish and uncomfortable with how idle she was.

Nanny Qi thought to herself, she’s tired, watching the little girl do needlework is more exhausting than doing it herself.

Where did this idea come from? It was clear that the little girl didn’t enjoy needlework. These days, she had been confined to making undergarments, and Nanny Qi thought she would grow tired of it. But unexpectedly, she had even grander ambitions and wanted to make the Emperor’s outer garments too.

What should be done about this?

Although it was better to stay in every day than to go out and make trouble, the Emperor’s clothing was extremely intricate. Even the seemingly ordinary everyday attire was not ordinary and was beyond the capabilities of ordinary people. If she were to really make it, wouldn’t it exhaust the little girl to no end?

With this thought in mind, Nanny Qi felt it was inappropriate and spoke frankly, "My dear girl, consider it carefully. His Majesty’s outer clothing is not so easy to make. The material, the color matching, the patterns and directions of the embroidered dragons, every stitch and thread, every little detail matters. Are you sure you want to do it?"

Undergarments are one thing, as they are worn underneath and out of sight, so no one can say much about them.

But outer garments are a major issue; many courtiers are watching closely. The little girl’s thinking is too simplistic.

If the clothes made don’t conform to the rules, I’m afraid it won’t turn out well for the little girl.

"Ah?" Lian Hua was munching on a pancake, which became more fragrant the more she chewed. Upon hearing this, she suddenly froze.

Her mouth slightly opened, she remembered the pancake was still there and, seeing it unseemly, closed her mouth again.

She obviously hadn’t considered the complexity, having decided on it on a whim.

Oh, His Majesty is the Emperor. She stayed with His Majesty every day, living as common people do, almost forgetting these details. Oh dear...

Let alone embroidery, just thinking about the materials could make her dizzy, not to mention if she was required to embroider a dragon – that was beyond her capabilities.

Things had been going too well lately, causing her confidence to inflate...

Lian Hua suddenly found the pancake in her mouth less appetizing. Her face showing difficulties, she chewed hesitantly on the pancake, frowning and pondering.

Seeing that she seemed to have understood, Nanny Qi gently persuaded her, "Why not focus on finishing the work you have at hand first? Weren’t you planning on embroidering a small lotus flower? You need to choose a pattern, make a sample, and from then on, it will become your signature. You can embroider it wherever you want."

Lian Hua swallowed the pancake and nodded her head, "That’s right." This was an important matter, and she needed to learn properly.

But her eyebrows remained furrowed; she wanted to do something nice for His Majesty, and it seemed like she didn’t have any outlet for her efforts now.

Nanny Qi saw through her thoughts and said, "His Majesty won’t miss one or two pieces of clothing from you. As long as you’re happy every day, eating well, drinking well, and having fun, that will please His Majesty. If you tire yourself out, His Majesty will feel distressed instead."