in2ebook Chapter 143 How did you get here?
Chapter 143 How did you get here?
As the sun set, its afterglow cast long shadows of Su Nuannuan and her entourage along the path back to the palace. Finally, as night fell, they arrived at the palace.
Upon returning to Caiwei Palace, Su Nuannuan quickly directed everyone to begin a simple tidying-up. In no time, everything was in perfect order. After a short rest, Su Nuannuan gently took the two children's hands and walked towards the palace where the Empress Dowager resided. Along the way, the children chattered like two happy little birds.
"Grandmother, Cheng'er (Yao'er) is back!" The voice preceded her arrival, the cheerful, childlike voice carrying far into the palace. Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager, who was enjoying tea in the palace, immediately smiled with affection.
In just a moment, two little figures, led by Su Nuannuan, skipped and hopped into the inner hall. They were dressed in exquisite brocade robes, their little faces flushed with excitement, like two ripe apples, making one want to take a bite.
Afterwards, Su Nuannuan respectfully led the children to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager looked at the two adorable children with delight, especially at their innocent and pure appearance; her well-maintained face beamed with joy. She quickly extended her hands, beckoning the two children affectionately, and asked with concern, "Let your grandmother see, you must be exhausted after playing at the estate all day?"
"Grandmother, we're not tired at all. The estate is so much fun!" Canglan Jingyao blinked her big, bright eyes and replied with a grin. At the same time, she tightly gripped the Empress Dowager's sleeve with her chubby little hands, as if the Empress Dowager were about to run away.
Not only that, this mischievous little girl also secretly gave her brother a warning look, a look that clearly said, "You better not say anything out of line!"
Standing to the side, Su Nuannuan took in her daughter's little antics, finding them somewhat amusing, but mostly exasperating. Sometimes, she simply couldn't handle her mischievous daughter. However, seeing the children getting along so well with the Empress Dowager filled Su Nuannuan with immense comfort and warmth.
"Is this estate really so interesting today?" The Empress Dowager teased the children with a smile.
"Of course, Yao'er is amazing! She pulled out countless weeds! And her brother did too, he pulled out a ton of weeds as well."
"Grandmother, look at us! Aren't we amazing?" The little one blinked his big, watery eyes, his face beaming with anticipation for praise, and stared intently at the Empress Dowager.
"I never imagined my precious children would be so capable!" The Empress Dowager smiled broadly, reaching out her gentle hand to softly rub the two children's round little heads, praising them incessantly.
"Cheng'er, is this estate really as interesting as your sister said?" The Empress Dowager turned her gaze to Cang Lan Jingcheng, who had been standing quietly to the side, and asked softly with a smile.
Cang Lan Jingcheng nodded slightly and replied softly, "In response to Grandmother, it is indeed quite fun." However, for some reason, his voice sounded somewhat somber.
Seeing this, Canglan Jingyao quickly spoke up to explain for her brother: "Grandmother, brother is probably just too tired. You know, he pulled out the most weeds."
While explaining, he also made gestures, and when he said "at most, at most", he even spread his arms out.
"Hahahaha, Cheng'er is so capable! In that case, your grandmother will not keep you any longer. Go back and rest well!" The Empress Dowager laughed heartily, waving her hand to signal them to leave.
"No, Yao'er wants to have dinner with Grandmother!" Canglan Jingyao hugged the Empress Dowager's arm with both hands, pouted her pink lips, and said in a childish voice.
The Empress Dowager, sitting to the side, was amused by the adorable little guy and laughed heartily, her face full of doting joy.
Meanwhile, Su Nuannuan, standing on the other side, turned her gaze to her son, Cang Lan Jingcheng. Looking at the quiet and reserved little boy, Su Nuannuan couldn't help but sigh silently. She thought to herself, "He's still a boy after all. His words aren't as clever and sweet as his sister's. I really wonder if he'll be able to find a wife when he grows up?"
Canglan Jingcheng was unaware of his mother's thoughts. He simply watched his grandmother, who was being coaxed by his younger sister and was filled with joy. The corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up, revealing a pure and innocent smile.
"Hehe, this is great, I don't need to bother to make my grandmother happy anymore!" Cang Lan Jingcheng muttered to himself, the little boy feeling relaxed and pleased with himself.
After everyone had finished their dinner, the Empress Dowager thoughtfully dispatched her maids and eunuchs to escort Su Nuannuan and the children back to Caiwei Palace.
The next morning, before dawn, Su Nuannuan was still sound asleep.
Suddenly, the sound of pattering rain reached her ears, gently tapping against the window. Su Nuannuan lazily turned over, preparing to go back to sleep. However, just as she was about to drift off to sleep again, a deafening "crack" of thunder suddenly rang out, as if the entire sky had been torn apart.
Startled, Su Nuannuan sat bolt upright in bed, her heart pounding. Instinctively, she opened her mouth and cried out, "Yaoqin..."
"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Yaoqin hurriedly put on her clothes and rushed into the room, asking with concern as she turned on the lampshade and lit the candle.
Su Nuannuan was sitting on the bed with a panicked expression, clutching the blanket tightly with both hands. She said anxiously, "It's thundering! Yao'er is terrified of thunder. Go and bring them to me right now!"
Upon hearing this, Yaoqin quickly dressed and comforted her, "Your Highness, don't worry. The young prince and princess are being carefully taken care of by Granny Jin and Granny Ru, so they will definitely be fine."
After hearing this, Su Nuannuan breathed a slight sigh of relief, but still said with some concern, "When I heard the thunder, I was so flustered that I forgot that they already had nannies taking care of them."
Before she could finish speaking, there was a rapid knocking at the door. Yaoqin quickly turned and ran to the door, asking as she ran, "Who is it? It's not even dawn yet!" When she opened the door, she exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you here?"