November ushered in its most significant festival, the Winter Solstice.
In Wang Qingyao's memory, the Winter Solstice was simply about eating glutinous rice balls, with no other major activities.
However, in the Great Sheng Dynasty, the Winter Solstice was a festival second only to the Spring Festival.
Even the poorest individuals, using all the money saved throughout the year or borrowing from others, would buy new clothes, prepare food, and offer sacrifices to their ancestors on this day.
Furthermore, during this festival, the government would lift the ban on gambling and fighting, allowing people to visit each other and exchange greetings, much like during the New Year.
Yun Gui was located in the southern part of the Great Sheng Dynasty. As the carriage traveled south, the weather grew warmer and more lively. However, compared to the bustling atmosphere of Duanjing, it was considerably less so.
Xiao Yun told Wang Qingyao, "Around the Winter Solstice in Duanjing, there are also elephant performances. It's too late this year, but next year I'll speak to the department managing the elephants and have them brought to Ding'an Prince's Mansion for a few days."
Wang Qingyao quickly waved her hand in refusal, "No need."
What was so interesting about elephants? She had seen them countless times at the zoo, and even rode one during her trip to Thailand!
Xiao Yun felt quite hurt by her rejection of his kind gesture.
Seeing his dejected expression, Wang Qingyao's mind sharpened. What was happening to her lately? Why was she becoming so casual in her interactions with Xiao Yun? Had she forgotten he was her boss? If the boss wanted to bring something back, she should welcome it, even if it were a cockroach!
Thinking this, she forced a fawning smile and tried to salvage the situation, "I mean, wouldn't that be too ostentatious? Although you are a prince, you are only a prince by a different surname, hehehe..."
Xiao Yun quickly replied, "You don't need to worry about that. In previous years, the imperial relatives, court officials, and noble families all did this. They could bring elephants home by offering silk and silver. I've seen enough in the palace, and I thought you might like it, which is why I wanted to bring them here. If you're not interested..."
Wang Qingyao waved her hand, "I'm interested, very interested. I've never seen an elephant before..."
Yin Zhu chimed in, "In the past, during these festivals, the Princess Consort couldn't even go out. Let alone see elephants on the Imperial Street, she couldn't even peek from the doorway. Our Princess Consort had such a hard life before..."
Wang Qingyao disliked dwelling on past hardships, especially when they weren't her own.
She let out a couple of awkward laughs, "It's all in the past, why bring it up?" She signaled Yin Zhu to stop talking.
Xiao Yun knew she wasn't the original Wang Qingyao, but hearing Yin Zhu speak still made his heart ache. He gently squeezed her hand, looking at her with eyes full of encouragement and affection. Though he said nothing, Wang Qingyao felt warmth. She involuntarily tightened her grip on his hand, and they gazed at each other, their eyes locked, as if a thousand words were being exchanged.
Seeing their affection, Yin Zhu couldn't help but smile. She turned her head and found Jin Tiao looking at her. Her face flushed, and she shot him a fierce glare.
Duanjing City was also lively.
Many things had happened during Wang Qingyao's absence.
Fang Yuan wished she could send a letter every day, telling Wang Qingyao everything.
She was still in mourning and couldn't go out to play even during the Winter Solstice, feeling as if she would fall ill from boredom.
Fortunately, not long after, Zuo Yun gave birth to a healthy baby boy, not a girl.
The entire Zuo family was overjoyed. After all, Wang Qingyao had predicted that Zuo Yun was carrying a daughter, and the Zuo family had prepared everything with a feminine touch for the baby.
To their surprise, a son was born, which delighted the Zuo family immensely.
Originally, Wang Qingyao had gained considerable prestige among the noble ladies of Duanjing by correctly predicting Zuo Yun's pregnancy and the birth of a daughter to Madam Xue of Wenyuan Earl's Mansion.
Upon Zuo Yun's child's birth, she was immediately subjected to ridicule.
"She called a perfectly good son a girl!"
"Isn't that misleading people?"
"So, she was just guessing before. I knew it. How could she, so young and unmarried, tell if someone was pregnant at a glance, let alone the gender?"
"Exactly, she's just seeking attention! No upbringing at all!"
"If not for the Grand Preceptor Feng Fu, how could someone of her family background and status marry Prince Ding'an?"
...
With Wang Qingyao away from Duanjing, the slanderous remarks became particularly harsh.
Fang Yuan, of course, didn't write all of it in her letter. She only joked that Wang Qingyao had guessed wrong this time, and no one would bother her about predicting genders anymore.
"However, my sister-in-law said you knew it was a boy long ago," Fang Yuan wrote in her letter. "The gifts you prepared for the naming ceremony were also masculine. Did you deliberately say it was a girl?"
Fang Yuan pressed Wang Qingyao in her letter, but Wang Qingyao naturally denied it, laughing it off and saying she was just guessing.
"You knew it was a boy early on, didn't you?" Xiao Yun asked Wang Qingyao.
Wang Qingyao nodded, "You mustn't tell anyone. If those women knew I could sense the gender of a fetus, wouldn't I be pestered to death?"
"I won't tell anyone. I'm on your side."
Wang Qingyao smiled and tucked her hands into his embrace for warmth.
Xiao Yun cherished these unintentional yet intimate gestures. He lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand, saying with a beaming smile, "The people watching Madam Bai also sent a letter. Guess what happened?"