A piece of Japanese incense

In the corridors of Changle Palace, autumn is deepening, and the grapes on the vines are deep purple and full of ripe fruits.

The leaves of the willow trees by the pond have turned from emerald green to golden yellow, swaying in the wind and reflected in the clear water.

"Yihe! Come quickly!" The princess was sitting in the pavilion, waving at me and calling me over.

There was a large vat in the pavilion, with crystal clear ice cubes lying quietly in the vat, making slight crackling sounds from time to time.

After paying my respects to the princess, I was puzzled and asked, "Does your highness have a fever? Why do you need to put so much ice in this season?"

The princess smiled without saying a word. Two maids with wrinkled faces walked into the pavilion. Their steps were as light as willow catkins passing over the bluestone road.

(What’s going on? Did I reject the princess yesterday, and now she sent two “Madame Rong” to set rules for me?)

"Hmph," he laughed dryly twice: "Your Highness...what do you mean?"

"Yihe, don't be afraid! I'm also following your father's instructions. These two maids are very skilled at piercing ears, so it won't be painful." The princess gently took my hand and guided me to sit on the stone bench.

"Piercing?" I grumbled in confusion.

"Miss, don't worry! It's a common thing for me to pierce the ears of the masters and maids in the palace. I have done hundreds, if not thousands. It's not painful and it only takes a blink of an eye!" A nanny walked forward, her hair combed meticulously. She folded her hands in front of her, with a gentle yet slightly majestic smile on her face.

"No...no...I don't want to pierce my ears! I'm afraid of the pain!" I stood up tremblingly and tried to escape.

Another maid was quick to move. She put her hands on my shoulders and said "hmm". Then, like an eagle catching a chick, my hands and legs were controlled by several palace maids and I couldn't move.

"Girl, please don't run away! The more you move, the more uncomfortable this process will be." The nanny took out a small piece of ice and rubbed it gently on my earlobe.

I struggled desperately and yelled, "I don't want it! How can you force a cow to eat grass when it doesn't want to eat it? Let me go!"

"Yiheguai! Girls look so beautiful with earrings on!" The princess held my hand to comfort me.

"Yes! Only when a girl wears gold and silver can she show her wealth and status. It is a very auspicious thing!"

"In our hometown, women's ears are pierced to ward off evil spirits and protect their health and safety!"

……

They tied me up skillfully and coaxed me with their whimpers, but I developed an inexplicable strength and avoided the princess's hands, shaking my head left and right, shouting wildly.

"Mr. Jin! Qi'er!"

When I heard the princess' call, I suddenly turned around and saw my cousin and Zhi Siqi walking side by side from the garden towards the pavilion.

"With sister!" Zhi Siqi's voice echoed in the garden.

But in a flash, the hot embroidery needle pierced through the cold earlobe, causing a sharp and concentrated pain, like a thunderstorm on a summer afternoon, swift and violent.

As the needle passed through, a numb feeling gradually spread...

"Ah...!" I gasped, the pain was like a thousand troops galloping through my body, I couldn't help but clench my fists, my lips trembling slightly because of my endurance. I suddenly raised my right foot and stomped it heavily on the ground a few times, as if this could crush the piercing pain on the ground.

"Okay! This ear is done!" The nanny gently inserted the tea stalk into the ear hole and then walked to my right side.

"I don't want to fight anymore! Let me go! I'm going crazy! Ahhhhhhhhh!" I shook my body, trying to shake off their hands.

"It's just a pierced ear, why go to this point?" My cousin sat leisurely on the orchid stool.

"That's easy for you to say! I'll try to cut a piece of your flesh off!"

"Without experiencing the bitter cold, how can the fragrance of plum blossoms be so strong?" My cousin waved the folding fan in his hand, with a playful gleam in his eyes.

"If you can do it, then go ahead! Come on!" I tilted my head, with my ear pressed against my shoulder, refusing the nanny to touch my earlobe.

With a "bang", the folding fan in my cousin's hand quietly closed. He sat down beside me leisurely, tilted his head slightly, pointed his index finger at his earlobe, and raised an imperceptible sly smile at the corner of his mouth. That smile was both provocative and elegant: "Come on! Mammy! Please put one on for me too!"

There was a hint of cynicism in that smile, and a gleam of wit in his eyes, just like a little fox ready to play a trick on his companion, making people feel both angry and attracted.

"Um... this..." The maids stood still and looked to the princess for instructions.

"Mr. Jin, please stop joking. How can a man pierce his ears?" The princess disagreed.

"Why can't it be done for a boy? Just put it on him! See if he rolls around in pain!" I encouraged the nanny and the palace maids to go to my cousin's place.

"Hahaha! In that case, then please come in!" My cousin's laughter was low and magnetic, and his slight shrug revealed an irresistible confidence and ease.

The nanny was still hesitant, the ice melted in her hands, and the water droplets slid down her fingertips and dripped onto my skirt: "Mammy, go quickly! If you can let men experience the joy of piercing their ears, then the real superbness of your technique will be revealed! Hahaha!" I joked.

With an almost inaudible breath, the slender ear-piercing needle in the nanny's hand pierced through my cousin's earlobe quickly and accurately like a silver lightning.

His brows were only slightly furrowed, but soon relaxed again: "Ouch! It really hurts a little!"

"Yes! Yes! It hurts so much!" I shouted in agreement.

"Okay! You should hurry up too!" My cousin held a folding fan and pointed it towards my right ear.

"You are the only one! No! This is not fair! You have to treat everyone equally!"

"He'er! Don't be rude!" Dog Dad's voice came from behind, his tone firm.

"After your ears are pierced, come to Luo Mengtang to see me immediately." As soon as he gave the order, the air around them seemed to become more solemn.

After he left, under the gaze of everyone, I reluctantly calmed down and let the nanny pierce my right earlobe.

As I stepped into Luo Mengtang, I felt a dull pain in my ears with every step I took.

"Sit down!" Dog Dad's voice was a little cold.

I pondered in silence and just found a seat farthest away from him and sat down.

Dog Dad put down the brush in his hand, walked over to the seat next to me and sat down: "What? Are you unhappy?"

I said nothing, but just lowered my head and played with the handkerchief in my hand.

He took out a round box inlaid with gold and stones from somewhere, opened the lid and showed it to me: "Daddy knows that He'er likes gold. Take a look. Do you like this pair of earrings?"

I glanced sideways and saw a pair of pure gold earrings with floral patterns lying quietly in the box.