Return of the Pearl

The next day, the bright sunshine shone softly through the gaps in the clouds and fell on the courtyard of Shufangzhai, as if covering the world with a layer of golden gauze.

Xiao Yun and Ziwei sat side by side on a stone bench in the courtyard, chatting enthusiastically. Their silver bell-like laughter rose one after another, as if all their worries were thrown away.

At this moment, Erkang brought Yongqi into the courtyard. With a smile on his face, Erkang introduced him to Ziwei and Xiaoyun, "This is the Fifth Prince Yongqi. You should have heard of him."

The moment she heard the name, a strange look flashed across Xiao Yun's face, but she quickly regained her usual calmness. She looked at Yongqi quietly, but a complex emotion surged in her heart.

Yongqi walked forward and politely greeted Ziwei and Xiao Yun. Ziwei responded with a gentle smile, while Xiao Yun just nodded slightly, with a barely perceptible hint of indifference in his eyes.

Erkang keenly noticed the subtle change in the atmosphere. He looked at Xiao Yun and Yongqi with some confusion. Yongqi stood there a little awkwardly, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Xiao Yun turned her head away and stopped looking at Yongqi. She continued to chat happily with Ziwei, and her words were still filled with joy.

The sunlight shone on them, outlining their different expressions. Erkang stood aside, trying his best to ease the slightly subtle atmosphere, but seemed powerless. The flowers and plants in the courtyard swayed gently in the breeze, as if they were also quietly watching this scene.

Yong Qi stepped forward, his eyes firm and sincere, staring straight at Xiao Yun, filled with deep apology. He spoke slowly, his voice tinged with self-blame and regret: "Xiao Yun, I know I was wrong. I really didn't mean it. I was the one who shot you that day, and I'm truly sorry for that. How are your injuries? Are they feeling any better?"

However, in the face of Yongqi's apology, Xiao Yun seemed to have not heard it and remained indifferent. Her attitude was extremely cold, even mixed with a hint of hostility. She stared at Yongqi coldly, her lips tightly closed, not saying a word, her eyes revealing a stubborn and unyielding look.

Seeing this, Yongqi said a few more words of concern, but Xiao Yun remained silent and did not respond. She just stood there quietly, keeping a distance from Yongqi, as if she was defending her own line of defense.

In the end, Yongqi sighed helplessly. He already understood Xiao Yun's mood at the moment. He turned around silently, and his departing back looked a little lonely. Xiao Yun sat there quietly, staring fixedly into the distance, thinking about something in his heart.

At the same time, Erkang and Ziwei were having a pleasant conversation, and Qianlong also officially decided on the date for Ziwei to hold the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven. In the following days, Qianlong would come to Shufangzhai from time to time. In fact, only he himself knew best that the purpose of his coming here was to visit Xiao Yun, not Ziwei.

Qianlong clearly noticed that the pain in his body was gradually easing, which also meant that Xiao Yun's injuries had healed a lot. Today, Qianlong specially ordered someone to deliver two exquisite and incomparable clothes. These two clothes were truly gorgeous to the extreme.

These two pieces of clothing are made of the finest silk, which feels as smooth as satin and has an attractive luster. The clothes are embroidered with exquisite patterns and are carefully woven with gold and silver threads. Every stitch and every thread demonstrates the pinnacle of craftsmanship.

The patterns are lifelike, as if telling beautiful legends. The collar and cuffs are inlaid with dazzling gems, which shine as bright as stars under the sunlight.

The tailoring of the whole dress is unique, fitting the curves of the body perfectly and showing elegance and nobility to the fullest.

Wearing such gorgeous clothes, Ziwei and Xiao Yun will surely be radiant at the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, becoming the focus of everyone's attention and the brightest stars.

On the day of the solemn and sacred ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, the entire palace was shrouded in a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

Ziwei was wearing exquisite clothes specially sent by Emperor Qianlong. She looked like two bright pearls, shining brightly in the sun. She slowly walked into the venue of the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven. Everything around her seemed so grand and magnificent.

The scene of the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven was decorated in an extremely grand and luxurious manner. The high altar was filled with various offerings, and curls of incense rose up and filled the air.

The solemn ritual music sounded, and with the distinct rhythm of the drums, everyone's mood became increasingly solemn. Ziwei walked with graceful steps, following Qianlong's figure, step by step towards the altar.

At the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, Qianlong was dressed in a gorgeous dragon robe, showing the majesty of the emperor. He solemnly carried out every step of the sacrificial ceremony with a focused and pious expression. Ziwei stood aside, watching quietly, her heart full of awe for heaven and earth.

As the ceremony progressed, white petals suddenly floated down from the sky, as if it was God's blessing to this grand ceremony. The breeze blew gently, and the petals danced in the air, adding a touch of romance and poetry to the solemn scene. At this moment, the whole world seemed to stand still, and only the solemn ceremony continued.

When the ceremony ended successfully, everyone was immersed in an indescribable atmosphere of emotion. Ziwei knew that this would become an unforgettable moment in her life. This grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven demonstrated the majesty and solemnity of the royal family.

Xiao Yun, wearing the exquisite and gorgeous clothes, stood below like a blooming beautiful flower. Her eyes were fixed on Ziwei, and there was a glimmer of joy in her eyes.

Ziwei was also dressed in gorgeous clothes. She looked at Xiao Yun, and both of them smiled brightly on their faces at the same time. That smile seemed to melt the ice and snow and warm people's hearts.

The matter finally came to a successful conclusion. From then on, Xiao Yun secretly decided in her heart that she would follow Ziwei and devote herself to studying.

After returning to the palace, Xiao Yun was like a lively little bird, clinging tightly to Ziwei, begging her with anticipation to teach her to read and write.

Ziwei was slightly stunned at first, a little surprised at Xiao Yun's sudden enthusiasm for learning, but looking at her eager eyes, she couldn't help but smile and agreed to her request.

Thus, in that warm palace, an interesting learning journey began. During the learning process, Xiao Yun came up with many hilarious stories that made people laugh.

Xiao Yun often mispronounces some simple words, and the pronunciation is so strange that people can't help laughing. For example, he reads "人" as "银" and "山" as "三", which makes people laugh.

Xiao Yun would also read sentences upside down, completely disregarding grammar and logic, making people confused. Once, she read "The bright moon shines on the bed, I wonder if it is frost on the ground" as "The bright moon shines on the bed in front, I wonder if it is frost on the ground", which made Ziwei and the palace maids beside her laugh so hard that they fell over.

Not only that, Xiao Yun's understanding of the meaning of the text is also full of wonderful ideas. She will interpret those poems and articles based on her own imagination, and often come to some ridiculous conclusions.

Once, she read a poem about spring, but interpreted it as a season with candies everywhere, which made Ziwei laugh and cry.

Although Xiao Yun made so many jokes in her studies, she always maintained a positive and optimistic attitude and devoted herself to her studies with great enthusiasm.

Xiao Yun's lively eyes and playful smile filled the entire palace with life and energy, and Ziwei also patiently taught her. In the process, the relationship between the two became deeper, and their laughter echoed in the palace, as if even the air had become sweet.