A new day.
Waking up.
Opening eyes.
Palace maids were already silently waiting beside her (the maids had to be pretty ones - seeing unattractive faces first thing in the morning would be quite startling). The former head maid Pangya had gotten married and would likely return later as a matron - this was the typical career path for maids. Pangya was among the fortunate ones, having secured a position in the imperial household.
The palace maid opened the curtains, helped her dress, put on her shoes, brought water for rinsing her mouth, washing her face, brushing teeth... though actually, she preferred to brush her teeth herself.
Although the maids could help with brushing, she wasn't even used to electric toothbrushes in modern times, so she definitely wasn't comfortable with it now. Better to do it herself.
Mianmian brushed her teeth meticulously, reaching every single tooth, carefully attending to the back molars, brushing in an orderly fashion - left and right, up and down.
After brushing and rinsing, ensuring fresh breath and white teeth, she would apply some homemade face cream.
She felt like she hadn't done much, just changed various little details of daily life, yet somehow it seemed she had accomplished quite a bit, even if these small changes didn't really contribute to social progress.
Perhaps there were some minor improvements - with this face cream available, noble ladies used less lead-based powder, which might be better for their health and could have reduced infant mortality during childbirth.
But noble ladies were few in number, and common people couldn't afford expensive lead powder anyway - luxury items didn't harm the poor.
So the impact on society as a whole was minimal.
Mianmian didn't have such lofty ambitions anyway.
She just wanted to make each day a bit more interesting, and that was enough.
After washing up and making herself beautiful, she went to see her parents.
Cong Brother would join them at this time too.
Cong Brother was very disciplined and had simple tastes - all his clothes were the same color. His mother had prepared many identical outfits for him, making it look like he never changed clothes.
Mianmian felt certain Cong Brother would be successful in the future, as he had that minimalist style of a boss.
The kind of presence that commanded respect whether in an office, hall, or imperial court - wearing the same style until old age.
Cong Brother could almost always time it perfectly to meet Mianmian.
They would go together to pay respects to their elders, then have meals together.
Breakfast was elaborate with all sorts of beautiful pastries, though after trying them a few times, she found they looked better than they tasted - more suitable for guests than actual eating.
Now it was like having half a mouthful of sugar with each bite of pastry - too sweet.
In the beginning, she had tried hard to chew corn buns, trying to find sweetness in them.
Her body must have been lacking sugar then, her mind even imagining the taste of it.
Now there was an excess of sugar, possibly even risking diabetes.
But she was still young, so it was fine. Princess Grandma was at higher risk, though fortunately she was an athletic elderly lady, so it should be much better.
Her parents both maintained good figures, and father hadn't developed a middle-age spread, though her brother-in-law's family might be at some risk.
Mianmian's thoughts wandered as she ate.
She had been taught dining etiquette many times, mainly for special training before entering the palace, back when her father wasn't yet in charge.
The key points were to eat slowly, not wolf down food, not grab eagerly at delicacies, not let others see what you wanted to eat, take small portions of everything - essentially putting on airs, since you could eat more at home anyway. Speak less, eat less, keep your mouth shut.
Now that they lived in the palace, she could be more relaxed.
If she were to go back in time now, she could probably play the role of a noble young lady perfectly, with full marks for grace.
She still preferred the tastes from her childhood - all sorts of mixed soups and broths.
No palace maids or eunuchs would dare mock her behind her back - after all, everyone just wanted to live well.
The palace maids and eunuchs were products of extreme competition - they were all clever people, none of that naive innocence.
After breakfast.
Jiang Changtian had to go to work.
But today he planned to take his little daughter along.
His eldest son was meant for hard work and had already gone to gain experience like ordinary officials.
Cong Brother freely went to the Star-Gazing Tower to study.
Jiang Changtian was a traditional parent.
The eldest had to inherit the family business, so he needed more hardship and experience.
The other children could develop their own interests.
Casting long shadows.
Mianmian thought how wonderful it was - being able to support each other and walk together was already the best state in life.
She walked behind them kicking small stones, deliberately going slowly to let the couple have some private conversation.
She let Little Tree out to walk along the ground with her.
Following Little Tree's meandering pace.
Mianmian's mother and father had already disappeared in front of a flowerbed ahead.
Mianmian thought to herself with a sweet smile, feeling that she was truly a qualified little cotton-padded jacket.
Ahead, Jiang Changtian held Qin Luoxia's hand and walked slowly, stopping by the flowerbed to wait for Mianmian.
From their position, they could see Mianmian squatting on the ground, playing with ants.
Jiang Changtian hesitated before speaking, "Luoxia, do you think Mianmian's brain might not be very sharp?"
Qin Luoxia also felt a bit guilty, thinking that Mianmian's appearance resembled her husband's, but her mental habits might have inherited from herself.
"I don't think so. Aren't those ants something she's raised since she was little? I heard that when Mother was young, she also raised a giant snake. Mianmian might just be a bit like our Mother."
"Ouch!"
If Mianmian was like her princess grandmother, Jiang Changtian thought about it and felt a bit of a toothache, even his cheeks felt a bit sore. He decided to ask someone to write more educational stories, ensuring that Mianmian wouldn't follow someone just because they were good-looking.
Strict vigilance.
He needed to take Mianmian to see more of the world.
When Mianmian finally followed the ants over, Jiang Changtian asked kindly, "What do you want to be when you grow up, my dear?"
"Ah." Mianmian thought that at her age in ancient times, she was already considered grown up, as girls could start discussing marriage around sixteen or seventeen.
"I want to be a princess, just like Princess Grandma, living a life of eating, drinking, and having fun." Without the hassle of raising kids, Mianmian added in her mind.
Jiang Changtian, Qin Luoxia: ...
"What kind of man do you like, my dear?" Qin Luoxia tentatively asked.
"I like handsome ones." But so far, none had surpassed her father, so naturally, there was no one.
Jiang Changtian, Qin Luoxia: ...
Jiang Changtian thought, he should ask his mother in the evening if she wanted to go up the mountain to practice cultivation. Recently, she had been taking Mianmian around too much, perhaps hindering her from cultivating her virtues.
At night, the emperor and empress went to bed, without choosing a concubine or engaging in romantic activities. They seriously discussed the futures of their two children, Mianmian and Cong Brother.
It seemed more pressing than national affairs.
Mianmian slept, feeling an inexplicable itch in her ears, as if someone was talking about her.
A maid knelt beside her and asked, "Princess, would you like me to clean your ears for you?"
Mianmian nodded. The maid then took out an eight-piece set, with various fine brushes and a bell, gently scratching and cleaning her ears. Another maid gently massaged her legs. After the refreshing service, Princess Mianmian slept comfortably.
A luxurious and peaceful sleep.
A good night's dream.
She dreamed of a poem: "The moon sets, crows cry, frost fills the sky, River maples, fisherman's lanterns, with sorrow I lie..."
The scene shifted.
She seemed to hear a baby crying.
It was a sweltering summer evening.
Aliali: 67568261bd5e46c308c7729a
The wind was hot.
Cicadas and frogs kept chirping.
She opened her eyes to see a round-faced woman smiling at her.
"My dear, are you awake? Are you hungry?"
The round-faced woman picked her up, skillfully lifted her clothes.
She reflexively opened her mouth and sucked vigorously.
...
...
...
The end of the main text.