Chapter 1093: Chapter 1093: Embroidery
The Empress received the news from the palace maid, feeling both happy and worried.
What made her happy was that Nanny Xu was clever and finally managed to keep Ruru in the palace.
The worrying part was that Ruru was determined to leave the palace, showing she had no intention of becoming a Prince Consort.
Just as she was thinking about this, a palace maid announced, "Miss Jiang has arrived."
The Empress put on a smiling face, "Please, do come in."
Ruru came in and was warmly welcomed by the Empress who pulled her to sit by her side and asked whether she was comfortable staying in the palace and if she was used to the food.
Though filled with dejection, Ruru had to pull herself together to deal with the Empress.
Fortunately, the Empress only asked a few questions briefly, then gifted Ruru a box of palace flowers and let her leave.
Ruru returned to Yuexiu Palace to find the courtyard previously filled with young ladies now empty.
She, feeling listless, carried the box inside and looked at Xiao Lu with resentment, "If you moved faster, maybe we could’ve gotten out."
Xiao Lu was on the verge of tears, "Miss, I’ve already been quick enough."
"And besides, no matter how fast I am, Nanny Xu would never have let you go."
Ruru sighed, lazily reclining on the chaise.
Wu Miaomiao glanced at the box, "What’s this?"
Ruru responded lazily, "The palace flowers rewarded by the Empress, you can pick some, we’ll share them half and half."
Wu Miaomiao opened the box to find an array of flowers in various sizes.
There were peonies, roses, magnolias, plum blossoms, and chrysanthemums, each in a different color, all breathtakingly beautiful.
Wu Miaomiao remarked, "These are fresh flowers, they’ll wilt in a short while."
Ruru took a glance in the box, "They’re not fresh flowers, they’re tongcao flowers."
Wu Miaomiao picked up a peony for a closer look, "They aren’t fresh flowers, but they look so real, how could they make them so lifelike."
"Tsk tsk tsk," Wu Miaomiao marveled, "I’ve never seen such flowers in the Southern Regions."
Ruru said, "These are made by the Imperial Workshop, folks outside can’t match this level, it’s normal that you haven’t seen them."
Just then, a voice came from outside, "Miss Jiang, Miss Wu, dinner has been brought over."
Xiao Lu and Wu Miaomiao’s maid Zhu Er went out together to fetch the food boxes.
The two carried the food boxes inside, the palace maid followed them in and smilingly said to Jiang Ruru and Wu Miaomiao, "Ladies, the Empress has instructed that all the ladies in waiting must submit an embroidered handkerchief within three days."
"In three days, several ladies will publicly review them together."
She paused, "I wonder if the ladies need any needlework materials?"
Ruru said, "We didn’t bring any needlework supplies, can you get some for us?"
Zhu Er slipped some silver to the palace maid who smiled and said, "They’ll be brought over in a moment."
Soon, the palace maid brought over the things needed for embroidery, including embroidery hoops, needles, silk threads, and even patterns.
After they ate, Wu Miaomiao stretched a piece of satin onto a hoop and began tracing patterns.
She saw Ruru wandering around the room, "Aren’t you going to start embroidering right away, there’s only three days, it might not get finished!"
Ruru shook her head, "You do yours, I’m not in a hurry."
Only on the morning of the second day did Ruru leisurely set up her hoop without tracing a pattern and began to embroider with a needle.
Wu Miaomiao, at her side, was full of admiration, having heard of embroidery masters who didn’t need to trace patterns, as they knew exactly where to place the needle.
It seemed Ruru’s embroidery skills were already very high.
The two spent the whole day embroidering in the room, and by dinner, Wu Miaomiao got up planning to check on Ruru’s progress.
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