Chapter 1200 - 1206 Birthday Feast (4)
The Empress Dowager Mo smiled and raised her hand, repeatedly expressing approval.
Although she was at odds with Nangong Yi and his mother, since The Emperor had given her this honor, she didn’t care whether The Emperor was sincere or not. As long as it appeared to others that The Emperor still respected her as the Empress Dowager, they would show deference to her parental home. Therefore, even though she knew that The Emperor was using her to earn a reputation for benevolence and filial piety, she was more than happy to cooperate. They were using each other, after all!
After Nangong Yi stood up, Mu Caiwei personally presented the longevity noodles that the eunuch had handed to her to The Empress Dowager. Nangong Yi offered a toast for longevity, and The Empress Dowager symbolically ate the longevity noodles, thereby excusing everyone from bowing.
After the longevity noodles, it was time for the presentation of birthday gifts. Naturally, not everyone personally came forward to present their birthday gifts. First, The Empress led all the high concubines and consorts to offer gifts and wishes. Then came Nangong Yi and Caiwei, followed by the Eldest Princesses, Helen Xue, Princess Tuotuo, and others. Next were the ladies of the royal clan, and finally, those from Duke Li Guo’s Mansion and the Great General’s Mansion, as well as a few Noble Ladies of extremely high status from the Chancellor’s mansion.
The Retired Emperor, devoted to cultivation, had not joined this worldly dust but personally copied a portion of the "Tao Te Ching" as a birthday gift for The Empress Dowager. The gifts from The Empress and the high concubines were nothing more than needlework, calligraphy and paintings, and silks and satins. The birthday gift from Nangong Yi and Mu Caiwei was a white jade sculpture of the Star of Longevity over a foot tall. The white jade was of the highest quality mutton fat white jade, finely carved and lifelike; one could tell at a glance that it was an item of immense value.
It was now the turn of the Eldest Princesses and Princesses to offer their gifts. Like The Empress and the high concubines, they presented calligraphy, paintings, or needlework and silks. All were of fine quality but lacked any real thoughtfulness. The only exception was Princess Zhao Gui, whose gift caught everyone’s attention.
Especially Mu Caiwei, who nearly had her eyeballs pop out of their sockets at the sight of Zhao Gui’s gift!