Chapter 995 - 425: Banquet (Part 1)
The next day, Yueyao got up on time. However, since she was going to the palace, Yueyao didn’t practice martial arts, and after having breakfast, she asked Xi Yu and the others to start dressing her up.
Wearing the headpiece and outfit, Yueyao chuckled: "This headpiece is really heavy, almost as heavy as the phoenix crown worn at a wedding." Nine out of ten people wish to wear the Phoenix Crown and Cape; she was no exception. But once worn, the feeling is not comfortable.
Xi Yu had learned the etiquette needed for accompanying Yueyao into the palace last time, so Yueyao was also prepared to take Xi Yu with her.
Since this wasn’t Yueyao’s first time entering the palace, and she had also met the Empress Dowager and Empress before, she didn’t seem very nervous. Even upon entering the palace, Yueyao didn’t show much nervousness. It wasn’t until she reached outside Kunning Palace that Yueyao saw many elegantly dressed madams, realizing that she wasn’t the only one visiting the palace to express gratitude today.
The eunuch came over and invited everyone inside.
Inside Kunning Palace, besides the Empress, there were several concubines.
The Empress, dressed in a yellow gown embroidered with phoenixes, adorned with complex pearl hairpins in her hair, sat at the head, looking dignified and graceful. The four concubines beside her were two composed and elegant, while the other two were charming and alluring.
This time, there were a total of eight people who received imperial decrees, and Yueyao didn’t recognize any of the other seven. This was mainly because Yueyao rarely participated in social gatherings, knowing only a few noble family’s old ladies besides the group of girls around her age, and even that was through painting for them.
The Empress spoke kindly to everyone, and specially said a few words to Yueyao. Some of the concubines teasingly said that Yueyao and the Empress were like one family.
Yueyao kept her head down and remained silent. She always adhered to the principle that the more you say, the more mistakes you make, so she kept quiet whenever possible. Especially in Kunning Palace, where she felt she had no right to speak, she even more refrained from speaking.
Noticing Yueyao’s demeanor, the Empress smiled and dismissed the others.
After meeting the Empress, it was necessary to see the Empress Dowager to complete the ceremony. Upon arriving at Cining Palace, the eunuch invited everyone into the palace hall.
After receiving their gifts, the Empress Dowager asked the female official to escort the other imperial decree ladies out, leaving only Yueyao behind.
Yueyao was quite familiar with the Empress Dowager, and considering the connection with Marquis Jingning’s Residence, Yueyao was well aware that even if the Empress Dowager didn’t favor her, she wouldn’t make things difficult. Hence, she wasn’t nervous.
A palace maid brought over a cup of warm water.
Yueyao was about to stand up to express her gratitude, but the Empress Dowager waved her hand and said warmly, "There are no outsiders here, no need for formalities."
Yueyao discerned a sense of intimacy in the Empress Dowager’s words, which surprised her. Last time she met the Empress Dowager, although the Empress Dowager was quite kind to her on the surface, Yueyao could sense that the Empress Dowager was still evaluating her. However, Yueyao felt she had a clear conscience, and since she had no desires to ask for anything, she didn’t mind.
Observing Yueyao’s calm demeanor, the Empress Dowager nodded slightly in approval. "Zichang, Mingzhu owes a lot to you this time, otherwise who knows how much trouble she would have faced." If it weren’t for Yueyao, no one would have realized that Mingzhu’s inability to eat was due to a salt issue.
The Empress Dowager, having no children of her own, treated Luo Shao and Mingzhu as her own children. Luo Shao, being the Marquis, was capable and did not require her concern, but Mingzhu was different. She was aware of her sister’s personality, so she intended to bring Mingzhu into the palace for proper upbringing, but her sister disagreed. At that time, she kept Mingzhu in the palace, only to find out later that her sister refused medication, compelling her to compromise. Therefore, before her sister passed away, she never allowed Mingzhu to stay overnight in the palace.
After her sister passed away, she brought Mingzhu into the palace intending to rigorously educate her in etiquette and conduct, only to discover that most of Mingzhu’s bad habits had already changed. Initially, she believed Lian Yueyao was merely Mingzhu’s study companion, but over time, she realized Yueyao held a significant place in Mingzhu’s heart, to the extent that she could influence Mingzhu. If her nephew Luo Shao hadn’t been adamant that Lian Yueyao was good, she might have taken action to remove her.
Though she trusted her nephew’s judgment, she remained watchful over the years as a precaution, but through the experiences of recent years, she finally acknowledged Yueyao’s genuine care for Mingzhu, disproving her initial thought that Yueyao sought to leverage Mingzhu to ascend within the Marquis’ household, and thus to her.
Yueyao responded respectfully, "Sister Mingzhu treats me like her own sister, so doing these things for her is nothing much."
The Empress Dowager smiled. Time reveals true intentions, and after observing for many years, she now agreed with her nephew’s sentiments that Yueyao was indeed a good person.