Chapter 140 - 41: The Feast at Hong Gate
The Shang Kingdom is small, with only a dozen or so cities. As the only beloved daughter of the current King of Shang Kingdom, the elder Princess’s birthday is naturally a major event celebrated throughout the nation.
For this occasion, King Fa Xiaoyun had people set up porridge tents outside Little Shang Palace, offering free porridge for ten days.
On the day of the elder Princess’s birthday, a family banquet was held in the palace, inviting over a hundred people. Those who attended the banquet in the Inner Court were all Imperial Relatives.
After receiving the Empress Dowager’s instructions, Lie Rou thought it over for a few days at home and felt that she should take advantage of the palace banquet to understand her daughter’s thoughts.
The day before the banquet, she reminded Yue Jinghua of the etiquette for entering the palace, and also prepared the veil, skirts, and several pieces of jewelry that "Yue Jinghua" always needed when entering the palace.
"Her face has already grown to be so noticeable; trying to conceal it will only draw more attention. No matter how she dresses up, she’s just becoming a backdrop for others," Yue Jinghua simply made an ordinary appearance, neither applying makeup nor dressing up elaborately. She only wore a simple armor skirt and casually swept up her long hair, securing it with a cat’s eye yellow jade hairpin before entering the palace.
Lie Rou was relieved to know that Yue Jinghua was willing to attend the banquet; she dared not demand more from her daughter. Instead, she arranged Yue Chen’s attire, and the four of them entered the palace together.
Outside Little Shang Palace, palaces stood in clusters. The crowd waiting for porridge formed long lines, and upon seeing the noble people, the commoners all tiptoed, eager to get a glimpse.
Lie Rou, along with her servants, rode in a carriage that mingled with the train of high-headed horses with fluttering banners belonging to the families, appearing quite unremarkable.