Chapter 803 Banquet (1)
At the third quarter of the You hour, an inconspicuous carriage stopped at the palace gate. By then, several carriages had already pulled up, with others arriving continuously, all belonging to ministers in official attire, accompanied by their Ladies as they descended from the carriages.
Of course, each of these Ladies had an imperial command, for without it, no matter how high-ranking her husband’s position, she would not be qualified to enter the palace. As for the children of these officials, unless specifically permitted, they also had no right to attend the New Year’s banquet.
Therefore, when they saw the young and unfamiliar Mo Yan, the ministers and Ladies who had not yet entered the palace were quite astonished and privately guessed at her identity. However, being well-mannered people, they might have been surprised, but they did not stare rudely at Mo Yan.
A few ministers, who had seen Mo Yan at a court session, recognized her. Although Mo Yan had no real power, her rank level stood firm, so they approached with their Ladies to pay their respects, "This humble official (and the official’s wife) pays respects to Princess Hejia!"
Mo Yan did not recognize the couple before her, but seeing that the minister was dressed in the grade-four-official-cloud-wild-goose uniform, she bowed slightly in return, "Your Excellency and Lady need not be so courteous!"
In the whole of Great Chu, there was no second County Lord. The others quickly came to know Mo Yan’s identity. Even though everyone knew that this County Lord came from humble origins, no one dared to belittle her. After all, she had caught the eye of the Crown Prince and was the only County Lord personally bestowed by the monarch.
Everyone dared not neglect her and stepped forward to pay their respects.
Mo Yan, with a smile, responded to each greeting. She did not arrogantly flaunt her status, nor did she show the slightest discomfort. Her demeanor was graceful, her words and actions were just right, and no one could find the slightest fault; thus surprising some who had hoped to witness a blunder.