Chapter 362 - 228: Righteous Army Staff_2
After Li Yuan ascended the throne, he named his daughter Princess Pingyang, a homophonic representation of "Peaceful Poplar," signifying that she was one of the chief meritorious officials in pacifying the Sui Dynasty. As a former military strategist at the rebel camp, Old Lady Li only accepted a first-grade imperial title during the Wude era and then retired behind the scenes.
Ran Yan sighed, grateful that she hadn’t actually presented a birthday gift in public—otherwise, with those penetrating eyes that see through the affairs of the world, her intentions would have been clear as day. In front of such a person, it was difficult to take the initiative; it all came down to luck.
Upon arriving at the banquet hall, they could tell from the outside that the male and female guests were seated on separate sides, men to the left and women to the right, with a sheer curtain dividing the women’s section. They could enter through a side door without having to go through the main entrance.
Just as Ran Yan had imagined, a crowd of court officials surrounded Old Lady Li with birthday congratulations. The two of them entered through the side door, stealthily hugging the wall and slipped into the room. After spotting where Mrs. Luo and Ran Meiyu were, they quickly walked over, heads down.
"Is everything in place?" Mrs. Luo asked in a low voice, turning her head.
Ran Yan softly hummed in affirmation.
Mrs. Luo glanced at Ran Yun, who was smiling and nodding. Only then did her heart, which had been held in suspense, settle down, and her expression became even more natural than before.
The afternoon court officials had to go to their government offices, so after delivering congratulatory phrases and exchanging a few pleasantries, they hustled out one after another. The atmosphere in the banquet hall became noticeably more relaxed than before.