Chapter 101 Full Moon Banquet

The ninth day of the second month.

Wen Li'er, who often slept in since she became pregnant, got up early.

Because today was the first day of the imperial examination, she felt pressured for her brother.

Those who can reach the stage of the imperial examination are outstanding students selected from various prefectures, counties and districts.

In Dayan, the imperial examination was divided into three sessions, usually scheduled for the 9th, 12th and 15th of February.

Each exam lasts one day.

The first test is poetry and prose, focusing on literary talent;

The second test focuses on the interpretation of Confucian classics;

The third round of the exam will test students' analysis of current affairs and their thinking and countermeasures.

Wen Li'er had read the books her father and brother used for the imperial examinations before, but she found them obscure and difficult to understand.

Although she believed in her brother's ability, she still couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

She sat on the bed, bowed several times towards the sky, and prayed sincerely.

"Please pray that the Buddha will bless my brother to win the exam and take first place."

After the fifteenth day, Wen Li'er wanted to write a letter back to ask her brother how he did in the exam.

But soon, she gave up the idea.

After the imperial examination, the results will be announced about a month later.

Writing to my brother now will only add to his pressure.

Let’s wait until the results are announced.

…

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the full moon.

In just a month or so, the cub has grown up.

The originally red and wrinkled little face has now become white and rosy, and the skin has gradually opened up.

If you look closely, you will find that Xiaoxiao's nose and mouth look very much like Yan Shixu.

And his eyes are very similar to Wen Li'er's.

She blinks her big eyes at people every day, and anyone who looks at her will feel melted by her gaze.

Unfortunately, Wen Lier, as Xiaoxiao's biological mother, cannot attend his full moon banquet today.

The main reason is that she still has to continue her confinement period.

So he could only stay in Qionghua Palace obediently, deal with Xiaoxiao first, and then wait for people from Fuyao Palace to come.

Just before the full moon banquet began, Caixia and Luoxia from Fuyao Palace came over to hug Xiaoxiao.

The little guy was sleeping soundly with his chubby face, and he didn't feel a bit when he was taken away.

It was not until he entered the banquet hall that he was awakened by the cheerful singing and dancing.

All the officials and their families in the hall looked towards the child.

The owl was wrapped in a brocade swaddling cloth embroidered with a picture of a hundred children in gold thread.

The baby's hair is black, and the round face is as white, tender and translucent as a peeled lychee.

A pair of big black grape eyes seemed to have been soaked in mountain spring water, clear and bright, yet with a hint of haziness from just waking up.

Several ladies praised him repeatedly: "The little prince's eyes and eyebrows look exactly like the Crown Prince when he was a child!"

Xiaoxiao didn't know whether he understood or not, and he waved his arm and babbled.

The seven-treasure gold bracelet on his wrist was exposed, and the bells jingled as he moved.

The little guy looked at the seven-treasure gold bracelet curiously, then turned his little head in the cradle, as if looking for someone.

However, he is still too young, his neck muscles and bones are not yet fully developed, and his head control is too weak, resulting in limited range of rotation.

Seeing that the auspicious time for washing the child's head and shaving the head and praying for blessings was approaching, the queen's personal maid Yan came back and hugged Xiaoxiao.

Xiaoxiao is really brave. He doesn't cry or make a fuss even when being held by strangers.

Just keep turning your little head.

After a moment, the eunuch in charge of ceremonies sang loudly: "The baby baptism ceremony begins——"

The palace maid brought a copper basin, in which green onion slices and copper coins were floating in the warm water made from mugwort.

The queen took the jade spoon and scooped water to gently sprinkle on Xiaoxiao's forehead.

"The first wash brings wisdom and understanding, the second wash brings longevity and happiness!"

After the ceremony, officials from the Imperial Astronomical Observatory used golden scissors to cut off a lock of Xiaoxiao's hair, put it into a brocade bag embroidered with gold patterns, and hung it on the beam of the ancestral hall, which meant "being blessed by the ancestors."

The emperor was not feeling well today and did not attend his grandson's full moon banquet.

Yan Shixu personally picked up the red brush and wrote the three words "Yan Xingyi" on the jade book.

As soon as the pen was put down, the nine bells from the Taimiao rang out, shaking the entire palace.

After the banquet was set, the "Bai Fu Cake" specially made by the imperial chef was presented to the officials first.

A pattern of a fat baby holding a carp was drawn on it with hawthorn jam, and a thumb-sized silver peanut was hidden in the red eggshell.

There are also endless performances in the hall, making it very lively.

When the banquet was in full swing, hundreds of rabbit-shaped lanterns rose from the palace walls, and the night sky seemed to be dotted with stars.

All officials and princes and princesses presented their carefully prepared full-moon gifts.

Even King Lin Yan Shilin, who lived far away in Jizhou, sent a whole cart of full-moon gifts.

After the full moon banquet was over, Yan Shixu ordered everyone to send all the gifts received today to Qionghua Palace.

When Wen Li'er looked at the mountain of valuable gifts in front of her, she fell into deep thought.

Who can understand the feeling of achieving financial freedom overnight?

After completing the 42-day confinement period, Wen Lier's first thing was to instruct Qingzhu and Qingmei who were beside her.

"Hurry up, prepare some bath water for me. I want to take a bath!"

Maybe it was because of the last time His Highness mentioned that she had a smell, but during her confinement period, Wen Lier was almost suffocated by the smell on her body.

After changing the water in the bathtub three times, she felt like she was finally alive again with wet hair.

The second thing, of course, is to have a good meal.

The food she had been eating during this period was almost always low in oil, salt, and chili. She felt that she was eager to eat something with a strong flavor to save her taste buds.

Now that the confinement period is over, no one is stopping her anymore.

It’s just that the baby was born and the confinement period was over.

This means...she will have to go to Fuyao Palace to pay her respects again...

Wen Li'er slept in almost every day this year.

I feel a little uncomfortable to suddenly have to get up early to pay my respects.

But no matter whether you are suitable or not, you have to go.

The next day.

With sleepy eyes, she ate her breakfast in a wandering manner and asked her son.

Then, he floated out of the Qionghua Palace like a wandering soul.

I didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence that I met Lin Fujia again.

Wen Li'er pinched herself and forced herself to wake up a little.

"Sister Wen, what a coincidence."

"Sister Lin, what a coincidence."

Lin Fujia walked forward affectionately and took Wen Lier's arm, saying with a smile, "I can keep Sister Wen company again."

Wen Li'er looked at her forced smile and thin face, pursed her lips and nodded.

"I am also very happy to have Sister Lin as my companion."

The last time Wen Lier saw Lin Fujia was about two months ago.

Lin Fujia probably avoided suspicion deliberately because she knew she was about to give birth.

But in just two months, she had become emaciated.

The eye sockets were deeply sunken, and the little light that was originally in the eyes was now completely gone.

Wen Li'er opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but found that she didn't know how to start.

After a long pause, she forced out a few words from her throat: "Sister Lin, you should eat more. If, I mean if, no one loves you, you must love yourself well."

Lin Fujia was lost in thought as she looked at the sincere concern on her face.

Obviously, Wen Li'er's current status is far superior to hers, and she is also favored and has a son.

Why can I still treat her the same as before?

There are countless women with miserable lives in this deep palace, and Lin Fujia is one of them.

In the blink of an eye, two and a half years have passed, and Wen Li'er, who entered the Eastern Palace with her, has already reached this point.

And what about her? How did she become so depressed?

She had clearly figured it out and had planned out her future path.

But whenever it was late at night and everyone was asleep, the self-pity and bitterness in her heart would escape from the cage and wreak havoc on her body.

She struggled with herself over and over again, but could not get out of the shadow in her heart.

Then, it became what it is now.

She felt like she wanted to completely ruin her life, but Wen Li'er's words made her regain her confidence.

She nodded heavily and smiled sincerely.

"I haven't had much of an appetite lately. My sister has chef Li Yu over there. After greeting me, I can go to her place and have a meal. Is that okay?"

Wen Li'er nodded vigorously: "Anytime."

"Okay, it's a deal!"

When the two men walked to the front of Fuyao Palace, they met Feng Fengyi and Wen Fengyi who came to pay their respects.

Wen Wanqin bowed respectfully to Wen Li'er.

"I have met Lady Wen Liang."

Wen Li'er nodded at her: "Get up."

Feng Yingying looked at Wen Wanqin's behavior with some disdain.

But thinking of Wen Li'er's current position, he still bowed reluctantly.

Seeing her attitude, Wen Li'er didn't bother to pay attention to her and walked into the Fuyao Palace first.

There are two rows of apricot blossoms planted in the courtyard.

In early spring, the apricot buds on the branches have quietly broken through the brown calyx.

From a distance, the whole tree looks like it is covered with a thin layer of snow.

When I got closer, I found that each flower had a light pink hue, as if it were sprinkled with frosting.

Wen Li'er couldn't help but look up a few more times, and began to look forward to the pear trees in Qionghua Palace growing and blooming.

…