Chapter 644 A Dream of Youth 176
The Empress and Yan Xi both invited her to attend the young prince's third-day celebration. Xie Ning didn't know what to give him, so she just had someone buy her a longevity lock.
After thinking about it, I finally added a jade nine-linked ring.
Not only Xie Ning received an invitation, but Xie Wangzhi also received an invitation to attend the ceremony. However, Xie Ning gave an extra suggestion: bring the White Wolf along.
Xie Ning rubbed Snowball's ears, but in the end, she didn't put the collar on it.
It wasn't that she felt sorry for Snowball, but rather that she was trying to figure out what the Emperor and Empress meant. They probably wanted the White Wolf's gentleness to be known to everyone, and they might even let the little prince touch the White Wolf.
The impression you give is different when you wear a collar versus when you don't.
Sure enough, when the Emperor and Empress saw Xie Ning appear with the pure white wolf, they couldn't hide their smiles. The other adults and members of the royal family who had never seen a white wolf before secretly sized it up.
Seeing that the white wolf was indeed so docile, he couldn't help but look at Xie Ning in surprise.
It's not that there aren't animal trainers who can tame wild beasts, but to make a wild beast so docile is extremely rare. There can only be one reason: Xie Ning is truly an auspicious creature choosing its master.
Actually, if the white wolf had chosen Xie Wangzhi, then not offering him up would have been a disaster. But Xie Ning was different. In everyone's eyes, a mere woman posed no threat.
They're praising her as a virtuous person, so let them praise her; it won't harm anyone else's interests. But this virtue isn't just talk; since everyone's praising her, Xie Ning has to live up to it.
If she does something wrong, the backlash will be something she can't handle.
When Yan Xi saw Xie Ning, she went up and led her over to stand with the other princesses. The other princesses were somewhat intimidated by the white wolf, so they couldn't help but keep their distance from Xie Ning.
There was only one little one, and when I reached out to touch it, the quick-thinking wet nurse picked me up.
When the auspicious time arrived, a midwife brought the baby over for the third-day bath. Because the weather was a bit chilly, the baby started crying loudly as soon as it was exposed to the air, which made the Empress feel heartbroken.
But both the emperor and the guests thought it was good. The little prince was crying so loudly, which meant he was very healthy, and that was the greatest blessing.
The wet nurse must have been very good at soothing children, but she didn't immediately calm the little prince down. Instead, she had him touch the white wolf's furry head, which made him giggle.
Everyone began to praise the child, using every good word they could think of. Some even composed poems for the young prince on the spot. Whether they were truly inspired on the spot or prepared in advance, only the prince himself knew.
In any case, the better the praise, the happier the emperor will be, and if the emperor is happy, he might even be promoted.
Of course, the emperor of the Great Zhou was not so foolish as to grant official positions to people based on a few flattering words. He liked people who could speak well, but he liked talented people even more.
Xie Ning also offered a few words of praise, after all, he was her boss, so saying a few nice words didn't cost her anything.
After the lively third-day celebration, the banquet is about to begin.
Instead of sitting at individual low tables, everyone sat at large square tables. However, it was impossible for everyone to sit at one table, so the emperor only invited his close ministers and relatives to sit together.
Everyone was filled with envy when they saw the Xie family father and daughter sitting at the same table, with the emperor in the main seat.
They thought Xie Ning could only hope to achieve the highest rank of sixth-grade proofreader, but unexpectedly, after the mechanical clock came out, the emperor promoted her to the fifth grade.
The physician was also promoted to the sixth rank, much faster than his father.
Although they were envious, everyone knew that both Xie Wangzhi and Xie Ning had earned their achievements through hard work, not through empty promises.
Moreover, Xie Ning's proofreading, although a prestigious civil service position, was ultimately a nominal one with no real power, so there was little room for envy.
However, some people were eyeing Xie Ning's face and plotting something.
Although some people think it's not good for Xie Ning to show his face in public, the benefits Xie Ning can bring to the family are obvious. If they can marry this woman into the family, they might be able to take advantage of the situation and help the family reach a higher level.
Xie Ning was unaware that someone was eyeing her marriage. She simply sat demurely beside her father, not eating in silence, but chatting naturally with the officials at the table.
Everyone had gotten used to talking to Xie Ning, so they didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
As they chatted, the topic turned to poetry. Xie Ning didn't hold back and spontaneously composed a few poems, which greatly impressed the adults present. Then, the conversation inadvertently veered towards politics.
Xie Ning was about to say something when her hand holding the wine glass was pressed down.
Xie Wangzhi, who had been silently watching Xie Ning, gently shook his head. "Stop when you've touched the mark. Too much is as bad as too little."
"Um."
Xie Ning knew that putting on such a show in front of everyone was indeed a bit too deliberate. When dealing with these old foxes, it was better to proceed slowly and defeat them one by one.
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